Inverness, Scotland, UK by Phillip Capper

From a vibrant city feel through to miles upon miles of natural beauty and a number of fantastic examples of Scottish history, it’s the latter two where Inverness and the surrounding area really excels – and there are five reasons why.

1. It’s home to River Ness

The most famous ‘Ness’ in Scotland is without doubt Loch Ness, but there are many out there who believe River Ness – a river that flows from the loch – is much more worthy of a visit.

With banks lined by beautiful buildings, from hotels with wonderful views through to St Andrew’s Cathedral, it’s also home to a staggering amount of wildlife.  Known for its salmon, you can also regularly see seals, house martins and diving birds, with the latter alone making a visit worthwhile.

2. You can stand upon an actual battlefield

In 1745, the final pitched battle was fought at Culloden, when William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland proved victorious over the Jacobite forces of Charles Stuart, instantly stopping any continued attempts to overthrow the House of Hanover.

Combining an exhibition of the battlefield with a great audio tour, Culloden Battlefield is a short drive out of Inverness city centre but is well worth the journey.  Plus, if you’re a member of the National Trust, you get free entry.

3. Plodda Falls is stunningly beautiful

Said to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of Scotland, although a popular attraction, Plodda Falls is  visited nowhere near as much as many of the other natural attractions in the country.  A perfect destination for a peaceful and tranquil trip when you’re staying in Inverness, you’re almost guaranteed to be blown away by the natural spectacle.

Inverness reflects in the Ness, Scotland, UK by Imaohw

Whilst the bridge that allowed you to walk across the top of the 150 foot high waterfall has been removed in recent years, it has been replaced with a fantastic viewing platform, allowing you to take in the breathtaking waterfall from a position that you simply can’t do with many others around the world.

4. You can go dolphin watching

It might sound more like daytrip more typical of a tropical destination, but you can actually regularly see dolphins – and other aquatic wildlife – if you take a short drive outside of Inverness to a place called Chanonry Point.

With a lovely beach and a much adored lighthouse, there are some who say they have visited Chanonry Point a few times and not seen dolphins, but there are many, many more who have witnessed the dolphins frolicking close to the shore on a regular basis.

Dophin at Chanonry Point, Scotland, UK by EmPemm

Definitely worth a trip, as aside from the fact it’s extremely likely you’ll see some of nature’s most wonderful animals simply having fun, the whole area is beautiful.

5. Inverness Castle is nothing short of awe-inspiring

Situated on a wonderful cliff top position (and obviously a strategic one when it was actually in use), the views looking from – and to – Inverness Castle make it one of the most charming and unspoilt castles in the country.

Whilst the actual castle itself isn’t open to the public, the grounds of the red sand stone building are and a visit is very much advised, if not purely to get a photo in front of this wonderful Inverness landmark.

As a city, Inverness might be popular and there’s no doubt it has something to offer most, but its attractions might seem like anything other than relaxed and laid back at first.

However, with just a little research you can come across a range of such sights and attractions, with the five here really just a small amount of those you can sample easily in and around Inverness.

Matthew Bettoli writes for holiday cottages Inverness provider Cottages and Castles.

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Norfolk Broads, UK by Russell Smith

More than a stay-cation

I was fed up with the airport stress ball and decided that I would do my best to avoid this situation occurring to my family. So the airport is out of bounds this summer, no matter how tempting the last minute offer appear to be I will resist them. Instead my holiday this year will be in the UK. I was at one point considering a ‘stay-cation’, but felt that returning to the family home each evening would make the time of work feel like a proper holiday. I considered a family holiday in the Peak District, thought the natural beauty of the area, would help calm us all down and slow the pace of life. However, I decided that the summer weather has been so bad this year the chances are that the peak district will be grey and damp this summer. I wanted to focus my attention on the southern counties. Which is why i decided to focus my attention on the southern counties.

Boating holidays

It didn’t take me long to find what I wanted, a relaxed family break, and I booked a boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads. Boating on the Broads i thought I would give the perfect base for a fun active holiday full of walking, cycling, fishing and horse riding. Plenty to keep me and the kids entertained for a couple of weeks. I am even considering booking wildlife walk, which is not normally my kind of thing.

Norwich Cathedral, UK by Rachel Clarke

Do as I please

One of the big appeals of a boating holiday for me was the ability to stop and start as and when it pleased me. If I fancied mooring up in Norwich for a couple of days to experience the big city life for a while, then I could. This is pretty much what i plan to do as I have never been to the ‘fine city’ and plan to spend a couple of days seeing some of its highlights before I begin my Broads adventure. What’s in Norwich I hear you ask well this is just the start of it but to name a few;

• Two cathedrals
• A mighty fine example of a Norman castle
• Boutique shopping area – no multi national brands allowed here.
• Music and arts hubs
• Market

Plus the bonus for me is that right next door to where I can moor up is a bustling riverside area that boasts many restaurants and bars, perfect for kicking of the holiday in style.

