• Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods)

    3 April, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) is a scenic 8-10 km coastal hike linking Bomerano (Agerola Commune) and Nocelle (the upper part of the Positano Commune); name “Path of the Gods” comes from an ancient legend: the Greek deities once walked this trail to rescue Ulysses from the sirens of the Li Galli islets.

    We drive to Bomerano and start the walk; there are breathtaking views all the way (see photos!) as we walk the Path of the Gods to Nocelle, a tranquil, ancient hamlet perched 450 metres above Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast; there is a steep 1,700 stepped pathway which goes down to the town of Positano itself, but we take the longer route via Montepertuso and the northern part of Positano.  Positano is a stunning, vertical town on Italy's Amalfi Coast, known for its pastel-colored houses stacked on steep cliffs, vibrant fashion boutiques, and pebbled beaches.

    After some spare time in Positano, we drive back to San Lazzaro.  We are held up in Bomerano by the Good Friday Procession, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, but we get back to the Agriturismo for our farewell evening meal of the trip and get out just in time to see the final, nighttime scene featuring the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves (Gestas and Dismas) at the Colonia Montana.  What a day!

    It has been a fantastic trip to the Amalfi Coast for both of us.
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  • Pompeii (Pompei)

    2 April, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    I have visited Pompeii before; in 1978 with Anthony when we did an inter-rail tour of Europe late that year.  It has changed a lot in that time!

    Pompeii is 160 -170 acres in size, almost 10 times the size of Herculaneum, and offers a different perspective on Roman life, providing an insight into ancient urban planning.  Pompeii was a thriving (10-20,000 residents) Roman city near Naples, destroyed and buried under meters of volcanic ash, pumice, and mud by the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. The city remained largely undisturbed until its discovery in the late 16th century, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

    We can only see a part of the site in our time here and our guide focusses on the main sites on the Via dell' Abbadanza from the amphitheatre up to the Forum; a full exploration of Pompeii would require a lot more than a day (we are here 3 hours)!  Nevertheless, it is an excellent visit.
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  • Herculaneum (Ercalano)

    2 April, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today, we visit both Herculaneum and Pompeii on an optional tour with a registered local guide (everyone on the Explore trip goes, of course).

    Herculaneum is an ancient Roman town buried (and preserved) by pyroclastic material (mainly volcanic particles) from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79; this preserved more wooden and organic materials than those at Pompeii. Herculaneum was buried beneath 16 meters of ash and mud during the eruption.

     Herculaneum was a wealthy town and a seaside retreat for the Roman elite, as reflected by the extraordinary density of luxurious houses featuring lavish use of coloured marble cladding and mosaics.

    It is a very well-preserved small site of 16-20 acres in size and fascinating to visit. Next stop, Pompeii!
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  • La valle delle Ferriere

    1 April, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    What a difference a day makes! Rain and wind last night as well, but it cleared up as we set off from the Agriturismo.

    Today, we walk from San Lazzaro to Amalfi via La valle delle Ferriere, the Ferriere Valley, a biogenetic reserve; it is a deep valley that begins in the mountains of Scala and ends six kilometres further down in the territory of Amalfi; it is named for the ironworks that used to be here.

    We follow an ancient stairway from San Lazzaro and then pass through woodland and valleys towards the valle delle Ferriere, which is surrounded by limestone cliffs. After the valley, we descend via a series of stairways to Amalfi.

    It's been a great walk of over 10km, with an ascent of 250m and a descent of 885m; a great day out.
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  • Capri

    31 Maret, Italia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    What a difference a day makes!

    After the beautiful weather of yesterday, there is heavy rain and strong wind overnight, and a much colder day today. We drive to Sorrento to take the boat to Capri, as the preferred option from Amaldi is not possible today.

    Capri is famous for being a haven for the rich, famous, and quirky (i.e., artists, aristocrats, and celebrities - eg Maxim Gorky, Oscar Wilde, and Sophia Loren, alongside jet-setters including Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn).

