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Tallinn – gloomy Patarei prison
Tallinn connotes mainly with a magical atmosphere of medieval town, surrounded by fortified towers and beautiful pastel townhouses. However our connotation of this city differs significantly from this picture. Our memories refer predominantly to barbed wires, dark corridors and hair – raising operating theatres/rooms of gloomy Patarei prison. This place hides nearly 200 years of Estonian history. It was built in 19th century as a fortress to protect harbor in Tallinn. In 1920 it was changed for a prison. During WWII, POWs were incarcerated here. After war it was used by KGB. It’s estimated that in peak time, more than 1000 prisoners were held in this prison. According to the…
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Temples of Bangkok
„One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster” Murray Head sings about the capital of Thailand. In fact this place attracts like a magnet a lot of tourists who want to experience unforgettable night. Famous district Pat Pong, illuminated by red lanterns, massage parlors (not only this traditional), ping pong shows or the sight of young, sometimes even juvenile Thais going arm in arm in the accompany of foreign tourists. Actually it’s hard to judge equivocally who is supported, girls who barely standing on a mountainous heels or old chaps. In a word every possible taboo in this Buddhist country seems to be broken. On the other hand in…
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Cappadocia
The value of Cappadocia for Turkey is the same as Rome for Italy. However in distinction from the Eternal City which was built by a man, this fabulous realm was created by forces of nature, especially volcanic processes. Varied Cappadocia landscape is made of tuff (volcanic ashes morphed into rocks), which has been being eroded by water and wind for a long time. The effect is surrealistic almost moonscape scenery. There you can see interesting rock formations, glens and caves. Popular Rose Valley, called also The Great Canyon of Cappadocia fascinates with its pastel colors. Early in the morning, a lot of balloons fly over it which makes this view unforgettable.…
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Christiania – utopia, social experiment or tourist attraction?
Copenhagen, the capital of the one of the richest EU countries is famous for beautiful architecture, picturesque canals and upmarket restaurants. On the other hand, there’s also Christiania – something like a “country within a country”. In the Christianshavn district, close to picturesque canals, there’s an inconspicuous gate which leads to another reality of self – proclaimed, independent city – Christiania. It was created in 1971 when first hippies seized the previous military base area. New inhabitants settled in abandoned military barracks and created city infrastructure such as nurseries schools, schools and cultural/artistic institutions. Christiana was a symbol of liberty and revolt against imposed social norms. At its peak it was inhabited…
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How much does 6-day trip to Denmark and Sweden cost?
Is it possible to organize 6- day trip to Denmark and Sweden on budget? In a fact the cost is a relative concept, what’s cheap for some for others is beyond reach. During our trip to these countries we tried to reduce the costs of transport and accommodation maximally. On the other hand it doesn’t mean that we lived there as hermits. We stayed in an apartment located in the city center, visited everything what had been planned, used public transport and tasted very good food. Was it cheap or expensive? Take a look and assess 🙂 Our trip was a little bit complicated because we wanted to visit Denmark…
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Only in Lviv!
We’ve been waiting for a trip to L’viv for a long time. This city is a part of long Polish – Ukrainian history. We hadn’t known what to expect there but our visit turned out to be a journey to the past. Having got off at local bus station at 8 o’clock, we saw another reality. This city brought us back to the old, pre-war Warsaw times and resembled Polish conditions around 30 years ago. It was a very important cultural center. Many famous Polish writers, scholars or artists lived here. A lot of Polish prominent figures were buried in the old Lychahiv Cemetery and in the city many monuments…
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Jakriborg – medieval ghost town
Halfway between Malmo and Lund, somewhere in the middle of Sweden fields, there’s a sleepy town surrounded by a red rampart. After passing the gate which is the element of fortifications, one can see another, medieval reality. Pastel townhouses with soaring roofs, decorated with colorful windows and doors, winding along cobblestoned lanes, look fabulous. The town seems to be abandoned. There’s no residents or playing children, let alone tourists. In front of the house are bikes, on playgrounds you can see barbecues or even toys so someone must live here. There’s an absolute silence, you cannot hear even fast trains passing through nearby Hjärup station. Walk along the old town…
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Copenhagen – fabulous canals
The main tourist attraction in Copenhagen are picturesque canals. One of the most beautiful is Nyhavn. In Danish language Nyhavn means New Harbor but in a fact it’s one of the oldest places in Copenhagen. It was built more than 300 years ago for trade purposes. It contributed to fast development of this part of the city. A lot of taverns and “red lit” clubs entertained sailors. Rich city residents were building beautiful townhouses which are Copenhagen flagship to this day. Nowadays, Nyhavn is one of the most popular and picturesque places in Danish capital. Colorful townhouses, numerous restaurants and cafes and moored, wooden sailboats take one back to the…
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Metz – the city of mirabelles
Metz, the capital of Lorraine is located in the northeastern France on the banks of the Moselle and Seille rivers, around 43 kilometers from famous Schengen. We won’t hide the fact that our visit in this “untouristic” city was in a fact connected with its good location, close to Luxembourg and cheap transport by Flibco. However, apart from its perfect localization and bus connections, is it really worth visiting? Well and truly, it’s worth visiting in view of its 3000 years history which is reflected in diverse city’s architecture. Here you can see beautifully decorated cathedrals, ramparts dated as far back as 13th century, numerous boardwalks stretching along Moselle river…
