Konopiště Castle and World War I
No more than a 30-minute train ride south of Prague you can visit Konopiště castle. This is where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand travelled from when he went to Sarajevo and
The con man who sold the Eiffel Tower
One of the smoothest con men who ever lived managed to fool people into buying France’s Eiffel Tower from him. Twice. His name is Victor Lustig and he was Czech.
Egypt and Malta – Unusual Historical Connections
Ask anyone in Malta to direct you to the Mosta Dome and you’ll get immediate directions. Not all churches on the island are as well-known as this one is. Not
The Obelisk that Moved
In Malta, driving towards Valletta, you see a large obelisk amidst the many lanes of traffic fighting their way to work. This monument is Spencer Obelisk and has a connection
The Two Suns of Prague
An enigmatic cartouche of two suns watches you as you walk up to Prague’s famous Castle complex. On either end of the suns, two faces in profile look in opposite directions;
Slapping a French Empress in Turkey
Once you cross the Bosphorus Straits from Europe to Asia, one of the first places you can visit is Beylerbeyi Palace. This is where you would slap a French Empress
How to Celebrate a Failed Assassination
As you head north-by-north-west from the city centre of Vienna, the old centre of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it won't be long before you reach the Ringstrasse that marks the old walls of the city. There, in Sigmund Freud park, you can see the Votivkirche ⛪️