Too Square to be Hip
A narcissist's guide to travel and culture
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 …
It is true that no two travelers are the same, just as no two people are the same… yet there are categories that people typically fall into based on the distinct characteristics they exhibit. Of course, for the purpose of this exercise I will be making crass caricature for effect, because it is funny, but …
A forlorn horn of a locomotive sounds in the distance during a frigid winters night. From the darkness it emerges, piercing the fog of the great empty, finally pulling in to a derelict train station. A building that has likely seen little activity over the last decades. Now that the hulking behemoth has stopped, you …
After a year if taking Slovak history classes at my local university I was ready for my adventure into the very heart of the county. Aim of my trip was to discover the very authentic medieval heart of the country, located in Central Slovakia, as my last visit focused on the western part of the …
