Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Adam Jones

I think April will be a good time, before it gets too hot. The closest major city is Granada. I’ll be flying there, maybe with a break in Barcelona. Granada looks to be stunningly beautiful. I am staying two nights in the city and it will probably be in the Parador de Granada, although the Hotel Casa 1800 Granada is supposed to be very picturesque.

From Granada I could head by bus to Capileira, which is a small town that sits at the foot of Mulhacén, the tallest mountain in Spain. There is a Microbus service there. It takes travelers up the mountain on days with good weather. It’s actually becoming a rather popular tourist destination, so I’m not concerned about it being too isolated. I’d rather walk up the mountain, though. Apparently it’s not that difficult and doesn’t require any climbing equipment, just normal hiking gear.

I could take the bus to Beas de Granada (east of Granada). There is a fantastic one-way walk that leads back into the center of Granada. It’s supposed to be one of the best hiking experiences to be had in the Sierra Nevada. The route is about 30 kilometers atop a broad ridge, which might be a little long for me. I’ve also been warned to hike this path in May at the latest due to the heat.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Andrew Hurley

Another option is to travel in June or July. I could go from Granada to Trevélez (which is on the eastern side of Mulhacén) to climb the path to the Seven Lakes, but any earlier in the year and there’s too much snow. Most of the climb isn’t too difficult and I’ve heard that the waterfalls are amazing. It leads up to a place called the Seven Lakes (Siete Lagunas). I’m probably going to choose this one.

There’s actually quite a few other hikes, like a hard one called Vereda de la Estrella. I could also hike from Capileira to Trevélez, but not in winter. There’s so many choices!

One of the other great activities that you can do around the mountainous countryside of Spain is mountain biking. The hilly terrain and dry conditions lend themselves perfectly to this pursuit and there are no rules against doing this.

This article was written by John Davies who enjoys blogging for Thomson Al Fresco holidays. He has travelled around most of Europe, camping with his family most of the way and he enjoys nothing more than sharing his experiences with other bloggers and travellers alike through guest posts.

View Camping in Spain: Hiking the Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges in a larger map

The post Camping in Spain: Hiking the Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo by oetztal.com

Ötztal Valley Resorts have a total of more than 300 km of ski slopes, which lie at an altitude ranging from 1377 to 3340 meters above sea level and thus can boast an elevation of nearly 2,000 metres. The most famous ski resort of Ötztal is exclusive Sölden, which offers about 150 kilometers of ski slopes, spreading partially on two glaciers and three peaks with a height exceeding 3,000 meters above sea level. This makes Sölden really a unique ski resort in Austrian Alps. More than 100 kilometers of slopes has another luxury resort Obergurgl-Hochgurgl. But Ötztal is also suitable for cross-country skiers as you can find here around 185 kilometres of cross-country trails.

Ski pass prices and opening hours
Lifts in the Ötztal runs from 8:30 to 16:30. One-day ski pass costs €45 in the most popular resorts like Sölden and Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, and six-day ski pass costs about €230.

Also an offer of après-ski activities is on a high level in Ötztal. In addition to restaurants, bars, shops, you can try out all sorts of winter sports and the icing on the cake is a luxury aqua park situated in the town Längenfeld.

For further info visit oetztal.com website.

View Ötztal – ski on exclusive slopes with a great elevation in Austria in a larger map

The post Ötztal – ski on exclusive slopes with a great elevation in Austria appeared first on Europe Explored.

This has been built on the river Tagus, close to Portugal’s capital – Lisbon. The traffic was heavy here and people were suffering from traveling from one place to another one.

The length of the Vasco da Gama Bridge is about 17 kilometers and it is the 9th longest bridge in the world. It took only about three years to complete the bridge. Cable-stayed and viaducts technologies have been used to construct this bridge. Normally, it would take about twenty minutes to cross the bridge and it would surely be a pleasant experience for all the travellers.

The bridge was opened to public service in 1998 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the invention of the route from Europe to India. By the way, Vasco da Gama was one of the most successful Portuguese explorer and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India.

Special aspect of this bridge is that it has been built within 18 months with over three thousand workers and should survive for at least 120 years. A 40 years long contract has been given to a private company to take care of the cost so the government didn’t have to spend money for the project. Though only six lanes are available at present, there is enough space to convert it into eight lanes bridge, when it is required.

If you are Technical Monuments lover, and already visited Paris with Eiffel Tower, now you should go more to the south and try driving across this technical gem.

View Vasco da Gama Bridge – the longest bridge in Europe Portugal in a larger map

The post Vasco da Gama Bridge – the longest bridge in Europe | Portugal appeared first on Europe Explored.

Falls from the Ice Age
Pericnik Waterfall consists of two parts. Higher one is 16 meters high and the lower one 52 meters. A beautiful waterfall is a relic of the Ice Age, when the local largest glacier in the valley of Vrata, located on the northern side of the Julian Alps, created the beautiful valley stretched from the village Mojstrana to the northern foothills of Triglav.

Peričnik Waterfall is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Slovenia.

Above the waterfall there is Vrtaška plateau, which is known for its rich fauna and flora. Waterfall flows into the stream of Bistrica. The waterfall is beautiful also in winter, when there are countless icicles that have subtle shades of blue and green colors.

Peričnik Waterfall is protected as a natural phenomenon and is included in Triglav National Park.

