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Tag: bridge

Malaga and Ronda, Spain Travel Blog

Malaga Malaga was the perfect European destination for a 3-day weekend in February. The weather was perfect the entire time, the food was great, and the sights were gorgeous. Malaga lies on the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean, about 100 kilometers east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km north of Africa. Malaga’s history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in Europe and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Accommodation I stayed at Atarazanas Malaga Boutique Hotel in Malaga city center. The hotel itself wasn’t anything too special, but it was conveniently located. It is located near the Atarazanas Market. The Malaga Cathedral is a 7-minute walk, the Gibralfaro Castle is a 23-minute walk, the La Marina metro station is a 5-minute walk, and the Maria Zambrano train station is a 14-minute walk. The beach is also within-in walking distance so I opted to stay in the city-center vs. closer to the beach since I would be spending most of my time seeing the sites in the city and catching public transportation to Ronda. Transportation I flew from London Stansted to Malaga Airport (AGP). The most efficient option of getting into the city center is by getting a taxi from the taxi stand, which cost about 25 euros and took about 15 minutes. However, the train is also a quick option, taking only 12 minutes and costing 1.80 euros. Additionally, there is a bus that costs about 3 euros and takes about 20 minutes. Atarazanas Market Malaga’s central market is a restored historical building which had been closed for years. It hosts a daily market where locals go to get some fresh fruits, vegetables, and other local produce. The market is closed on Sundays. Constitution Square Teatro Cervantes This theater is known to host amazing events almost every day of the week, ranging from classical dramas to flamenco performances. Get more info here. Basilica of Santa Maria de la Victoria This ornate Baroque church is a bit of a detour, but I enjoyed looking at the street art on the way. El Pimpi Restaurant This wine bar has a really good selection of wines and tapas and a lovely atmosphere. It is very crowded so it is recommended that you book in advance. However, even though we didn’t have a reservation, we were still seated relatively fast since it is so large. The prices are also reasonable. Gibralfaro Castle The climb up to Gibralfaro Castle was not as easy as it seemed initially as it was quite a ways up. However, the hillside gardens made for a lovely walk along the defensive walls. The castle offers great views of the city. Admission price is typically 2.20 euros, but luckily I went on a Sunday, which is free after 2PM. The castle is open daily from 9AM to 8PM. The castle overlooks Malaga city and port and dates back to the 10th century. Inside the fortress itself you will find some buildings and courtyards. The ramparts have been well restored and you can walk all the way around them. At one point, you can get a good view down into the bullring. Some visitors linger here for a free view of the bullfight. There are three ways to reach the entrance of the castle. One is from the Alcazaba: This follows the fortress’s outer wall and joins a cobbled path, which traces the hill’s contours and passes through the pine trees on the Coracha. Another way is to climb the zig-zag steps which lead from the Plaza del General Torrijos at the east end of the Alameda Gardens to join the same cobbled path. The third way is to take a taxi or the tourist bus which uses the road around the back of the hill. Take a bottle of water, as there is no kiosk until the top. Bullring and Bullfighting Museum La Malagueta is the bullring in Malaga which has been around since 1876. It is located in the eastern district alongside the Paseo de Reding. Tickets are available at the UniCaja bank or at the box office at La Malagueta. Malagueta Beach This beach is the most popular and populous one in the city. It is just a short walk from the bullring. Muelle Uno After taking a stroll on the beach, I walked over to the huge waterfront complex and had a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants. Shops and cafes also line the pier. Centre Pompidou Malaga Parque de Malaga Alcazaba of Malaga This monumental Moorish citadel with its origins in the 11th century has a great strategic position with views over the city and over the coastline. It is probably the best preserved citadel in the whole of Spain. Admission is 3.50 euros or you can get a combined ticket with the castle that costs 5.50 euros. Malaga Roman Theater These remains of a Roman theatre were discovered in the 50’s. The Arabs used its blocks to build Alcazaba. Merced Square This is one of the largest public squares in Malaga’s city center, and is also known for containing Pablo Picasso’s childhood home. Picasso Museum Artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born in Malaga. The Museo Picasso Malaga opened in 2003 in the Buenavista Palace, and has 285 works donated by members of Picasso’s family. Admission to the museum costs 7 euros. Cathedral of Malaga The Cathedral of Malaga is a Roman Catholic Church and is in the Renaissance architectural tradition. Entrance to the cathedral costs 6 euros. You can get a great view of the cathedral from the AC Marriott Hotel. AC Hotel Malaga Palacio The rooftop bar at the AC Hotel Malaga Palicio, called Atico Bar & Restaurant, is one of the oldest in the city and a perfect place to enjoy the views from above. The rooftop is perched on the 15th floor giving it an incredible view over the city, harbor, and the Mediterranean Sea. Both

