Sights and Sounds | One Summer in Europe - the backpacking Europe podcast

Hidden gem #4 – Cinque Terre, Italy

Posted on 04. Oct, 2009 by Ryan.

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Nestled upon the quiet Ligurian Sea, Cinque Terre is a string of five scenic Italian villages. A visit to Cinque Terre is like stepping back in time, as these old-world villages provide a glimpse into a different way of life than the modern hustle that we are used to. It also makes a peaceful interlude between busy cities like Florence and Rome.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre offers visitors a chance to wander steep and narrow streets past charming brightly-colored houses. To get a feeling of a true fishing village, as the small boats come and go early in the morning. To sample authentic Italian culinary delights, whether a fresh seafood dish, pasta with pesto sauce (pesto originated here), or after-dinner gelato. To hike from town to town and feel the gentle sea breeze in your hair.

The best approach into Cinque Terre is from the larger town of La Spezia, about 15-20 minutes by train from the south. La Spezia is not far from Pisa and only a couple hours from Florence.

The towns from south to north are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazzo, and Monterosso. The trains connecting each time come every 10-15 minutes and the next town is only a couple minutes away. One could see most of Cinque Terre in a busy day starting or ending in Florence or possibly Rome. Adding Cinque Terre to your backpacking Europe itinerary for even a day is highly recommended.

Cinque Terre, Italy

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Hidden gem #3 – Carcassonne

Posted on 23. Aug, 2009 by Ryan.

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Our latest episode features Nice/French Riviera, which is a natural next destination for those exiting Spain via Barcelona. However, castle lovers and history buffs might want to consider breaking the 9-10 hour Barcelona-Nice train ride into two more or less equal segments, with a visit to the stunning fortified town of Carcassonne in southern France.

Simply put, along with Dubrovnik in Croatia, Carcassonne is the most spectacular and impressive fortified town in Europe and quite possibly the world.

The fortified medieval town of Carcassonne, France

People have settled in this fertile region for over 5000 years and quite naturally, for defensive purposes, quickly concentrated their activity on the most prominent hill. Fortifications were built up over the centuries, initiated by the Romans and continuing during the first millennium AD. Various attempts by ambitious warriors were made to conquer this nearly impregnable city but almost always failed. The most famous and dramatic history of the castle involves the Cathar period of the 11-13th centuries and the resulting anti-Cathar Albigensian Crusade in which many thousands of “heretic” Cathars were killed in the name of French Catholicism.

Eventually the enlargement of the French nation in the 16-17th centuries made Carcassonne less strategically important and the fortified town on the hill was practically abandoned and nearly demolished in the name of progress. But fortunately it was saved and restored to its present magnificence.

Carcassonne makes a great one-night stop, spending 5-6 hours inside the fortified town up on the hill and then enjoying an evening in the pleasant modern town below. It makes an interesting contrast to the upscale atmosphere of the French Riviera that awaits.

An up-close view of the defensive walls of the Carcassonne castle.

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Hidden gem #2 – Valencia, Spain

Posted on 19. May, 2009 by Ryan.

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As the podcast prepares to depart Spain after the next episode, Barcelona, let’s recap some fantastic destinations in Spain (in no particular order):

Madrid
Barcelona
San Sebastian
Pamplona (Running of the Bulls)
Sevilla
Cordoba
Granada

….whew that is a pretty long list, but I can recommend every place on this list wholeheartedly.

Time to add another spicy Spanish dish to that list: Valencia.

Valencia, Spain

I recently visited Valencia for the first time and was highly, highly impressed with the 3rd largest city in Spain. This is a wonderful city – in fact I consider Valencia to be potentially one of the most attractive cities to live in Europe due to its warm and sunny climate, Mediterranean location, and stunning cultural assets.

One of the cool things about Valencia is how they use the old river bed of the Turia river. This river was a wide and shallow river that wound through the city center but was normally dry and ugly and a waste of prime urban space. A few decades ago, the city re-routed the river flow outside of town and converted the now-empty river bed into a never-ending green parade of parks, playgrounds, fountains, and gardens. Recently a series of architecturally famous museums have been built in part of these green spaces, further making the city a hip and vibrant international destination. Now, Formula 1 racing and the America’s Cup yacht races call Valencia home as well.

Like any Spanish city, Valencia streets are most alive at night during the evening paseo – the time after dinner when everybody is out and about on the streets. The city center is full of great squares and buildings with plenty of cool food and drink options. Valencia is also the true home of paella and you should not miss the chance to taste this specialty if you are in Valencia.

I thought San Sebastian was my favorite city in Spain, until I saw Barcelona. Then I saw Granada and it became my favorite. Now, Valencia has taken the honors, and I suspect it will stay there for a long time.

If you are interested in Valencia, it is 2-3 hours by fast train from both Madrid and Barcelona. It also makes an excellent stopover to/from the party island of Ibiza.

Valencia, Spain (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)

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Hidden gem #1 – San Sebastian, Spain

Posted on 10. May, 2009 by Ryan.

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Many backpackers design their Europe trip by hopping from one big city to the next. That is reasonable and understandable considering how many attractions and other cultural interests are concentrated in the larger cities. Those of us at One Summer in Europe frequently fall victim to this temptation as well.

However, there are a ton of fantastic sights in Europe that are off-the-track just a bit and well worth taking a detour to see. As part of an ongoing feature for this podcast, we will occasionally highlight other destinations in Europe that are really cool but often overlooked by backpackers and other travelers.

First up is a stunning town in the Basque country of northeastern Spain, San Sebastian.

San Sebastian, Spain

For those interested in Running of the Bulls in nearby Pamplona, San Sebastian makes an excellent entry or exit point for this festival. Many revelers of the Pamplona craziness choose to stay in San Sebastian because of the lack of accommodations in Pamplona during the eight days of the festival.

San Sebastian is visually spectacular – a wide circular bay is lined by a sandy beach and a rocky island protects the opening of the bay from the Atlantic Ocean. To the east and protecting the town itself is another rocky hill, providing great views of the bay and city down below.

You can spend the day on the lazy beach or hiking to the tops of these hills.

The town is very alive with the Basque culture – considered to be quite different than the mainstream Spanish one that one assumes exists in all of Spain. Food and drink are are full of flavor and energy, especially the tapas scene all over the place. The narrow streets of the old town is full of bars and is open late. Prices are very affordable for even those on a budget.

You can find lots of other young people there because backpackers in the know make sure to visit San Sebastian.