If you visit Croatia, there is a way to go across the country, from south to north (or the other way around), in less than two weeks and visiting its three most interesting cities:

Dubrovnik (south), Zagreb (north) y Split (in the middle).

Dubrovnik

To get downtown from the airport, take a taxi (30-40€) or the buses from ATLAS company which drive regularly through the 20 km. from the airport to the city centre.

In the old town, do not miss the wall, the Franciscan Monastery with a pharmacy from 14th century, Lovrijencac Fountaine, Onofrio Fountain or Luza Square, and its surroundings. If you need more information or maps, the nearest Tourism Office is on Brsalje Street.

From the city, go and visit the Korcula island, the National Park of Mjle island or the Elafit islansi. The city of Ston and its Chinese wall or the medieval city Cavtat are other destinations near Dubrovnik. You can get to all these islands and cities by ferries or bus.

To get to the next destination, Split, there are buses mostly every hour, doing 223km. between both cities.

Split

Walking around the old town or the Palace of Diocletian, UNESCO heritage, is the first thing you should do when you arrive to the city. After the palace, take a walk in the seafront by the Adriatic sea. From Split you can visit Brac islands, Hvar or Vis, accesible by ferry, sailboat or fast boats.

Roman ruins from old Salona (Solin nowadays) are only 10 km. away from Split and are one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. Trogir, 28 km north, is also UNESCO heritage. To get there, there are buses and boats from the seafront. Finally, by the end of Cetina river, you can find a pinturesque village, Omis, 24 km. south and connected by bus to the city.

Before the final destination, Zagreb, Sibenik is 88 km. away and you can get there by bus or train. Do not miss its streets and the Santiago Cathedral, a UNESCO heritage. The Plitvice National Park is also near and the most known in Croatia. 16 lakes connected by waterfalls, you can sped from 3 to 8 hors walking around the spot. In the park there are hotels and two camping areas. It’s convenient to book previously.

Zagreb

Just arrived to Zagreb, a city with more than 40 museums, including Broken relationships Museum, Mimara Museumor Naif Art Museum.

“Uptown” you can visit Ban Josip Jelacic Square, Dolac Market, Katarina square or the J.J. Strossmayer Avenue.”Downtown” there are squares dedicated to Nikola Subic Zrinski, to the king Tomislav, or to Mariscal Tito. Finally, in the city centre, there are Contemporary Art Museum, el Bundek park, Jarun lake, Mirogoj cementery or Maksimir Park.

To get to Zagreb airport, 17 km. from the city centre, take the bus for 4,10€ or taxi for 30-40€.

Photos by Stewart Morris, Elena and Delaina Haslam. Thanks to the Croatian Tourism Office for the information.

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At some spot between Ingolstadt and Nuremberg, the Bavarian accent becomes gentler, the wind blows a little further down and wine competes with beer as the local beverage. This is Franconia (Franken) and, as locals never fail to point out, the Franconians – who live in the wooded hills and on the banks of the river Main – are very different from their outgoing southern cousins.

The wine producers in the north-east of the region make sublime white wine, sold in a characteristic tear-shaped bottle known as the bocksbeutel. For open-air enthusiasts, the Altmühltal Nature Reserve is an ideal area for hiking, cycling and canoeing. However, it is Franconia’s incredible towns – Nuremberg, Bamberg and Coburg – that attract most visitors. But, let’s concentrate on that marvellous elixir that has captivated human beings since the dawn of time.

Wine – the Soul of the Region

The wine of Franconia is not merely a beverage, but a celebration of the senses. It is welded into the DNA of the whole region. Its presence is felt everywhere. To see how influential it is in the landscape, suffice to go walking or cycling on the banks of the river Main, or to visit Würzburg Residenz Palace. Its presence is also tasted in the culinary creations of local chefs and in the taverns. Moreover, in Franconia, wine is extolled at festivals and trade fairs –Heckenwirtschaften– dedicated solely to wine.

