Bled and Bohinj - Slovenia

Bled and Bohinj – Slovenia

Post published:28 March 2010
Post category:Europe Slovenia Southern Europe

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Idyllic Setting around the Julian Alps

On our second part of this weekend trip in Slovenia after a nice experience in Ljubljana, the country’s capital; we visit what is perhaps the most known and famous natural landmark of the country, Lake Bled with its little island in the middle. Surrounded by castles, hills, pristine forests and lakes this area seem perfect for a fairy tale. And luckily the weather gave us a break with the sun shining and full clear skies for most of the day, something we cannot say from the rainy day before.

We rented a car upon arriving in Ljubljana airport the day before as we knew we would need it for our day out trip to the lakes and mountains. Reaching Bled via public transportation is not difficult in any case although it’s time consuming. Also remember that it is not only about this lake, but the many others and the nice mountains and landscapes you can only reach if you have your own transportation to be fully flexible.

After Bled you can head towards Bohinj, another beautiful lake surrounded by high mountains around. And other than this, unless you want to continue exploring mountain villages, other lakes and overall nature, you can head to Trieste in Italy, not far away anymore. (more…)

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Ljubljana - Slovenia

Ljubljana – Slovenia

Post published:28 March 2010
Post category:Europe Slovenia Southern Europe

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Habsburg Laibach

With another weekend, comes another new place. A country never been before in this case for us, Slovenia, new capital city, Ljubljana, and great nature and landscapes as we would visit on the following day after first enjoying a whole day at the capital. It’s been a while we were tracking some flights here but these were always quite over the budget we would generally pay for just a weekend trip anywhere in Europe. Although it’s true we keep increasing constantly this budget since the days of the truly low-cost flights are gone to certain destinations, but with Slovenia in general it was always still too much to even consider bearing in mind our crazy unstoppable bug for travelling most of the weekends in a year.

The city, although small, has a very beautiful and large old town in a great state of conservation. For a long time it’s been a great project of gentrification where the otherwise once decadent and crumbling historical buildings, have been completely restored to their former glory. And incredibly, for Secessionist lovers, the city boasts a very large collection of this architectural style all over, mainly due to the fact that the city was destroyed in the 1895’s earthquake, being the Vienna Secession the new architectural style at that time, the true origins of the Art-Nouveau.

How long you should plan here depends if you want to visit any other place, like the Lake Bled, or even go to Trieste across the border in Italy. In any case, you should not plan any longer than 2 days as you will run out of places to visit on the first day. We planned the day of arrival for visiting the city, the day after for Lake Bled, surrounding villages and other lakes; and reaching Trieste for dinner. As for the last day before taking the flight back we did still enjoyed a walk in Ljubljana, sitting by the terraces along the river and a nice lunch. 2 days and a half was perfect for us to see everything we wanted and even reaching Italy for dinner.

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Lubeck - Germany

Lubeck – Germany

Post published:17 January 2010
Post category:Europe Germany Western Europe

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The Former Capital of the Hanseatic League

Coming to the second day for this weekend trip we headed towards Lubeck from Hamburg, this time to enjoy this incredibly beautiful city and also because my returning flight to London was departing from here. At only 65km one to another, it is not even one hour train ride centre to centre. Either if you fly to Hamburg or to smaller Lubeck airport for visiting Hamburg, you really must consider and plan some time for this Hanseatic jewel, often bypassed by the average tourist.

It won’t take you any longer than half day to visit the city if I am honest. Its small size and organisation of the streets plus the compact historical centre means any longer than half a day will already be too much. It’s perfect for a day trip from Hamburg where you don’t need to start your day very early nor return late at night; just have a perfect relaxing day, or as it was in my case, sightseeing and enjoying it before heading to the airport.

