Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
Valletta has two nice public parks located facing the harbor: the Lower Barraka Gardens and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. Especially from the upper ones you can enjoy good views on the Grand Harbour, the fort St. Angelo and the Three Cities. It is located on the St. Peter and Paul bastion and contains different memorials and artworks, for example honoring Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill.
Continue reading “Upper Barrakka Gardens”
The capital city of Malta is a special one: mostly car free, located on a large headland in the harbor, surrounded by large ancient walls and connected by ferry boats to the cities around it. Valletta is named after Jean de la Vallette, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta that erected the city. We all know their unique Maltese cross and the organization that still exists today.
Continue reading “Surprising capital city”
Choosing a hotel in Malta isn’t easy if you want to see the capital city but also travel around by rental car. Typically, I would book a hotel close to the city center of the capital, but Valletta is mostly free of cars and the space is extremely limited. A viable alternative is to find a hotel at Sliema with a car park as the neighboring city has a particularly good ferry boat connection.
Continue reading “Victoria hotel”
There is no typical zoological garden at Kassel. If you want one of these, you need to go to Hannover, Leipzig or Frankfurt. What exists is a privately operated zoo for small animals: the Zoo am Rammelsberg. The entrance is free of charge and the costs are covered by donations. Many people use the opportunity to see and feed some animals, but the conditions under which they’re held are often disputed.
Continue reading “Zoo am Rammelsberg”
The castle of Λάρνακα is just a small castle directly at the sea, but it is a nice photo spot, especially in the evenings. First fortifications in this area go back to the 12th century CE, but the city and the castle gained importance in medieval times and where enhanced and fortified when the Republic of Genoa conquered the north of the island, and the harbor of Famagusta was lost.
Continue reading “Castle at the sea”
The story of Lazarus of Bethany is well-known: according to the bible he was a close friend of Jesus. After he had died Jesus came to his grave and called him back to life. What happened afterwards is not documented in the bible, but there are different legends: one says that Lazarus lauter became the bishop of Λάρνακα.
Continue reading “St. Lazarus”
If you need a hotel at the city center of Λάρνακα, the Livadhiotis is a desirable choice. It is located a convenient walk away from the beach, the St. Lazarus church and the Larnaka castle. Around the hotel you’ll find many bars and restaurants; the hotel itself offers spacious rooms with good balconies. I enjoyed having a room facing the quiet inner courtyard.
Continue reading “Livadhiotis”
When you’re at Αγία Νάπα in the east of Cyprus it is a promising idea to enjoy the sunset at the end of the island, the Cape Greco. The final land’s end is unfortunately covered by a British radar station, but you can explore rocky areas, beaches and grottos located west of it.
Continue reading “Cape Greco”
One of the most beautiful places in the Turkish sector of Λευκωσία is the Büyuk han, the great inn. When the Ottomans took over power from the Venetians they created a caravanserai in the city. It is a rectangular building giving a home to travelers and merchants. Today you’ll find different restaurants inside and can enjoy lunch in this ancient environment.
Continue reading “Caravanserai”
When you look at ancient maps and images of Λευκωσία, you can see a large church in the center of the city boundaries marked by the Venetian walls protecting the city: the Cathedral of Saint Sophia. It was built from the year 1209 on and the Knights Templar supported the creation during the crusades. The kings of Cyprus were crowned there during the existence of their kingdom (1192 to 1489 CE).
Continue reading “Selimiye Camii”