by Hugo Diaz on August 23, 2011
Most Americans have heard the term “Bohemian,” but would have a difficult time saying exactly where Bohemia was. This is not a problem for tourists who have stayed in holiday homes in the Czech Republic, where the northwestern areas of the nation is a region known by that name. Bohemia is an area characterized by outstanding natural beauty, even featuring a national park known as “the Czech Switzerland” for its peaks and valleys.
Czech Switzerland National Park features rock formations created by erosion and other weathering forces over the course of millennia. These natural bridges, gates, towers, and cornices are located in a deep canyon forged by the River Elbe. The most recently declared national park in all of Europe, the Czech Switzerland lets tourists see the Czech Republic as it existed before the construction of castles and chateaux.
Another attraction in Bohemia is the town of Žatec. One of the region’s oldest towns, its main claim to fame derives from centuries of growing hops. Here, visitors can tour the Hop Museum and learn about the history of this important crop. The city brewery is located in an old Gothic castle structure, which has been suggested as a UNESCO-listed location for its historical significance.
Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture are on display in the town of Litoměřice in Bohemia. Centered in a wine-producing region, this town is surrounded on most sides by ancient defenses hailing from the Gothic period.
by Hugo Diaz on August 23, 2011
Few places in the United States are cold enough to sustain a true “icebar,” but several countries in the far north of Europe have experimented with this unusual form of entertainment. An icebar is like an establishment for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, but features one major diversion from traditional bars: it is made primarily or entirely out of ice.
Copenhagen’s Icebar CPH
Icebar CPH is located in Copenhagen, and tourists staying in vacation rental homes in Denmark near the capital will want to take advantage of the opportunity to visit a true icebar. The bar at which patrons sit is formed from a huge piece of ice from the Torne River in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden and fish ice sculptures decorate the interior of the establishment, which features walls and tables made out of ice shipped in from the Arctic Circle.
What to Expect at an Icebar
Visitors arriving at Icebar CPH are provided with an insulated parka that includes gloves affixed to the cuffs. This may sound like awkward attire for drinking, but without the gloves, visitors would not be able to hold their frigid drinks.
Before entering the icebar properly, patrons pass through an airlock designed to prevent outside heat from entering the icebar. Once inside, patrons can order hot and cold drinks as well as food items. For a true icebar experience, order a cold drink — it will come in a tumbler made from arctic ice.
by Brent Kleinheksel on August 23, 2011
Almost one-fourth of the land in Estonia is covered by swamps, with approximately 7,000 different bogs making up these wetlands. These bogs, some of which are more than 10,000 years old, are formed as plant material decomposes to create peat. Because they represent a unique ecosystem with many different kinds of wildlife and plant species, they provide tourists with an interesting place to take a “walk on the wild side.” During a hike through these bogs, visitors can expect to see animals as diverse as frogs and bears.
The Best Place for Bog Walking
One of the best places to go bog walking is Sooma National Park, whose very name means “Land of Bogs.” This park is the newest one in Estonia’s national park system and represents the largest area in Northern Europe to receive regular and extensive flooding. Each year during the spring flood season, water levels rise by up to 15 feet, flooding everything for dozens of miles around.
Helpful Tips for Bog Walkers
Many bogs in the park provided guided trails covered with board walks to help keep visitors out of the muck. For a more adventurous bog walk, however, tourists can rent bog shoes. These appear to be a rough approximation of snow shoes and permit visitors to leave the board walk area and explore the bog directly. Tourists using bog shoes should take a guided tour to avoid becoming lost in the dense undergrowth of the wetlands.
Bog walking is just one of the unusual activities that tourists staying in holiday homes in Estonia can enjoy.
by Brent Kleinheksel on August 23, 2011
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Because of its size and location near the far end of this “Great Sea,” many nations have colonized Cyprus over the centuries. This has led to an interesting national cuisine that blends many elements from lands all around. Visitors staying in holiday rentals on Cyprus have the opportunity to go food shopping in the island’s many open-air markets and purchase fresh, local ingredients that they can use to cook their own Cypriot cuisine in the comfort of the kitchens in these vacation homes.
Because Cyprus is located in close proximity to the nations of the Middle East, its cuisine tends to favor spices such as cumin. Other spices tourists will find in the local markets include parsley and cilantro. Most Cypriot meals feature these three spices in abundance.
Tourists will quickly note one amazing quality of Cypriot vegetables: many of them are much larger than the versions commonly seen in the United States. It is not unusual to see bunches of celery that approach a yard in length, and tomatoes and potatoes are also seen in large versions on Cyprus.
Cypriot cooking means that most meat is grilled, often with the addition of olive oil and fresh lemon juice to tenderize the meat. Tourists who dine out should try sheftalia, a sausage made of herbs and minced meat as well as souvlakia, which consists of small chunks of grilled pork. Appetizers to try include tahini, a creamy dip made primarily of sesame seeds and tzatziki, a Greek-inspired dip of yogurt and garlic.
by Hugo Diaz on August 23, 2011
Most people associate Roman ruins with Italy, but since the Romans colonized a vast empire; impressive ruins are to be found in many European countries. One of the most magnificent of all is Diocletian’s Palace in Croatia. Named for the Roman emperor who supervised its construction, Diocletian’s Palace is located in the coastal town of Split and was built at the end of the third century A.D. Its construction took more than ten years.
Vacation rental homes in Croatia allow tourists to explore the palace complex at their leisure, which is a good idea since a thorough visit to the site can certainly occupy more than one full day. There are more than 200 buildings in the complex, many of them still in use today. In addition to admiring marble from Greece and Italy as well as Egyptian sphinxes and columns, tourists can visit the cellars of the vast palace where a modern-day market has been set up. The goods on display here range from handcrafted jewelry to reproductions of Roman leather goods and statuary busts.
Diocletian’s Palace was modified during the Middle Ages, but its original Roman character is still strongly in force, so much so that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Visitors should be sure to see the Peristyle, a monumental courtyard that provides access to both the imperial apartments and to the structure originally built to be Diocletian’s mausoleum. This structure is now the Cathedral of St. Domnius, another essential part of the palace complex.
