In Greece, classical civilization threads all aspects of daily life. Broken Ionic columns lie in everyone’s backyard, and the bus maps are written in the language of the philosophers. But Crete, the largest island in Greece, has more than just a Platonic heritage. Crete was once the heart of the Minoan civilization, a Bronze Age matriarchy that ruled the Mediterranean. Later conquests by the Byzantines, Turks and Venetians diversified the culture. With beaches, fierce local pride, cafes packed with soccer fans, goat farmers, university towns, and a wild mountainous terrain, Crete has something to offer travelers of many styles.

Charming Hania (sometimes spelled Chania) feels like a quintessential European city. Originally an ancient Minoan settlement, Hania later became a port for the Venetian Empire. The Venetians clearly felt homesick, because they filled the central town with pastel-colored stucco buildings and winding, cobbled alleyways reminiscent of Italy.

Most guests stay in one of Hania’s boutique hotels. We, however, found Pension Lena, which consisted of only a few rooms tucked into a restored Turkish building. Buoyant and full of information, Lena gave us a basket of fresh plums from her garden and sat us down for the rundown of Crete. She had decorated the pension with a mix of antiques, creating an eclectic but elegant atmosphere. We had coffee on a rooftop patio with a sliver of a view; the blue Mediterranean sparkling in the distance. It was tempting enough to make us chug our coffee and start exploring.

Hania’s rich history is evident in its architecture. A distinctive Venetian lighthouse sits upon a jetty overlooking the sea while guarding the city. The remains of a large mosque, now an art gallery, stands on the western side of the harbor.   Along the Venetian fortress walls is the Naval Museum which provides a seafaring perspective to the island’s history. And inside the Old Town, the Hania Archeological Museum showcases artifacts from the town’s ancient past.

Lena’s is only a fifteen-minute walk from Nea Hora, Hania’s popular sandy beach.  There we watched fishermen string lines of octopus to dry in the sun – a grisly, if distinctive, sight. Greek kids splashed in the shallow water while their parents added another layer of bronze to their already copper tans. This more modern sector of Hania can be overrun with package tourists, and other than the beach, it offers little for independent travelers.
Serious beach bums will want to explore Crete’s less urban coast. Hania is a popular departure point for Elafonisi, a pristine islet off the southwest coast of Crete. Buses from Hania arrive daily, dropping loads of daytrippers onto a breathtaking stretch of white sand. Many visitors wade out 100 yards across the clear, shallow water to reach the islet, and then take the bus back to Hania in time for dinner.

We found shopping in Hania to be expensive but high-quality. Artisans sell leather goods, jewelry, and local jams and honeys – a nice change from plaster moulds of the Parthenon and Zeus key chains. We often couldn’t find our way back through the maze of alleys once we had passed a shop, so we made it a point to buy on a whim.

At dusk, we joined the crowds for a leisurely stroll of the waterfront. It seemed the entire population of the city turned out to walk. The harbor restaurants tended to be overpriced, so we had dinner in the Old Town.  Housed in an old Turkish bathhouse, Tamam combined traditional Cretan and Turkish food. We had eggplant moussaka, salty white cheese with bread, and a meze platter of assorted appetizers. The mix of cuisines made the meal especially interesting – another testament to Crete’s unique past.

There’s no better place in Turkey to light up the nargile (water pipe) and wile the hours away in an Ottoman than the cosy, coastal, hippy hamlet of Cirali (aka Olympos).

Perched in secluded mountain valleys fifty miles Southwest of Antalya, networks of makeshift, wooden tree shacks are the drawcard novelty of Olympos, providing a rustic and highly unconventional accommodation standard for those willing to live like an Ewok for a night or two.

Arriving fresh from a four day cruise across the Western Mediterranean coast, four nights sleeping under stars and sail were now replaced with a stiff mattress in a tree house – not the most comfortable night’s slumber, but certainly a fine oddity to write home about. Roaming chickens keep you up at night, and moonlight seeps through shonky wood planked walls.

The tree house pensions are popular and generally provide a free buffet dinner. I stayed at the famous Bayrams, but Kadirs is also considered up there with the best of the bunch. For the less budget conscious, a range of more conventional hotels is on offer. I might have opted for the Canada Hotel Cirali if my back pocket allowed for the extravagance.

Olympos is steeped in ancient myth and Hellenistic fable. Founded sometime around 2 BC, it was an early base of the Lycian civilisation which eventually crumbled and conceded to Roman and Byzantianian influences. The philosopher Cicero once referred to Olympos as a city of fine art and resplendent riches.

The former glory is well passed, however ancient ruins from the early civilisations still remain just a short walk along the dirt track leading out of town. We went exploring and took a hike, taking in the scattered fragments of Lycian sarcophagus, stone artefacts and former bathhouses, festooned with overgrown vines and scrub. The rewarding and mythic twenty-minute trails lead to an untarnished and idyllic beach cove, perfect for kicking back and soaking up the Turkish sun.

The ancient Lycians worshiped the fire God, Vulcan, which was most likely due to the impressive naturally occurring phenomenon, the ‘Chimera’ – a series of eternal flames that flare perpetually from a nearby mountainside. Located roughly 15 km outside the Olympos village, we took an evening bus to the site, witnessing the mesmerising natural wonder, it’s red and amber flames sparkling in the dark of night.

The Lycians believed that a mythic underground beast with a lion’s body and snake for tail was responsible for the phenomenon, however, the flames are really the result of natural gas rising from the ground and igniting spontaneously when coming into contact with the air.

