Croatia

Knin and Split

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Knin

Our journey to Split started with an early morning train from Zagreb. What we did not realise was that we were travelling on the 5th of August, which is a national day of celebration and remembrance. On this day in 1995 the town of Knin was liberated from Serbian forces in a combined military and police operation “Storm”. 

In the course of the operation several towns liberated and at exactly noon, a twenty-meter Croatian flag was hoisted at the Knin Fortress. After 84 hours, Knin and additional 11,000 square kilometers of occupied territory were freed. The Croatian Army and Police forces liberated area up to the internationally recognized border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

From 1996 till today this day has been marked as a public holiday that is now called Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders.

And we were belting past and briefly stopping on the train. The first sign was a bunch of military uniforms and checkpoints. The next was monster tanks and rocket launchers. A look up the hill showed the fortress and what appeared to be quite a lot of commotion, which at the time we were oblivious to.

Split

We arrived in split mid afternoon and immediately descended into a nightmare. The train station, bus station and tourist docks were all in one very tiny spot of land and there were bodies and vehicles going in every direction. It was bedlam.

Thankfully our hotel was only about half a kilometre away (up the hill) and was near Bacvice Beach (the main tourist beach in town). As it was the national holiday, most of what was available was closed.

Split is the second-largest city of Croatia after the capital Zagreb, the largest city in the region of Dalmatia and the largest city on the Croatian coast. It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is spread over a central peninsula.

The most important thing to know is that there are three Splits.

The first is Land Split – which is full of old buildings, castles and palaces along with Game of Thrones (GoT) filming locations.

The second Split is Water Split which takes in stunning water locations such as the blue cave, blue lagoon, shipwrecks.

Unfortunately this also runs into the third Split, Party Split.

A ton of 18-20 somethings are being fed unlimited fixed price drink packages in a sunny and decadent location. This is a recipe for disaster. I’m sure in my 20’s I would have loved it.

Sadly, third Split necessitates the printing and signposting of this photo.

The main show in town is the Diocletian’s Palace. The ruins of the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s palace date back to the late 3rd to early 4th century A.D. This isn’t just a palace or a ruin, rather it has been consumed by and now constitutes the entire old town centre. The ancient walls, gates and columns ring the palace but over the period (1700 years or so) the Renaissance houses, palaces, cobbled streets and squares all grew within the space that was once the palace.

The Cathedral of Saint Domnius was built in the 4th century and is known locally as the Sveti Dujam. Strictly the church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the bell tower to Saint Domnius. Together they form the Cathedral of St. Domnius. It was consecrated at the turn of the 7th century AD, is regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that remains in use in its original structure. The structure itself was built in AD 3.

In the Palace is a Game of Thrones Museum that allows fans to step inside Meereen and the GoT more broadly. The museum has some original artifacts, props, costumes, actual size figures, weapons, city dioramas, sets and more.

Froggyland – well, let’s just let the pictures speak for themselves.

About 14 kilometres out of town you can find the Klis Fortress perched in the mountain pass between Mosor and Kozjak. Getting here was a simple 20 minute bus ride on the local transport for the princely sum of three euros.

The fortress has a history going back more than 2000 years, beginning with the Illyrian tribe called Dalmatae that used it as a stronghold before it was taken by the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the site became a seat for several Croatian kings. And of course, the fortress was used as a GoT film set.

Jill even found herself in her own drama with an overly entitled Instagrammer. We were appalled to hear this whiny nasal voice telling everybody to move as she was trying to take a “real photo”.

As soon as the path cleared a bit another person would step into the shot (it is a pretty popular place) causing another round of whining. I made sure to step in and get my photos and Jill stepped in a short while later to get hers, ensuring to take her time. When the girl tried to pull Jill on, she responded that we had all paid the same amount of money and were all able to get our photographs and that she was not going to pander to her sense of entitlement.

This was met by giggles from those around and prompted a steadily annoying stream of people standing exactly where she was trying to clear. The worst thing about all of this, the whiny, nasal voice was accompanied by an overtly Australian accent. I am hoping that this is not the future touring reputation that Australians will get.

Back to town to see the remainder of the Palace and old town and then back to our accommodation to prepare for the next leg through to Dubrovnik.

The next day we had hours to kill while we waited for the bus trip that we had been dreading for a while now. The further east you go in Europe, the shittier things get. The organisation and schedule of Germany falls by the wayside and is replaced with increasingly half-assed versions. The trains go from fast, comfortable transports through to old diesel clunkers. And eventually the trains disappear all together and bus transfers are all that is left.

This was the first of the bus transfers. And our dread manifested immediately at the chaos that was the bus station. There were about a thousand (literally) people with luggage waiting and no board available to figure out where/when (if at all) your bus may turn up. Busses turned up and left with little or no explanation and the poor drivers were besieged by confused (and annoyingly needy) tourists.

Ok first things first, the Croatian coastline is stunning. After the debacle that was the bus station, the rest of the trip was perfectly satisfactory. There were some overly chatty (chain-smoking) bus drivers that answered every question (from each other) 4 -5 times. So the bus was filled with second hand smoke and the sounds of da da da da da or ya ya ya ya ya ya. But otherwise, the trip was great and the scenery was incredible.

Croatia

Zagreb

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Zagreb is the cultural, scientific, economic, political and administrative centre of the Republic of Croatia. Zagreb (with a population of just over 800,000), contains almost a quarter of the entire Croatian population. Over the centuries, the city has been inhabited by people from all over Europe.

It is flat and is relatively small compared to other European capitals so walking around is not too taxing.

There are lots of parks and even forests within the city limits.

For us simple tourists it is beautifully laid out in a U shape meaning if you go up one major park, across a bit and back down the other park you have pretty much ticked all the big tourist boxes.

