Europe Explored » 1 million https://europeexplored.com Travel through the most beautiful places in Europe Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:36:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 Błędów Desert – a unique desert area in central Europe | Poland https://europeexplored.com/2011/05/27/bledow-desert-a-unique-desert-area-in-central-europe-poland/ https://europeexplored.com/2011/05/27/bledow-desert-a-unique-desert-area-in-central-europe-poland/#comments Fri, 27 May 2011 08:55:42 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=4175 Błędów Desert (or Pustynia Błędowska in Polish) is a unique desert area in central Europe. It is located outside of the city of Olkusz, northwest of Krakow in southern Poland. Błędów Desert covers an area of 32 km2 with the sand, which particularly in the summer creates the perfect illusion of the African desert. You […]

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Błędów Desert (or Pustynia Błędowska in Polish) is a unique desert area in central Europe. It is located outside of the city of Olkusz, northwest of Krakow in southern Poland. Błędów Desert covers an area of 32 km2 with the sand, which particularly in the summer creates the perfect illusion of the African desert. You can admire here the sand dunes, as well as to experience mirage.

Błędów Desert, Poland
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Grzegorz

According to an ancient legend, Błędów Desert was created by the devil, who tore the the bag of sand at the local church tower.

In fact, the sand is the remaining of melting glaciers. However it overgrown after some time. The present appearance of the countryside made people already in the thirteenth century, when they began to use land here, water and cut down forests. A narrow layer of the soil was destroyed and the sand appeared again. At the beginning of the 19th century, the desert had 80 km2. Now the sand is overgrowing again, and the desert is shrinking.

Since 2010, some projects have been initiated to save this unique area. Błędów Desert is often referred to as the Polish Sahara. This similarity is often used by the filmmakers. In the past, it was a training area for army. Today, you can find here the remains of fortifications however the part of the desert is still a military area.

Błędów Desert is best accessible from the village of Chechlo and Klucze, where you can follow the tourist trail. A popular way to see the beauty of this unique European piece of desert is from horseback.


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Prague – City of a Hundred Spires and the sixth most visited city in all of Europe https://europeexplored.com/2010/05/20/prague-city-of-a-hundred-spires/ https://europeexplored.com/2010/05/20/prague-city-of-a-hundred-spires/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 01:41:15 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=203 The city of Prague is the capital as well as the largest city in the Czech Republic. Many people also consider Prague to be the most beautiful city in the entire country and as a result has been commonly referred to as the Golden City as well as the Mother of Cities, or the City […]

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The city of Prague is the capital as well as the largest city in the Czech Republic. Many people also consider Prague to be the most beautiful city in the entire country and as a result has been commonly referred to as the Golden City as well as the Mother of Cities, or the City of a Hundred Spires.

Prague can be found situated along the banks of the Vltava River in the Northwestern part of the country. It offers a unique and interesting climate with warm mild summers and chilly winters. There are more than 2 million people who live in the metropolitan area that surrounds the city of Prague. Prague is also one of the most popular destinations in all of Europe, and as a result more than 4 million people from all over Europe and the world make their way to the city every single year.

Charles bridge, Prague, The Czech Republic
Charles bridge, Prague, The Czech Republic / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

For more than 1100 years, the city of Prague has been the cultural, economic as well as political center of the Czech state. The city was first established during the Holy Roman Empire words that as the permanent seat for two different Roman emperors prior to becoming the capital of the Czech Republic. Today, the historic town centre is designated an UNESCO world heritage site.

For the most part, the city of Prague survived much of the destruction associated with both world wars. And thanks to this the city is home to numerous attractions and monuments; many of which are centuries old. The most popular of these attractions of course is that of Prague Castle. Then of course there is the old Charles Bridge, the Jewish Quarter, Kampa, the city’s old historic town square, as well as Petřín Hill.

Old town square, Prague, The Czech Republic
Old town square, Prague, The Czech Republic / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

Anyone who chooses to visit the city of Prague will also find that there are 10 different major museums that can be found within the city, as well as numerous theatres, cinemas as well as art galleries and other historically important exhibits. Of course there is no need to walk around the city because there is an excellent and very modern public transportation system that can get you to any destination within the city.

There are many historically important destinations which can be found within the city of Prague. And thanks to the fact that it survived the wrath and destruction of both world wars, most of the destinations and attractions within the city have been well preserved since their initial construction centuries ago. After all, there is a reason why Prague is the sixth most visited city in all of Europe.

Once you choose Prague for your holiday destination (which I always recommend), here you can find Top 15 places to see in Prague! The list has been prepared by me as the current Prague resident.

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