Jun 12th, 2013 at 12:00PM: Sean McLachlan
If you don't already know that Lake Bled is the most popular tourist attraction in Slovenia you'll know it the moment you arrive. There's a casino. There's a Shamrock Irish Pub. There's even one of those tourist buses made up to look like a choo-choo train. It's horrible.
But look out across the emerald-green water sparkling in the sunshine and all that disappears. Instead, you ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
castle posts
Lake Bled: A Tourist Trap In Slovenia You Really Must See
Jun 12th, 2013 at 12:00PM: Sean McLachlan
If you don't already know that Lake Bled is the most popular tourist attraction in Slovenia you'll know it the moment you arrive. There's a casino. There's a Shamrock Irish Pub. There's even one of those tourist buses made up to look like a choo-choo train. It's horrible.
But look out across the emerald-green water sparkling in the sunshine and all that disappears. Instead, you ...Like Castles? Go To Slovenia
Jun 10th, 2013 at 10:00AM: The little nation of Slovenia is situated on a crossroads. On the southeastern edge of the Alps and on the way to the rest of the Balkans and to central Europe, it's seen more than its fair share of invading armies.
No wonder, then, that this country that's slightly smaller than New Jersey has some 700 castles. Many are in ruins thanks to those invading armies, while others were dismantled ...Gorizia: Italy's Overlooked Historic Border City
May 29th, 2013 at 9:00AM: Sean McLachlan
Visitors to Italy tend to skip Gorizia. Tucked away at the northeast edge of the country on the border with Slovenia, this small city tends to get bypassed on the way to Trieste or Slovenia.
I would have never gone there myself except that I was a guest author at the city's annual history and book fair, the èStoria Festival. Now in its ninth year, the festival is drawing ...Archaeologists Digging At Lincoln Castle Uncover Early Christian Community
May 17th, 2013 at 3:00PM: Lincolnshire County Council
Archaeologists excavating at Lincoln Castle have discovered the remains of an early Christian community, according to a Lincolnshire County Council press release.
The team, which was digging inside the castle to clear the way for an elevator shaft, found the remains of a church that dates back at least 1,000 years. Inside a sealed niche in the wall they found human ...5 Overlooked Castles Close To London
Apr 16th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
England is famous for its castles. Giant fortresses such as Bamburgh Castle and Lincoln Castle attract thousands of visitors a year, but people tend to overlook the many smaller, lesser-known castles close to London. These are often as interesting as their more famous cousins and make for enjoyable day trips from London. Here are five of the best.
Hadleigh Castle
Near the town of Hadleigh ...Lon-Done? Try Hertford
Apr 10th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
London is one of the most popular destinations in Europe, offering loads of nightlife, dining and cultural options. It offers plenty of day trips too, the favorites being to Stonehenge and Oxford.
If you want to see England without the tourists, there are plenty of smaller towns an easy day trip from London. One of them is Hertford, where I used to live. If the name sounds familiar, that's ...Castle Drogo, England, Opens To Public
Mar 10th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
The last castle to be built in England is opening to the pubic, BBC reports.
Castle Drogo is more of a stately home than a castle, since it was built long after artillery made castles obsolete. It was started in 1910 by Julius Drewe, founder of the Home and Colonial Stores, near Exeter in Devon. World War I and the Depression slowed down construction and it wasn't completed until 1930. The ...Tallinn's Medieval Old Town
Feb 18th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
Tallinn is a medieval wonderland. The capital of Estonia isn't on a lot of people's bucket list but anyone at all interested in history, architecture or art will love this place.
The central attraction is Old Town, a medieval walled city filled with old buildings and fortifications. The sheltered bay and the easily defended Toompea Hill made it a natural place to settle. Sometime about 1050 ...Live A Day In The Life Of 'Downton Abbey' At These English Castles
Feb 14th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
The British TV series "Downton Abbey" has taken America by storm with millions of viewers tuning in each week to watch the lives of the wealthy Crawley family unfold. The glamorous outfits, the decadent dinners, the lavish estate – it's a splendorous life most of us can only dream of.
But take a trip to England and you'll see that sprawling country estates like Downton Abbey are very ...Goetz Of The Iron Hand: On The Trail Of Renaissance Germany's Biggest Badass
Jan 30th, 2013 at 3:00PM: Renaissance Germany was a violent place. A patchwork of different kingdoms, principalities, and baronies with constantly changing allegiances, the land was wracked with near-constant warfare.