Access to the lower waterfall is easy, since it is possible to get almost here by car from Mojstrana. In Mojstrana be aware of the exit road to the valley of Vrata. After about three kilometers of driving, you come to the Cottage under Peričnik. Here there is a sign of the administration of Triglav National Park with information on the waterfalls. Then walk just a few steps through the trail and you’re already under a magnificent 52-meter-high lower Peričnik Waterfall. You can also walk around, but it is recommended to take a waterproof jacket (and helmet) with you.

View Pericnik waterfall – one of the most beautiful and famous waterfall in Slovenia in a larger map

The post Peričnik waterfall – one of the most beautiful and famous waterfall in Slovenia appeared first on Europe Explored.

The biggest attraction of Hornbæk is its local beach. It is also one of the best beaches in Scandinavia, awarded by the Blue Flag. Hornbæk Beach has fine white sand and you can enjoy here really clean air. It is a popular place of windsurfing and kitesurfing. Unfortunately there is no rent available, so you must bring your equipment yourself. In summer, the swimmers are secured by the Coast Guard. Hornbæk beach stretches on both sides of the harbor.

View The town of Hornbæk in Denmark – seaside resort called “Danish Saint-Tropez” in a larger map

Those who like walking and hiking are invited to the public forest Hornbæk Plantage, which stretches several kilometers along the coast. In the forest there are several marked routes. You can stop at one of many small parks and pick up the map of the trails at the local tourist Information Centre.

Hornbæk is also a popular place for fishing enthusiasts. Here you can rent a boat here either at the local Information Centre or in the office of Captain of the port, located on the south side of the harbor. Prices are around 600 DKK (80 EUR) per boat per day and up to 3 people.

You can stay in the local camp, which is well equipped and offers also cabins, a playground and an air trampoline for children. Or in one of the hotels. In the port you can visit the fish market.

Hornbæk is best accessible by train and car. The nearest international airport is located in Copenhagen, which is 50km away.

View The town of Hornbæk in Denmark – seaside resort called “Danish Saint-Tropez” in a larger map

The post The town of Hornbæk in Denmark – seaside resort called “Danish Saint-Tropez” appeared first on Europe Explored.

View Škocjan Caves in Slovenia – one of the largest known underground canyon in the world in a larger map

The post Škocjan Caves in Slovenia – one of the largest known underground canyon in the world appeared first on Europe Explored.

The city lay on the original crusader fortress (1265) and was lying on the important trade route. This caused the fast growing. Thanks to it, the town was fortified, and lots of medieval monuments were built, which tourists still respectfully admire. These are mainly the remains of fortifications with bastions and especially red tower from 15th century and Gate Tallinn from the 17th century.

The people from Pärnu are mainly proud of the local, several kilometers long, sandy beach. In the middle of summer, the temperature is around 20-25 °C. The sea is not too salty.

View Pärnu – Estonia’s Summer Capital in a larger map

The post Pärnu – Estonia’s Summer Capital appeared first on Europe Explored.

Słowiński National Park is visited by thousands of tourists, fond of the beauty and variability of its landscape. In order to maintain one of the most precious tie of indigenous nature, which undoubtedly is The Land of Water, Wind and Sand, there have been allocated only selected areas of the Park for tourism practicing as well as special regulations have been introduced for sightseeing there.

Image made by michbet6464

View Słowiński National Park in Poland in a larger map

The post Słowiński National Park in Poland – the land of water, wind and sand appeared first on Europe Explored.

Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy by Chris Yunker

The castle is surrounded by a moat that is filled with water fed from the Po River. The castle dates back to the 14th century and features a number of towers, medieval walls and of course a draw bridge. In the basement of the Castle there is an old prison which is open to the public. While many parts of the castle today are open to the public, since the building still serves as the political seat of the city, there are parts that are non-accessible.

Not too far away from the fort is the city’s cathedral. It is here that you will find the Museo della Cattedrale which houses many beautiful tapestries, various manuscripts as well as the 1408 sculpture of Madonna. Since the city has been the home for many famous artists, there are many fine collections to view in the museum.

In 1492, the Duke of Ferrara planned an extension to the city which can be found along the northern edges of the town. The initial goal of the Duke was to create a very tasteful district in the city dedicated to the Renaissance. In this extension, you will find a number of fine attractions as well as the Palazzo dei Diamanti which is a museum today that houses many works from local artists.

The post Ferrara – the city of the cyclists, Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.

The sinkhole is about 138.7 meters deep and it is the biggest gorge of its kind in the Czech Republic and even in the Central Europe. The upper part of this nature unique is about 174 m long and 76 m wide. There are two platforms for tourists at the edges. The first one is Upper Bridge constructed in 1882. The second one is little bit lower called Lower Bridge. This lower bridge comes from 1899 and it is about 92 m above the bottom of Macocha that you can see from there.

Macocha Abyss (named in 17th century) was created by fall of ceiling of huge cave hole. That’s why its bottom is covered by debris. The River Punkva is rising here and fills up two small lakes called Horní (Upper) and Dolní (Lower). Horní lake is approximately 13m deep and you can see it from the Upper Platform. The Lower one is hidden between rocks and it is about 30 m deep.

Underground River Punkva is made by several local brooks which became bigger river underground. It is coming from north part of Moravský kras (Moravian Karst) to the east. Macocha Abyss is the only place where Punkva River goes to daylight. Then, the river goes its wandering in Punkvení jeskyně (Punkva Caves). The whole cave complex is made by more than 30 kilometers of underground passages partly filled with water.

View Macocha abyss in Czech republic – the deepest abyss in Central Europe in a larger map

The post Macocha abyss in Czech republic – the deepest abyss in Central Europe appeared first on Europe Explored.