Make no mistake; when you visit a campsite, everyone around you is watching as you erect your temporary dwelling and they’re all secretly judging you. They might not look like it, but trust me, they are. First impressions are vitally important in all things, so to make sure you don’t inadvertently alienate your new neighbours we present this simple guide on what your tent says about you.

The Pop-up Tent

They seem like such a good idea on paper. Putting up a tent is an arduous and time consuming process that nobody enjoys very much, even when everything goes right. When everything doesn’t go according to plan you frequently find yourself: hammering tent pegs into the ground with a tin of beans on account of forgetting a mallet, arguing with your significant other for ninety minutes about the best place to pitch the tent and not speaking for the rest of the holiday after you turn out to be wrong.

The self constructing tent aims to take all of those problems away, and to a certain extent it does. Say what you like about pop up tents (and I certainly intend to) but when they are functioning properly they are an absolute doddle to set up. The problem, or more accurately, the first problem, is that these tents working as they are intended tends to be the exception rather than the rule. Springs get bent or caught on the tarpaulin, joints jam; I have literally witnessed one of these contraptions tear itself to pieces during construction. Not a pretty sight.

But even if the tent functions exactly as intended, you are not yet out of the woods. You see, all of the effort that you saved setting your tent up is going to have to be paid back, with heavy interest, when it comes time to pack the thing away again. Returning a pop-up tent to its original state is an act best compared to trying to get a particularly violent ferret to wear a dinner jacket. You may think a pop-up tent will save you time, but in actuality all you are doing is putting off the work until the end of the holiday, when you are likely to be considerably less enthusiastic about it.

What it says about you: You’re fast paced and always on the go. You value your time highly but sometimes struggle to stop and relax. You own at least one Shamwow and still maintain that it was worth every penny. You’re very fond of the theory of camping, but have little practical experience.

The One Man Tent

The ultimate in no frills camping, one man tents (or tubes as I like to call them) work on the basic rational that you’re probably going to be uncomfortable anyway, so you might as well pick a tent that is convenient. One man tents are compact and lightweight; in fact they’re so light as to sometimes be a problem. Make sure you anchor your tent firmly to the ground, as I have literally seen these things uprooted by the wind and blown halfway across the campsite.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Vern

Be warned, no matter how much you and your partner enjoy snuggling; do not attempt to share one of these tents with another person. The combination of the hard ground and somebody sleeping on top of your arm will leave you waking up sore and irritable. To be avoided if at all possible.

What it says about you: You’re strong willed, independent and don’t put too much stoke in creature comforts or material possessions. Right now you’re single, and you’re quite happy with this state of affairs. You’re a seasoned camper, but you’re not really in it for the love of it, camping instead because it provides low cost accommodation in close proximity to one of your other interests.

The Fly Tent

Festival goers will probably know what I mean when I say “there’s always one”. At any heavily trodden campsite there will invariably be a person who arrives toeing a basic fly tent with them, who ends up having to share somebody else’s dwelling as soon as it stars to rain. The fly has many practical utilities when camping: it can be erected over the top of another tent to provide additional protection from the rain, and it can make for a nice communal area. It is not however appropriate for sustaining human habitation once the heavens take it upon themselves to open.

What it says about you: You’re a hopeless romantic and this has occasionally been known to get you into trouble. You have a strong connection to the natural world and enjoy the idea of sleeping with the wind in your hair. Secretly though you crave the companionship of another human being. This is almost certainly your first camping trip.

The Mansion Tent

Capable of holding as many as ten people in comfort, the mansion (or family) tent is ideal for those toeing an extended family with them on their camping trip. Design wise these tents vary from the simplistic ‘large open space’, to the almost laughably complex layouts that contain four separate rooms and an erectable table.

One positive is that these titanic tents enable you to keep your children in close proximity to you, but on the negative front, these titanic tents enable you to keep your children in close proximity to you.

One work of advice, if you’re attending a festival alone, do not bring one of these tents. It sounds good on paper; you’ll get a lot more camping space to enjoy, but remember than you’ll be the one who is stuck providing lodgings to the idiot who turned up dragging a fly tent.

