ROME, ITALY.

ANTONIYA GERIMPAPAZI

Rome, Italy’s capital, is an amazing city that- if given the opportunity, everyone should visit at some point. It’s a place where you can explore, enjoy and admire the beautiful Italian buildings (both ancient and modern), monuments, wonderful food, local culture and of course people!

Rome is a popular destination that many people visit, especially due to the temptation to go and explore a beautiful city combined with pleasant weather, great food, cultural monuments, and warm and friendly people.

Once you start your journey, you should be prepared to see famous buildings and museums all over the city. There is hardly any street without something interesting in it. Your first visit to the city centre should lead you to one of the most famous monuments of Roma, the Colosseum.

Once you start the journey, you should be prepared to see famous buildings and museums all over the city. There is hardly any street without something interesting on it.

Your first visit to the city centre should lead you to one of the most famous monuments of Roma, the Colosseum.

Built by the greatest Roman architects and engineers, it is still the largest amphitheatre in the world. Historians estimate that between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators used to fill the stadium to view gladiator events, animal hunts, executions of humans and re-enactments of battles and dramas. However, the use of the Colosseum stopped in the early Middle Ages, but it later served many other functions, such as housing and as a religious space.

In the 21st Century, the Colosseum continues to be an iconic symbol of Rome. It is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit “Way of the Cross” procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum. The Colosseum remains a very popular destination for tourists, and it was recently listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Another interesting place to visit is Victor Emmanuel’s monument, which is a large white marble monument constructed in honour of Italy’s Victor Emmanuel II. He  serves as a symbol of  a unified Italy, as he was the first King of Italy as a single state, from 1861.

The second most famous destination in Rome is St. Peter’s Basilica, a church, located in the Vatican City. The Basilica is the world’s largest church and a very important location for Christianity. It has some beautiful architecture such as the ancient walls and columns around the church and also some very important historical events are hosted there.

The Vatican City is the home of the Pope which is surrounded by the city of Rome. There is no entry fee to the Basilica, however there are other paid attractions in the Vatican City that are worth a visit such as the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, The Dome Climb, the Underground Tour, the Vatican Gardens Tour etc.

Your next stop should be the Roman Forum, which has previously been the centre of activity and the political heart of Rome. It has now become a collection of ruins where you can see remains of ancient Rome.

One of the most romantic and beautiful monuments in the city is the beautiful Trevi Fountain (Fountain di Trevi), which was designed by Nicola Salvi and finished by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762. The fountain is connected with many ancient myths, one of them which says that if you throw a coin in and wish for something, your wish will come true and one day you will return to Rome. Walking around and looking at all the beautiful architecture fills you with an amazing feeling of beauty and romance.

In terms of shopping and hotel booking, I recommend you look for hotels a bit further from the centre. Not only are they only fifteen minutes away from the actual centre, but they also offer better views, peace and quiet. For shoppers, all of Rome is full of famous designers and there are famous brand shops all over the city centre. It’s not a secret that Italy is famous for its design and fashion, so one could consider it a heaven for shopaholics.

Foodwise, everyone knows Italy is mostly famous for their tasty pasta, spaghetti and pizza dishes, so one could be sure that they can find pizzerias and restaurants that do all of those dishes in the centre, in the surroundings and all-around Rome. If you are a culinary aficionado, you just have to check with the hotel managers or online and you can get an idea of where you want to dine.

Rome is a beautiful city where pretty much everything could be considered as a tourist attraction. What differentiates it from other popular cities though is that you could feel the love in the air. Even if you go for a short walk or you just want to try some famous Italian pizza or ice cream — or why not both? — you are sure to meet wonderful people who would make you feel welcomed and happy. People are willing to help as well, so there is no way you could get lost as long as you are not shy to ask around.

Getting to Rome:

There are many ways to get to Rome. You can travel by plane, bus or train, depending on where you are coming from. One of the cheapest ways you can get to Rome is by catching a flight via companies such as Easyjet, Ryanair or Wizzair. Alternatively, if you are willing to spend a little bit more money in return for better comfort and services, you can book a flight with Italiair or any other airline.

A visit to Rome is not only a cultural visit, but it will leave you with the impression and spirit of romance, which you will hopefully carry back to your home town.

