Dec 18

Walking tours around Rome

Rome, the Eternal City and a desired tourist destination, is a wonderful city to be explored on foot. For that reason, there are plenty of walking tours around Rome that could be considered by the holiday-makers. Rome is a great city to be visited on one’s own, but to understand what you are looking at and to get the history behind the site, one will need an experienced guide who will reveal how the ancient people lived. The walking tours differ from one another, but basically are offered by English-speaking guides and can be with just couple or with up to 20 – 25 participants. The price asked is reasonable and the knowledge you get is incredible.

Vatican City Photos
This photo of Vatican City

The tours go at a slow pace and cover the ruins of ancient Rome, the Renaissance architecture and paintings masterpieces, the Baroque fountains and the narrow and very charming medieval streets. The guides have good understanding about the city of Rome and all the sites that are to be visited during the walking tours and will tell you not only the history, but also the legends and secrets of the Vatican and Rome. The walking tours in Rome are usually organized every day except on Sundays, as a rule start in the morning but also in the afternoons and last from three to six hours depending on which areas are visited.

Vatican City Photos
This photo of Vatican City

Among the most popular walking tours in Rome are those that cover the ruins of the Ancient and the Old Rome. These walking tours cover the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the Capitoline Hill and the Pantheon, and also make a stop at the marvelous Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. Another interesting route is the Vatican walking tour, which covers St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. The third possible walking tour is also a one day trip, which will bring you to the Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este. There the participants in the walking tour will be able to see imperial palaces and temples, thermal baths and theatres. The tour is perfect for those who love nature and are impressed by beautiful gardens and old trees, fountains and waterfalls.

Another interesting walking tour in Rome, that is worth to be considered, is a tour along the Trastevere region and the Jewish Ghetto. During that tour are to be seen Largo di Torre Argentina, Portico d’Ottavia, Tiber Island, the Synagogue and Campo de’Fiori, as well as the piazzas Mattei, Farnese, Santa Maria in Trastevere. Last but not least, a wine tasting walking tour in Rome should be considered. Italians are well-known for the delicious food and wine they produce and enjoying it should be part of every visit to Rome. For those connoisseurs is the walking tour around the area of the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, and the tastings of various kinds of meats and cheese, sweets and wine of an excellent quality. All these walking tours are pleasant and relaxing way to get to know Rome better and will reveal something unknown even to a traveler who has been here many times.

A post by Antonia Raso who writes about Rome apartments, Milan apartment and apartments in Lisbon.

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Dec 03

Warsaw bike tours

If you have made a research on the Polish capital lately, may be you have seen plenty of bargain flights to the city from various European destinations, many nice Warsaw apartments available for booking and plenty of offers to see and enjoy the city. Among these options to explore a certain city are to try the available bike tours. Warsaw bike tours provide a unique and eco-friendly way for the travelers to see that wonderful city. They can see all those interesting places in no time, getting to know the historical mansions and the cultural sites, to see the modern skyscrapers and the fabulous city gardens, to take time and make photos of the famous monuments and art statues. The Warsaw bike tours have great and knowledgeable guides, who speak English and can answer all your questions in a fun and easy-going manner that makes the participants in the bike tour get into a good mood.

The city of Warsaw is great to be seen on a bike and besides that one can go to places that will most probably otherwise miss. By going on such a tour one can enjoy a great panorama of the city from the Vustula River and can go biking along the royal route or the square in front of the Palace of Culture and Science. The bicycle tours that are offered around the city of Warsaw are great and they cover all that is there to be seen. They could be tours on the history and heritage, on communism and social realism, on the Jewish heritage. There could be also Chopin tour and Lazienki Garden Tour.

Lazienki Park

Lazienki Park 2

By exploring the city of Warsaw on a bike, one gets the chance of diverse sightseeing and making stops at any place along the way, be it a museum, a restaurant or a café, without taking much of the time for the tour. All the bicycles offered are nicely maintained and regularly serviced and they come with bike helmets and special child bicycle seats that are free of charge. Besides that the bicycles used are further equipped with lights to be used in the evenings, bicycle rack and safety locks. The renting of a bike is easy and requires reservation and a deposit, if you want to go on an individual trip and not on a bicycle guided tour.

Vistula River Flooding, Poland (NASA, International Space Station Science, 05/22/10)

The sightseeing routs on a bike can be various, but here is how one can see the main attractions and enjoy them completely. One can start the tour from Plac Konstytucji and see some old communist buildings, then one can go to Pola Mokotowskie and enjoy that large green area. Actually, this is considered to be one of the most beautiful parks in Warsaw. Then one can also go to Plax Zbawiciela, which is a popular meeting place in the city with great atmosphere. Of course, one should also see the Pilsudski Square and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Old Town with the Royal Castle, the historical district and the Bednarska Streets, as well as the University of Warsaw. You can also go to Krakow where you can find cheap accommodation in holiday apartment in Krakow.