The region’s mild climate is propitious for the production of this delicious beverage. It is continental, with very cold winters and mild summers, meaning the grapes mature very slowly. The soils are highly varied, being formed of coloured sandstone, granite, limestone and some slate, so that each soil type yields a different kind of wine. The coloured sandstone yields red wine, while the granite and limestone are ideal for white wines. Grape-growing has been an important and constant activity here for over 1,200 years. It is a joy to explore the wines of Franconia and all their nuances.

This wine-producing region lies east of Frankfurt and some 65 kilometres from the Rhine. The vineyards are planted on the south-facing slopes along the river Main and encircle the city of Würzburg, so this is the only vinicultural region in the state of Bavaria. Franconia is divided into three districts – Mainviereck, Maindreieck and Steigerwald – formed by the shapes adopted by the Main’s meanders. It is worth a trip along the river to get an idea of how varied the area’s vineyards really are. The main types of grape are the Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner and Bacchus.

Wine Cellars and Taverns

Wine cellars have proliferated lately. True, the consumption of white wine has increased markedly in recent years. They put it down to the economic crisis – white wines are usually cheaper than red – and to global warming – wine served cold is more appetising. The great advantage held by Franconia’s wines is undoubtedly the exceptional grape varieties grown there. And, the exuberant architecture of the wine cellars provides added value for the senses. Here is a list of the wine cellars and taverns specialising in the area’s leading wines.

DIVINO Nordheim
Langgasse 33 · 97334 Nordheim a. Main. Website

Fränkische Flaschenpost
Kirchplatz 2 · 97236 Randersacker
Tel. +49(0)931/30489627

Vinothek im Kuk
Rathausplatz 6 · 97337 Dettelbach. Website

Vinothek Iphofen
Kirchplatz 7 · 97346 Iphofen. Website

Vinothek Sommerach
Kirchplatz 3 · 97332 Sommerach a. Main. Website

Weinforum Franken
Hauptstraße 37 · 97246 Eibelstadt. Website

Winzer Sommerach- Der Winzerkeller
Zum Katzenkopf 1 · 97334 Sommerach a. Main. Website

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Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Alexander Von Halem, Goegeo, VisualBeo, FrankenTourismus/Fraenkisches Weinland Tourismus/Hub

A city underground. This idea was developed by Emir Kusturica – filmmaker born in Bosnia, raised on Islam, later converted to Christianity and self-proclaimed Serbian – in the movie Underground (1995), which showed the eventful recent history of the former Yugoslavia in a tragicomic point of view, with the protagonists create their own world underground to protect their interests, forgetting about the events above the ground. This is some kind of Plato’s cave where they live isolated while about the Nazis invade the territory, later Tito regime during the Cold War and finally the Yugoslavian war.

Located strategically between western and eastern territories, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and by the Adriatic, Aegean and Black seas, probably is the European city that has been devastated and rebuilt again the most. Serbian capital has been occupied about 38 times in the past 300 years. Austrians, Serbians and Germans have created all kind of structures in the territory that Belgrade occupies.

The insides - a tangle of tunnels, shafts, caves and bunkers - have always been there, preserved during all these wars and also created because of them. Most of the historical center is on archaeological sites and hundreds of meters of tunnels were built for many reasons, during thousands of years.

Since 2012, some of these secrets can be revealed in Belgrade - even most of them still remain closed to the public – in a trip through subterranean routes. Total, there are about 140 structures certified officially nowadays, which are allowed to be visited.

But for now is almost impossible to know how many elements can be found underground. One person that knows this well is Zoran Nikolic, cowriter of Beograd ispod Beograda (‘Belgrade under Belgrade’) where he reveals the secrets that he now also shows as specialized guide around this area.

Under the library in Belgrade

By the start of Knez Mihailova street the City Library can be found, located in a building that used to be the most famous hotel in Belgrade. In the underground floors there is the Roman room, with well-conserved rests of an old fortress and a collection of Roman sculptures and graves. The room is used for lectures, music concerts and other cultural events.

Under the Belgrade fortress

Kalemegdan, the great Fortress of Belgrade, is one of the seven fortifications that stand by the Danube, along Serbia and at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Here is where, according to the legend, Attila was buried. The fortress along to the Kalemegdan Park, become the most relevant historic-cultural complex in Belgrade.

