Imagine, for example that we have a few free days to escape to any of our destinations Vueling. So why not visit Minsk?

The capital of Belarus is maybe one of the most unknown destinations that we could choose. However, it is a mesmerizing town, full of culture that will surprise almost everyone, quite sure!

Minsk is the cultural epicenter of the country. Its first theaters and libraries were built in the mid nineteenth century and today we find eleven theaters, museums sixteen, nine libraries - among which is found the National Library of Belarus- and a wide range of concert halls.

The best way to get around the city is using its modern metro, which was built in the 80s and that consists of two lines that connect the center with the periphery of Minsk. Or using a still current transport as trolleybus or tram to quietly contemplate the city and feel like the protagonist of a film set in the Cold War. Remember also that Minsk is considered one of the cleanest and safest cities in Europe.

For dining, Minsk has a strong influence both Ukrainian and Russian. Undoubtedly, the typical dish of the city are mushrooms combined with many sauces as you can imagine. Plus Borsch, beetroot soup served with a sour cream called smetana with pieces of meat. Special mention to typical local fish like herring, or the more expensive and luxurious product from sea world: caviar. On the other hand, the Vodka, the Bela-Cola and Kefir are the most common drinks.

Let's review some of the most emblematic places of the city, that you should visit if you are in the Belarusian capital city:

1.-Victory Square

Minsk's main square. Located in the city center and dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. It is the place where the most important events in the capital are celebrated, as well as parades and concerts. In the center there is an 40 meters high obelisk . It is prism-shaped and on the bottom there is an eternal flame in honor of the soldiers of the Soviet Army and the partisans of Belarus.

2.-National Museum of History and Culture

Issuing the largest collection of material and spiritual culture of the Belarusian people, from 40,000 BC to this day. There we can see from ancient manuscripts, archaeological finds, to costumes and heraldic collections.

3.-Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

Built between 1633 and 1642, it is one of the few historic buildings of the city. Currently works as an art gallery and includes a superb collection of Orthodox icons such as Mother of God, discovered in the sixteenth, that work is thought by San Lucas.

4.-Island of Tears

Across the river Svisloch we find a small island where stands a monument dedicated to Belarusians soldiers killed in Afghanistan. It consists of four altars with the names of the 771 soldiers engraved on them. According to tradition, the newlyweds of Minsk should visit the monument.

5.-National Library of Minsk

It is certainly one of the most modern architectural projects of the city. A building of 72 feet tall and 22 floors diamond-shaped, modernist and futurist. At night, becomes one of the most emblematic of the city thanks to its dramatic lighting.

6.-Museum of Great Patriotic War

Second World War Museum was the first museum to open during the course of the war commemorating the German-Soviet battle after the end of the Nazi occupation. Inside we can see from a model of concentration camp until a section devoted to the Belarusian resistance. 7.- Park Chelyuskinites The Amusement Park of Minsk. Its appeal lies in the essential conservation thereof, dated 1932 In addition to all kinds of attractions, you can also enjoy the beautiful botanical garden next to it.

Imagen de Monk - Ihar Mahaniok

Por Jordi Herrero

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

Who would have thought that, when they made their debut on stage at the Café Bizarre in New York, the young Lou Reed and John Cale would end up being the stars of an exhibition paying tribute to their band in Paris? That was back in 1965 when, having first called themselves The Warlocks and then The Falling Spikes, they had finally settled on a name that would identify and enshrine them for posterity. Incidentally, The Velvet Underground was the title of a book on sado-masochism written by Michael Leigh which had fallen into their hands by sheer chance. Nothing unusual, however, considering that drugs, prostitution, transvestism and homosexuality were rife in their New York haunts and would become the subject of many of their song lyrics, a fact which rattled more than one music producer.

Andy Warhol, a great one for moving in the New York underground and absorbing it into his parties and his works, particularly in the film pieces he shot with Paul Morrissey, was enthralled with the music of this upcoming band and added them to the prevailing fauna in The Factory. What’s more, he even took the bold step of taking over as manager of the group and in 1967 released his first production, The Velvet Underground & Nico, for which he did the cover design. Indeed, I am referring to the famous cover with the banana sticker, a veritable icon in the art world. But, the album’s value lies not only in its wrapping. Its content includes some genuine musical pearls like Sunday Morning, I’m Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs and Heroin.One of the upshots of their collaboration with the pop artist par excellence were the videos he recorded with them, which ranged from ghoulish to arty, in which he enveloped the band in light and colour.

While the album was not a super-hit – only some 30,000 copies were sold – the band decided to  break with the core of Andy Warhol and The Factory to pursue their career as musicians. The Velvet Underground remained active until 1973, when differences between the leaders were responsible for precipitating a break-up – John Cale having had a more academic music training, while Lou Reed had followed a more rebellious line. They actually started moving in and out of the band, until they eventually decided to break up altogether.

Despite their short career and meagre success, at least as far as album sales is concerned, The Velvet Underground was one of the most influential bands of New York. Heirs to the beat generation legacy, they played a crucial role in New York’s counter-culture, far removed from the psychedelic hippie culture of the seventies that reigned in San Francisco, the other major hub of creativity in the United States. Among those who inherited their destructured sound and coarse lyrics were Ramones, The Voidoids, Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Contortions, Bush Tetras, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, DNA, Sonic Youth, Spacemen 3 and Nirvana.

