What do Ben Hur, La Dolce Vita, Gangs of New York and Nine have in common? At first glance, we might think… nothing, but, if we pay attention to the credits, we will see they were all shot at Cinecittá. For many of us, these film studios, located on the outskirts of Rome, are inevitably associated with the name of the great Federico Fellini, but they have also been a privileged host to some of the best moments in cinema history, and the spot where a large number of movie stars converged.

This “Cinema City” was built in 1937 after the previous studios were destroyed in a fire, the cause of which has never been accounted for. The construction project was commissioned to the engineer, Carlo Roncoroni, and the architect, Gino Peressutti. The aim was to build a veritable city of the seventh art, capable of competing with Hollywood itself, which would turn Italian cinema into a worldwide beacon. It should be noted that Mussolini’s Fascist regime was in power at the time and, like Germany, the Italian regime regarded cinema as a powerful propaganda tool.

Fortunately for us, not everything produced there was regime propaganda as it eventually became the place that witnessed the passage of great names in the history of Italian cinema – Roberto Rossellini, Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica and Luchino Visconti.

Production came to a halt when the Second World War broke out, and the premises were even put to a different use. Two years before the war came to an end, Cinecittá was occupied by the Nazis and converted into a concentration camp for civilians. It was subsequently bombarded by Allied forces and then turned into a shelter for internally displaced people. All this upheaval led to the loss of most of the technical equipment and machinery once housed in the studios.

After weathering those dark years, Cinecittà gradually evolved into its period of greatest splendour. First, it became the site of grand American productions, featuring such unforgettable movies as Ben Hur,Quo Vadis? and Cleopatra. Second, this was where the careers of the great figures of Italian cinema unfolded. And, the presence of the Americans brought a fresh lease of life and modernity to the Eternal City, as so accurately portrayed in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita.

But all golden ages have their expiry date and the number of large-scale productions began to wane in the seventies, losing out to television. The fact is that the trend of block-buster productions started falling behind, while Italian cinema gradually ceased to be a major player on the world scene. Despite this, the studios can still boast of having been involved in such movies as The Godfather III, by Francis Ford Coppola (1988), The English Patient, by Anthony Minghella (1996), Gangs of New York, by Martin Scorsese (2002), The Passion of the Christ, by Mel Gibson (2004) and the popular television series,HBO Rome (2005-2007).

On a curious note and perhaps as a symbol of our times, Cinecittá is currently the premises of the house and set of Grande Fratello, the Italian version of Big Brother, a contest which has become one of the great television hits.

Cinecittá is now a place of pilgrimage for any film-lovers worth their salt, although what remains to experience is merely an exercise in nostalgic reunion with a period in which cinema was different. It is also a good excuse for taking the whole family along to teach the new generations some cinema history and show them one of its landmark venues. In addition to its sets and some of the most popular set designs, visitors can also see the exhibitions hosted in the Fellini Building.

Nowadays, it might feel weird to stroll through those almost ghostly spaces, tinged with the decadence of time, and try to relive the period in which the great American film stars walked those corridors. What is guaranteed though is the flush of excitement one feels when catching sight of its stunning, iconic entrance.

Ready for a trip to the cinema? Check out your Vueling to Rome here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, Carlo Mirante

Like clogs, windmills and bicycles, the tulip as a symbol is intimately linked to one’s image of Holland. This bulb, which originated in Anatolia and the Middle East, reached Europe in the 16th century and was met with marked admiration, particularly in the Low Countries. There, just one century later, it sparked a phenomenon that came to be known as “tulip mania”. As a result, the flower became a veritable cult object, fetching exorbitant prices and eventually being listed on the stock exchange. This ended up triggering the first recorded economic bubble in history, on account of the speculation that emerged around this product.

Nowadays, tulips inundate the Dutch countryside each spring, turning it into a genuine explosion of colour. It is well worth a getaway to the Netherlands just to contemplate it. For those eager to savour this priceless flower to the full, we have put together a selection of places you can’t fail to include on your must-see list.

Keukenhof, a Park With Over 7 Million Flower Bulbs
Keukenhof is located in Lisse, between Amsterdam and The Hague, in the heart of what is known as the “Bulb Region”. Here you will encounter an amazing 7 million plus flower bulbs, the sight of which is overpowering. This is a must-visit site for flower lovers and nature devotees in general. But, Keukenhof is not celebrated just for its huge number of flowers, but also for its landscape design, featuring lakes, fountains, walkways and windmills, making up a surprisingly heady ensemble. The only drawback is that this marvellous garden is only open to the public at the time of the tulip blossom; that is, from mid-March to the end of May and, owing to the large crowds that flock here, it is advisable to book well in advance.

En Route Through Bollenstreek, The Bulb Region
The area known as the Bulb Region (Bollenstreek, in Dutch) is another destination you should make a point of visiting in spring. Situated 30 kilometres south-west of Amsterdam, between Haarlem and Leiden, the area is characterised by the presence of clayey earth which, in conjunction with the prevailing maritime climate, makes for perfect tulip-growing conditions, in addition to other bulbs, notably crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths. The time of year to come here is in April, when the tulips reach their maximum splendour. Touring this land by car or bicycle is a veritable delight on the eyes, as you come across field after field of myriad tulips in all shapes and colours – an astonishing sight for any visitor to behold. Organised tours from Amsterdam ply a fairly comprehensive circuit through the towns in Bollenstreek.