The strict town planning scheme outlined that all streets must be straight and of the same width, and all buildings of the same type and height. The town itself is lovely, but it is a terrible state of disrepair. The main tourist walks are ok but stray just a little off the path and the neglect and graffiti become painfully evident. And they have seriously taken their toll on the city. While it is clear that attempts are being made to pull this back (scaffolding and renovations abound) for now the city looks quite derelict.

For us the obvious place to start our tour of the town was at the top end of the U which was the central railway station. An impressive building (but a rubbish train station) , directly opposite is a huge statue of Kralj Tomislav (former prince and believed ruler dating around the 9th century) on a horse and a park leading towards the Art Pavilion.

Crossing the road from the the Art Pavillion you enter the Park Josipa Jurja Strossmayera (a Croatian bishop, theologian, politician, and founder of central Croatian scientific and cultural institutions). The park is another lovely green space making up the straight part of the U but in reality is a park full of old guy statues.

Next on the U is Park Zrinjevac another green space with fountains and a meteorological column at the end that was erected in 1884.

Popping out of here you find yourself in Ban Jelacic Square. This is the main square of Zagreb and is the starting point for exploring the downtown area. The square is huge, with lovely buildings surrounding it on all four sides. The majority of buildings date back to the 19th century and feature different architectural styles: from post-modernism, Art Nouveau, and Biedermeier.

In the square is yet another very impressive statue of a dude on a horse (Count Josip Jelacic – an important Croatian politician of the 19th century). There is a very impressive copper diorama showing the old town area, also a local (Dolac) market and the usual array of retail shops and transport.

Just around the corner is the main church in town (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed virgin Mary) which has been under permanent renovations for decades. In fact there is not one photo of it in its original form (without scaffolding) for many years. I found one on google images but cannot tell how long ago it looked this way. Our photos are what most people get to see.

Across the U and you find yourself at the bottom of the Lotrščak Tower and the the Grič cannon which fires every day exactly at noon, and has done for over 100 years. The tower was part of the southern gate and town defences against the Turks, built in 1266. The Zagreb Funicular is the shortest funicular in the world but also the oldest and first means of public transportation in Zagreb.

Once up the top you find yourself among a bunch of impressive buildings, museums and galleries along with the impressively roofed St. Marc Church.

Finishing off the bottom of the U you come across the Stone gate (Kamenita Vrata), a very cool horse and dragon statue and into the usual retail and tourist offerings that cannot be avoided.

With all of that done all that is left is to walk the straight part of the other side of the U. The first thing you hit is the Hrvatsko narodno kazalište (Croatian National Theatre), a tribute to Marko Marulić ( the 14th century father of Croatian literature). And of course, lots of green space along the way and finally finishing at the botanical garden.

According to the blurb, the key bits of upper town are the tucked away courtyards within the buildings. Twice a year celebrations (Secrets of Grič, and Dvorišta) open the courtyards to reveal their secrets.

Oh and as is our way, we might have taken the opportunity to sample some of the local beers. They do tend to be very tasty and along the Czech lines however, they are much more gassy which left us feeling similarly.

Horse Statues

On doing the research for this and other cities I came across the following blurb about people who are represented in statues on horses. The position of the horse indicates how the figure died in real life. If the horse has one leg raised it is meant to mean that the person died of wounds from the battlefield. If the horse had its both legs raised, the person died in combat. Lastly, if the horse had all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. 

Slovenia

Slovenia

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Slovenia is a country of a little over 2 million that is known for its mountains, ski resorts and lakes. 

Getting here, for us, involved an 8 hour train ride from Budapest through to the capital of Ljubljana. Now this train ride, while long, was relatively pleasant and the scenery out the window was very nice indeed. The Slovenian countryside is fantastic with scenic landscapes popping up virtually every kilometre of the journey. And the tourist shots below (not ours sadly) really show it well, but Jill did manage to get some great bridge and church shots from out of the train window.

Ljubljana  – The city of dragons

The dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana and has pride of place on the city coat of arms and throughout the city.

Legend has it that Ljubljana was founded by Jason (the hero of Greek mythology who stole the golden fleece and fled) with his comrades (the Argonauts). They came across the Black Sea, up the Danube and the Sava until they reached the Ljubljanica. There they dismantled their ship to carry it overland to the Adriatic coast, where they rebuilt it and set sail back to Greece. On their way to the coast, they were forced to stopp (for winter) at a large lake in the marshes near the source of the Ljubljanica. There a dragon was said to dwell, whereupon Jason fought, defeated and killed the monster.

Ljubljana today is Slovenia’s largest city (280,000 people). Car traffic has been restricted in the central area making Ljubljana one of Europe’s greenest and most liveable capitals, not to mention ideal for pedestrians. The Ljubljanica River flows through the city’s heart and in summer, cafes set up terrace seating along the river.

The main show in town is the Ljubljana Castle which sits atop the 375 meter hill overlooking oldtown. Originally a medieval fortress, it is thought to have been constructed in the 11th century and then rebuilt in the 12th century. Most of it today dates to the 16th century after it was again rebuilt after an earthquake. Over the centuries, the castle has played an important role and remained a symbol of the city.

Because it was not a home of a ruler or another important noble person and because a fortification in the area was no longer required, the castle started to lose its importance. The maintenance costs were too high so the castle began to crumble. From the top there are some fairly spectacular views over the entire city.

The easiest way to get up to the castle is by using the 70m-long  funicular.

 It goes from Krek Square near the centre of the old town and the Ljubljana Central Market to the Ljubljana Castle.

It is a one minute ride up or a 6 minute wait between trips. About 30 can ride at a time and there are massive queues at the bottom if you wait too long to get up and get moving.

The Dragon Bridge is a vehicle bridge that is adorned with four giant sheet-copper dragon statues.

There are also sixteen smaller dragon statues that can be found on the bridge.

It was built at the beginning of the 20th century when Ljubljana was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Butchers’ Bridge is Ljubljana’s love bridge. It is a place where countless couples have symbolically padlocked their love and dropped the keys into the river Ljubljanica, which flows underneath.

The Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) was built to open up the city to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Today vehicles have been banned and is now solely for pedestrians.

The Cobbler’s Bridge is the oldest bridge in Ljubljana, connecting two areas of the medieval town. In olden times, cobblers would display their shoes on this bridge.

And all around the old town area are the usual mix of funky bridges, statues and old buildings (that have now been repurposed into banks and shops etc).

Slovenian waiters are amazing. Over two different nights we saw two different groups behave atrociously in the restaurants that we had gone to. The first night was a big storm that took away the ability to seat people externally and a Spanish group of 4 parents and 4 children demanded to be seated inside, while around 30 other people waited patiently. Needless to say they had failed the attitude test and were sent away to find another place to eat.

The second night was at the oldest restaurant in town (started in 1776) when (another Spanish group) four older people came in demanding the world from a table that had only just been vacated but had not been cleared yet (maybe a 30-45 second window). We had finished eating by then and were ready to pay, so we warned our waiter of their entitlement and he just smiled.

His response was that in Slovakia, they did not put up with poor customer behaviour and can and are encouraged to be worse to bad customers.

In Slovakia, there is an abundance of brown bears, so much so that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning has approved the culling of 230 brown bears (in 2023).

The aim is to gradually reduce the country’s brown bear population to prevent major damage and keep people safe.

The meat from the brown bear cull does not go to waste and is harvested for use in restaurants, primarily for the making of bear goulash.

Ok…that was an overly long and politically correct way of saying I ate the brown bear goulash.

Ljubljana was nice. There was plenty to see and do and it was well priced. Not as cheap as Budapest but around 20% of the cost of Switzerland. If you push hard you could probably do the whole tourist run in a day. We were here for two and a half days and enjoyed the leisurely pace and still found enough to amuse ourselves. The people are really helpful, but do not suffer fools lightly. And don’t even try being an entitled westerner at restaurant or who knows what may happen to you.

Hungary

Hungary

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Hungary is one of Europe’s oldest countries having been founded in 896. There is evidence of occupation in the area since 800BC.

Budapest

Budapest only became a city about 150 years ago when three cities (Buda, Pest, and Obuda) came together in 1873. Buda occupies the western bank of the Danube, while Pest is on the eastern bank (Obuda is a lump in the midst of all this). Once they came together there was a rapid advancement in both modernity and technology, however these were done under stringent town planning rules. 

Once again, we were blessed with perfect weather. Upon arrival, we headed out for dinner to a funky little restaurant that had converted an old railway car into the restaurant. It was a traditional Hungarian restaurant, unlike the abundance of pizza and kebab restaurants that seem to have overrun Europe.

Our hotel was at the bottom of the hill on the West Bank of the Danube (broadly) underneath the Fisherman’s Bastion which is one of the must-see attractions. The current version was built in the 19th century as a lookout tower for the best panoramic views in Budapest. On the bastion are seven turrets to represent the seven Hungarian tribes who founded the present day country in 896. There did used to be real castle walls but the present day structure has never served as an actual fortification.

From the Bastion, you get amazing views over the city and down to the Chain Bridge and the Hungarian Parliament Building. Which were both lit up nicely late in the evening after our meal. This is actually a little odd for us. We tend to do all of our sightseeing through the day and then bathe and head out for dinner, crashing or zoning out soon afterwards.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge was built in 1849 and was the first permanent bridge that connected Buda and Pest.

The Hungarian Parliament building is home to Hungary’s legislative body and the Holy Crown, as well as serving as the workplace of 199 MPs and their support staff of 741 people.

The building took 17 years (1885–1902) to build and has become the symbol of Hungary and its capital.

The dome height is 96 metres.

The Parliament House is amazing if only for its sheer size, the width at its broadest point is 123 metres and the wing that runs parallel to the Danube is 271 metres long. The period when it was built coincided with an major economic boom that also saw the building of the Heroes’ Square, Andrássy Avenue, Nyugati Railway Station and several bridges over the Danube. During this time Hungary also opened Europe’s first underground railway (metro). 

A major attraction in Hungary is the existence of thermal baths. Budapest has the most thermal water springs of any other capital city in the world. 

Some of the more famous and well-known ones in the city are the Szechenyi, Gellert, and Kiraly Baths. Across the country, there are more than 1,500 thermal spas. 

High on the hill the Buda Castle can be found. The castle zone is huge and technically includes the Fisherman’s Bastion that we had explored the day before. It is home to the history museum, the National Gallery, Matthias church and much more.

Underneath the castle is an 800 year old labyrinth that is more like an underground city with narrow streets winding confusingly underneath the Buda Castle District.

The Great Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world.

The Children’s railway was set up in the 1940s as a way to train communist children and still operates today. It is a train that is almost entirely run by children ages 10 to 14.

The children must complete a four-month training course to learn how to be conductors, inspectors, and workers. The only adults working there are the station master and the train drivers. The railway takes you on a 45-minute journey to the Buda Hills.

Heroes Square was closed when we were here. We could see it high on the hill from a distance but were unable to make the trek to see it up close.

Construction of St. Stephen’s Basilica began in 1851, in 1868 the cupola collapsed due to defects in materials and craftsmanship, after which works paused for more than a year. Issues and problems plagued its construction but in 1905 the church was finally dedicated. The height of the building is 96 meters.

The Hungarian State Opera House is in the centre of town. Construction began in 1875, funded by the city of Budapest and by the Emperor (Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary) it was opened to the public in 1884.

Shoes on the Danube is a memorial art installation that was installed in 2005.

Wiki tells me that it was done “to honour the Jews who were massacred by fascist Hungarian militia belonging to the Arrow Cross Party in Budapest during the Second World War.

They were ordered to take off their shoes (shoes were valuable and could be stolen and resold by the militia after the massacre), and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away”.

As is our way, we got chatting with the dude at the next table when we had dinner the first night in town.

His name was Akira (from Japan) and he had moved to Budapest, having studied in Prague and now worked in the tourism industry.

