When my family and I are back in America, we spend a lot of time in Harlem, New York City, so on a recent trip to Amsterdam, we were curious to take a fifteen minute train ride to see Haarlem, the New York neighborhood’s namesake from back in the distant days when Dutch was the lingua franca of the Big Apple.

Haarlem,  just 20 kilometers west of Amsterdam, is extremely easy to reach and a great Europe destination. Trains depart approximately every 15 minutes from Amsterdam’s Centraal Station (round-trip tickets are 7.50 euro adults/ 3 euro children). Although Haarlem is the Netherlands’ eighth largest city, it’s a European city with small town charm that makes for a pleasant Amsterdam day trip from the busy capital.

Grote Markt is the picturesque main town square. We were unfortunate not to have been here on a Saturday, when the entire square is the site of a large and colourful outdoor market. My Europe travel tip would be to try to make it here for the market, which must be lovely in this dramatic town square.

One of the draws of Haarlem is the Gothic cathedral, Sint-Bavokerk. The cathedral is also famous for its flamboyant, 18^th century  pipe organ, said to be among the best organs in the world. Famous musicians and composers who have performed here, including Händel and the then-10-year-old Mozart,  have confirmed this claim, expressing their enthusiasm for the organ’s superb quality.

Haarlem was also home to the Golden Age Dutch artist Frans Hals (1580 -1666) and the excellent Hals Museum (open daily 11:00– 17:00, Adults 7.50 euro ) contains the largest collection of his paintings in the world.

It’s pleasant to walk around this small city and to wander around the banks of the Spaarne River. My Europe tip is to enjoy a few hours here exploring picturesque Haarlem.

Brittany’s coasts with towns such as the medieval Vannes are – justifiably – extremely popular with tourists. Yet Brittany also boasts an interesting interior, replete with Brittany attractions such as beautiful churches and castles, charming towns and landscapes and locations from Arthurian legend; nevertheless, most tourists never make it here to sample some authentic Breton culture.

On a two-week trip to Brittany, we chose to base ourselves in Brittany’s interior and take day trips within the interior and to the more popular coasts. We loved both, but considered it a real advantage to intersperse the extremely crowded coastlines with the tranquility of beautiful inland destinations. Here are some Europe travel tips for inland Brittany:

Huelgoat Forest

This stunning area of giant, moss-covered boulders, towering trees, brooks and waterfalls is a lovely place to go walking on well-marked paths leading into the forest. Climb down the steep descent to the Grotte du Diable (Devil’s cave). There are numerous signs pointing out the areas connected to the legend of King Arthur.

Photo courtesy driopresenta

Le Faouët

The town itself, south of Carhaix, is known for its 16^th century halles (covered market), right on the town’s central square. It is one of the few wooden structures of this type and period surviving to this day and it is still used as a marketplace. The town is best known for two nearby churches and both merit a visit.

The 16^th century Chapel of Saint Barbara, outside of the town, is an architectural gem and is nestled on a hill, in a panoramic spot overlooking the Ellé River. Since we were there with our children and were joined by French friends with their young children in tow, the real highlight was the bell tower. Since we were the only people there, the kids had a great time ringing the big, heavy bell to their hearts’ content.

Just 2 km south of town is the recently restored 15^th century Saint-Fiacre. The masterpiece here is the 1480 wooden screen, built to separate the altar from the congregation. The delicate 15^th century screen carvings are beautiful and dramatic, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments in intricate detail. There are also whimsical depictions of the seven deadly sins. The beautiful colours have been maintained, giving us an idea how church interiors must once have appeared and providing a better insight into the role of religious art in illustrating Bible teachings to medieval parishioners, many illiterate.

Kernascléden

About 15 km southeast of Le Faouët, in the small town of Kernascléden, is another 15^th century church worthy of exploration. The weather-beaten exterior of grey stone has wonderful carved gargoyles. The interior frescoes on one of the side-chapels has terrifyingly spectacular, though damaged, frescoes of the damned condemned to the fires of hell, complete with horrifying devils stoking the fires. We were all alone in the church to examine these eerie images, which must have done their part in keeping centuries of Kernascléden residents on their best behaviour.

