Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Janos Korom Dr.

I am talking about Vlkolínec, which is now a part of the city of Ružomberok. It lies at an altitude of 718 m in Revúca Valley, south of the rocky mountain massif Sidorovo, also called Žiar (1099 m asl), which belongs to the mountains of Veľká Fatra.

Vlkolínec is in fact a reservation of folk architecture, a kind of outdoor museum of medieval village with wooden houses, that are typical for the mountain areas. This is the best preserved, most complete and most original collection of folk buildings in the Slovak Republic, spreading on an area of ​​797 hectares.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Janos Korom Dr.

Archaeological findings confirm the existence of a fort on the hill Sidorovo already 2,500 years ago. The name of the village is supposedly derived from the ancient presence of wolves in the area (these animals can be still seen here). The first written mention of Vlkolínec dates from 1376, where is mentioned as one of the streets of Ružomberok. Originally, there were just a few houses, although the number of houses and population gradually increased.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Janos Korom Dr.

At present, there are 73 listed buildings, 55 residential houses. Of these, 18 are now permanently settled with 35 inhabitants. Owners of other houses are here just seasonally. Everything is built of wood, including a local landmark – a two-storey wooden belfry from 1770.

Interesting is also a timbered well from 1860, previously the only source of drinking water for the whole village. One of the few brick buildings is a local Classicist-Baroque Church from 1875. Also the local cemetery is worth a visit.

The whole complex is rare also due to the fact that it was not affected by any new constructions. Already in 1977 the village of Vlkolínec was declared the Reservation of Folk Architecture Monuments, and in 1993 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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The oldest city of Hungary was known as Savaria – the capital of Pannonia. It has been an important city since the very beginning. There were built the imperial residences, public baths and amphitheater. From Roman times you can see the preserved Savaria Mithraeum shrine, which was discovered during the construction of a new shopping center in 2008.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by János Tamás

In one area of ​​excavation (Romkert Templom tér) you can find the remains of the Forum, which belonged to a civilian city. There are also fragments of the largest mosaic of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Palace. Majority of the most important Roman monuments, including remains of Roman road signs, customs, shops and the medieval castle walls, can be seen in the so-called Garden of Ruins.

Once you are in Szombathely you should visit Savaria Museum, which takes care of the fortress foundations, findings from the Mercury Temple and public baths, and almost fifty metres long part of two thousand years old Amber Road. The cellar is full of Roman altars and blue glass vials found during excavations in Savaria. The first floor of the museum provides an overview of local history, including the collection dedicated to the Romanesque church of Jak.

Jak is the nearby small village boasting a Benedictine church, which is one of the finest examples of Hungarian Romanesque architecture.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cecilia, Lili & Krisztian

In Szombathely there is also a huge cathedral designed in 1791 by Melchior Hefele for Bishop János Szily. This Bishop’s double-towered cathedral was covered with stucco and frescoes by Franz Anton Maulbertsch and supported by large marble pillars. It is the largest Baroque church in Hungary. Its interior is decorated with frescoes, paintings and sculptures, which were, however, in 1945 seriously damaged during a bombing and are still restoring.

Those are just few of lots of sights you can see here. Szombathely is really worth a visit!

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Piazza del Popolo, Ravenna, Italy by freshcreator

The most popular attraction in the city is the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia which is the resting place of Emperor Theodosius I’s daughter, Aelia Galla Placidia. The mosaics found within the mausoleum date back to the 5th century and today are considered some of the most well-preserved in the world.

Back when the city was first being developed, by Bishop Ursus was built a mammoth basilica in Ravenna. Most of the basilica was destroyed back in 1734 and the only part that remains today is the Battistero degli Ortodossi. You will also find nearby, the Battistero degli Ariani which has an amazing mosaic of the baptism of Christ.

There are many other popular structures in Ravenna that have been built over the centuries. While not dating back to the 5th century, many of these sites have none the less been well preserved over the years. There is the ancient Palatine church of Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo which features mosaics that depicts both Christian and Arian beliefs. The Basilica di San Vitale was built back in the 6th century which is also another very popular attraction in Ravenna.

You will also find the Dante Museum in Ravenna which is dedicated to the world renowned author, Dante Alighieri. Known for having been banished from Florence because of authoring the Divine Comedy, Dante spent the remainder of his life in Ravenna where he died in 1789.

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