He offered to show us around (if we were interested) which of course we were.

So after we had done our day of sight seeing, we met Akira back at Parliament House and did a different version with an informed commentary. We saw some of the same things, but learned some important facts about them, we also saw things that we had obliviously walked past earlier that day.

As an example, after having coffee (well beer for us but coffee for Akira) at one of the two oldest cafe’s in town we wend down a rather unobtrusive and unremarkable set of stairs that we had ambled past. This was the metro line One, the first underground in Europe. It still ran and was heritage listed. While I knew that Budapest had the earliest underground, we had ridden them several times over the earlier days I just expected that it had kept up with the modern technology and did not expect the remnants to still be there let alone still functioning.

In doing my research I had also read about the stringent town planning rules but just accepted that they were and did not question why. Akira explained the importance of the dates. The city was founded in 896 (by the Magyars) and in 1896 Hungary celebrated the millennial anniversary of the Settlement with festivities held across the nation. As such 96 is an important number for the nation. If you think back to my earlier ramblings in this post, 96 is the height of the dome on Parliament House. It is also the height of St Stephen’s Basilica. The rules were set in place so that no building in the newly formed Budapest would be taller than these two buildings.

He also introduced us to the world of Hungarian porcelain, not a ususal pastime of mine but still interesting. We went to a smallish park near the middle of town that were the homes of the two most famous Hungarian porcelain makers (Zsolnay and Herend). Both of which had shops near the park and a fountain in the park highlighting their works.

We also meandered the streets and got the back story behind many of the buildings. But mostly, we got to chat to Akira about his life in Budapest and were able to get a real sense of what life was like living here and (previously) in Prague.

And in between all of the sights, there were the usual mix of very cool old buildings, statues, gargoyles and carvings that we randomly stumble across in our rambling.

We tried to offer Akira some money for his time and effort, but he would not hear of it. The enjoyment that we got from having a private tour cannot be underestimated and our gratitude was real. Let’s hope that he stays as one of our regular travel contacts an that at some point in the future, we may get to reciprocate.

Slovakia

Slovakia

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Slovakia is yet another landlocked country in central Europe, with a population of over 5.4 million.

It is bordered by Poland (north), Ukraine (east), Hungary (south), Austria (southwest), and the Czech Republic (northwest). The country is mostly mountainous (Carpathian Mountains) offering views of wine-growing valleys, picturesque castles, and historical cities. 

In 1536, Bratislava was declared the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Getting to Bratislava from Austria was a breeze, a tiny puddle jump of a bit more than an hour. We hopped off our train and did the 600m walk to our hotel, dropped our bags and hit the streets. Our day started and ended in a sunny manner, but at around 4pm all  hell broke loose as rain tumbled from the skies and flooded the roads, for about an hour.

Bratislava

Bratislava sits on the Danube River by the border with Austria and Hungary. It is the capital of Slovakia and at its heart lies the pedestrian-only, 18th-century old town. This has all of the usual mix of old buildings and churches along with the tourist shops, cafes and bars.

As usual, the big show in town is Bratislava Castle. The first written reference to the city was in 907 but the castle hill was thought to be populated as early as the late Stone Age. The first known inhabitants were the Celts, who founded a fortified settlement here called ‘Oppidum’. In the 16th century, King Ferdinand ordered the rebuilding of the castle in the Renaissance style.

Michael’s Gate is the only preserved 14th century gate of the city fortification system.

The 51-metre-high tower provides a great view of the Castle and Old Town. The tower houses the Museum of Arms.

The SNP Bridge was built in 1967-1972 as a symbol of the Slovak National Uprising. It has a UFO restaurant on top of the 80 metre tall pylon.

The bridge is 432 m long and 21 m wide.

Old Town Hall is the oldest city hall in the country with the tower being built around 1370. It became the town hall in the 15th century when three townhouses were connected.

St. Martin’s Cathedral was the site that ten men were crowned king between 1563 and 1830.

The first reigning king was Maximilian from the Habsburg Dynasty, while the famous era of coronations came to an end for Bratislava with the crowning of Ferdinand V.

Primates Palace was built in the 18th century and today serves as the seat of the Mayor of Bratislava.

It also houses a gallery of 17th century English tapestries.

Grassalkovich Palace was built in 1760 and is now the official residence of the President of the Slovak Republic.

The Blue Church is officially known as the Church of St Elizabeth of Hungary.

The blurb tells me that “It is Bratislava’s most appealing art nouveau building”.

Not sure if I agree.

The Slavin is the largest war memorial in Central Europe. It is 52m tall.

It commemorates the 6845 soldiers who died during the liberation of Bratislava in World War II.

Sadly, due to a tight schedule we never got to Devin Castle. It is a castle ruin on the border with Austria, built on a high rock towering above the merging of the Danube and Morava rivers.

As our luck has been running, we jag being in town for the Bratislava Coronation Celebration, where ceremonies are reenacted by actors and enthusiasts wearing period costumes. It runs over multiple days with events such as jousting (featuring knights in armor), theater and music performances, lectures and exhibitions, and guided tours. We were sadly only in town for the procession.

Bratislava was great, however given its proximity to Vienna and the ease of access, we could easily have done this as a day trip. Hopping a train each way would give you plenty of time to see everything in Bratislava and get back to Vienna in the late afternoon/early evening thereby allowing you to spend more time in Vienna.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

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Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a tiny landlocked country of around 2500 square km and a population of under 650,000.

This makes it both one of the smallest and least populated countries in Europe.

It borders Belgium (west and north), Germany (east) and France (south).

Luxembourg’s recorded history dates back to Roman times but the modern day version is considered to begin in 963. The House of Luxembourg was a royal family that ruled in and around the region for centuries.

There is evidence of primitive inhabitants dating back to the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age over 35,000 years ago. The first real evidence of civilisation is from the Neolithic or 5th millennium BC, from which evidence of houses has been found. 

