10 Places to See in Europe Before You Die

Experience The Best of What Europe Has to Offer

This Lens I made for YOU! The most interesting and beautiful places in Europe: Pictures, Tips, Itineraries and other useful and fun stuff on the BEST places in Europe to visit! Croatia, Amsterdam, Berlin are just some of the places we will explore on this journey to Europe. Enjoy the read.

Why I made this lens for YOU

Yes, I'm European and Yes, I travel a lot in Europe and Yes, I love Europe!

And especially that last one is the reason I made this lens for all you travellers out there! If you're planning a trip to Europe: Check this lens first and remember that I've been to every single place that you'll see here.

Ask me!
If you want to know more about any place in Europe, how to get there, what to visit and what Not to visit, just ask me! Leave a Blurb or e-mail me!

Suggestions
Since I'm not the only passionate Europe-traveller out there and I'm pretty sure I haven't nearly seen it all: Tell me which places to add to my lens!
Your suggestions are more than welcome!

#1 Dubrovnik

Courtesy of dearharry

Dubrovnik - Croatia

My own 'Great Wall of China'

Why I usually refer to the ancient city of Dubrovnik as my own 'Great Wall of China' in Europe?

The answer is simple: nowhere did I experience such a feeling as when first catching the first glimp of the tremendous view over the city of Dubrovnik. As you walk down to the city gates this feeling in you grows and grows, to reach it's climax as you climb the magnificent city walls with their view over the Mediterranean... You imagine how the inhabitants of this city must have felt back then: as kings of the world, gods of the Mediterranean...

You see, it's hard to describe. Me and even far greater photographers than me have tried to capture this feeling. Have tried to capture the city and it's history. And I'm sorry to conclude: None have succeeded.

Go There!

A history of Dubrovnik
This walled City was described by Lord Byron as "The Pearl of the Adriatic".
The town was founded in the 7th century on a site called Ragusium by the Romans. It was under the protection of the Byzantine Empire between 867 and 1205, of Venice until 1358, of Hungary until 1526, and of the Ottoman Empire until 1806, but remained largely self-governing as an independent republic. In the 16th century Dubrovnik had one of the greatest merchant fleets in the Mediterranean, and it remained the chief cultural centre for the South Slavs until the 19th century. Napoleon abolished the city-republic of Dubrovnik in 1808, and the Congress of Vienna ceded the town to Austria in 1815. By the terms of the Treaty of Rapallo (1920) following World War I, the town became part of the newly created Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). During World War II Dubrovnik was occupied by Italian and German forces. In 1991, when Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia, Serbian forces laid siege to and bombarded the town, destroying many sites of historical importance. It has now been fully restored to its former Glory.

Dubrovnik Video

This is an excellent video on Dubrovnik. It gives you a live glimpse of one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe.

UNIQUE DUBROVNIK

#2 Amsterdam - The Netherlands

Amsterdam - The Netherlands

So much more than Wooden shoes, coffeeshops and the Red Light District!

Amsterdam, world-renowned for its romantic canals and the imposing architecture of the 17th century, a period often called as the "Golden Century". Amsterdam is the sparkling heart of Holland and will definitely get your blood pumping.

Amsterdam is a party town 365 days a year, with a harmonious co-existence of the historical and the modern, in a melting pot of nationalities that have only further contributed to the city's charms.

Amsterdammers are deservedly proud of their city and the gorgeous centre. Whatever it is you are looking for it can be found here, in a laid-back atmosphere that is exclusive to this monumental metropolis.

Getting Around in Amsterdam

Lonely Planet: My favourite travel-resource! (And I'm not alone it seems...)

Trust me, I lived in Amsterdam AND own these Lonely-planets: The only better resource available to you would be me! :-)

 

Travel to Europe on Expedia

Explore these places to die with Expedia. Use an expedia coupon code for tremendous savings to all places related to Europe! Expedia has frequent deals to Europe, so to maximize your savings use an expedia coupon if available.