Photo courtesy town of Kernescléden

Paimpont

The Forêt de Paimpont, Paimpont Forest, was once known as Brocéliande and is another place of Arthurian legend. The charming central village of Paimpont is right on a small lake. It’s a good place to stop and to visit the tourist office with walking maps and helpful advice on excursions. There are some nice walks to be had around this pretty forest land. As fans of King Arthur stories, our sons were keen on seeing the gold-painted tree where the young and beautiful Vivian is said to have imprisoned the wizard Merlin.

Photo courtesy D. Suignard

Fougères

This town, 50 km northeast of Rennes, is ideal for castle lovers. Strangely, the castle is not perched on a defensive, high peak, but laid out below the town. It was built in 1166, replacing a wooden fort on the same site which had been destroyed by English invaders. The castle has massive walls and a large moat still filled with water. A visit allows you to walk the walls and climb the towers to enjoy the panorama. It’s very impressive and the area around the castle makes a nice place to stop for lunch while enjoying the view.

Other places of interest in Brittany’s interior are Pontivy, Josselin, Vitré and the city of Rennes. On your next trip to Brittany, enjoy what the region’s less-visited interior has to offer. You will be pleasantly surprised – and happy for a respite from the crowds.

I love the city of Lisbon, it’s one of my favourite Europe destinations. I love walking its charming streets, climbing up to the Castle for gorgeous views, observing the colourful tiles, eating delicious fish stew at open-air tables, eavesdropping on conversations and trying – mostly unsuccessfully – to make out a few words in Portuguese.

My family and I were invited recently to a Portuguese-Brazilian wedding and we were happy for an excuse to get back to this beautiful city. We were even happier when we found out the unusual location of the wedding and reception – in the Ruinas do Convento e Igreja do Carmo (Ruins of the Convent and Church of Carmo) a popular Lisbon sightseeing location.

Photo courtesy jimpereira100

The ruins of the 14^th century Carmo Church are a familiar landmark in Lisbon. The Carmelite church was built on a slope overlooking the Baixa area of Lisbon. At the time of its construction, in the late 14^th century, it was the largest church of Lisbon.

Disaster struck the Carmo Church – and all of Lisbon – on 1 November 1755. The church was filled for a mass on that holiday morning, All Saints Day, when the tragic earthquake struck. Although the epicentre was close to the Algarve, it was Lisbon that was most severely affected by the quake. In the Carmo Church on that terrible day, tons of stone and masonry collapsed, killing the parishioners celebrating mass below.

The Carmo Church was one of over 20 churches in Lisbon to be destroyed that day. Half of the city was reduced to rubble; fires broke out and a tidal wave from the Targas River flooded the lower areas of the city. In all, it is estimated that 15,000 people died in Lisbon on that dark day. Reconstruction work got underway rather quickly and much of Lisbon’s striking architecture dates back to those ambitious rebuilding efforts, but the Carmo Church remained a shell of its former self as a fitting reminder of the tragedy that befell Lisbon and its residents that day. Today, the Carmo Church ruins are a recognizable landmark in Lisbon to residents and visitors alike.

Needless to say, the church ruins were a stunning setting for the wedding ceremony and the reception, which started in daylight and continued on into dusk and late into the night. It was wonderful to see the church ruins illuminated in the evening and to enjoy dinner and dancing under the stars in such a dramatic setting.

A word about the dancing, since I did mention that this was a Portuguese-Brazilian wedding. I have always considered myself a decent dancer, but that impression was quickly shattered the moment I was sharing the dance floor with Brazilians. The Portuguese guests and I quickly moved aside to watch. And when my young sons eagerly asked me to teach them to dance the same way, I quickly declined and sought out a young Brazilian woman who agreed to dance with them and taught them far better than I could have. In no time at all, they were dancing like pros.