Originally, the City of Luxembourg was originally built in the mid 10th century as a small fort (the castle). It was built on a steep rocky outcrop at the junction of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers. Due to it’s strategic position it has been occupied and controlled by the Italian, Spanish, Belgian, French, Austrian, Dutch and Prussian. With each iteration and rule various engineers contributed to the fortifications stronghold. The fortress was so strong that at one point it earned the title of “Gibraltar of the North.” 

Luxembourg was one of Europe’s greatest fortified sites between the 16th century until 1867, when its walls were dismantled. The fortifications and the old town have been classified as world heritage sites by UNESCO since 1994. 

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg became a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and in 1949 it also became a founding member of NATO.

This is a catch up as I published this one out of order, we were actually in Luxembourg, before Switzerland but I got the two L’s (Luxembourg and Lichtenstein) mixed up in my head and only just realised (3 countries later) that I had missed this one.

Luxembourg City is modern and the capital of Luxembourg it has done an excellent job of blending history and modern progress. The modern city is a highly efficient and functioning centre of commerce (particularly banking) while the Old Town area has kept the history and beauty of the city alive.

The first thing to know about Luxembourg is that all public transportation is free.  

From our hotel (in the red light district near the train Station) we did the tourist walk towards the Old City to check out what Luxembourg had to offer.

The first thing that we aimed for was the Pont Adolphe Bridge. Originally built between 1900 and 1903 during the rule of Grand Duke Adolphe, the bridge had the biggest stone arch in the world at the time. The big double arch spans more than 85 metres across the Pétrusse valley at a height of 42 metres, and a total length of 153 metres.

Crossing the bridge you come to the Monument of Remembrance, officially known as Gëlle Fra. It is a war memorial dedicated to fallen Luxembourg soldiers. 

At the top of the obelisk is a golden statue of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. She is holding a wreath and looking down on a fallen soldier laying at the base of the pillar.

Constitution Square, or Place De La Constitution is next.

This is a lovely garden built on the site of a former bastion or fortress wall.

At the center of the square the Luxembourg flag waves, towering over the green space.

Across the road is the Notre Dame Cathedral. It took more than 300 years to construct and is free to enter. Looking nothing like the more famous Cathedral with the same name, this one has three towers, stained glass windows, intricately carved pillars, and a vaulted nave.

Place Guillaume and Place d’Armes are the two main squares in Luxembourg City.

Place Guillaume is home to the Luxembourg City Hall. A statue of the former Grand Duke William II riding a horse dominates the eastern half of the square. 

Place Guillaume and Place d’Armes are the two main squares in Luxembourg City. Place Guillaume is home to the Luxembourg City Hall. A statue of the former Grand Duke William II riding a horse dominates the eastern half of the square. 

Place d’Armes is in the heart of the pedestrian zone of Luxembourg City. It is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops. During the holidays, the square hosts a Christmas market and every other Saturday there is a flea market in this central square. 

Grand Ducal Palace was originally Luxembourg City’s first town hall that was built in 1418.

It is the official residence of the grand ducal family.

During the summer months, the Luxembourg City Tourist Office runs exclusive guided tours of the Palace. These 75-minute tours are booked out months in advance. They allow visitors to take a look behind the scenes, including the Grand Duke’s office, the dining room and the “Salon des Rois”.

The money raised from ticket sales is used to support a foundation that supports humanitarian and solidarity initiatives to assist vulnerable people and those in distress, both in the Grand Duchy and in developing countries.

Luxembourg is lovely, there is plenty to see and do but in real terms, you can do the lap within half a day, perhaps a little longer if you do the palace tour. I feel this may be the case for many of the smaller European countries. The train in and out is a breeze, and the free transportation around town makes this place a dream for a quick pop-in and look around.

Luxembourg food

Luxembourg is a very international country, as over the years people have moved here from all areas of the world. Their food is a mix of French, German, and Belgian cuisines, but other countries also feature strongly in restaurants across the country.

This actually blew us away, Luxembourg has delivered the best food that we have eaten all trip. Strangely enough we did not eat traditional but rather we had Syrian and Italian and both were exceptional. We did not eat in flash hotels or restaurants, we picked the local small joints (as we usually do) and were totally blown away with the quality, taste and service that was on offer.

Traditional Luxembourgish cuisine however is deeply rooted in local farming and seasonal produce that include meats, sausages, cheeses, potatoes, cabbage, and beans. Wine, honey, and mustard are also traditionally made throughout the country.

The traditional stuff is a bit more basic and includes things like:

  • Bouneschlupp and Gromperenzopp (Green Bean and Potato Soup),
  • Gromperekichelcher (Potato Pancakes),
  • Bouchée à la Reine (vol-au-vent),
  • Letzeburger Kniddlelen (Luxembourg Dumplings),
  • Wäinzoossiss mat Moschterzooss (Sausage with Mustard and Wine Sauce)

Given that the local stuff was a bit stodgy, I had not planned to do a food section here. But the stuff we ate and the service that they gave was phenomenal. Having come out of North America where you are expected to pay a minimum of 18% extra for service as a tip, not one lot of service (that we paid for) came close to what we got here in Luxembourg as part of the experience.

There is real pride taken in both the service and the products that are brought to your table. In fact, even at our dodgy neighbourhood Italian joint, we were served with a porcini mushroom mousse as a free appetiser while we considered the menu. If there are any foodies reading along, put Luxembourg on your list.

Austria

Austria

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Austria is a small landlocked country that is bordered by Germany (northwest), Czechia (north), Slovakia (northeast), Hungary (east), Slovenia and Italy (south), and Switzerland and Liechtenstein (west).

With a population of around 9 million the country has a history that dates back to pre-roman times.

Vienna

Before I get into the post proper there are two points that have jumped to the surface virtually straight away. Number One. We have massively underdone our timing for this place and will absolutely need to come back at some point. Number Two. One post is not enough for this city. As soon as we got to town and took a look at St. Stephens Cathedral we quickly realised that to do it justice this church warranted a post all on its own. Same goes for the palaces.

