Overlooking Spoleto Cathedral, Italy

The mid-sized town of Spoleto in central Italy is not one to miss for anyone travelling through the region of Umbria. Bustling and busy, Spoleto feels less like an open-air museum than it does a living, breathing, habited city. But leave the “modern” section behind and head uphill, and you’ll quickly find yourself amongst the historic beauty so prevalent in Italy. Visiting the interior of the cathedral is a must of course – but to fully appreciate the size and grandeur of the building, keep heading up towards the castle for the aerial view. Spoleto Cathedral was built during the second half of the 12th century with later additions in the 15th and 16th centuries, and is lauded as a standout example of Romanesque architecture on the outside – though with a stunning Renaissance loggia. But inside is another story. Inside, there are Byzantine mosaics and medieval crypts. There are frescoes painted by Umbrian artist Pinturicchio in the 15th century, and others from the 16th century. There are giant rose windows, huge mosaics, walls full of paintings, delicate statues, and a dark, wood-panelled relics room. Inside and out, whether you’re looking up at the building from the ground or enjoying the bird’s eye view above, Spoleto Cathedral certainly stands out, even in Italy where churches are (nearly) as frequent as scoops of gelato.

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Tip: Unfortunately, Spoleto Cathedral is not free. You can book tickets online or at the door. The cathedral is open every day while the Diocesan Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday.

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Visit More Umbria Sites

• Spoleto by Night
• Assisi
• Perugia
• Foligno

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Foligno Riverside, Italy

Foligno at Sunset, Italy

Umbria is the Italian region you never knew you needed. Do you like wine? Eating delicious meals? Roman ruins? Medieval architecture? Cobblestone villages? Amazing art and frescoes? Almost no crowds? Umbria is the answer to it all. Foligno is a mid-size Umbrian town that most visitors only know as a train junction. But there is so much more to this place than its railway station. It has a lovely and sizeable town centre, mostly dating to recent times, which is full of shops and restaurants – all mostly full of locals. There are a number of churches and a seemingly modest palace that hides an amazing display of frescoes – I mean, we’re talking room after room of frescos, paintings, triptychs, and more – and you just might be the only visitor. Unfortunately, that all-important rail junction meant that Foligno suffered bombings during WWII, leaving only a few of its medieval buildings intact. Luckily, this included the early 15th century Romanesque church of Saint Giacomo whose spire rises up through the centre of the town. On the northern side, the town is bordered by the narrow ribbon of water, the Fiume Topino, which has a lovely riverside path perfect for walking, running or cycling (fun fact – the Topino is mentioned by Dante in the 3rd instalment of his Divine Comedy, Paradiso). So next time you’re changing platforms at Foligno, take the time to give this bustling town a chance – or better yet, explore Foligno and its environs by bike.

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Tip: On the cultural side, marvel at the frescoes and other wonders in the Palazzo Trinci museum. For an active visit, rent a bike (there are a number of places to do so in Foligno or nearby Spello) and explore the area – for example, bike from Foligno to the wine-producing town of Montefalco, taking in villages like Spello, Assisi or Bevagna en route.

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Visit in Umbria:

• Perugia
• Spoleto
• Assisi

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Cathedral di San Sabino, Bari, Italy

This is the Cathedral of Bari, seat of a bishop since the Council of Sardica in 347 AD and seat of an archbishop since the 6th century. The beautiful structure we see here is 12th and 13th century, built on the foundations of a destroyed Byzantine church. Though today Bari may same like a somewhat small and definitely quaint city home to a labyrinth of narrow passages, it was once a mighty place. Technically styled as “Apulian Romanesque,” the arched portals, rounded windows and great rose window are all features found in most Romanesque churches. Bari has a unique and varied history, not all of it good. It was a hub for the Slavic slave trade. For 20 years, it was the centre of the Emirate of Bari; in the 1100s it was razed to the ground, it once sheltered the widowed Polish queen of a Milanese duke, and it was part of various kingdoms and empires including that of the Lombards, the Byzantines and Naples. Today it is a vibrant, lively place bubbling with a breathtaking wild and chaotic vivacity that only Italians seem to manage.

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Pro tip: Stock up on basic Italian or bring a decent translator (google translate is doing some amazing things to break down language barriers) because southern Italians do not speak English, or any other language.