So, if an invitation arrives in the mail for a wedding held at the Igresia do Carmo, my advice is to snap it up right away. Even without the wedding, be sure to make a visit to the striking ruins of the church, now an archaeological museum housing statues, sarcophogi and mosaics in a stunning setting. Enjoy your time in beautiful Lisbon.

If you’re thinking of a trip to the Portugese capital, compare flights for the best deals to Lisbon.

One of the (many) reasons I like living in Rome is the wonderful year-round climate. Still, come winter time, I do miss seeing snow – if not actually shovelling it – so I am happy to be close enough to the mountains to enjoy nice weekends skiing in Italy.

One of my top Europe travel tips is to visit the mountains close to Rome, the Apennine mountains in the neighbouring region of Abruzzo. Although Abruzzo skiing is not as good as that in the resorts of northern Italy, the proximity and convenience of the Abruzzo resorts make them extremely popular weekend destinations for Romans and a great Europe destination.

Abruzzo is an ideal travel destination in all seasons. In the winter there is downhill and cross-country skiing, sledding and ice skating. In the summer, there is fantastic hiking, biking and horseback riding. Abruzzo is still a fairly undiscovered Italian region and tourist masses never descend upon the charming mountain towns in the same numbers as they do in neighboring regions such as Tuscany and Umbria. Yet the towns are lovely, the food and wine extremely good, the mountain air rejeuvenating and the nature breathtaking.

One of the most popular Abruzzo skiing resorts for Romans also happens to be one of the closest and easiest to reach by highway, the town of Ovindoli. Ovindoli is about a 1 ½-hour drive from Rome and all but the last 15 km is easy highway driving. It is equidistant from the airport in Pescara, on the Adriatic coast. The town itself is small, with plenty of hotels and apartment rental options and many restaurants serving up hearty mountain fare.

Food in Abruzzo is simple, but excellent. Regional specialties include the chitarra pasta, fresh egg pasta – thicker than linguine, but narrower – served with the local saffron sauce, delicious gnocchi (especially good in this potato-producing region) with ragù (tomato sauce with meat), sausages, scamorza (melted cheese) or arrosticini (lamb skewers), all of it perfectly accompanied by the regional red wine, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

My family and I often enjoy Abruzzo skiing at Monte Magnola , just 3 km from the center of town. If you are driving up with your own car, head up early as the parking lots fill up quickly. There is also a frequent shuttle bus which departs throughout the day from the town square.

The mountain is panoramic and is popular with skiers and snowboarders. There are also easy slopes for children and beginner skiers and lessons can be easily arranged.

Just a few kilometers from Ovindoli is a second ski resort, Campo Felice . The closest towns are Rocca di Cambio (at 1434 meters from sea level, this is the highest town in the Apennine mountain range) and Rocca di Mezzo.

This isn’t an area used to lots of foreign tourism, so fewer people will speak English or other foreign languages. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to make yourself understood and will most likely have a great time in this unspoiled region. Enjoy your Abruzzo skiing holiday!

Last summer I spent few days in Istria, the beautiful northernmost province of Croatia with my family. The resort of Plava Laguna where we were based was ideal for Istria family activities and was especially strong on sports facilities, with a sports centre as part of the resort, bike hire shops and tennis courts and water ski-ing right outside the hotel.

On of the activities that we particularly enjoyed as a family was Istria cycling on the paths that ran beside the sea past the different swimming spots and through the pine forests to the local town of Porec. Although we were there in August, when the weather was at its hottest, cycling in the shade under those pine tree as still very pleasant, especially as we could jump off at almost any point and take a cooling dip.

I noticed that there were many trails that also took you inland from Porec through olive groves and vineyards and past small local farms where you might try the local cheeses. Maps of these trails were available in the hotel and cycle shops and if we’d had more time, I would have loved to have taken a picnic and gone out for a full day, especially if we’d been there in the spring or early autumn when the truffle season or grape picking might be in full swing.

