Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Museum of Zakopane Style
(Zakopane, Poland).
This low-key
museum is dedicated to the fine
woodworking craft of the early
Zakopane architects of the late 19th
and early 20th century. No stunning
high-tech visuals, just beautifully
carved furnishings and a wonderful
aesthetic feel. They took the log cabin
and made it a castle. See p. 441.
•
Kobarid Museum (Slovenia).
The
Kobarid is Slovenia's best antiwar
museum, dedicated to the memory of
those who senselessly lost their lives in
the fierce battle of Caporetto (Kobarid)
which took place around this tiny,
peaceful town that's now a center for
adventure activities. If the indoor
museum doesn't stir your soul, there's
an outdoor “walking museum” which
you explore with a map over several
hours, taking in natural scenery and
interesting ruins along the way. See
p. 673.
8 The Best Towns & Villages
•
Hum (Istria, Croatia).
It calls itself
the smallest town in the world, and
population-wise, it might be. But so
many people visit this village high in
the Istrian interior that it always
seems crowded. The village elders
have done a wonderful job of restor-
ing the buildings in town to make it
tourist-friendly. See p. 178.
•
The Heritage Villages of Pirin,
Rhodope, Balkan, and Sredna Gora
Mountains (Bulgaria).
Bulgaria has
the best-preserved mountain villages
in the Balkans. Besides the charm of
the 18th and 19th-century stone-
and-timber architecture, village life
appears untainted by the 21st cen-
tury, with toothless old-timers in
headscarves sunning themselves on
benches while young lovers holding
hands head off to the fields, hoes
casually slung over their shoulders.
The most photogenic and evocative
villages are hidden deep in the moun-
tains: Kovachevitsa and Dolen are
surrounded by the forested flanks of
the Rhodope ranges, Zheravna by the
lush Balkan foothills, and pretty
Koprivishtitsa in the undulating
Sredna Gora. See p. 57.
•
C
esk
;
Krumlov (Czech Republic).
If you have time for only one excur-
sion from Prague, make it
C
esk
;
Krumlov. This living gallery of
Renaissance-era buildings housing
many galleries, shops, and restaurants
is 167km (104 miles) south of Prague.
Above it towers the second-largest
castle complex in the country, with
the Vltava River running underneath.
No wonder UNESCO named this
town a World Heritage Site. See
p. 260.
•
Pécs (Hungary).
This delightful city
in southern Hungary is home to one
of Hungary's most pleasing central
squares and some great examples of
Turkish architecture. See p. 368.
•
Sighi
@
oara (Transylvania, Roma-
nia).
This medieval citadel, built in
the 15th century, was the birthplace
of the man who was to inspire Bram
Stoker's Count Dracula. Today, it
remains inhabited, and despite its
compact size, is one of the most gor-
geously preserved hilltop fortress
cities in Europe, a tiny jumble of
ancient nooks and crannies, with
cobbled streets, medieval homes, and
towers protruding from the battle-
ments. See p. 525.
•
Sibiu (Transylvania, Romania).
Set
to be a joint European City of Cul-
ture in 2007, Sibiu has received a
remarkable makeover, transforming it
into a whitewashed version of its
