Beautiful Towns # 8 - Mtskheta, Georgia

The small town of Mtskheta, located just a short distance north of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, holds a far greater historical and religious significance in the hearts of all Georgians than its small size would suggest. Mtskheta was the capital of the ancient Georgian kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd century BC to the early 6th century AD, and served as the cradle of Christianity in the Georgian nation at the beginning of the 4th century.

As a result, it contains a proud assortment of historical monuments which have earned it a place on UNESCO's world heritage list. The 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the 6th-century Jvari monastery are some of the most important religious buildings in the country, and the town remains the spiritual centre of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Both churches contain priceless inscriptions written in the ancient Georgian alphabet, as well as icons and frescoes of stunning beauty and artistic creativity. When passing Mtskheta on the highway, passengers seated in cars, buses and marshrutkas will instinctively turn towards these churches and cross themselves.

Other significant sites to visit include the impressive bulk of the 14th-century Bebris Tsikhe fortress which sits on a small hill at the edge of the town, providing a great vantage point for views out over Mtskheta and the Mtkvari river. The 11th-century Samtavro monastery situated in the nearby hills is another important place of religious pilgrimage.

The climb to the summit far above the river where the Jvari Monastery sits is one of the most rewarding experiences Mtskheta can offer to foreign visitors, the views and atmosphere provide an experience that is distinctly Georgian.

Getting to Mtskheta from Tbilisi is easy for visitors since marshrutkas and buses travel the 20-kilometre distance frequently. It is easier to stay in Tbilisi with its greater selection of accommodation and restaurants, though Mtskheta does have a number of guesthouses for those looking to stay outside of the capital. Buses and marshrutkas continue westwards from Mtskheta to Gori, making it just about possible to visit both of these cities from Tbilisi as a long daytrip (though both really warrant a full day each to see them thoroughly).

Essential Travel Destinations # 1 - Berat, Albania

Every country has at least one standout travel destination that features in all the tourist brochures and is considered the finest example of the national culture, architecture or landscape. In this new section called 'Unmissable Destinations' I'll highlight some of the finest attractions in the region of Central and Eastern Europe which should be on everyone's itinerary.

Berat is a remarkable town on the Osum river in south-central Albania. Packed full of distinctive white-washed Ottoman-era houses, the town luckily managed to slip through the communist period with its historic character still intact thanks to its status as a protected museum city under Enver Hoxha's regime. A huge medieval citadel known as the Kala sits perched on a clifftop above the town, providing superlative views of the surrounding Tomorr mountains and the surrounding countryside.

A collection of unique Ottoman buildings wrapped around the foot of the hill give the town its nickname of 'the city of a thousand windows', since they feature rows of large windowpanes which appear to be stacked on top of one another as the buildings climb up the steep hillside. The old town area known as Mangalem has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site and is now carefully preserved.

The lower town contains a number of historic mosques which are worth visiting such as the leaded mosque, and an Ottoman-era Han, a traditional traveller's inn. The city was founded over 2000 years ago, but the current name of 'Berat' is thought to be derived from the Serbian name 'Beligrad' (White City) which is how it was known during the Middle Ages.

An ethnographic museum is located inside a traditional Ottoman house and features displays on daily life in Berat through the centuries. Another worthwhile museum is the Onufri museum located inside a former church; it includes a fantastic collection of medieval byzantine icons by the 16th-century Albanian painter known as Onufri. Just inside the main gates of the Kala is an excellent restaurant which makes a good spot for lunch while exploring the fortress.

A number of restaurants in the lower town can also provide traditional Albanian meals. The easiest way to travel from Tirana to Berat is by furgon (minibus), which costs about 500 Lek. Buses also make this journey. The best place to stay is at Berat Backpackers, a hostel (currently the only one in the town) located across the river and up the hill from Mangalem.

Amazing Architecture # 2 - Sucevita Monastery, Romania

The monastery of Sucevita is one of the largest of the eastern Orthodox painted monasteries in the Bucovina region of north-east Romania. A set of tall stone fortifications protect the buildings inside, foremost among them the main church which was built between 1582 and 1601. The exterior of the church is almost completely covered in a fabulous series of colourful frescoes which are astoundingly well-preserved after centuries of exposure to wind, rain, and winter snow.