My Europe rravel tip is to plan your cycling day out at the Istria-Bike website with details of different bike trails including the topography of each trail, the highlights you can see along the route and even place to stay nearby. There are details of hotels and other accommodation that welcome cyclists and will provide extra services for you as well as bike races and leisure events for the cycling enthusiast. Even if you’re not a hardened sports fanatic, hiring a bike for a day and getting out into the countryside, or riding along the coast as we did, is a wonderful way to enjoy the natural beauty of Istria.

Photos by Heather on her travels on Flickr

For tourists coming to discover Rome, one of the best places to visit in Europe, the must visit list generally includes the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the Vatican and the Pantheon, but chances are most tourists don’t consider visiting the Eternal City to take part in the Maratona di Roma , the Rome Marathon, held each March. This year’s 16^th edition will be held on Sunday, March 21.

Okay, the serious marathon runners may venture here just for the event, but I’m talking about the casual weekend jogger. You may not know that the Roman marathon also hosts an extremely popular Rome Fun Run. It’s just one-tenth of the distance of the real marathon – an achievable 4.2195 kilometers – and each year this popular Rome event attracts tens of thousands of participants.

In the 2009 Rome Marathon, 15,000 runners took part in the actual Marathon and another 85,000 runners took off from the Colosseum start line a half-hour later to participate in the Fun Run. Those numbers are expected to increase for the 2010 edition.

I drag my kids out with me to take part in this race each year. It’s so much fun to be out running alongside a crowd of 100,000 in a completely car-free Rome. The Fun Run starts at the Colosseum and continues down the Via dei Fori imperiali to Piazza Venezia. Then it’s uphill to Via Nazionale and through the Monti neighborhood where it ends in the panoramic Colle Oppio park. My European travel tip is to come to Rome for the Marathon weekend, join the crowds and take part in this exciting event. It’s sightseeing and exercise all rolled in one!

This year, the Rome Marathon is also celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the victory of Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila in the Rome Olympics Marathon of 1960. The event, held at night because of the extremely hot daytime temperatures during Roman summers, witnessed the Marathon route lit by torches. Bikila ran the entire race – over Roman cobblestones and all – barefoot. The Istituto Luce and the History channel provide this excellent footage of Bikala’s dramatic victory on YouTube .

Running amongst crowds like this, you may want to forgo racing barefoot this year. Lace up your trainers and join the race in Rome!

You can register for the Fun Run (and Marathon) at the Marathon Village in EUR (details and map on the web site). Fun Run registration is 7 euro and includes a race T-shirt.

You can use the search box below to find the best hotel deals in Rome through the HotelsCombined metasearch which quickly trawls through the databases of more than 30 accommodation suppliers.

Until my family and I visited Provence’s Gorges du Verdon  (Verdon Canyons), we had no idea that these were the largest gorges in Europe. We associated Provence with idyllic hilltowns, rolling landscapes and beautiful coastlines, some of the very reasons why it is renowned as one of the best places to visit in Europe. However we knew nothing about this stunning, rugged landscape to be found right in central Provence.

Since we wanted a little break from all those idyllic hilltowns and lavender fields, we decided to squeeze a day trip to the Gorges du Verdon into our travel plans. We’re very happy that we did and we can’t wait to stop off again and spend more time in this interesting region. My European travel tip would be to schedule a visit to this fascinating area when you’re in Provence.

The drive through the gorges is lovely and dramatic, although you do have to be quite concentrated on some of the narrower stretches of road. There are lots of pleasant towns along the route. We especially enjoyed wandering around the stalls in the town of Riez on market day.

We were visiting in summer and we loved cooling off in the tempting, turquoise waters of the artificial Lac de Ste Croix, so beautiful and dramatic nestled just along the edge of the gorges.

