Europe String

Warsaw is usually overlooked by its more colorful cousin, Krakow. However, the city is interesting with a great combination of restaurants, nightlife and history. The main sites are quite walkable and the Old Town (completely destroyed during World War II and reconstructed) is remarkable. That’s where you’ll find the “history;” much of the rest of the city is more “modern” (built following WWII) and is of that interesting Communist-era architecture form. It is worth a walk around both parts to get a real feel for the city, plus the people are quite open and friendly. Warsaw still isn’t up …read more

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Looking to celebrate beer this fall? Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany is the biggie. Dates are September 20 to October 5, and if you were thinking about popping in, think again – tents are already sold out. This is also not a very budget-friendly event. However, depending on the entry fee, and how much you drink – visiting a local festival is often an inexpensive way to spend the day, hanging out with locals and participating in one of their special celebrations. No crying in your beer over Oktoberfest though; there’s more drinking fun to be had around the continent …read more

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Welcome to Fun Time Friday’s. Today the Fun Master takes us to the city of music and chocolate – Vienna!
Vienna is an impressive, compact city. Which makes it affordable for two reasons – you can walk it and there are tons of buildings, monuments and statues hanging about for you to gawk at. If you want to get inside something; the Museum of Applied Arts has free entry every Saturday. All of the city’s municipal museums are free on Fridays before noon. Many of the city’s churches are free to enter, and often have concerts as well. St. Stephen’s is …read more

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European Heritage Days are a joint promotion between the Council of Europe and the European Commission to promote cultural experiences across Europe. What this means for the lucky visitor is free access into numerous sites, as well as a peek into buildings and other places not normally open to the public. This year, 49 countries will help spread the message about Europe’s cultural diversity in conjunction with the European 2008 Year of Intercultural Dialogue campaign.
Dates and events vary, but most are held sometime in September. In the Czech Republic for example, the theme is Monuments in the Landscape and …read more

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When you travel to a different country do you take the time to research local customs, like tipping suggestions, beforehand? Do you try to learn a couple phrases in the local language? Do look for and enjoy the opportunity to learn about a new city and culture, or complain that it’s not “like home?” A recent survey by the French travel website, Expedia.fr, found that the Ugly American may have been surpassed by the Foul French.
More than 4,000 hotel employees in six different countries were asked questions like which tourists, by nationality, were interested in trying local dishes, speaking the …read more

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In honor of Tavern Day, here’s a little post about drinking in Munich. (I know what you’re thinking… “There’s drinking in Munich ?” I was shocked, too.)
This weekend we partook of the annual Munich Strong Beer Festival (or Starkbierfest), a fabulous Bavarian tradition. Each year for a few weeks during Lent, the local breweries open their banquet halls and cellars for this festival celebrating Starkbier – a heavy, sweet, dark brew thought up by fasting monks who wanted some nourishment (but weren’t so interested in sobriety). These days each brewery produces its own brand of Starkbier, with names that usually …read more

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The 6th of January is a holiday in many European countries (because, you know, there haven’t been enough holidays recently). It is the celebration of Three King’s Day (or Epiphany), supposedly the day that the three kings made their way to visit Jesus with all those funky gifts. The celebrations vary a bit from country to country, but most seem to involve some form of baked goods and crowns. Here are a couple examples:

The Paris Traveler shows us how the Fetes des Rois is done in France.

Spain celebrates with processions and cakes, with the most famous festivities happening in the …read more

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If you find yourself in Switzerland (or Germany or Austria) for the holiday season, pick yourself up some of these delicious Zimtsterne, or cinnamon stars’. They are the best Christmas cookies I have ever had (with the exception of any cookies made by my grandmothers, of course).
You can get them at a variety of supermarkets and bakeries, high-end and low-end, but some of the best I’ve found are the regular store-brand ones at Coop stores, which you can find on every other corner in Swiss cities.
Not in Switzerland? You could try making them yourself. Although I’ve never had homemade ones …read more

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The amazing Jewish Museum in Berlin reminds us that Christianity isn’t the only religion on the continent with their annual Hanukkah market, which this year is being held in the new glass courtyard behind the museum. The market offers visitors an opportunity to sample traditional Hanukkah foods as well as to learn about the holiday traditions of Jews in Germany and around the world. Both the museum (designed by architect Daniel Libeskind) and the market are well worth a visit.

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Ooooo Berlin. Possibly my favorite city in all of Europe. And it definitely delivers during the holidays. There are Christmas markets all over the city, but the most adorable one is probably the Weihnachts Zauber (“Christmas magic”) market at Gendarmenmarkt.
This is actually the only Christmas market I’ve ever been to which charged admission. Luckily it’s only one euro, so even the budget traveler can swing it. You may have to battle crowds inside, though, so if you’re not a crowd person, go early in the day (and preferably on a weekday). Don’t miss the Feuerzangenbowle (which is basically another word …read more

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