Iași is the second largest city of Romania, nearing 400.000 people and even surpassing half of million when including the metropolitan area. Over 56.000 of them are the students of the six universities in town. And almost as young are the employees of numerous IT corporations present, that make the economy dynamic and the area […]

In the north-western end of Romania lies a special land who’s fame turned into legend. Historic Maramureș extends a bit into today Ukraine, but is a region where genuine Romanian spirit is preserved as a valuable heritage. Locals return from hundreds of kilometers from their workplaces in Spain, Italy, England or Holland to wear folkloric […]

Founded in 1919, U Cluj is one of the oldest and popular football teams in Romania and now has the most modern stadium in the country. The choice for innovative architecture may come as a surprise for an almost centennial club, that is one of the emblems of Cluj, the largest city of Transylvania, known […]

This is one of the oldest and best preserved neighborhoods of Bucharest, preferred by the upper class of the last century. Like the city itself, it started as a forest on the banks of Dâmbovița river, passing through the stage of a modest village. The forest was thick and housed robbers and fugitives, its name […]

For the large public, Antoni Gaudi is the name associated with Spanish modernism in architecture. But the brilliant builder of Sagrada Familia was part of a larger generation of intellectuals, that marked a Rebirth in Catalonia, in the decades at the end of XIX, beginning of XX century. They were very interested in modern ideas […]

This palace is almost glued to St Mark’s Basilica, the only building that surpasses it in beauty and fame in the city on the lagoon. Doge’s Palace has on its side the advantage of being right next to the canal, which gives it an even more poetic look and emphasizes the floating effect that the […]

Our Saviour described the Kingdom of Heaven as something that can be taken by force. He made this intriguing remark when talking about the mission of John the Baptist, as the last of the prophets, and a bridge to the Christian age: until then, the Kingdom of Heaven belonged to those who obeyed the Law […]

The tower of Thessaloniki is a souvenir of the lasting Ottoman occupation, when the Turks fortified the city with walls against a see attack. The tower was long time used as a prison and was the scene of several massacres. At the beginning of the 20th century, when the Greeks earned their independence, the tower […]

Dolmabahce Palace is the largest and most luxurious residence in Turkey: 15,000 square meters, 285 rooms, without counting baths, halls and annexes. In the palace the oriental opulence of the six sultans who have lived here (past rulers of the Ottoman Empire) meets Western sophistication. The palace looks more like an imperial residence of French […]

The king of Naples, Carlos Sebastian (Charles VII), wanted to underline his status as a descendant of Louis XIV (The Sun King) and ordered a palace that would compete with the famous French castle of Versailles. For this Charles VII picked a rural area 20 km away from Naples. The existing Royal Palace in Naples […]

On certain occasions, such as the national day of Romania, The House of The People, or The Parliament Palace built by the communist dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu in the capital Bucharest is fully opened to the public and cameras. Usually, tours for tourists exclude the greater rooms of the building as various conferences take place there […]

Facing its Byzantine model, Agia Sofia, the Blue Mosque is a landmark of Istanbul. The Blue Mosque is the only mosque in Istanbul with 6 minarets. Since minarets (the towers of a mosque) are a rank sign, the sultan was criticized for choosing an equal number of minarets to that of the Ka’aba Mosque in […]

A landmark of Vienna, Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the imperial house of Austria, is among the most important tourist attractions of the city. Be sure to reserve a whole day for a complete tour of the 1442 (!) rooms palace, the zoo garden, the famous labyrinth, the botanical garden, and all the alleys […]