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Prague posts
Prague's astronomical clock gets a makeover
Jan 15th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
The famous astronomical clock that is Prague's most popular tourist attraction has lost some star players for the next two months. The four outside figures, including a skeletal Death, have been removed and are being repainted to protect them from the elements.
The clock was built in 1410 and is the oldest working astronomical clock in the world. Dials show the position Moon, position of the ...
10 reasons to travel to Ljubljana
Dec 13th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
When I found cheap airfare from Istanbul to Ljubljana, I didn't find many other travelers who'd been there or even say for sure which country it's in. The tiny of country of Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey and its capital city isn't known for much other than being difficult to spell and pronounce (say "lyoob-lyAH-nah"). After spending a few days there last month, I quickly fell ...The Most Dangerous Beverage in Prague
Sep 7th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
There's a specter haunting Central Europe. A very quaffable, sweet-tasting specter, that is. And no, it's not absinthe. This bibulously inspired drink is only around for a few weeks in September. Which means there's much debauchery happening right now in the center of Europe. If, like me, you're in the Czech capital this week, you'll understand when I say that it's the most dangerous beverage in ...Top 5 MTV music videos that inspire travel
Aug 1st, 2011 at 12:01PM: If you're as old as or younger than MTV, which turns 30 today, then you probably can't recall when MTV (short for "Music Television") played music videos and nothing but. MTV launched on August 1, 1981, with a handful of videos filmed mostly on stages or sets tricked out with some lighting and a few props. As MTV grew in popularity, more and more musicians went on location to shoot miniature films ...
Prague in pictures
May 20th, 2011 at 12:00PM: Today's featured summer travel destination has undergone a massive transformation in recent decades. Once regarded as an isolated capital on the red side of the Iron Curtain, it is now the sixth most visited European city behind London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin. Having escaped the destructive aerial bombing campaigns of World War II, it is also one of the most immaculately preserved European ...The ten best castles in Europe
Mar 16th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Castles originated in Europe over a thousand years ago. These fortresses were one of the original defense systems, and erecting the structures on hills or just beyond moats was a functional choice. Castles were built to house rulers, impose power, and above all, spurn would be attackers. Conforming to these basic principles of utilitarian design, the strongholds now appear solitary, majestic, ...Warsaw, Poland: an up-and-coming European museum destination
Mar 16th, 2011 at 9:30AM:
As an EU member with a good exchange rate and low prices, Poland is becoming a popular tourist destination in Eastern Europe. Most of the love goes to Krakow, with its original architecture and "new Prague" charm, but capital city Warsaw has plenty to offer as a European museum destination. While much of the old town was leveled in World War II, the restorations have been painstakingly done and ...Valentine's Day tribute: Sex museums around the world
Feb 14th, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Ah, Valentine's Day. It's a loaded holiday, one with high expectations. This year, though, I got into the spirit of things: I decided to rustle up a list of the world's great sex museums. Even if you can't pay a visit, their websites are informative and loaded with photos of exhibits. And best of all? You can indulge all by yourself, no relationship needed.
Erotic Heritage Museum, Las Vegas ...Daily Pampering: Prague's The Augustine luxe beer spa treatment
Jan 7th, 2011 at 4:00PM: Prague's luxe hotel The Augustine, which overlooks the Wallenstein Gardens, is a historic seven-building complex that includes the St. Thomas Monastery – a building that dates back to the 13th century. The monastery is also the home of St. Thomas beer, the brewing of which can be traced back to 1352.
Yeah, yeah, so we all know you'd like a glass of the frosty stuff. But what about a ...The sushi invasion of Eastern Europe
Dec 15th, 2010 at 9:00AM: Traveling through Eastern Europe recently, what stood out to me the most (aside from ultra low prices and varying success with capitalism) is the extreme popularity of sushi. Particularly in Kiev and Warsaw, sushi restaurants are nearly as prolific as the national cuisine and if you find yourself in a fashionable restaurant, odds are raw fish will be on the menu.