MADRID, SPAIN. Peñalara is a famous mountain situated just outside Madrid that offers great scenery and beautiful nature. The place is situated two and a half hours from the center of Madrid and it offers a great opportunity to take short or long hikes.

Before going to Peñalara, you should make sure that you take a coat or at least a scarf with you, minimum of two sandwiches, something sweet and a big bottle of water. You need to bring a coat or scarf with you so that it keeps you from both getting cold and sunburnt. You might ask, “How is it possible to get both in one place?” Well, the mountain is a place where due to its high altitude, it can get quite cold, but at the same time the breeze carries the sunlight which is the easiest and fastest way for you to get burnt. Despite these precautions, Peñalara is a place where one’s eyes and heart are filled with amazement.

The easiest way to get to Peñalara is by catching the metro to the Moncloa station and then taking bus number 691, which departs every 30 minutes starting at 9 a.m. The price of a one-way ticket is 5.10€, so you will roughly need 12€ for the whole journey. Add 12 more if you wish to join a tour on a weekend with Hiking Madrid. Make sure to get off at the last stop, which is called Peñalara, and you can start your journey from there. There is a restaurant for some refreshments at the beginning and the end of the trail.

Once the hike starts, the path is quite smooth; however, it gets a bit rough due to the sharply changing altitude later on. I would recommend following the trail to the Laguna de los Pájaros, as I don’t only believe that this is the most beautiful part of the mountain but that it also offers great scenery, places to stop and take a rest while admiring the view and places to challenge your hiking abilities. The hike features lots of water, with several little ponds and streams dotted along the way. There are outstanding views across the Cuerda Larga and up to the rocky peak itself. As you climb the mountain and follow the path, the air becomes cleaner and lighter, and it is really good for everyone but especially for people with health problems, as mountain air always helps lungs function better. When you reach your destination — Laguna de los Pajaros — I recommend taking a break and snapping some pictures. The view from there is amazing, and it’s one that should not be missed! On the one side, you can see rocky mountains remains of snow on some of them. On the other side, you can see beautiful lakes, small waterfalls and ponds. Once you are there, you won’t be able to get enough of it! It is almost like a fairytale!

The route of the hike is one that almost everybody should be able to do. It is 10 kilometers long with about 400 meters of elevation change. It will take around four to five hours to walk (less if you are a fast walker, of course). So what are you waiting for?! Put on your backpack and give it a go!

 

PARIS, FRANCE. Paris, France’s famous capital is one of the most popular tourist destinations not just by any chance. Paris is such a beautiful city with so many things to see that a person is easily lost in the beauty and romance of the place.

Paris is one of the most famous cities in the world which most people are eager to visit at least once in their life. Reasons for that are mostly the romance that the city carries, the beautiful sightseeing, the famous and cultural monuments, the popular French shops, the Eiffel Tower (where so many marriage proposals happen) and the French women, famous for their beauty.

At the very beginning of your journey, you must prepare to see a famous and interesting building all around you and to explore as much as you can because you can explore carefully very few buildings in one day due to the wide diversity of things to see. If you visit the city during the summer, prepare to have warm weather, not as hot as in Rome or Madrid, but not cool either. If you want to visit during the winter, make sure you bring with you warm jackets and scarves, as the weather can get really cold at times.

One of your first (if not the very first) and most obvious stops should be the Eiffel Tower. It’s Paris’s most famous symbol and probably Europe’s best-known landmark and every single tourist who travels to Paris should definitely see it and climb on it. One could never miss it simply because it stands above all the buildings and wherever you travel in the city you can clearly see its top.  The tower rises 300 meters tall (984 ft). Completed at the end of the nineteenth century it was once twice as high as the Washington Monument and the tallest structure in the world before the Chrysler Building outdid it.

The next destination in Paris is the Louvre Museum. Once been used as a royal palace, the Louvre is currently the world’s most famous museum and is definitely a must visit not only for everyone interested in art and culture but for everyone who visits Paris. It includes one of the most famous paintings including the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo paintings. Situated in the heart of Paris, the museum has a collection of over 1 million works of art, of which about 35 000 are on display, spread out over three wings of the former palace. The museum has a diverse collection ranging from the Antiquity up to the mid 19th century.

The most recent addition to the Louvre was the construction of the Pyramid, which functions as the museum’s main entrance. The pyramid was built in 1989 by the renowned American architect I.M. Pei. The glass pyramid allows the sunlight to enter the underground floor.