In the 16th century the Ottoman Turks were a constant threat to the region, and large armies were readied to defend the territory. The heavily fortified monasteries served as a safe place for the soldiers and local citizens to take refuge in during attacks, and it was decided that biblical paintings should be placed on the exterior church walls in order to teach the bible to the illiterate soldiers camped there, with the added incentive of increasing their fighting zeal against the Muslim enemy.

The frescoes can be read much like a comic strip is today, though scenes such as the Ottoman siege of Constantinople were intended as a stark warning of what lay in store for the people of the region if they didn't organize adequate resistance. Upon entering the monastery through the main gate, the north wall of the church is visible straight ahead. It is almost completely covered by the 'Virtuous Ladder' fresco which shows the 30 steps which must be climbed to get from hell to paradise. Groups of angels encourage the faithful and lead them upwards, while devils grab at their legs from below the rungs, ready to pull them downwards if they should succumb to temptation. The southern wall features a 'Tree of Jesse' which is meant to symbolize the unity of the New and Old Testaments. Surprisingly, the western wall was left unpainted, and legends claim that an artist working on the frescoes fell from the scaffolding and died, which other artists took as a sign that they should leave the job unfinished.

Sucevita is one of the most remote of the Bukovina monasteries, though there are two buses daily from the small town of Radauti which has regular connections to Suceava. There is also a hiking trail which connects the monastery to Putna monastery further to the north.

Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Mountains # 10 - Ruská Bystrá, Slovakia

This small Greek Catholic wooden church is found in the tiny village of Ruská Bystrá, located in a remote region of eastern Slovakia a few kilometres from the Ukrainian border. The church has been inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list, largely because of its extremely well-preserved iconostasis paintings and icons.

The Baroque iconostasis dates from the 18th century, while the Czar door at the centre of the panel is from the 17th century. The highly decorative door has small round paintings depicting scenes from the lives of four evangelists and an image of the annunciation. An unusual feature is that the side icons are placed on the walls because of the narrow space for the iconostasis panel.

The church is a three-roomed structure with a high sloped roof which is also unusual for this type of Greek Catholic design. The nave is divided from the entrance room by a wall of wooden beams which is decorated with carved columns. The key for the church is kept by the family who live in the house opposite the pub in the centre of the village. When visiting churches like these you should always leave a donation of a few Euros in front of the icons.

Ruská Bystrá is quite difficult to reach by public transport, but there are two or three buses per day from the town of Michalovce, which has frequent train and bus connections to Košice and the rest of the country.

A Croatian Top 30 - The Best Destinations in Croatia

The Croatian coastal areas of Dalmatia and Istria have become extremely popular destinations and rightly so, but there's so much more to see and experience in this oddly-shaped Slavic nation. The interior is still an unknown quantity for most visitors, while some stretches of coastline and a few islands still hold promise for those who want to get away from the mass tourist crowds. Here are my favourite spots in Croatia - the first dozen are quite well-known, but many of the others are still visited by far fewer foreign travellers than they deserve. Enjoy!

1. Dubrovnik - Everyone knows about this wonderful coastal city with its unmatchable collection of marble streets and baroque buildings. A walk along the top of the city walls while looking out over the Adriatic provides one of the most memorable views in all of Croatia, if not in the world.

2. Hvar Island - A place of endless sunshine, beaches and glamourous luxury, Hvar receives the second-highest number of tourist visitors in the country after Dubrovnik. Hvar Town is a compact settlement of classical buildings and gothic palaces with an extensive assortment of swanky restaurants and boutique hotels. The Španjol, the medieval citadel on the hill above the town, gives superlative views out over the harbour and surrounding islands.

