City Go

The most famous avenue in Paris is almost 2 km long stretching from the Place de la Concorde to the Place d'Etoile (or Place Charles de Gaulle since 1970), where the Arc de Triomphe is located. Its name comes from the Greek Elysian Fields, the mythical resting place of Greek Gods and other blessed figures. Champs Elyseés originated in the first half of the 17th century when a row of trees was planted as an extension to the Tuileries Garden. However, it was only in 1724 that the avenue was extended to its current dimensions. In the mid-1800s, the avenue was remodelled within a greater plan to modernise Paris. Today it's one of the most commercial places in Paris, with shops of well-known brands on both sides, cafes, restaurants and theatres. In the lower part of the avenue, close to the Place de la Concorde, is the Jardin des Champs Elysées where the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais and the Theatre Marigny are located. The avenue is also the finishing point ...

The Barrio de San Antonio is located on the site of the old Jewish quarter, a very important community in the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, it was one of the Jewish communities with the highest tax contributions in Spain. However, i n 1492 the Jews were expelled from Spain by the Christian Monarchs.  At the heart of the Jewish quarter stands the hermitage of San Antonio, built in 1470 by order of Alfonso Golfin, on the site of the old synagogue which was destroyed. The hermitage was remodelled in 1661. The whitewashed walls of this quarter stand out from the greyish brown buildings of the rest of town. Back to Caceres

Braga is a major religious destination with its epitome in the Holy Week. Dubbed as the "Portuguese Rome" or "City of the Archbishops", the city has a long tradition as a religious centre in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, even competing in importance and power with Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages. As the legend goes, it was established as a Bishopric in 45 AD, when Saint James, travelling through the region, ordered Saint Peter of Rates (also known as Saint Peter of Braga) to preach the Christian faith. By the 4th century AD, as the capital city of the Roman province of Gallaecia, it was a major centre of Christianization. It temporarily lost its statute during Muslim occupation which was immediately recovered after the Christian reconquest, as Braga has the oldest Cathedral in Portugal and is the oldest diocese in the country. Centuries later, in the 16th century, a visit to Rome by the Archbishop D. Diogo de Sousa inspired the renovation of the city an...

The Béguinages were communities of religious women founded in the 13th century, for widowed or single women. The community would develop around a church and, unlike in monasteries or convents, the women never took vows and could leave at any time to get married. They developed mainly in the Low Countries between the 13th and 16th centuries. In time many were absorbed by monastic orders and in the 16th century, most were suppressed by the Protestant Reformation. The Klein Begijnhof of Ghent was founded in 1235 and at the height of its existence it housed 300 béguines. In the Begijnhof there are the remains of the Hoyetoren, a fortress tower that was part of the rampart surrounding the city. The remaining buildings painted with oxblood paint date back to the 17th and 18th centuries and are currently let to private individuals on a long lease. Unless you're interested in urbanism/ architecture history the Begijnhof isn't really worth the visit, as it is a quiet res...

The Golden Lane is a street located in Prague Castle, built in the 16th century to house the castle guards. However, it takes its name after the goldsmiths that lived there in the 17th century. It used to have houses on both sides but in the 19th century, one of the sides was demolished. In the 1950s the street was restored and the houses painted in the bright colours we see today; they are now gift shops and also house the Armoury Museum and the Torture Chamber. One of the famous inhabitants was Frank Kafka, who lived there for a year in his sister's house. Other inhabitants include Matylda Prusòva, who was murdered by the Gestapo during interrogation for foretelling the end of the Nazi regime, and Joseph Kasda a historian and collector of everything cinema related. Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (4 p.m. Nov. to Mar.) Entrance fee: The Golden Lane is part of the Castle Tours.  There are two visiting options: Prague Castle – route A (CZK350, €13.16 April 2017) The Old Roy...

(Map of Alfama at the end) Alfama is the oldest and most typical neighborhood in Lisbon. Its name comes from the Ara bic "al hamman ", mea ning the baths or fountains, a reminder that this neighborhood was once the main supplier of water to the city.  During Moorish domination, Alfama, togeth er with the castle, constituted the whole of the city. It was divided in two, a more aristocratic upper Alfama, within the Moorish walls, and a more popular riverside Alfama (Alfama Mar). With the Christian conquest of Lisbon, Alfama spread to the east while the city spread to the west, to Baixa neighborhood. Decline begun in the Middle Ages when the wealthier part of the population abandoned the neighborhood and moved west, leaving it to the fishermen and the poor. Unlike in other parts of the city, most houses resisted the 1755 earthquake, and the neighborhood maintained its medieval layout, so although none of the houses dates back to that period, wandering through Al...