Have you baked for Christmas already? I think that Linzer cookies are not missing on any Christmas table not only in Slovakia but in all Central European Countries. When I was a child, a parcel came to us before Christmas. It was full of Linzer...

We are living in a hasty time. I am angry when already they start to sell Christmas decorations at the beginning of October as if somebody would like to make our lives even faster… But I know a place where they have Christmas all year...

I suppose some of your memories and experiences are connected with certain smells. Especially those from your childhood, because a child can feel different smells more intensively than an adult. When I visited the region Mostviertel in Lower Austria, I did not expect at all...

The smell of the shed On our trip I was also fascinated by small museums with exponates including old barrels, presses and other requisites, e.g. big jars and ladles for taking up crushed fruits, also small sheds with many different tools and instruments were very...

For many years Bulgaria was a popular destination for summer holidays for many families in communist Czechoslovakia. The resorts of Slanchev Briag (Sunny Beach), Zlatni Piasatsi (Golden Sands), Varna, Albena, Primorsko, Sozopol and others were flooded with tourists who spent most of their time on...

Thracian tombs It is the year 1878 and around the village of Shipka, an important battle in the Russian-Turkish War for the liberation of Bulgaria takes place. The Russian command selected the small hill of Ostrusha as their observation post. The Turkish pasha directed the...

Orpheus and Orphism One can still feel the breath of mystical ancient past emanating from the rock shrine Perperikon. Perperikon was a cult place for the followers of the so-called Orphism – a religion that originated precisely in Thrace in the 9th century BC, from...

„Oh, du lieber Augustin, oh, du lieber Augustin, alles ist hin...“ These are the words from one of the most popular Viennese songs. Almost every child knows who was Augustin. Born in 1643, Markus Augustin is the most popular Viennese legendary character. As a musician,...

We know very well, also/especially from films, that Emperor Franz Joseph I. was very much in love with his wife Sisi. However, there were some other women in his life. One of them was the actress Katharina Schratt (1853-1940), a member of the court theater....

Every town has to have its own tales, the more frightening the better. In Vienna, you can hear several such stories. One of the most known is the story about the basilisk. It was in 1212, a baker Garhiebl lived in a house in downtown....

Meatballs belong to the classical Swedish specialities. Even those who have never visited the country, can find them (Köttbullar) in an IKEA restaurant. It is one of the favourite meals of Swedish children. No wonder they also appeared in a book by Astrid Lindgren. She...

A shredded pancake traditionally served with Zwetschkenröster (a fruit compote made out of plums) is one of the main pillars of Viennese cuisine. Emperor Franz Joseph I. liked it very much, that is the reason why it is called „Kaiser-“ (Emperor's). There are several stories...