This magnificent medieval castle stands high above the town of Werfen in the Salzach valley of Austria and was built initially as a fortress between 1075-1078. Roughly 40km south of Salzburg, it’s surrounded by the Berchtesgaden Alps and the Tennengebirge mountains.

The modern castle largely functions as an adventure castle for its visitors. Some of the attractions offered include guided tours showing its extensive weapons collection, the historical Salzburg Falconry with the falconry museum as well as a stylish fortress tavern. The historic Falconry Centre is a special attraction, offering daily flight demonstrations by various birds of prey.

Lonely Planet Austria

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Hohenwerfen Castle

One Great Reason to Visit Hohenwerfen Castle

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the beautiful location and watch the falcon display.

A Tour of Castle Hohenwerfen

For More Information

• Wikipedia
• The Official Site

The Villa Borghese is made up of 148 acres of landscaped gardens and building housing some of Rome’s most famous artworks including the Galleria Borghese. It is the second largest public park in Rome and on weekends and public holidays it fills with both locals and visitors who come to enjoy its tranquil environment.

The history dates back to 1605 when work began to convert the vineyard by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V and patron of Bernini, into the most extensive gardens built in Rome. Further development of the garden took place during the early nineteenth century.

Highlights of the park other than the galleria include a large lake which is home to both swans, ducks and geese and is dedicated to Aesculapius. Boat hire is available here and you can row by the Temple of Esculapius. You can also visit the Piazza di Siena, an international equestrian site which was also the home to the 1960 Rome Olympic Equestrian games.

Gardens of Italy [Hardcover] – by Ann Laras

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of the Villa Borghese Gardens

One Great Reason to Visit the Villa Borghese Gardens

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the peaceful setting which contrasts so well against the chaos of central Rome.

Villa Borghese Gardens

For More Information

Like there are horses for courses, the perfect ski resort does rather depend on the activities you’re planning, but here are some pointers:

Best for snowboarders

For minimum crowds and maximum white stuff La Grave is my choice. But this is a resort where no amount of bravado is a substitute for experience. It takes 30 minutes for the cable car to take you up over 3,000 metres. Once you’re there you have 20 kilometres of snowy free-boarding stretching out in front of you, but you can quickly find yourself alone on the glacier and the weather is unpredictable. If you want a serious challenge with a bit more support then consider Chamonix.

Best for beginners

For beginners, skiers or boarders, head somewhere where there’s plenty of short, graded runs closer to the resort. Le Arcs is a bit of a mega-resort but the ski tuition for beginners is great. The Ecole du Ski Français teaches parallel turns right from the start, so no more unwieldy snow-ploughs!

Best for off-piste skiing

Really, there are no challengers to La Grave and Chamonix, although they are both very different types of resort. If you are in a mixed group then choose Chamonix to give the others options. But otherwise, La Grave cannot be beaten for off-piste excitement.

Best to stay a season

Val d’Isere is my choice for après ski. Sure, there are smaller, resorts with more picturesque charm, but Val d’Isere, has all the infrastructure and diversity to please anyone from 5* poseurs to grungy kids.


Best of the rest

• Courchevel for families.
• Serre Chevalier for Gallic character.
• Tignes for all-round appeal and a long season.
• St Martin-de-Belleville for the quiet life, and
• Méribel if you insist on your English breakfasts and pubs.

All popular French ski resorts are cosmopolitan places where it is possible to find people who speak English as a lingua franca. But you will definitely get more out of your time in France if you can speak some of the language. If you learnt a bit of French at school, then consider taking a French language course to brush up before you leave. But if there’s no time for that then of all the countries offering international students high standards in language courses France is one of the best, so you can always take a short course once you’ve arrived, maybe scheduling your lessons for a rest day away from the slopes.

The historic town of Bojnice is located in the eastern European country of Slovakia. It is most well-known for its castle. Its history dates back to the 12th Century and is one of the most beautiful castles in Slovakia, standing on a travertine hill above the town. In 1970 the castle was declared a National cultural monument and it now houses a museum. The first written mention of the castle dates back to 1113 and comes from the Zobor abbey. Originally the wooden fortress was re-build with stone over the 13th century. Originally renaissance and gothic style, has been rebuilt in Romantism style in 19th century.

