Pisa is a charming and historic city located in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is most famous for its iconic Leaning Tower, which is an architectural marvel and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. Beyond the tower, Pisa offers a rich history, stunning architecture, and beautiful landscapes that make it a fascinating destination for travelers. Let’s take a look at my favorite things to do in Pisa Italy.
Perched on the Val di Cecina’s hills, Volterra is one of the most scenic hill towns in Tuscany. Famous for its alabaster, it is Volterra’s medieval past, reflected in its buildings, many in gray stone with red tile roofs, and protected by the remnants of a fortification wall, that draws people to the town. Let’s explore together my best things to do in Volterra.
A large and busy Greek city, Thessaloniki, is bustling with life and things to see and do. From the gorgeous coastline to the amazing views you get from the nearby hills, Thessaloniki makes for a beautiful destination for your trip to Greece. Let’s put on some comfortable walking shoes and explore my favorite things to do in Thessaloniki.
San Gimignano is one of my favorite places to visit in Tuscany. I love the history surrounding this place and all the amazing architecture and charm. We came to San Gimignano on the advice of a friend who insisted that it’s worth our efforts to visit while in Tuscany. He was right, as we enjoyed visiting San Gimignano for a day, coming from Florence. Situated in the Tuscan countryside, San Gimignano dominates the nearby rolling hills. Come along with me as we explore the best things to do in San Gimignano.
Romanian Castles are surprising for most visitors to Romania because they are unexpected and very impressive. In addition to beautiful modern castles and old fortresses, Romania has some of the best medieval castles in Europe. Most of the Romanian Castles are located near mountain passes and hilltops with beautiful views of the surrounding areas. So, come along with me as we explore some fairy tale Romanian Castles.
Medieval castles abound in Scotland, especially in the countryside. Even near large cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow you can find very old castles and palaces, which makes them very easy to visit. In our four days in Scotland, we tried visiting all the castles close to Edinburgh. Here is my list of castles in the South East of Scotland.
England is filled with castles! And most of them are very well preserved and amazing to visit. We visited a few English castles and even our kids loved them. They have beautiful museums with lots of old military gear as well as gowns and party dresses from the old times. There is lots to learn in these places as they give you a snapshot in time of British high society. Read on about four of these beautiful fairy tale castles in Britain.
Bavaria, Germany has many majestic medieval castles. Unfortunately we have only been able to visit five of them. I love old castles. The older they are the more interesting they are for me. I love learning their history because a castle has the entire history of a town or even an entire region concentrated in one place. Behind a castle’s wall lots of people found refuge and shelter during times of war and found joy and entertainment during times of peace. All this tumultuous life is many times captured inside a castle’s museum. Read on about five beautiful castles in Bavaria, Germany.
If you are driving from Salzburg to Vienna you will be passing by the small village of Melk, Austria. You must stop and visit the Melk Abbey and village! The village of Melk is very close to the freeway (A1) and the parking lot is also very easy to find. After a short, steep walk you get to the Abbey area entrance where you can purchase tickets to visit. I really like the fact that the Melk Abbey complex is being used as a high school so the local kids get great exposure to history every single day. How cool is that!
Salzburg Fortress, also known as Hohensalzburg, is very impressive. The Salzburg Fortress is a fully preserved monument of over 900 years old and is one of the largest existing 11th century fortress complexes in Europe. Situated at over 500 m altitude and measuring 250 m (820 ft) in long and 150 m (490 ft) wide, Salzburg Fortress is an impressive site. Read on about my visit at Salzburg Fortress.