The city is an UNESCO World Heritage Site listed for it’s former importance as the capital of the Hanseatic League, and for having preserved it’s Medieval old town unaltered ever since, built between the 12th until the 16th centuries. The constructions in this city are among the finest and most incredible from any of the former Hanseatic cities. The stunning Brick Gothic architecture will captivate any visitor. Without any doubt and hesitation, it did to myself, although I do admit I am a fan lover of the Hanseatic Gothic architecture. (more…)

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Segovia - Spain

Segovia – Spain

Post published:2 January 2010
Post category:Europe Southern Europe Spain

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City of the victory

Just a day has passed into the new year and we are already making our first day trip, to Segovia this time, although in this occasion is a simple one from Madrid where I was spending the Christmas holidays at home with family and friends. Before this date, there’s been only one time I’ve been here before but cannot even recall when that was. Certainly many years ago, therefore was great to finally come back here and with the proper instruments this time: a nice camera to capture the best the city has to offer, and of course, having the chance afterwards for creating this guide for anyone to enjoy.

The day back in Madrid started with quite harsh weather-wise talking. Snowing so heavily that we had to actually postpone our departure. We though we would not even be able to take the train there, but as soon as we arrived to the station, trains were running ontime without any trouble, therefore, why to wait?.

At 90km to the north from Madrid, it is one of the 9 regions that forms Castile and Leon Autonomous Community; and like it is on the other remaining 8 regions, it is full of rich history and extraordinary architecture. There is in this city, however, a major landmark that makes it different to any other and not just only in Spain but across the entire of what once was the Roman Empire: its aqueduct. It is an unique example of ancient civil engineering which stands today as the best preserved and the most complete anywhere. (more…)

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Wieliczka Salt Mine - Poland

Wieliczka Salt Mine – Poland

Post published:12 December 2009
Post category:Eastern Europe Europe Poland

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The Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland

Our half day trip from Krakow was in fact, one of the highlights for this trip in this region on this occasion, the stunning Wieliczka Salt Mines. I knew that whenever I would visit Krakow for a first time, it would have to include the salt mines, and it was well worth it every minute. You do never expect it until you see it by your own eyes. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s old and it’s something unique. One of the man-made wonders of the world hence why it was one of the very first 12 privileged candidates to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site on the very first UNESCO list when this organisation was created back in 1978.

Exploitation of salt at this mine goes back to the 13th century and had been in operation producing table salt continuously until 2007. Although nowadays the production is much smaller, it is one of the world’s oldest salt mines still in operation. With a maximum depth of around 320 meters and an astonishing 280 kilometres of tunnels, what you are able to visit today is “just” little over 2 km, hundreds of salt sculptures ranging from many centuries old to more modern ones, a lake, the “cathedral”, original ancient wooden tools (perfectly conserved as salt preserves wood very good almost intact) and many tunnels and galleries. Small wells, shafts, rail tracks and carriages; you will enjoy every bit of it.

As a great point to have in mind is that being so near to Krakow there is no excuse for you not to come and visit. A restaurant and snack bar is also located at the end of the tour and before you take the lift up, but don’t expect a big or cheap choice. Hold your hunger until you are out as in the village where you will find great and local places at cheap prices. (more…)

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Genoa - Italy

Genoa – Italy

Post published:8 November 2009
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

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La Superba; The Proud One

After many years since the first and only time I’ve been to this city, it was well overdue a return. And what a great difference this was! Back in the year 2001 when I came with my school on a trip through France and Italy, Genoa was a very brief and quick stop-over along the way heading towards Pisa and Florence. It was enough time to vaguely admire one of the most fascinating cities in Italy. Genoa is up to this date, one of my favourite in the country. So much to see and do, so charming and such incredible rich history it is no wonder most of its historical centre is listed an UNESCO World Heritage Site, noticeable for the system of palaces for which the city is famous for. So many of them! It is the most unique city having such an incredible architectonic patrimony in palaces.

The only downside, quite major in a way, is the elevated motorway still cutting through the waterfront along the entire length of the city. This is the main motorway linking France with Italy along the coast, with Genoa one of the major transport hubs. Nowadays many efforts have been done to improve this damaging image, specially by expanding Corso Italia towards the sea with new open spaces and the restoration of many decaying buildings. It’s been a long process and many years have passed but the city can proudly say it has lost its reputation as a dangerous and industrial ugly place, giving way to an incredible thriving and beautiful city as it always used to be.

