Reset search
Explore moments by travelExplore moments by travel
SatelliteEdit route
traveled in 77 countries Read more Spain
  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 16

    Walking in Belgrade

    May 28, 2023 in Serbia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Last morning in Belgrade. Sunny Sunday, enjoyed a lovely walk around the city centre. Began at the Vidin Gate in the northeast entrance to the Fortress, through the Charles VI gate then down to the river and the old port which stretches along the outer ramparts. The Watergate and rampart tower. Along the river bank past cruse vessels, over on the Brankov Bridge then back on the Old Save Bridge. I very much like the feeling of Belgrade, and it seems they are redeveloping and restoring an area along the river front which should be good in the next few years. Back along the pedestrian centre with many restaurants, bars and shops . Plus a couple of quirky bits of street art, statue of Carl Morden for some reason. A nice end to a interesting and fasanating tour.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 15

    Novi Sad City

    May 27, 2023 in Serbia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Novi Sad is a city in northern Serbia on the banks of the Danube River. Dominating the city and standing atop a riverside bluff, is the impressive Petrovaradin Fortress which dates to the 17th and 18th centuries, with an iconic clock tower and a network of tunnels. Across the river is the old quarter, Stari Grad, and the site of the Gothic Revival building architecture and the Name of Mary Church and the neo- Renaissance City Hall and Bishops Place. Overall a nice city and to short of a visit to really appreciate it. This was the last stop of a fasanating tour and both an interesting and cultural experience. After Novi Sad it was back to Belgrade.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 15

    Monasteries of Fruska Gora

    May 27, 2023 in Serbia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After leaving Vukovar the journey continued back over the boarder into Serbia. Experienced a frustrating delay for reasons that never became clear, at the Serbia side. But could finally get on and visit some of the Serbian Orthodox monasteries up in the hills close to Fruska Gora in the national park. The seanery on the way was of flat farming fields before passing through the city of Novi Sad and up into the hills. First stop was to the old church of Vrdnik, which was built prior to the Turkish rule in Srem and dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. First reliable data for this monastery is from 1589. Over centuries the building suffered many times and today's church of Vrdnik monastery is from 1801-11. A lot of valuables which belonged to prince Lazar were kept in the monastery treasury. In the Second World War, the it was looted but later restored and today, the monastery consists of a church and three wings of monastic quarters. Next, was Rakovac Monastery which was founded at the end of 15th century by Raka Milošević, a great courtier of the monarch Jovan Branković. The monastery was named after him. The church of the monastery Rakovac was perhaps built in 1533 and it was one of the most beautiful ones constructed on our area in the 16th century. During the Second World War, the monastery was quite devastated, and in the period of 1958.-59 the church structure was reconstructed and its original appearance was successfully restored. Another of the monasteries visited was Staro Hopovo or, as it is commonly called, "old monastery". Built between 1496-1520 by monarch Đorđe Branković. The monastery today is small, built by using stone and bricks, the dome, due its size and shape, dominates the whole building, supported by arches which rest on pilasters. Another was the monastery of Novo Hopovo, with the church of St. Nicholas. The monastery was first mentioned in documents in 1451. The present church was constructed in 1575. The monastery is famous for its momentous architecture. A fascinating insight into the religious history in this region.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 14

    Zagreb to Vukovar

    May 26, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ 🌩️ 26 °C

    Today was a long and uneventful drive on fast toll roads, flat farmland with a brief stop in the town of Slavonski which sits on the River Save with Bosina just across on the other bank, (picture of the coat of arms of the town). Then continued to the city of Vukovar which is on the bank of the Danube river. This city has a long and at times, eventful history. Its been a Paleolithic settlement, a medieval fortress, and a royal seat. It rose from the devastation of an eighteenth century Turkish occupation to become one of the largest and most significant cities in Croatia. The Baroque buildings, which contained some outstanding symbols of Croatian cultural were faced with war in 1991, when the occupying Yugoslav National Army launched a half million missiles into the city, sometimes at the rate of 12,000 a day. Nowadays much restoration has taken place and the city is starting to revert to some of its former glory. Here a relaxing boat trip on the Danube where views of the restored buildings could be seen, including the main watertower and the church and monastery of St Phillip and Jacobe which was attacked during the war of 1991 and heavily damaged. Reconstructed through the help of Vukovar's Development Fund from 1998. It was blessed on October 27th 2013 and it now possesses a new organ and all of the required church inventory. Also a picture looking across the River Danube to Serbia with a memorial with names of the 2717 who died defending the city.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 13

