Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Janos Korom Dr.

The largest and most visited monument and landmark of the city is Nitra castle (Nitriansky hrad) built on a rocky hill over the Nitra river. It is a huge building and was the seat of many princes and bishops. Today, visitors can admire its newer form, because it has undergone frequent repairs, the last of which changed its look to a Renaissance-Baroque style. Nitra castle contains of the cathedral, the episcopal residence and a system of fortifications. The interior is full of paintings from the 18th century, there are also the tombs of bishops, marble altar and baptismal font. Nitra Castle is currently the seat of the bishop’s residence and the Archaeological Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The so-called Lower Town (Dolné mesto) is now a lively center of Nitra. From the Theatre of Andrej Bagar which is located at Svätopluk’s Square leads the pedestrian zone. You can find here also a Romanesque St. Stephen’s Church from the 12th century, the Baroque Piarist monastery and the church of St Ladislav from the 18th century. On the hill in the southern part of the city you can walk up to Nitra’s Calvary and enjoy a nice view of the Old city.

Botanical Garden in Nitra is currently a place of Slovak University of Agriculture and its competence is a research and cultural-educational activities. The garden was founded in 1982 as a facility of the Agricultural University in Nitra. The actual area of ​​the Botanical Garden has an irregular shape in the middle of which is an artificial lake and several walking paths.

It boasts over 6,400 kinds of tropical plants. There are over 2,000 botanical species and 3,000 orchids, which come from all tropical regions of the world.

Besides the major attractions and institutions in the city like Nitra’s Public Gallery, museum of Nitra, Slovak Agricultural Museum, and others, tourists can also visit many places in the neighbourhood. Nitra is also the starting point for the tours around Ponitrie Protected Landscape Area, where is the network of marked hiking trails.

Directly from Nitra you can take the first part of cognitive Zobor pavement with 8 stops with a length of almost 4 km. The trail leads along the ruins of Zobor castle, Svorad’s cave and spring, which proves the presence of St. Svorad in this area.

In almost all parts of Nitra and its surroundings you will find a wide range of accommodation.

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Thanks to its location the city and its surroundings belong to the warmest areas of the Bulgarian coast. For its beautiful nature the resort was a popular place for the Bulgarian royal family in the past. Today Tsarevo is a popular tourist destination suitable for lovers of comfortable, quiet, romantic, but also of active holiday.

In the center of town you will find the pedestrian zone, shops, markets, cafes, pastry shops, restaurants, discos, bars, parks, cinema or a jungle gym for children. Tsarevo has a football field with artificial turf, which is freely accessible to children. In Tsarevo you can also enjoy some sport activities such as sailing, diving or widsurfing. Close to the resort you can stay in well-known campsites Bulgarka and Nestinarka.

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Do not miss the visit of the Gothic cathedral from the 15th century. Nearby there are the caves of Castellana, which include (besides the Adelsberg cave) the most important cave systems in Europe. Caves that are long 1.2km (with side passages much more) are accessible with a guide and have 2 lifts. Above the caves there is a watch tower and the Cave Museum. In the nearby town of Fasano you can visit Zoo Safari with 600 exotic animals including lions, and the Dolphinarium. This part of Puglia is famous for the unique occurrence of the “trulli” – the dominant form of a circular brick houses with conical roofs in overlapping layers. Best Trulli and other precious relics are in Alberobello, Martina Franca and Locorotondo.

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In the capital of Denmark you can find literally everything you could imagine about culture. Thanks to absolutely flat plain, which is so typical for Denmark, Copenhagen is the perfect place suitable for the construction of beautiful castles and palaces. From the Royal Palace Amalienborg Slot, through Rosenborg Castle and Christiansborg Palace to Borsen palace.

What you definitely should not miss are many small museums in the city. Museum of Danish design, fabulous Museum of Hans Ch. Andersen, Karen Blixen Museum in a short distance from Copenhagen…etc… But on a small area of Copenhagen there is still squeezing something else – it is independent State of Christiania that was founded in the 70′s of 20th century.