    We walk from the Marina Grande, the main port of the island, and through the town and up towards Villa Jovis, the remains of a grand Roman palace built by Emperor Tibelius in AD27 on the eastern end of the island. We then walk back via another route to the town to have a look around before returning to the Marina Grande to take the boat back to Sorrento for the minibus to the Agriturismo.
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  • Amalfi

    30 Maret, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Amalfi is a town in a dramatic natural setting below steep cliffs on Italy’s southwest coast. Between the 9th and 11th centuries, it was the seat of a powerful maritime republic. The Arab-Norman Sant'Andrea cathedral at the heart of town, with its striped Byzantine facade, survives from this era.

    On arriving in Amalfi from the walk, we have time free to explore a little; we visit the magnificent Duomo di Sant' Andrea (see photo captions) and walk around the town for a while, seeing some of the sights.

    We drive back to the Agriturismo and then go out to the local hotel in San Lazzaro to hear about the cooks' involvement in pizza-making (a very amusing story) and then eat lots of pizza!

    It's been a great day.
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  • Ravello / Walk to Amalfi via Atrani

    30 Maret, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We drive to Ravello from San Lazzaro via the Amalfi Coast and then by driving up; the town is also high above sea level and situated in the province of Salerno.

    We start at the central square where the Cathedral of Ravello and Villa Rufolo are situated (the Cathedral is closed, unfortunately) and then walk to Villa Cimbrone; this is considered an important example of the landscape, botany and culture of England created in the Mediterranean. Originally an estate in Roman times, it was rediscovered by Ernest Beckett, Lord Grimthorpe, on a Grand Tour in the 19th century and has been redeveloped over the years. There are many sites of interest here.

    We then return to the town centre and start our walk down to Atrani via the small village of Torello; there are some superb views en route. Atrani itself is also very attractive; it is a short walk through a tunnel from here to Amalfi.
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  • Bomerano to San Lazzaro via Pino Gorge

    29 Maret, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Our minibus takes across the Agerola Commune from San Lazzaro to Bomerano via Pianillo.

    We walk towards the coast following the "horseshoe" of high land to Furore (not in Agerola Commune), and then we double back up and around the Pino Gorge to walk up to San Lazzaro. It's not a long walk (approx 5 km), but there's a lot of ascent and descent with some magnificent views. Details of the walk are described on the photo captions.

    Later on, there are tagliatelle and mozzarella cheese making courses at the Agriturismo; these are great fun, and we eat what we made (with local salad and other produce).
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  • San Lazzaro

    28 Maret, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We fly from Luton Airport to Naples, the regional capital of Campania, a region in southwestern Italy known for its ancient ruins and dramatic coastline. We are staying in the area for a week with Explore Travel at an agriturismo, a small family farm that lets guests stay in their accommodation in the village of San Lazzaro.

    San Lazzaro is located in the Agerola commune (municipality) of "greater" Naples; other villages in the Agerola commune include Bomerano, Campora, Pianillo, Ponte, and Santa Maria. Note that the Agerola commune is mainly located on a horseshoe shaped ridge about 600 metres above the Amalfi Coast and that there are great views down.

    After settling in at the Agriturismo, we have a quick explore of the village, seeing the main attractions;;
    1. The Colonia Montana is well known for a small park there (nothing to see at this time of year) and the Principe de Napoli, a hisoric recently restored 1930s building from the Mussolini era,
    2. Castello Lauritano, a historic hilltop fortress that is in the process of restoration, the location of which offers fantastic views of the Amalfi Coast below,
    3. The church in the village centre
    (see captions on photos for firther details).

    We then head back to the Agriturismo and enjoy a lovely meal. It's been a good start to the trip.
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  • Orwell, Great Eversden, Little Eversden

    4 Maret, Inggris ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    This post is a compilation of several walks over the last couple of years with the Cambridge Rambling Club in this area, which is close to Wimpole Hall. The captions on the photographs describe the villages in more detail.

    The route starts at Orwell village car park; Orwell is a rural village outside Cambridge, particularly noted for

    1) its clunch pit, a 4.4-acre former stone quarry with a rich chalk grassland flora (scarce in Eastern England), and now a biological Site of Scientific Interest (clunch is a traditional building material, and is a hard, compact form of chalk or limestone used historically in East Anglia for constructing walls and buildings).

    2) the Prime Meridian passing the eastern edge of the village.

