Any nature lover would find heaven in Bavaria’s Englischer Garten. Located in Munich’s neighborhood of Schwabing, its beautiful scenery is welcoming to all who lay eyes upon it. Here you will find something to do, or even better, you can relax and do nothing at all. Formerly constructed as a military garden by Carl Theodor in 1789, the transformation of The Englischer Garten led it to become one of the largest gardens in the world. Its name meaning, English Garden, is derived from its style of landscaping which includes ponds, meadows and patches of woods. One of the largest urban parks in the world, its area covers 3.74 km², while its paths and walkways span almost 75 km. Although the English Garden lies in Schwabing, ...
We approached the foothills of the German Alps range nearly five and half hours after our departure from Prague. The mountains were a welcome stimulus to our apathetic tone that was rooted in the after effects of our two night binge in Prague. However our excitement spiked as signs denoted our destination lie only a few kilometers off. My foot weighed on the accelerator as our rented VW Fox caressed the curvy one lane road with the conviction of a shopping cart. The tree line opened up just before our ascension to the tiny quaint town of Hohenschwangau, which housed the infamous Neuschwanstein Castle. It was the very structure that Disney modeled their castle after. As we studied the dwarfing mountain range from afar, the ...
Stepping off the train, a cool breeze welcomed us to Lake Bled. This glacial lake located in the Julian Alps harbors Slovenia's only island, a quaint and charming pastoral haven. We had originally planned to set up camp by the water, but as we peered into the distance under the dim moonlight, we learned that the lakeside near us was smothered in cement. The mountain it was, we decided. Setting out, the hike was easy. The path was wide and the moon shined down on us with a welcoming glow. Within 20 minutes we had wound our way fairly far up the mountain, but visibility started to dwindle. The foliage grew thick and dappled moonlight shed only faint gleams on the ground before us. The ...
Climbing the Eiffel Tower, one the great charms of Paris, is a leisure best enjoyed in the spring. If, however, circumstances conspire in such a way that you end up in Paris’ 7th arrondissement between June and August, craning your neck at the confabulation of steel lace that stretches upward to its apex in the sky, it is a pleasure not to be refused. Climbing the Eiffel Tower is a difficult task even without the cloying heat of the summer months. Despite what seem like insurmountable obstacles and annoyances of a tireless stop along the Parisian tour route, the Eiffel Tower will not only raise your range of vision, but send your senses soaring. Built in just over two years for the Paris Exposition of ...
Softly glowing from behind its celebrated stonewalls, the lights in Old Town Dubrovnik pour out over the Adriatic coast. The seasoned streets are full of medieval charm, and on a rare night, undisturbed by any other tourists, I was one of small group of travelers who had the privilege of the place all to ourselves. I came to Dubrovnik by sailboat – the third stop along our Dalmatian coast cruise. Completely unaware of its enchanting power, intensely rich history and lively culture, I was taken happily by surprise. After docking amongst the other beautifully crafted European boats in the harbor, we trailed down the marble streets of Dubrovnik one at a time. Running our fingers over the carvings along these ancient buildings, we hurriedly soaked ...
Bruges, a UNESCO world heritage site is perhaps one of the most under appreciated cities in Europe. The pristine and immaculately preserved medieval city will instantly arrest your senses. Bruges is inadequately dubbed ‘The Venice of the North’ and thus, erroneously equates the city’s series of canals as an oversimplified comparison to the Venetian model. However, the comparison ends abruptly there. Bruges espouses a vanity that is in no regard subjugated to the storied Venice. The city’s affinity for 12th century architecture is a clear indication to resist modernity and celebrate Belgian tradition. Bruges’ city centre is large enough to occupy yourself for a few days, but also small enough to transverse on foot. From the moment you cross the four-lane roadway from the train ...
When I was 12-years old, I became fascinated by the Legend of King Arthur after watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. While touring Cornwall years later, I heard that Tintagel Castle, on the northwestern coast of the county, was believed to be the birthplace of the legendary King. It was my chance to finally discover the mythical site and live the Legend. Tintagel Castle can be reached by a Land Rover taxi service from the village of Tintagel; but I opted for the coastal footpath. Starting from the impressive thousand-year-old St Materiana’s Church, then passing the slanting Celtic and Christian crosses scattered in the graveyards, I then followed the trail snaking along the cliff. Tintagel Castle was built on Tintagel Head, a rocky headland ...
If you ever dream of spending the day surrounded by gorgeous flowers, then the Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands will not dissapoint you. A wide array of aromatic scents caress your nose and the colours of long-stem flowers envelope your eyes. The Netherlands is privileged to have “The Largest Flower Garden in the World,” which they have christened the Keukenhof Gardens. Keukenhof literally means “kitchen garden” and is named after the herb garden outside the kitchen of Jacoba van Beieren’s castle. Situated near Lisse, between Amsterdam and The Hague, the “Bulb Region” contains 7 million bulbs which are planted by hand in the fall and covers a land span of 8 acres. The Keukenhof Gardens cultivated beauty will tempt you to kick off your wooden shoes ...
For two weeks of each year, in the middle of July, one can find themselves amid the most popular festival in Pamplona, San Fermin: “Encierro” (or as it is called in English: “The Running of the Bulls”). Pamplona, Spain has become internationally known for its annual Running of the Bulls festival that draws crowds of hundreds of thousands of people to watch an event that perhaps may not even last longer than ten minutes. Originally, festivities were solely in honour of the Patron Saint of Navarra: San Fermin. Every year on the 7th of July, the early morning sun greets the community of Navarra as they gather in the street to raise the statue of their beloved Patron Saint. This statue is a silver-plated wooden ...
With 118 islands poised atop a marshy lagoon, it's no wonder you can't find a single car in Venice. All means of transport here take a more placid form: gondolas, vaporetti (water buses) and traghetto (gondola ferries). With buildings emerging directly out of the water, a gondola ride along the Grand Canal Venice remains one of the best ways to see the enchanting reflections of this marvelous city. Gondola rides hail tired visitors, drained from wandering Venice's maze-like streets, to sit back in their lushly appointed seats draped in velvet and Persian rugs. Melting into the well-preserved old world extravagance of a gondola, one can hardly refrain from rampant day dreams. This traditional Venetian rowboat is also a popular evening pastime for love birds—whom, if ...
