327 articles found
Why Is Greece Called Greece? What the Hellas that about?
If you ask a Greek person what they call their country, they will say Hellas (Ελλάς or Ελλάδα). They call themselves Hellenes (Έλληνες). The Greek language is Helleniki. Greece, in the eyes of the Greeks, has always been and remains Hellas. So where...
48 hours in Athens, Greece for a Solo Female Traveler
If you only have a couple of days in Athens this summer (because you plan to spend time traveling outside of Athens), this itinerary is designed to maximize sightseeing while avoiding the hottest and most crowded parts of the city throughout the day....
The Oldest Historic Place in Greece: The Palace of Knossos, Crete
If you want to stand somewhere ancient, and not just old, but the birth of civilization old then the Palace of Knossos on Crete is going to be it. The palace you see today was built around 1700 BC, and rebuilt after an earthquake destroyed an even ea...
The Most Visited Place in Greece: Athens and the Acropolis
Greece receives over 33 million visitors a year. The overwhelming majority pass through Athens and the reason most of them come is the Acropolis. It's the most visited archaeological site in the country and one of the most visited in the world. Here'...
Bergen, Norway: Your Complete Guide to the Gateway of the Fjords
Bergen is Norway's second largest city and, for most visitors, its most immediately beautiful. Built on a narrow peninsula between the Byfjord and seven surrounding mountains, the city combines a compact medieval harbour core with an outdoor culture ...
Sana'a: Capital of Yemen, Cradle of One of the World's Oldest Cities
At an elevation of 2,300 metres above sea level and with a recorded history stretching back over two and a half millennia, Sana'a is among the most remarkable capital cities in the world. It is the capital of Yemen – a country that sits at the so...
Andorra Travel Guide: The Tiny Pyrenean Principality and What's Going On There
Andorra is, statistically, one of Europe's most visited countries per capita on earth. A sovereign state of 468 square kilometres tucked into the eastern Pyrenees between France and Spain, it receives approximately 8 million visitors per year against...
Connecticut for Business: Why America's Wealthiest State Per Capita Is a Serious Contender for Your Company
Connecticut is the third smallest US state by area and, measured by median household income and GDP per capita, historically one of the wealthiest. It sits between New York City and Boston, a geography that has always defined what it is: a sophistica...
The People and Traditions of Kyrgyzstan: Nomadic Culture That Still Lives
Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Approximately 94% of its territory sits above 1,000 metres elevation; 40% is above 3,000 metres. It has been a Soviet republic, ...
Is Grenada Safe? The Real Crime Statistics and What Travelers Actually Experience
Grenada – a three-island nation (Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique) in the southeastern Caribbean – is consistently cited as one of the safest destinations in the region for tourists. The nuanced answer is: safer than most, not without risk, ...
Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum, and Why This Middle Eastern Kingdom Surprises Every Visitor
Jordan is the Middle Eastern country most Western travellers approach with the least expectation and leave with the most enthusiasm. It is small (roughly the size of Indiana), almost entirely desert, with very few natural resources – and it contains ...
Dracula Was Real: Why Romania's Vampire Legend Draws Millions of Tourists Each Year
Romania has built an entire tourism industry around a myth that was invented in London, based loosely on a 15th-century warlord who almost certainly never left Transylvania. The stranger truth is that the reality behind the legend – the landscape, th...