Boat time

Once I have done the tour of Norwich, then the relaxation time begin as we enter a slowed down world where you travel along between three to six miles per hour. The thought sounds so strange as living in a big city I am used to zipping around all over the pace, normally on my bicycle which is four times that speed! Hopefully this slowed down world will help me to absorb more of what is going on around me, give me more time to appreciate nature.

Fritton Lake Country Park near Gt Yarmouth by Michelle Simmons

More than a boating holiday

I am a little concerned that too much time on a boat will begin to become a drag. So I intend to drop in a few days out to get us all off the boat for a while. When I started looking into possible day trips I realised that Norfolk and Suffolk are full of great day out possibilities. I have listed a few that are on my shortlist for you:

• Zoo – Africa Alive, Banham
• Redwings Horse Sanctuary
• Pleasurewood Hills
• Fritton Lake
• Dinosaur Park

Written on behalf of Holiday Lodges in Norfolk specialists – waveneyrivercentre.co.uk

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Strandja mountain / Evgeni Dinev

In every country there are many interesting places to see and usually they are not the resorts. Because the resorts are built for tourists – and all you see there are other tourists and things build especially for them.

So better open a map and pick a random point of any EU country. You are likely to point to a town or village that’s well worth visiting. Don’t want to do a blind pick? OK, I’ll share seven ideas with you – seven places in Bulgaria that are far more interesting than lying on the beach. Here you are:

1. Strandja mountain

Even if you come here for trekking you are more likely to end up in Vitosha, Pirin or Rila. Almost no one goes to trekking in Strandja because it’s not as close to Sofia (the Capital) and it’s not as popular. Strandja is not a typical trekking destination. It’s a low mountain and climbing wouldn’t be a primary reason to go there. You should visit Strandja because of its natural beauty and because of its wildness. There are not many tourists going there, not many huts or paved roads. Its real and wild nature is rarely seen in Europe.

At the same time, reaching Strandja is not hard at all – you can approach the mountain from Malko Tarnovo which is just 76km away of Burgas. And Burgas is one of the largest cities in Bulgaria, just at the black sea. So you can land Burgas directly by an airplane or travel from Sofia by train or bus. Then there are buses going several times per day from Burgas to Malko Tarnovo and the other towns and villages at the foot of the mountain.

2. Lozenska planina

Yes, that’s another low mountain. Mountains are among the most interesting places to see in Bulgaria because they aren’t too high, and area easy to reach. At the same time the nature is well preserved. There are also many small villages around the mountains where life goes with different (slower) pace.

The greatest thing about Lozenska planina is that it’s really close to Sofia. In fact you can reach it with a regular city bus to the villages German or Lozen and it won’t take more than an hour from the city center. One of the best one-day trips you can do there is to drop at Lozen or German and walk through the mountain to the other village. It’s a really light trek, good for everyone – and it’s safe to do it at any time of the year.

3. Svoge and the villages around

Of course you don’t have to be interested in trekking or even seeing natural places. Maybe you prefer cities and towns, that’s why you came to Sofia. But the capital isn’t Bulgaria – life in the country is different. Do you want to see it? Svoge is a small town of nearly 9,000 inhabitants and is just 30 – 60 minutes train ride away of Sofia. Great for one-day trip! At the same time it’s pretty developed – there are several restaurants, two hotels, many stores and places to have a drink.

If you decide to take the train you may also want to see the villages on the way from Sofia to Svoge. Small, rural, very peaceful and so close to the big city – this is what makes them cool for a trip.

4. Pazardjik

And if you prefer bigger towns that are still calm and quiet, Pazardjik is just 1-2 hours away of Sofia. It’s a nice sunny town that will give you idea how people outside of the big cities live. At the same time it’s large enough to have the malls, stores, and services that big cities have. If you get up early in the morning you can see Pazardjik in a day and then go back to the capital (assuming you are staying there). But don’t worry – if you want to sleep in Pazardjik, there are plenty of hotels.

5. Dobruja

Bulgaria is not just mountains. If you want to see the beauty of the plane areas, Dobruja is your place. Here “place” isn’t quite correct thing to say, because Dobruja is a large area covering big part of North-East Bulgaria (and South-East Romania). It’s also the place where the country grows most of its wheat. You are going to see large areas that are just flat with lots of golden wheat growing on it (assuming you come in the summer).

Dobruja landscape / Andrea de Poda

There are several bigger towns in Dobruja – Dobrich, Shumen, Targovishte, Varna, Ruse, etc. From any of them you can easily reach villages to see rural life, and the beauty of Dobruja. Varna is perhaps the easiest to reach by plane from abroad, or by a bus or train from Sofia. From Varna you can travel to Dobrich in less than an hour. And then you’ll be at the heart of Dobruja.

