Introduction to Serbia Serbia was once the undisputed leader of the South Slav confederation that made up Yugoslavia. That region of the world was once and is now becoming again one of the most wonderful places to visit and spend a vacation. Serbia represents that movement to the fullest: a pariah in the 1990s for …
A few towns and castles in Germany vie for the title of Most Suitable Setting for a Fantasy Novel, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber just might take the crown with its combination of working fairy-tale homes, alive-yet-dormant fortifications and its location on the hillside overlooking a wildflower-bespeckled valley and the sparkling Tauber River. When I was a …
The town of Shannon in County Clare is a great base for exploring one of Ireland’s most magical regions. The Shannon Region encompasses counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Offaly. The southwest part of Ireland is geographically diverse and boasts a chopped up coastline replete with cliffs, coves and countless towers and forts built to oversee …
Norway is one of the most stable countries in the world and it boasts an environment mostly protected from the ravages of progress and modernization. Norway is famous for its thousands of fjords, deep forests and snow-capped mountains. The early Norwegians were the first Vikings (along with the Danes) and when they ceased raiding the …
Finland is a highly developed nation with a tiny population and some of the most pristine landscape in Europe. Some of the best things to do here are hike through the national parks, jump into a spa or sauna or watch the northern lights dance in Lapland. The capital, Helsinki, is one of the safest …
Paderborn is another example of an old Germanic town that came into being during the wars against pagan religions in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries AD. In 777, Charlemagne officially “baptised” this stronghold of the old Saxon peoples and for the next 40 years waged a continuous war to establish Christianity in the …
Introduction To Germany Germany sits right in the center of Continental Europe and throughout its long history has been a major contributor to Europe’s culture, identity and direction. From its days as a loose confederation of tribes, through the years as the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor and into modern days as the …
Germans have a special place in their hearts for Hamburg, because every other major city in the nation is landlocked. When you visit Hamburg, it’s harbor can conjure up the mysteries of the unknown, the excitement of foreign traders and the thrill of adventure abroad. From the very beginning, when Charlemagne built a fort between …
When I was a kid in Frankfurt, Kiel was where all of the rich kids went for vacation. I suppose it qualifies as the seaside resort area Germany always wanted, but never really had. Kiel is the windswept beach town where young men went to hear the call of the sea and young girls went …
Stuttgart is the gateway to one of Germany’s most storied regions, the Black Forest of Swabia, and fittingly is itself one of the greenest cities in Germany. The nearby Neckar River has its source in the Swabian Alps of the Black Forest and forms the valley that surrounds Stuttgart. The hills on either side of the …