Things to Do in Europe

Sitting 45 miles (73 km) east of Prague in Bohemia, Kutná Hora is an intriguing town immersed in history. Its origins stretch back to 1142 with the foundation of a Cistercian monastery at Sedlec, and after the discovery of silver in the hills around the region, the town quickly became a wealthy enclave and competed with Prague in the Middle Ages for political and economic power.

Much of the town center is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, filled with gently dilapidated Baroque buildings. Visitors should see the Roman Catholic Cathedral, glimpse the exterior of St James’s Church with its mishmash of Baroque and Renaissance architecture and landmark 282-foot (86-meter) tower. Additionally, the Italian Court, which started life as the Royal Mint to the kings of Bohemia and eventually became their palace, has a small museum of coins.

The Gothic St Barbara’s Church (Barbara was the patron saint of silver miners) serves as the city's proud symbol. The flamboyant architecture, complete with bristling spires, flying buttresses and eight chapels, reflects the wealth and power of the mining city, while the interior is richly decorated with a series of Renaissance frescoes featuring mining and the minting of coins. The medieval mine shafts way below the present-day city at Hradek Castle also house the Czech Museum of Silver.

But it is the ossuary at the monastery in Sedlec that really grabs attention in Kutná Hora; allow at least an hour for your visit and a 20-minute walk each way from the town center. The chapel is partly below ground, lit only by candlelight and entirely decorated and furnished with human bones. The candelabras, coats of arms, monstrances, pillars and wall decorations are all made of bone; skulls adorn dark corners of the chapel, and leg bones hang in garlands from the vaulted ceiling. The remains of more than to 40,000 people have gone into the macabre, but strangely beautiful 19th-century decorations were created here with the use of thousands of victims of the Black Death and the Hussite Wars in the 14th and 15th centuries.

La Canebiere is Marseille's Champs Elysees. Modelled on the famous Parisian boulevard, it is a wide stretch leading straight up from Vieux Port (Old Port) for about 3/4 mile (1 km). it does not quite have the elegance of the Champs Elysees being a little more a hotch-potch of shops, hotels, and restaurants, but it is a great place to get the feel of the city. Named after the city's thriving trade is nautical rope in the Middle Ages - canabe being the French word for cannabis or hemp from which the rope was made - the street is now the spine of the thriving city.

La Canebiere acts as a divider between different city districts. To its west there is the modern shopping mall Centre Bourse, to the south is the moneyed district, and to the north you'll find the quartier Belsunce where you can buy just about anything from the local Arab community if you're prepared to haggle with the street-traders. Behind the Centre Bourse is the Jardin des Vestiges, the ancient port center. Excavations here have turned up all sorts of things including bits of the 3rd century BC Greek city. Most of the finds, and an old Roman trading boat, can be seen in the Musee d'Histoire de Marseille in the Centre Bourse. Further up the street is the Musee de la Marine (in the stock exchange building) which has the nautical history of Marseille.

The Kursunlu Waterfall is a small cascade set amid a cool, pine forest. While not as impressive as the more visited Duden Waterfalls, the Kursunlu falls feel a little more remote due to their setting and access via a short and pleasant walk through the forest.

Only 20 minutes from central Antalya, the surrounding area offers plenty of walking opportunities, especially along the Aksu river. While the falls are more of a trickle in the summer months, it is sometimes possible to spot trout and turtles in the pools that form here.

The Museum of Fine Arts, or Kunsthistorisches Museum, houses the fabulous art collection of the Habsburgs, the royal dynasty of Austria for over 600 years. Emperor Franz Joseph I commissioned the building as part of his expansion of Vienna in 1858, and it took 20 years to build, opening in 1891.

Located next to the Basilica, Kurfürstliches Palais in Trier, Germany is one of the most beautiful rococo buildings in the world. Today it is used by the regional governmental administration. The palace shows visitors the grandeur of the Electors and the Archbishops from the past few centuries. Building began in the early 1600s, and several wings were added over the years. Visitors can see an impressive rococo staircase in the south wing. This staircase leads to the present seat of the District Administrator.

Occasionally concerts are held in the Grand Chamber or outside in the courtyard. The Palace Gardens located outside are well manicured and use intricate patterns. The garden was designed in a Baroque style and has several beautiful fountains and sculptures. Trier is considered the oldest city in Germany, and at one end of the garden, you can admire the Roman Imperial Baths dating back to the time when the Roman Empire ruled this area.

Kusadasi is a resort town located on Turkey’s Aegean Coast that is best known as a jumping off point for visits to Ephesus, the best preserved classical city in eastern Turkey. Just a few decades ago, it wasn’t much more than a small seaside village, but the growth of the local tourism industry has brought modernization and commercialization.

How to Get to Kusadasi

It is an easy walk from the cruise ship terminal to downtown Kusadasi.

One Day in Kusadasi

Chances are you won’t be spending much time in Kusadasi itself as most cruise passengers join half or full day excursions to nearby Ephesus. If you do stick around, think of it as a chance to kick back and relax for a day. Try a Turkish bath, head to the beach to soak up some sun or cool off at the wave pools and water slides at one of the city’s aqua parks. You may also like to take a walk out to the small hilltop fortress on Pigeon Island, accessible by a footbridge just across from the port.

If you want to get a glimpse of historic Kusadasi, head to the Kaleici neighborhood, just north of Barbaros Hayrettin Caddesi, the main pedestrian street in town. Wander the narrow streets and visit the Kaleiçi Camii, a mosque built in 1618, and the Öküz Mehmet Pasha caravanserai, built the same year.

Of course, you shouldn’t leave Kusadasi without checking out the bazaars, the perfect places to try your hand at haggling and do some souvenir shopping – carpets, copper goods, jewelry and ceramics are all popular.

Port Information

The cruise ship terminal is part of a modern mall with a variety of Western-style shops and eateries. The official currency is the Turkish lira, although Euros and US dollars may be accepted at some stores. Turkish is the official language, but locals may know some English.

In the Museumquarter, between the Leopold and MUMOK is the Kunsthalle, or Art Hall, a collection of exhibition halls showcasing local and international contemporary art. Its high ceilings, open space and pure functionality have seen the venue rated among the top institutions for exhibitions in Europe. Programs, which run for 3 to 6 months, tend to focus on photography, video, film, installations and new media. 

The concept behind the gallery is to foster new and exciting trends and experiments in contemporary art so expect the unexpected..