Visit More

• Assisi
• Venice
• Lago di Braies
• Sacra di San Michele
• Fiesole

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Natural History Museum, London, England

The Natural History Museum is one of London‘s preeminent and established museums. Founded using the collections of 17th/18th century collector Sir Hans Sloane, the Natural History Museum was originally part of the British Museum (though formally separated in 1963). It is home to five main sections or types of scientific collections: botany, minerals, zoology, entomology (ie bugs), and finally palaeontology over an impressive 80 million artefacts! The building itself was built later in the Victorian gothic and Romanesque styles in South Kensington, and was finished in 1880. With reminisces of European cathedrals, abbeys and palaces, the amazing Natural History Museum building is as much a wonder as its collections both inside and out (in fact, the architect freely admitted that his designs were inspired by his long travels throughout the European continent). As an interesting design quirk, the building uses architectural terracotta tiles (to resist the dirt and soot of Victorian London), many of with contain imprints of fossils, flora and fauna, reflecting the building’s use. It is an amazing place to visit and learn while in central London.

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Pro tip: The museum is free, and normally open daily from 10-17h30. It’s usually busy, but the lack of entrance fee means no lines. We recommend starting at the top to come face to face with the gigantic blue whale, and making your way down from there. It’s also near the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum. Alight at Gloucester Road or South Kensington. 

Miss museum-going during the pandemic? Visit museums virtually! Take a look at the extensive online collections of the British Museum (recommend to listen to exhibits) or these other museums on this list.

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More of Victorian London & Nearby

• Victorian-era Temperate Glass House at Kew Gardens – London
• Trafalger Square – London
• Tower Bridge, London
• Victorian-era Highgate Cemetery – London
• Victorian-era Clifton observatory – Bristol
• Victorian-era Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

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*Please note that all photos posted since the start of the Pandemic travel restrictions are from the archives, or taken locally within a short distance of our home. 

Church of Notre Dame de St Saturnin, Auvergne, France

Like a wedding cake made of overlapping layers of towering stone, the church of St Saturnin rises up dramatically into the sky. The centrepiece of the little Auvergnat village of St Saturnin, the church Notre Dame de St Saturnin is impressive in its representation of the local architectural style, “Auvergne Romanesque.” A variation of the Romanesque style, Auvergne Romanesque was developed in the rural, volcanic region of Auvergne in the 11th, 12th and into the 13th centuries.  This quaint, rural church is the smallest (and least ornate) of what is locally considered Auvergne’s 5 great Romanesque churches (among the other four, there is also the Basilique Notre Dame de Clermont-Ferrand – Auvergne’s regional capital, the Basilique Notre-Dame of Orcival and the Church of Saint-Nectaire). Of all five, St Saturnin has the simplest apse, as it is the only one without an array of chapels. This particular church at St Saturnin was the last of the Big 5, built late in the 12th century, though the bell tower was destroyed during the French Revolution, not to be rebuilt until 1850, a fate that was unfortunately quite common the during the bloody, anti-religious rebellion of the late 1700s (many religious buildings were destroyed or damaged – those that escaped harm often had to change or mask their purpose to fit that of the Reign of Terror, like the Temple of Vienne just south of Lyon). Inside, Notre Dame is dark, sombre, and cold but somehow this makes the Church of St Saturnin exude a certain sort of eerie beauty. Somehow, the church’s tranquil simplicity and the quaintness of the small village that encircles the little church work together to make the church even more picturesque.

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Pro tip: There is a chateau in St Saturnin but it isn’t wildly impressive. For turrets, towers and layered gardens, head to the nearby Chateau de la Batisse – learn more about opening times here.

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Other Impressive French Churches

• Church of Saint-Nectaire – Auvergne
• Church of St Nicolas – Loire
• Notre Dame de Paris – Paris
• Temple of Auguste et de Livie in Vienne – Rhone-Alps
• Dijon Cathedral – Dijon

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Grenoble Old Town, France

Often nicknamed the ‘Gateway to the Alps’ and the ‘Capital of the Alps’ (though these are titles shared by other Alpine hubs like Chamonix and Innsbruck), Grenoble is a lovely town on the foothills of the French Alps. A university town as well as recognised hub of art, science and culture, Grenoble has a quaint old town populated with many historical buildings such as the pedestrianised and cafe-fringed Saint-André Square, the magnificent Dauphiné Parliament building tinged with Gothic and Renaissance styles, the Place de Notre Dame and its 13th century cathedral and a market square with a still-functioning daily market. In Grenoble, intrepid visitors will also find several “hôtels” or fancy houses and mansions, a fountain that has links to the French Revolution, several beautiful squares, and dozens of beautiful roads ranging from quaint alleys to grand boulevards. Overlooking the historic old town, on a backdrop of jagged Alpine silhouettes, is the impressive and impregnable Bastille of Grenoble, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1590, during the final Wars of Religion, the leaders of the Daupiné branch of the Huguenots took over the previously-Catholic Grenoble via a 3-week siege attack. It was they, the Lesdiguières, who ordered the construction of the hilltop fortifications that would become the Bastille. Today, Grenoble remains an important cultural centre in the Alps on the edge of France, and the Bastille makes for an impressive piece of history, great views and a good workout to climb to!