Some few more facts about Genoa, it is one of Europe’s largest on the Mediterranean Sea and the largest seaport in Italy. Also famous, but arguably questioned and dubious, as being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The Bank of Saint George, founded in 1407, is among the oldest in the world. The prosperity of the city was exponential from the 15th century onwards, hence the great collection of elegant buildings and constructions everywhere in the city. (more…)

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Salzburg - Austria

Salzburg – Austria

Post published:2 August 2009
Post category:Europe Austria Western Europe

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The birthplace of Mozart

Countless years have passed since the first and only time I travelled to Salzburg, of course way before I started to create a site and travel guides, so finally this is the great chance for a well awaited return and thereafter creation of a proper guide for this so famous destination. One of the most beautiful, complete and most visited city in Europe, full of 17th century Baroque architecture wherever anyone look. It is one of these places where surprisingly, when looking in a map it is small, yet when walking along the streets the sights do not stop to succeed, like an open museum indeed and in fact, very overwhelming. One does not know where to look nor how to walk the most appropriate route, however, a day is good enough to fully explore all the sights and monuments while a second day would be nice to have and therefore enjoy the city at a much more relaxed pace.

If back at the first time I’ve ever visited Salzburg it was on a guided day tour from Vienna hence super short and very rushy, considering the 4 hours bus journey per way, on this occasion it turned out to be quite different. What originally though would be a long day trip to spend the Saturday away, due to some airline cancellations and re-schedule it worked in our favour in the sense that we gained an extra day and flew back the following day in the evening. Being a nice group of friends in this trip then was nice to also get to know the great thriving nightlife of the city.

From the city’s foundations little remain other than knowing from what’s been found, it was likely a Neolithic settlement before becoming a Roman post and still, almost no trace from the Roman period stands out today. We need to go forward to the 11th century AD when it was part of Bavaria (Germany) and the Festung Hohensalzburg, the city’s fortress, was built thus gaining importance and wealthiness from the salt trade coming directly from the mines not far south. It is this reason from what the name Salzburg derives, Salt Fortress.

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Almaty – Kazakhstan

Post published:3 January 2009
Post category:Asia Select by Continent

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“The south capital”

Almaty, the largest and most important city in Kazakhstan ever since its foundation, and a very much awaited destination to travel to for being the best spot to start a Central Asia tour across part of the original Silk Road in this side of the world. Fair enough it will not be a complete tour this time through the 5 Stans due to time limitations, but that will be a good sign for return in the near future and complete over all, the grand cities of Uzbekistan. This time, the trip will take me through the nature and incredible landscapes across steep mountain passes, canyons and lakes once upon a time filled with merchants navigating their ways connecting the Far East with Europe.

After being to that many ex-Soviet cities in the past, here is no exception to find the very same architecture, urbanism, similar food blend of Russian, East European and that touch of Chinese and Arabian. Signs difficult to even understand, hard to communicate in English to anyone and that unique feeling of a bygone Soviet era. You can feel it anywhere in the city and that is without doubt part of the excitement for reaching countries like this, a bit more unusual.

The city itself is not the prettiest, definitely no, nor is the kind of place you come for holidays or spend the time as a cultural trip. It is in the other hand one of the most common place to start a Silk Road tour. Its location could not be any better, not to mention the incredible beauty and landscapes that lie merely few kilometres south and visible from most parts of the city, the famous Tien Shan Mountain range, an UNESCO World Heritage Site in its full length. And so, not many kilometres towards the east the incredible Charyn Canyon, nicknamed the Grand Canyon’s little sister, is the second largest in the word. Then the many lakes few minutes’ drive away, especially these with the dead trees inside the water, and plenty more. But for a day, the city alone is great and certainly has great architecture to admire and stunning food to enjoy. All very worth it. (more…)

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