Posts by Chrisostomos Kamberis
Brasov and the Castles of Bran and Rasnov
Less than three hours driving north of Bucharest, behind the mighty Carpathians, lies the city of Brasov—one of the seven walled citadels the Saxons built in Transylvania when it was under Hungarian rule. Transylvanian Saxons who were of German ethnicity, had the fame of expert craftsmen and tradesmen, so as soon as they settled the…
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Romania : A Brief Guide to the City of Sibiu
Sibiu is a picturesque medieval city located in the renowned Romanian region of Transylvania. The city’s historical center, which holds most of the interest, lies on the east bank of Cibin river and is divided into the pastel colored Lower town and the more strict and upper class, you guessed it, Upper town. Hermannstadt—as Sibiu…
Read MoreKerepesi Cemetery : A Fascinating Necropolis in Budapest
Cemeteries more often than not, tend to cast a shadow on people’s hearts. No other site is so emotionally attached to humans and the bitter pill they have to swallow from the first day they come into this world — death. So, how can something that reflects our mortality be so calm and beautiful at…
Read MoreUrban Story : A Night in Cork
Cork is known for many things—Murphy’s Irish stout and the rivalry with Dublin among others—the former probably contributing to the latter. It’s an Irish city full of character, with a beautiful island in the center which is surrounded by the channels of River Lee. As a teen I knew Cork because of one of its…
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Bucharest and its picturesque old town
I was eager to see Bucharest for the first time but on the same time I wasn’t sure what to expect. Romania is not entirely in Balkans, nor is completely a central European country. Historically it was part of the Eastern Bloc but after a certain point it kept its distance from Moscow. All these…
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Jasna : Skiing Chopok Summit in Low Tatras Slovakia
Jasna is Slovakia’s biggest and most renowned ski resort. Like all winter spots, it has a distinctive festive coziness which I like, so me and Veronika decided to spend three days there as part of our last winter escape. Having grown up in a Mediterranean country, I will always be impressed by northern lands with…
Read MoreSyros : A Greek Island with Latin Influence
After a very long absence, I returned to the Greek islands and specifically to Syros, in the heart of Cyclades—a group of islands three hours from Athens, mostly known for the Cycladic civilization and the cosmopolitan islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Like every island in the Aegean Sea, Syros has a defining characteristic—its Latin influence.…
Read MoreCasa Luxembourg in Sibiu
Casa Luxembourg is located at the corner of Piața Mică and the Bridge of Liars in a beautiful historical building This small hotel is full of baroque charm and magnificent views. Two minutes form Sibiu’s large square and the stunning church of Holy Trinity. My Superior double room was so big you could play football…
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Mt. Brandon : Stormy Weather
People and especially media people tend to tell stories about epic journeys and successful accomplishments. But truth to be told there are much more to be learned from a failure than a success thus the reading of a defeat is much more useful to a reader than an epic story of triumph. This story is…
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Stephanie Craig : A History Fangirl
Stephanie is a friend and fellow blogger from the US who now lives in Europe. She combined her love for history and travel by creating HistoryFangirl.com where someone can read all about her adventures around the globe and her passion for history. She is also a great photographer and maintains a regular podcast worth listening.…
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Meteora : The Mystical Monasteries of Greece
Deep in the heart of Greece, at the north western edge of the fertile Thessalian plain, is a place of mystical awe and medieval mystery. Meteora is the plural of a Greek adjective meaning “hovering above ground.” This word perfectly describes a number of monasteries that are built on the top of monumental monoliths made…
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Monodentri : Agia Paraskevi Monastery and Rizarios School of Handcrafts
The Return Day 7 Last day of hiking and our luck had eventually run out. Outside it was pouring and the gloomy horizon wasn’t showing any sign of improvement. Originally, we had planned to hike back to Monodentri through Vitsa but even though we could still go—rain or not, we just preferred to take it…
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Tel Aviv : A Photographic Story
Photo Story All cities have character but not all cities have “characters” as Bruce Gilden likes to call them. Some cities aren’t very photogenic at first glance and some cities show it off on every corner. Tel Aviv definitely belongs to the latter and I fully took advantage of it during the three days I…
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A Day in Tel Aviv : Hayarkon Park and the Promenade
A Day in Tel Aviv It was my second day in Tel Aviv and I had decided to devote it mostly to street photography. In order to do that I would visit two of the city’s greatest sites, the Hayarkon Park and the famous city promenade. I would start at the east part of the…
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Hiking from Kipi to Dilofo
The Break Day 6 Even though today would be something like a day off. We still agreed to walk for a couple of hours, so that our legs wouldn’t get stiff. The guys from Hikes4all had arranged a small route to Dilofo village just to stretch a bit. After having lunch there, a car would…
