Brasov, Romania, is a Transylvanian city with an outstanding historic center. Founded by German settlers in the 13th century, the city is known in German as Kronstadt, meaning “crown city.” The crown in question is made up of the lovely central square, Piata Sfatului, and the streets that lead off its northern side. The …
St. Petersburg is like an old photograph: mysterious, alluring, strangely nostalgic. Its palaces, with their shuttered windows and paint peeling in pastel strips, invite fantasies of more elegant times. Flat-bottomed boats swoop through the canals, ducking past the remnants of Russia’s imperial past. While it has transformed into a bustling, modern city, St. Petersburg retains its historical allure. …
The Szekely area of Romania is unique and unpredictable, in terms of both its population and its natural environment. It’s the most densely populated Hungarian-speaking part of the Transylvania region, despite being the furthest away from today’s Hungary. It’s also a volcanic area full of springs, bubbling mud, and mineral deposits. The Szekelys are a …
Romania is one of the largest and most interesting countries in Eastern Europe. It is blessed with stunning scenery ranging from the forested mountains of Transylvania, through the rolling hills of Moldavia, to the extensive Black Sea coast. It also has many interesting historic cities, as well as colorful villages where age-old traditions are still …
Szczecin, Poland’s seventh largest city (population 406,000) and the capital of West Pomeranian Province, is a charming maritime city worthy of a day trip. The city is only a two-hour train ride from Berlin, and is also accessible from Warsaw and smaller cities in Germany’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Due to its small size, the entire city can be …
Russia is a great tea-drinking nation, and no Russian living-room is complete without the distinctive samovar bubbling away in the corner. Ever-present in the home interiors of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky novels, the appliance remains a fixture of Russian contemporary life, from Moscow to Siberia. The one concession to modernity is that nowadays it is usually …
In the eastern part of Transylvania, a region of Romania, are two unusual geographical features that are results of the volcanic nature of this area’s geology. While one of them – Saint Anna Lake -is slowly changing, the other – Mohos Lake- is an example of what it is going to turn into. Lake Saint …
Hungarians have contributed some of the world’s best musicians, world class cuisine and a glorious medieval legacy. Budapest is a cosmopolitan city of old lanes and flashy people and has a lot to offer to everyone. The surrounding countryside is dotted with castles, fortresses, monasteries and beautiful villages and towns that hark back to the …
One of the nice things about being a tourist in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is that you can stop for a coffee as often as you like and claim that it’s all part of the cultural experience. Hopping from one Budapest café to the next, you can sample a range of different versions of …
Hungary has a rich culinary tradition – and not just in the sense of being the result of many intertwining cultural influences. Hungarians make filling and flavorful food, heavy on meat – especially pork – and featuring plentiful spices, garlic, cream, and fruit. The best-known Hungarian dish is goulash, a substantial stew in which chunks …