“The journey, not the destination matters…”

Having said that, here are a few random snapshots of castles in Europe for you to consider. We reckon they make the perfect travel antidote for that moment when you feel like giving up on normal life and becoming a Medieval princess or knight.

Old Castle – Celje, Slovenia

This 12th-century castle has always been one of the biggest and most magnificent forts in Slovenia, no matter how often its residents have changed. One of the attractions of the castle – Frederick’s Tower – reveals the intriguing legend behind an impossible love story: the romance between Frederick, son of Count Herman II, and a beautiful maiden named Veronika. Count Herman II did not approve of their love, so he threw Frederick in the tower and left him there for more than four years until he died.

Veliki Tabor – Northwest Croatia

The poor maiden from the story of the previous castle managed to run away from the angry count at first, but was eventually caught and imprisoned by his soldiers in Veliki Tabor Castle and later drowned in a large vat in the castle’s yard. Her body is believed to be built into the wall connecting the entrance of the castle and the pentagonal tower.

Centuries after these horrific events, the castle is now a museum displaying old vehicles, ethnographic items, swords and many more interesting exhibits. The building itself stands out as one of the most important historical examples of secular architecture in Croatia.

Brissac Castle – south of the city of Angers in France

The original castle here was built in the 11th century, and in the 15th century it was renovated by the Duke of Brissac. The twin towers, however, remained the same and can still be seen with their original facades. This castle is known as one of the most haunted places in the world – people claim to have seen and heard the ghost of the Lady in the Green Dress, a victim of a double murder that happened here in the 15th century.

Neuschwanstein Castle – near the town of Fussen, Bavaria, Germany

This famous castle was built by King Ludwig II, who is known as ‘The Fairytale King’. The spectacular surroundings of the castle – which sits atop a hill in the Alps of Bavaria – contribute to the fairytale ambiance it exudes. King Ludwig II is known to have admired and supported legendary composer Richard Wagner; the castle is actually built in his honor and the interior is inspired by some of his works.

Fun fact: Neuschwanstein Castle inspired Walt Disney to create The Magic Kingdom.

Birr Castle – Birr, County Offaly, Ireland

Birr Castle was built in the 12th century and now serves as the residence of the 7th Earl of Rosse, which is why the residential part of the castle is not open to tourists. However, you can visit the gardens, which are home to many beautiful rare plants, as well as waterfalls, rivers and lakes. As you explore the grounds you’ll find the ‘Great Telescope’, which was built in the 1840s by the Third Earl of Rosse and for 70 years remained the largest telescope in the world. It is nowadays arguably the largest historical scientific instrument still working.

Castle of Dona Chica – Braga, Portugal

The combination of architectural styles – Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Romanesque – as well as the creative mix of construction materials makes the appearance of this castle unique. The name Chica comes from the nickname of its original patroness, Francisca Peixoto Rego. Over the years the castle has changed hands many times, leading to plenty of discussion as to what should be done with it. However, none of these ideas have been turned into a reality, and the castle remains one of the most hauntingly beautiful abandoned places in the world – a must-see for those into ruins and abandoned sites.

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Celebrate the national day of a country – your own or another

You can start this by celebrating Independence Day on the 4^th of July, even if you’re not American. The celebration of different countries’ national days is a great way to honor foreign cultures and countries without actually traveling there. You can visit a friend from that particular country, organize a themed dinner with food from the country, go to a themed bar or restaurant, or have a movie marathon with movies made in or about that country. Some of the national days you can celebrate in July are:

• 4^th July – Independence Day (United States)
• 14^th July – Bastille Day (France)
• 20^th July – Declaration of Independence from Spain (Colombia)
• 21^st July – Belgian National Day
• 23^rd July – Revolution Day (Egypt)

Organize a trip for a friend

… or have a friend organize a trip for you. Let them know only the departure date and what clothes they should bring; everything else should be a surprise. Give them the tickets, the maps and a list of challenges they should complete on the day they depart.

You can choose to send them to a place they wouldn’t normally go (be prepared for some revenge in this case) or somewhere you know they’ve always wanted to go but for some reason haven’t been able to. We’re sure you can find a suitable place that is still affordable and worth visiting.

Go to an outdoor cinema

Nothing quite compares to the atmosphere of those warm summer nights in the city, and a night at an outdoor cinema is one way to make things even better. Fresh air, a few friends, a nice movie, popcorn, drinks and voilà! – you have the perfect recipe for an after-work chill session. If you have a backyard (or even just a balcony), you can get creative and organize your own open-air movie night.