Another really famous place to visit in Paris is the well-known avenue Champs-Elysées, which again, is probably the most famous avenue in the world. This impressive street stretches from the Place the la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle, the site of the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs-Elysées is almost two kilometres long and seventy meters wide. At its western end the street is bordered by cinemas, theatres, cafés and luxury shops. On the opposite end, near the Place de la Concorde, the street is bordered by the Jardins des Champs-Elysées, beautifully arranged gardens with fountains and some grand buildings including the Grand and Petit Palais at the southern side and the Elysée at its northern side. The latter has been the residence of the French Presidents since 1873. The Champs-Elysées is used for all the major celebrations. This is where Parisians celebrate New Year’s Eve and where the military parades are held on the 14th of July. Historic national events, like the Liberation at the end of the Second World War or the victory in the World Cup football were also celebrated on this wide avenue. It fits the tastes of both shopaholics and movie lovers to the taste of people who just want to have a walk at Paris’ most famous avenue and meet many wealthy locals.

Nearby Champs-Elysées is situated the largest square in Paris – Place de la Concorde. In 1763, a large statue of King Louis XV was erected at this site to celebrate the recovery of the king after a serious illness. The square surrounding the statue was created later, in 1772, by the architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel. It was known as the place Louis XV. In 1792, during the French revolution, the statue was replaced by a another, large statue, called ‘Liberté’ (freedom) and the square was called Place de la Révolution. A guillotine was installed at the centre of the square and in a time span of only a couple of years, 1119 people were beheaded here. Amongst them many famous people like King Louis XVI, Marie-Antionette, and revolutionary Robespierre, just to name a few. After the revolution the square was renamed several times until 1830, when it was given the current name Place de la Concorde.

Last but not least you shouldn’t miss paying a visit to Palace of Versailles which is situated a little bit further away from Paris’ town centre but is still worth a visit. The Palace of Versailles was originally the hunting lodge of France’s King Louis XIII, but was transformed into a magnificent residence by his son and successor, Louis XIV. The ostentatious monarch built the Grand Apartment of the King and Queen which included the magnificent Hall of Mirrors before moving both his court and the government of France to Versailles in 1682. And so it remained until the French Revolution in 1789. In the 19th Century King Louis-Philippe turned it into the Museum of the History of France. The gardens of the Palace of Versailles, designed by André Le Nôtre at the instruction of Louis XIV, are equally spectacular and took forty years to complete. There are numerous places to visit at the Palace of Versailles and a range of tour options. Audio headsets are available as are guided tours. When visiting the Palace of Versailles, you can also see Marie Antoinette’s estate and The Grande Trianon.

Finally, if you are from the wealthier people you can go to Disneyland Paris or visit a performance in Moulin Rouge. They are great fun and offer many interesting attractions.

Paris is a wonder town where one can get lost in its beauty and have a dive in the cultural heritage. There are many more places to visit, however my space won’t be enough to mention let alone write about all of them. Those are a few examples of the most famous ones; you can always be an adventurer and discover some new ones as well! Paris is definitely one of the best tourist destinations and worth a visit, and who knows maybe the legend for locking your love in the Bridge of Love is true – maybe if you and your beloved ‘’lock’’ your love with a chain in the famous Bridge of Love you will live happily ever after… As I said who knows… Worth give it a go?

What do tourists like me think when they first hear about Madrid? Hot weather, nice people, good nightlife? Maybe most tourists appreciate all of the above but Madrid offers much more than just that.

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is considered to be one of the most popular tourist destinations for a reason. With its famous museums, art galleries, beautiful architecture, warm and friendly people and rich history and culture, Madrid is a place that attracts a lot of foreigners every single year.

Whether you want a quiet holiday or a place to party all night, Madrid offers it all. During the day, a famous place tourists visit is the Prado Museum, which houses- some of the best works of art worldwide. Therefore, if you are culture-savvy and appreciate fine art, you should pay a visit. However, keep in mind that you need to be prepared to spend an entire day in the Prado museum since it is very large and the collections are very extensive. It is also recommended to book your visit in advance to avoid long queues and potential disappointment.

Another famous destination is Madrid’s Palace – Royal Madrid. Beautifully situated in Madrid’s city centre, the Palace is the home of the Spanish royal family and is surrounded by evergreen flowers and a big royal garden.

