In a quiet and peaceful town in Warmia, just 6 km from the Marian Sanctuary in Święta Lipka, terrible things happened in the past. And here the chapter on bad traditions ended. Most of us like to celebrate the holidays traditionally, treating this period as one of the few moments in the year when you can meet your family. Unfortunately, tradition doesn't always come with good things. In the past, it was also associated with ruthless punishment, even for minor offenses, such as stealing bread. It is difficult to say which period was the most abundant in the infamous "traditions" of harsh sentences and torture. One can, however, be tempted to say that the middle ages with burning piles and a forest of gallows visible at the roads or on the hills are at the forefront of this unusual black list.

5 traditions that the Gallows Hill gave up

In 1977, at the festival in Sopot, Helena Vondračka sang a song about a jug from the Krumlov castle. Back then, the Czech city became known to a wider audience, and today in summer there are so many tourists that you have to squeeze between them. There are places where you can feel history at every turn. They are full of life, and at the same time as if suspended in time - just enter one of the lazily winding streets to find out about it. The specific atmosphere is filled with the smell of coffee, muffled conversations and the silence of historic tenement houses looking with dignity at busy passers-by.

Between silence and silence - Český Krumlov

Seen from a bird's eye view, Novalja resembles many a cat in shape, and one with a bristly ponytail. As strange as it may sound, the city center is right under that bristling tail. Novalja is a beautiful resort on the Croatian island of Pag. There are two ways to get there - by ferry or over the bridge (longer route). A small town nestled in a warm bay awaits tourists with green pine forests. The local beaches are famous for their exceptional beauty, and many of them are marked with the Blue Flag.

Under the cat&#39;s tail - Novalja

There is a unique Baroque garden on the tiny Italian island. It is the treasure of Isola Bella, a place where white peacocks walk, and the air is filled with the aromas of oranges and lemons. The greatest works arise from inspiration or as an expression of a feeling that overwhelms the artist. An example is the figure of Count Carlo III Borromeo, who founded fabulous gardens and built a residence for his beloved Isabella d'Adda. He did it so that she would no longer have to endure the heat and noise of Milan. Beautiful gardens can be admired on Isola Bella, the most wonderful of the Borromean Islands.

Paradise Gardens in Isola Bella

To relax on a beautiful island, you don't necessarily have to travel thousands of kilometers. In the North Sea there is a small but very picturesque island of Norderney, which belongs to Germany. Not everyone knows where the East Frisian Islands are located, and many will be surprised to find out that our western neighbors, Germany, have at least a few islands. What's more, these islands are very attractive to tourists, although they differ from their hot sisters scattered in the southern seas. One of them is Norderney, belonging to Lower Saxony. It is not too big, but it offers visitors many attractions, including meadows and moors, as well as beautiful beaches stretching for several kilometers. The loveliest of them are: Nordstrand, Oststrand and Weststrand.

Lizard-shaped island - Norderney

Amateurs of paragliding are probably already choosing a place for aerial madness. If they are considering resorts without the crowds and noise, they should consider Ölüdeniz, a town on the Turkish Riviera. There are resorts in Turkey where you can lie on the beach during the day, and go crazy at night in one of the dozens of pubs. Ölüdeniznie is such a place. Despite the constantly growing popularity, the town still manages to remain relatively intimate. Relative, because the biggest attraction of the resort, the lagoon, is separated from the mainland by a sandy strip that has transformed over time into a large parking lot. On the other hand, the local buildings, including hotels, are low and nicely integrated into the surrounding greenery. Apart from that, there is not a single route here, which makes it safe.

A sky full of Paraglides, or Ölüdeniz

In northern Croatia, walking along the beach requires wearing good shoes. The descents to the sea are often sharp and steep, but the lack of loose sand is fully compensated by the beauty of the jagged coast. The Croatian coastline is exceptionally varied, and the water washing the beaches is warm and clear. The holiday of your life can be not so much a stay in one of the tourist pearls of this beautiful country, but a leisurely walk along the coastline. There is something intriguing behind every corner and the people are warm and friendly.

The most beautiful Riviera in Europe - Opatija Riviera

In Romania, at the foot of the Carpathians, there is a city that greets visitors with large white letters. It is Brasov, which, in the image of Hollywood, placed its name on a green hill. One of the most beautiful cities in Transylvania - Brasov lies at the foot of the menacing mountains. There is a street claiming to be the narrowest in Europe, i.e. Strada Sforii (Sznurowa Street), not exceeding 132 cm wide. These are not all the "best" that are associated with the city. In Brasov's Black Church, one of the main attractions of the region, you can admire the largest organ in Transylvania. They consist of 4,000 pipes. The temple also has the heaviest bell in Romania, weighing almost 6.3 tons.

Brasov in Romania - almost like Hollywood

There is a place where gigantic rocks covered with moss emerge from above the foamed water surface. Their juicy green harmonizes wonderfully with the turquoise water. This is the Cliffs of Moher, the pearl of the Irish coast. The Cliffs of Moher (Cliffs of Moher) is one of Ireland's greatest tourist attractions. Made of sandstone and limestone, they stretch for about 8 kilometers and reach a height of 214 meters at the highest point. It was created by the power of nature - rainwater was gradually washing away the limestones, carving fancy forms in the rock. They are part of the Burren and are found in the West of Ireland, County Clare.

Cliffs of Moher

One of the most important Spanish ports in the Mediterranean Sea lies at the foot of a rocky mountain on which stands an ancient fortress. This is Alicante, a city whose Arabic name means "source of light". The real tourist pearl of the Costa Blanca coast is Alicante, a resort popular among Poles visiting the Spanish Levant. The nearby beaches tempt lovers of tan and blissful lounging on the sand. Among them is Juan de Alicante, considered the favorite beach of the inhabitants of Madrid. It can be easily reached by the city tram FGV.

Light source - Alicante

On the other side of the Mediterranean Sea is a huge continent, still alien and exotic to most Europeans. Its largest country is Algeria, with hectares of deserts and semi-deserts. Algeria is a country that has a lot to offer tourists, although at the same time "difficult", both due to the political situation and the fact that it is a relatively conservative country in terms of religion. Foreigners must comply with the rules in force therein, incl. women are not allowed to enter some temples, they are also not allowed to appear in public in inappropriate clothing (e.g. bathing suit, bare knees and shoulders, etc.).

City under the hills - Algiers

The fourth largest commercial port in Europe is located on the Black Sea in Romania. It is a famous and increasingly popular tourist destination, and it is called Constana. A long time ago, the Roman elegic and poet Ovid was exiled to Romanian Constana and spent the last years of his life there. Today it is hard to believe that a stay in this beautiful seaside resort could be a punishment for anyone. Constana is Romania's second largest city, and as a port connected to the Danube, it is the main transit hub for the Danube countries.

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5 traditions that the Gallows Hill gave up