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Kampen is connected to Zwolle, which is the capital of the province, by a road that continues north to Emmeloord. Between the cities leads also 12 km long local railway that crosses a typical Dutch landscape. View of the endless plains dotted with trees and wind power plants. Without them, it would perhaps be possible to see through Amsterdam. The pastures are full of cows, or white sheep.

The most important monuments of Kampen are the city gates, which are the remains of former fortifications. Very valued building is the Church of St. Nicholas (Bovenkerk) from the 14th century, tower Nieuwe Toren from the 17th century and the city hall decorated with a beautiful facade. You can visit a small port or take a walk around the romantic streets. Following the Burgel channel and Broederstraat street you can get to a beautiful gate Broederspoort dating from the 15th century. From here it is just about 400 metres to another Gothic gate Cellebroederspoort.

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Through Burgelgracht you get to the church Bovenkerk, which was built from the bricks and rare stone. Since this is a Protestant church, its interior is not overly ornate and interesting. Behind the church lies Koornmarkt – a square on which stands the building of the famous Protestant Theological Faculty. A little further you come across the Koornmarktspoort gate with two massive cylindrical towers, which in the past defended city from the waterfront. It is the oldest gate in the city.

Kampen is also famous for the production of cigars, as evidenced by the small Kamper Tobacco Museum located on the square Botermarkt. However this museum is really unique as it is open for tourists only after prior agreement.

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In Vilnius you can see the castle ruins, mosque, synagogue, and almost 40 churches. Old Town and the Cathedral Square form the heart of Vilnius. Three bronze statues on the shield of the cathedral are Saint Casimir on the south side, Saint Stanislaus on the north and Saint Helena in the centre. Chapel of Saint Casimir, located at the side of the ship was built in Baroque style. The tomb of Alexander Jagiello – Grand Duke of Lithuania, is located below the chapel.

It is very easy to get lost in Vilnius thanks to the dozens of narrow streets and a number of squares. Thus you can miss some of the most architecturally interesting buildings, such as the church in the shape of a pyramid. The old Jewish quarter, ghetto, the presidential palace, the university and the observatory are among other city’s sights.

The presidential palace was originally the residence of general governors, in 1812 the residence of Napoleon and after his expulsion it was a residence of Marshal Kutuzov. University areal consists of several buildings, including the church, which are interconnected by courtyards.

Magnificent example of Lithuanian Gothic architecture is St. Anne’s Church from the 16th century. Next to it there is a church of the Bernardine Monastery from the same period. In front of this complex there is a statue of Adam Mickiewicz (Polish-Lithuanian poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period).

You can pass through one of eight city gates which are remainings of the city walls, which dates from the 16th century. If you get off the Hill of the Three Crosses, which still commemorates three monks that were allegedly tortured to death here, you will obtain a beautiful view of the city. More to the west, lies the new town, where you can find City Hall. In the past, it housed the Gestapo, then KGB and now it houses the Museum of Genocide of Lithuanian nation.

Less than thirty kilometres north of the city there is the geographical middle of Europe, which was established by the French National Geographical Institute. This centre symbolizes the pyramid, which contains the names of all major European cities and their distance from the center of Europe.

Vilnius was European Capital of Culture in 2009, together with Linz (Austria).

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However the first written document of the Telč dates back to the 1315. In 1334 Karel IV. (at this time as Margrave of Moravia) paid the mortgage of this municipality, and a few years later (1339) he replaced it by the Castle of Bánov, that belonged to Jindřich of Hradec.

The family of the new owner then established a new Telč. Unfortunately, the Memorandum has not preserved, but the first written report of Telč Burgess comes from 1353. It is assumed that it was Menhart of Hradec, who in 1354 built a castle, church, water fortification and Gothic houses (originally wooden) around the perimeter of a large marketplace. Other buildings and lake were built progressively.

Telč is a fascinating blend of architectural styles, and on many houses you can see a gradual evolution from Gothic style through Renaissance to Baroque style, in some cases also the later styles. The best example are the Gothic houses on the square, some with well-preserved typical pointed arches. They have Renaissance facades with beautiful gables, decorated with frescoes and paintings on the walls, or a baroque and rococo sculptures. The square is also decorated with two fountains and the Marian column.

Until now, well-preserved are also the medieval walls and city gates, the castle and other monuments, such as the former Jesuit college from 1655 (now high school).

The town of Telč is listed on UNESCO World Heritage List since 1992.

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Volterra is called also the city of alabaster, since the mining tradition of pure white stone comes to the time of the Etruscans. Tradition and processing of alabaster are passed on from generation to generation. Local artisans create beautiful white alabaster statues and other art objects. In Museo Etrusco Guarnacci you can see a collection of more than 600 Etruscan urns of alabaster and terracotta. It is one of the best collections of Etruscan art in Italy. Ticket to the museum allows you to enter also the nearby Pinacoteca Gallery, exposing Rosso Fiorentino’ masterpiece titled “Descent from the Cross” from 1521. However, there are also other important works of Italian artists, such as Luca Signorelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Major attractions include seven city gates. The most important of these is Porta dell’Arco Etrusco, which is decorated with the heads of basalt, which represent the Etruscan deity. In the center lies the Piazza dei Priori, where you will find a variety of monuments. For example Pallazo dei Priori is the oldest seat of government in medieval Tuscany. The palace dates from 1208 and its interior has frescoes from the 14th century.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Gabriele Cantini

On the Piazza San Giovanni is the cathedral built in the Tuscan Romanesque style, which includes the pulpit from the 13th century, decorated with reliefs. Very interesting is Palazzo Pretorio of 13th century with the tower of a little Pig. The baptistery is located opposite the cathedral and boasts a font by Sansovino. In town you can see cliffs of Balze di Volterra, or visit the archaeological park with finds from the Roman Empire.

Volterra is an ideal place for a holiday, because from here you can explore the most beautiful parts of Tuscany. By car you can also get to Florence, Siena and San Gimignano.

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