Europe’s Christmas Markets Delight Holiday Travelers from all Regions and Religions

Europe, Travel

Europe’s Christmas markets are magical places. Bundled up in warm jackets with woolen scarves and mittens, people of all ages enjoy the sparkling lights, scents of evergreen, tastes of mulled wine and holiday cookies. Some markets add Ferris Wheels and merry-go-rounds; others offer the chance to feed real reindeer. The Christkindlmarkt just outside the Cologne cathedral is distinctive for its full schedule of Christmas entertainment, from holiday choirs to Punch and Judy puppet shows.

York’s Magical History Tour, From Hot Baths to Hot Chocolate

Europe, Travel

When the London train pulls into York’s Victorian Station, doors open onto an earlier time. Under the grand sweep of the station roof, travelers scurry about as if they were seeking Gate 9¾ and the train to Hogwarts. Outside, narrow streets twist through ancient neighborhoods beneath the looming towers of York Minster. In this city, where the line between fact and fiction often blurs, ghosts abound.

Cycling Ireland’s Backroads Past Churches, Castles, Sheep Farms and Pubs

Culture, Europe, History, Travel

Cycling the lightly traveled backroads of West Ireland affords time to intimately experience the country, its people and their history. Until recently, only experienced cyclists even attempted such a ride. Motorists would fly past as brightly colored cyclists peddled laboriously up hills, their bikes burdened with panniers filled with clothes and heavy equipment. Cycling seemed more exhausting than enjoyable. But with the advent of ebikes and specialized cycling tours, beautiful and fascinating areas now are accessible to nearly anyone. And one of the most bike-friendly places to take such a tour is along the west coast of Ireland.

What makes this type of tour so satisfying is the pace (avg. speed 11 mph) and proximity of being so close to the land and the people you meet along the way. You can stop whenever you like to appreciate an historic marker, a beautiful garden or scenic overlook when traveling on a bicycle. There’s something about the physical exertion necessary to get from place to place that connects a rider with the land more deeply than if he arrives by bus, train or car.

Vienna Offers More than Mozart, Museums and Hapsburg Palaces

Europe, Travel

Dining at quirky cafes near the city’s oldest farmer’s market, dancing in a music festival on an island stretching along the Danube river – it’s hard to imagine Vienna as just a monument to Imperial glory. It was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire before becoming the center of the Hapsburg Dynasty and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which included 15 different nationalities. Then came two world wars and a dreary period of postwar recovery. Vienna seemed overshadowed; stuck in the past, getting by on opera and apple strudel. But today Vienna is a city humming with creative energy. The grand 19th-century buildings that define the city co-exist with cafés, galleries and boutiques in revitalized neighborhoods.