Gather herbs and wild berries

It’s finally summer now and the last thing we want to think about are those cold winter days that seem so far away. But, as we’ve always learned from Game of Thrones, winter is coming and you’d better be prepared. One fun way to do this while it’s still warm is to gather herbs for your own personal blend of tea, or wild berries that you can use to make homemade jam. If you can’t identify herbs, download a mobile app that can do it for you, or hire a guide who can teach you how to do it.

When you get around to making your homemade jam, you can label the jars with not only the name of the berries, but also the place and the date when they were gathered, as well as a funny story that happened while you were gathering them. That way you will have not only some delicious jams, but also some heart-warming memories.

Rooftop challenge

If you’ve been following this website for a while, you might have noticed our obsession with sunrises. There is a reason for that – they are always absolutely stunning, and they offer the perfect opportunity to escape from the stresses of modern life for a while. Try this challenge and you will soon be obsessed, too.

So here it is: search the city for rooftop bars that offer early morning events and go to as many as possible. You can also do this by creating your own events on the rooftops of your friends’ buildings or any other rooftop you have access to. Compare them and choose the best one, then throw a party on the last day of the month to celebrate your newfound knowledge of the city’s rooftops. Make sure you’re prepared for a big night so you can greet the first sunrise of August; then, and only then, will you be ready for our August challenges!

Don’t forget to take with you things like tick clothes, wound dressing, food.

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The museum

History museums might not always be among the most exciting attractions you’re looking forward to visiting in a new place, but the Warsaw Uprising Museum is definitely a must if you want to get a better understanding of the city.

Historical note: The Warsaw Uprising was a major operation in 1944 by the Polish Home Army with the aim of liberating Warsaw from Nazi occupation. Its failure led to the death of 150,000–200,000 civilians. The uprising was the biggest single military effort taken by any European resistance movement during WWII.

The museum guides you through the events from the very first till the very last day of the uprising, including the process of organizing the uprising, its consequences and a snapshot of what everyday life was like under Nazi occupation. All this is presented in an interactive and engaging way, with over 800 exhibits, 1800 photographs, personal diaries, interviews, movies and sound recordings.

The most moving part of the museum (where the tears came).

Right after the entrance there is a small space dedicated to the lives of the youngest ones in war-time Warsaw. And though it is really small in the context of the whole museum, it provokes enough life and war questions to keep your mind busy long after leaving it. The lives of those children during the occupation were nothing like what a kid’s life should be – their toys were used as spy tools, their games duplicated the life the grown-ups had to lead in that time, and after turning 12 they were thought to be old enough to become soldiers and actively take part in the war.

You can listen to the voice of a 10-year-old boy reading the diary of a similarly aged boy who saw the war face-to-face in the ’40s. As you listen to this eerie tale, you’ll see kids who are visiting the museum playing, drawing and having fun by the table in the corner. I’m not sure whether this striking contrast was aimed to stir up the emotions, but it sure happens to be a quite moving moment.

Some other highlights

• Life-size replica of a Liberator B-24J bomber.
• 3D aerial movie called “City of Ruins”, which takes you on a virtual flight over destroyed Warsaw.
• Inter-war style café – this can be good for taking a short break since the museum is quite big and contains a lot of information to take in at once.
• The observation tower offering views over Warsaw – another great spot to take a break .
• The heart of the museum – a wall from which battle sounds and a hearтbeat can be heard – a symbol of what life was like in Warsaw in 1944.
• The freedom park, which displays street art pieces inspired by the uprising and a memorial wall with the names of around 10,000 soldiers who died in the battles – because every single one needs to be honored.

Info spot:

Address: ul. Grzybowska 79

Can be reached by: buses: 102, 105, 109; trams: 1, 22, 24, 8

The name of the bus and tram stop you should get off at is Museum Powstania Warszawskiego.

Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.,
Thursday 10.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.,
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.,
Tuesday – closed.

Admissions:

• single ticket – 20 PLN per person
• discount ticket – 16 PLN per person
• groups – 12 PLN per person (only for group with guide and online reservations)
• admission on Sundays is free – but keep in mind that this often leads to larger crowds than on other days.
• museum lesson – 100 PLN
• audio guide rental – 10 PLN per person.

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