Category Archives: Europe

Win A European Experience From Hostelworld

Europe, Hostels, Hostelworld, Sweepstakes, Win
a blue and white advertisement

Hostelworld.com is running a sweepstakes with a very generous prize.
Four trips (for two) to Europe are being given away. 

The interesting thing about this offer is that the winner gets to choose where they get to go from three choices- London, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

I’ve been to all three cities and chose Barcelona as the one that I’d most like to go back to.

The Prize: (Four winners will be selected)

  • 5 night stay in either London, Barcelona or Amsterdam at one of the Hostelworld.com  Recommends hostels
  • €1,000 spending money & travel fund (to be used towards flights)
  • 2x limited edition Hostelworld.com goodie packs
Some Rules:
Must be 18 years of age or older
Enter by May 27, 2013

Find out more about the contest and enter HERE

Win A Trip To Russia From Intrepid Travel

Europe, Intrepid Travel, Prize, Russia, Sweepstakes, Win
a screenshot of a website

Intrepid Travel is giving away an amazing trip to Russia!

Entering is simple:
All you have to do is write (in 50 words or less) why you should discover Europe with Intrepid!

Multiple entries are permitted as long as:

  • Each entry is unique
  • Must be submitted separately and in accordance with entry requirements
  • One entry per day, per person is permitted

The Prize:
Intrepid’s Russian Experience (WBSF 15 Days) 

“Roam the enigmatic streets of St Petersburg, Stand in the golden glow of the Amber Room at Catherine Palace, Learn about a nuclear physicists opposition to the Soviet regime at the Sakharov Museum, Admire the contrasting colours of Kul Sharif Mosque, Ride aboard the famous Trans-Siberian Railway, Hear the macabre story of Russia’s last royal family, See the iconic monuments of Moscow’s history-laden past”

Some Rules:
Open to “global” residents aged 18 and older
Prize must be booked & taken by December 1, 2013
Enter by October 12, 2012

Enter for your chance to win a trip to Russia HERE 

Lonely Planet: Seven Startling Sites of Eastern Europe

Europe, Lonely Planet, Oddities
a blue and white logo
I recently read an e-mail from Lonely Planet that had a list of Seven Startling Sites of Eastern Europe that I found to be pretty interesting. I’ve been to Eastern Europe a couple of times and haven’t made it to any of these sites.
Here is the List:
  1. Raclawice Panorama- Wroclaw, Poland: A painting 114m around the walls of a rotunda depicting the Battle of Raclawice in 1794. The article says the “Raclawice Panorama takes you so close to the battlefield you can almost smell gunpowder”.
  2. Hill of Witches- Lithuania: Lots of woodcarvings in a forested sand dune in the Curonian Spit “teeming with folkloric wooden carvings”.
  3. Sea Organ- Zadar, Croatia: Hear the ocean sing as the tide pushes water into the organ’s pipes creating all different kinds of music.
  4. Ghost Town- Prypiat, Ukraine: Visit a town left abandoned due to the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. The area is too radioactive to farm or inhabit but organized tours can get you in for a visit.
  5. Hotel Viru- Tallinn, Estonia: Visit a hotel (now a museum) that where every move you made during the Cold War was taped by the KGB from the secret 23rd floor.
  6. Capuchin Crypt- Brno, Czech Republic: Check out this monastery who’s airflow preserved the monk’s bodies still clothed in their robes when they were laid to rest here.
  7. Kuntskamera- St Petersburg, Russia: The first museum in Russia created by Peter the Great which has many natural and human oddities.
I’ve been wanting to visit Prypiat (Chernobyl) for a while now after seeing it covered on various TV shows and the Kuntskamera sounds like it might have many oddities similar to what I saw at the Mutter Museum. I’ve visited a bones church and other crypts in Europe and would love to visit the Capuchin Crypt in Brno.
What sites would you like to visit from this list? Have you visited other odd sites around the world not listed here?
Read the full Lonely Planet article which has more details about each site HERE

The Geographical Center of Europe- Lithuania

Europe, Geographical Center, Lithuania, Vilnius
a tall white pillar with gold stars on top
This site is located less than an hour from Vilnius near the village of Purnuskes. There isn’t much to see here besides from this monument. There is a small visitor center where you can purchase a certificate to show that you visited the center of Europe. The guy working there was thrilled to see us. (We were probably on a short list of visitors that day).

a man giving a thumbs up with another man in a room
He was wearing an awesome Geographical Center of Europe track suit so I had to get a picture.
a man and woman posing for a picture in front of a monument
My wife and I proudly showing off our certificate in front of the monument. Proof that we made it!

After visiting the center of Europe we visited Europas Parkas, an open air museum/ sculpture park.