What it says about you: You’re probably a committed family man/woman, a real social butterfly or a total lunatic. Either way, you’re a committed and experienced camper who prefers the simplicity of a field to the creature comforts of a hotel room.

The Bedouin Tent

Lavish, impressive, comfortable and spacious enough to house you and your entire retinue. The Bedouin tent is ideal for camping holidays, festivals and attending international summits. Be warned, whilst the fully furnished Bedouin is unquestionably the height of tent luxury, pitching this goliath structure can prove very challenging. It is advisable to make sure that you have all of the necessary permits and permissions in hand before setting out on your trip.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by jonl1973

What it says about you: You’re confident and highly eccentric, and you want the whole world to know it. You’re clearly affluent, but you still prefer the experience of camping. In fact, there are few things you enjoy more than a pitched tent, and you have been known to have one constructed inside of hotel rooms. When you’re not camping you like nothing better than tyrannically oppressing a small desert nation.

So there you have it. A comprehensive (unless you own a boring tent) and scientific list of which demographic of people own which kind of tent. Use it well.

Stefan Duberley is a freelance writer and walking enthusiast who owns more outdoor clothing and outdoor equipment than is reasonable. His tent of choice is hexagonal and made out of white satin and pastrami. He doesn’t understand it any better than you.

The post Camping – What Your Tent Says About You appeared first on Europe Explored.

View Echternach – the oldest city of Luxembourg in a larger map

The post Echternach – the oldest city of Luxembourg appeared first on Europe Explored.

Prehistoric settlements were excavated in the centre of the present city, near the royal palace, as well as in outer districts such as Slatina and Obelya. The well-preserved town walls (especially their substructures) from antiquity date back before the 7th century BC, when Thracians established their city next to the most important and highly respected mineral spring, still functioning today. Sofia has had several names in the different periods of its existence, and remnants from the city’s past can still be seen today alongside modern landmarks.

View Sofia – administrative, cultural, economic, and educational centre of Bulgaria in a larger map

The post Sofia – administrative, cultural, economic, and educational centre of Bulgaria appeared first on Europe Explored.

Piazza di Ferrari, Genoa, Liguria, Italy by Hpschaefer

In the Roman Era, Genoa was one of the most powerful states in the Empire. Their power continued on for centuries and it is even said that the flag of England was adopted from Genoa back in 1190. They were considered to be a super power back in the 10th century. Their power would finally come to an end in 1381 when the Venetians conquered the city.

While the city went through countless busts in development, much of the more historically significant buildings were left standing and were well maintained over the centuries. In the old city center, you will find most of the city’s most notable monuments and structures. Here you will find the Piazza de Ferrari, the Via Garibaldi as well as Doge’s Palace. There is also the 16th century Musei di Strada Nuova and the 5th century St. Lorence Cathedral. The largest sea aquarium in Europe can be found in the old port area which has recently been converted into a shopping center.

Duomo di Genoa, Liguria, Italy by Idéfix

Along the edges of the Piazza de Ferrari, is where you will find the home of Christopher Columbus. While it is unclear as to whether or not Columbus was born in Genoa, what is known is that he spent most of his childhood in the city before becoming the navigator touted as having discovered America. There is also a monument nearby that has been dedicated to the world famous navigator.

The post Genova – beautiful port with lots of secrets, Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.

Population
Original Luxemburgers make up about one third of the population. There are more than 180 thousand foreigners living here, mainly Portuguese, Italians, Frenchmen, Belgians and Germans. Over 7,500 residents are officials of the European Union. Most of the population is Catholic, however there are small Protestant and Jewish communities. The country has 100% literacy.

Economy
The country has well developed industry and service sector. An important source of funds is tourism. Industry is focused on the processing of metals and chemicals, which are major export items. Among the trading partners of Luxembourg are the surrounding states of European Union. The country is also doing well in the banking sector which is mainly due to political stability and liberal laws.