Centered in the heart of Olympos coastal national parkland, Olympos is also prime terrain for the environmentally adventurous, conducive to a range of outdoor activities including sea kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing and trekking, with equipment readily available from various hostels and stores throughout the village.

With its gem coastline, mythic feel and proclivity to extended relaxation, Olympos provides an ideal stop off the beaten Western Turkey tourist track. And if the tree house life floats your boat, a few nights might easily become a few weeks.

When traveling around Franconia (Northern Bavaria), be sure to visit the impressive Schloss Seehof, located just five kilometers from Bamberg in Memmelsdorf. The Baroque structure was constructed in the late 17th Century as the summer residence and hunting lodge of the prince-bishop Marquard Sebastian Schenk von Stauffenberg. Four domed corner towers mark the symmetrical building. The extensive gardens, fountains and sculptures were added in later centuries by other prince-bishops who resided in the castle.

After secularization, the castle came under private ownership and fell under neglect during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. The original furnishings were sold off and the elaborate gardens decayed. In 1975, the Bavarian government purchased the property and the castle and gardens underwent extensive renovations, reopening to the public in the 1990s. Some of the original furnishings and artwork of the palace were located and placed on exhibit.

Visitors to the palace first come across the Orangery building, an extension of the original Memmelsdorf gate. The central gate was constructed in the early 18th Century in the Rococo style; white stucco with orange accents. Greenhouses were later added to flank the gate to shelter the exotic plants owned by the prince-bishop during the winter months. Part of the Orangery now serves as a museum for the artist Ferdinand Tietz, who worked on several commissions for the palace and gardens.

One of the most unique qualities of the Schloss is the massive fountain or cascade located behind the main building. The piece was sculpted by Ferdinand Tietz and depicts Hercules and some of his twelve labors. Construction began in the 1760s and in addition to the large fountain, an underground tunnel was required to supply a constant source of water to the sculpture.

There are currently nine rooms of the palace accessible to visitors. Many contain the original wooden mosaic floors, arranged in interesting geometric patterns. The ballroom or White Hall contains a well-preserved ceiling fresco painted by Guiseppe Appiani, depicting Cupid and other angels. All of the rooms have been restored to resemble life in the 17th and 18th Centuries, with furniture, artwork, light fixtures and other details from the respective periods.

Tours of the interior are given in English and German. Visitors can view the period-decorated rooms and inner courtyard. The castle is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from April to October and closed during the winter. Guided tours are offered daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The castle gardens are open the same months as the main building, but can be toured at no cost. The cascade’s water display is shown every hour from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from May through October. It is worth watching the water dance among the sculptures while visiting the palace.

In the summer, the castle hosts classical music concerts. In early June a chamber music festival, known as Spring in the Schloss Seehof, is held. A second music festival, Sommerserenaden Schloss Seehof, takes place in August.

The Schloss Seehof can be accessed by car or by bus from Bamberg. There is a small café at the palace located in the Orangery. This romantic building with its idyllic surrounding gardens is well worth a visit. Bring a picnic and make a day of it, touring the house museum, watching the waterworks display at the cascade and strolling amidst the perfectly manicured lawn.

Medieval city of Vannes in Brittany, France, a picturesque place with half timbered houses and old narrow lanes around the Cathedral. It’s pretty busy in high season, so the best plan is to park your car and then look around on foot, or take the little tourist train around for a mini sightseeing tour.

Vannes is the city at the heart of the Gulf of Morbihan, a sheltered inland Gulf with a mild climate and protected waters that make it ideal for sailing. The waterway stretches right up to the old town and there are plenty of sailing boats bobbing in the marina right below the city walls. Beneath the ramparts there are formal gardens laid out in carefully chosen colour themes, where you can walk by and see the old city public laundry house beside the shallow stream.

Vannes is a starting point for the many boat trips to the islands in the Gulf of Morbihan, which make an ideal day trip to somewhere a little less crowded than the main Brittany beaches. We visited the island of Houat, which has practically no cars and beautiful beaches which you can get to from the many footpaths that criss-cross the island. Other popular day trips are to Ile aux Moines and Ile d’Arz in the Gulf itself. If you want a bit of sea air but don’t have time for a boat trip then take the bus to Conleau on the outskirts of Vannes, where there are some pine woods to picnic in and a swimming lake, marina and a hotel and cafe.

The Danish people are some of the nicest in Europe, and Copenhagen is one of Europe’s nicest capital cities.  Why not make a summer city break? With fantastic weather (sometimes hot by UK standards) and long days/short nights, it’s perfect weekend.  Here’s a few of my Copenhagen favourites.

• Start the day with breakfast in Christianshavn. A nice breakfast/brunch choice is Frederiks Bastion, an old gunpowder house.  Afterwards, see the sights of this unusual neighbourhood.  You can walk off breakfast by heading up the spiral staircase of Vor Frelser Church, then just wander down the streets and see why this area is called ‘Little Amsterdam.’   It used to be an independent city from Copenhagen, and in some ways it is still very different.
• Spend an afternoon strolling along the waterfront. Copenhagen is a sea city and I just love anywhere with a water view.  You can walk along the seafront and go see the Little Mermaid (she’s smaller than you’d expect – and plan on a queue to take a photo, it’s a popular place!  But there are plenty of fountains, interesting buildings, and other sights to see.
• Get your groove over in Nyhaven (pictured above).  You’ll find bar after bar along the water and loads of outdoor tables and music pumping into the streets.  This is a slightly touristy area so you’ll need to wander off a few streets to find out where the locals hang, but

Copenhagen is also well known for its jazz scene – the Copenhagen Jazz House being one of the most popular.  There’s also great shopping and plenty of historical sights to see – including Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park just across from the main train station.