Ken.G

The Italian town of Udine lies in the northeastern part of the country, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is approximately 40 km from the Slovenian border, and less than 90 km from the Austrian border. The stars of the landscapes are the peaks of the Julian and Carnic Alps, the highest of which is Hohe Warte, or Coglians (2780 m above sea level). The region is not large, but diverse, with a beautiful lagoon in the south, a lowland part abounding in rivers, and a mountainous part in the north covered with spruce forests.

Udine with tokaja and grappa flavor

The Italian province of Salerno is famous for its huge attractions - one of the most important archaeological parks in Europe. Today, Paestum is a district of the Campanian city of Capaccio, while in the distant past it was a Greek colony of the city of Sybaris. The ruins of the settlement were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. When you are in Salerno, you simply have to visit them. The more so because for only centuries they remained in oblivion, reappearing to the world only in the 18th century.

Paestum - the power of Greek temples

Alea iacta est ("The dice were cast") - history tells us that Julius Caesar uttered these words over 2,000 years ago, crossing the Rubicon River. The event started a bloody civil war that torn the Roman republic over the years. Rubicon formed the natural border of Italy with Pre-Alpine Gaul. The passing of Caesar and his army to the other side was tantamount to a declaration of war. It didn't take long for the waters of the river to run down with blood. Centuries have passed since the events that changed the history of the country known today as Italy . Nowadays, Rubicon no longer creates a border, the crossing of which is associated with making decisions of great importance. Today it is simply a small river flowing from the Northern Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, winding through northern Italy and ending its way at Gatteo A Mare. While exploring the estuary on foot, we come across a bronze bust of Julius Caesar, reminding us of the famous words spoken by the river. Fortunately, today we can cross the Rubicon without getting our feet wet by crossing the wooden suspension bridge. On the other side is the charming seaside resort of Savignano Mare - perfect for a family holiday . Not only people who want to relax by the warm sea come here, but also tourists who want to get to know as many attractions as possible in this part of the Italian coast in their vacation plans. And it must be admitted that it is a great base for visiting nearby resorts. The town is just 5 km away from Cesenatico, with its stunning port, which was said to be designed by the master himself, Leonardo da Vinci, and the charming old town that surrounds it. From Rimini, which is well-deserved as one of the most famous holiday resorts not only on the Adriatic Riviera, but on the whole of Italy - 12 km. Riccione, known as the Green Pearl of the Adriatic, is 25 km away. Further on, there are centers of great historical and cultural importance - including Ravenna, Florence and Venice.

Where the dice were thrown

In the north of Jutland, a sandy peninsula protrudes into the sea and is the sunniest place in all of Denmark. This is Skagen Odde, the Land of Light, at the end of which the waters of two seas meet, dancing in a passionate dance. The peninsula is one of Denmark's greatest attractions, attracting tourists from all over Europe. Many fell in love with him, including Holger Drachmann, a painter, writer and poet. The feeling was so great that he did not want to part with the sight of the colliding waves also after death - his wish was to be buried in the dunes.

The sky of Danish eagles

While visiting the south-west coast of Sicily, we will come across Trapani, a port city lying on a narrow promontory surrounded by the sea on three sides. It was founded in Roman times, and throughout its existence it served one role - a port, be it for the city of Erice, or for the entire Mediterranean Sea. Tuna was caught on a large scale and it was also known as a salt exporter. Today, salines (reservoirs for salt crystallization) with windmills are one of the attractions of the area. The abundance of birds, which chose the salt-saturated area for their home, add to their charm.

Trapani is not the only tuna

The Austrian region of Mostviertel is a bit like a gigantic sack of candy, there are so many attractions there. Or perhaps a better example would be a pantry with many shelves on which dozens of bottles of amber drink would stand. The local specialty and delicacy is grape (freshly squeezed juice with skins, seeds and stalks), from which the popular region of Lower Austria takes its name. One of the most important attractions of Mostviertel is the more than 200 km long Must Trail, which stretches between the rivers Ybbs and Enns. Throughout the year, it offers tourists the opportunity to taste the must in one of the numerous eateries and the so-called gasthauses. In addition to the classic apple juice, we will get to know sweet and delightful pear must - the pride of the region.

Austria&#39;s Mostviertel region

How to start a story about Rome when we are talking about a city with such a long history, with so many monuments, with so many beautiful, noteworthy places? It would be a story for a long winter evening with a snowstorm outside the window, probably extended into the night, and probably until the morning. Filmed, it would have to be a series, because it is impossible to show all the attractions of the Eternal City, not to omit something important, although perhaps not as clearly in the foreground as, for example, the Colosseum, St. Peter and the Pantheon.