History and culture
History of Luxembourg started to count at the time when Lützelburg castle was built. It happened around the year 963. Then, around the castle, began to develop a medieval city that became the center of a small estate. Between 1659 to 1839 the territory of Luxembourg was several times reduced. Luxembourg gained independence in the 19th century. After World War II Luxembourg stood at the birth of NATO and the European Community (in 1993 renamed to the European Union).

Cuisine
Luxembourg cuisine is similar to Belgian, but you’ll find also a German influences – e.g. dumplings with cabbage, etc. Luxembourg National dish is “Judd mat gaardebounen” – it’s smoked pork served with cabbage or beans.

Other specialties include:

Ferkelsrippchen-grilled ribs
Liewekniddelen mat sauerkratu – liver balls with cabbage
Traipen – black pudding
Kuddelfleck – boiled tripe (intestine)
Kachkeis – cooked cheese

The most popular coffee in Luxembourg is “café au lathes” – coffee with boiled milk, as well as cappuccino and espresso.

Tips for trips

• The city of Luxembourg (its beautiful historical center and the walls on the slopes of the River Alzette
• Ardennes
• Moselle valley
• Müllerthal

View Luxembourg – green heart of Europe in a larger map

The post Luxembourg – green heart of Europe appeared first on Europe Explored.

You can go to Poland for culture (historical towns, castles, palaces, museums) or nature (Tatra Mountains, Beskids, Bieszczady, Pieniny or Table Mountains). If you’re tired of walking the hills and mountains, you can still benefit from the Baltic coast – although the Baltic is quite cold, it still has its charm. You need to visit the Gulf of Gdansk, especially Hel Peninsula is a place that you might like. In the evening, it offers various bars, discos and nightclubs.

The best time for sightseeing in Poland is the period of late spring or early autumn when there is a pleasant warm and resorts are not as crowded as during the summer season. In July and August, the mountains, lakes and seaside resorts are full of tourists (like in the other parts of Europe). However, if you go to the cities, they are mostly calm and quiet. Most of the accommodation and catering facilities on the coast and in other popular locations are closing in the fall and reopening again with the arrival of spring. From late November to mid-March you can enjoy ski season in Poland.

On 1 January 2004 Poland joined the European Unionand later on 21 December 2007 joined the Schengen area and were thus abolished checks at internal borders. That does not mean that you can travel across borders without any proof. You must always carry a valid identity document, ie passport or identity card with machine readable zone. If you want to stay in the country for less than 3 months, EU citizens are not required to have residence permits.

Before traveling to Poland ask first your health insurance company for the European Health Insurance Card, which you must show if you need urgent medical attention. Before the trip we recommend that you take out additional health insurance. In each town should be at least one pharmacy with night operations.

The official monetary unit is Polish Zloty. Prices in Poland are still relatively lower than in Western Europe, more expensive are only imported goods and the accommodation in hotels. You can exchange money in every town in the bank or exchange office.

If you are traveling to Poland, along with your pet, it is necessary to have an international passport, and need to be identified by microchip or tattoo and vaccinated against rabies.

The post Poland – country of the BIG Pope appeared first on Europe Explored.

Belgium is interesting with the diversity of its population. The country is divided into 3 areas, Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. In the northern part of Flanders, live Flemish, who speak Flemish (Belgian Flemish is a variant of Dutch). In the southern part, Wallonia, live Walloons, who speak French. In the region of Brussels there are Flemish and French speaking residents but also many foreigners. The third official language alongside French and Flemish in Belgium, is German.

Flemish are closer to the Dutch and Walloons to the French, both with the mentality and temperament, and way of life. Between Flemish and Walloons, there is a certain degree of jealousy and they are sometimes even talking about the possibility of division of land into two states.

Brussels – the capital of the EU
The capital of Belgium – Brussels is also sometimes called the capital of the European Union. Brussels houses the Council of Ministers and the European Commission, but also the European Parliament.

Brussels is bilingual, but if you go through the streets, you can hear a lot more languages ​​than just French or Flemish. A large number of foreigners live here, many of which are currently working in the institutions of the European Union. Brussels is a truly cosmopolitan city that offers many tourist sights and attractions such as: the Grand Place with historic houses and town hall, the famous Atomium and Mini-Europe – an entertainment center with models of buildings from different cities of the European Union.

