The geographical beauty of Scotland is known worldwide. Its identity, landscapes, moors, mists or castles, make this land a unique place with its own great personality. But if there is something Scotland is well known for is for the loch, a symbol for the country, where traditions, tales, myths and legends merge the waters with the character and personality of the Scots. The characteristic topography and landscape of this country cannot be understood without them.

Why don’t we take a swim in some of the most beautiful lochs in Scotland?

Loch Rannoch: Located in Perth and Kinross, this loch is over 14 km long. The River Tummel begins at the eastern end and the Tay Forest Park lies along the southern shore. The lake and its surroundings offer good places for fishing and walking. The small village of Kinloch Rannoch is on the eastern end of the loch, and near the western end a crannog, an ancient artificial island, can be found.

Loch Lomond: The largest in Scotland with its 37km long and 8km wide. There are a big number of islands inside the loch, many of which are artificially created in ancient times to be inhabited.

Loch Ness: This is the lake of Scotland, the best known and most visited. The legends and tales told about its waters have become worldwide famous. It is about 39 km long, it forms part of the Caledonian Canal and has one of the most visited and photographed ruins of Scotland, Urquhart Castle. If you have good luck, maybe you’ll see Nessie.

Loch Tummel: One of the most famous viewpoints in Scotland is the Queens View, on the north of Edinburgh. The views over Lake Tummel and surrounding mountains are spectacular. Also, very close, in the town of Pitlochry, every October you can find the sound and light show known as the Enchanted Forest, which attracts thousands of visitors.

Loch Duich: The Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most famous and photographed castles in Scotland, located between lakes Alsh and Duich, makes this large lake one of the most visited in the country.

Loch Coruisk: The trip to this lake is one of the most beautiful of Scotland. Located between the "Munros" of Sgurr Alasdair, Sgurr Dearg and Bla Bheinn, to access it you have to take a boat from Eigol and just get carried away by the landscapes that go through a half-hour drive along the bay until you reach the dock. Curiously, depending on the season, you can see colonies of seals sunbathing or swimming in the lake.

Image from Jacob Martin

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

The most touristic of the Greek Dodecanese Islands is the beautiful Kos, with about 48 kilometers long and eight wide, which is very close to the coast of Turkey. It is normal then that their simple and tasty cuisine is influenced by their neighboring country.

One of the most popular choices is to ask for mezze or meze (very common in the Middle East and in this part of the Mediterranean), a varied selection of dishes that are accompanied with ouzo (or similar drinks like raki, tsipouro or tsikoudia), an alcoholic beverage made in Greece. It is usually prepared with all kinds of ingredients such as eggplant, tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, fish, cheese, peppers, olives or seafood.

Although the mezes are accompanied with ouzo, it doesn’t mean that you have to take them without measure. You are supposed to eat and drink slowly, enjoying the company and the lively conversation.

Try for instance the Gavros Marinatos (anchovies marinated in oil, lemon and salt), the grilled octopus or the Kalamarakia (fried squid), the saganaki (Kefalotyri cheese fried in olive oil), the tirokafteri (made from a softer cheese like feta mixed with yogurt, olive oil and lemon) or the keftedes (fried meatballs seasoned with mint and onion).

Other typical recipes of the island are the noodles in broth called "pitaridia" the "dolmades” (grape leaves stuffed with rice), the "pastitsio" (pasta with vegetables), the "katimeria"(pancakes with mizithra cheese served with honey and cinnamon), and the "lampropites' (pies filled with a cheese called prosfa). There are plenty of different restaurants on the island, from typically Greek food with traditional flavors to international restaurants, bars and nightclubs, with guaranteed fun until the wee hours of the morning.

Nick de Fisherman
Georgiou Averof 21
One of the most popular places to eat fish and only fish, mostly because you will not find meat dishes in this restaurant run by a fisherman and his family since 1942.

Barbouni
Georgioy Averof 26
www.ilovebarbouni.com
Fresh seafood dishes, assorted meze, fish coming directly from the sea and some of their wonderful cocktails to finish.

Agkyra
Averof 14, Kos
Family business with views of Kos’s Harbour.

Dihtaki
Georgiou Averof 30
Seafood and some vegetarian options in this delightful place with a terrace facing the sea.

El Gallo
Georgiou Averof 12
Great Greek and Spanish tapas facing the sea in the city of Kos.

Psarovarka
Antimahoy 1 Kos
Although it was opened recently,this restaurant has earned a reputation as one of the best on the island. Home-made dishes cooked with local products, seafood mezes, salads and high quality fish. They have hammocks on the beach where they serve drinks.

Taverna Mike
Eth. P. Polemiston, Lambi
www.mike-kos.eu
Let yourself be advised by Mike and Gina on the best food and wine of the place. A spacious and welcoming restaurant to taste the specialties of the island.