3. Plitvice Lakes National Park - A series of turquoise-coloured lakes and waterfalls connected by a network of wooden walkways that allow visitors to get right up close and rather wet. The park contains 16 lakes, with the upper lakes being the most impressive due to the thick green forest that surrounds them. Plitvice is actually the place where the Yugoslav civil war began in March 1991, when Serb forces took control of the national park buildings. Luckily, the conflict caused no damage to the natural environment of Plitvice, which remains as lovely as ever.

4. Split - A city built around a Roman emperor's palace, Split is Croatia's second-largest city after Zagreb. Within the huge palace walls a marble street plan forms the core of the old city, with daily life unfolding in the courtyards and narrow laneways. The city is often overlooked by many who use it merely as a transportation hub, but spend an evening strolling in the old town and you'll be won over by Split's mysterious magic.

5. Rovinj - A small fishing community that has become the most popular destination in Istria, Rovinj's appeal stems from its perfect old town of cobbled streets and piazzas that surround the hilltop church of St. Euphemia. Several green islands off the coast from the Rovinj peninsula are reachable by boat and make a great day excursion.

6. Korčula Island - A place of forests, olive groves, vineyards and traditional villages, Korčula is a great place to sample Croatian music and culture. Korčula Town is a marble beauty of Gothic and Renaissance buildings with red rooftops and palm trees all around.

7. Zagreb - The capital of Croatia is a world apart from the coast, a bustling big city with an old town of Austro-Hungarian architecture at its centre. Museums, art and cultural attractions are plentiful, while the historic district is full of quirky cafes and coffee houses. It's worth taking two or three days to settle in and get to know the place.

8. Zadar - A Dalmatian coastal city of marble streets and Roman ruins with excellent nightlife. The Sea Organ and Sun Salutation are two unique sculptural features of the town's shoreline.

9. Trogir - A lovely walled town not far along the Dalmatian coast from Split. Romanesque churches and buildings remain from Venetian colonial days, an impressive enough collection to warrant giving the town UNESCO heritage status.

10. Mljet Island - An unspoiled Dalmatian island that has been mostly protected from resorts and other tourist development. The western end of the island is a National Park, where the Big and Small Lakes are the main attraction. In the middle of Big Lake there is an island with a monastery on it which can be visited.

11. Rab Town - A beautiful small town on Rab Island with four tall bell towers that rise above the stone houses which surround them on the hillside. There are several terrific beaches within easy reach of the town.

12. Poreč - A busy tourist centre in the summer months, Poreč is a much more rewarding place to visit in spring or autumn. The old town contains the Euphrasian Basilica, a 6th century structure with UNESCO status.

13. Tramuntana Region of Cres Island - A region of forests and abandoned villages with great potential for hikers. Beli is the main village in the region, while Lubenice is another hilltop village on the western side of the island which is also well worth visiting.

14. Varaždin - A pleasant town north of Zagreb featuring a Baroque old town and the impressive Stari Grad fortress. This was the capital of Croatia in the 18th century, and many buildings survive from that important period.

15. Kornati Islands National Park - A rugged, rocky series of barren islands with many caves and steep cliffs, these are some of the most beautifully scenic islands in the country. Visitors head to Kornat and Piškera island to see the bizarre stone formations.

16. Vis Island - Probably the least-touristed of the main islands, Vis was off-limits to foreigners until 1989. Now visitors from all over come to enjoy the peaceful way of life and the great seafood.

17. Pula - A city on the Istrian coast with one of the most well-preserved Roman amphitheatres in existence. Further Roman buildings, temples and arches can be seen in the old town centre.

18. Elafiti Islands - A group of small islands close to Dubrovnik that make ideal daytrips by ferry. Šipan is the largest, but my favourite is Lopud, with a quiet village of stone houses and a long stretch of sandy beach in a cove on the opposite side of the island.

19. Krka National Park - A series of lakes and waterfalls which are of similar beauty to those at Plitvice, but with far fewer foreign tourists about. It is possible to take a picturesque swim below some of the waterfalls.

20. Šibenik - A Dalmatian coastal town with the Gothic Cathedral of St. James, a UNESCO-listed monument. The old town of marble streets features 16th-century buildings clustered around several squares. The surrounding coast is clogged with hotels and resorts, but the town centre is worth a day's exploring.

