Visiting the world’s oldest republic: San Marino

For those who (like me) love Italy, you may be aware that, within its borders, Italy contains two independent countries. One – the Holy See or Vatican – requires little introduction. The second might be less known. San Marino, or, by its romantic sounding full Italian name Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, is just under…

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Milan’s Renaissance castle – Castello Sforzesco

Smack dab in the middle of Milan is an imposing reminder of its past. As a tourist wandering Milan’s compact historic center, you’d be remiss to not notice its Castello Sforzesco, Milan’s most importnat Reniassance monument. Completely restored at the start of the 20th century, the Sforza Castle was once the headquarters of the noble…

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Lavender & medieval charm in Simiane la Rotonde, Provence

I always love returning to France’s idyllic Provence region. On a family holiday two years ago, we enjoyed exploring the Haute Provence region, and stumbled upon the medieval town of Simiane la Rotonde. The location is perfect – surrounded by fields of lavender. Sadly, during our August visit, the blooms had long ago been harvested…

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Imperial charm in Salzburg, Austria

I adore the postcard-perfect city of Salzburg, in Austria, where I have been numerous times. But as we were driving back from a summer vacation in Austria and the Czech Republic two summers ago, my husband and I decided to play tour guide to our sons, who had never been to Salzburg before. We only…

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The medieval town of Radicòfani, Tuscany

Tuscany is a pretty gorgeous region, with so much to see and do. I have the chance to get up to one pretty corner of Tuscany each summer when my son attends a track and field camp in the pretty medieval town of Abbadia di San Salvatore. It’s a great chance to visit the rolling…

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Admiring Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic

The Hluboká nad Vltavou is a very pretty castle in southern Bohemia. The town itself is situated on the Vltava River, very close to the Czech city of České Budějovice. This castle was built from the medieval Froburg castle, perched above the Vltava river. It once belonged to the Přemyslid king Ottokar II of Bohemia. Later it passed…

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