Touristic stuff in Europe

Lake Ritsa is a pretty mountain lake with green water located at the end of a deep canyon. Apparently, Stalin had a summer cottage up here. The only way to reach Lake Ritsa is either with your own vehicle or on a (Russian) tour. In high season (July and August) a tour can be a very touristic affair with endless stops at honey and wine stands and tying ribbons at sacred waterfalls, but consider it as a part of the experience.

The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost point where the sun never sets during the summer and never rises in winter. Naturally, it's also the demarcation line for the Arctic, the far north regions of the Planet, known for snow-capped, rugged and inhospitable landscapes. Claiming that Santa Claus lives in Finland, the Finns have marked the Circle with an aptly named Santa Claus' Village, which can only be described as mega-kitsch. The village includes a Santa Workshop selling souvenirs, a reindeer farm offering rides, and a post office if you would like to mail Santa your wish list. Unless you are travelling with children, you might not buy into the whole idea though. Instead, take advantage of the fact that the village is also the starting point for some great hikes and during the many winter months you can rent snowmobiles and go on dog-sled excursions from behind the village.

If the journey is just as important to you as the destination then you will want to check out le Petit Train Jaune de la Cerdagne. This historical relic looks like something straight out of the children’s television show "Thomas the Tank Engine" and has been in operation through the Pyrenees since 1903. The "Yellow Canary" earnt it's nickname from it's bright yellow appearance and originally travelled from Villefranche de Conflent to Mont Louis and was then extended to La Tour da Carol in 1927. As you travel the 63 km line between Spain and France you will be treated to spectacular scenery on the open roof wooden cabooses which offer amazing 360 degree views and give you a great nostalgic feeling. Unfortunately wear and tear is slowly catching up with this Pyrenees Spectacle and there will come a time in the not too distant future when the train will have to be replaced by a modern substitute, so make sure you make the time to ride this slice of history.

Germany don't have much coast line, so they cherries what they have. Rügen Island in the Baltic Sea is Germany's biggest island and has always been the top beach destination for who ever governed the area. There are entire vacation towns at the most popular beaches with traditional bathing hotels and rows of hooded beach chairs, which still attracts hordes of mostly local tourists. Other sections of the dramatic coast line consist of steep chalk cliffs on a backdrop of leafy beech forest. Beside forests, like Jasmund N.P., and cute seaside resorts, like Sellin, Binz, and Göhren, there are also more quirky sights like Putgarten, a small village of colourful houses with thatched roofs, and Prora, a 4,5 km long holiday complex built by the Nazi.

Once, Santorini must have been a beautiful little island where the locals painted their houses white and their doors, windows and the domes of their churches blue. Greece used this pretty image to advertise the country and this has attracted an enormous amount of tourists to this island. You will not find many locals here anymore but, still, it is definitely worth a visit. Especially coming off season, you can get some pretty decent deals to stay in beautiful "cave houses" and we must admit that the town of Oia is still very picturesque. Although sometimes you will need some patience to get through the "traffic jammed" pedestrian alleys and deal with the hundreds of tourists trying to find the best location to watch the sunset (and applaud when the sun has set), you can discover some more relaxing places and good areas to swim. Especially the small harbour of Ammoudi is a great place to swim and has wonderful waterside restaurants with great seafood.
So get your Euros out to enjoy this pretty island but preferably go off season to avoid some of the crowds.

Danube is Europe’s second-longest river (after Volga). It has its spring in the Black Forest in Germany and empty into the Black Sea in Ukraine. One of the the prettiest stretch is considered to be the bend in northern Hungary. Today the phrase Danube Bend refers to the whole region, which include the pretty villages and towns of Esztergom, Visegrad, Vác, and Szentendre, and many visit the region on a day trip from Budapest. If going by public transportation start by going to Vác, and then Esztergom by train for then backtrack with bus to Visegrad and Szentendre. From Szentendre catch a train again and if time, get off at Aquicumi for a quick look at the Roman ruins.

Any tour to the Wicklow Mountains will include a stop at this stone bridge. It became a local celebrity, when it appeared in the movie "P.S. I Love You" from 2007. The bridge, and particularly the setting, are very nice, but it's the mayhem that is funny to watch. To see one or even two bus loads of tourists trying to get a selfie at the same time is a bit of a spectacle.

The preserved steam train from Douglas to Port Erin is one of Isle of Man's main tourist attractions. The train is the original from 1874 with wooden carriages with seats dressed in red plush. The one hour journey (one way) follows the southeastern coastline and pass through meadows, woods, and fields with grazing cows. There are a couple of stops, but most ride the full length. The steam train is included in the Go Explore card and runs from March to November.

The seaside resort town of Rimini is Italy's mini version of Costa del Sol. A long sandy beach fringed by an equal long row of tall hotels, restaurants, and bars. The wide beach is packed with loungers, umbrellas and sun tanned bodies in speedos and bikinis. In August the density is so great that it's not possible to see neither the sea or sand from the road 100 m away. Disco tones from the beach bars have people up and dance on the sand, even during the day, and there might even be an aerobic class somewhere too. Any kind of water sports are of course available. Yes, Rimini is cheesy, but it's a fun place to chill and people watch.

Sanremo is a well established resort town on the Italian Riviera. It was apparently "the place" for the rich Europeans to spend their holiday in the old days. Today, it's not quite as glamorous as Cannes or posh as Monte Carlo, but Sanremo still has style and character, though it has also have become quirky. Some of the grand old hotels looks like they haven't been updated since 1950's, but that just part of the charm. There are plenty of Art Nouveau buildings, including the fine casino. The palm lined promenade is pretty and the tiny city beaches are packed in summer time.