21. Motovun - A small hilltop town in the Istrian interior with an intact set of surrounding walls. Gothic buildings dot the centre, and the views of the surrounding countryside encourage you to sit over a glass of wine and take it all in.

22. Veliki Tabor Castle - This five-sided fortress north of Zagreb is probably the most interesting castle in the Croatian interior. The 16th-century structure is set in hilly, forested country with many hiking trails nearby.

23. Primošten - A beautiful tiny coastal town on a peninsula south of Šibenik, with medieval houses and narrow laneways. A lone church tower stands out on the hill above the town's old stone buildings.

24. Brijuni Islands - Made famous as the private retreat of Tito, the former leader of Yugoslavia. His Bijela Vila home on Veli Brijun island was his place of residence for six months of the year and was used to host visiting heads of state.

25. Samobor - A relaxing small town just a few kilometres west of Zagreb surrounded by forested hills that are great for hiking trips.

26. Osijek - The main city of Slavonia region, Osijek was a major battlefield during the Balkan wars of the 1990's. A large citadel surrounds the old town centre, which features cobblestone streets and baroque buildings. A few shell scars on the sides of buildings remain from the time of the conflict, but the city is rapidly restoring its historic centre.

27. Pazin - The main town of the Istrian interior, Pazin is famous as the location of the deep chasm that inspired Jules Verne to write the book called Mathias Sandorf with its events taking place in Pazin. The large castle that overlooks the chasm is also the finest in Istria.

28. Opatija - a small town along the coast from Rijeka which is set on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Croatian shoreline. The town developed as a seaside resort for the rich and famous during the Austro-Hungarian empire, and today it is visited by tourists for the excellent sea food restaurants in the nearby village of Volosko.

29. Kumrovec - The hometown of Josip Broz Tito, this is a pretty little village not far from the border with Slovenia. Today it has been turned into an open-air museum as a recreation of a 19th-century Croatian village. A statue of Tito stands proudly outside the house where he was born.

30. Trakošcan Castle - Another impressive castle found north of Zagreb, surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens and a small lake. Originally Romanesque, the castle was reconstructed in a neo-Gothic style in the 19th century.

The Top 30 Places to Visit in Ukraine

Ukraine can be a challenging destination to travel in for the independent foreign tourist, especially outside the cities. Language skills are essential, and an understanding of marshrutka etiquette will go a long way towards easing the hassles of your journey. Overnight train travel in Ukraine is one of my favourite experiences, I love the camaraderie which develops among the passengers as they share out items of food, swap stories and jokes, and then prepare the bunks for the night. Ukraine is a huge and fascinating country, and these are my favourite destinations it has to offer. I still need to visit a few more of the places on this list, I'm looking forward to the next trip!

1. Lviv - A grand old central European city with charm, character and architectural splendours galore. Certainly one of the most beautiful European cities that most foreign tourists have never heard of. In addition to the jaw-droppingly lovely old town, the city features a first-rate outdoor folk architecture museum and the romantic grounds of the Lychakivske Cemetery.

2. Kiev (Kyiv) - The capital and beating heart of modern Ukraine, yet simultaneously the most historic city in the country as well. Few relics remain from ancient Kyivan Rus, but the Pecherska Lavra cave monastery strongly evokes the power of ancient orthodox traditions. A trip by candle-light down into the narrow tunnels to view the mummified bodies of monks is a spooky experience to remember. The steep and winding cobbled lane of Andriyivsky Uzviz forms an impressive backbone to the old town. Just outside the city, the Pyrohovo outdoor folk museum is one of the best in Europe, with several complete villages of historic wooden cottages, churches and farm buildings.

3. Kamyanets Podilsky - A small medieval town perched on a tall pillar of rock and encircled by a deep river canyon. A massive fortress guards the narrow strip of land that connects the town to the mainland. Looking across at the town and castle from the surrounding cliffs is spectacular; the town offers some of the most picturesque views in the country.

4. The Carpathian Mountains National Park - A superb environment for hiking, biking, and getting in touch with traditional village life. Mount Hoverla is the highest peak in Ukraine at 2061 metres, making it a very popular climb with local tourists.

