When you first set eyes on the formidable Neuschwanstein Castle, you are bound to feel enveloped by the air of romanticism it gives off. For a moment, you could well be in some setting from a knightly novel or a fairy-tale. This is how we think Walt Disney must have felt, as it inspired him in his design of the castle for the cartoon version of The Sleeping Beauty.

The artificer of this colossal architectural undertaking of medieval inspiration was Ludwig II of Bavaria, as a tribute to his childhood home, Hohenschwangau Castle. Situated in Schwangau, the latter was a ruined fortress rebuilt by his father, Maximilian II of Bavaria, thereafter becoming home to this unusual figure in Bavarian history.

Solitude, Romanticism and Wagner

The biography of Ludwig II of Bavaria, the son of Maximilian II of Bavaria and Princess Marie of Prussia, was clearly a product of the times, with the king’s reign in decline as protagonist, and romanticism and historicism as the backdrops to a king who yearned to have reigned in former times and who ended up alone and isolated in a permanent state of nostalgia, during which he fritted away the family fortune on building huge castles or acting as the patron to Richard Wagner, his great friend and icon.

Born in 1845, he was crowned king at the early age of 18, long before he was able to fulfil his dreams. The tensions at the time between Austria and Prussia and the end of the Bavarian Alliance led to a progressive decline in his power and his interest in politics. In 1886, his eccentric behaviour and melancholic bent prompted him to be declared unfit to rule. The day after he was deposed, he died in strange circumstances while strolling in the vicinity of Lake Starnberg in the company of Dr Gudden, his psychiatrist.

A good way to learn more about the life of this enigmatic figure is by watching the film ,Ludwig, by the great Luchino Visconti. It traces the life of Ludwig II and also features a stunning Romy Schneider as the Austrian Empress Sissi, his beloved cousin and close friend, who ended up nicknaming him “Mad King Ludwig”.

The “New Swan Stone”

During his reign and in keeping with the family tradition of building castles, Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned a total of three castles – Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee and Neuschwanstein. The latter became the most popular of them and it is there he ended up living during the latter years of his life, although it hadn’t actually been completed. Sited near Füssen in the Pöllat Gorge and very near his childhood residence, it was originally named “New Hohenschwangau Castle”. After the king’s death, the name was changed to Neuschwanstein, meaning “New Swan Stone”.

Incredible as it may sound, particularly on account of its size, the castle was originally built as the king’s refuge, a place where he would live in solitude and give free rein to his passion for the Middle Ages, stories and Wagner. That makes it more of a fairy-tale stage than a residential palace. Who could have possibly told Ludwig II of Bavaria that the work he would end up being deposed for was to eventually become Germany’s most widely visited monument, chalking up 1.4 million visitors a year?

Neuschwanstein Castle is a landmark on one of Germany’s best known tourist routes, the Romantic Road (Romantische Strasse).The itinerary features a number of fantastic medieval castles, beautiful scenery, enchanting villages, splendid vineyards and a delicious cuisine. It starts at Würzburg, about 110 kilometres south-east of Frankfurt, and ends in Füssen, 82 kilometres south-west of Munich.

If you prefer to avoid doing the whole route and would instead like to just visit this wonderful castle, your best option is a getaway to Munich, which lies 120 kilometres away. Book your Vueling and discover this fairy-tale castle.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Cezary Piwowarski

Santander is making its debut, a long overdue debut at that. The project, commissioned in 2012 by the deceased Emilio Botín, was slow in taking shape and transforming the waterfront of Santander bay, until it was finally unveiled on 23 June this year. A good thing is worth waiting for, or so they say, so this might well be the key to the secret of the Botín Centre, which has materialised in the Cantabrian capital and imbued this beautiful city of northern Spain with a cultural boost and a new lease of life.

