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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...
The Medical Spa in Europe You Won’t Forget Too Soon – Bali Spa Cornu
If you need to find a medical spa in Europe and you happen to have Romania on your bucket list, you'll like the idea I'm going to share here. But first let's see what a medical spa is and why would anyone prefer it to a regular spa and wellness center. What Is a...
Top Things To Do in Budapest, Hungary
There are so many things to do in Budapest, yet some people choose to spend most of their time in Szechenyi Baths, the best thermal spa in the city. I'm one of them. For years, I've been thinking that winter was the best time to visit Budapest, to enjoy the outdoor...
How to Visit Peles Castle in Sinaia, Romania
If I were to tell you that Peles Castle in Sinaia, Romania, is one of the first buildings to feature central heating and air conditioning in the world, wouldn't you want to visit it? Built between 1873 and 1914, Peles Castle is one of the best preserved and the most...
One Day Trip from Bucharest: the Bison Reserve in Vama Buzaului, Mud and Waterfalls
If you ever decide to visit Romania, chances are you're going to land to Bucharest, as this is where most flights arrive. While the city is cool, with a vibrant nightlife and with enough places to relax, have a drink or enjoy a delicious meal, some travelers will want...
What a Mud Volcano Can Do for Your Travel Photos
How would you like to take photos of you on another planet? We may have to wait a little until space travel becomes mainstream, but I've managed to take some surreal photos in a place I'm going to reveal in a moment. There is this unusual area in Romania, at Berca,...
Szechenyi Bath, the Best Thermal Spa in Budapest?
In my many road trips to Vienna, I never passed Budapest without a sigh. I had been hearing so many good things about this city, that visiting it became one of my biggest wishes. Unfortunately, I had to travel for business, so whether I wanted to visit Prague or...
From Emotion to Meaning and Return. A Cultural Trip Through Oltenia
The growling of what sounded like a bear made me stop and listen carefully for a few seconds. I looked around me. The forest was young, there wasn't any chance a tree would have been able to withstand my weight. My next thought was that bears can climb trees and I...
No Rhododendrons on the Ciucas Mountain
I was much too tired to remember why I went up there in the first place. The wind through my hair and through my wet clothes was fabulous, a true catalyst for forgetting. For a moment, I had no past. I was only eyes and skin, kissed by wind and sun together. I even...
Wines of Romania: Bringing People Together
Wines of Romania are just like wines of every other place. If you were to experience the best wine country vacations around the world, you'd see that you can find great wines just about everywhere, provided that the climate allows for the vineyards to grow. Romanian...
A Scenic Northern Italy Itinerary with a Swiss Twist (Four Lakes, Five Towns, Two Countries)
My trips took me to Northern Italy more than once, sometimes for business, other times for leisure. I fell in love with the lakes at first sight, so I've been keen on returning ever since. My first encounter with this area took place in Lugano, Switzerland. Although...
How To Visit the Ancient Cities of Ephesus & Troy in Turkey
Turkey is one of the most surprising countries in the world. Not only is it a realm of contrasts, where the rich meets the poor, and the new meets the old in a kaleidoscope of flavors, but it is also home to some of the most important vestiges of the ancient Greek...
5 Off-the-Beaten-Path Greek Islands You Should Visit
The beauty of the Greek islands is well known. The dazzling azure blues, the white sand-fringed bays and the breathtaking cliff-top views have long been celebrated in literature and cinema. Perhaps then, it is understandable that most tourists who flock to this part...
Your Ultimate Guide To Lugano, Switzerland
Located in the Ticino region, Lugano, Switzerland, is one of the most peaceful and serene cities on Earth. At least this is what you'll be inclined to think at the first contact with this place. If you visit Lugano in winter, you'll be surprised to see palm trees and...
Day Trips from Athens that Will Make You Want To Return to Greece
After two days of exploring Athens with its Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill, Plaka, Syntagma, the Archeology Museum and the many ruins of ancient buildings, most people start wondering what would be the best day trips from Athens. If you are one of them, I have some...
Things To Do in Athens, Greece, in Two Days
There are so many things to do in Athens, Greece, that you won't be able to cover everything in one day. Athens is a wealth of culture and civilization, a city full of vestiges, but also modern in an original way. As visiting the Acropolis is one of the main...
Things To See in Istanbul that Will Make You Fall in Love – A 3-Day Itinerary
What if one told you that you only had 3 days in Istanbul? How would you do your planning to see as much as possible? Would you take several guided tours or you'd put together a list and visit everything in your own, self-guided tour through the city? Whatever your...
5 Must-See Chania Beaches (Your Handy Beach Guide To Chania, Crete)
The most popular tourist destinations are famous for something. Meteora, in Greece, for instance, is well-known for its monasteries built on top of huge rocks. Egypt is famous for the Giza pyramids and the Valley of the Kings. But what makes Chania beaches, or any...
Arosa, Switzerland – A Chic Ski Resort & the Biggest Icicle I’ve Ever Seen
This is the biggest icicle I've ever seen. I took this photo in Arosa, Switzerland, a mountain resort where it was so cold that my camera froze open. Arosa is a chic mountain town in Swirzerland, where snow can reach impressive thickness. Here you can ski or you can...
Mother of the Chocolate Bunny
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...
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...
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 – The Coffin that Tells Stories
The Ludovisi Battle sarcophagus depicts a battle between Romans and barbarians. It is a memorial of this battle that took place in mid third century. Discovered in 1621 in a tomb nearby Porta Tiburtina in Rome, the Grande Ludovisi sarcophagus is also a remarkable...
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...
Where to Stay in Rome
If you've ever visited the charming capital city of Italy before, you probably know by now that seeing the best of Rome involves a lot of walking. Public transport isn't the most reliable of all, so you can easily end up wasting a lot of your precious time waiting for...
Things to Do & See in County Donegal, Ireland
Ireland is one of my favorite countries in Europe. I've covered only a small part of it: Killarney, Kenmare, and Dublin. I also found time to take a few day trips from Dublin. Located at about 250 km from Dublin, Donegal requires more than one day to explore. Until my...