    Zagreb by night

    May 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Late evening stroll around the main square, many people out and about, bars full, trams rattling by and a music festival being performed in the main square.
    The history of Zagreb's main square is quite interesting. In the 18th century, its oldest part Harmica was used as a toll collection point, today the widespread plaza, dominated by the statue of Ban Josip Jelačić is a popular gathering place. Between 1947 and 1990 its name was changed to "Republic Square" and the Ban's statue, which originally faced north to symbolize his defiance against Hungary, was removed. Today, the re-erected Ban is pointing his sword in the opposite direction, south, the direction of Zagreb's expansion. The square is fondly called Jelačić-plac.
    It's also interesting to note how the city got it's name. According to legend, the whole area was suffering from drought. To give people and animals something to drink, an old Croatian duke plunged his sword into dry earth and saw fresh water bubble up. He called out to his soldiers: "Zagrabite!" ("Scoop up!") Then he repeated to the girl who stood close by: "Manda dear, scoop up some water!" The spring, which still stands on the main square, got the name Manduševac after the girl and Zagreb got its name after the scoop of water.    Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 13

    Walking Around Zagreb

    May 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    In the afternoon I went for a walk of exploration and covered around 13 km wandering around, from the Croatian State Archives building to the Sava River, to the National Theatre and the Holocaust memorial by the station. From the upper town to the lower area along the river. It was typical for European cities of this size. Nice but nothing special in my view. Zagreb, on the Sava river at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain, and is one of the greenest in Europe and has an interesting history dating back over a thousand years to the first Roman settlement. Divided into the Upper Town - a network of cobbled streets and the oldest part of Zagreb, and the bustling Lower Town, home to the city's museums and architectural highlights such as St Mark's Church and the neo-Gothic Cathedral. Zagreb is known for its café culture, urban art and street life, with frequent events throughout the year. I saw many people sitting in bars and cafes, some playing football or tennis. This was on a Thursday afternoon. Some pictures from around the city taken on my walk. The Zagreb Funicular, at 66 metre of track it one of the shortest public transport funiculars in the world. Also, Hotel Esplanade which was built in 1925 to provide lodging for passengers from the Orient Express on the way to Instanbul. Plus a memorial in memory of victims of the Holocaust and a sculpture of St George slaying the dragon which seems to pop up frequently in this region.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 13

    Zargrab City

    May 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Heading from the national park to Zagreb, Croatia's northwestern capital this morning. Small farms with cows and sheep then the seanery became more flat. More central European in feel and appearance. Then a introductory walk around Zagrebs old center. This area is distinguished by its 18th-19th-century Austro-Hungarian architecture. At its center, Upper Town is the site of the Gothic, twin-spired Zagreb Cathedral, unfortunately wrapped in scalfolding. The 13th-century St. Mark's Church, with a colorfully tiled roof. The pedestrian friendly Tkalčićeva Street, lined with outdoor cafes. Lower Town had the main square, Ban Jelačić, plus shops museums and parks.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 12

    Plitvice Lakes national park

    May 24, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    After crossing into Croatia a fabulous stop to explore the impressive national park of Plitvice Lakes. Within the forests lie 16 terraced lakes connected by waterfalls. The lake system is situated upon a carbonate base: the Upper lakes on dolomite, and the Lower lakes are carved into limestone. Between the lakes there are tufa barriers, which 6000-7000 years ago enabled the creation of the lake system. The Lower lakes and the lake system, ends at the Sastavci waterfalls, where the water from the lake, after overflowing over a 25 m high barrier, merges with the water from the Plitvica Stream to form the Korana River. This was a really good experience, walking on winding wooden walk ways then crossing one of the lakes by battery powered boat.
    Quotation from Nikola Tesla, if you don't know how, observe the phenomena of natural, it will give you clear answers and inspiration .    Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 12

    Back into Croatia

    May 24, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Lovely sunny morning driving north westerly towards the boarder into Croatia. Rolling green fields with the occasional shepard with a flock of sheep. Then pine forrested hills and large stacks of tree logs. Small communities and scattered alpine style houses. Wonderful views and twisting roads. Some signs for snow chains between November and March,
    In the town of Bihac, a brief stop at a turbe or mausoleum which dates from the time of Austro Hungarian rule in Bosnia and was erected in memory of the defenders of the town who lost their lives fighting the Austro Hungarian troops.    Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 11

    Banja Luka and Kastel fortress

    May 23, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    First stop was at Kastel Fortress. This is the oldest historical monument in Banja Luka. The first traces of settlements on the site of today's fortress date back to the Paleolithic era. It further developed through the Neolithic era, the Bronze Age, and the Roman conquest of the Illyrian territories. The fortress began to be built more intensively during the Turkish occupation and the reign of Ferhad Paša Sokolović (1574-1588), when the fortified arsenal grew into a real fortified city. During the Austro-Hungarian Turkish wars, Kastel gained more importance as an important geostrategic center.
    Then a walk of the city centre, pictures of Banski Dvor - cultural center, Christ the Savior Orthodox Cathedral and the President of the Republika Srpska's Palace. Banja Luka is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. It is also the de facto capital of this entity. It is the traditional centre of the densely forested Bosanska Krajina region of northwestern Bosnia, with a population of around 200,000. It had the appearance of a lovely relaxed city with plenty of shops and restaurants.    Read more

Join us:

FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English