Berlin - Germany

'All the bullet holes of the world, you can find in Berlin'

The first and second world war, the cold war, the Berlin Wall... Berlin IS Europe's history of the 20th century. You see and feel it everywhere you go.
But what you see and feel too is a reborn cultural capital of Europe. Go there and experience the history, the culture, the people, the parties, the laid back atmosphere... Berlin is more than even the 'Berliners' themselves would expect!

Berlin Cityscape(from Wikipedia.org)
The city's appearance today is predominantly shaped by the key role it played in Germany's history in the 20th century. Each of the national governments based in Berlin-the 1871 German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, East Germany, and now the reunified Germany-initiated ambitious construction programs, each with its own distinctive character. Berlin was devastated by bombing raids during World War II and many of the old buildings that escaped the bombs were eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s in both West and East. Much of this destruction was initiated by municipal architecture programs to build new residential or business quarters and main roads. Berlin's unique recent history has left the city with an eclectic array of architecture and sights.

In the eastern part, many Plattenbauten can be found, reminders of Eastern Bloc ambitions to create complete residential areas with fixed ratios of shops, kindergartens and schools. Another difference between former east and west is in the design of little red and green men on pedestrian crossing lights (Ampelmännchen in German); the eastern versions received an opt-out during the standardization of road traffic signs after reunification. The eastern Ampelmännchen design is now used in the western part of the city as well.

Picture: Branderburger Tor
The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate and the symbol of Berlin, Germany. It is located between the Pariser Platz and the Platz des 18. März and is the only remaining gate of a series through which one formerly entered Berlin. One block to its north lies the Reichstag. It constitutes the monumental termination of Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of Lime trees which led directly to the royal residence. It was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II as a sign of peace and built by Carl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791.

Getting around in Berlin

Lonely Planet: My favourite travel-resource! (And I'm not alone it seems...)

Inside advice: Rent a bike to get around Berlin! You'll see everything in this biker-friendly city at your own pace!

Switzerland - See everything!

(It's a small country)

Where to start on Switzerland... The lakes in summer? The mountains in winter? The Montreux Jazz Festival, the best skiing slopes in the world, beautiful mountain hiking, shopping in Geneva, Partying in Zurich...
So much to see and to do! And everything so fresh and clean! Go there!

Winter: Forget Aspen, go high-society and ski in St. Moritz with the rich and shameless of Europe.

Summer: Pack your backpack in summer and hike, hike, hike and hike through the most beautiful mountain landscapes.
Or: rent a convertible and just drive, drive, drive. From Geneva to Lugano is a great trip: Lakes, cute towns, mountain roads, snowy peaks, hot boulevards.

Getting around in Switzerland

Lonely Planet: My favourite travel-resource! (And I'm not alone it seems...)

Personal tip for getting around in Switzerland in summer: Rent a convertible! Inhale the fresh mountain air while cruising over gorgeous mountain roads and pass by beautiful lakes!

 

The Plitvice Lakes - Croatia

If God would have had Photoshop...

Or did he? Visit the Plitvice lakes and waterfalls and experience every color nature has to offer in every glance!

Plitvice National Park in Croatia is considered to be one of the most beautiful natural sights in Europe. Due to its natural beauty and significance, this system of 16 interlinked lakes and a large forest complex around it were set aside as a national park in 1949. In 1979 the park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 m to 503 m over a distance of some 8 km, aligned in a south-north direction.

The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year.

The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colours change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

Plitvice Lakes

A truly magnificent God creation. Listen to the sounds of the waterfalls and admire this marvel!

The Voices of Water / Le voci dell'acqua

 

Getting around in Plitvice and Croatia

Lonely Planet: My favourite travel-resource! (And I'm not alone it seems...)

Backpackers: Take the bus (cheap!) all along the cost roads (incredibly beautiful!) and make a detour to the inlands to hike through Plitvice park!
Little more budget? Rent a car but don't drive south on saturdays: Thousands of locals will do the same with you...