Another destiantion famouse with its bike yours is Amsterday where you can stay in Amsterdam apartments.

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Nov 17

Brussels night life

The city of Brussels is located in the heart of Europe, attracting many travelers to visit it and many artists to perform here. The city has a busy nightlife scene with jazz music having been very popular here since the 1920’s and actually there is a year-round live jazz fest going on here in many clubs throughout the city. The city is famous for its many bars and Irish pubs and of course its beer. Well,the beer should definitely be tried here and this is a thing that should not be missed. There are plenty of good bars near the Brussels apartments, which stay open until late at night and serve Belgian beers of excellent quality and some of the bars have a list with more than 400 beers to choose from.

Brussels Pictures
This photo of Brussels

Many of the bars in Brussels, as well as the night clubs and the casinos host live entertainment nights and a range of music concerts. Clubbing in Brussels is rather a new form of entertainment, which appeals to locals and tourists alike. The most popular clubs in the city are situated close to the the statue of the Manneken Pis and the Place de St. Gery, as well as around the Marolles district. Listings of the bars and what is going on in Brussels can be found on this website www.noctis.com

Brussels Pictures
This photo of Brussels

Among the nicest bars in the city of Brussels should be mentioned the bar A La Mort Subite, which is a centrally located bar where one can sample the above mentioned variety of beers. The selection is excellent and includes even the varieties Gueueze and the fruit-flavoured beer Kriek. Another good bar to consider is Au Soleil which is a small bar with a pleasant atmosphere and art deco interior, which also offers a fantastic selection of beers. Locals love to come to L’Ultime Atome bar, which has been trading for a long time. Another interesting bar to consider is Theatre de Toone VII, which has a quieter atmosphere, but the same great selection of beers.

La Mort Subite

Great clubbing is available at the Bazaar complex, which is a popular place with a restaurant and a nightclub located in the Les Marolles area. Another option is Le Fuse with its international DJs, who play house, techno and jungle music as well as the venue Le You, which plays house, funk and R’n’B music. It has a gay night every Sunday. Another good club to check out in Brussels is Les Jeux d’Hiver, which you will find south of the centre.

For those who love live music there are a few options as well. These include Ancienne Belgique club, which features rock music; Beursschouwburg, which plays all kinds of music from jazz to electro beats; the club L’Archiduc, where jazz music dominates with special jazz nights on Saturday and most Sundays. Another option is the Sounds Jazz Club, where famous jazz bands and singers gather to perform.

A post by Audrey Dumont writing about a site offering apartments in Barcelona and London apartments

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Oct 25

Hidden attractions in Madrid

The capital of Spain is among the most visited cities in Europe along with  London and Berlin, Rome and Paris. While the major landmarks of the city of Madrid are well-known and include sites such as the Palacio Real palace, the lovely square Puerta del Sol which has a statue of a bear climbing a tree and is a symbol of the city, and also the square Plaza Mayor, which is the main meeting place in the city of Madrid very close to your Madrid apartment. Other important sites are the large Plaza de Espana with the sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, the beautiful Catedral de la Almudena and the fountain at Plaza de Cibeles.

Photos of Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real), Madrid
This photo of Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real)
Catedral de la Almudena (Madrid)

There are, however, places that are not that popular but are equally interesting and we consider them the hidden attractions of Madrid. A good trick to follow would be to look at the facades of the houses where you can see interesting medallions, mythology gods, interesting towers and domes and lovely balconies. Among the nice sites that you should not miss are the warriors and the white elephants at the calle Alcala, the pretty Casa Meneses near plaza de Santa Ana, the Church in nearby Plaza de España, the stone figures at Gran Via, and also the round and tiled corner in calle Goya. Among the other sites that require your attention, if you are looking for hidden attractions in the city of Madrid, are the vertical garden and the Casino de Madrid building. Other sites that may provoke your attention and urge you to make some photos are the Squeezed clock near the Real Madrid’s stadium and the the image of the fallen Icarus close to calle Mayor. Or you can visit Barcelona and stay in a Barcelona apartment

Another of the most interesting, though not really one of the hidden places in Madrid, is the Fuencarral Market, which is a kind of a shopping area with a stage for performances. The place provokes the interest since something curious and unique happens here all the time. This is considered a trendy area of Madrid, but the prices here are not that steep as you might expect. On the contrary, there are some nice things that you can buy here as presents and you do no have to spend a fortune. It is an appealing place with a mixture of boutique shops with hippie cafes and some music stores. It is ideal for those who search for a party atmosphere, as many DJs love to perform here at the large café in the central part of the market. If you are into shopping and finding bargains then a good idea would be to visit the Rastro Market on a Sunday morning. The market is a good place to buy unique souvenirs and snap up some really extravagant gifts for your loved ones back home.

Casino de Madrid HDR

The city of Madrid also features many nice parks, which are a short distance the centre and the tourists crowds. These are very good for those who love to sit, relax and contemplate the local people and how they live.

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