The first thing that struck us was the price. We can live again. Having left Switzerland where everything was obscenely priced, Vienna was quite reasonable, cheap even. Our beer price was cut in 3 and the food prices were similarly reasonable. Don’t get me wrong, we still probably paid back home prices for our meals, but we weren’t being anally probed every time we left our room.

Vienna has been called the “City of Music” as many famous classical musicians such as Schubert, Beethoven and Mozart called Vienna home. It was also home to Sigmund Freud (the world’s first psychoanalyst).

Vienna’s history dates back to the Roman era but most of what is there today came about under the rule of Empress Maria Theresia (1740 – 1780) and later Franz Joseph (1848 – 1916), who was largely responsible for the monumental architecture in the city’s centre.

St. Stephens Cathedral

This was the first sight that we visited and quickly realised that we were going to undercook this post. Originally built in the 1100’s and then further added to in the 1300’s this cathedral is phenomenal. Every wall, every aspect, every angle has a different story to tell. Built right in the heart of town, to say this place is popular would be an understatement.

The Hofburg Palace was the one time principal palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Smack Bang in the middle of town it was built in the 13th century and has been expanded several times since. Since 1946, it has been the official residence and workplace of the president of Austria.

Within the Hofburg Palace you can see the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum, Imperial Treasury (with the crown of the Holy Roman Empire), State Hall of the National Library, the Spanish Riding School and the World Museum.

In front of the palace is the Heldenplatz or heroes square.

Also in the middle of everything is the Museum Quarter. This is a huge area with massively impressive buildings on all sides.

The Schönbrunn Palace (meaning “beautiful spring”) was the summer residence of the Hapsburg dynasty. The palace has 1441 rooms and vast gardens and is the most visited tourist destination in Vienna, and once again we undercooked out time and this could have been an entire post on its own.

The Ringstraße is a 5.3 km ring road that was designed by Emperor Franz Joseph to replace the old city walls. It was built in between the 1860s and 1890s. Some of the main buildings that occupy space on the Ringstrasse include: The Vienna State Opera, Academy of Fine Arts, Palace of Justice, Austrian Parliament Building, Rathaus (Town Hall), Burgtheater, University of Vienna, and Wiener Börse (Stock Exchange).

The Rathaus (City Hall) of Vienna  was built between 1872 and 1883 in the gothic style, with a tower similar to cathedrals.

The Votive Church is a neo-Gothic church that was built and consecrated in 1879, on the day of the Silver Wedding of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth.

It was apparently built as a token of gratitude after a failed attempt to assassinate Emperor Franz Joseph.

The Liebenberg Monument was made in 1887 to honour a civil servant dating back to the 1600’s.

It is a nine-meter tall red granite obelisk with the goddess of victory on the top and a portrait of Liebenberg with two angels and a life-sized bronze lion on the base.

Austrian Parliament Building was completed in 1883.  It has over one hundred rooms including the Chambers of the National Council and the Federal Council.

Belvedere Palace

This one we were unable to get to as time saw us way too pushed. But the Belvedere Palace was built as a summer residence for the prince Eugene of Savoy. The complex actually contains two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables.   It is now home to an art museum

Long story short, Vienna was amazing, but we did not heave enough time to see all of the things that were on offer. I guess the worst part of that scenario is that we will have to come back and spend some more time exploring, more fully.

And on a final note, Vienna really knows how to put on a horse statue.

Switzerland

Switzerland

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Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a small country of 41,000 square km and a population of under 9 million.

It is bordered by Italy (south), France (west), Germany (north) and Austria and Liechtenstein (east). Once again I was here in 1996 but had a single stop in the Swiss Alps (with no real recollection of which mountain).

A Google search of similar trips to the one I took suggests that the mountain was most likely Jungfrau.

Sargens

This was a quick stop off as we transited towards Liechtenstein. Sargens is a small village of a bit over 6,000 people that serves as a fairly major transportation hub.

Sargans is known for its castle, which dates from before 1291. Since 1899, it has been run by the local church and now houses the Sarganserland museum.

Zurich

Zurich is at the northern tip of Lake Zurich on the Limmat River and is a global centre for banking and finance. And oh my god isn’t that obvious!

This place expensive.

Seriously expensive.

Our first exposure to the city was an economic one. The prices charged here in Geneva are obscene at best and when you couple this with a rubbish exchange rate it makes Zurich almost out of reach for us poor Australians. One Swiss Franc will cost you $1.70 Australian and the prices that you pay back home are generally a lot lower than the ones charged here.

We checked into our hotel and did the usual search for nearby restaurants for dinner. This is where the wheels fell off. An entree soup was 15 francs ($25) and the cheapest steak was 56 francs ($95). Ok time to recalibrate our expectations here. How about a pizza – starts at 19.50 ($33), ok how about a burger – starts at 16.50 ($28), umm maybe a salad – starts at 26 ($44).

Oh, this is going to hurt. We found a kebab shop nearby, they’re cheap right. So we went and bought a (very ordinary) kebab and a soft drink each. The final bill came to 36 francs ($61.30). Anyway, we were fed and would be out in 2 days.

The next thing that we got to experience properly was the public transport system. As we were staying a few km from the centre we chose to tram it in and out of town to the train station and walk from there. This was both easy and efficient. The train station is truly something to behold. It is split over 3 levels with 15 train lines coming in and out of each level, 44 lines in total.

Zurich certainly has a stunning location on the shores of Lake Zurich and the historic old town with amazing buildings is right in its center.

There are about 50 museums and 100 art galleries within the city to keep you amused if your interests run that way. And if you’re after rest and relaxation, you can be in the Swiss mountains in less than an hour.

The twin towers of the Grossmünster are one of the most recognisable images of the city.

According to legend, Charlemagne discovered the graves of the city’s patron saints Felix and Regula and had a church built on the spot.