Sports enthusiasts will be thrilled with all the options in this beautiful, natural setting : horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, and canyoning can all be arranged quite easily. Since we were at the canyons for just one day, we only managed to drive along the canyons to enjoy the different panoramic points and to do a little walking and lots of swimming, but we would love to come back for a longer visit to this beautiful corner of Provence.

When we visited Brittany this summer, we took the ferry to Isle de Houat, just of the coast of the Gulf of Morbihan. The Gulf is a large inland bay with many small islands, where the mild and sheltered conditions make it a favourite area for sailors.

Harbour at Isle de Houat in Brittany, France

One of my Europe travel tips, if you’re visiting this part of the French coast is to take a day-trip to one of these islands where you’ll find peace and tranquility, beautiful unspoilt beaches and perhaps a few small cafes or restaurants, serving the local seafood for which Brittany is famous. On many of the islands, you”ll also find campsites, small hotels or holiday homes to rent, in case you want to stay a few days and relax.

Vannes is an excellent starting point for this kind of trip, although there are other ports along the coast where you can take the ferry, such as Quiberon and La Trinite-sur-Mer. Here are some of the islands you can visit;

Fishermens cottages on Isle de Houat in Brittany

Belle-Ile-en Mer is outside the Gulf of Morbihan and is the largest of the Breton islands with a sunny, mild climate, thanks to the Gulf stream. On the side facing the mainland, you’ll find golden sandy beaches, while towards the open sea, the landscape is wild with craggy cliffs and crashing waves. Belle Isle was a favourite of painters such as Matisse and Monet. In the island’s capital, Le Palais, there’s a 19th century military fortress overlooking the port.

Isle de Houat is ideal for walking with several different beaches, some sandy and others with rocks and and pools where you can find oysters and mussels on the rocks. We had fun fishing for crabs, although we only caught tiddlers and had to buy some from the fishermen on the way home to cook for supper. There were pretty old granite fishermen’s’ cottages that are used as holiday homes and a few small cafes and restaurants around the port.

Looking for crabs on Isle de Houat, Brittany

Isle aux Moines is within the Gulf of Morbihan and relatively accessible, and is the best known and most densely populated in the Gulf islands. You’ll find excellent walking as well as cycle trails here and beautiful old fishermens’ cottages. It’s nickname is the Pearl of the Gulf.

L’Ile d’Arz is also within the Gulf and is a rural and lush green island with several bays and a large number of beaches. There’s a coastal path that allows you to walk right around the island.

If you want to take a day trip to one of these Breton islands, I highly recommend that you book both the outward and return journey in advance, especially at weekends and high season. Try the ferry companies listed below to help you research your day trip – consult the ferry times and start planning your day on one of these lovely Breton Islands;

For further information try

Navix
Companie des Iles
For booking your ferry tickets you can also try Billets-Bateaux

All photos by Heatheronher travels on Flickr

As someone who runs a B&B whose guests more often than not take a day trip to Paris, I am frequently being asked what attractions are there for children. And, inspired by Neha’s recent post about attractions for children in London I thought I would provide some Europe travel tips for Paris attractions for children. Paris is not only the ultimate destination for romantic city breaks, it is also one of the best places to visit in Europe with your children. And here are at least five reasons why.

1. Views of Paris. A trip up the Eiffel Tower has to be one of the most memorable things to ‘do’ in Paris. And now that bookings are possible online, there is no need to stand for hours in a queue. In any event, I would recommend going earlier in the morning before the crowds start gathering anyway. Another suggestion for great views over Paris is to climb the Arc de Triomphe. If boat rides are top of your children’s list of things to do – a boat-ride on the Seine offers a different view of Paris.

2. Theme Parks. Most parents thinking of of what to do with their children associate Paris with the Disneyland Resort Paris. But there are also a number of other theme parks around Paris that offer something quite different. Another great theme park, to the North of Paris is Parc Asterix (the roller coaster is pictured below), which tells the story of the famous comic characters, and very definitely for children of all ages. To the west of Paris, near Versailles you can visit the whole of France in less than one day in Europe’s biggest miniature theme park: France Miniature. And another one for the youngest ones is the Playmobil fun park.

