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Black Sea Discoveries II: Sights along the Black Sea Coast

Most visitors to Bulgaria come during the summer peak as part of a hotel & flight package, flying into Burgas and staying at a nearby resort, such as Sunny Beach or Nessebar. While such visits are hardly inspiring beyond the hotel, beach & pool routine, there are several alternative attractions for visitors to discover in the area, which may break the package-deal monotony and introduce guests to more local sites and experiences. For such alternative activities, best to rent a car for a day or two, or to make use of local bus connections. The undeniable gem of the Bulgarian Black Sea is NESSEBAR, originally a Thracian and later a Greek settlement (Messambria) on a peninsula declared a WORLD HERITAGE SITE by the UNESCO in 1983. Here the key is timing, as Nessebar reveals its true magic only when tour groups are absent, which is in early May or late September. Otherwise the small town turns into a Bulgarian kitch Disneyland with hundreds of kitch souvenir stands catering to tho...
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Savoring History and Nightlife in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin

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...
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Beautiful Bern – more than just another city

Most visitors to Switzerland will opt for the mountains or, if they visit cities, tend to spend time in the more renowned Swiss tourist centers such as Lucerne or Interlaken. Not quite as many will opt to visit the capital BERN, although it holds great architectural appeal and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In fact, Bern could be seen as among Switzerland's most charismatic and architecturally charming cities – as it lacks the crude business appeal of Zurich or the cold, diplomatic feel of Geneva. A good place to start any visit to Bern is therefore at the so-called ROSENGARTEN, a former cemetery and nowadays charming park area with numerous kinds of roses – and a spectacular panoramic viewpoint, from which the entire Old Town of Bern along with the AARE valley can be enjoyed in one sweeping view. Numerous photographers, painters and other artists tend to congregate here to capture the scenic beauty of the Swiss capital. From here, it is possible to choose a brief 5...
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