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Top 5 Things to do in Krakow and its surroundings
Krakow is one of the most beautiful cities in Eastern Europe. Its markets, its almost-medieval streets and squares full of flowers will definitively charm you. A few miles away from Krakow, you’ll want to pay a visit to The Wieliczka Salt Mine and the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau, which will surely give you goosebumps. Photo: http://www.krakau.travel/ Short trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau It is impossible not to think of torture, pain and death when visiting the Polish concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau. Upon arrival, a welcome sign that says: “Arbeit Macht Frei” meaning “Work will make you free”, will catch you off guard. Those who were forced to come to these concentration camps thought they came to work. You will be at the greatest horror museum ever known, one of the cruelest of the Holocaust. 13 out of 30 barracks, where Jews were crowded, are still intact, as well as the gas chambers, the crematoria and the railway tracks. The smell is one of the things I remember best about this place. Auschwitz and Birkenau smell of tragedy. The Wieliczka Salt Mine If you travel to Poland you should pay a visit to the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, which is located about 15 kilometers on the southeast of Krakow. You don’t want to miss this underground city located hundreds of meters underground in a whitish salt mine with a depth of 327 meters and a length of 300 kilometers. Down there you’ll find dozens of galleries, sculptures of saltpeter, an underground lake and even (although it may sound crazy) a cathedral. They call it the Underground...
App of the month: City Maps 2Go
At Only-apartments we want to make an effort to make travelling better. Whether you are travelling with your family, your partner or friends it is safe to assume that the smartphone has become an indispensable travel companion. For this reason we have decided to review a new app every month to help you get more out of your trips. The app of this month is City Maps 2Go – an app for iOS and Android that lets you download maps on a mobile device which can then be used anytime without data connection. This review is by our Content Editor Maike. My View: Let me just start by saying that I have personally not been able to use the app on a trip yet, BUT so far it has come in very handy to share tips with anyone visiting me in Barcelona. Here is why: The maps are accesible without data connection and there is lots of useful information neatly organized in categories such as Food, Shops, Nightlife, Architecture etc. But what I find the most useful is that you can add your own pins to the map to which you can add ratings and reviews that you can later share with other users . Particularly in the summer months I receive a lot of visitors. Unfortunately, I can’t always spend as much time as I would like with them. While they’re on holidays, I usually am still in my full-on routine and they go off exploring the city without me. To me one of the great things of living here is being able to share “insider information” that...
The Top 3 Artificial Beaches in Europe
The Top 3 Artificial Beaches in Europe
Costa Brava and Costa Dorada – Experience beautiful Catalonia beyond Barcelona!
Many people, who think of travelling to Spain on holiday, have Barcelona as one of their main destinations, which although beautiful and charming, it is only one of the many destinations in the region of Catalonia. Today we’ll discover Costa Brava and Costa Dorada. Photo: Horrabin Costa Brava The Costa Brava, which literally means “the wild coast”, is a beautiful 160km coastline located in northern Catalonia. Being part of the province of Gerona, Costa Brava offers countless white sandy beaches, breathtaking landscapes and a sun that never stops shining that make this Catalan region the perfect destination for a romantic or family holiday. Some of the major towns that compose Costa Brava are San Feliu de Guixols, Cadaqués, Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar, among many others. These towns are ideal places to enjoy medieval architecture, beaches, water sports and an unsurpassed cuisine, which entice tourists from all around the world. In Costa Brava the weather is simply great for any activity or sport outdoors, whether going golfing, hiking into the mountains, riding bicycles or walking on the beautiful beaches, you’ll always find the right place to do it, no matter if it is on the many nature reserves in the area, or in the depths of the sea. The natural beauty of its landscapes is simply unmatched. Don’t miss the Marine Reserve from Medes Islands. Other important reserves are the Parque Natural dels Aiguamolls and the Parque Natural del Cap de Creus. Charming places like the former fishing village of Cadaqués, which became famous by the works of Dali, seem to be frozen in time, while we...
Eat with Locals in Tel Aviv
Anyone who wants to go beyond standard tourism seeks to experience a culture directly. This means you need to spend some time with the locals and search out the best food a city has to offer, which is, of course, easier said than done. For your next trip to Tel Aviv, however, all of this can be easily accomplished. Foto: austinevan Everyone knows that a good meal cooked at home by someone who cooks well and cares deeply about the quality of the food they serve is better than experience you can have in just about any restaurant, where you will just be one of a large number of guests being served. Through EatWith Israel, you can arrange to eat in the home of an “EatWith certified host”, someone who has passed the company’s standard and safety measures. These hosts invite you to their homes to enjoy a meat that they will prepare specially for you and their other guests. This is a great option for a variety of travelers. It is great for groups to have a fun evening out together without having to worry about where to go or making restaurant reservations. At the same time, it is perfect for solo travelers who can join a group of other individuals looking for a new and fun experience. Here, you will be guaranteed interesting dinner conversation. Budget travelers will also like the options presented since most hosts allow you to bring your own alcohol, which can often be the most expensive item on your bill at a restaurant. And families with young children will like this option as...
