Chamonix, France

The North of France is a very popular area for skiing trips; it does not matter whether you already know how to ski or you just want to have fun and try something different, this could be fantastic for you. This destination is chosen as a skiing destination by many people.

Athens, Greece

Athens is an extremely historical city in Europe. It is the city where the Olympics began and is the home of Greek Mythology involving the Gods and Goddesses. Athens, the capital city of Greece, is a big tourist destination due to its historical and fascinating background.

Rome, Italy

Rome is the capital of Italy and is also a very historical city. It is famous for many things and is one of the most famous cities in the world; Rome is visited by many people from all over the world. Rome is probably best known for the Roman Empire and Claire Caesar, who was a Roman General in the years before Christ (B.C).

Pantheon, Rome, Italy / Photo by admin

Berlin, Germany

Berlin is a beautiful city in Germany and has a lot of history to it. It is often associated with Hitler and the Nazi’s due to the power they had in Berlin; due to the association with Nazi’s, Berlin is a huge historical city. It has many historical sites, including the Reichstag and the Berlin Wall. The Reichstag is an extraordinary parliament building that is well known for the Reichstag fire in 1933; the Reichstag is still in use now and you can have a guided tour inside.

Milan, Italy

As well as its historic background, Milan is known as a huge fashion capital. Many celebrities visit Milan for shopping purposes. If you are looking for a weekend away in a city somewhere in Europe, then Milan is perfect for that purpose.

Faro, Portugal

Faro is a beautiful city, which is the capital of the Algarve region in Portugal. It is the most southern city in Portugal and is a very popular destination for people who love the beach. It is a great holiday for families, for friends and even for romantic getaways.

Moscow, Russia

Moscow is the capital of Russia. Russia is the largest country in the world and there are so many places that would be fantastic places to visit, but Moscow is one of the most famous cities in Europe and even in the World. However, if you do plan on visiting Russia, then you have to make sure you are eligible to go there. A visa is required to go to Russia.

Barcelona, Spain

Like Milan, Barcelona is another great weekend shopping holiday. There are many places to visit in Barcelona, for example Camp Nou (this is Barcelona’s football stadium). If shopping and football is not your thing, then there is also a beach close by; the beach destination near Barcelona is Costa Brava.

Many popular destinations in Europe have a lot of history to them, but even if history is not something that interests you, there are always other things to do; for example, Milan is a historic city in Italy, but it is renowned for fashion and shopping. No matter what you enjoy, Europe has it all.

Sarah regularly writes about her previous travels and likes to refer to https://www.visasandpassportservice.co.uk for more information about visas.

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Photo by Claire for Europe Explored

The history of the oldest buildings dates back to 7th century BC, to the reign of the first Etruscan king. But first important buildings connected with political, religious and civic life began to appear here during the reign of Claire Caesar. In addition to patrician houses here were built shops, temples, basilicas and markets. The most commonly used building material was marble, gilt metal and cut stones. Construction boom stopped in the early 2nd century AD. The reason was simple – there was no empty space here any more.

Foro Romano began to lose importance with the fall of the Roman Empire. The buildings then began to decay. Advanced and splendid city turned relatively quickly into ruins. A large fire even help it in the 3rd century. Following several earthquakes and barbarous conquerors destroyed almost the whole area. Marble stones were dismantled and used to build local houses or shipped to other parts of Italy, to build churches and palaces. Finally Foro Romano became untidy overgrown space again.

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In the 18th century, archaeologists discovered this area and immediately started to clean it. Slowly and carefully uncovered the remains of ancient buildings, and finally Foro Romano saw the light of day again. The first comprehensive archaeological survey was carried out at the turn of the 18th and 19th century under the leadership of the Italian archeologist Carlo Fea. In 1803 he discovered the remains of a massive arch Septimius Severus and later of the other temples as well. After these discoveries the place began to attract researchers from all over the world. The main archaeological works were completed in the early of the 20th century when many ruins of temples and basilicas were uncovered.

Visitors to Rome now can see at least a fraction of these beautiful ancient monuments that once dominated by Foro Romano.

Foro Romano is currently considered one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Although it cannot amaze visitors with its ancient beauty any more, attracts them with its glory and mysterious atmosphere.

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Amiens Cathedral / Maurice

The destruction and bombing of the city during the First and Second World War, miraculously didn’t destroyed the great Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, which is the main reason for visiting Amiens. It is a wonderful representative of the French Gothic style and it is also the highest cathedral in all of France. It stands on the place of the burnt Romanesque basilica. It was built between 1220 – 1236 and at that time it was the largest in France. The building is 145 meters long, 112 meters high. Arches inside the vault measured 42,3 meters. The cathedral was not built just to their astonishing height, but also as a place to be imposed on the head of John the Baptist brought from a failed crusade. The construction involved three architects, the most famous of them was Robert de Luzarches.

