The cathedral of Notre-Dame d’Amiens is not just the largest Gothic cathedral in France. It is a masterwork of medieval engineering, a towering expression of faith and ambition that can hold Notre-Dame de Paris inside it twice over. The cathedral rises 42 metres to its vaulted ceiling, with a spire that reaches 112 metres into […]
Dublin is the capital city of Ireland filled with glorious buildings and natural sceneries all around. Tourists should plan to stay at least for a week to enjoy the city, since there are many top sights to see in Dublin. From medieval cathedrals to Georgian squares, from Viking fortresses to lively pub districts, the city […]
Pena National Palace (Palácio Nacional da Pena) is one of the most extraordinary royal residences in Europe, a riotously colourful Romanticist castle perched atop a rocky peak in the Sintra mountains above Lisbon, whose vivid yellow and red towers, ornate Manueline stonework, and eclectic blend of Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance, and Manueline architectural styles make it […]
The Scala di Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone is not merely a staircase. It is a work of art, a feat of engineering, and a symbol of the city’s identity all rolled into one. This monumental staircase, consisting of 142 steps, climbs the hillside from the Piazza del Municipio to the Church of Santa […]
Categories: Islands, Italy, Nature, Sicily, Sights, Virtual Travel
The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, the richest and best-preserved group of ancient Greek temples outside Greece, standing in golden sandstone splendour on a ridge overlooking the Mediterranean in southern Sicily. A UNESCO World heritage site and the crown jewel of Magna Graecia, […]
Categories: Islands, Italy, Nature, Nature Reserves, Sicily, Sights
Ostuni is la Città Bianca, the White City, one of the most spectacular hill towns in southern Italy, a dazzling cascade of whitewashed houses, staircases, and alleyways rising from the olive groves of Puglia’s Valle d’Itria whose uniformly white-painted architecture (originally a medieval sanitary measure using lime wash to disinfect the streets, now a beloved […]
Riomaggiore is the first of the five Cinque Terre villages when approaching from La Spezia, nestled in a valley carved by the river Rivus Maior from which it takes its name. Colourful tower houses climb the steep hillside, each painted in a different pastel shade that reflects the Mediterranean light. An old story traces the […]
Categories: Italy, Sights, Virtual Travel
The Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž are one of Central Europe’s finest Baroque ensembles, a UNESCO World heritage site in the Czech Republic’s Moravian region where the magnificent Archbishop’s Chateau (used as a filming location for Amadeus) is complemented by two extraordinary gardens: the formal Pleasure Garden (one of the best-preserved Baroque gardens in Europe) […]
Categories: Czech Republic, Nature, Sights, Sights
Bardejov is one of Slovakia’s best-preserved medieval cities, a UNESCO World heritage jewel in the north-eastern Šariš region whose perfectly intact central square (Radničné námestie), ringed by 46 colourful burgher houses and dominated by the magnificent Gothic basilica of St. Egidius, is considered one of the finest medieval urban ensembles in Central Europe. Along with […]
Aveiro is known as the Venice of Portugal, a charming city on the country’s central coast, south of Porto, whose network of picturesque canals, colourful moliceiro boats (traditional flat-bottomed vessels once used for harvesting seaweed, now converted to gondola-like tourist boats), and elegant Art Nouveau architecture make it one of the most photogenic small cities […]