6. Razboishte Monastery

Are you interested in visiting monasteries? Bulgaria is famous for many of them. The most popular is of course Rila Monastery. But if you prefer something less popular and less commercial, I recommend you to visit the Razboishte Monastery. It’s located in the most western part of Bulgaria, and is still easy to reach from Sofia. First get a bus to the town of Godech – it will take about an hour. Then Razboishte village is just 10km away which can be taken by another bus or car. Then walk 1km to the monastery.

7. Hisarya

OK, here’s a little bit more “touristic” place. But still most of visitors to Bulgaria don’t manage to go there. Why should you go then? Because there are more than twenty different mineral springs which were the primary reason for founding the town ages ago. The quality of mineral waters in Hisarya is proven and the resort is famous for them in the whole world. But that’s not all – you can see historical stuff like Roman ruins preserved for centuries.

How to reach it? First go to Plovdiv – A big city a couple of hours away of Sofia. There are planes going to Plovdiv too. And from Plovdiv, buses to Hisarya go every 30 minutes during the day. The trip takes about 1 hour. There are many places where you sleep in Hisarya. If you prefer you can sleep in Plovdiv where you’ll find many hotels and youth hostels.

So how does it sound – eager to visit Bulgaria yet?

Want more ideas and information like this? Visit https://bulgariatravelhacker.com!

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Parco dell’Uccellina, Italy by Rik & Ste

While consisting as an animal reserve today, the area where Parco dell’Uccellina has been inhabited since the Lower Paleolithic Era. There has been evidence uncovered which dates the first human settlements in Parco dell’Uccellina back 500,000 years ago. Other artifacts have been uncovered which dates back to the Wurm Ice Age which occurred 90,000 years ago.

There are a number of caves in Parco dell’Uccellina which were inhabited by Neanderthals. The most important of these caves is the Fabbrica Cave in which a number of High and Medium Paleolithic Era artifacts have been uncovered. Then there is the Golino Cave in which artifacts dating back to the Medium Paleolithic Era were uncovered back in 1865. Finally, there is the Scoglietto Cave in which some of the oldest known discoveries were made.

In Parco dell’Uccellina, near the city of Grosseto, you will find the ancient San Rabano Abbey which dates back to the 9th or 10th century. There are many other monuments, and churches which can be found throughout the region which dates back to the 13th century.

Countless people make their way to Parco dell’Uccellina to not only see some of Italy’s wildlife in their natural habitat, but to also see some of the oldest known human settlements in the country. There is a lot of history hiding in and around the natural reserve of Parco dell’Uccellina that is just waiting for you to explore and experience firsthand.

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Bohemian Switzerland not only offers the marvellous natural beauty of the National Park and the opportunity to set your mind at ease while there, but also the chance to experience adventures that you will never forget.

Bohemian Switzerland is located in the north-western Czech Republic. It lies on the Czech side of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains north of Děčín on both sides of the Elbe River. It extends eastward into the Lusatian Mountains and westward into the Ore Mountains. Its highest elevation is the mountain Děčínský Sněžník at 726m above sea level. It has been a protected area (as ChKO Labske Piskovce) since 1972.

The region along the right side of the Elbe became a national park on January 1, 2000, the České Švýcarsko National Park. The National Park is adjacent to the Saxon Switzerland National Park (Sächsische Schweiz) in Germany.

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Perhaps the biggest reason why the Liechtenstein Gorge has become so popular, is that it is one of the deepest and easily accessible ravines within the entire mountain region. While there are countless gorges that are just as deep, if not deeper, many of them are not as easily accessed.

Liechtenstein Gorge, Austria by Heather (Gruber) Williams

It was back during the last Ice Age that towering glaciers more than 3000 meters above sea level sat above the location of the Liechtenstein Gorge. As the Ice Age came to an end and the glaciers began to recede and melt, the torrential water began to cut a narrow slit into the sides of the Alpine mountains as the water made its way to lower altitudes.

In many places, the Gorge is so narrow, and the walls are so tall that light is almost nonexistent within the Liechtenstein Gorge. Due to the dangers of crossing the Gorge, countless bridges have been built over the centuries to make access to the Liechtenstein Gorge much easier. Many of which can be accredited to the Prince of Liechtenstein who ruled over the region back in 1875.

A view from Liechtenstein Gorge, Austria by Heather (Gruber) Williams

For hundreds of years the Liechtenstein Gorge has been attracting people from all over Europe and the world. Today, it is estimated that more than 10 million people from around the world have visited the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the Liechtenstein Gorge.

And while there are countless gorges and regain second be found throughout the Alpine region, not one of them has been visited as much over the centuries. Millions of people have made their way to Austria in order to walk the length of the Liechtenstein Gorge and stare in awe at its breathtaking beauty.

You can visit the gorge from early May to end of October, openning hours vary on the season and the basic admission is €4,50. For more information visit liechtensteinklamm.at.

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