These days, Belarus is a truly European country, but emerge from the Metro onto Independence Square in Minsk and you would be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported to Russia. Construction on the square began in 1964, well before the breakup of the Soviet Union, and in some ways it perfectly reflects the Russian penchant … Read more
I stood at the top of the Potemkin Stairs in Odessa, Ukraine, and contemplated the hike down. No problem, I thought. It looks like a lot of landings and very few steps. I started down but soon realized there were way more steps than I originally thought. Fifty, 100, 150…was I ever going to reach … Read more
When UNESCO turned an eye toward Ukraine, the first site they chose to inscribe as a World Heritage Site was the magnificent Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. In somewhat of a departure, UNESCO opted to inscribe Saint Sophia along with the monastic complex of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra as a single site, even though they are two … Read more
Stortorget is the main square in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan, the Old Town area of the city. The name translates to “Big Square” in English, but ironically, it is actually one of the smallest Old Town squares in Europe. Stortorget stands on the site of the original settlement that grew to become the Swedish capital. By … Read more
With seven stories and more than 600 rooms, the Royal Palace in Stockholm is one of the largest palaces in Europe. Located in the Old Town of Stockholm, it is the “official residence” of the Swedish monarch, King Carl XVI Gustaf. Though the King, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, and other members of the Royal … Read more