La Prima
Plaza Diagoras, Kos
www.laprima-kos.com
Pasta, some vegetarian choices and the best saganaki mussels (Greek recipe for mussels with onions, tomatoes and feta cheese).

Picture mezze por Banu

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

Greece and its islands are a paradise for tourists where culture, mythology, art, cuisine and incredible landscapes blend perfectly. But if people go to Santorini or Crete looking for a relaxing and peaceful holidays, they go to Mykonos in search of its leisure and its famous beach parties, like it happens for instance in Ibiza.

Mecca of gay tourism, people live without prejudice in Mykonos; it is a happy, carefree and cosmopolitan island as many people who visited Mykonos at the time as a tourist, and stayed falling in love of its style and life quality.

The facades of the houses in the tourist areas are painted twice a year of pure white and make a wonderful contrast to the blue, yellow or deep red of some domes or details in the houses, in a neat appearance.

During the day you can relax on the pristine beaches of Kalo Livadi, Agrari, Elia, Psarou, Paranga Gialos, Ornos or Kalafatis, and, when the night falls, enjoy their wide leisure offer.

Two of the most popular beaches are Paradise and Super Paradise, about 6 miles southwest of Chora; nice beaches with good infrastructures, particularly famous for its parties. When evening comes, the entire beach becomes a huge outdoor club where house music and lounge turn up the volume in different bars and people dance until dawn. Here is the Paradise Club, one of the most popular clubs on the island, especially for the younger public, with the best techno, pop rock and dance music.

Out of Paradise and Super Paradise, there is a great deal of small clubs or large macro-discos throughout the island:

Caprice Bar
caprice.gr

It has been in Alefkandra for years, one of the most beautiful areas of Mykonos, also known as Little Venice, with its low houses with porches that almost reach the water.

Cavo Paradiso
cavoparadiso.gr

With a privileged location on a cliff overlooking the sea, Cavo Paradise is the place for electronic music lovers. The best dj’s come around here during July and August!

Skandinavian
skandinavianbar.com

Located downtown and with two floors; the ground floor is occupied with bars with terraces and there is a dance floor upstairs where house and the most commercial hits sound.

Astra Bar
www.astra-mykonos.com

One of the classics of the Greek night. Its doors opened in 1987 and its decor is stunning. Since then, the Astra Bar is a place, not as big as the famous clubs of the island, but where you can find good music and an atmosphere away from the tourists. Sometimes they bring djs and boast their taste for good music.

Picture Little Venice by Zitumassin | Picture Mikonos by Sailko

Perfect plan to go with friends! Check our flights and sign up!

In 2003, the Nuremberg “Rostbratwurst” was the first sausage to be accepted on the EU PGI registry, which recognizes traditional, locally-produced specialties in the European Union. The protected geographical indication for Nuremberg Bratwurst says that every Nuremberg sausage must be made within the city limits of Nuremberg according to an official traditional recipe. In addition to the official seal of the EU, they also bear their own “Original” seal.

These culinary delights are eaten in groups of six, eight, ten or twelve with mustard or – more traditionally – horseradish, which is called “Kren” in the local dialect. Typical side dishes are sauerkraut, potato salad or a farmer’s rye bread. In addition to the grilled version, you’ll also find sausages prepared as "Saure Zipfel". In this recipe, the brats are slowly cooked in a broth flavored with vinegar, onions, wine and spices. The sausages sometimes take on a light bluish-grey color, which led to the name "blue tails". A real treat for the people of Nuremberg – and therefore available all over the Old Town – are “3 im Weggla“. Three of the small sausages are laid in a sliced-open hard roll (“Weggla“) and topped with mustard – voilà: You have a hearty snack in your hand. Don’t miss it!

Why is a Nuremberg Bratwurst so small?

Everyone knows that although the Nuremberg Bratwurst is smaller than others, they offer a mighty big taste. But why are they so small? We wanted to investigate this question. There are many theories and stories that attempt to explain the size of Nuremberg sausages. Here’s a sample:

In the Middle Ages, the pubs (and the gates in the city wall) were required to close early. The legend says that Nuremberg innkeepers found the sausages practical, because they were small enough to fit through a keyhole … so they could even feed guests who were locked out at night.

Another story says that prisoners in the Nuremberg Dungeon were fed Nuremberg sausages by their warden. They drilled an extra hole in the prison wall and pushed the sausages to the criminals through this narrow slit. A legend which combines both theories is the story of the Nuremberg patrician Hans Stromer. He was given a life sentence because he refused to pay his debts. Before they locked him up, they granted him one last wish: He asked to receive two Nuremberg brats each day. They were passed to him through the keyhole. During his 38 years in jail, Stromer managed to enjoy 28,000 sausages!

While we don’t expect you to eat as many as Stromer (though you may want to!), we know you won’t want to miss this special treat when you visit Nuremberg. Check out our flights here!

Text and Image by Congress - und Tourismus-Zentrale Nürnberg