Other buildings that attract many tourists are the Crystal Palace and Kerry James Marshall Museum, both situated in one of the biggest and most well-known parks in Madrid – El Retiro Park. Both of the attractions offer free entry and if you are lucky enough to catch the time of the year when there is an exhibition, Palacio de Cristal

 offers a great variety of paintings and sculptures. Otherwise, it is a nice place to enjoy and relax in the mild sunlight that comes from outside while reading one of the free books there.

Something significant with which Madrid differentiates itself from the rest of the world is that it is the city where tourists can find the actual centre of the Equator – beautifully painted as a compass and surrounded by Madrid’s symbol – the bear with the tree. Many tourists choose to visit that place.

Madrid is also a great place to visit for sports lovers, because it’s the home of the world-famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium where the European Champions Real Madrid play their games. Widely regarded as one of the best football stadiums in the world, football fans are in for a treat. The El Classico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid is arguably the biggest match worldwide, so if you’re planning to watch  (and brave enough), tickets should be bought early on in order to secure a place. You can find wonderful merchandise being sold just in front of the stadium and you can choose from a variety of goods – from keychains to Real Madrid jerseys. Of course, there are many other opportunities to get involved in other sports as well, such as rafting, racing or cycling.

Another reason for Madrid being such a popular destination is its traditional cuisine. The city is famous for its amazing food such as the traditional dishes tapas, cocido, paella, tortillas, and pattatas bravas, or just snacks such as bocadillo (a typical Spanish sandwich) with jamon (ham), chorizo (a Spanish sausage-salami) or anything you feel like eating it with. It has a wide variety of restaurants serving different kinds of food at reasonable prices. You can never starve here!

In terms of shopping, the best area is the big boulevard Serrano, where you can find from casual to formal clothes shops, fashion shops, different electronics and gadgets stores etc.

Last but not least, foreigners in Madrid should consider taking up some day trips to famous historical and cultural cities such as Segovia, Toledo, Cuenca, Valladolid, Valencia, Zaragoza or Cordoba, which are near Madrid. They are beautiful places to visit and a great opportunity to enhance your historical and cultural knowledge, or even if you just fancy a break from Madrid and want to explore new places.

If you are more into ‘’fiestas’’ and different traditional activities,  you can choose from different events, two of the most popular being a flamenco night (one of the most popular typical Spanish dances) or a toreador (bullfight) experience. You can research where and when they host those and book a ticket or show up at that day or night and decide.

If you are a night owl, you can experience one of the greatest nights out in one of many of Madrid’s clubs and party until 5am, when most of the clubs in Madrid and Spain in general close. Whatever you do in this great city, it is sure that you will never get bored.

Madrid is a beautiful city which can be visited during both the winter and the summer. The winter is mild and the summer is hot and sunny. The people are polite and friendly, there are shops, cafes, nice hotels and entertainment to fit everyone’s taste along with cultural places to visit, so what stops you from greeting Madrid: ‘’Hola Madrid!’’?

LIVERPOOL, BRITAIN. There is no doubt that Liverpool is one of the most famous English towns mainly because of the Beatles and the famous Liverpool FC. However, tourists can find so much more in there including the amazing and friendly atmosphere the whole town offers.

Liverpool’s history dates back a long time… so long that nobody can give an actual date… It became a really popular tourist destination once the Beatles became popular. Being the home town of the amazingly talented group and hosting one of the most famous football stadiums, everybody wishes to visit that place, where all the sport and musical talents have once started from.

It’s really hard to choose what to visit first in Liverpool. When you get there, you will definitely understand why. Liverpool offers so many things to be seen in one place that people just can’t get enough of their impressions of the town, hopefully, and most likely good ones, of course. However, I will put on first place the Liverpool wheel! It is unlikely for people to put something like this on first place, but Liverpool’s Ferris wheel is so beautiful that one should definitely at least see it if not take a ride on it. Along with it, Liverpool has some great buildings and architecture one can only admire!