The Philharmonie de Paris is hosting a tribute to this band in the form of an exhibition entitled, The Velvet Underground. New York Extravaganza, which runs until 12 August. Audiovisual material has been carefully curated, with six films being purpose produced for the occasion, also featuring television file pictures, photos and portraits of the band members, objects from private collections and works by contemporary and later artists who were seduced by the charms of the band. This whole ensemble is designed to recount the story of the group and its lasting legacy. But, there is more – the exhibition will be supported by a parallel set of activities, including conferences, screenings and concerts.

Go back down memory lane and relive one of the outstanding rock bands of New York’s counter-culture by taking a getaway to Paris. Check out your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Donostia-San Sebastián is a city in constant change. Perhaps its effervescence can partly be accounted for by the prevailing impetuous climate changes and, above all, by the ceaseless wind there. Coinciding with the forthcoming change of season, we recommend you visit this charming coastal city to delight in the chromatic variations of its bay – La Concha – or the crashing waves at Chillida’s Peine del Viento.

San Sebastián is currently abuzz with creative activity, now more heated than usual. The fact is that this city in Guipúzcoa will be Europe’s culture capital for the whole year, a title it shares with the city of Wrocław in Poland. Throughout 2016 there will be concerts, stage plays, talks, book presentations and a long list of miscellaneous cultural activities.

The Year’s Major Cultural Event

This is Donostia 2016, an event that does not set out to dazzle with great names on the international scene, or exorbitant investments in infrastructure. Instead, it is pioneering a new model based on experimentation, learning and developing close-knit audiences, with a view to the legacy all this will leave behind in the city as of 2017. That accounts for the programme being grounded in local tradition, albeit with an international projection.

The fact is that Donostia is no newcomer to organising events. Let’s not forget that for years the city has been hosting such long-standing festivals as Zinemaldi, the Musical Fortnight and Jazzaldi.

Activities of all kinds will be held throughout the year in various areas of the city. Like those billed to be staged in Cristina Enea Park. This beautiful park is the city’s largest and is located hard by the Estación del Norte. August will see the independent music festival, Glad is the Day, a tribute to Gladys, a local heroine among social movements. The Dabadaba and Le Bukowski clubs, in collaboration with San Sebastián 2016 and Tabakalera, will be hosting this project with the aim of putting the Egia district onto the map of the city’s summer cultural festivals. The daytime event is admission-free and will feature eight performances at two venues – Anari, Los Tiki Phantoms, Chiquita y Chatarra and The Saurs at the main venue; and AWWZ, Telmo Trenor, Kino Internacional and Javi P3Z at the electronic venue.

Donostia Goes Hipster

Modernity and culture go hand in hand in the Egia quarter. We embark on a tour of the area through some of its most emblematic spots.

Tabakalera

Unveiled last September after 10 years of renovation. Tabakalera, a new, spectacular centre of international contemporary culture is housed in a former tobacco factory covering an area of 37,000 square metres. It consists of two exhibition halls, a cinema, an art media library, creation labs, a hotel for resident artists, micro-theatre shows, concerts, two cafés, a restaurant and a roof terrace with superb views of the city.

The Egia Quarter

The renewal of two venues, namely the Victoria Eugenia Theatre and the Koldo Mitxelena Kulturenea, belonging to the Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa (Guipúzcoa’s provincial administration), has helped shift the city’s hub to the other side of the Urumea. No wonder that this area is known as the Donostiarra Brooklyn, as it has become the city’s centre of modernity and culture.

Dabadaba

Currently one of San Sebastián’s most active venues. Concerts, festivals, exhibitions, DJ sets, flea markets and screenings are hosted in Dabadaba, a multi-purpose centre. Apart from musical and cultural events, on weekday mornings it also offers breakfast, shakes and natural fruit juices. This venue is up with the latest trends, such as a revival of interest in beer – a varied and growing selection of commercial and craft beers are featured on its menu.

Le Bukowski

Le Bukowski is another major night-time meeting point in the Egia quarter. It might lack the sophistication of the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, or the modernity of Rafael Moneo’s Kursaal Auditorium. But, what does that matter if what you want is to listen to good rock or dance music? This is the yardstick club in Donostia, both for live and DJ music. It has been active for three decades and not for nothing is it as fresh as the day it first opened.

Gazteszena

A space in the Egia quarter which has been operating as a multi-purpose venue since 1998. This year it will be hosting the Mojo Workin festival on 18 and 19 March, an event dedicated to rhythm and blues and soul which will be featuring international artists and DJs.

Donostia is always on duty for the traveller. Come and visit its trendiest quarter in a particularly exciting year. Check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Donostia 2016, Dabadaba

Halfway between restaurant, thematic museum and tourist attraction in Shekavica, you will not only enjoy from nice food, you may also be filled with different elements of Ukrainian culture and folklore. Every room represents an Ukrainian life’s different scene and even the same staff is dressed in traditional costumes and interprets in their own way a role while serving diners. Traditional music also plays a prominent role, with live shows every night.

Here you will get lifelong recipes like borch, a creamy red soup elaborated based on beet and meat, which is one of the most typical recipes of the country, but you will also get almost forgotten recipes that their chefs have recovered.

As it is not a conventional restaurant, it is not exactly cheap, but you can come up there just to take a coffee or a tea and enjoy the facility.

Hours: Monday to Sunday from 12:00 to 23:00 h

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

Imagen de Ресторан Украинской Кухни