3. Museums. These days many museums make much more of an effort to cater for children. And Paris has a great collection of museums that do just this. How about a visit to Grévin, a waxworks museum that has been going since 1882. Not only does it have your usual crop of celebrities and the like, but it has some great reconstructions of French history. There is also the Museum of Magic, and the Natural History Museum has some wonderful displays, including their ‘Grande Galerie de l’Evolution’. But, I am reliably informed the favourite of all the Parisian museums is at Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, one of the world’s largest and most visited science museums. This museum is seriously high-tech, and very hands-on for children of all ages. Kids love the ‘Argonaute’ and its real submarine.

4. Parks and Gardens. There are a great many parks and gardens from which to choose from. The third largest in Paris is the Parc des Buttes Chaumont (pictured below), with its cliffs and bridges, a grotto that has a 20-meter high waterfall, a lake, and several English and Chinese gardens. But perhaps the most popular attractions for the children are the two ‘guignol’ (puppet) theatres. There are also at least three interesting gardens that are more centrally located. The Jardin des Tuileries, to the norh of the Seine, offers donkey rides, ice cream stands, a puppet theatre, and you can even rent a toy boat to play with on the circular pond. There are similar attractions on the southern side of the Seine at the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Champ de Mars. Towards the north end of the Bois de Boulogne you will find pony rides and puppet shows for younger children and a roller coaster for older children.

5. A Day at the Circus. If your children love the circus, then why not treat them to a whole day at the Cirque de Paris, at the Parc des Chanteraines. In the morning children get a chance to have a go at the various circus arts, they can try juggling, or being a clown or a magician. There are two restaurants on site, or you can bring your own picnic lunch. And then in the afternoon it is show time and you and the children get to watch a traditional circus show, including various exotic animals, the clowns and their little running, jumping dogs, the magician’s doves that disappear only to reappear. The park is just 10 minutes from Paris, and the circus is open 10am – 5pm every Wednesday and Friday.

Oh to be young again. If you have taken your children to Paris and have any Do’s or Don’t’s to share, please leave a comment.

The south of France is a popular holiday destination, for all sorts of reasons, and with very good reason too. It seems the weather is always wonderful, the food out of this world, and there is never enough time. As one of the best places to visit in Europe this area of France never fails to surprise and enchant. If you are looking for a holiday with a difference in southern France and you have not tried boating on the Canal du Midi, read on …

The canal was dug by some 12 000 men between the years of 1667 and 1681. During the reign of Louis XIV these men, under the direction of a Pierre Paul Riquet dug out an estimated 7,000,000m³ of earth to connect the city of Toulouse to the town of Sète on the Mediterranean coast. The canal runs for 240 km and together with the Canal de Garonne, which runs from Toulouse to Bordeaux, provides a navigable route from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean.

This is in fact why the canal was built in the first place, to provide a faster and safer passage from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic without having to go around the Iberian peninsular, which would have take about a month in the 17th century through areas renowned for piracy. Today, it is possible to hire boats, and a favourite trip on the Canal du Midi is that between Toulouse and the medieval city of Carcassonne.

If you do hire a boat, make sure you take some bicycles with you; or if you are staying in a city on the Canal du Midi, hire some bikes, get yourself a picnic and take a ride out along the paths. In 1996 the Canal du Midi was placed on UNESCO’s list of World heritage sites, not only because of the engineering heritage it represents but also because the canal passes through some areas of outstanding natural beauty.

There are 91 locks which enable boats travelling along it to climb and descend a total of 190 metres. Besides the locks there are also bridges, dams and even a tunnel; in total there are 328 structures associated with the canal, passing through some wonderful towns and cities and open countryside.

These stunning photographs are just a few taken by Zeldenrust, there are many more to see more on his Flikr photostream.