    We cross the A603, and then ascend the hill up to Mare Way, an ancient, prehistoric ridge route, and follow this to the path that turns off for Wimpole Hall; we walk in the other direction towards Great Eversden; this is a small village of about 85 houses that broadly takes the shape of a cross, with roads towards Harlton to Kingston road forming the East and West arms and no-through-roads of Chapel Road and Wimpole Road forming the North and South arms. We then take the footpath across to Little Eversden.

    From here, it is over the A603 again and to Harlton, also noted for a clunch pit, and then on to Barrington - see earlier posts for details of these villages - before heading back to Orwell.

    It is a lovely walk.
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  • Attingham Park

    24 Februari, Inggris ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We leave our accommodation in Church Stretton and drive up towards Shrewsbury, turning off to visit the National Trust owned Attingham Park, comprising grand Georgian Mansion, historic stables, and extensive grounds (640 acres).

    A large house called Tern Hall (named after the River Tern passing close by) occupied the site originally; a larger and grander mansion was built around it in 1785 for Noel Hill, the 1st Baron Berwick, who renamed it Attingham Hall. His son Thomas, the 2nd Lord Berwick, went into financial ruin, but his brother William, the 3rd Baron Berwick, did a better job and filled it with his collection of Italian Art and Furniture. During WWI, Thomas, the 8th Baron Berwick, leased it to a Dutch-American family who used the hall as a hospital, and in WWII, the grounds were used for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Attingham Park was gifted to the National Trust in 1947 by Thomas as a bequest in his will.

    We visit the mansion, followed by the stables courtyard and the walled garden, and then explore the grounds using a combination of the 4 walks described on the leaflet (Mile walk, Woodland walk, Deer Park walk, and WWII walk) to see the whole of the accessible parkland area (see captions on photos for details).

    It's been a lovely visit in good weather. After that, it's back home!
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  • Ludlow

    23 Februari, Inggris ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    We leave our HF accommodation at Longmynd House (the food and general feel have been excellent), but we will return to Church Stretton later as we have booked a night at an apartment here.

    We drive to Ludlow, a market town in South Shropshire. It was originally a medieval walled town founded in the 11th century after the Norman Conquest. As well as a castle and a magnificent church here, there are almost 500 listed buildings, with some of them being "landmarks." We walk around the town, seeing some of them (see captions on photos for details), and then walk along The Breadwalk path next to the River Terne. We explore Ludlow Castle, one of the finest medieval castles in England (see captions on photos for details). After that, we visit St Lawrence's Church, described as the "Cathedral of the Marches", and noted for its stained glass windows; it was also built originally in the 11th century by the Normans atop a hill mound around which the medieval town developed (see captions on photos for details).

    We then drive back to Church Stretton; it has been an excellent visit to a beautiful town.
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  • Church Stretton; Long Mynd Circular

    22 Februari, Inggris ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Our walk today is based on the HF Holidays self guided walk "Long Mynd and Carding Mill Valley" but modified to include a diversion via the Lightspout Waterfall.

    Long Mynd (Long Mountain) is 7 miles long and 3 miles wide and was formed about 700 million years ago. There are now numerous valleys lying at the heart of the Shropshire Hills AONB.

    From the Longmynd House, we walk via Rectory Wood and along the Townbrook Valley; Town Brook was the source of Church Stretton's first water supply - the reservoir, built in 1865, is now disused. There is then a gentle ascent up the Long Mynd; we eventually reach Pole Bank, its highest point at 1693ft (516m). From here, we double back along the Shropshire Way via the Long Mynd plateau and turn off at the Shooting Box (a former grouse shooting hut) down a path towards the Lightspout Waterfall; this is the only significant Waterfall on the Long Mynd and part of the Carding Mill Valley area. We then walk down via Lightspout Hollow to Mott's Road, the main path in the Carding Mill Valley; this area was originally the centre for the Church Stretton textile and wool industry in the 18th century (carding, in textile production, is a process of separating individual fibres, using a series of dividing and redividing steps). We them walk back along the other side of Rectory Wood to Longmynd House; it's been a good walk of about 6.8 miles.

