The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona weaves a medieval maze of narrow streets that open unexpectedly into sun-drenched plazas. Antoni Gaudí’s architectural fantasies rise above the city skyline, the Sagrada Família still under construction after more than a century. Barcelona is a city of contrasts: the Gothic Cathedral stands blocks away from the modernist masterpiece of […]
Categories: Cities, Sights, Sights, Spain, Wellness, Relax & Sports
Silver built this town and death decorates its chapel. Kutná Hora once rivalled Prague in wealth and importance. The Sedlec Ossuary contains the bones of over forty thousand people arranged into chandeliers, coats of arms, and a giant bell. It is strange and solemn and unforgettable. Beyond the bone chapel, the town offers the Gothic […]
Categories: Czech Republic, Sights, Sights
Castillo de la Mota is one of the most beautiful medieval fortresses in Spain, a magnificent 15th-century castle in the town of Medina del Campo, Valladolid province, Castile and León, built from the region’s distinctive red brick in the Mudéjar style and considered one of the finest examples of military architecture in the Kingdom of […]
Categories: Castles, Sights, Sights, Spain, Wellness, Relax & Sports
St. Mary’s Church in Gdańsk (Bazylika Mariacka) is the largest brick Gothic church in the world, a colossal 14th-15th-century basilica in the heart of Poland’s most beautiful Baltic city whose soaring nave, 78-metre tower, and capacity of 25,000 worshippers make it one of the most awe-inspiring religious buildings in northern Europe. Built over 159 years […]
Beaufort Castle is one of Luxembourg’s most impressive medieval ruins, a dramatic 12th-century fortress complex perched on a rocky spur in the Mullerthal region, complete with a beautifully preserved Renaissance château built into its walls. Known locally as Buerg Beaufort, this dual-era castle offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore both a medieval fortress and […]
Categories: Luxembourg, Sights
The wide sandy beaches of Dunkirk stretch along the northern coast of France, their peaceful appearance today belying the dramatic events that unfolded here in the spring of 1940. The evacuation of over 338,000 Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk between May 26 and June 4, 1940, known as Operation Dynamo, was one of […]
The name Parma is spoken in kitchens around the world. Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano have made this city famous long before most tourists ever visit. But Parma is far more than its edible exports. The Romanesque cathedral and baptistery dominate the old centre, their pink Verona marble glowing in the afternoon light. Correggio’s fresco […]
Český Krumlov is one of the most beautiful small towns in Europe, a UNESCO World heritage jewel in southern Bohemia, encircled by a dramatic horseshoe bend of the Vltava River, whose perfectly preserved medieval and Renaissance centre is dominated by the sprawling, multi-coloured Krumlov Castle, the second-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic after Prague […]
Categories: Czech Republic, Sights, Sights
