Europe Up Close

A Walk through Literary Edinburgh

Published/Revised June 30, 2014 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, as it serves up a delicious array of libraries, bookshops, historic authors, literary monuments, and scenic tours. In the 1700s, Edinburgh was the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment, and it gained the nickname “Athens of the North” for its classical architecture and reputation for producing literary and scientific geniuses. Three hundred ... Read Full Article

A Walking Tour of Central Athens

Published/Revised May 13, 2016 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Athens overwhelmed us. We stepped out of the metro system into Plateia Syntagma, astounded by sunlight, crowds pushing past us to get  into the dark subway, men selling chestnuts from carts, and the stink of traffic. Although the city was renovated, and public transit improved for the 2004 Olympics, Athens remains a sprawling metropolis full of ancient energy. Many visitors merely catch a ... Read Full Article

Oxford Walking Tour: Five Towers and a Meadow

Published/Revised December 2, 2017 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Down through the middle of Oxford, home of England’s oldest university, runs a north-south axis that takes you past interesting churches, towers and colleges, to a gorgeous meadow. This axis starts with a road called St Giles’, it continues with Cornmarket Street, and then changes its name to St Aldate’s. Following this thoroughfare north to south provides just as interesting a tour of Oxford as ... Read Full Article