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Pro tip: Ok, so there is a cable car that goes up to the Bastille. But that’s cheating! Instead for the best experience, follow one of the numerous signposted paths cut into the mountain to the Bastille. The effort will make the views even more amazing! Back in town, there are many museums for you to visit, including: the Museum of Grenoble, the Archaeological Museum, Dauphinois Museum, Old Bishop’s Palace, Stendhal Museum, Museum of Isère Resistance, and more! 

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Other Places in the French Alps

• Chambéry
• Montvauthier
• Chamonix
• Col Vert
• Megève
• Annecy

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Church of Saint-Nicolas, Blois, France

Though part of the much-loved Loire Valley region of central France, Blois has a reputation to be grim, grey and foggy. And though Blois does not have the same fairy-tale charm as the magnificent Chateau du Chenonceau, nor the impressive grandeur of Chateau de Chambord, it has its own gems. One such gem is the Church of Saint-Nicolas (not to be confused with the Cathedral of Blois), an impressive remnant of the Middle Ages in Northern France. Founded as an abbey in 1138 by Benedictine monks fleeing from the Normans, the Romanesque–Gothic church took nearly a century to complete. The abbey section of the complex was destroyed by the Protestant Huguenots during the bloody and long-suffering Wars of Religion. In fact, Saint-Nicolas was built relatively quickly for the time, though a hiatus of about 20 years means Saint-Nicolas has two different marked architectural styles. Blois itself is a town that often gets overlooked from Loire Valley visitors, who come to the region to admire the fine Renaissance chateaus. Blois does indeed have a castle (though not on par with the other Loire Chateaux) but it is its northern streets and ancient architecture such as this church that make Blois stand out. Well that – and the fact that in 1429, French hero Joan of Arc made Blois the base of her operations – riding out from the city 35 miles on Wednesday 29 April to relieve Orléans, what is today known as the Siege of Orléans during the 100 Years War (France’s first major victory since Agincourt in 1415).

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Pro tip: Blois can be a good base for people visiting Loire Chateaux. The closest one to Blois is the massive and magnificent Chateau de Chambord, only 15km from Blois. See more about getting to the castle by car or public transport here.

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Other Religious Buildings in France:

• Abbey of Ile Barbe – Lyon
• Dijon Cathedral & its gargoyles
• Palais des Papes – Avignon 
• Saint Cyr Hermitage – Beaujolais

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Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland

In the centre of the wildly beautiful city of Krakow is the eclectic structure known as Wawel Castle. Commissioned by King Casimir III in the 13th century, Wawel Castle is a strange mix of nearly all the popular architectural styles of the 13th – 18th centuries – including medieval, gothic, Renaissance (particularly Italian), Baroque, Romanesque and more (neo-classical seems the only important style of the time missing from the list). The Wawel we see today is much altered from the original structure – parts were destroyed by fire, leading to other parts added on or rebuilt entirely. When it was occupied by the Prussian Army, it was changed to meet new needs and new standards – Wawel’s was modernised and its interior re-styled. Defensive structures were changed, and some buildings were removed. Long the residence of Polish kings during Poland‘s Golden Years and beyond, Wawel overlooks one of Poland’s most spectacular cities. In fact, Krakow is one of the few urban centres not razed during the devastating WWII (due to Hitler using it as a base camp). Today, as one of the largest castles in Poland, Wawel Castle is a member of UNESCO world heritage sites (alongside Krakow’s historic downtown). Inside, find museums and exhibition on art, architecture, history, ceramics, weaponry, gold, and even articles from the Orient. To visit is also the cathedral, the ‘lost’ basements where the foundations show what once was there, and cave leading to the banks of the river nicknamed “the Dragon’s Den,” home to the legendary Dragon of Wawel lived.

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Pro tip: Wawel can be quite busy – try to visit in the off-peak season (or at least earlier in the day) if you can. Admission costs vary, see more here. Free admission is on Mondays from 9:30am – 1pm in April – October, and Sundays 10am – 4pm in November – March. Don’t miss the nearby fire-breathing dragon, a monument to the Wawel Dragon legend (it breathes fire in 5 minute intervals and can be activated by SMS). 

