Things to Do in Anaheim & Buena Park

As its name suggest, Zuid is a district of Antwerp that lies south of the historic city center; currently enjoying a moment in the fickle flame of immense popularity, its wide boulevards crammed with on-trend clubs, bars, breweries and restaurants as well as small, stylish independent boutiques. Zuid’s carefully planned grid of streets were laid out in the late 1870s and the dock facilities on the River Scheldt were expanded southwards at the same time. When the docks became redundant, the district was virtually mothballed and fell from favor before being rediscovered in the 1980s as Antwerp saw a resurgence in her fortunes as a fashion and diamond center. Today Zuid has a several dramatic public monuments around its streets and piazzas, and a scattering of handsome Art Nouveau buildings; it is home to the Fotomuseum (FoMu) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA) plus the city’s striking new law courts on the site of the former docks. 

Possibly one of the prettiest towns in Portugal, medieval Óbidos has existed for centuries tucked inside its fortified walls; a gleaming white-washed spider’s web of alleyways lined with squat houses, all adorned with flower-smothered balconies, vivid blue azulejo tiles and Gothic doorways.

Known as the ‘Wedding Present Town’ due to the tradition of Portuguese kings giving Óbidos to their wives as part of their dowry, the town has benefited from its royal patronage down the centuries. At its heart lies the cobbled main square of Praça de Santa Maria, home to the old town pillory, a majestic fountain and a tiny museum in the town hall. The cluster of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches around Santa Maria square were all founded by various monarchs, as was the Amoreira Aqueduct outside the town walls.

This charming melee of architectural styles is best seen from the vantage point of the vast defense walls encircling Óbidos. Above all this stands the austere, crenelated façade of the 12th-century castle; although it is now a pousada (state-owned hotel), the terraces and gardens are still open to the public for panoramic views across the town and surrounding hills.

Óbidos is packed with wine shops selling the potent local ginjinha liqueur, terraced restaurants serving the traditional fish stew caldeirada and tiny souvenir stores selling cheery ceramics, and makes a wonderful destination for an afternoon’s exploration. Often packed by day – especially in summer – by night most visitors have left; an overnight stay in the castle pousada sees the town revert to its tranquil, romantic best.

The Oresund Bridge stretches 16 kilometers between Denmark and Sweden, providing a connection between Scandinavia and the European continent. It is considered a marvel of engineering and is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe. The bridge itself is eight kilometers long and connects to the manmade Peberholm Island and then to the Drogden Tunnel that leads to Denmark’s Amager Island. Opened in the year 2000, the bridge allows visitors to cross the Oresund Straight by car in just 10 minutes, with cars passing on the upper level of the bridge and rail tracks running on the lower level.

Römerberg (or Roman Mountain) is the historic heart of Frankfurt and often the first stop for tourists. The Town Hall, or Römer, is located on the west side of the square and consists of 3 pink colored buildings with gables built in Gothic style. Römerberg was ravaged by bombings during World War II and was later rebuilt to reflect its original Gothic style.

Römerberg is a beautiful square situated in Frankfurt's Old Town. It is flanked with half-timbered houses, a church, and the Town Hall. Since the 12th century, this square has played an integral role in trade fairs. Travelers came from Italy and France to attend trade fairs in Römerberg. In addition, it was the site major celebrations and festivities, such as the coronation of Holy Roman Emperors, held in the Town Hall.

As the principal venue for the Zurich Opera since it opened its doors in 1891, the Zurich Opera House has garnered worldwide acclaim for its outstanding acoustics and wide variety of international performances. Originally called the ‘Stadttheater’, the venue was built on the site of the Actientheater, which burned down just a few years earlier, and staged its opening to a dramatic performance of Richard Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’. Despite changing its name to the Zurich Opera House in 1964, the concert hall maintains its original Neo-classical façade, designed by Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer and held up by 1,800 oak pillars. Equally impressive is the Rococo style entrance foyer and auditorium, which seats 1,200 people and is notable for its intricate ceiling paintings that represent love, tragedy, comedy, music and poetry.

Two blocks in from the Danube promenade at the north end of the busy shopping precinct Váci Street in central Pest, elegant pedestrianized Vörösmarty Square is named after Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty; his massive marble statue stands in the center of the square. The deliciously old-fashioned Gerbeaud Café has graced the square since 1870 and it still serves the best ice creams in Budapest. Two other sides of the square have recently been redeveloped into luxury apartments and shopping malls; the modernist architecture contrasts cleverly with the old-world charm of Gerbeaud.

Budapest’s annual Christmas Market is held in Vörösmarty Square from mid-November until the end of December, when it brims over with wooden stalls selling handcrafted jewelry and cheery ceramics and the air fills with the scent of strudel and forralt bor (mulled wine). A book festival fills the square in July and in the summer buskers pour in to entertain the tourists. The square is an easy walk to major Budapest attractions such as the Chain Bridge and St Stephen’s Basilica.