Travel Tips

After the end of the second world war, during Russias offensive against the Nazis, many small countries fell under the umbrella of the Soviet Union. When the wall came down and the cold war ended, many of these small republics declared impendence and one of these countries is Romania.

Tourists from the United States can get to Romania by boarding Austrian Airlines. This is the preferred carrier since it has daily flights from the Atlantic as well as to other cities in this country.

If the people are traveling across Europe and have arrived from another country, it is still possible to get to Romania by riding the train, renting a car or on a bus. The travel time will be from 2 to 6 hours depending where the person is coming from given the terrain.

Romania has some sights to offer people dating back to the middle ages. The most visited castle in this country is the Peles castle that is the work of German new renaissance architecture.

It has over 160 rooms and each room shows signs of excellent craftsmanship as done on the windows, chandeliers, leather, ebony and ivory sculptures.

A smaller castle not far from the first is Pelisor Castle. It has 70 rooms. This smaller version was constructed a few years after Peles was built since the new king did not appreciate the vastness of the other structure.

Both of these places can be found in the town of Sinaia that is situated at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains in the Prahova Valley.

Another historical castle that has importance in Romanian history is the Bran castle. This fortification, which is often, called Draculas castle served to protect the citizens from invaders.

Most of the castles in Romania are open from the Tuesday to Sunday from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. People should not plan going there then on Mondays since this place is closed. It is best to do other things then to make the tip worthwhile.

To the east of Ukraine is the Black Sea. There are many fine hotels and beach resorts along this area. Some of these places have remnants of Greek culture as far back as the 7th century B.C.

The main beach resorts covers a total of 45 miles and these include places like the Eforie, Mamaia, Jupiter, Neptun, Saturn and Venus.

There are also health spas in this country to help the body relax after walking up the steps of castles and museums that is exhausting for those who dont exercise often.

The two most famous rejuvenation treatments known as the “Gerovital” and the “Aslavital” can be availed at the beach resort before continuing on with the tour.

Romania also has treasures such as the Voronet Monastery Church in Bucovina that can compete with the Sistine chapel in Rome. This is because most of the artwork in this place and others were hand painted and are still in good condition today.

In most of the monasteries and churches are excellent vineyards so the tourist can taste something another glass of wine that is just as good as those produced in Italy or France.

There are a lot of places and things to see in Romania. This just shows that the former Eastern bloc countries are worth visiting just like those in the West.

If people want a different world near the sea where the inhabitants savor life with parties and other festivities, the best place best to visit on the southern part of Europe is Portugal.

This coastal community once had a vast empire that stretched as far as Brazil. North America could have been colonized if only the king that time did not turn away Christopher Columbus who sailed for the kingdom of Spain.

The country of Portugal flourished until the great earthquake of 1755 that devastated much of the countryside. Since then, a lot of reconstruction projects have tried to bring back the old glory. This is evident in the architectural designs of the buildings and houses that are a mix from the Romans, the Goths, the Moors and the Baroques.

Visitors can take a plane for a non-stop flight to Lisbon that is the capital of Portugal. The national carrier Air Portugal as well as other airlines have direct flights from England, Spain, United States, Canada and France.

There are five hotels to in Lisbon which the person can choose from. These are namely the Sofitel Lisbon, the Hotel Marques de Pombal, Hotel Roma, Hotel Botanica and the Holiday Inn Lisbon.

If the price in these places are too expensive, there are smaller inns that accept reservations and bookings. Each these places are minutes away from the airport and a cab will gladly take the passengers to the chosen destination.

The city of Lisbon is divided into three areas similar to a how a mall has different sections that cater to the taste of many customers. The individual can get a brochure from the local tourist office to know where to eat and find out what upcoming musicals and plays are going to be shown in the theatre.

One of the places regularly visited is the Castello de San Jorge. This garrison was once held by the Moors until this was liberated by Don Alfonso Henriques in the 12th century from the Moors.

When the Moors were finally kicked out, battlements had to be setup to make sure the country would never be invaded again. One of these is the Belem Tower that built a few centuries later which also served as a prison.

Animal lovers will truly enjoy the different creatures found at the Lisbon Zoo. To date, there are over 2000 animals comprising more than 370 species. Unlike other zoos around the world, visitors are allowed to bring food inside and even have a picnic in the garden.

The place is huge so it has a cable car for the people to get one from end of the zoo to the other.

Another tourist attraction is the Elevador da Gloria. This cable car is often compared to the one in San Francisco that will take tourists up a mountain to get an aerial view of the castle before going down again.

Portugal can also be accessed by train for those who are coming from Spain. There are also chartered boats that people can get from Italy or Greece then cross the Mediterranean Sea before landing in one of its ports then proceeding inland.

The country known as Portugal may be small but it has a lot to offer to the tourist. It takes some time to appreciate the architecture, the history and the culture to be able to appreciate the wonders of this beautiful place.

Another country worth exploring in Western Europe is Germany. This country just like Italy and France is rich in culture and history.

Germany has close to more than 82 million inhabitants. It has more than 6 cities such as Hamburg, Stuttgart, Munich, Cologne and Leipzig. The biggest of these, which is also its capital, is Berlin.

The end of the second world war divided this city into what was known as East and West Berlin. For thirty years, Checkpoint Charlie was the only border crossing for people to get in or out of this place since the Russians put up the wall.

When this came down in late 1990, the country was united again and the only remnants of that time are a border sign and a soldiers post.

The Reichstag is another important landmark in Germany. This building has been in existence for more than a hundred years and is still used today as the seat of the German government.

The Friedrichstrasse is the most famous street in this city. Not only because it is near Checkpoint Charlie but because of the numerous shops that people can go to buy certain things. It is 3.5 kilometers long and the tourist who loves watching plays or opera can catch a show at the Wintergarten, a famous theatre located along this stretch.

One of the oldest landmarks in Germany is the Brandenburg Gate. Built in the late 18th century by Wilhelm II, this now symbolizes unification especially when this country was divided after its defeat in World War 2. No vehicles are allowed here so visitors can walk through the this place and take the time to get a few snapshots.

Believe it or not, Berlin has over 140 museums. The individual can check out the Alte Museum, The Neue Museum, The Alte National Galerie, The Bodemuseum and the Pergamonmuseseum to name a few. Each features various paintings and sculptures that date back from the 18th century until the present.

Those who cant control the urge and want to see how various cultures do it can visit the Erotic Museum. Visitors can buy toys and other stuff to enhance sexual pleasures and is considered to be the 5th most frequented place in all of Berlin.

If Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Berlin has the TV tower. This is the tallest building in Berlin and is visited by more than a million people annually. Tourists can get up to the viewing deck to see the entire city as it stands over 203 meters.

One sport that people love in Europe especially by Berliners is football. Perhaps catching a game at the Olympiastadion will make the person appreciate more why this is considered to be a very popular sport.

There are many ways to get to Germany. Travelers can arrive by plane since the capital has three airports. Tourists can also come in by train should the people be going on a trip all across Europe.

Some of the places to check out are a bit far. Fortunately, the city has an excellent transport system so it will not be hard to take a bus from the Exhibition center in Charlottenburg or rent a car.

The individual will not get lost behind the wheel because all the roads will lead to the Berliner ring that will lead to the cities inner roads. After seeing the sights in Berlin, the tourist can catch the train to visit the other cities.