    Later, we had a walk around Church Stretton; it was nicknamed as Little Switzerland in the Victorian and Edwardian periods for its landscape.
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  • Church Stretton; a figure of 8 walk

    21 Februari, Inggris ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    After an excellent breakfast and the hope of reasonable weather today, we start off early on the HF self-guided walk "Below Hope Bowdler Hill and Caer Caradoc". From Longmynd House, we follow the Allen Coppice Trail to Church Stretton before crossing the A49 to pick up field and woodland paths on the lower slopes of Hazler Hill. We follow a farm track below the Gaer Stone and Hope Bowdler Hill before crossing open countryside to the ancient Cwms Lane, which lies in the steep-sided valley between Caer Caradoc and Hope Bowdler Hill. We return to Church Stretton along Cwms Lane (now a track), woodland, and field paths.

    From Church Stretton, we switch to a walk that takes us over Ragleth Hill and ascends steeply through woodland and fields to, and across, the top of Ragleth Hill, following part of the Shropshire Way. It is then a very steep descent to the village of Little Stretton, crossing back over the A49. We walk through the village and aling fields and through woodlands along the eastern slopes of the Long Mynd before arriving back at Longmynd House.

    It's been an excellent - but tiring - 10.5-mile walk.
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  • En route to Church Stretton

    20 Februari, Inggris ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    We're off to Church Stretton in Shropshire for a long weekend, staying for 3 nights at Longmynd House, owned and run by HF Holidays; this is our first HF experience, and may not be our last....

    En route, we stop off first at the remains of Wroxeter Roman City, near the small village of Wroxeter. Originally known as Viniconium, this city was once the fourth largest in Roman Britain, located along the Roman Road of Watling Street, and flourished until the 7th century; it is now managed by English Heritage. We visit the museum and then the gigantic public bathhouse complex where people came to wash, exercise, and socialise in the vast open hall (basilica) before entering the baths. Part of the Basilica wall remains and is the largest piece of freestanding Roman wall in the UK. We also visit a recreation of a Roman townhouse.

    Our next stop is the market town of Much Wenlock, which is known for :
    1. Dr William Penny Brookes established the Wenlock Olympic Games in 1850 and provided the inspiration for the modern Olympic Games,
    2. the ruins of Wenlock Priory, which has its origins in the founding in 680 of an Anglo-Saxon Monastery for both men and women; it is noted for its Chapter House remains and topiary in the cloister gardens.
    We see the above and the head off towards Church Stretton and Longmynd House, our home for the next three nights.
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  • Woodbridge; Sutton Hoo and The Longshed

    12 November 2025, Inggris ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We drive to Woodbridge en route home to visit the National Trust owned site of Sutton Hoo, where there is an Anglo-Saxon Cemetery dating from the 6th - 7th century. There was a ship burial here containing many Anglo-Saxon artefacts; an imprint of a spectacular 88 feet long rowing ship was found and is currently being reconstructed (see later, The Longshed). It is particularly significant because the person likely to have been buried on the rowing ship was Raedwald, the King of the East Angles.

    The site, discovered in 1939, was on the land of Tranmer House, the home of Edith Pretty, and has been described as "one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time." Although Edith Pretty was declared the owner of the treasures discovered there, she donated it all to the British Museum, and excavation work has been carried out here ever since.

    We visit the Royal Burial Ground to see the various mounds there and then walk in the River View area before visiting Tranmer House to learn about Edith Pretty and the excavation work. We then visit the High Hall exhibition area to view replicas of some of the items found in the Great Burial Mound (originals are in the British Museum).

    We then drive to the other side of the River Debden to the town of Woodbridge itself to visit The Longshed (built on the site of the former Whissocks Boatyard) to see the Sutton Hoo ship reconstruction. Here, the Anglo-Saxon ship is being rebuilt using authentic ship-building methods, and once complete, it will be launched back onto the River Debden to explore the rivers and coastal waters locally.

    It has been an excellent day out before we drive back home.
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  • Westleton, Dunwich, Dunwich Heath Walk

    11 November 2025, Inggris ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    We leave Westleton via the north area of Westleton Common and then across the bottom section of Westleton Heath. Next, it's north along the outskirts of an Archery Course and then east towards Dunwich (about 3.5 miles walk from Westleton).

