Helsinki, or in Swedish, Helsingfors, was originally established by the King of Sweden as a small fishing port, when Finland was a Swedish territory. Several wars between Sweden and Russia eventually resulted in the incorporation of Finland as an autonomous…
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Easy to fall in love with at first glance, Switzerland’s tree-encircled capital city sits perched above the stunning greenish blue Aare River, curling through not so much an urban setting as a slice of fairytale lanes dotted with colorful fountains…
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Nine Belgium sites (including a shared on with France) have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List since 1998. Flemish Beguine Convents (Added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1998) Flemish Beguine convents (béguinage in French,…
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Grenoble is 105 km distant from Lyon. Grenoble can be reached by train TER from Lyon (Part Dieu train station) or by TGV from Paris (Gare de Lyon, or Lyon train station). It takes 1.5 and 3 hours, respectively. It’s…
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Those Romans knew a thing or two. With their penchant for bathing it is not surprising that they soon sought out the geo-thermal waters emerging at Buxton, close to the River Wye. They named the settlement Aqua Arnemetiae after a…
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Hands up who can name the English county where Thomas Hardy set his novels? Yes, Wessex. Only thing is, check the atlas and you’ll find that Wessex doesn’t actually exist. Nor does the town of “Casterbridge” (as depicted in his…
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Galway can best be explored with a rental car and a map of historical sites, which you can get from any tourist office or car rental agency. Pick a picturesque place or two to stay the night (anywhere near the…
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A trip to Berlin, Germany would not be complete without a side trip out to Potsdam. Its sheer beauty and magnificence can surely not be overlooked. The beautiful town even escaped much damage throughout the war, making it the perfectly…
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Paris has always held great romantic allure for travellers and has been a byword for style, glamour and romance since pleasure-seekers started to visit Paris for weekends in the 19th century. Everyone is familiar with Paris through films, paintings and…
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There are hundreds of castles scattered throughout Germany and many in Bavaria alone. Not all of them offer tours and many are not as well known as the ones in Bavaria. King Ludwig II was the King of Bavaria in…
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