For the lovers of modern architecture there is a new library building named the Black Diamond, or a brand new opera house built as a gift for Danish people.

Perhaps the best feature of Copenhagen is the possibility of long walks through the city – through the Pedestrian Zone Strøget or through some of the parks.

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The city’s history dates back to the 10th century BC, when there was the first documented settlement. In medieval Perugia belonged to the papal state, and thus there arose numerous monuments. Today it is a modern city which keeps pace with the times and constantly growing. Modernization can be seen for example in city public traffic, even some minisubway was built here. It is one of the major university towns of central Italy and is visited annually by many tourists not only for its long history, but also the culture and traditions.

The town was named after a famous Italian painter Pietro Vannucci, who was nicknamed Perugino and who was born here. He was an teacher of the outstanding Renaissance artist Raphael. Among other things, he decorated the local hall the Sala del Cambio with beautiful series of frescoes, which are considered his masterpiece. You can admire other eight of his paintings in the Umbrian National Gallery. There lived more prominent artists such as Pinturicchio painter or architect Galeazzo Alessi in the city during the past.

The old center of Perugia is affected by Etruscans, Romans and medieval influences which creates a wonderful atmosphere. The main attractions are not close to the main square, but in the remote parts of the city. So before you go on the tour, take comfortable shoes, because you will do quite a long walk. Tour of the city can begin to the pedestrian zone Corso Vannucci, that crosses the medieval heart of Perugia. At the end of this street there is located Piazza IV. Novembre, dominated by the Fontana Maggiore that was built in 1277, created together by father and son, Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.

Right behind the fountain there is a Cathedral, which construction has started in 1345 and houses the tombs of two popes – Urban IV. and Martin IV. There is a painting of Madonna delle Grazie, which dates from the 15th century, and has a miraculous power. The chapel – Capella del Sant’Anello is also interesting.

The biggest dominant of Perugia is Palazzo dei Priori, standing on the corner of the square. It was built between 1293-1443 and there are four different sites. The first and also the oldest monument is the Sala dei Notari, which was the main meeting point for lawyers in the Middle Ages.

From the street Corso, you can go further west along the picturesque Via dei Priori, which is lined with several small churches and towers. By this street you can get to the Oratorio di San Bernardino that was built in 1475. The building facade is complemented by color, which is the work of Agostino di Duccio. The historic city center of Perugia is still marked by the influence of the Etruscans, after who the city walls have left here. In the walls you can see a few gateways with Roman elements, the most famous and best preserved is the Arco di Etrusco from 3rd century BC. Among the others there are such as the Porta Marzia or Porta Trasimena. By Corso Garibaldi you can get to the churches Sant’Agostino and Sant’Angelo.

An important landmark of the city is the Etruscan well and the church of San Severo at Piazza Dante. In the church there are paintings by the painter Raphael. The largest church in Perugia is San Domenico, where is the gothic tomb of Benedict XI. from the early 14th century. Also worth seeing is the cathedral of St. Lorenzo, the patron of the city. Its construction began in the 14th century, but it has never been fully completed. History lovers should not miss the Archaeological Museum in Piazza Giordano Bruno, which houses many different exhibits from the Roman and Etruscan period. You can finish a tour along Perugia at the beautiful church of San Pietro. You can also walk through the enchanting gardens like Orto medievale or Orto botanico.

In Perugia you can find many other beautiful monuments – palaces, churches, old graveyards or Etruscan cellars, but it is not everything. If you’ve heard the name of Perugina, so you know, it is a well known factory producing chocolate pieces, candy and sweets – the most popular are chocolate pralines Baci (kisses). In each praline you will find a famous quote about love or friendship. Eurochocolate feast takes place here each year in October to celebrate this great product.

Families with children will appreciate that the near of Perugia there is an amusement park, La Città della Domenica, where except of the attractions you can see wild animals, learn about exotic snakes or entrust the children into the hands of fairy tale characters.

