Visiting Mount Etna is high on the bucket list for anyone traveling to Sicily – and with good reason! After experiencing the mountain once before during the winter, we returned in May during our road trip in Sicily, hoping to find the best balance between pleasant weather, a reasonable number of tourists, and stunning natural […]
World
ESCAPE TO PARADISE: DAY TRIP TO THE EGADI ISLANDS – FAVIGNANA AND LEVANZO
If you are looking for the best day trip from Trapani, look no further than the Egadi (Aegadian) Islands. Floating in the sparkling Mediterranean off the northwest coast of Sicily, this archipelago feels like a world set apart. Together with three smaller islets, Favignana and Levanzo make up Europe’s largest marine protected area—a 50,000-hectare paradise […]
SAVOCA – THE GODFATHER’S VILLAGE IN SICILY
During our third trip to Sicily in May of this year, we made it our mission to explore the hidden gems we had missed during our previous journeys. One of these gems was Savoca, a stunning medieval village in the province of Messina, not far from Taormina. Officially recognized as one of Italy’s Borghi più […]
EXPLORING CEFALÙ, A FASCINATING MEDIEVAL TOWN IN SICILY
Although we had visited Sicily several times, a road trip through the lesser-known areas of this island was still on our bucket list. Exploring Cefalù, an ancient medieval town that has been included by UNESCO in the Arab-Norman itinerary of Sicily, seemed to be a good choice, as it was mentioned as one of the […]
THE MYSTERY OF MALTA’S BALCONIES AND DOOR KNOCKERS
The first thing I noticed when we visited Malta in March were the Maltese balconies. They could be seen on every single home – enclosed, made of wood and in all imaginable colors. What do the locals say about the origin of the enclosed balconies? Most of them believe that it was Arabic, but some […]
EXPLORING THE ISLANDS OF GOZO AND COMINO
Have you ever heard of Gozo? This island is part of the Maltese archipelago, just north of Malta. It has a surface of 67 square kilometers only and is home to about 37,000 people who speak their own dialect. Lovers of Greek mythology believe the story that Gozo is the real version of the legendary […]
DISCOVERING VALLETTA – MALTA’S CAPITAL CITY
Visiting Malta is a special experience. This tiny archipelago in the Mediterranean – situated between Sicily and North Africa – offers warm and sunny weather during most of the year, a deep blue sea and many historical towns and cultural treasures. We traveled to Malta in March, expecting a relaxed stay without the crowds […]
DECEMBER IN BUDAPEST
We have visited Budapest on several occasions, but this was the first time we spent our Christmas holidays in this beautiful city. And I can tell you: it was amazing! Of course, we were not the only visitors. In spite of the cold weather, Budapest was very crowded. Many foreign tourists enjoyed the wonderful Christmas […]
DISCOVER THE FORTIFIED CHURCHES OF TRANSYLVANIA
During our road trip through Romania in September, we also visited the region of Transylvania. No, we were not only interested in the usual tourist attractions. It was, first of all, our intention to discover traditional villages with fortified churches. These villages (there are around 150 of them) create an amazing picture of the cultural […]
THE WOODEN CHURCHES OF MARAMURES
When we visited Romania a few months ago, one of our goals was to explore Maramures, a region in the northwestern part of the country, where Romanian traditions are still faithfully preserved. Yes, you can find some tourists here, but due to the geographical location and poor road network, the region remains rather isolated. Maramures […]