 

Rome

Courtesy of WTL photos

Rome - Italy

Capital of the World

Rome, capital of the world, the Eternal City, the city of the seven hills or simply the City: enough reasons to visit and get impressed by the many, many, many historical sights... Smell ancient Rome in the middle of this cosmopolitan-crazy Italian capital.

The old 'capital of the world' is thoroughly modern and cosmopolitan. As one of the few major European cities that escaped World War II relatively unscathed, central Rome remains essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character. The Historic Centre of Rome is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the "Eternal City" was once the administrative center of the mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that stretched all the way from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today the metropolitan area is home to around 3.3 million people.

Don't forget to stop by the most iconic image of Rome, the Colosseum. This is where gladiator games and public spectacles were held for free. These games were brutal, with gladiators fighting each other until death. Gladiators were also at times forced to fight animals such as lions.

Rome Must See Sights

Rome Italy Top 5

 

Getting around in Rome

Lonely Planet: My favourite travel-resource! (And I'm not alone it seems...)

Get your kicks on route sixty...ehm... do like the locals, rent a Scooter and experience Rome from your trendy Aprillia with the sun on your face!

 

Greece - Meteora

Imagine buildings on top of huge mountain rocks. This is exactly what Meteora is

.

Photo by: cod gabriel

Meteora means suspended in air. Hermit Byzantine monks in the ninth century first inhbited these mountains, living on fissures and caves along the rocks to spend time with God. In the 14th century, these hermit monks built 20 different monastaries to get away from Turkish occupation. The tall cliffs were the perfect escape for these monks. At first only ladders and ropes were the only way to reach these monestaries. During the 1920s steps were carved out making it more accessible. Today only six monestaries remain.

Best times to go May and June, it has the most comfortable weather. Acquaint yourself with Greek Orthodoxy to get the most enjoyment.

How to go: use buses from Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Trikala, and Athens. Lots of lodging options in Kalampaka at the base of Meteora.

Vacation in Riverside County, CA

Discover Riverside County

The kids are out of school for two weeks. The weather may not be hot but is certainly comfortable enough for most outdoor activities. There are many family activities that will appeal to all ages but the best place to get into the Christmas spirit is at the Mission Inn. Wander the hotel and the grounds and enjoy the lights. It's all free.

Los Angeles has a lot to offer but for something a little different, try Riverside County. There are great places to stay and wonderful things to see and do. Southern California residents looking for a Staycation, should consider some of the suggestion listed here. There may not be time to do them all.

Mission Inn

Historic downtown Riverside

Given a choice of places to stay at Christmas time, the Mission Inn is a prime choice. The well-appointed hotel is one of the hot spots in the area. It offers packages that are slightly pricey but well worth it.

Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn

The Mission Inn in Riverside, CA is more than just a destination. Families come from everywhere at Christmas to see the historic hotel covered in lights. Each year there is a lighting ceremony. Carolers in Victorian dress stroll the grounds, entertaining visitors. The Inn sits in a two block area that is closed to vehicle traffic. There are many fun shops to wander through. There is an ice-skating rink and vendors galore. Horse drawn carriages tour the Mission Inn area with interesting facts about the historical buildings. This is a family Christmas tradition for many and they return year after year.

The Perris Railroad Station Museum and the Orange Empire Railway Museum

These two attractions should be seen together. They are close to each other and their past is tied together.

The Perris Railroad Museum

The history of the station and the people it served is detailed here.

Orange Empire Railway Museum

A short five miles from the Railroad Station, the Orange Empire Railway Museum is a train lovers delight. Plan to be entertained for hours walking the train barn seeing the restorations. Ride different trolleys and trains around the grounds. Let the kids ring all the railroad crossing signals. Great family entertainment. Thomas the Train is a yearly visitor.

