Dolceacqua / Andrea Puggioni

Dolceacqua is situated in the Northern Province of Imperia and very close to the border with France.  It is a small village, but it has some interesting sights to see for a day trip. The castle on the hill was built back in 1151 by the Counts of Ventimiglia. Since then the castle has been passed down through generations and after years of changing hands, attacks and earthquakes, the castle was formally in ruins. However, the castle was recently restored by the Ligurian government and reopened in 2007. The restoration consisted of repairing the main structure, floors and stonework. A conference hall was added with an extra patio and nowadays the castle is host to many cultural events and art exhibitions, and it can be even rented out for special events.

Another interesting site to see in the village is the bridge in Dolceacqua was famously painted by Claude Monet in 1884, and looking at the oil painting in comparison to the real scenery, it still looks very similar today. One of the best photos of the town is taken from a point before the bridge with the castle to be seen up above – one of the most famous viewpoints of Liguria.

Square in Dolceacqua / Luca Galli

One of the highlights of Ligurian cuisine is pesto, a sauce native to the area. Dolceacqua has a few restaurants on offer serving regional specialities such as two hot pastry snacks of the area called barbajuan and fugasan, the latter of which is suitable for vegetarians.  Liguria boasts garden-fresh vegetables which account for other traditional vegetarian dishes of the area such as stuffed courgette flowers and onion pie. Those looking for seafood will not be disappointed- due to its position close to the coast; the seafood is at its best and consists of mouthwatering fish, mussels and clams.

Dolceacqua is very close to the French border so it’s easy to do a day trip- both Nice and Monaco are less than 1 hour away, so you can soak up a bit of French culture as well. The closest city of Ventimiglia is a mere 15 minutes away and has an old town worth exploring as well as nearby Roman ruins and the exquisite Villa Hanbury Botancial Gardens, one of the best that Europe has to offer.

Liguria boasts 300 days of sunshine a year but also a cool sun breeze so you won’t go crazy in the heat. The whole Province has so much for tourists to see that is worth renting a holiday house in Liguria for a week or two so that you can explore everything that the region – and nearby – has to offer. So don’t delay and book a holiday home today!

Vanessa wrote this article for BlumenRiviera, Liguria holiday rental specialists.

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Insights into the history
At first Bonn was the Roman military settlement. In the 13th century it had become a city and from the 16th century it was the home of Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne. Between 1949 and 1990 Bonn was the capital of Germany.

Historical monuments and sights
After the year of 1950, the government district grew up in Bonn, which is dominated by the 30 levels building. North of it you can see Schaumburg palace that housed the Chancellery and the Hammerschmidt Villa, which was the seat of the president. The historic center of Bonn and the government district is separated by the Koblenz Gate. Not far from it you can visit a courtyard garden. On its outskirts there is the University Museum of Art with originals and casts of ancient sculptures.

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In Bonn you can find also Poppelsdorf castle, which is used by the university. Near the castle there is a monument to the composer Robert Schumann. Very interesting is also the baroque town hall located in the centre of the city and close to it the memorial dedicated to the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The oldest building in Bonn is a Romanesque church, built in the 11th to 12th century. The new buildings include the Municipal Theatre, built in 1964 and Beethoven’s multipurpose hall.

Tourist Attractions
City of Bonn offers a variety of sports. There is also an outdoor swimming pool, indoor pool, sports hall, stadium and other facilities. The wine experts should not miss the bars on the banks of the Rhine River that offers great view of the Seven-hills (Siebengebierge) – the area of the local wine Riesling.

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Sopot Pier is the most famous seaside promenade in Poland. History of Pier started in 19th century, but gained its current appearance in 1927. Sopot Pier is 511.5 meters long and 10 meters wide. It consists of a square lying on the shore and wooden part overlooking the bay. Tourists can enjoy here a pleasant atmosphere of the summer, sunbathe, watch the sunset or buy souvenirs and have fun. Nearby you will find healing spa facilities, restaurant, snack or a cinema. Sopot Pier is home to many social and sporting events, concerts and art exhibitions. course, hotel and transport services.

Sopot Pier is one of the most popular Polish recreational and entertainment venue, and it is called ‘the Pearl of Sopot‘.

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