The Christmas Markets of Tallinn | Top 7 Things to See and Do during Christmas in Tallinn | 7 Best Places to Visit during Christmas in Tallinn, Estonia
Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta

The Christmas Markets of Tallinn | Top 7 Things to See and Do during Christmas in Tallinn | 7 Best Places to Visit during Christmas in Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn's medieval Old Town takes on a particularly romantic look in the winter, when a new dusting of snow covers its rooftops and candles cast a flickering glow across its cobblestone alleyways. Tallinn is at its most enchanting during the winter, despite the dark nights. From ice skating on the Old Town's outdoor rink to sipping mulled wine on the ancient Town Hall square at one of Europe's best Christmas Markets, it's a true winter wonderland!

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The Christmas Markets of Riga | Top 8 Things to See and Do during Christmas in Riga | 8 Best Places to Visit during Christmas in Riga, Latvia
Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta

The Christmas Markets of Riga | Top 8 Things to See and Do during Christmas in Riga | 8 Best Places to Visit during Christmas in Riga, Latvia

With a strong pagan and Christian streak, Latvians commemorate Christmas (or the Winter Solstice) with zest and fervor. And since the world's very first ever Christmas Tree was put up in Riga back in 1510, Latvia has as much right to the title of ‘The Home of Christmas’ as the North Pole. At Riga, even if it's not a white Christmas, you can easily enter the seasonal spirit by simply following the aroma of gingerbread and mulled red wine and charming stalls selling hand-knitted shawls, mittens, socks, fragrant candle lights, artisanal spoons, and other woodwork in the Christmas Markets in the center of the Old Town. And don't forget to give yourself some rest from shopping with authentic delicacies like grey peas and bacon, best on a chilling winter day.

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The Christmas Markets of Vilnius | Top 7 Things to See and Do during Christmas in Vilnius | 7 Best Places to Visit during Christmas in Vilnius, Lithuania
Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta

The Christmas Markets of Vilnius | Top 7 Things to See and Do during Christmas in Vilnius | 7 Best Places to Visit during Christmas in Vilnius, Lithuania

December in Vilnius is a unique time as Christmas and New Year draw closer and bring the associated festivities. Vilnius got extremely popular when ‘The Guardian’ listed Vilnius’ Christmas Tree amongst the most gorgeous ones globally in 2015. Its appeal increased with the Christmas Trees of 2016 and 2017. In 2019 when we visited, Vilnius set up a 27 meters (around 90 feet) high metal Christmas Tree made with 600+ branches and over 5 km of lighting themed on the Queen of Chess (ranked as finest Christmas Tree in Europe that year), surrounded by stalls offering well-crafted distinct handmade products, a wide variety of dining establishments open till midnight and youth choirs shouting Christmas carols all around. Certainly, Vilnius is a must-visit Christmas location.

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15 Best Iconic Murals of Berlin Wall East Side Gallery | Top 15 Most Famous Graffiti and Street Art of Berlin Wall Memorial
Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta

15 Best Iconic Murals of Berlin Wall East Side Gallery | Top 15 Most Famous Graffiti and Street Art of Berlin Wall Memorial

For over three decades, Berlin, the present capital of Germany, was a divided city, with a wall running through its center. The Berlin Wall divided the city into East and West Berlin from August 13, 1961, until November 9, 1989. Today, the East Side Gallery, the Berlin Wall Memorial in Bernauer Strasse, the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, a former Stasi remand jail, and the green Mauerpark are all places where you can find traces of the Wall, its remains, and memorial sites, with The East Side Gallery, formerly a part of the original Berlin Wall being the most famous one. Today I’m going to take you along with me on a journey across the 15 most iconic murals of the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery. Let the journey begin!

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4 Best Places to Visit in Kosovo | Top 4 Must See Attractions of Kosovo
Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta

4 Best Places to Visit in Kosovo | Top 4 Must See Attractions of Kosovo

The Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognized country and a disputed area in Southeastern Europe. Kosovo became part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th to the early 20th century. In the late 19th century, it came to be the center of the Albanian National Awakening. Following their defeat in the Balkan Wars, the Ottomans ceded Kosovo to Serbia and Montenegro.

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11 Best Places to Visit in Skopje | Top 11 Must See Attractions of Skopje, North Macedonia
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11 Best Places to Visit in Skopje | Top 11 Must See Attractions of Skopje, North Macedonia

Skopje is the capital and also the biggest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, social and economic hub. To me, it is hands down one of the most beautiful Eastern European capital cities. The massive architectures built under the redevelopment project 'Skopje 2014' (a €560 million controversial makeover in a country whose one-fourth population is unemployed and one-third lives below the poverty line) focused on reshaping Skopje to attract foreign investments has left the city surprisingly beautiful but non-Balkan.