Grand reopening of the Perris Raillroad Station

Recently refurbished, it is now part of the Metrolink station that will be opening soon. On weekend, the trains run to the Station from the Orange Empire Railroad Museum. Huell Howser was the master of ceremonies at the reopening.

Riverside County is a very big place

No one can list all the things to entertain and amaze visitors to Riverside County. You can boat on the Colorado River and play in the snow at Idyllwild. There are desert trails to run with ATV's and hiking trails on Mt. San Jacinto. Listed here are just a few.

Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology, Hemet California

Well worth a visit

Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology, Hemet California

This is a great place for kids. There are several interactive displays and the kids also get to create a dinosaur bone. These fossils were discovered when the Metropolitan Water District decided to create another water source for the area. Mammoth roamed our area. How exciting!

Pennypickles Workshop - Children's Museum - Temecula, CA

Where everyone can be a kid

Pennypickles Workshop

Great museum for children. Great museum for parents. Touch everything, play with everything. This small museum is crammed full of fun things to do.

Visit Temecula

Temecula, CA

Palm Springs, CA

A travel destination on its own

Palm Springs is a destination that many people head for during Christmas vacation. It is probably the warmest "hot spot" destination in Riverside County. However, there are many other things to see and do in the area.

More things to do in Riverside County

All the side trips from Palm Springs are with an hours drive. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is just north of the town. If you come in on Hwy 111, you have to pass it on your way in. t The Desert Hills Premium Outlet boasts such stores as Prada, Dior, Boss, Gucci and Giorgio Armani. It that was not enough, there is the Cabazon Outlets right next door. The Morongo Casino is not hard to miss. The Wheel Inn is a slice of Americana where the food is wholesome and the restaurant itself a museum. Claude Bell who ran the Wheel Inn built two dinosaurs on the property. Right down the road is Hadley's Date Farm, the place of the date shakes. Just past Hwy 111 on the 10 freeway, is the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm. It's almost futuristic. More information on these great side trips is provided in the link.

Every time we take our family out of town, we stop at the Wheel Inn. The food is good but not a year has gone by that we don't have pictures of our children and now grandchild taken with the dinosaurs. Some people mark height on the wall, we have dinosaurs.

Have a Riverside County destination you want to share?

Add it here

Road trip from California to Maine

OR...How to travel in a RV and not pay for a single night of lodging

This is the picture we taped to the dashboard in the truck the day we left.

We were invited to visit friends in Maine and take a tour of the Camden Harbor on his lobster boat. We had three weeks and a camper but not a lot of money. We discovered the "RVer's Friend", planned our route and left on one of the hottest days of the year.

I can honestly say that it was the trip of a lifetime. What we found was the most amazing, beautiful country.

What was even more amazing is that we spent every night free. We stayed at Truck Stops and Travel Plazas. We took showers, ate our way across the country and all of it without paying for a nights lodging.

This is a two part story. Look for the link at the bottom for the trip home. We visited many other places.

Our route

visited 14 states (28%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

9/21/2002 - Odometer reading 190948

I never take pictures of California because it is not a vacation until we hit the border of another state

We left at 9:12 am on our big adventure. Gas in 2002 was $1.49 a gallon. We visited Oatman, Arizona on our way and ended up in Flagstaff, Arizona for our first night out. We stayed for free at the Conoco Station.

Welcome to Arizona

9/22/2002

Flagstaff, Arizona to Tucumcari, New Mexico

We stopped for lunch at the Red Rock State Park in New Mexico. We had camped there before and it is an incredibly beautiful place. Stayed at the Chevron Station in Tucumcari. It was noisy but we slept well. When we pulled into the dirt lot, we had it all to ourselves. When we woke up, we were surrounded by what appeared to be hundreds of big rigs.

