Too Square to be Hip
A narcissist's guide to travel and culture
As you approach the city of Trenčín from the south, a strange feature emerges suddenly from the a rock in the landscape. That would be Beckov castle and its distinctive Gothic chapel located near the rocky peak! Yet Beckov is just one of the many beautiful things to do in this small slice of Western …
The eighth largest municipality in a country of smaller urban centers, I did not expect more then a sleepy Western Slovak town. After all the city was a backwater during Roman times, serving as the northernmost outpost of that empire in Central Europe. Yet Trenčín, a city with a massive castle that can be seen …
Standing in a solitary fashion on a hill not far from the city of Nitra in Western Slovakia, the ancient Romanesque Church of St. Michael cuts an impressive figure. Built near the Nitra river, it stands at the center of the Principality of Nitra, who would later merge with the Principality of Moravia on the …
There are few landscapes as authentic as those found in the rolling plains of central Slovakia; a land where forlorn castles soar above hills, wooded glens and old medieval towns. The latter are marked in the distance by churches with their distinctive ancient spires where locals continue their slow pace of life, far removed from …
Slovakia’s famed “Little Rome”, Trnava bears the clearly visible scars of both war and communism. Despite those blights, I was pleasantly surprised by what the city has to offer. Clean streets, a host of cultural institutions and a string unique local businesses are just some of the things that have made the city such a …
Dominated by the Albrechtsburg and its looming cathedral towers, the small market town of Meissen cuts an impressive figure. Yet outside of this grandiosity, the picturesque old town streets and market atmosphere will easily charm you, to company your awe. This was the prime city of Saxony in the medieval period before the emergence of …
Few places are as evocative, or even as romantic, as the derelict ruins of Devin castle on the Slovak side of the Danube river. A place of legend it was host to the Slavic world’s greatest poet Ľudovít Štúr on April 24 1836, when he led members of the Slovak national movement to the site …
I recently completed my first guest post, something I should have tried my hand at years ago. The article is called “Why We Travel” and pertains for my love of travel itself, but also offers a cheeky look at travelers, and their famed historical counterparts. Among those I mention is a personal favorite of mine, …
This is a guest post, please see end of the article for more information about the author. There are countless popular and photogenic destinations throughout the world which often dominate the international travel spotlight. However, these popular destinations tend to be overpriced, overcrowded and steal the spotlight from other hidden gems. However, each country has …
The horrific image of the vampire, Nosferatu, is seared into the minds of all cinephiles. A masterpiece of German expressionist cinema, the haunting shots of Max Schreck creeping up a castle as the fictional Count Orlok have inspired generation of filmmakers, not too bad for a rip-off of Dracula. Although set in Germany, this movie …