Other popular tourist attractions include the Bojnice Zoo and its therapeutic springs which feed the Spa were mentioned in 1549 for the first time and the spa is now used to treat patients with disorders, rheumatic diseases and other conditions.

Slovakia: The Bradt Travel Guide

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Bojnice

One Great Reason to Visit Bojnice

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to take the tour of the historial Bojnice Castle.

Bojnice – Slovakia

For More Information

The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show for 2011 has just wound up and a close English friend of mine was fortunate enought to attend with her husband.

The features include show gardens, floral marquees, pavilions, talks and demonstrations. It is the second major national show after the Chelsea Flower Show but has a different character, focusing more on environmental issues, growing your own and cookery, while also opportunities to buy a whole range of gardening accessories, plants and flowers.

Being a keen gardener, I had the photos shared with me and decided to brighten up my blog by adding these splendidly, colourful photos.

A splash of colour!

The cottage garden

Weird and wonderful designs

Photos courtesy of Lavinia from Dorset.

Ibiza’s size – just 45km by 25km – belies its diversity. Famed for its party scene, many imagine the entire island to resemble San Antonio; capital of nightclub culture and home to the bulk of large Ibiza hotels and bars. But a short boat ride out of San Antonio harbour takes you to a different world and the peaceful Cala d’Hort.  This romantic little bay offers spectacular views of towering cliffs behind and the mystical island of Es Vedrá just across the sea.  Few islands have as many legends attached to them as this volcanic rock, which is claimed to be the birthplace of Hannibal, the tip of Atlantis and a sacrificial altar for the goddess Tanit.

Head east from here and you reach Ibiza town, the island’s capital.  The town is home to the ancient Punic necropolis Puig des Molins, which has been listed by UNESCO for its historical importance.  Criss-crossed by winding cobbled streets that are lined with quaint little restaurants, Dalt Vila – the old town – offers some superb dining and is the perfect place to sample local seafood.  This is particularly handy if you’re making the long climb to the 14^th century cathedral of Santa Maria d’Eivissa at the top of the hill.

Figueretas, just outside Ibiza town, is home to some of the quietest coastal hotels in Ibiza, making it an ideal base for a relaxing stay. On Wednesday mornings, a boat arrives at a small jetty jutting out from the town’s beach and transports passengers up Ibiza’s east coast to Es Cana.  Here you get to experience the island’s original hippy market, Punta Arabi, where you can browse stalls to the sound of tabla drums and sitars, and perhaps leave with a henna tattoo to commemorate your visit.

It’s easy to dodge Ibiza’s revelry in favour of a peaceful sight-seeing break on this gorgeous Balearic Island if you want to relax and unwind.  But one of the most exciting things about Ibiza is its diversity, from pretty beaches in the south to leafy almond groves in the north, with world-famous nightclubs in between.  So if you’re looking for a holiday that offers everything, this pint-sized Balearic gem really is the perfect destination.

This post is part of a monthly Spanish Series sponsored by www.hotels4u.com, where you’ll find plenty of Ibiza hotels, suitable for all tastes and budgets.

Mallorca, Menorca & Ibiza (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Ibiza

One Great Reason to Visit Ibiza

One great reason to visit this travel destination is it really has something for everyone!

Ibiza!

For More Information

The Giant’s Causeway is located on the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. I visited the area during 1988 when visiting Northern Ireland where my maternal Grandmother came from.

I was taken by the Giant’s Causeway, with its rugged landscape and the tops of the columns forming stepping stones which are hexagonal in shape. The area is made up of approximately 40,000 of these interlocking, hexagonal basalt columns, which resulted from an ancient volcanic eruption. The Giant’s Causeway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO during 1986 and is today owned and managed by the National Trust. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

A Companion to the Causeway Coast Way

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of the Giant’s Causeway

One Great Reason to Visit the Giant’s Causeway

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to enjoy the rugged stepping stone landscape.