Construction started in around 1100 and it finished around 1220.

The Fraumünster church in Zürich which was built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853.

After the Reformation, the Fraumünster came into the possession of the city.

The Bahnhofstrasse is the main shopping street that connects Lake Zurich with the train station, Zurich Hardbrücke. It runs a distance of 1.4 kilometres with all of the usual high end boutiques, department stores and watch shops.

St. Peter’s church is the oldest parish church in Zurich.

The original foundation walls from the 9th century are still visible under the choir.

It also has the largest church clock face in Europe (measures 8.7meters in diameter). There are five bells in the tower, dating from 1880.

Beyond the big ticket items, there are lovely old buildings with amazing architecture and styling almost everywhere you look. The people tend to keep to themselves but are mostly friendly, if a little stand offish.

Our time in Zurich was really nice. Getting around was a breeze thanks to a super-efficient (if a little confusing at times) tram system. The old town was a great wander as was the newer section (although we had no interest in the high end shops). The only real detraction was the price. It quite literally costs about 3 times more for anything that you would get back home.

Our meal situation was overcome by going to Lidl and Co-op and buying groceries. The hotel gave us a well priced ($26 a head) continental breakfast which saw us set up for the day and the shopping run got us through the rest of the day reasonably painlessly. It is amazing how far cheese, tomato, avocado and some decent bread rolls will get you. On our last evening we did treat ourselves to some local beers, but I still ate a ($12) salad in my room.

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein

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Liechtenstein is the sixth smallest nation in the world. With a population of under 40,000 it is wedged between Austria and Switzerland with an area of just over 160 square kilometres and is only 25 km long.

In reality it is a narrow strip of land in the valley between mountains. It is little more than a suburb in an Australian context.

While tiny, Liechtenstein is one of the world’s richest country per capita. It got to this point historically by acting as a tax haven. International pressure has forced compliance to international standards and in recent years it has taken steps to shake off its image as a tax haven and to reposition itself as a legitimate financial centre.

Getting to Liechtenstein – as mentioned, Liechtenstein does not have an airport, nor does it have a railway station. So to get here we had to catch a train from Zurich to the small swiss town of Sargans where we hopped on a bus for the remaining 20 minute ride into the capital.

Balzers

The bus ride to Vaduz took us through the small village of Balzers (under 5000 people). The main claim to fame of Balzers is that it is the home of the Gutenberg Castle. The castle was built in the 12th century on a rocky hill right in the centre of the village.

Gutenberg Castle one of the five castles of Liechtenstein and one of two that have survived intact.

Unlike Vaduz Castle it does not serve as a residence of the princely family and is open to the public as a museum.

Weird Facts

In doing my research before coming here I came up with a bunch of things that I was not expecting.  For example, there is only one listed billionaire in Liechtenstein, and his wealth is worth 50% of the country’s GDP. He became a billionaire by making dental products, because of this, Liechtenstein is the world’s largest manufacture of false teeth, making 20 per cent of sales worldwide.

Everyone gets to party in the big castle once a year.

Every year on Staatsfeiertag (Liechtenstein’s national holiday), the palace throws open its doors and invite all 39,000 residents (and anyone else willing to make the journey) to the Castle in Vaduz Castle.

Other weird things included:

  • According to stats by July 2022 there were 38,300 internet users , equal to 100% of the principality’s population.
  • It doesn’t have its own airport
  • It has an official 90-minute lunch break from noon until 1.30 pm.
  • The national anthem (Oben am jungen Rhein) is set to the same melody as the British anthem “God Save the Queen”. 
  • Women only recently (1984) got the vote

Vaduz

Vaduz is the capital and is located along the Rhine River and has less than 6,000 residents. In reality the place is a main street with two others running parallel. For those in Australia the size of this Capital City is the equivalent of places like Cootamundra, Biloela or Nuriootpa and is a bit smaller than Beaudesert. The most prominent landmark is Vaduz Castle which is perched atop the hill overlooking the city. It is home to the reigning prince of Liechtenstein and at the time we visited, was covered in scaffolding.

Navigating the heart of Vaduz is akin to walking down the mall of a small town, but with better quality artwork.

Apart from the castle up the hill, the main show in town is the Cathedral of St. Florin. It is a neo-Gothic church that was built in 1874 and was upgraded to a cathedral in 1997.

Other than that there are some nice buildings (town hall, government house etc), some interesting gardens and some cool cafes and restaurants.

All things considered, Liechtenstein was quite nice. There was no massive drawcard to pull you here, but given its proximity and that it doesn’t take too long to see it was worth popping in to. It was a quick and simple way to add another country to our ever-growing list on our way to reach the magic 100.

Belgium

Belgium

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Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a tiny country of 30,528 square km and a population of around 11.5 million.

It is bordered by the Netherlands (north), Germany (east), Luxembourg (southeast), France (southwest), and the North Sea (northwest). It is most known for its beers, waffles, and chocolates.

Brussels

I came here on my first trip to Europe back in 1996. But as it was one of those whirlwind tours of Europe, my recollections of this and other places is quite low. While those tours show you a lot, they blur together quickly and short of a camera roll tick box there is very little that really sticks in your mind, other than you had been there.

The most recognisable thing to see in all of Belgium is a two foot tall, bronze statue of a boy taking a leak.

It is called the Manneken Pis and is about my only real recollection of coming here the first time around.

The tourist blurb even tells me that it has his own dresser and thousands of different costumes for any occasion imaginable. The chances of seeing him dressed in something eye-catching are quite high.

It is near the Grand Place (which I am sure I saw but don’t really recall) in Brussels. As we buzzed past this time, the Grand Palace was covered in scaffolding.

Antwerp

Antwerp is the largest city in Belgium by area and historical records show occupation since the 2nd century. For us though it was a series of flying visits (several visits all with little or no time) as many of our trains transited through the place. The station is amazing with multiple tiers of platforms all running on top of each other. Space is a premium and they have have responded accordingly.