The people in charge were some pretty rough characters. By far the roughest was Götz von Berlichingen, also known as Götz of the Iron Hand. You can also spell it "Goetz" if your browser hiccups ...The Northernmost Castle In The World
Jan 21st, 2013 at 1:00PM:
I'm in a northern state of mind. Perhaps it's the hail tickity-tacking off my window, or maybe it's because Gadling is sending me to Estonia this February. That's right, I'll be freezing my butt off for your edification and entertainment.
Reading about the great Estonian castles such as Narva and Paide, I wondered which is the northernmost castle in the world. That great provider of facile ...Disney World Immersive Expansion Opens This Week
Dec 5th, 2012 at 3:30PM:
Florida's Walt Disney World is about to open a new, re-imagined Fantasyland. The iconic park had been in operation for years to the thrill of vacationers of all ages and needed a facelift. More than a fresh coat of paint and upgraded technology, Disney is adding a popular immersive element to the experience.
"The Magic Kingdom is the iconic place at Walt Disney World and Fantasyland is the ...Roadside America: Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire
Oct 19th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
Over a hundred years ago, my great-great Uncle Bob built a small cabin to relax overlooking New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee, about two hours from Boston. Little did he know that the Lakes Region would later become a point of pilgrimage for thousands of bikers and gamers each year, as it hosts the annual Laconia Motorcycle week in June and arcade enthusiasts year round to the American ...Want To Buy An Irish Castle? Now's Your Chance!
Sep 19th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
If you're in the market for a new home, why not think big and buy a castle? There are several for sale in Ireland and now that middle income has been defined as up to $250,000, many are within the means of the middle class.
Take Cloghan castle, shown above. It's in Banagher, County Offaly, and comes with 157 acres of woodland and riverside. The original castle was built in 1336, making it one ...Coral Castle: Testament To A Broken Heart
Jul 3rd, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Almost a hundred years ago in southern Florida, a heartbroken man accomplished something incredible.
Edward Leedskalnin was an immigrant from Latvia. He moved to Florida in 1918 hoping to cure his tuberculosis. But it wasn't only his lungs that were sick; his heart was sick too. When he was 26 back in Latvia, so the story goes, he had been engaged to Agnes Scuffs, ten years his junior. His ...
Kelburn Castle To Lose Psychedelic Art, Going Old School
Jun 25th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Kelburn Castle isn't your typical 13th century Scottish castle and aristocratic estate. It's an example of some of the best street art in the world.
As you can see, it's pretty trippy, the product of a group of Brazilian street artists in 2007. It was allowed by the local council on the understanding that it would be up for no more than three years. Generally, there are strict rules in the UK ...Urquhart Castle: The Other Attraction On Loch Ness
Jun 9th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
Today the Olympic torch is crossing Loch Ness by boat. While locals are hoping for Nessie to make an appearance, one attraction will definitely be on view: the spectacular Urquhart Castle.
This castle sits on Strone Point, a headland jutting out into the loch. It's unclear when the castle was built. It was certainly there by the 13th century but there may have been a fort there as far back as ...Destruction, Looting Of Syria's Ancient Heritage Continues, Report Says
Jun 6th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The upheaval in Syria has been going on for more than a year now, and in that time thousands of people have been killed, including many civilians and children. Syria's many ancient sites are also getting damaged. Previously, we've talked about how the Syrian army has shelled the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of ...Carlisle Castle Celebrates 1000th Birthday
Apr 24th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
One of England's most besieged castles has turned the ripe old age of 1000 this year.
A new exhibition at Carlisle Castle in Carlisle, England, tells its thousand-year history. Well, approximately a thousand years, since nobody actually knows when the first castle was built here. Like with many great English castles, it got its start with a Roman fort. This fell to ruins and was replaced in ...Photos Of Cool Cliff Castles
Apr 19th, 2012 at 2:00PM: Nobody minds seeing photos of dreamy castles, especially if the photos are of cool cliff castles. Towering over steep slated valleys and crashing waves, Woman's Day has a great roundup of these kinds of castles on their website here. Featuring castles in Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Tibet, Yemen, USA and India, these photos are the thread with which fantasies are sewn. Knights in shining armor, damsels ...