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See Other Places to Visit in Poland

• Warsaw
• Torun
• Poznan
• Gdansk
• Zakopane
• Kazimierez Dolny

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Church of Vera Cruz, Segovia, Spain

Church of Vera Cruz in Segovia, Spain

Unique, isn’t it? This squat, sunburnt little Romanesque tower and 12-sided polygon of a church on the outskirts of Segovia is impressive – and not the least because it dates back to the Middle Ages – the 13th century in fact. And who founded it? Why, none other than the infamous Knights Templar! More simply called “The Templars,” were a Catholic military organisation founded in 1139 by the pope. Most people know that they are closely tied to the Crusades to the Holy Land but what is less known is that they became very wealthy and therefore very powerful due to their role involved in the Christian bourse. Though the Templars are among some of the most skilled fighters of the Middle Ages (a fact that modern day video game Assassin’s Creed has exploited), roughly 90% of their order weren’t fighters. While the combatants where wrestling for the Holy Land, the non-combatants were slowly making a power play. It was they who put in place the economic infrastructure such as banking, loans, investments and the creation of landed estates (essentially paving the way for feudalism, and one might argue, capitalism) – all of only made them more rich. Part of their money went to building shrines to their movement – churches dedicated to the Holy Land they held so dear. One such place was the Church of Vera Cruz – a fantastic example of the kind sanctuary they perfected and how it differs from later churches. In fact, scripture from the Holy Land is inscribed at the alter of this little Spanish church. However, the Templars’ reign was short-lived. Such wealth gave them power, and power made them detested. Once they lost the Crusades, it was quite easy to demonise them – especially it you owed them money. One of those in their debt was none other than King Philip of France who took advantage of their fall from grace to blame, torture, and murder them to avoid repayment on his debt, forcing Pope Clement the V to disband them in 1312. The Templars disappeared in the early 1300s but they left behind a mysterious legacy – one that continues to inspire goosebumps to this day….

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Pro tip: The Church of Vera Cruz lies just outside of the cluster of buildings in the historic centre. It’s open Tuesdays 16 – 19h and Wed – Sun from 10h30 – 19h (closed midday from 13h30 – 16h). Admission is a modest €2. 

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Other Churches of Southern Europe:

• Teruel Cathedral – Spain
• Dijon Cathedral – France
• Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon – Macedonia
• St Clement’s – Skopje
• Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta in Brunico, Italy

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Chateau des Adhémar, France

Chateau des Adhémar, Montélimar, France

The 12th century Chateau des Adhémar remains one of the last true examples of Romanesque architecture, a style defined by rounded arches, thick walls, squat towers and sturdy pillars. This study, box-like castle was built atop a sunburnt hill which overlooks the orange-tiled, sunny town of Montélimar (located in the Drôme department in the south of France). Appropriated by the papacy in the 14th century until 1447 when it re-entered the Kingdom of France, the castle has been used as papal residence, an armament for several conflicts and wars, a citadel, a prison, a country residence, and now a contemporary art museum. In fact, Chateau des Adhémar was largely saved in the last few centuries as it was put to use as a prison. The famed loggia, or loge, with the striped design and rounded windows attached to the main keep was added during the Renaissance to ‘beautify’ what was considered a ‘plain’ Romanesque design. The beautiful Renaissance loggia was also built to add light to formerly gloomy rooms as well as show off the expansive countryside on Chateau des Adhémar’s toes. Located in the inner courtyard is the ancient 11th century St Pierre Chapel. Once a part of the wide-reaching monastic network centred at the Monastery of Ile Barbe in Lyon, the simple Romanesque chapel was later incorporated into the castle complex by the powerful Adhémar family. Today, the castle is a fine example of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture, as well as the modern art movement. It offers splendid aerial views of Montélimar and is a perfect stop on a road trip heading from Lyon to Nimes, Avignon, Montpellier or any other destinations in Southern France!

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See Other Fascinating Places in the South of France

1. The medieval village St Guilhem le Desert
2. The famous Roman Aqueduct, the Pont du Gard
3. The Nimes Arena
4. Balazuc village in Ardeche
5. Largentiere village in Ardeche
6. The ancient citadel of Carcassonne

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Vajahunyad Castle, Budapest, Hungary

Vajahunyad Castle, Budapest, Hungary

You might be surprised to discover that this magnificently medieval Translyvanian building was built less than 100 years ago, and not only that, but it stands in the middle of the Hungarian capital. Built for an annual fair, the building was so well-liked that the populace requested it remain intact; and so the obliging Hungarian government rebuilt the castle using more permanent materials (i.e., not plaster!). Situated in the middle of Budapest’s central park less than 400 metres from the famous Schenyi Baths, the castle is certainly an oddity. Making a full rotation around the campus reveals Vajahunyad’s four very different faces: each section is based on a different style (Baroque, Romanesque, Renaissance, and Gothic). Therefore, the structure looks completely different depending on one’s momentary perspective. The Gothic part in particular (the main section pictured here) was modelled on a Transylvanian castle—so if you can’t make it all the way to remote Transylvania (which one day I will, and bring back countless photographs of this infamous region to you!), you can still visit a replica here. In fact, the American TV drama, Dracula–which bears the name of Translyvania’s most famous resident–uses this castle as the infamous count’s residence for the series, though how much historical truth there is between Stoker’s vampire and the real-life Vlad Dracul is somewhat suspect. Regardless, the castle seems a fitting backdrop!