5 alternative places to visit in Riga
It is always nice to find local places that aren’t focused on tourism in the holiday destinations where we go. Those are the places that remain in memory and are recalled immediately when we think of our travel experience. If you plan on traveling to Riga, here are some alternative places off the tourist route that will certainly remain engraved in our memory every time we hear or see something related to Riga. 1 Pulkvedis Riga is a city that has a well-deserved reputation as a great place to party. Being a popular destination for party animals, all year round, there are many groups of tourists and stag parties who gather in the largest nightclubs in the city. If you want to find a place that locals frequent in the city, go to Pulkvedim Neviens neraksta (Peldu iela 26-28), better known as Pulkvedis, which means “no one writes to the colonel” . This is where the most bohemian and alternative locals gather to celebrate. Here you’ll have the chance to enjoy varied music on its two floors, like rock. Hip-hop and electronic, surely you’ll find what you’re looking for. Also, the decor and ambiance of the place is great and certainly you’ll want to visit this place twice. 2 Central Market If you want to shop at a really typical and authentic place, the Central Market is perfect for you. Here you can buy the freshest food in the city at very low prices, as well as to observe firsthand how is the local’s day to day. Moreover, the market is located in the Russian quarter of Riga,...
Europe’s Best Cycling Cities
One of the biggest challenges you’ll face in your travels is navigation. Each new city presents its own unique system of taxis, busses and subways – and the occasional pedicabs, monorails, and trams. When you know little of the city and less of the language, public transport can be a confusing, frightening headache. Just about anywhere you go though, there’s an alternative to public transport: the bicycle. Not only can you navigate the cities of Europe at your leisure, but you can explore far off the beaten path. Areas that you might have missed are suddenly accessible, so you’ll end up seeing far more of the culture. All across the great continent of Europe, you’ll find fantastic spots to cycle. Many towns maintain dedicated bike lanes, and a growing number of locals rely solely on bicycles for transportation. Because of this, you’ll find great cycling opportunities in most every city; however, we’ve found a few that really stand out from the rest. Without further ado, here are our top picks for Europe’s best cycling cities: 1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands Of all European cities, the Dutch capital is unrivaled for its bike-friendliness. In fact, bicycling is possibly the best way to get around the city. The city is almost completely flat, and the only upgrades you’ll find are canal bridges. Bike lanes crisscross the city, offering unlimited access to every nook and cranny. And of course, you can hire a bike just about anywhere. Bike City, for example, offers stylish black Dutch-made bikes at the reasonable rate of €13.50 for a half-day. 2. Reykjavik, Iceland If you’re looking for safe...
App of the month: Everplaces
At Only-apartments we´re keen to make travelling better – easier, more rewarding, better value, and fun – and with a world of apps out there, our mobile phones can be our best friend. So, every month on our blog we´ll be reviewing a new app that we think helps you get more out of your trips. Let us know what you think! Our first app of the month is Everplaces – an app for the iPhone and Android that helps you to store and share your favourite places, reviewed by our Comms manager Rosie. My view: I think I might get addicted to Everplaces. In a nutshell, it’s an easy way for anyone with a smartphone to get hold of some great local tips, and share their own, in a gorgeous looking interface. Everplaces has 11 categories of “place”, including Architecture, Design and Culture. I’ve spent most of my time in perusing Food and Drink, which is a goldmine for people like me, who like eating well but don’t have a Michelin-star budget. I´m also slightly obssessive about sharing my own restaurant tips – as a Brit in Barcelona, I see every day how easy it is to eat badly due to shyness or lack of knowledge, and because this upsets me so much I frequently find myself emailing a huge list of tapas bars out to visiting friends of friends to save them from a similar fate. (The problem with Barcelona is that the best bars and restaurants often have the most unassuming exteriors, but of course, the worst ones do too!) So it was great to have...
Valentine’s Day in Tokyo
The great city of Tokyo has, like almost every city in the world, some important dates when its inhabitants celebrate a normal day as it were something really special. Included among these is February 14, Valentine’s Day, a date when lovers celebrate each other. Thousands of gifts are exchanged on this day, expressing the love that each part in a couple has for the other. And things are no different in the Japanese capital. But gifts there take a different form. Gifts are required as in any other place in the world, but here they are very specific. On Valentine´s Day the girls give the boys a chocolate. Yes, only the girls give the gift, and not only to their partners, but also to all the males they work with, including their colleagues and even the boss himself. This type of gift is called giri-choko, while if the gift is for the couple it’s called honmei-choko. It’s a sweet gift that like everything else stems from a company interested in selling their own products. This celebration has been taking place for about 55 years. And the city’s stores shelves are decorated with black chocolate delights, ensuring that no girl will forget to buy a gift for her beloved … and her coworkers. Everything from allegorical figures to cakes and all sorts of products made with this succulent food are displayed in all the major stores in Tokyo as well as the pastry shops and any other place. The demand is so high that they have started importing chocolates from other countries, including Spain, in...
