EUROQUEST SideTracks

No visit to the Crimean Peninsula would be complete without witnessing the spectacular coastline of the Crimean Riviera near Yalta. Following the ancient exoticism of Crimean Khanites and the quixotic introduction to wars and their memorials in Sevastopol & Balaklava, we are now focusing on the true scenic beauty of the area by heading to the East Coast of Crimea to the area around Yalta. For long times the favorite vacation spot of Russian Czars and oligarchs alike, the area administratively belongs to Ukraine, but is culturally still deeply bound to Russia. Most visitors hail from Russia or the Middle East, making Yalta and surroundings still an exotic destination of many western visitors. In fact, the area feels a bit like the French Riviera, but 30 some years ago. It certainly offers the same idyllic scenery, mild climate and lush fauna and flora. Yet it is refreshingly devoid of overdevelopment, ostentatious display of wealth or its related pretentiousness. For that reason, an...

Touring the Crimean Peninsula has truly some unexpected surprises in store for visitors. From the exoticism of the Palace of the Khans to the scenic coastline around Yalta, there is something for almost everyone here. Even military enthusiasts will get their fair share of sightseeing done here - mostly in the big naval port city of Sevastopol in the southwest of Crimea. It is here and its surrounding area that the proud history, suffering and memories of several wars are kept alive for locals and visitors alike. Although I am not much of a war enthusiast and have always preferred John Lennon's "MAKE LOVE NOT WAR" philosophy, a visit to Sevastopol has some highly interesting insights to yield on the nature, impact and remembrance of war time for a nation. And as anywhere else in Crimea, this is hardly a mass-tourist experience but rather a personal, tamed-down, private encounter with warfare, patriotism, heroism and its legacy. And wars there have been many here - the m...

Ever since January, 2007 visitors from Schengen EU countries and North America no longer require visas to travel to Ukraine. This minor administrative detail has made travel to this part of the world so much more attractive, as adventures to Ukraine no longer imply bureaucratic hurdles as they are still associated with most successor countries of what was once the Soviet Union. And for most of us well-traveled souls, any visit to Ukraine still evokes a touch of the exotic and would thus rank high on our list of destinations to see as Treasures off the Beaten Track. And with Wizzair now serving the Kiev to Simferopol route, travel to beautiful Crimea has become both affordable and easy. For that reason, we would like to focus on the Crimean Peninsula and its highlights, starting with a truly exotic and hidden gem - the Palace of the Khans in the small town of Bakhchiseray. As soon as you land in Simferopol airport, you can sense that this is an area still waiting for its peak to come ...

Even the producers of IN YOUR POCKET guides have admitted that Budapest is their favorite city in Central Europe - and they are not alone. When I had to decide on a place to settle five years ago, the choice was obvious for me - no other capital city in Europe was able to offer me such a unique blend of magnificent setting & architecture, culture and wellness. The 123 thermal springs under the city alone turn the metropolis of 2 million into a gigantic spa. And nothing beats riding my bike along the Danube embankment in summer time. Well, times have changed. Incompetent government, corruption, economic crisis and an overall Hungarian tendency to pessimism and negativity have soured the mood considerably in recent years. Underlying layers of repressed aggression, frustration and neurosis may be witnessed daily, but that alone would not make me leave. The threat of fascism does. The rise of Jobbik and Magyar Garda in recent years does not bode well for a country so ill prepared for...

No doubt Berlin has come of age and become en vogue...promoted by the local tourist authority as party capital of Europe, thousands of visitors young and old descend onto the city in search of recent history in the making and long wild nights out partying until dawn. Berlin caters to both, but most visitors will stick to the "highlights" around the Brandenburg Gate, Under den Linden or Checkpoint Charlie along with what is left of the Berlin Wall (1961-1989). Few if any will venture beyond those main attractions, and rarely do visitors embark on explorations of "local Berlin", which is unfortunate, as the German capital has existed as a "big city" - a large incorporated Berlin Metropolitan Area - only since 1920 - and the numerous communities and villages that are part of Berlin today, all have their own history, color, dialect and trajectory. One of the most avantgarde, talked about and interesting districts of Berlin is the neighborhood of PRENZLAUER B...