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6 Best Places to Visit in Albania | Top 6 Amazing Must See Travel Attractions of Albania
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6 Best Places to Visit in Albania | Top 6 Amazing Must See Travel Attractions of Albania

With its doors closed to the world until the end of the 20th century, Albania, home to enticing history, gleaming coastline, ruffled hills and collection of fascinating Ottoman-era citadel towns, has always been Mediterranean Europe's enigma, a blurry dot on travel maps. However, with the end of an oppressive communist regime in 1991, Albania swung open its gateways to a land of enchantment.

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The Best Places to Visit in Slovenia | The Most Beautiful Must See Attractions of Slovenia
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The Best Places to Visit in Slovenia | The Most Beautiful Must See Attractions of Slovenia

With snow-capped peaks of the Julian Alps, gleaming emerald-green lakes, turquoise rivers, Venetian shoreline along the Adriatic Sea, and the underground magical world of Postojna and Škocjan caverns, tiny Slovenia (formerly a part of Yugoslavia and not to be confused with Slovakia that was previously a part of Czechoslovakia) certainly appears to be the 'Promised Land.' An extraordinary combination of climates brings cozy Mediterranean breezes to the foothills of the Alps, where it can also snow in summer. With more than half of its overall surface area still covered in woodland, Slovenia is one of the greenest nations in the world.

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Family Weekend Getaway Holiday in the Moselle (Mosel) Valley, Germany | Travel Itinerary, Tips and Tricks, Road Trip, and Hiking Route Map
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Family Weekend Getaway Holiday in the Moselle (Mosel) Valley, Germany | Travel Itinerary, Tips and Tricks, Road Trip, and Hiking Route Map

The Moselle Valley region offers families the opportunity to vacation by the Moselle, spend time with their families, have fun, be active, and learn new things right from a child-friendly guided tour of the Cochem Castle, the Reichsburg, to a ride on the chair lift up to the Pinnerkreuz, the fantastic viewpoint above the small town of Cochem, from where it's not far to hike to the Klotten Game and Leisure Park, which, among other things, has a large enclosure with wild animals, to a must-do boat ride from Cochem to Beilstein, that will leave you awestruck! So based on our personal experience, today I’m going to share with you the tips and tricks on how to get the most of this amazing piece of creation named the ‘Moselle Valley’ over a weekend with your family. Let the journey begin!

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The Chronicles of Bosnia and Herzegovina | The Best Places to Visit in Mostar and Surroundings
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The Chronicles of Bosnia and Herzegovina | The Best Places to Visit in Mostar and Surroundings

The ruggedly charming Balkan nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (abbreviated as BiH) is known for its passionate human warmth, magnificent mountains, raftable rivers, impressive waterfalls, gorgeous Turkish-era stone architecture with quirky bars, inviting street-terrace cafes, traditional barbecue restaurants, and vibrant arts scenes.

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The Best of Belgrade | 3 Most Popular Attractions in Belgrade, Serbia
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The Best of Belgrade | 3 Most Popular Attractions in Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade is a contemporary European city with a population of about 1.7 million. It is the administrative, cultural and political center of Serbia and is the seat of the Serbian parliament. Among the earliest cities in Europe and the only one built on the confluence of the two rivers Danube and Sava, Belgrade is the city that never sleeps.

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Complete Guide to Visiting Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle) in Transylvania, Romania | Everything You Need to Know to Visit Bran Castle | Legends, Truth, Fun Facts, Things to Do
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Complete Guide to Visiting Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle) in Transylvania, Romania | Everything You Need to Know to Visit Bran Castle | Legends, Truth, Fun Facts, Things to Do

Gazing majestically over the town from a rocky bluff, Bran Castle doesn’t fail to enthrall its visitors one single bit. Today, a whole industry has sprung up around calling it "Dracula's Castle," despite very little being in common with Bram Stoker’s Dracula or with Vlad Tepes (also known as Vlad the Impaler), the historical character rumored to have inspired Bram Stoker to give birth to the character.

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Instagrammable Romania | The Most Beautiful and Romantic Places to Visit in Romania
Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta

Instagrammable Romania | The Most Beautiful and Romantic Places to Visit in Romania

Furrowed stone churches, bedazzling monasteries, groves of pine and deciduous trees, stretches of bright green meadow & a backdrop of the majestic Carpathian Mountains – probably these words better describe the fascinating countryside of Romania that’s otherwise steeped in legends of vampires, werewolves & other dark creatures of the night.

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Discover Slovakia | 18 Best Things to See in Slovakia
Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta Europe Travel Blog Shirshendu Sengupta

Discover Slovakia | 18 Best Things to See in Slovakia

Let’s start our Slovak journey from the most scenic eastern part of the country. Driving through eastern Slovakia is a one-of-a-kind experience. As soon as you cross the Polish borders driving over all kinds of good, bad, and ugly roads amidst the beautiful Polish countryside, you enter the hilly landscape of rural Slovakia with widespread lush green meadows.

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