Under the ground there is Barutana cave, a former Austrian military warehouse now used as archaeological museum, including pieces from Singidunum, the antique Roman city that used to be where Belgrade is now, including sarcophagi, tombstones and altars.

Bellow the park there is also a fascinating bunker, from the last days of the Soviet Union. Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslavian head of state, wanted to built a bunker after World War II to protect Belgrade of a possible Russian invasion.

Near the fortress, artificial caves where used as food warehouses. Nowadays, restaurants and cellars are located here, where there is never a need for air-conditioned.

Under Tašmajdan park

One of the most significant parts of the route is under the centric park of Tasmajdan, right bellow the Serbian Parliament. Bellow asphalt and concrete layers there are caves built by the Romans that were used centuries after for many purposes: during the Great War they were a warehouse for bombs and during World War II they were used as hidden headquarters by the Germans.

Picture from wikimapia.org

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The province of Catania offers to travelers a wide range of landscapes, passing by small bays and bucolic trails, from Etna, the highest volcano in Europe, to the waters of the Ionian coast. And, as in landscapes, gastronomy of Catania is formed by great diversity of traditional recipes where converge Mediterranean tastes and textures.

Herbs, spices and products make a journey of flavors on the palate. From oriental spices like cinnamon and saffron - that flavored so many dishes-, to the sweet and sour or citrus contrasts.

The Etna volcanic soil is rich in minerals which, alongside with its characteristic climate, allows the cultivation of excellent fruits like lemons and oranges, tangerines, apples, olives, almonds, strawberries, cherries, hazelnuts, chestnuts and the production of quality wines worldwide recognized.

One of the great products of this dark and fertile land is the Bronte pistachio, the "green gold of Sicily", which is used for making ice cream, sauces and in many recipes.

Historic markets 

Perfect to discover the land's products, nothing better than to visit its historic markets, the Fescheria and the Piazza Carlo Alberto Markets, who from early hours swarm at a frantic pace.

In Fescheria, located in Duomo Square, the visitor can try some of the products in site , such as clams, mussels, sardines, anchovies, oysters, sea urchins or mauru, an algae of the area which is eaten raw and dressed with a few drops of lemon.

Granita

To start the day, especially in summer, you should try the typical Catanese breakfast with lemon granita, almond, strawberry or chocolate, accompanied by a brioche called Tuppu. The granita is a Sicilian icecream that has little to do with the typical Italian icecream; it is similar to the typical granita but more creamy and refreshing, and is made ​​with natural fruit.

Pasta alla Norma

The most traditional dish is "Pasta alla Norma", which is normally prepared with macaroni or spaghetti, tomato sauce, crispy fried eggplant, fresh ricotta, albahaca, and is named after the most famous opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, born in Catania.

Arancini

Taste as well the typical arancini for a snack or a light meal. It is a ball of fried rice prepared in Sicily in a thousand ways: filled with meat, spinach, ham or eggplant. It must be eaten by holding the tip. They are very good at restaurantes such as Etoile d'Or (the Piazza Umberto), Spinella (Via Etnea 298) or Da Ernesto. (Via Ruggero di Lauria 91/93)

Catanese pastry

Do not forget the famous Catanese pastry and, especially, the popular cannoli -a flaky pastry filled with ricotta and nuts-, the cassata alla ricotta or almond and pistachio pastries. They can be found in many local street Etnea, as in Pasticceria Savia, one of the most prestigious bakeries in Catania. (Via Etnea 300 http://www.savia.it/)

Chioschi

One of the attractions of the Catanian cuisine are its chioschi , a octagonal shaped booths at strategic shadowy places, where thirst and temporary fatigue are relieved. Some refreshments are traditionally served based in fruit syrups mixed with carbonated water time.

Each neighborhood has its own chioschi. It comes to be the place where people get together at any time as they are open almost 24 hours a day. Here you will appreciate the habits and customs of the Catanese.

The first chioschi called Costa, opened in 1986 in Piazza Stesicoro, and later opened Vezzosi in Piazza Duomo. The Costa moved to Piazza Santo Spirito and Vezzosi moved to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III, where they are today.

Picture Pasta alla Norma by Paoletta S.

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