Not least among the advantages of Belgium are their specialties and typical dishes and drinks. A very popular is fish in many ways, mussels, cheese or french fries with mayonnaise. From the candies you should try waffles and of course the world famous Belgian chocolates.

The most popular drink is beer. The best-known brands include Leffe, Chimey, Duvel, Jupiler, Maes, Hoegaarden and Stella Artois. They also have flavoured beers, such as cherry, strawberry or currant.

View Belgium – head of European Union in a larger map

The post Belgium – head of European Union appeared first on Europe Explored.

Until World War I Austria was vast empire that ruled much of central Europe for the centuries. Austria is now a federal republic, consisting of nine states (Burgenland (Eisenstadt), Kärnten (Klagenfurt), Niederösterreich (St.Pölten), Oberösterreich (Linz), Salzburg (Salzburg), Steiermark (Graz), Tirol (Innsbruck), Vorarlberg (Bregenz), Wien (Wien)).

The capital city of Austria – Vienna hosts many international organizations including the Secretariat of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The Austrian Parliament has two chambers. National Council (Nationalrat) has 183 members who are elected by direct popular vote for five-year period. Federal Council (Bundesrat) is the second chamber with about 62 members representing different regions. Its members are elected for six years.

Austria has a rich cultural heritage, with a special place of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. But also the music of Franz Schubert is very popular. In the field of philosophy and ideas you can find controversy work of Sigmund Freud, while Ludwig Wittgenstein is one of the most influential philosopher of 20th century. Paintings by Gustav Klimt from the early 20th century are highly reputable.

Austria has a mixed industrial-agricultural economy, but an important source of income is tourism.

Austrian cuisine includes specialties like Wiener Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel.

As a tourist in Austria, you will shortly find out that everything is well prepared for you and services are excellent in the tourist areas. Whether you visit any place in the summer or winter you will be really satisfied – from tourism and cycling signs of groomed trails, through camping facilities and winter resorts, to cultural and spa programs in the hotels and family pensions.

The highest point of Austria is Grossglockner (3 798 m) and the lowest point is Neusiedler See (115 m).

There are 6 national parks in Austria. The beauty of these six totally different protected natural areas you can enjoy on foot or by bike.

View Austria – Country of a Thousand Faces in a larger map

The post Austria – Country of a Thousand Faces appeared first on Europe Explored.

Slovenia covers an area of 20,273km2 and has a population of 2.06 million. Around 40% of Slovenia’s land mass is elevated land – mostly in the form of mountains and plateaus – which is located in the interior regions of the country. The highest point of Slovenia is the 2,864m high Mount Triglav, the lowest point is the Adriatic Sea at sea level. The Slovenian coast is 47 km long and is very charming.

The majority of the population speaks Slovene which is also the country’s official language. Other local official languages are Hungarian and Italian.

As the vacation centers are mainly used Isola and Portoroz. On the way to the sea, we recommend a small break in Lipica, where they still kept the pride of Slovenia, known for white Lipizzaners. In Slovenia there is one of the largest cave systems in the world – Postojna Jama, a 20-kilometer system of tunnels, and the nearby medieval castle Predjamski. At the north east of the country you can visit beautiful Triglav National Park and Lake Bled, like cut from a fairy tale. In the middle of Lake Bled there is Bled island with the ancient castle on it.

Slovenia may be, more than any other country, marked as a “thermal paradise“. An incredible amount of thermal springs are mainly located in the northeast of the country where you can find lots of of spas.

Slovenia is a beautiful country with lots of undiscovered beauty, suitable for all romantic souls, and especially those who want to enjoy well deserved vacation.

Slovenia is a country of high mountains, is full of forests and lakes, impressive cave systems, medicinal springs and crystal clear sea. It has great culinary traditions, within which you can taste fine wines or traditional fruit brandy, combined with excellent food coming from the sea, rivers, forests and green meadows. It is a country where on a relatively small area there is everything one needs to spend an active holiday.

The post Slovenia – small country with great nature appeared first on Europe Explored.