Next place to visit is Liverpool’s museum where one can see great artworks, such as amazingly created paintings, sculptures, inventions, a talking parrot toy, and… possibly the biggest ever-built sandwich tower in the world. In Liverpool museum, the history of the town is told in pictures and works of art and everybody can enjoy a walk in it for free. There’s a shop on the ground floor where you can find everything starting from Beatles and Liverpool FC souvenirs and finishing with marine souvenirs and great prints. A tour guide can be hired and I would recommend it because they are lovely and they tell the entire story while walking amongst such great works. One can hear the story about the legendary ship called Titanic there and can find out about the whole history as it is – the problem with the iceberg, the truth about why so many people died. One can choose to see a live performance of unprofessional actors who are amazing.

Of course, I haven’t forgotten that people should definitely visit the Beatles shop and museum. It is one of the most famous places to visit when going to Liverpool and it offers an amazing history of the Beatles from the formation of the group until the end. While walking through story pictures of the Beatles, you can listen to the ‘’Yellow submarine’’ and find some authentic records, posters and merchandises. Most people feel a great atmosphere and imagine what would be living there at the time when the Beatles gained popularity.

Another place to visit is the Merseyside Maritime Museum which is probably one of the greatest marine museums in the world. It has great marine pictures, historically placed so that it tells the history of sailing throughout the years; it also has sculptures, paintings, souvenirs, and everything that you can imagine, and is more than a fulfilled dream for every sailor and marine enthusiast.

Last but not least, you should visit the Liverpool FC stadium and maybe go on the stadium tour to learn more about the history, footballers, trophies and everything else about Liverpool. Of course, the latter can be applied only to Liverpool fans! However, be aware – all the Liverpool fans should be ready to spend most of their time there, especially if they take the stadium tour, because the stadium is far away from the centre of the town with all the museums and famous buildings and a stadium tour takes up to three hours.

Liverpool is an amazing town full of bright people, an amazing atmosphere, great shopping centres, beautiful architecture, famous and interesting places to visit, amazing nightlife and once visited, the place could be never forgotten!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

JONKOPING. SWEDEN. Jonkoping is a small Swedish town situated by the southern end of Sweden’s second largest lake, Vättern. Despite being the 10^thmost popular city in Sweden, Jonkoping does not pretend to be a famous tourist destination. Although, if you are looking for some peace and quiet and you love glaciers and frozen lakes and beautiful sights, you should definitely visit it.

Jonkoping is quite far from Stockholm, most students prefer to study in Jonkoping where the university is one of the most famous especially for its managerial studies. Students from all over the world come to study in Jonkoping and almost all of them decide to stay afterwards because they like the city a lot. Jonkoping can be characterized with a warm short summer and cold long winter, however, the sun always manages to break through the clouds even on a snowy day. If you want to visit Sweden in the summer prepare from some of the most amazing sights you will ever see of the frozen lake, a sheltered cozy houses and friendly people. If you visit during the summer expect great green agenda and pulsing life, rather than snowy and quiet one.

Jonkoping doesn’t have as many sightseeing and monuments as other famous cities however it offers the best winter views and sceneries and one of the best houses that you will see. One of the most common places to visit in Jonkoping during your whole stay and to actually walk beside it is Lake Vättern. It is an amazing lake which as beautiful as it is in the summer, it is even twice more beautiful when it is frozen during the winter. The ice makes the whole atmosphere like in a fairytale. One feels like a princess/prince of the ice once walking beside the lake in winter time. From the lake, one can see the whole city of Jonkoping with its beautiful architecture, parks and monuments. When you walk in the big park, near the lake one can relax, read a book or simply follow the path and have a nice refreshing walk. The air in Jonkoping is much cleaner than in other cities due to the fact that it is situated both near sea and mountains.

Another famous and unique place to visit in Jonkoping is the Match Museum. It is the only match museum in the whole world and not only it shows the match industry (which however is a specific filed that not everyone will be interested it) but also it shows some exhibits connected with an interesting part of Jonkoping’s history.

You shouldn’t miss the old building in the center called Radhuset  which dates back from the 60s when it has been first used as a school However, as the school expanded, a new building was built and the school has moved. Later the building was taken over by the Municipality of Jonkoping in the 1920s and as old as it is, the interior is still very well- maintained.

After you have made most of your visit, one should not forget that Jonkoping is an amazing place for relaxing, filling your lungs with fresh mountain air and enjoying some peace and quiet. It offers everything from the listed, in vast quantities along with great night views, shopping centers and beautiful houses and monuments. So what better than getting away from the busy city you live in and having some time off by the beautiful river in Jonkoping?

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton