By the fall of the great Roman Empire, the area where present day Opatija stands was under the control of the Byzantine Empire until the Slavs arrived in the area around the 7th century. By the 12th century, the Franks arrived and with them, the city flourished. However, it was not until the construction of the St. James monastery during the 15th century that the present day Opatija would be born.

Opatija, Istria, Croatia by Vzach

In 1844, the city of Opatija became one of the first resort towns along the Adriatic Sea when the Villa Angelina was constructed and opened its doors to guests for the first time. Soon after, the Grand Hotel Kvarner would open its doors and help mold the city into the resort town it is today.

The Villa Angelina still stands today and one can even visit it as it has since been turned into a museum. It is located in the middle of the town’s botanical gardens which are simply an awe-inspiring place to visit. The gardens cover 3.64 hectares and are home to more than 150 plant species. The Grand Hotel Kvarner still accepts guests on a regular basis and is still one of the most popular hotels in the city.

There are many medieval buildings located throughout Opatija as well as several prehistoric ruins to see while you are in town. In the nearby Učka Natural Park, artifacts dating back to the 1th century B.C. have been unearthed. There are many great locations of historical importance to visit when you are in Opatija.

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Popular tourist attractions in Exeter

One of Exeter´s most popular tourist attraction is perhaps it´s greatest achievement, the honey-coloured 12th century Norman Exeter Cathedral, which towers over the city. The mesmerising ceiling in the largest of its kind that is unbroken in the world, an astonishing feat considering the city was flattened by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Take the 45-minute guided walk and you will get more from your visit.

Exeter Cathedral, UK by Antony McCallum

Other historical buildings of interest include the 14th century Guildhall, the oldest municipal building that is still in operation in the UK and resided over by the city mayor. You can also learn more about the history of the city in the Exeter museum which exhibits artefacts dating back to the Roman era. You will also find Egyptian history in the tomb-like Egypt Room which stores a 3000-year old mummy.

And if you enjoy a surreal tomb-like ambience don´t miss the Underground Passages Tour, a guided ghost walk through the network of medieval vaults which is guaranteed to send a chill down your spine. Redcoats guided tours do a wide range of walks from murder to religion and take you into some of the most fascinating parts of the city such as the Exeter catacombs. If you need to hire a car for travel around Exeter, there are various rental services available and also don’t forget to book out car hire insurance.

Exeter – High Street, Guildhall, UK by Franzfoto

Exeter Quay

A modern look at Exeter can be found by the Quay where the docks have been revitalised with trendy bars, cafe and clubs. The dull, red-bricked warehouses have been replaced with glass front chrome frame buildings which emanates pizzazz and elegance with continental-style alfresco dining. This is the place where suited young professionals like to hang-out to sip on espresso and tuck into an assortment of French and Italian breads.

The Quay area was originally designed by the Romans, but took a dip in fortune when opposing merchants built a weir across the River Exe to guide trade to nearby Topsham. There´s not much trade coming into the harbour these days and the slow and relaxed atmosphere offers open-air jazz evenings on Sundays. Bikes and kayaks are also available for hire.

As part of the rejuvenating process of the city, Exeter´s premier attraction, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery also got a makeover. Close by is the Bill Douglas Centre which pays homage to a history of cinema featuring fun films and a massive collection of memorabilia that dates back as far as Charlie Chaplin. If you love film you will love learning about the characters and performers ranging from Mickey Mouse to Marilyn Monroe and James Bond to Luke Skywalker. Learn more about movie mayhem from around the world as well as a behind the scenes look at how visual media is put together.

Other local attractions

Exeter is also well placed for getting to the coast and seeing more of what Devon has to offer. Plymouth and Weymouth are the neighbouring seaside locations whilst you can get close to nature along the many walking trails of Dartmoor National Park and the zoo at Paignton. Just up the road from Exeter and well worth a visit in its own right you will also find the charming town of Topsham.

Conclusion

Exeter is a fine city to visit. With a significant history, there are many architectural delights and splendours to observe. Modernisation has lead to many new shops being made available for the visitor and local alike. Exeter is also handily placed for local tourist spots in the Devon & Cornwall area.

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One of the best preserved and maintained monuments is a fortress Talao (Torre Talao). It offers a great view of miles of beaches and cliffs.

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In the historical center of town you can see a Norman castle from 11th century, monastery, ruins of Judas tower, Palazzo dei Principi from 13th century, Church of San Nicola in Plateis from the 8th century, Palazzetto Normanno from 12th century, a former prison Cimalonga tower from 15th century and many more.

You can see here a lot of exotic plants. For example, cedar. The whole region was named right after this slow-growing tree as Cedar Riviera. The tree grows up to a height of 40 to 60 meters with a trunk diameter of 80-200 centimetres.

If you don’t find something you are looking for right in Scalea, then go to the neighboring national park – Parco Nazionale del Pollino. Here you can see another amount of plants as well as protected animals, caves and several gorges, such as Argentino River Valley, the gap in Lao or Romito cave with the pre-historic graffiti.

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The area of today’s town was settled by The Livs (Livonians) already in 2000BC. The Livs lived here until the 12th century when they build several wooden forts on the tops of the local hills. At the beginning of the 13th century they were not able to resist against German raids and left. In 1207 the land on the right bank of the river Gauja belonged to the bishop of Riga and the left bank to the Knights of Sword Order. Both sides have built castles Satezele (later destroyed) and Segewald in important places, which should protect them from the opponent. From the name of the second castle – Segewald is probably derived the present name of Sigulda.

In the period from the 16th to 18th century Sigulda underwent a number of wars, but the decline of this medieval city was noticeable already during Livonian Wars. The first one who conquered the castle Segewald was Ivan the Terrible. Sigulda fell to the Swedes in 1601 for a short time, who completely burnt it down during the retreat. Due to constant unrest and fighting Sigulda almost disappeared from the earth’s surface. The life returned back here in 1625 when the whole area fell to the Russians. Great development came up with the construction of the railway Riga – Valka – Pskov in 1889. In 1928 it was registered as a town of Sigulda and increasingly becoming a place where the rich families moved from St. Petersburg and Warsaw.

The recreation potential was not discovered until 1920-1930 – in a time of independent Latvian state. In 1935 there were registered 375 rental vacation homes in Sigulda. During the World War II many monuments and houses were destroyed and burnt. Recovery occurred during the Soviet domination between 1950 and 1962. The city gradually became a regional hub again. Today the town of Sigulda with 11,000 inhabitants is a small spa resort and also an important winter sports center. There is a short ski slopes with ski lifts and groomed trails. The river will satisfy all lovers of water sports, you can try also rafting here.

The main attractions of Sigulda are the ruins of Segewald castle on the northeastern outskirts of the town. From its walls you can enjoy a beautiful view of the other side of the valley, where is located Archbishop’s castle Turaida built of red bricks in 1214.

The nearby Gauja National Park was established in 1973. It covers an area of ​​917 km2 and is divided into five functional zones. Its most valuable parts are the reservations, in which tourists are not allowed. Under high protection is also the Gauja River valley, which together with the valleys of its tributaries, create a very nice landscape feature. Also, from a geological point of view it is a very interesting area.

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The old castle was built on the place of today’s castle in Pierrefonds already in the 12th century. This great military strength has undergone a number of refurbishment over the centuries as well as its owner changed frequently. In March 1617, during the troubled reign of King Louis XIII, the castle was conquered by troops of the Chief minister Cardinal Richelieu. He decided to demolish a castle. However thanks to a huge range of construction, the work of destruction was not completed. The roofs have been destroyed and the walls were devastated by the canons.

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Pierrefonds Castle then remained as a ruin for the next two centuries. Napoleon I bought the wreck in 1810 for just 3,000 francs. In the 19th century began a period of fashion traditions of medieval knights. The ruins of Pierrefonds Castle were captured between 1834 and 1866 by the French painter Corot in his paintings.

The future French emperor Napoleon III visited the castle in 1850. Later, as emperor, asked the architect Viollet-le-Duc in 1857 to carry out reconstruction of the castle. The project grew and later they wanted to build a royal residence here. Viollet-le-Duc built it much under the influence of his ideas about the Middle Ages. The fort was changed to the castle. Yet as a builder proved very good knowledge of military fortifications of 14th century.

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The first mention of the original village dates back to the 12th century. Most of the monuments in this city, as well as throughout Luxembourg, were bombed during the war.

The village is now a popular summer resort with a swimming pool, camping and a youth hostel. You can follow any of the numerous trails which lead you through the forests of the Mullerthal valley.

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The water appears almost everywhere in this picturesque medieval town full of water mills. Already in the 12th century a few fishermen came here with their families. However everywhere around there was a swamp. Therefore, the first local settlers were forced to build their houses on piles. The water from the marshes were drained into the channels soon and on the Sorgue river were built water mills. The captured energy was used for the processing of silk, wool, and also for the manufacture of handmade paper. Thanks to this, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue soon became the center and the most important city of Venaissin-Comtat area (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur today). Several of these water wheels, which ensured the prestige of the city are still spinning here.