Antwerp has been known as the diamond capital of the world for several centuries. The diamond trade in the port started nearly 500 years ago when the first rough stones were brought over from India. today 85% of the world’s rough diamonds, 50% of the polished diamonds, and 40% of industrial diamonds are passing through the diamond district — highlighting its status as the diamond capital of the world.

Ghent

Ghent is the third largest city in Belgium and primarily functions as a port and university city. It dates back to the middle ages and was originally built at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Leie. Ghent is a compact city with all attractions within walking distance from one another.

there are Two tourist quarters – the Historical Centre which has the historical buildings and monuments and the Arts Quarter which has the main museums.

This place is amazing. We came on a day when there was two separate music festivals on and the next day was the Belgian National day. To say the place was hopping was an understatement. The town is full of stunning old buildings and castles, which (without a ton of temporary stages and bars set up around them) would have made for some fantastic photos.

We dodged the human traffic of the festivals and did our best to hit the big tourist spots. We managed to get near the old Fish Market, Kunsthal (13th century Monastery), Lievekaai St Antoniuskaai (a really funky bridge and canal) St Bavo’s Cathedral, Belfry, museum, Saint Nicholas Church, St James Church, and Town Hall.

Without a doubt the highlight for me was the temporary (or at least I hope that they were) urinals that were set up in the middle of the street.

No walls, no privacy just a 4 way trough plugged directly into the sewer system. How else do you deal with large numbers of people drinking and partying in the heart of town.

Not sure what the ladies were supposed to do. I didn’t see any alternative options.

Ok so the real top pick was probably the Castle of Counts. This is a medieval fortress, right in the heart of town, with its defence system virtually intact. Its history dates back to the Roman occupation. The coolest bit was that in 1949 it was occupied by students in a siege situation. They were protesting a rise in beer prices.

Graffiti Street is an area designated to street art, some of which is fantastic. Others however are just senseless defacement. And in a city where an area has been set aside for such pursuits, the senseless stuff still spills over into the surrounding streets, defacing an otherwise charming little town.

Bruges (Brugge)

As Ghent was not very big, and Bruges was a short 30 minute train ride away, the next day we hopped the rattler and headed into Bruges. We got up early (on the Belgium National Day) and headed off to check the place out. The Belgian National day marks the anniversary of the investiture of Leopold I as the first King of the Belgians in 1831. It is a public holiday and saw masses of people flooding into Bruges.

Bruges is Belgium’s most preserved medieval town, and its beautiful architecture attracts more than two million visitors every year. From our perspective, this is the pick of all the places that we have seen so far. In every part of the old city and the path towards it, this is by far the prettiest city that we have seen since beginning our travels.

As we were there on the National Day and the day after the finishing of a major festival, we did not see Bruges at its best. There were temporary structures and scaffolding up around the main square (Jan van Eyck Square) and all of the catering elements were still in place or being pulled down. Despite all of this, we still thought it was the prettiest town that we had visited. We were able to see past the mess to the town underneath, and it was stunning.

Getting around Bruges is pretty easy.

The walking is calm, easy and flat and the Canal boats are simple to find and easy to ride.

But if you really want to get around the horse and cart options are a charming way clip clop along the cobblestoned streets.

The biggest issue you will face when visiting is that there are a number of towers and not a lot of room to photograph them. So you spend a lot of time taking upward photos that really do not do the target structures justice.

The Belfry of Bruges stands right in the heart of town and is 83 meters tall. Built in the 15th century there is a 366-step climb to the top that is usually available (but not on the day we were here. On the hour the tower rings out a peal from the bells. 

As you can see from our photo trucks and scaffolding were ruining our photos, but not detracting from the charm and architecture.

Bruges Markt has been holding a weekly market since 1985. The guild houses have all been converted into restaurants around the outside. 

The view of the main canal from the St Boniface Bridge.

While the bridge is fairly modest, its position along the canal makes it a favourite as it provides canal views as well as views of the Church of Our Lady.

It was built in the early-20th-century.

Basilica of the Holy Blood is home to a phial which is said to carry a cloth soaked in Jesus Christ’s blood.

The 112-meter-high spire of the Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk) is the tallest in Belgium.

Work began on the nave and aisles around 1230, the outermost aisles and chapels were added in the 14th and 15th centuries.

The Madonna of Bruges is a marble sculpture by Michelangelo of the Virgin and Child.

It now sits in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium.

Sadly this was not open due to the Denmark day festivities.

Bruges is lovely

The one thing that Bruges has a ton of is the high end chocolatiers, they are almost everywhere. The next most common stores are the tourist trinket shops and then the waffle houses.

And of course, who could leave Belgium without sampling one of their infamous Belgian Waffles.

Belgian Beer

When it comes to beer, Belgium is the king. The country counts more than 200 active breweries, including the world’s largest brewer (AB InBev) and dozens of small local breweries, some centuries old. This number then further increased since the recent specialty beer fad came to town.

The most known abbey beers are Trappist beers (which can only be brewed within the abbey walls). Trappists are one of the many religious orders in Belgium. Many beers can also be sold with different alcohol content, starting at 5-6% and going as high as 11-12%.

Like the Dutch, the Belgians have embraced the special glass for each beer (not sure which one actually came first). Whichever one of them started it, it is a fantastic way of taking the beer-drinking experience to another level.

There are over 1600 registered beers in Belgium. While we were able to dip our toe into this pool, that is about as good as we could get. A few days does not allow for two people to make a dent in a list of 1600+.

The right glass

The Belgian experience suggests that the glasses help bring out the best in your beer.  

Different types of beer glasses help compliment different styles.  

With the right combination of beer and glass, the aroma, taste and steady carbonation of the beer will be greatly complimented. The blurb suggest that you “Think of the glass as a suit or dress that fits you SO WELL and calls attention to all the right parts, showing no flaws”.  

That is the job of the glass.

Travelling the world in a pre and post COVID state