    Dunwich is now a small village but was once a large port, and the capital of the Kingdom of the East Angles in the Anglo-Saxon period; the harbour and most of the town have disappeared now due to coastal erosion and major storms back in the day. We walk through Dunwich and follow the path past the remains of the Greyfriars Monastery, formerly a Franciscan Priory.

    We walk through Greyfriars Wood and pick up the route across Dunwich Heath we used yesterday - but in the reverse direction, when everything looks different anyway! After walking through the Hangman's New Wood, we turn right and northwards towards Westleton, eventually reaching the south area of Westleton Common, which we cross back to the village and our accommodation.

    It has been a pleasant 10-mile walk in much better weather than yesterday!
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  • Dunwich Heath and Minsmere Circular Walk

    10 November 2025, Inggris ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    We drive towards Dunwich and then south a short way to the National Trust owned Coastguard Cottages and park in the car park there.

    From here, we follow the Suffolk Coast Path; this borders rhe RSPB Minsmere Nature Reserve, where there are reed beds, shallow lagoons, wet grasslands, and vegetated shingle sites for bird watchers to spot the many bird species here all year round. We reach Minsmere Sluice and turn inland; the land here was deliberately flooded in WWII for defence purposes and accidentally created the Nature Reserve - the Sluice manages water flow here now by discharging drainage from the Minsmere River Valley New Cut into the North Sea to prevent flooding. A little further south, we can see the Sizewell Power Station, close to the hamlet of Sizewell and the village of Leiston.

    We turn inland and follow the walking route towards the village of Eastbridge, passing the remains of Leiston Abbey Chapel. From Eastbridge, we head north and then northeast through the Hangman's New Woods and the Westleton Ealks route. We then double back down across Dunwich Heath to our starting point at Coastguard Cottages. It's been an interesting 6.5-mile walk, despite the inclement weather.

    Then it's back to the bungalow to relax.
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  • Framlingham

    9 November 2025, Inggris ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We're on our way to Westleton, close to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast, for 3 nights and stop off at Framlingham en route.

    Framlingham is a market town in Suffolk of Anglo-Saxon origin that originally belonged to the Earls and Dukes of Norfolk. Its main attraction is Framlingham Castle, but it is also noted now because the singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran grew up here (his song "Castle on the Hill" refers to Framlingham Castle).

    We explore the castle, now managed by English Heritage, walk round the Mere (this used to supply the castle with fish), and enjoy a walk around the town centre before setting off to our accommodation in Westleton.
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  • Bucharest 3; Palace of Parliament

    21 September 2025, Rumania ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Many of the Explore Group are leaving today, but we're stopping for an extra night in Bucharest.

    After breakfast, we retrace yesterday's route along Calea Victoriei to pick up from where we left off yesterday at the CEC Palace. There are a couple of events happening today that we see a part of (a running race and a supercar stopover). We cross the River Dambovita and walk round to join Union Avenue to walk towards the Palace of Parliament; this building has 1,100 rooms and is the second-largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon in the USA. The dictator Nicolae Ceausescu wiped out a local neighbourhood, including churches, to build it. We are not able to visit, as it is booked out several days in advance.

    We pass the People's Salvation Cathedral situated on the same hill; this will be the tallest and largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world when it is finished. We circle around the hill, cross the river, and then visit the Cismigiu Garden, a lovely park on our route back to the hotel to rest before going out for dinner.

    We go to a small local food establishment (Bucataria), recommended by Horea, for food and drink, and then have a final glass of red wine at Buongiorno, where we ate a couple of nights ago. It has been a great trip to Romania!
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  • Bucharest 2; Victory Avene and Old Town

    20 September 2025, Rumania ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    The capital city of Romania has left behind its communist history and earned nicknames such as "Little Paris" and "the Paris of the East."" The city stands on the River Dambovita and is hone to over 1.1 million residents.

    We walk along Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue), a main thoroughfare that passes close to our hotel, to Revolution Square, before carrying on towards the historic cobblestoned Old Town. We see many fine buildings en route and then jink around the historic centre to see the main sites. See the photo captions for details, etc.