Welcome to New Mexico

9/23/2002

Tucumcari, New Mexico to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

We drove 527 miles and spent 13 hours on the road. Might have taken less time if we had not stopped at so many places. Tip here...If you are driving through this area, add another day to the trip. By the time we got to Maine, we were a full day behind. For those who have not traveled America, around every corner is another sight to see.

Spent some time at the Oklahoma City Memorial.This is a must-see where time really did stop between the two walls that were erected to contain the minute the bomb went off. Children do not run and play here. Almost without being told, they recognize the tone of this memorial. I have pictures on the companion lens, Attractions on Route 66.

Welcome to Texas?

9/24/2001

Tulsa Oklahoma to Cuba Missouri

We spent time visiting family in Springfield, Missouri. Last day in Missouri, stayed at the Voss Truck Port in Cuba, Missouri. Showers were $10.00.

(Note - 5/23/2011 - Joplin was destroyed by a tornado yesterday. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families in this area.)

Welcome to Oklahoma

9/25/2002

Cuba, Missouri to Swanson, Ohio

We drove all day. Covered 585 miles in 13 hours. Spent the night at the Sunoco Travel Plaza in Swanson. Did you know that from Cuba, MO to Swanson, OH covers four states. At this point we were falling behind in our schedule.

Those four states were revisted on the way home but the only picture we took on that day was the Mississippi River. Our very first every view of the river.

9/26/2002

Swenson, Ohio to Erie, Pennsylvania

One of our goals was to spend some time with friends in Erie. At this point we were a full day behind in our schedule so we were very happy to finally be there.

Gary (my husband - dressed like a California Tourist), me and Patty at Lake Erie. We don't live where lakes are this big. We can always see across our lakes so this was interesting.

9/27/2002

Erie, Pennsylvania to Rochester, NY

Still running a day behind, we took off with Patty and Jim and headed to Niagara Falls. Stopped at the Seneca Nation Reservation to eat lunch, good food.

Took the Maid of the Mist boat trip. What an incredible experience. From there, we crossed the Peace Bridge on foot into Canada to eat lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and then bid farewell to Jim and Patty to continue our journey.

Spent the night at the Scottsville Travel Plaza on I-90.

9/29/2002

Rochester, New York to Rockland, Maine

Do you know that there are only two off-ramps in New Hampshire and neither of them have restrooms. Use the restrooms in New York or wait until you get to Massachusetts.

Made it to Alan's house in Rockland, Maine.

Photo Gallery

Welcome to New Hampshire - Remember there are no restrooms.

Downtown Camden, Maine

Travel Tips

Enjoy your trip! We live in a beautiful country and each state is beautiful in it's own way. We ate lobster in Maine, saw Plymouth Rock. We saw Lincoln's house in Springfield, IL. We traveled the entire Route 66. We saw Niagara Falls. We traveled through 14 states.

• Start with www.freecampgrounds.com and www.desertdutch.org. Both of these web sites provided us with the inspiration and information to plan a trip like this. We bought the "RVers Friend". Plan out your route and head out. This is the most amazing adventure and we plan all our trips this way now.
• Decide how long you plan to drive and then about 2 hours before your deadline, look up a place and head towards it. In our case, we spent more of our time off the highway and more on back roads. There are so many things to see so your destination for the night might change, depending on how many time you stop for sightseeing. We ended up a whole day behind schedule because we stopped at the Oklahoma Memorial and the largest cross in Texas.
• Check out where you plan to stay. Does it meet your needs? We only changed our minds once in New Mexico when we were uneasy with the truck stop. It was probably fine but everyone has a feeling about something once in a while. Stick with your feelings. Be alert. Even well patrolled stops have not so nice people.
• Find a parking space. Most of them are fairly close to the facilities. Please do not treat it like a campground. It is not a campground but a place to sleep. Please keep the area clean.
• It matters little what kind of RV you travel in. It could be a travel trailer or 5th wheel. The only vehicle that does not lend itself to this type of travel is a pop-up trailer. Be a good citizen. Do not setup a campsite. Keep you slide-outs closed. This is a privileged granted by the various stops and is only for an overnight stay.
• If possible, park away from the big trucks. It's noisy. Many places have spots for RV's only.
• Use the facilities at the truck stops. Many of the showers are nicer than mine at home and some have family showers.
• Chicken Fried Steak gets bigger the further east you go.
• At many Wal-marts, you can spend the night free. Watch for signs posted in the parking lot, many cities now have regulations that forbid it. If in doubt, ask at the store.
• If you are in Salem, MA, follow the parking regulations and the streets are too small for larger RV's.