Tulip Museum
If you are eager to know the history and all the ins and outs of this popular, highly prized bulb, make a point of visiting Amsterdam’s Tulip Museum before you leave Holland. Located in the Jordaan district, hard by the Anne Frank house museum, it is an essential resource for learning the thrilling history of this priceless flower.

Book your Vueling to Amsterdam and gear up to savour spring in Holland.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photos by Robert Lyle Bolton

Krakow is the most touristic and historic city in Poland. In fact, the historic centre was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site because even the city was destroyed by the German army during the World War II, since the reconstruction of the historic quarter -known as Stare Miaso – started in 1950, trying to reconstruct it as close as possible to what it was originally.

The hearth of the city is Rynek Glówny, one of the biggest squares in Europe, always cheerful because of the street musicians and the tourists. By night, the gas lamps still light this place, projecting shadows on the walls of the buildings surrounding the square, from 14th and 15th century, giving this location an atmosphere both gloomy and romantic.

Nowadays, Krakow is a great destination for tourists but still remains all its past in order to have a promising future.

The old Jewish ghetto

It was not located in the current Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, but a bit further, in the Podgórze district. From the original, only parts of the wall remain, some of the streets and a memorial square to the heroes of the ghetto (Plac Bohaterów Getta) with big metal chairs that represent their stolen belongings when they arrived to the ghetto.

Krakow’s ghetto was founded in 1941 and as the Nazi genocide intensified, it began to be overpopulated and people died of hunger or diseases or, even worst, they were killed in the streets.

Aguila pharmacy

Nevertheless, stores were allowed to remain operative. Tadeusz Pankiewicz, the owner of the pharmacy Aquila (Apteka pod Orlem), had a significant role for the Jewish. The pharmacy was a valuable meeting point to smuggle with food, medicines and other valuable objects.

Because of that, Tadeusz Pankiewicz received a honourable mention from the state of Israel. In 2004, Roman Polanski and Steven Spielberg managed the restoration of the pharmacy, which is now part of the city History Museum, showing the murder of Jewish in the ghetto and what an important role the pharmacy had. Polanski, who escaped from the ghetto when he was a child, dedicated his Oscar award for The Pianist to Pankiewicz.

Schindler factory

Another awarded movie made a factory near the ghetto very famous. The history of Oscar Schindler’s factory – which is now also a museum – appeared in the known movie by Steven Spielberg.

The exhibition at this factory, titled “Nazi occupation (1939-1945)” includes an exhibition, reconstructions, images, objects from that period and sounds that make the visit a vivid experience, experiencing what Polish experienced during the Nazi occupation.

Krakow Jewish neighbourhood

The Jewish neighbourhood Kazimierz, formed by one of the biggest Jewish communities in Europe before the World War II, is nowadays a charming and bohemian neighbourhood, with cheerful streets, odd stores and craft workshops, also with a great variety of restaurants serving Hebrew cuisine.

Here you can visit the Old Synagogue (the oldest in Poland), the Remuh Synagogue, next to the Jewish cemetery, or the spectacular Catholic churches of Saint Catherine or the c he Crypt at Skałka. As a curiosity, you should know that this is the place where Spielberg filmed his movie Schindler's List.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

About 60 kilometres away of Krakow there is the sadly famous concentration camps Auschwitz I – first to be built - and Auschwitz II (or Birkenau), built after as an extermination camp.

You can get here easily by train or bus, leaving from the central station for trains and buses at Kraków Główny, it takes about one hour and a half to get there.

The shameful significance of this place is because it is the largest concentration camp built during the Nazi regime and the largest extermination in history, over one million people where killed here. Nowadays, it remains as a memorial to prevent this atrocities to happen again and to not forget the atrocities that took place here.

Cracovia by FotoCavallo |  Auschwitz by Gigatel Cyf Ltd. | Fábrica de Schindler by Noa Cafri | Barrio judio de Cracovia by Jakub Hałun

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

Known as the oldest theme park in the world, Bakken is home to more than thirty attractions that include roller coasters, merry-go-rounds and trains, as well as the circus and musical shows that can be seen every day. Bakken can be found in Dyrehaven (which means ‘Deer Park’ in Danish) – a large natural park full of old oak trees and impressive herds of both red and fallow deer.

The history of Bakken began with a chance discovery: on this spot over 425 years ago, a woman called Kirsten Piil stumbled upon a source of clean water – something very hard to find within the walls of Royal Copenhagen. This discovery led local families to start using the area for recreational and entertainment purposes. Traders and performers of all sorts soon began to arrive to keep them entertained and, little by little, the area was transformed into the great theme park it is today.

Entry to the park is free and a wristband can be purchased for 199 Kr. (€26.70) that will get you a maximum of ten rides on each of the attractions.

Picture by  K56e51g

We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.