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Hiking from Beloi to Kapesovo via the skala of Vradeto
The Viewpoint Day 5 Our fifth day in Zagori started with a hearty rural breakfast. It was splendid with five types of homemade jam and cheese produced by the owners among other things. You just can’t beat top ingredients no matter what you cook out of them. The day’s hike was simple and fairly…
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Tel Aviv : A day in the city of hip
Tel Aviv wasn’t exactly in my plans this year, but since I was in Jerusalem for a conference I grabbed the opportunity to stay for a couple of days. Tel Aviv Yafo, as its full name is, was founded by Jewish immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century just north of the ancient port…
Read MoreMt. Tymfi : Hiking to Tsepelovo
The Descent Day 4 It was pitch–dark and I could only hear the intense activity that took place in the refuge. Time was half past six and most people were already up, getting dressed and fixing their equipment. Me and Veronika were the last ones as usual. The majority would cross Mt. Tymfi and get…
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Astraka and the Dragon lake
The Ascent Day 3 I waited five minutes for the alarm to ring, then I quietly got dressed and went out. Darkness was still covering Mikro Papingo as I was navigating through its narrow alleys. Outside the gate, Astraka towers looked imposing above the tiny village. Rogovo As I was walking the only road leaving…
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Zagori : Hiking Voidomatis to Kleidonia and Papingo
The River. Day 2. After a good night’s sleep, we woke up in high spirits. The euphoria of the previous day was still on and we couldn’t wait to start our second day in Zagori. The day’s march would take us back to Voidomatis river and the infamous Kleidonia bridge. From there, we would be…
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Hiking Vikos Gorge
The Gorge. Day 1. Hiking Vikos gorge under rain is treacherous because of the rock falls. So naturally the first thing I did when I woke up was to open the door and get on the small balcony. To my relief there were only a few small clouds here and there. “Good start”. The plan…
Read MoreZagori Hike : The Beginning
Zagori Hike : The Beginning Having left behind Ioannina—the capital of Epirus. We took the old road to Zagorochoria—as all forty six villages of Zagori are collectively named. We hadn’t seen a car or people for the last twenty minutes and I could feel the isolation of the place as our small Fiat 500x…
Read MoreZagori : The Kingdom of Infinite Country
Zagori : The Kingdom of Infinite Country Epirus—rightfully called “the infinite country” since ancient times, got this epithet from its mountains which row after row dominate the horizon, making the region to appear endless. Zagori, one of the most astounding places you’ll ever see, is hidden in the heart of this isolated region of northwestern…
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Beirut : At the Crossroads of East and West
Beirut : At the Crossroads of East and West Beirut. The metropolis of Middle East where two worlds meet, live and collide. Eastern and western civilization have fought over this city for centuries but none managed to consume it. And for that Beirut and Beirutis are a spicy mix which I have not seen anywhere…
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Acropolis Museum : Sanctuary of the Marbles
Acropolis Museum Sanctuary of the Marbles For many years, the possibility of building an adequate museum that would house the Parthenon marbles and all the artifacts of Acropolis and the surrounding slopes remained distant as a dream. Every plan made by the Greek state, was coming to a dead end. Eventually it took a…
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National Archaeological Museum of Athens
National Archaeological Museum of Athens The national archaeological museum of Athens is the biggest in Greece and one of the most significant in the world. Over 11.000 artifacts belong to its five major exhibitions which stretch from the Prehistoric era until the Roman period. Located in an exquisite neoclassical building on “28th October” Avenue which…
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Athens Zoo
Attica Zoological Park Athens Zoo For decades the only zoo in Athens was a small one inside the National Garden behind the Greek parliament. I have memories of my parents taking me there on Sundays. I can’t remember the animals clearly—due to my young age, but I still remember my enthusiasm when I was there.…
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Athens : A Walk Around the Historical Center
Athens : A Walk Around the Historical Center Writing an article about Athens feels strange to me. After all, it is my hometown and looking at it as a travel destination doesn’t come natural. I have to admit that the Greek capital doesn’t look attractive on first sight. When the rest of Europe was going…
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Athens : Ten Images in B&W
Athens : Ten Images in B&W These are ten images I took in Athens during my last trip. The capital of Greece can be very atmospheric so I chose black and white. The old Gasworks also known as Gazi are a live neighborhood in the heart of the city. The old facilities have been transformed…
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To Priecne Sedlo and Back
To Priecne Sedlo and Back I was really looking forward for this trip to Priecne Sedlo. It looked genuinely promising, a real adventure out in the High Tatras. And, I wasn’t wrong. This mountain hike proved to be extremely challenging for me, with all the good and bad things real adventures come with! Video from…
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