Feel the peace of Rome

Cheap vacation in Venice? Sounds like a joke, given the ever-rising prices of canal and gondola services in the city, the rates overwhelm the locals themselves. However, it is possible, you just have to figure it out a bit - for example, choosing to stay in Mestre. Apparently, the Venetians are not particularly fond of tourists. According to various sources, every day (and certainly during the season) as many people come to the city to live there every day. Residents complain about the crowds in public transport, and above all about the rising prices of services. It is not about the rates in restaurants or hotels, but about everyday life - the prices of food products, rent or communication. Tourists, fascinated by the beauty, climate and reputation of the resort, often do not notice how difficult the life of the Venetians is. And those who notice these inconveniences calculate the costs and more and more willingly choose not the center of Venice, but the more affordable Mestre for accommodation or dining. The food here is just as delicious, and you can buy it even several times cheaper. For comparison, you can find an espresso in Mestre for about 1 euro, while in one of the Venetian cafes - for 4 euro. It is also worth visiting delicatessen or supermarkets and doing food shopping. Local products are exceptionally delicious, always fresh and relatively inexpensive. If you feel hungry while visiting Venice , it's better to look for bars than restaurants. A good example is the Crazy Bar, which serves dishes and drinks typical of the region. Attempts to establish contact (including placing an order) in Italian will be a nice gesture in restaurants. Even nicer - the desire to learn about traditional dishes, not necessarily pizza, which, although popular, is not a local specialty at all. Certainly, the following inscriptions in front of some restaurants will catch your eye several times: "NO PIZZA". It is worth ordering a local wine, recommended by a given place ("a la casa"). Among the beers, it is worth recommending, among others Birra Veneziana Rossa.

Mestre, i.e. in Venice, does not have to be (very) expensive

In the Provencal Alps, at the confluence of two beautiful valleys, there is a French town with a Spanish-sounding name and architecture with distinct Mexican accents. This is Barcelonnette, which has numerous ski resorts as its neighbors, and itself tempts with something completely different - a specific atmosphere, the possibility of blissful relaxation or active time spent among pristine Alpine nature. "Barcelonnette", naturally, is associated with Barcelona and is translated as a diminutive of its name. In terms of architecture, however, it does not resemble much the center famous for the Sagrada Familia temple or residential buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi (including Casa Batlló, Casa Vicens). The city owes its name to the fact that Ramon Berenguer IV, who founded it in the 13th century, was also the ruler of the seat of Catalonia. Barcelonnette is surrounded by Alpine peaks, the largest of which, Grand Berard, rises above the horizon north of the city. On the other side, the sky is decorated with Le Chapeau de Gendarme, considered the most picturesque of all the peaks that cast a shadow over the valleys of the Ubaye River and its tributary, the Bachelard. The town is beautifully situated on the flat bottom of the valley, and a little higher, in the background, there are pastures and meadows. Between them, small hamlets nestled in the landscape, looking as if time had stopped there for at least half a century. Even higher, the areas are covered with pine forests, and above them you can see the mountain peaks, jagged like the edges of a cordon handkerchief. What could be a more relaxing sight, what better place to holiday in the Alps than a campsite in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region ?.

Barcelonnette - Spanish in name only

At the great lake, on which hundreds of flamingos wade, there is a huge structure that catches the eye from a distance. This is Hala Sultan Tekke, a place of pilgrimage for Muslims from all over the world, and the lake is called Larnaca Salt Lake. Among the numerous attractions of Cyprus, the Salt Lake, situated near the third largest city of the island, Larnaca, on the south-eastern coast, deserves attention. Every year thousands of birds rest there (migration corridor). They gain strength before continuing their journey, and some stay here for the winter. The lake is especially popular with flamingos, who come here every season in great numbers. It is they that attract tourists the most among the approx. 90 species living around the reservoir.

A mosque overlooking the flamingos

There is an absolutely amazing place in the Norwegian capital. Beautiful and terrible figures froze in it in granite and bronze at the same time - over two hundred sculptures forcing one to reflect on the course of life, the stages of its passing, and finally death. Vigeland Park (Vigelandsanlegget) is one of Oslo's top tourist attractions and is named after a sculptor who was born to sculpt. The park itself - like an organic creation - grew to become gigantic. Initially, Gustav Adolf Vigeland was commissioned by the city authorities to design a fountain.

Vigeland Park - a child of stone and bronze

The pleasure can sometimes be doubled, tripled, and even multiplied by four or five - as is the case in the towns of Cinque Terre (Five Lands). We can find them on the Ligurian Riviera, where, nestled into vertical rocks, they look at the surface of the sea. Cinque Terre consists of five Italian settlements: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Like the Tri-City, they are connected by a perfectly organized communication network. The train passes through them in less than 10 minutes. Traveling by it is a reasonable solution, because it is difficult to find a parking space in the high season. In addition, the road to Cinque Terre is winding and narrow, which makes maneuvering it difficult.