    Then Helen and I walk back to the hotel to rest; it is the final night of the tour.... we go out for the farewell group dinner later and enjoy a lovely meal.
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  • Bucharest 1; National Village Museum

    20 September 2025, Rumania ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We drive from our hotel to the north of Bucharest en route towards the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, an open-air Ethnographic Museum located in King Michael I Park that showcases traditional Romanian village life; it was inaugarated in 1936. We see many buildings that have been brought here from all over the country, and it is a great place to visit.

    We then get dropped off along Victory Avenue, close to the Romanian Athenaeum, to start our tour of the city.
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  • Danube Delta 3; Short excursion by boat

    19 September 2025, Rumania ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    After breakfast, we have a short excursion into the Danube Delta area where we moored last night on two small motorboats; another interesting trip with great views (see captions on photos).

    Then, it's back to the pontoon for coffee, a break, lunch, and the journey back to Tulcea; the tug boat does not pull us for this; it guides us from the side.

    From Tulcea, it is a 4-hour journey to Bucharest. We drive through the flat countryside, with some wind farms in action at the early part of the journey.. After about 1.5 hours, we cross the north-south leg of the River Danube again, leaving the Dobruja Region to re-enter the Wallachia Region of Romania, crossing the other side of the the region we left at the start of the trip.

    More flat countryside, and then the busy traffic of the nation's capital and back to Hotel Minerva. Later on, it's out for dinner with three others from the Explore Group to an Italian restaurant close to the hotel (Buongiorno); Italian food and culture are popular in Romania.
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  • Danube Delta 2; Crisan to Mila 23

    18 September 2025, Rumania ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Crisan is a commune in Tulcea County that includes three villages - Caraorman, Crisan, and Mila 23 - located in the middle of the Danube Delta.

    In the morning, we disembark into two small motorboats and go along the back channel towards the Tre Iezere Lake area. There are many bird species in the Danube Delta as the terrain is difficult for their terrestial predators. We pass along the maze of channels fringed by wild reed beds and willow trees before visiting the lake area. We then carry on to Mila 23, a very interesting place. After a walk around, we reboard the pontoon for a late lunch and head along the north channel back in the direction of Tulcea. We are blessed with good weather all day, although the boat's speed made it chilly at times. A great day out, followed by lunch and relaxing on the pontoon.

    We stop overnight on the Delta, about 1 hour away from the port of Tulcea.

    Later on, it's dinner; it's a hard life!
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  • Danube Delta 1; Tulcea and Crisan

    17 September 2025, Rumania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We leave Bacau at about 8 am and drive south through Moldavia in the rain through fairly flat countryside. The view is desolate as we start to drive south-east towards the River Danube to cross over a 1.97km long bridge into the Dobrogea (Dobruja) Region of Romania; the Danube flows in a north-south direction here (due to old mountains) and then heads west, forming the border with Bulgaria, then up towards Serbia and on past Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. The views and weather improve as we drive east to Tulcea and the Danube Delta.

    The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe and is the best preserved on the continent; it covers more than 1,500 square miles. The delta is where the River Danube empties into the Black Sea; most of the Danube lies in Romania (Tulcea county) with a small part located in Ukraine.

    We arrive at the ancient port of Tulcea and have a short wander around before boarding our floating accommodation (a pontoon named Anda), which is to be pulled around the Danube Delta by a small tugboat; these pontoons were originally accommodation for workers in the Delta region. We leave Tulcea and head out along the Sulina Branch of the three main channels of the Danube Delta towards Crisan, where we moor overnight.
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  • Moldavia 2; Sucevita-Putna hike, Putna

    16 September 2025, Rumania ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    After breakfast, we are dropped off at the starting point for our walk from Sucevita to Putna via forestry paths in a valley to the north of Sucevita. Our route follows part of the Via Transilvanica Trail, a long-distance walking route crossing Romania. We follow a forest trail, then have some ascent and descent, before following a grassy valley to Putna, a village close to the Ukrainian border. It is a lovely 9-mile walk with some interesting views en route (see photos and captions).

    We visit Putna Monastery, one of Romania's most important working monasteries; it is significant because it contains the Tomb of Stephen the Great. The Monastery was founded in 1466 and is the oldest remaining in Moldavia.

    We then drive for over 3 hours to Bacau, where we stop off overnight en route to Tulcea on the Danube Delta.

    There is time for a bite to eat.
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