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L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue boasts many beautiful sights. Especially picturesque buildings you will find on the streets Rue du Dr. Roux, Jean and Rue Jean-Théophile. In the heart of the medieval city there is a tower Tour Boutin, sometimes also called the Tour d’Argent, which is the oldest building in town. It was built at the time when L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue was ruled by the Counts of Toulouse. However the purpose of this tower is not known.

Another important building is near standing Chapel of Notre Dame des Anges, which was built in the 1222. In the 17th century, it was reconstructed and re-built into Italian style, which ranked it among the most beautiful baroque buildings in Provence. The windows on the north side had to be bricked up in 1666, due to cold winds, which are regularly blowing. Also the interior of the church is worth seeing! Over the altar that is made of Carrara marble there is a picture of “Assumption of the Virgin Mary”, painted by Reynaud Levieux in 1630.

In many homes you will find souvenir shops for tourists. At the waterfront of Sorgue river there is an antique market every weekend, which is the 2nd largest of its kind in France after that one in Paris.

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The town of Monreale has today around 25 thousand inhabitants. Thanks to its location near the Sicilian capital city, Monreale has almost become one of the turbulent suburbs of Palermo. But if you visit this site, you should definitely visit The Cathedral of Monreale, which is thanks to its mosaics one of the greatest treasures of this Italian island.

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The Cathedral of Monreale is a kind of monument to Arab, Norman and Byzantine art and architecture. Its construction began in 1172 at the instigation of King William II, who wanted to use the cathedral as his tomb, after his death. Therefore, a court architects tried to overcome other royal temples. Not only the building itself, but also the decor was influenced by French, Islamic and Byzantine designs. The cathedral is a massive three-nave building, 102 meters long. However, it looks quite modest from the outside. West facade is, except of the portal to the ornate gates, very curt. Cathedral is in addition covered by a largely urban area with an adjacent monastery.

You can see the beautiful bronze door from 1186, which are decorated with 42 biblical scenes. There are features of a lion and a griffon here, which were symbols of the Norman royal family. On the left side of the church you can see another bronze door from the year 1179, which are mainly influenced by Byzantine art. But the main attraction is the cathedral’s interior.

So if you’re interested in art and history, the Cathedral of Monreale should really be included on the your must-see list.

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Greek theatre Teatro Greco, Taormina, Sicily, Italy by Dennis Jarvis

The most important monument of Taormina is the Greek theatre Teatro Greco, built in the 3rd century BC, rebuilt later by the Romans in the 1st century BC. Theatre offers a magnificent view of snowy Mount Etna and the sea coast. During the summer there is a popular Art Festival in Taormina.

The city also offers other historical monuments such as Odeion – used for music shows and recitation. Another monument is the Palazzo Corvaia. On the Piazza IX Aprile you can find Torre Dell’Orologio built in the 12th century, with a terrace offering views of Mount Etna and the bay. You can visit a fortress of Castelo Saraceno which is still situated on the hill of Monte Tauro, not far from the town of Taormina.

Taormina at night, Sicily, Italy by Christine Zenino

Coast around the town is very attractive as well. You can find beaches, caves and rocky bays here. Currently, the city has about 11,000 inhabitants and if you are heading to Sicily, never miss this great Sicilian jewel.

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Portofino, Italy by Christine Zenino

In the past, Portofino belonged to the Roman Empire and its name probably originated from the “Portus Delphini” because of the huge dolphins colony that lived here. A small town gained importance during the Middle Ages, when fishermen from the local port provided food for residents of the surrounding mountains.

Portofino is in a part of natural park – Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino.

There are lots of great sport facilities near Portofino. You can try sailing or windsurfing. Surrounding cliffs created real diving paradise with a unique ecosystem.

Portofino, Italy by Rosemary Dukelow

On the rocks above the sea level you can visit romantic St. George’s Church from 12th century, which ensures the protection of Portofino. From its tower there was a great view of the sea, which served as a good sea watch tower. On another hill, in a beautiful blooming garden, there is the Brown castle from the 16th century. Also this was originally a military structure, because of its strategic position, which also praised the Emperor Napoleon.

Oratory of Nostra Signora dell’Assunta from 14th century also worth seeing.

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