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Jakab’s Palace, Kosice, Slovakia

There are about 240 thousand, mostly young people, living in the city of Košice. The city is therefore also called the city of youth. It is a home of several universities – Technical University, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University that includes faculty of Medicine, Law, Science, and others. This vibrant city is the seat of the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic and can well take care of tourists and visitors.

Košice is not only a key economic agglomeration, but also the crossroad of transport routes. The town lies in the Košice basin along the wide valley of Hornád river, which is bounded on the west with foothills of the Slovak Ore Mountains (Slovak: Slovenské rudohorie).

Košice grew up in a crossroads of the trade routes connecting southern Europe with areas of the Baltic. Košice have a very good strategic location, because it lies close to three other states. Only 20 km away from Hungary, about 90 km from Poland, and about 80 km from the Ukraine.

Kosice main street, Slovakia

The city’s history dates back to the 10th century, when it was a part of Hungary. In 1369 the city gained a city emblem, which is the oldest documented city coat of arms in Europe.

Medieval history of the city is closely associated with trade and craft.

The historical center of Košice is the largest urban reserve in the Slovak Republic and is definitely worth visiting. The dominant sight of the city and its most important monument is the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth. It is the easternmost Gothic cathedral in Europe. Cathedral has a double spiral staircase as one of just five in Europe. The adjacent St. Michael Chapel and St. Urban Tower create together with the Cathedral a great complex of national cultural monuments.

St. Elizabeth Cathedral and Urban Tower, Kosice, Slovakia

The historic city centre offers a pleasant pedestrian zone with lots of boutiques, bars and cafes. The main street is lined with Gothic and Baroque churches. A great atmosphere is supplemented with the playing fountain and a carillon. Park around the fountain is a universal place of relaxation for both young and old.

Among other sights of Košice you can find a baroque Town Hall, Andrassy Palace, State Theatre from 1899, The Levoča House (Košice’s oldest, still standing bourgeois building), Bishop’s Palace and the parish house, which now houses the Gallery of Claire Jakoby, which was a representative of Slovak art history.

Kosice main park and State Theatre, Slovakia

Košice’s golden treasure is one of Europe’s largest golden treasures. The total weight of gold in the treasure reaches thirteen kilograms. Its insured value is almost 8 million Euro but in fact has an immeasurable historical value. The East Museum in Košice built for it a special unique vault, and since 1970, visitors can see the treasure in the permanent exhibition. Golden treasure was discovered during digging the foundations of the new house in 1935 in Košice. The money and gold probably hid their owner in 1679.

Under the city centre you can visit the archaeological complex of Lower Gate. Lower gate was originally part of the fortification system. The remains were discovered in 90′s of the last century during the huge reconstruction of the city.

St. Michael Chapel, Kosice, Slovakia

Extremely rich cultural life in Košice represent theatres, clubs, museums and galleries or puppet theatre.

On the outskirts of the city is the international airport where you can also find interesting Museum of Aviation, which was open to the public in 2002. It documents the development of aviation and aviation technology from its beginnings until 1943. There are about 30 historical machines, aircraft engines, navigation and other devices that are used in aircraft. Definitely the most interesting exhibits of the museum are 18 original pieces of military aircraft.

In Katov bastion on the eastern edge of town you will find a zoological and geological exposure.

In Nicholas’s prison you can see jail facilities and torture chamber with the instruments that were made ​​specifically for the witches.

Nicholas prison, Kosice, Slovakia

I also have to mention the traditional Europe’s oldest and second oldest marathon in the world – the International Peace Marathon. Marathon was founded in 1924 and still takes place every year on the first Sunday of October.

The last and probably the biggest attraction is the Technical Museum at the north end of Košice. You will find here absolutely everything in terms of historical metallurgy, engineering, locksmithing, blacksmithing, energy, physics and chemistry.

The city is a birthplace of many celebrities such as Sándor Márai, Martina Hingis, Stefan Margita and Waldemar Matuska. In May of 2011 Košice held the Ice Hockey World Championship.

Levoca House and Slavia Hotel, Kosice, Slovakia

All pictures taken by Claire on March 2nd, 2013 for Europe Explored.

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