My husband and I had differing ...Weekending: Sofia
Oct 5th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
Since moving to Istanbul, I've gotten the chance to travel to a lot of interesting destinations, from Beirut to Bosnia, that are much easier and cheaper to access from Turkey than America. For my first long (more than a weekend) trip, I went to Bulgaria for a week over US Labor Day and Turkish bayram (end of Ramadan holidays). Over the week, I traveled from the capital city Sofia to medieval ...Weekending: Prague
Sep 3rd, 2010 at 3:00PM:
While I'm living in Istanbul, I try to take advantage of all the amazing destinations a few hours' flight away and travel there as often as possible. I like to focus on destinations that are harder to access from the US for just a few days (such as Turkey's beach town Bodrum) and places best explored while I'm still relatively young and unencumbered (to wit: Beirut). Traveling as an expat takes ...Czech Republic: From Prague Castle to Česky Krumlov Castle, a land of castles and fairy tales
Aug 18th, 2010 at 12:30PM: For hundreds of years, Czech Republic was the land of knights and castles, royalty and moats, and drawbridges. Though the country boasts hundreds of castles and palaces across its hills and mountains, several impressive castles are close enough to Prague to be seen within one vacation. Still depicting the spirit of their peak days as royal medieval fortresses, these five castles are worth a closer ...Photo of the day (8.5.10)
Aug 5th, 2010 at 5:00PM:
This photo by narinnr from Kagoshima, Japan (the Naples of the East, says Wikipedia) captures a Ferris wheel built atop a shopping center next to the train station. How fun is that? Imagine if you could kill time between trains at Penn Station riding high above New York?! I'm partial to the Gravitron when choosing an amusement ride, although spinning around against centrifugal force is probably ...What to do in Prague, Europe's most authentic capital
Aug 5th, 2010 at 2:58PM: Visitors flock to Paris for its romance and light, to London for its influence and renown, and to Rome for its ancient roots and history. But Prague, unlike other major European cities, has something even more to offer: authenticity.
Since its beginnings in the 9th century, Prague has survived architecturally for more than 800 years unscathed by the ravages of war. Early-on holding the status ...5 reasons to be a tourist
Aug 3rd, 2010 at 12:30PM:
After three months living in Istanbul, I've gained a stable of a few dozen Turkish words to string into awkward sentences; learned some local intel on what soccer teams to root for, where to get the best mantı, and the best Turkish insults (maganda is the local equivalent of guido); and have come to avoid Sultanahmet with the same disdain I used to reserve for Times Square when I lived in New ...Rick Steves' New Travel Mag
May 5th, 2010 at 9:30AM: Just in time for you to change your summer travel plans, the Smithsonian and Rick Steves just launched their special summer edition magazine, Smithsonian Presents "TRAVELS with Rick Steves". (In case you forgot, a magazine is a bundle of glossy paper printed with pretty colored pictures and some words, then bound with staples and placed within arm's reach of the toilet in case you lose your iPad ...Daily Pampering: Mandarin Oriental Prague takes the spa to a spiritual level
Mar 26th, 2010 at 4:00PM: Few places in the world combine pampering and prayer, but the Mandarin Oriental, Prague figured out a way to do it.
If you're seeking complete harmony between mind, body and spirit, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Prague might be the best starting point.
It's the only spa in the world located in a former Renaissance chapel and preserves the remnants of its Gothic church under a glass floor.
...15 more great cities for drinking beer
Mar 25th, 2010 at 4:30PM:
Last month, the writers at Gadling spent a lot of time at the pub, creating this list of The 24 greatest cities in the world for drinking beer. We had so much fun and got so many great comments, we decided we couldn't stop: we headed back to the bar and asked for another round. Here's 15 more of our favorite cities in the world for drinking great beer. Did we include your favorite? Take a ...View the beauty of Prague -- through the largest panorama photo in the world
Dec 20th, 2009 at 1:00PM:
What happens when you set up a digital camera on top of the Prague TV tower, and let it snap away for a couple of hours? Well, you end up with a 360 degree panoramic shot of the city, measuring 192,000 x 96,000 pixels, for a total of 18 gigapixels.
The image is currently the largest panoramic city shot in the world, and it is hosted by 360cities.net. You can rotate the image, and zoom in on ...
