Murano is an island in the Venice lagoon, easily reached from Venice by vaporetto. Murano’s reputation as a center for glass-making was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and destruction to the city’s mostly wood buildings, ordered glass-makers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still interwoven with Venetian glass. […]
Château de Versailles
Originally a small royal hunting lodge, this structure became the core of the new palace, or Château de Versailles. The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the […]
Guide to Christmas in Zürich
Zürich’s Christmas atmosphere is simply captivating with snow-capped Alps framing Lake Zürich and a plethora of holiday lights and Christmas trees in every square! Zürcher Christkindlimarkt, located at RailCity, is Europe’s biggest indoor market with more than 160 wooden market stalls tempt shoppers with colorful handcrafted trinkets, delicious St. Nicholas pastries, gourmet chocolates, butter cookies […]
Fiera dell’Aglio di Voghiera
The Fiera dell’Aglio di Voghiera, or Garlic Festival, is held every August when the year’s crop is harvested. Set at the Castello del Belriguardo, fair goers can sample garlic gelato (yes, I tried it and on the Italian national news at that!), garlic bread, typical Ferrarese raviolis with cheese and garlic, and grilled meats with […]
Ferrara, Italy
Ferrara is still surrounded by more than 9 kilometres of ancient walls, mainly built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Together with those of Lucca, they are the best preserved Renaissance walls in Italy. Today, you can walk or even take a bicycle ride along the top of the walls. The most iconic building of the […]
Lessinia Regional Nature Park
It’s not easy to believe that long ago, instead of the lush green Lessinia Regional Park we see today, the area was covered with a warm sea rich in tropical flora and fauna.Today, the 100 kilometer square protected area is an eco and adventure travelers’ dream with tons of adventure activities available all year […]
Portorož and Strunjan, Slovenia
It is the saltpans and their natural elements—salt, brine, and fango mud—that spurred the development of tourism in Portorož, a coastal village in Slovenia. When healing properties of these natural elements were discovered as early as the 19th century, Portorož got its first hotels and thermal centers. Today, Portorož is a modern tourist resort with […]
Piran: Slovenia’s Best Kept Secret
Piran is situated at the tip of the Piran peninsula on the Gulf of Piran. It borders Croatia to the south, and the municipalities of Izola and Koper to the east and faces Italy across the Gulf of Trieste and the Adriatic Sea. With Piran closed off to traffic except for the residents, the best […]
Florence, Italy
A 16th-century man from Florence, Bernardo Buontalenti, an architect and painter with a passion for cooking, is believed to have invented ice cream, which was then exported all over Europe with the famous “crema fiorentina” and “gelato Buontalenti”. So it is no wonder that Florence hosted the 1st Anuual Firenze Gelato Festival! The festival was […]
Poppy Fields of Italy
The sight of a field of bright, blood-red poppies exploding in mass under the Italian sun is truly one to behold and one I won’t soon forget. The poppy fields of Italy are truly a spectacular sight to see! An ancient Roman legend explains, rather romantically, how the poppy adopted the name ‘Corn’ Poppy. According […]