The city tour can proceed in the district St. Leu, which is the oldest and most attractive part of Amiens. It extends north from the cathedral and you can get into it through one of the bridges over the river Somme. You will find the narrow cobbled streets with flowers, restaurants, cafes, as well as antique markets and small art studios. The local squares are lined with canals, and therefore this area is often called Little Venice – La Petite Venice. If you will be tired, you can get into a boat and get a ride on the canal between the flowering gardens. The streets around the cathedral have beautifully renovated building, such as the medieval bell tower or a house, which houses the Museo de Picardie. This museum has a wide focus, you will find here something from each side, plus a few hidden archaeological pieces. Here you can see the works from the Roman period up to the 20th century, but excels mainly in the collection of French paintings and sculptures. Statues of glowing white marble from the 19th century are very charming, as well as works by Picasso and Balthus located on the second floor.

Another interesting museum is located in the building of the Hotel de Berny from 17th century.

One of the famous people that were born in Amiens was the writer Jules Verne (1828 – 1905), whose house Maison á la Tour you can visit here. Verne wrote a large part of his fantasy novels right here.

Other sights include the Perret tower standing next to the station from August Peretti, or a number of churches, such as Ste Jeanne d’Arc, St Acheul, Sainte Anne or Saint Firmin. In 1970, the University of Jules Verne was founded here in Amiens.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by 29cm

Triglav National Park is located on the northwest edge of Slovenia, near the border with Italy and is easily accessible from all directions. It is a paradise for nature lovers, who can enjoy intact alpine world here full of rare plants and animals. Therefore, there applies stricter rules than in other protected areas of lower status. The park area is covered with alpine karst, from the steep cliffs you can see falling great and powerful waterfalls and in the deep valleys are hidden glacial lakes. The largest lake Bohinj, which have tectonic-glacial origin, is situated at an altitude of 523 meters above sea level. With an area of ​​3,18 square kilometres and a depth of 45 meters it is the largest natural freshwater area in Slovenia. But they are also other minor lakes such as Kriška Lakes, Black Lake and Krn Lake (Krnsko jezero).

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Grant Bishop

The first a proposal to protect the area around Triglav was submitted in 1908, and in 1981 the region was declared a national park. It now occupies an area of 838.07 square kilometres wich is about 3% of the total area of ​​Slovenia. There are springs of two major Balkan rivers – the Sava and Soča. Soča rises at an altitude of 1050 m and flows into the Adriatic Sea. In contrast, Sava river is formed by the confluence of the Sava Dolnika and Sava Bohinjka streams, and flows into the Danube before Belgrade and then into the Black Sea.

The heart of Triglav National Park is formed by the dominant mountain Triglav, which, after recognition of an independent Slovenia became a kind of a national symbol, as is depicted on the flag, as well as the national emblem. Today it is a popular destination for climbers, adventurers and lovers of adrenaline. Its steep and clouds shrouded cliffs seemed to be insurmountable for a long time. Triglav’s north wall is with its width of 3 km and height of 1 km even the largest wall of the Eastern Alps. On top of Triglav over the north wall climbed the German-Austrian expedition for the first time in 1906, after which the route is now called the “German way”. Otherwise, it is possible to climb to the summit by following more than twenty other routes. A relatively simple and therefore most often used is that one from the southern side of Bohinj Lake.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by chripell

If you want to know Triglav National Park a little more it is good to stay here for at least a week, otherwise you can miss many of its attractions and beauty. Park crosses over 7000 km of marked and maintained paths, where you encounter many inns and lodges for tourists providing quality and adequate facilities. Triglav National Park offers excellent conditions for hiking, recreational, as well as mountaineering. Prepare yourself, however, that the biggest attractions such as waterfalls are charged. It is not allowed to camp or bivouac in the park.

The best starting point for tours is the town of Bohinj, Kranjska Gora, Bovec and Kobarid. The largest information center of the park is located in the town of Bled. For hiking trips along the most beautiful valleys such as Vrata, Kot and Krma are the best starting points in the villages Dovje and Mojstrana. Just beyond the north edge of Triglav National Park you can find a mountain valley Planica, which is a place of famous Championships in the ski flying.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by 29cm

In the valley Vrata, which leads to the northern wall is a memorial dedicated to the local partisans from the World War II. Other attractions in the valley, but this time with the natural character is a waterfall Paričnik, falling in two stages – one from a height of 52 meters and the second from a height of 16 meters. The largest waterfall in the park is Zapotok waterfall (Zapotoški slap) measuring 73 meters, third largest then is the Savica waterfall with the height of 50 meters.

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