A Signature Building
The first thing that strikes the eye about this new cultural space is the building housing it. The architectural project was obviously intended to not go by unnoticed and it drew both praise and criticism, like anything which entails a certain element of risk. This work by the Pritzker prizewinning Renzo Piano, who happens to be truly enamoured of Santander, was developed in conjunction with the studio of Spaniard Luis Vidal. It has endowed the city with a touch of modernity in one of its most emblematic spots – its bay. The building comprises two large volumes, connected by an ensemble of walkways and spaces that act as a main distributor. The western volume houses a big, 2,500 m² exhibition hall, with shopping and restaurant areas in the basement. The smaller module on the east side, which will be given over to educational activities, sports a large, protruding terrace with splendid vistas over Santander bay. Supported on pillars, which make it look as if floating in the air, its highlight is the large glazed frontage, affording privileged views of the coastline and the city, while the outer cladding is rendered in white porcelain shards.

However, this fabulous building, which acts to articulate the city centre with the harbour, doesn’t quite steal the show on its own. Its construction has been paralleled by an extension to the Pereda Gardens, located in the vicinity of the Botín Centre, which has seen its surface area increased from two to four hectares. Landscape gardener Fernando Caruncho and artist Cristina Iglesias have been tasked with making the approach walk to this new cultural space a veritable delight on the senses.

The City’s New Exhibition Venue
The Botín Centre made its debut with two opposing exhibitions – one classical, dedicated to the great master of modern painting, Goya, with his drawings as the centrepiece, and the other, more contemporary show dedicated to Carsten Höller, the first monographic of this Belgian artist’s work to date in Spain. Running parallel are a number of scheduled activities of all kinds, from workshops to film screenings, concerts, etc.

Ahead lies a long road and the project has spawned the question of whether it will experience the “Guggenheim effect”, providing yet another enticement to travellers on their visit to Santander, as well as giving extra momentum to tourism and the city itself. For the time being it has become the talk of the town this summer, as well as the venue that is willy-nilly pulling in visitors from among both locals and holiday-makers.

Fire up for an escape to Santander to discover this new art centre – book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

The Croatian capital has a lively nightlife. On the streets Preradoviceva, Tkalčićeva and Kozarska of Gornji Grad- Upper City-and at the central square you may find many bars, pubs and breweries to start the night, from the most chic and stylish venues to the most alternative ones. You can start from one of the most legendary such as Skola or Hemingway and end up in the Jarun lake area, where there are some of the most prestigious clubs in Zagreb, such as Aquarius Club, Gallery or Maison Club.
Summer nights are especially buzzing in the capital. In Zagreb you have an extra incentive with the celebration of of one of the most prestigious festivals in Europe, INmusic Festival which brings the best international bands each year !

Spunk/ Prostor Do

Spunk has recently been extended with the bar next to it, the Prostor Do -which literally means next door- to form this great and popular venue full of students. Evenings tend to be enlivened by performances by young musicians who have here the first oportunity to get noticed. Do not miss the detail of the walls Spunk / Prostor Dor, with the works of the famous Croatian artist Igor Hofbauer.
Spunk/ Prostor Do
Hrvatske bratske zajednice b.b., 10 000 Zagreb 

Vintage Industrial Bar

Another unique venue to start the night is Vintage Industrial Bar, an old button factory with a marked industrial look, as indicated by its descriptive name. Rustic furniture and a long bar that runs the premises from end to end. You can attend its lively parties and concerts at very affordable prices.
Vintage Industrial Bar
Savska cesta 160, 10000 Zagreb

Kino Europa

As it happens in all cities, the arrival of multiplex cinemas have led to the closure of the smaller rooms. The Cinema Europe – Kino Europa- has taken advantage of the opportunity to be reconverted into a multipurpose venue in which film festivals as well as other parties and DJ sessions are organized. Now this old space has become a very attractive place and a must for the Croatian youth.
Kino Europa
Varšavska 3, 10000 Zagreb

Sokol Klub

Its downtown location, has made of Sokol one of the busiest clubs for over 20 years. A place where you can forget about everyhting and live the real night in Zagreb. With an easy dress-code and capacity for 400 people, you will meet all kinds of people at Sokol Klub. It was a must from the golden age of Croatian dance scene and nowadays you can enjoy a dance evening with local music
Sokol Klub
Marshal Tito Square 6, Zagreb