Giant’s Causeway

For More Information

Anzac Cove, Gallipoli

The Gallipoli peninsula is a slender peninsula across the water from Canakkale in Turkey. The narrow strait is the gateway to Istanbul. Winston Churchill organised a naval assault in order to capture the Ottoman capital and Allied troops were sent in during April 1915. After 9 months of fierce combat and little progress, the Allied forces withdrew. The number of casualties was extremely high and memorials are dotted around this moving landscape.

I visited Gallipoli during August of 1996. It was a travelling experience filled with lots of mixed emotions. I was travelling alone, going solo for the first time, and probably under circumstances which made me slightly vulnerable to feel awfully alone and isolated. This was never truer, than the visit to the quiet, secluded area of Gallipoli.

I wanted to experience Gallipoli by myself. To hear and feel the Aussie soldiers that were there and what they would have been confronted with as they arrived on the very shore I stood on in this photo. I didn’t want to hear tourists accents; English, American, German, etc complaining of the heat. I wanted to fully take in the harsh surrounds and … pay my respects!

Lonely Planet Turkey

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Gallipoli

One Great Reason to Visit Gallipoli

One great reason to visit this travel destination iespecially if you are an Australian or New Zealander, is that it is part of our history. The rugged landscape and steep cliffs, are a reminder of what the young officers were confronted with on arrival to that beach. It’s an extremely moving experience.

Gallipoli – ANZAC Legend – Free Heroes Remembrance Song

For More Information

Menorca, the smaller neighbour of the Balearic island of Majorca, lies off the coast of Spain and draws in thousands of visitors seeking sun, sea and sand every year. It is a great place for a traditional beach holiday – many of the most popular hotels in Menorca are dotted along the coastline – but for the more adventurous traveller who wants to do more than dip their toes in the water, this island is home to some of the best snorkelling hot spots in the Mediterranean.

In 1991, Menorca became a UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated Biosphere Reserve, which means Menorca has been recognised as an area of natural beauty and conservation and is now protected as such. This is great news for visitors, as the landscapes, ecosystems and features which helped Menorca gain its reserve status have been protected during the surge in tourism over the years.

The lagoons, marshes, wetlands, caves, dunes and islets are just some of the features which have been preserved, and it is here where snorkelers and divers will find real the gems. Some of the top snorkelling spots are Cales Coves, Es Grau, Macarella and Cala Galdana and it’s these areas which are home to hundreds of exotic fish and sea life.

Whether you’re an amateur snorkeler or avid diver, you will find the underwater wildlife surrounding Menorca incredible. Damsel-fish, Perch, Sea Bass, Cardinal fish, Barracuda and Octopus are just some of the species which call these waters home and with sea temperatures barely dropping below 20c in the summer months, you can swim with these fish in just your swimsuit or speedos – no wetsuit required!

If it is beaches which float your boat, you can’t go wrong with a trip to Cala Pregonda. This bay, which lies completely unspoilt, is surrounded by woodland and can be quite difficult to get to. For those that do venture to this part of the island however, why not pack a picnic of local delicacies and make a day of it? Sparkling blue waters and pristine sands are your reward and it would be a shame not to make the most of them.

This post is part of a monthly Spanish Series sponsored by www.hotels4u.com, where you’ll find plenty of Menorca hotels suitable for all tastes and budgets.

The Rough Guide to Mallorca & Menorca

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Menorca

One Great Reason to Visit Menorca

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for snorkeling and diving the hideaway inlets of the island offer.

Menorca Holiday Guide – My Travel

For More Information

Korce is the capital of the Korce Region located in the south/eastern region of Albania. It’s most well-known for its beautiful landscapes, medieval history, culture and festivals. There is always something happening to attract you to Korce.

Korce has served as an important trading market and route throughout the centuries. Albanian caravans began their travels from Korce to surrounding countries such as Turkey, Greece and Russia.

The outlying Korce Region is a place of great natural beauty, featuring the renowned Ohrid and Prespa Lakes, mountains and the National Park of Drenova. Twenty kilometres from Korce you can visit Dardha, a mountain village located at an altitude of more than 1,300m above sea level and is a great spot for hikers. With the region offering so much, Korce is an ideal travel destination as a base to explore the surrounds.

Lonely Planet: Western Balkans

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Korce

One Great Reason to Visit Korce

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for its natural beauty as Albania’s best-kept secret!

Korce, Albania

For More Information