5. Odesa - A hedonistic playground with great nightlife and seaside attractions, along with historical sites to match. The Potemkin steps are what many people come to see, but there's much more to the city than film history.

6. Khotyn Castle - A large fortress which stands in a grassy clearing overlooking the Dnistr river. This is probably the finest castle in Ukraine, even upstaging the one in Kamyanets Podilsky.

7. Yalta - A palm-studded beach resort playground for Russian and Ukrainian holidaymakers, with the added attractions of nearby palaces and museums. The Lividia Palace where the Yalta conference was held in 1945 is nearby, as is the impressive Swallow's Nest castle.

8. Kolomyya - A small town at the edge of the Carpathian mountains with a museum of Hutsul folk culture, and another museum shaped like a giant egg - the Pysanky Easter Egg Museum is dedicated to the traditional art of egg painting, with many thousands of different designs on display.

9. Bakhchysaray - The centre of Tatar culture in Crimea, and home to the former Khan's palace. The nearby cave city of Chufut-Kale is one of the main highlights of the region.

10. Pochayiv Monastery - A more authentically devout experience than Pechersk Monastery in Kiev, this is the place to get in touch with the Orthodox soul. The golden domes and bell tower are a stunning sight on the horizon, particularly with fresh snow on the ground in winter.

11. The Wooden Churches of Transcarpathia - In tiny hillside villages across the region of Transcarpathia sit dozens of beautiful churches constructed of wood. Many of these historic structures are in need of urgent repair, with little funding available for their upkeep. Some of the finest examples of the different building styles can be seen in the villages of Uzhok, Yasniya, Rohatyn, Danylovo and Chornoholova.

12. Chernivtsi - A major city of western Ukraine with classical architecture dating from the time of the Habsburg Austrian empire. The highlight is the University, with a bizarre mix of Moorish and Byzantine styles designed by Czech architect Josef Hlavka.

13. Sudak Castle - A 14th-century Genoese castle perched on a cliff, with great views out over the sea and the surrounding Crimean landscape.

14. Yaremcha - A Carpathian mountain resort town, with plenty of traditional Hutsul folk culture to experience. This is the best base for making a climb to the top of Mt. Hoverla.

15. Kara Dag Crimean Nature Reserve - Take a guided walk in a volcanic landscape full of bizarre lava-formed rock features such as the Golden Gate arch just off shore in the sea.

16. The Nuclear Missile Silo Museum near Pervomaysk - Take a tour through the corridors and control room of a Soviet-era Nuclear Missile base, featuring four huge decommissioned ICBM missiles.

17. Sevastopol - A major Russian naval port and a place of great controversy in Russian-Ukrainian relations, but also a beautiful seaside city of white-painted buildings and historic forts around the bay.

18. Kremenets Castle - A picturesque hilltop ruin overlooking a town of rustic houses and orthodox churches. An ideal place to experience small-town life in Ukraine.

19. Balaklava - A beautiful coastal town overlooked by a 15th-century Genoese fortress on a hilltop. You can tour a Soviet-era submarine base built inside a sea cave.

20. Vylkovo - The so-called "Ukrainian Venice", a small fishing village in the Danube delta area with a series of canals originally built by Russian old-believers. The nearby Danube Delta Nature Reserve is a unique aquatic environment with plentiful bird-watching opportunities.

21. Chornobyl and Pripyat tour - A tour to the former nuclear reactor complex and the nearby town that was destroyed in the disaster. Chilling and unforgettable; you can see the reactor number 4 and the sarcophagus that now covers it, and wander the streets of Pripyat, frozen in time from the moment it was evacuated in 1986. The guide carries a Geiger counter to let you know how high the radiation levels are around you.

22. Ivano-Frankivsk - A charming city close to the Carpathian mountains with cobblestone streets and some impressive neoclassical architecture. It makes a pleasant place to stay while exploring the mountain region to the south.