Lucerne, Switzerland Travel Blog

How I Got There I travelled to Lucerne from San Marino with a few stops along the way. My first train was back to Bologna for 10 euros and took 1 hour. From Bologna I went to Milan for 43 euros. This train was also 1 hour. I stopped in Milan for lunch before purchasing tickets to Lucerne for 88 euros, with one change in Lugano. The train to Lugano from Milan took 1 hour 20 minutes and from Lugano to Lucerne was roughly 2.5 hours. My total journey time was about 6 hours, but with the sightseeing stops along the way, it seemed like nothing. I could travel the train around Europe forever! There is so much beauty to be seen from the train and it’s really nice just watching the world pass by as I’m on my way to my next destination.  Accomodation Barabas Luzern The hotel I stayed at is in a very central location and is within walking distance to all of the center cities major attractions. The hotel is an ancient prison that has been renovated to a modern hotel. The hotel has 60 different prison cells offering single, double, and family rooms with a private bathroom. The library, offering a large amount of crime novels, is also bookable as a hotel room. Attached to the hotel is a Japanese restaurant called Izakaya Nozomi. The hotel staff is only on site from 7AM to 11PM. After that, I had to use my room key to enter the building. The only real big downfall to the hotel is that the rooms are very small, but I should’ve expected that for it being a jail cell. The prison was opened as the region’s first real prison in 1862. Until that time, most of the convicts were locked up in monasteries or towers. This new prison provided 55 cells, five of them especially for women. The prison closed in 1998 and was transformed into the hotel in 2018.  Lucerne Town Hall This Renaissance-style building is worth visiting especially for the lively atmosphere of the surrounding marketplace.  Chapel Bridge The Kapelbrucke is a covered wooden footbridge spanning the River Reuss diagonally. Named after the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel, the bridge is unique in containing a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century, although many of them were destroyed along with a larger part of the centuries-old bridge in a 1993 fire. Subsequently restored, the Chapel Bridge is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, as well as the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge. It serves as the city’s symbol and as one of Switzerland’s main tourist attractions.  Jesuitenkirche Lucerne’s Jesuit Church is the first large baroque church built in Switzerland north of the alps. It is an expression of the Catholic Church’s 17th century struggle to regain spiritual leadership in the counter-reformation. Lucerne sees itself as the capital of the Catholic fraction of Switzerland in pre-modern times. Today, Jesuit Church is a major tourist attraction and serves as a concert hall while it has become almost irrelevant to local church life from a religious point of view. Spreuer Bridge The Spreuer Bridge is one of the two covered wooden footbridges in the city.  Water Spike The water spike is a needle dam, which is designed to maintain the level of flow of a river through the use of thin “needles” of wood. The needles are leaned against a solid frame and are not intended to be water-tight. Individual needles can be added or removed by hand to constrict the flow of the river.  Musegg Wall The Musegg Wall is part of the town fortification system. From April through October, you can walk along the wall to get a better view of the city. Since I went in December, I could only wall along the wall from below.  Lion Monument The Lion Monument, or the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief designed by Bertel Thorvaldesen and hewn in 1820 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland, visited annually by 1.4 million tourists. In 2006, it was placed under Swiss monument protection. Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.” Other Recommendations Since I was only in Lucerne for a day and it was super foggy, I did not get to experience much of the beauty that I saw when doing my research. One thing that I would do if I went back would be the Hammetschwant Lift, which is the highest exterior elevator in Europe. It connects a rock path overlooking Lake Lucerne.  I would also go to Hedegg Castle, Meggenhorn Castle, or take a cruise on the lake if it were warm enough.