Sanctuary of the Black Madonna, Tindari, Sicily, Italy / Photo by Claire for Europe Explored

Later, the city was restored by Romans who built new buildings, schools, spas, theatre, markets and restored and remodelled the old building. The theatre, built by the Greeks, was remodelled and equipped at the request of its new audience. But then followed the period of decline, during which the part of the city was destroyed by the Arab raids in the 9th century.

Today there is still a Greek theatre, Roman houses, public spa and the remains of the fortifications. The museum shows statues of Hellenic and Greek and Roman ceramics.

Near the town there is the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna (Santuario della Madonna Nera). Black Madonna has been venerated since Byzantine times, and in the 60′s of 20th century her statue was placed here, which can be found in this sanctuary.

Beach in Oliveri with Tindari on the hill, Sicily, Italy / Photo by Claire for Europe Explored

The archaeological site – the remains of ancient town

The route that leads to the top of Capo Tindari, passing along the defensive walls built during the reign of Dionysus, which later was redesigned and replaced with double walls of stone blocks. In the southern part of the town there is a spa area, restaurants and stores, including the great aristocratic house with well-preserved mosaic. There are also some remains of buildings from which you can see the perfect elegance of the original site. The remains were identified as remnants of the basilica or the place where people meet for religious purposes, but its real function is unknown. In addition to this area is the theatre, built by the Greeks in the 4th century and was also a place of gladiatorial contests.

The tongue of sand (linguetta di Sabbia)

Under the archaeological site and the Sanctuary you can see a strip of sand, stretching 1.5 km into the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is in the shape of the tongue, the highest point is about 4 m above sea level. The plot creates a kind of lagoon and several small lakes, thus providing the ideal home for large numbers of plants and animals (now it is a nature reserve). The location is ideal for swimming or walking, but also an ideal place for watching the sunset. Here you can get from a village of Oliveri.

If you are driving a car, you can also visit the remains of Roman villas in Patti.

Linguetta di Sabbia, near Oliveri, Sicily, Italy / Photo by Claire for Europe Explored

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In this refurbished and very impressive citadel you can find collections of furniture, tapestries, paintings and sculptures from all over Europe. A part of castle are gardens and completely reconstructed 19th century village.

The Bunratty castle is now famous for its medieval banquets, at which the “Bunratty Singers” perform. You can also attend the medieval feast which takes place on the castle.

The Bunratty castle stands on an area of 26 acres of Bunratty Folk Park, where are over 30 typical village buildings including the school building, doctor’s house, post office and other.

The admission is €10.00 to the Castle and Folk park.

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In 1987, the rock was declared a nature reserve and the smallest protected area in Europe, because it covers an area of ​​4,5 square kilometers. There is a number of endemic species of plant and animals such as sea gulls and falcons.

Peñón de Ifach is a distinct visual attraction on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a height of 332 metres.

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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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