Lobster Fest

What a great meal that can never be recreated.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Dear all Stellina Events blog readers,

I just want to take the time to wish you a very happy holidays.

Enjoy this time with your friends and family.

Love them, cherish them and have a great time planning your upcoming wedding!

Best wishes this holiday season,
Amanda
xoxo

Flourless Passover cupcakes, Easter basket cupcakes, and chocolate ganache-dipped red velvet at Swirlz Cupcakes in Chicago

Swirlz Cupcakes in Chicago has a host of holiday cupcakes and special fun flavors. All photos and descriptions are via their Facebook page. They can be reached at happy at swirlzcupcakes.com or 773-404-CAKE (2253) for orders, and their official site is swirlzcupcakes.com (tell them you heard about them through Cupcakes Take the Cake!).


Passover cupcakes: Flourless chocolate cake, chocolate ganache and topped with a cream cheese buttercream swirl



Coconut and chocolate coconut Easter cupcakes



Chocolate Ganache Dipped Red Velvet



Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese cupcake

Butter Lane Park Slope, Brooklyn popup shop and cupcake classes

New York City cupcake bakery Butter Lane has just opened, as of today, a popup shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn! It's at 240 7th Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets. They'll be open 11-8 Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 11-midnight Friday and Saturday.



They also have a lot of cupcake classes coming up; click here for schedule and to sign up.

> EASTER CUPCAKE CLASS ($40)

Instead of decorating eggs this year, make and decorate your own cupcakes!

- Sunday, April 24 at 7pm

> CINCO DE MAYO ($45)

Margarita Cupcakes... yes please!

-Thursday, May 5 at 7pm

> CUPCAKES FOR MOM ($40)

Don't forget your Mom this year! We offer this Saturday class for all those procrastinators - make your own creations to take to Mom on Sunday.

- Saturday, May 7 at 1pm

Champagne and Cupcakes May 21 8-10pm

Can you think of a better combo? We can't! Join us for our first Champagne tasting -- choose your favorite bubbly, then learn how to incorporate it into our famous Butter Lane frosting.

Easter cupcake truffles, Cadbury creme egg cupcakes at Little Pearl Cupcake

These festive Easter cupcake truffles, Easter cupcakes and flower cupcakes are by Little Pearl Cupcake in Grand Rapids, Michigan (5260 Northland Drive), via their Facebook page. You can find out more by calling 616-363-2700 or at their official site, littlepearlcupcake.com.


Cadbury creme egg cupcake!


Easter cupcake truffles


Lily's cupcake: marshmallow creme and raspberry buttercream

Easter egg cupcake by The Angel Bakery in the UK

These Easter egg cupcakes are by The Angel Bakery in the UK (near Tetbury), via Flickr.

Easter bird's nest cupcakes and filled chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes from Bake at 350

 The cookie/cupcake combination is one I always find fascinating, since it's like the best of both worlds. And these bird's nest cupcakes by blogger Bake at 350 are like the best of the best of both worlds. Click through to find out how to make them. So fun. Via Cafe Zupas.



And while chocolate chip cookie dough filled cupcakes are less seasonal, while I was at Bake at 350 I noticed them and was totally charmed, especially by the photo of the inside of the cupcake, with all its high points illuminated. Once again, find out how to make this at Bake at 350, who got the idea from this post by Tidy Mom.