Sighisoara, in Romania’s Transylvania region, is a picturesque city with winding streets and spiky towers, centered around a medieval fortified city center on top of a hill. It is well set-up for tourism, with comfortable hotels and dining places that are reasonably priced and strategically located for sightseeing. But it gets full of tourists in …
Sighisoara, in Romania’s Transylvania region, has beautifully preserved medieval city walls, incorporating nine fascinating towers. Let’s visit the towers in clockwise order, starting with the most famous. The clock tower is the citadel’s main tower, and is intentionally located at what was considered a sacred compass point, the east. It’s easy to see from a …
Alba Iulia, in Romania’s Transylvania region, has a hilltop citadel where many historical eras come to life, dominated by two massive cathedrals with over 600 tumultuous years dividing them. But far from being stuck in the past, the city is a trailblazer in terms of renovating its assets and achieving recognition on the international stage. In 2012 the …
Deva, a city in Romania’s Transylvania region, has an evocative hilltop fortress that pays testimony to many past conflicts – military and religious. Deva’s extensive ruined castle perches atop a volcanic hill 370 meters high. That makes it easy to see from anywhere in town, especially with the large white letters that spell DEVA around …
Targu Mures, in Romania’s Transylvania region, is a quiet city that just happens to contain a glittering marvel of 20th century architecture – the Culture Palace. It also has a jumble of other attractions that reflect its legacy as a city of trade, law, scholarship, and cultural diversity. The city’s most famous building, known …
Fagaras, a small city near Brasov in Romania’s Transylvania region, boasts one of the finest Renaissance castles in the country. At least, that is how it looks now. But the castle in this mountainous, strategic border post has been here in some form or another ever since the 13th century – originally as a …
Exploring the downtown area of Chisinau, the capital of the Republic of Moldova, you may start wondering why other national capitals need to be so big. This city of less than 700,000 people has a center that offers the grace and grandiosity you’d expect of any European metropolis, but laid out on a compact, easily …
Sibiu is a city in the heart of Romania, but its other name, the unmistakably German Hermannstadt, hints at a whole different history. At two different periods – during the Middle Ages and in the 18th century – this beautiful place was the chief city of a German-speaking Transylvania. While today it is mostly populated …
Brasov, Romania, with a population of 284,000, holds some outstanding sights, of which perhaps the most famous is The Black Church. The church is a stone’s throw from the open southeast corner of Piata Sfatului, the square at the heart of the historic center of this beautiful Transylvanian city. The proud church dominates: a looming bulk, 89 …
Moscow is not just the capital of Russia – it is also a city full of sights that reflect fascinating aspects of the life and soul of the Russian people. Here is a personal selection of three of the most interesting sights, reflecting different aspects of what Russia is all about. Cathedral of the Intercession …