Jane

The symbol of dictator Ceausescu’s megalomania and desire for grandeur is Palace of Parliament in Bucharest - the 2nd largest office building in the world, beaten only by The Pentagon. It’s also the heaviest in the world.

Romania derives its name from Rome as the people regard themselves as the descendants of the ancient Romans who conquered southern Transylvania under emperor Trajan in 105C. Here we visited Peles Castle and Bran castle - - home to the legend of Dracula!.

During the 1920s and 1930s Bucharest, capital of Romania, was one of Europe’s most avant-garde cities and became known as Little Paris. French influence was the hype until the mid 20th century - a time when younger men studied in Paris, returning with a strong desire for change.

The beautiful city of Bern, is the capital of Switzerland, quite small when compared to other capital cities and unlike any other city in Switzerland. Founded in 1191 and built around the Aare River, Bern’s medieval architecture has been carefully preserved.

From travelling on the Glacier Express said to be slowest express train in the world, to the sweet town of Stans with its cable car and funicular and finally picturesque Lucerne, located in the heart of Switzerland.

The Gornergrat cog railway climbs to 3,089m offering great views of the Matterhorn at a height of 4,478m and includes a vista covering a total of 29 mountains above 4,000m.

The atmospheric town of Aosta, nestled in the Aosta valley surrounded by majestic mountains. It’s known as the Rome of the Alps as it was founded by the Romans in 25BC at the junction of the roads leading to France and Switzerland.

Turin is one of the hidden gems of Italy. Milan, less than 2 hours away, may have the reputation, but Turin has elegance in spades. The centre of the city is filled with large piazzas surrounded by majestic palaces, residences and castles built by the Savoy dynasty.

The Bernina Express is one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys - the highest railway in Europe, and one of the steepest. An engineering marvel of the early 1900s. The train descends from an altitude of 1,864m in Saint Moritz to 429m in Tirano, reaching an 2,253m at Ospizio Bernina.

Swanky St Moritz, the town tagged as the playground of the rich and famous - at an elevation of 1,864m it is said to have more sunny days than many other alpine resorts

Into Italy to visit Novacella Monastery dating back more than 900 years, run by Augustine monks. Then a stop at Lake Misurina before ending the day in Cortina - only 2 hours north of Venice, among the first Alpine destinations to host explorers and scientists, then royals and aristocrats.

Innsbruck, which translates as the Bridge over the River Inn, is the capital of the Tyrol region of Austria, with yet another atmospheric old town centre, set against a majestic backdrop of the Austrian Alps.

Linderhof is one of 3 castles built for King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886). He ascended the throne at the age of 18. His reign was a lonely one, the kingdom was managed well so he spent his time living a decadent lifestyle and indulging in his passionate building projects.

Munich, the capital of Bavaria, was a centre for trade, especially salt in medieval times as it was also on the Golden Path. Today it has the strongest economy in Germany and almost no unemployment with large Turkish and Balkan communities.

Passau - which sits at the confluence of 3 rivers - the Inn, Ilz and Danube. Once again, a pretty town of cobblestone streets filled with buildings painted in pastel shades. In medieval times, the city was an important centre for trading white gold - salt transported from the alpine mines.

Linz was originally known as Lentia when it was a Roman castle settlement. Today it’s the 3rd largest city in Austria with a big harbour located on the Danube.

Krems, Austria, a quaint university town at the southern end of the *Wachau Valley*, surrounded by terraced vineyards, along the Danube River. During the 12th century, Krems was even more important than Vienna for its iron, salt, grain and wine trade.

As the capital of Austria, Vienna has a long history as an important cultural centre stretching back to its days as the imperial capital of the Hapsburg empire, lasting for 600 years, when wars and politics changed the world, but not the coffeehouse culture which continues to thrive today.

Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital, one of the youngest in Europe. The old town is small, with cobblestoned streets lined with picturesque restored baroque buildings, elegant mansions, art nouveau houses, gracious pedestrian streets and leafy squares.

Straddling the Danube River, Hungary’s capital Budapest, is as beautiful as I remembered when I was there in 2006 - a treasure trove of history, culture, and natural beauty, showcasing a mix of Roman, Ottoman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Art Nouveau architectural styles.