Winter Holiday Travel in Italy Portugal the Netherlands and Germany

Family Vacations Food and Wine Itineraries Medieval Villages Nature Parks

Italy

Abruzzo is located on the Adriatic Coast, east of Rome. It is home to national parks, hilltop medieval and Renaissance towns and numerous nature reserves. The Apennine mountain chain forms much of its interior while the coastal plain has sandy beaches and dunes.

Basilicata, also known as Lucania, is a southern Italian region bordering with Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, with one coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria, and a longer one in the Gulf of Taranto on the Ionian Sea.

Campania the ancient Romans called this region of Italy Campania Felix. Baia, Puteoli, Pompeii, Stabia and Capri were their favorite destinations. Then and now, Happy Campania is famed for its ancient ruins, coastal resorts and world renowned culinary traditions. A cultural and national capital for much of its nearly three thousand year history, Naples is home to art museums, the San Carlo opera house and a spectacular bay framed by Mt. Vesuvius, affectionately and fearfully referred to by the local inhabitants as The Monster. 

Rome Lazio is mainly flat and hilly, with small mountainous areas in the eastern and southern districts. The coastline is mainly composed of sandy beaches. Behind the coastal strip, to the north, lies the coastal plain of Maremma Laziale. The center is occupied by the Roman countryside, a vast alluvial plain surrounding the city of Rome, and the south is characterized by flatlands. The Apennines of Latium are marked by the Tiber River valley and three mountains of volcanic origin whose craters are occupied by Lakes Bolsena, Vico and Bracciano. South of the Tiber, the Alban Hills, are of volcanic origin.   

Marche is slowly being discovered as the new Italian frontier; an abridged expression of the varied charms of Italy with a variety of attractions offered seasonally and year- round, including: authentic foods, breathtaking landscapes, a lively cultural landscape, artistic and natural treasures. 

Puglia is located in southern Italy; it borders the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its southernmost portion, the Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the boot of Italy. 

Portugal

Lisbon Porto and the Douro Valley Lisbon a City of Lights and Contrasts is both Atlantic and Mediterranean, illuminated by an extraordinary light that contrasts with landscaped hills tumbling towards the Tagus river. 

Rotterdam Netherlands

Maritime Museums Walking and Boat Tours Original and fascinating professional guided walking tours. The heart of the second-largest city in the Netherlands lies inside a triangle of main roads. This inner city can easily be explored on foot within this triangle. The relatively short distances make a walk along beautiful and interesting sights and exceptional museums, the perfect way to discover Rotterdam. 

Düsseldorf Germany

Walking Tours Castles Fashion Museums and Rhine River Cruises Düsseldorf is the cosmopolitan capital of North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany`s state with the country`s largest population. The city has close to 600,000 inhabitants and is known for its old quarter – Altstadt – with nightlife and buildings which date back to the 16^th century. Here, you can taste the famous Altbier – a dark beer. 

A Portugal Travel Experience

Lisbon Porto and the Douro Valley

Lisbon a City of Lights and Contrasts is both Atlantic and Mediterranean, illuminated by an extraordinary light that contrasts with landscaped hills tumbling towards the Tagus river. Its architecture features ancient buildings side-by-side with modern constructions. The streets of the Baixa are laid out in a special, ordered design in accordance with the urban ideals of the Enlightenment.  The Chiado, with cafes, shops and bookstores, is the historic heart of the city and its cultural district.

The Medieval Origins of this city can be appreciated from the heights of the Castle of São Jorge, to the ancient cathedral and a descent into the streets of Alfama and its narrow, labyrinthine alleys. The seafarers who left Lisbon to discover exotic new worlds hailed from this neighborhood.
 

The Museu de Arte Antiga contains the treasures that testify to the rich cultural encounter between West and East.

The Espírito Santo Silva Foundation is a museum of decorative arts and a collection of craft workshops where artisan skills restore 18^th century aristocratic interiors.

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo holds a ceramic tiles, one of Portugal’s great art forms, with pieces from the 15th century to the present day.

The Atlantic Coast features the beaches and coves of Cascais, the seductive sea views and luxuriant vegetation of Sintra and Évora, an ancient city of narrow streets, churches, a Roman temple and a Gothic cathedral.

Porto and the Douro Valley

Northern Portugal is famous for its vineyards and granite-carved baroque architecture in Porto, Guimarães and the Douro Valley with its monasteries, palaces and gardens.

Baroque Inspirations amid Magnificent Palaces Private Gardens and Religious Architecture

Porto has a unique urban environment. The ancient district features a Cathedral with romantic and baroque elements, and the Ribeira’s ancient stone quays.

Medieval Guimarães is renowned for its castle, the Palácio Ducal, fine town houses and ancient stone squares.

The Douro Valley is famed for its vines, vineyards and views over the valley and the Douro River. Experience the local typical cuisine, the world-famous port wine cellars and a boat trip on a traditional rabelo amidst steep slopes covered in vines and cypresses.

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for a Travel Experience in Lisbon Porto and Portugal

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