Pecs
If you extend the Vienna-Lake Balaton line south by about 2.5 hours, you arrive in Pécs, the capital of Transdanubia and one of the most beautiful cities in Hungary. Even the journey by car is an experience. You drive through a gently rolling hilly landscape with some magnificent views and typical Hungarian villages. No matter which side you approach the city from, the first thing that catches your eye is what makes up a large part of Pécs’s charm: its magnificent location at the foot of the Mecsek Mountains. Coming from Budapest on the new motorway, you approach the city from Mohács. The first view of Pécs is even more impressive!
The city itself contributes the rest. The title of ” European Capital of Culture,” which the city was honored to hold in 2010, led to a thorough “refresh” of the cityscape, especially the center of Pécs. Two new buildings were constructed in a short space of time (a concert hall called the “Kodály Center” and the “Tudás Központ,” a new central library). An entire “new” district, the “Zsolnay-negyed,” on the site of the porcelain factory of the same name, which will also be home to a variety of cultural events, is not yet fully completed. However, since I very much like the Zsolnay style, I expect a lot from it and am looking forward to its completion.
If you’ve now acquired a taste for Pécs and would like to learn more about it, you can find further interesting information as well as recommendations for hotels and guesthouses in Pécs at www.ungarn-urlaub-ferienhaus.de.
But it’s not just the city itself that’s worth a visit! The surrounding area of Pécs offers enough variety for an entire vacation, with an adventure park, a medieval park, numerous lakes, and one of Hungary’s best wine-growing regions, Villány. And the numerous spas in the area, visit Pécs, which is attractive beyond the summer!
Holiday at sea
For water sports enthusiasts, there are many holiday options, which are outlined below.
You’ll find the Lake Constance region to be an ideal travel destination. Its diverse water sports offer everything from sailing to diving to motorboating. The conditions are simply perfect here: With good weather, you can spend wonderful vacation days by the water or enjoy the beautiful Lake Constance region, which also offers a rich cultural offering.
Cuba offers a unique sailing experience. It’s also a fantastic destination for water sports enthusiasts. In addition to stunning beaches, musical delights can be found around every corner. The culture allows us Europeans to experience a bygone era. With the numerous vintage American cars and horse-drawn carriages, we’re immersed in another world.
Turkey by water. Colorful markets with spices, mosques, and sunken cultural sites line the Turkish coast. Numerous small piers invite you to moor, leading directly to a small restaurant that will happily indulge hungry palates.
Late autumn often still offers sunny days and water temperatures of 22°C, making a sailing trip a truly memorable experience. And this beautiful holiday destination can be reached without long flights.
Sardinia is located in the Mediterranean and offers beautiful beaches with plenty of wind. This island in northern Sardinia is a paradise for surfers and sailors. Since the Mistral often hits at full force in the Strait of Boniface, it’s a dream for the pros: to almost fly over the water. But the hinterland also offers mountains to climb, enormous suns, and bizarre valleys to explore. All that remains for you to discover is one of these water sports paradises.
Madrid’s sights
Madrid offers the best sights in Spain.
Spain is one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe. This is not only due to the more than 2,670 hours of sunshine per year, the paradisiacal beaches, and pleasant summer temperatures. Above all, Spanish attractions attract millions of tourists to the Iberian Peninsula every year. The most important attractions are not found on popular Spanish islands like Mallorca or Gran Canaria, but on the mainland, above all in Barcelona and Madrid.
The kingdom generates tens of billions of euros annually from tourism and Spain’s attractions. Among the most attractive travel destinations in Spain are cities like Madrid and Barcelona.
The sights in Madrid are particularly recommended for a cultural holiday in Spain. Central tourist destinations in Madrid include Aranjuez and Alcalá de Henares, both of which have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites. Aranjuez is located about 40 kilometers from the center of the Spanish capital and is especially recommended for nature lovers. The old town surrounding the wooded area was the former summer residence of the kings and enchants tourists with its large gardens and green meadows. The Palace of Aranjuez was built in 1727 by Pedro Caro and is striking for its Dutch character.
However, anyone in the heart of Madrid should visit the numerous squares accessible via the world’s largest subway network. Particularly recommended is the 15th-century Plaza Mayor, which has retained its function as a marketplace to this day. The square is characterized by the four-story residential complexes surrounding it. The Plaza Mayor is a lively square both day and night, located in the heart of Madrid’s old town.
The disadvantage of Madrid is that it has neither a beach nor a sea. An alternative city with important sights is Barcelona, which, after Madrid, offers the most attractive sights in Spain. There, the large shopping street Passeig de Gracia is not to be missed, nor are the buildings by architect Antoni Gaudí: Casa Milà and Casa Batlló.
