The municipality of Gruyères comprises four villages with a population of a mere 2,200. One of these is Gruyères which sits on top of a hill. Picturesque and traffic-free, it begs you to stroll its cobblestone main street and discover unusual treasures. Gruyère Cheese This region is the birthplace of … Read more
Wroclaw (pronounced “Vrot-swahv”), Poland’s jewel of a city just under four hours from Warsaw, is proud of itself. Voted European Capital of Culture in 2016 and European Best Destination 2018, it has more than a few feathers in its cap – City of 100 Bridges, City of 5 Rivers, City … Read more
Lucerne is often called “the City of Lights.” The name goes back to a miracle which is said to have happened here. According to a legend, an angel showed the first arriving settlers with a light where to build a chapel in honor of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of … Read more
“A river seems a magic thing.” — Laura Gilpin The thunderous sound of Europe’s largest waterfall tumbling over a wide expanse of cliffs impeded any attempt at conversation. With our boat wobbling in the churning water, we got as close to the falls as our experienced tour guide dared go … Read more
“Are you ready to get into your time machine?” Those words spoken some years ago by a Budapest tour guide still resonate with me today. I was taking a private tour that juxtaposed the Communist years in Hungary with the present day and it was really interesting. The city was … Read more
“Without music, life would be a mistake.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche Located in the heart of Budapest on the Pest side of the Danube River, every detail of the Aria Hotel is rooted in music. It’s evident the moment you walk in the door. True, Dorothy was told that following the … Read more
I couldn’t suppress a grin when I noticed St George fighting a dragon smaller than the saint’s horse on the façade of Basel’s Minster. “Why is the dragon so tiny?” I asked my guide. “We just don’t have a lot of evil in the city,” she replied. I wasn’t quite … Read more
I’m in the eastern reaches of Finland, in the Lakeland region that includes scenic Lake Saimaa, which has 14,000 islands and more shoreline than all of France. As the sun sinks slowly into the surrounding forest, I slink on to a “floating sauna,” a mini houseboat specially designed for a … Read more
Take one step inside, and you can’t help but stand still, as if stopped by an invisible hand. Picturesque multi-colored houses climbing the hills of centuries-old Porto on the banks of the majestic Douro River have been the main attraction for countless visitors through the ages. But no traveler should … Read more
Christopher Isherwood famously wrote about the debauchery of early 1930s Weimar Berlin in his book, “The Berlin Stories,” the basis for the movie “Cabaret.” I decided to keep a diary of my recent visit to the hugely popular German city. While my experiences were nowhere near as racy as Isherwood’s, … Read more
Switzerland’s Lake Geneva Region is a perfect puzzle of graceful cities such as Lausanne, Vevey and Montreux, punctuated by dozens of fairytale villages. This Francophone swath is marked on the sophisticated traveler’s map thanks to its stunning Alpine scenery, clear blue waters of Lake Geneva and acres of chocolate so … Read more
“Gstaad is the last paradise in a crazy world.” These words from the lovely and talented Julie Andrews capture the essence of this charming Swiss village in the heart of the Bernese Oberland in southwest Switzerland. Gstaad is one of 10 unique villages that make up the district known as … Read more
Half-timbered houses, red-tiled roofs, cobbled lanes, medieval clock towers and an abundance of charm await in the picturesque villages and towns of Bavaria. Here’s a look at some of the loveliest.
At first glance, the middle-aged woman with glasses and greying hair is just wrapping little balls of clay the size of marbles but within seconds shapes appear – a head, legs, arms, then finally a fully developed figure. Together with her sister and nephew, Maria Inácia Fonseca runs the craft … Read more
