Violeta's Travel Blog | Inspiration for Independent Travelers

A Top List of 3D Travel Puzzles To Keep Your Travel Dreams Alive

How do you quench your thirst for travel in these quarantine and social isolation times? Do you watch National Geographic documentaries? Do you browse through your old travel photos? Do you still plan trips for the time when all this madness will be over? This list of...

Rome Walking Tours Self Guided – Sightseeing without the Crowds

Rome has a well-deserved reputation of being overpacked with tourists. While this is true for most tourist objectives such as Fontana di Trevi, The Pantheon and The Vatican, there are lots of places to see in Rome that are off the beaten tourist track. I can give you...

Kato Paphos Archaeological Park – UNESCO Heritage Site & Great Coastal Walk in Cyprus

I've been to Larnaka, Cyprus, for two years in a row. The first year I didn't move out of Larnaka (my friend and I spent all four days on the beach, under the nice sun of May). The second year I've visited Ayia Napa on an afternoon trip. The third year, it was time to...

Crypta Balbi – A Glimpse into the Layered Urban Evolution of Rome

Crypta Balbi is part of Museo Nationale Romano, together with Palazzo Altemps,The Baths of Diocletian and Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. When you buy your ticket to Crypta Balbi or to any other of these four buildings, you get access to all of them. If this is your first...

Skiing in Romania – Poiana Brasov

Have you ever considered skiing in Romania rather than in the Swiss or French Alps? The Carpathians mountains are high enough to get covered in snow during winter. Sinaia, Busteni, Azuga, Predeal and Poiana Brasov are the main ski resorts on Prahova Valley. There are...

Castel Sant’ Angelo in Rome – Hadrian’s Tomb, Repurposed

Do you remember my article about the coffin that tells stories (The Ludovisi Battle sarcophagus)? Here's now a full tomb that also tells stories, Hadrian's Mausoleum, better known as Castel Sant' Angelo or Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant Angelo.. Back in the year 135...

Ostia Beach (Lido di Ostia) – A Beach as Close to Rome as You’ll Ever Find

If you are in Rome during summer and you want to visit Ostia Antica, consider taking your bathing suit and your flip flops with you. After you finish with the archeological park, go back to the train station and take the train to Ostia Lido Centro to go to the Ostia...

Ostia Antica, Best Day Trip from Rome – Why Visit & How To Do It

There are so many things to do and see in Rome, that you could easily spend two weeks without getting out of the city. However, should you want to take a day trip from Rome, consider visiting Ostia Antica. There are many good reasons why Ostia Antica is the perfect...

Why Visit the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome

The church of San Luigi dei Francesi (Saint Louis of the French) is not only one of the most beautiful churches in Rome, but also home to three paintings by Caravaggio. The beauty of Rome is that you don't have to pay a fortune to visit museums, if you don't want to....

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus – How To Find This Roman Battle Scene and Why Visit?

The Ludovisi Battle sarcophagus can be found in Rome in Palazzo Altemps, which is part of Museo National Romano (The National Museum of Rome). Named after Ludovico Ludovisi, the sarcophagus depicts a battle of Romans and barbarians. It is a memorial of this Rome...

What To Wear in Italy – A Travel Packing List for Any Season

Packing light has become one of the obsessions of modern travelers. There are many advantages to not checking in a bag when flying and many people prefer to pack only the bare basics, only to be able to take their bag with them in the cabin. This is how the need for...

Churches in Rome with Caravaggio Paintings – A Self-Guided Walking Tour for Art Lovers

The three churches in Rome where you can find Caravaggio paintings are Sant' Agostino, San Luigi dei Francesi and Santa Maria Di Popolo. Find out how to visit all three churches in a self-guided tour of historic Rome. The entrance is free, but lighting up the artworks...