Europe | Viator Travel Blog

Atlas Obscura: Cemetery Edition

30. October 2009

This month, Atlas Obscura leads us through the dark alleys of Highgate Cemetery in London, St. Sebastian’s Cemetery in Salzburg, and Merry Cemetery, Romania. Happy Halloween!

All My Roads Lead to Dubrovnik

27. October 2009

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Dubrovnik, in Croatia, just keeps pulling me back in. For starters it’s beautiful; for another thing there are a few different ways to experience it. In the past I’ve always stayed in or near the old town (Grad). The walled old city is so spectacularly beautiful that to wake up in the morning and look out the window at all that history is magical.

Reykjavik, Iceland: Top Things to Do

23. October 2009

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Reykjavik (Reykjavík), despite its tiny population, is a very cosmopolitan place for being tucked away in distant Iceland. The nightlife in Reykjavik is legendary. And when the sun is out, the mustards and crimsons of its corrugated houses sit in happy contrast with the Nordic blue of the summer sky. Reykjavik is an awfully pretty town to meander through.

Madrid’s Top 5 Day Trips

20. October 2009

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The Spanish capital, Madrid, isn’t exactly short of things to do. But for those who have got a little more time to explore, there are some awesome day trips from Madrid available. There are a series of interesting cities that are either a short distance away or can be reached in surprisingly quick times via high speed train. Whether it’s mosques, cathedrals and castles or a carnivorous feast on local specialities, these cities have plenty to offer. And then there are the royal and literary hang-outs that are just on Madrid’s door step...

Jack the Ripper Tour of London. Boo.

19. October 2009

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It was a dark and blustery day in this dirty old town. Time was ripe to do something dangerous, weird and sinister. Well, perhaps I would just go and listen to something like that. I love all the crazy stories of London – if you have read Dickens you will know it have always been a throbbing hub of criminality and destitution. It still often feels that way as many of the buildings are remnants of times gone by, good and bad.

Bizarre Germany: Odd Things To See & Do

13. October 2009

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So you've ticked off the wall in Berlin, the Oktoberfest, the Rhine cruise and all manner of stunning castles and cathedrals? Well, you’ve only just scratched the surface of Germany – and the way to get the most out of the rest is to make things a little weirder. We’ve picked out eight of the most bizarre places to visit in Germany and they’re far from the usual suspects.

London’s Market Madness

12. October 2009

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As some kinda twisted stroke of luck would have it, turns out that all this time I’ve been disdaining large public gatherings of people and especially in those unseemly dives round London, I’d been sitting on some kinda gold. Got the word on the intramanet that these things called markets, and London – well, it's the hot spot that gots the lot.

Rome’s Gladiator School

9. October 2009

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The Gladiator School (Scuola di Gladiotori) in Rome is nestled very appropriately off the ancient Roman road of the Appia Antica, where cars and buses still roar over the original paving stones that make up this ancient via. The school is like a genuine little fortress, complete with its wooden ramparts constructed from sharpened wooden logs.

The Castles and Palaces of Denmark

1. October 2009

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Who among us can honestly say that the idea of living Happily Ever After™ as a fairytale Prince or Princess in a bejeweled castle holds no appeal? Not I, good reader, not I. After years of vicarious tabloid-browsing and a steady diet of Handsome-Prince-Marries-Accidental-Princess stories since childhood, the idea of donning glass slippers and going to the ball has always held a magical appeal for me. So, on a recent visit to Denmark, home to one of the world’s oldest royal families and jam-packed with castles and palaces, it seemed only right that I indulge my fantasies and visit a royal residence or three.

Atlas Obscura: DYI Temples, Castles, Cathedrals

30. September 2009

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Atlas Obscura: DYI Temples, Castles, Cathedrals

For those of you anxiously awaiting this next installment of wonder-inspiring, off-the-beaten-path places that don’t make it into traditional guidebooks. This week's Atlas Obscura theme is self-built temples (in Italy), castles (in the U.S.) and cathedrals (in Spain)!