You may be wondering why Bratislava never seems to come up in the history books when, in fact, the city has existed since at least the 10th century. Well, as Istanbul was once Constantinople (and Byzantium before that, though the song doesn’t pay attention to that part), until 1919, there was no Bratislava. This was…
Just across the Vltava River from Prague’s Old Town (click here to read about Old Town) sits the Prague Castle complex. On a hill overlooking the river and nearby Lesser Town, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world, at more than 750,000 square feet. It is also one of the most popular…
Dresden, Germany is today a reasonably sized city of about 550,000 known for its low cost of living and tech renaissance (Silicon Saxony). But this belies a centuries-old history worthy of a much more major metropolis. From 1547 until 1918, it was the capital of the Electorate of Saxony (part of the Holy Roman Empire)…
Editor’s note: Like Sam, I loved my time in the Rhine Valley, although I based myself in Bonn and Cologne rather than south as he did. His take on the religious history of the region is amazing, a wonderful contrast to my own experience. For more of Sam Spector’s adventures, click here to visit his…
Castles on the Rhine. There is a fairy tale quality to this abject reality: castles are truly everywhere along the Rhine River in between Mainz and Bonn. Some are ruins; some are intact. Some are medieval stone keeps; some are more modern chalets and villas. Some are museums; some are lived in still. A castle…
Editor’s note: during my month in Lisbon, I visited Sintra (read about it here), but did not make it to Obidos or Evora. We are fortunate to have Sam Spector to fill in those gaps for us, as well as offer his insights on Sintra itself. For more of Sam’s writing, click here to visit…
Editor’s note: like Sam, I also have the goal to visit most, if not all, countries of the world, but especially all the countries of Europe. San Marino is one I’m missing, and will make sure to hit the next time I’m in Italy. For more of Sam’s adventures, click here to visit his index…
As American tourists, we tend to think of Europe as the pinnacle for spectacular castles. However, while certainly there are some amazing castles all across the European continent, that perspective ignores one of feudalism's greatest homes: Japan. Japanese feudal society was every bit as complex as that in Europe, and with it came - as…
If comparisons between Lisbon and San Francisco are to be believed - and I heard many such statements before coming here, from friends and Rick Steves - this is where they come from. Walking up hills on winding, narrow streets while dodging street cars that rattle by does indeed remind me of San Francisco, at…
Nationalism movements are all the rage these days. Kurdish in Syria and Iraq grabs headlines, while Catalan demonstrations in Spain have eclipsed the formerly grandiose Basque independence movements. Here in the United Kingdom, Scotland only barely remained after a referendum failed, and talk of another is looming in the face of Brexit. Wales, however, is…