Dubrovnik - Croatia
My own 'Great Wall of China'
Why I usually refer to the ancient city of Dubrovnik as my own 'Great Wall of China' in Europe?
The answer is simple: nowhere did I experience such a feeling as when first catching the first glimp of the tremendous view over the city of Dubrovnik. As you walk down to the city gates this feeling in you grows and grows, to reach it's climax as you climb the magnificent city walls with their view over the Mediterranean... You imagine how the inhabitants of this city must have felt back then: as kings of the world, gods of the Mediterranean...
You see, it's hard to describe.
Go There!
Amsterdam - The Netherlands
So much more than Wooden shoes, coffeeshops and the Red Light District!
Amsterdam, world-renowned for its romantic canals and the imposing architecture of the 17th century, a period often called as the "Golden Century". Amsterdam is the sparkling heart of Holland and will definitely get your blood pumping.
Amsterdam is a party town 365 days a year, with a harmonious co-existence of the historical and the modern, in a melting pot of nationalities that have only further contributed to the city's charms.
Amsterdammers are deservedly proud of their city and the gorgeous centre. Whatever it is you are looking for it can be found here, in a laid-back atmosphere that is exclusive to this monumental metropolis.
Berlin - Germany
'All the bullet holes of the world, you can find in Berlin'The first and second world war, the cold war, the Berlin Wall... Berlin IS Europe's history of the 20th century. You see and feel it everywhere you go.
But what you see and feel too is a reborn cultural capital of Europe. Go there and experience the history, the culture, the people, the parties, the laid back atmosphere... Berlin is more than even the 'Berliners' themselves would expect!
Switzerland - See everything!
(It's a small country)
Where to start on Switzerland... The lakes in summer? The mountains in winter? The Montreux Jazz Festival, the best skiing slopes in the world, beautiful mountain hiking, shopping in Geneva, Partying in Zurich...So much to see and to do! And everything so fresh and clean! Go there!
Winter: Forget Aspen, go high-society and ski in St. Moritz with the rich and shameless of Europe.
Summer: Pack your backpack in summer and hike, hike, hike and hike through the most beautiful mountain landscapes.
Or: rent a convertible and just drive, drive, drive. From Geneva to Lugano is a great trip: Lakes, cute towns, mountain roads, snowy peaks, hot boulevards...
The Plitvice Lakes - Croatia
If God would have had Photoshop...
Or did he? Visit the Plitvice lakes and waterfalls and experience every color nature has to offer in every glance!
Plitvice National Park in Croatia is considered to be one of the most beautiful natural sights in Europe. Due to its natural beauty and significance, this system of 16 interlinked lakes and a large forest complex around it were set aside as a national park in 1949. In 1979 the park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 m to 503 m over a distance of some 8 km, aligned in a south-north direction.
The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year.
The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colours change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
Rome - Italy
Capital of the World
The old 'capital of the world' is thoroughly modern and cosmopolitan. As one of the few major European cities that escaped World War II relatively unscathed, central Rome remains essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character. The Historic Centre of Rome is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the "Eternal City" was once the administrative center of the mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched all the way from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today the metropolitan area is home to around 3.3 million people.
Don't forget to stop by the most iconic image of Rome, the Colosseum. This is where gladiator games and public spectacles were held for free. These games were brutal, with gladiators fighting each other until death. Gladiators were also at times forced to fight animals such as lions.
Greece - Meteora
Imagine buildings on top of huge mountain rocks. This is exactly what Meteora is.
Meteora means suspended in air. Hermit Byzantine monks in the ninth century first inhbited these mountains, living on fissures and caves along the rocks to spend time with God. In the 14th century, these hermit monks built 20 different monastaries to get away from Turkish occupation. The tall cliffs were the perfect escape for these monks. At first only ladders and ropes were the only way to reach these monestaries. During the 1920s steps were carved out making it more accessible. Today only six monestaries remain.
Best times to go May and June, it has the most comfortable weather. Acquaint yourself with Greek Orthodoxy to get the most enjoyment.
How to go: use buses from Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Trikala, and Athens. Lots of lodging options in Kalampaka at the base of Meteora.