Aquarius

By the Jarun Lake’s surroundings are located some of the most exclusive clubs in the city. One of the most renowned is the Aquarius Klub, with good international DJ sessions and good atmosphere. The night of Thursday to Friday are mainly hip-hop, R&B, while Saturday and Sunday are dedicated to local and international hits.
Aquarius Klub
Aleja Matije Ljubeka b.b., Zagreb

Gallery

Gallery lies a little further, along the lake. It is normal to find the city’s celebrities between models and footballers. A two-floor building with a capacity of 2000 people in which you ensure long dancing nights. Fridays are dedicated to hip hop and r’n'b while Saturday are for house music..
Gallery
Aleja Matije Ljubeka, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

Tvornica Kulture

Great rock and pop concerts are held in this big multicultural venue. Renovated in 2011 to become one of the major concert halls and much more. It works as a cafeteria during the day and weekend’s nights offer dance and visual sessions
Tvornica Kulture
Šubićeva 2, 10000 Zagreb

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!

The city of Warsaw extends into two unequal parts on both sides of the Vistula river. Even though most of the tourist attractions are located on the left bank, in the so called Royal Route- the prestigious historic walk in Warsaw Trakt Królewski – and the trendy shops of Nowy Swiat. But beyond the Royal Castle, the Wilanów Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier we find a modern city, wanting to reinvent itself.

Prague: the bohemian district of Warsaw

On the right bank of the Vistula, right after crossing the historic zoo, it is located the neighborhood of Prague, a place that has successfully reinvented itself like no other in Warsaw and where now come to live young artists that have boosted the area with art galleries and craft shops. Its walls, once gray, are now full of murals and paintings that give a different color to the district.
Prague is now one of the most active cultural centers in town and with the mostt exciting nightlife scene beyond fashions and conventional trends. A place where creativity arises from the most unexpected corner.

Come up to the number 14 in Otwocka street, where is located the artistic, gastronomic and leisure center Centrum Artystyczne Fabryka Trzciny; certainly one of the most vibrant parts of the city.

The pianist in Warsaw

The Polish director Roman Polanski perfectly recreated the city occupied by the Germans in his film The Pianist, which recreates the memories of the pianist Szpilman, played by actor Adrian Brody. It was precisely the Prague neighborhood the chosen one for the filming of some scenes due to the abundance of original buildings of the time, who set the perfect city’s set for that time. Other scenes were shot in and around the city, and in the Military Academy in Warsaw, where  the Umschlagplatz’s scene happens , when the family of Szpilman along with other Jews are tucked to death in a freight train that will take them to the concentration camp.

Close to Centrum  metro station, we can find the area where the Ghetto was located during the German occupation and some few remains of the wall that formed the Warsaw Ghetto’s boundary, in the streets and Zlota Sienna.

On the trail of Chopin

Warsaw is the city of composer Frédéric Chopin, so following  ”the avenue of musical banks” that indicate the main points related to the great musician is  a fun way to discover it ; 15 black  interactive banks that were installed in 2010, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth.

These banks will guide you through the most emblematic places of his life like his home in Warsaw in the Czapski Palace and the Church of the Holy Cross where you will find his heart  in a box . To facilitate the route there is a QR code that will take you directly to a web audio guide in several languages. In addition, the banks have a button that, when pressed, releases fragments of some of his compositions.

The Cluster Waste

Gnojna Góra (the cluster waste) is the peculiar name of the main viewpoint of the city. Here was indeed, from the Middle Ages until the late eighteenth century, the municipal rubbish dump but as the city began to expand this area was too central to such use. From here, you have the best views over the river, district of Prague or the Cathedral of St. Michael.

Discover its cuisine

Of course! One of the best and most enjoyable ways to know a city is starting from its cuisine. Try the bigosz – Poland’s national dish which is prepared with boiled cabbage and sausages-, the pierogy -the cooked dumplings so common in Polish gastronomy-, the varszcz – a soup made of beet very usual  in almost all Eastern European cuisine – and the various recipes using mushrooms.

Why not take a trip to Warsaw? Have a look at our flights here!