Category: Cities

Starting as a small fishing village in the 12th century Amsterdam became a major center for world trade during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. It started the first stock exchange and was the pioneer of capitalism. It expanded rapidly during the 18th & 19th centuries. It’s social practice of non-conformism, tolerance and progressivism […]

Athens was a major cultural center of the Mycenaean civilization around 1400 BC. It’s location to the sea made Athens a leading trade center for the Greek state in early 900 BC. In its infancy, the Acropolis afford Athens fortified protection against enemies. After the wars against Persian invasion ancient Greek entered into it’s Golden Age […]

Barcelona is thousands of years old and legend says that Hannibal’s father founded Barcelona. The Romans did build a military camp around 15 BC and parts of Roman structures can be found today. It grew in size primarily because of its harbor. The Visigoths captured Barcelona in the 5th century followed by the Islamic invaders […]

Early western slavic settlements from the 12th century may have been the beginning of an early Berlin. The first written records of towns appear later that century. The year 1237 is considered the founding of todays Berlin. It benefited and grew from being on trade routes from eastern to western Europe. Successors to Frederick I […]

Remnants of early human settlements from the stone age have been found. The Romans occupied the area after the decline of the empire it became part of the Frankish Kingdom. The founding of current of Brussels is considered 979. It has been affiliated through the centuries with many powers starting with the County of Leuven […]

Budapest was an early Celtic settlement that was converted by the Romans into the town of Aquincum and the capital of Lower Pannonia. Hungarians arrived in the area in the late 9th century and the Mongols invaded and pillage 1241-42. The city of Buda which lies on the west bank of the Danube River became […]

Once a small Viking fishing village in the Gammel Strand Copenhagen became a region power and capital of Denmark in the 15th century. It was also the capital of the Kalmar Union during the Renaissance, ruling over all the Nordic countries. After the dissolution of the Union and then plague and fire of the 18th […]

Dublin was possibly settled by the Gaels by the 7th century and expanded as a Viking settlement. Later it became the main city in the Kingdom of Ireland following the Norman invasion. It expanded and grew rapidly in the 17th century and was a major city in the British Empire. Following the Act of the […]

Dubrovnik became a trading power in the 14th & 15th centuries and a rival of Venice. Regions of Dubrovnik… Points of Interests in Dubrovnik… Day Rrips from Dubrovnik… Day Rrips from Dubrovnik… Bosnia Herzegovina Kravice Waterfalls Mostar 🏛 Sarajevo Elaphiti Islands Korcula Peljesac Peninsula wine region Split 🏛 Montenegro Budva Kotor Bay 🏛 Sveti Stefan […]

Regions of Edinburgh… Old Town New Town Stockbridge & Canonmills Leith East South West Points of Interests in Edinburgh… Day Trips from Edinburgh… Eilean Donan Castle The Firth Bridge 🏛 Glasgow Glencoe Hadrian’s Wall Loch Lomond Loch Ness Northumberland Coast Holy Island Scottish Highlands St. Andrews Stirling Castle Whiskey regions Campbeltown Highland Islay Lowland Speyside […]

Julius Caesar established Florence in 5 the9 BC. In 4th century CE Florence fell under Byzantine and Ostrogothic rule, under Lombard in the 6th and then Charlemagne conquered it in 774. After it became part of Tuscany,  about 1000, Hugh the Great moved from Lucca to Florence and the Golden Age of Florentine Art started. […]

Istanbul has served as the capital of three major empires making it one of the worlds most unique cities. Located on the Bosphorus Strait that divides Europe from Asia, this has been truly where east meets west over the centuries. Located in Europe as well as Asia, Istanbul is the worlds only city in two […]