23. Chernihiv - A city full of orthodox church spires in northern Ukraine with great historical significance, as it was once a major settlement of 11th-century Kyivan Rus. Today you can visit the Antoniy caves that lie beneath the Illinsky church to get a taste of what the city was once like.

24. Zhovkva - A pretty small town in Lviv region featuring several impressive orthodox churches and a monastery, as well as a synagogue and a castle. This was also the birthplace of Cossack hero Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

25. The Cossack Fort Museum in Zaporizhzhya - This was once the most important settlement of the Ukrainian Cossacks, built on an island in the Dnipro river. The site holds great importance in the development of the modern Ukrainian nation. In 1775 Russian ruler Catherine the Great had the fort destroyed, but today you can visit a replica version with several wooden churches and many traditional homes. Nearby is a museum dedicated to the history of the Cossacks.

26. Lutsk - A city in the north-west of the country with an impressive old town core of 17th-century buildings that line cobblestone streets. It's not in the same league as a city such as Lviv, but is still a beautiful and thoroughly un-touristed place to visit.

27. Kharkiv - Ukraine's second-largest city after the capital, featuring several vast public squares such as Ploshcha Svobody, one of the largest in the world. It is a major centre of learning with a large university student population, and also has an impressive art museum to visit.

28. Korolyov Cosmonaut museum in Zhytomyr - A space museum named for a local Soviet rocket engineer, with displays on the Soviet space program including a number of satellites and a Soyuz rocket.

29. Drohobych - A small town south of Lviv, with Austrian empire-era architecture and several stunning wooden orthodox churches.

30. Sofiyivka Park in Uman - A romantic landscaped park featuring a series of waterfalls, fountains and statues, built by a Polish count as a gift for his wife.

A Polish Top 30 - The Best Places to Visit in Poland

Poland is a country with an amazing variety of sights to see and experience, from mountain heights to seafront views, big city culture to village folk festivals, the ancient to the ultra-modern. Here are 30 destinations in Poland that I would strongly recommend to any traveller.

1. Krakow - Without question the finest historical city in the country, and the only large urban centre to escape significant damage in WW2. The old town, central square, Wawel castle and Jewish quarter of Kazimierz rank as some of the nation's greatest sights.

2. The High Tatra Mountains - An alpine range with peaks up to 2500 metres (Mt. Rysy), the Polish piece of the Tatras has an extensive network of trails and overnight huts suitable for hikers and climbers of all experience levels. Zakopane is the service hub for most visitors, while the trail to Morskie Oko is probably the most popular route to take. There are also many wonderful routes further afield to escape from the crowds.

3. Gdansk and the Tri-City Area - The historical importance of Gdansk can't be overestimated - this is where the Second World War began (Westerplatte), and the home of the Gdansk shipyards and Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement. But the city also happens to have one of the nation's most beautiful old town quarters, carefully restored following its destruction in the war.

4. Wroclaw - A wonderful old town square with a cluster of massive brick churches set on islands in the river Oder, this is a city with a special character. It actually contains the soul of two cities - at the end of World War Two, the city was resettled mainly by Poles from the city of Lviv, which had been granted to the Soviet Union.

5. Wieliczka Salt Mine - A trip down into the depths of the mine is like walking into a fairytale, with the highlight being St. Kinga's chapel, an entire church carved out of salt by the miners.

6. Torun - A beautiful old town of towers and church spires, with the added attraction of being the birthplace of the astronomer Copernicus.

7. Oswiecim (Auschwitz) - A place of deep emotions which leaves an impression on all who come to pay their respects. The hall full of thousands of suitcases, eyeglasses and other belongings confiscated from prisoners is shocking in the extreme.

8. Warsaw - The capital of the modern Poland, yet simultaneously a city with a complex historical past. The reconstructed old town and castle are must-sees, but the modern city dazzles with its galleries, shopping and buzzing nightlife.

9. Malbork Castle - A massive brick castle built by the Teutonic Knights. It is considered to be the largest Gothic castle in Europe.

10. Bialowieza National Park - A forest park along the eastern border with Belarus. The highlight for most visitors is the chance to see the European bison in the wild.

11. Poznan - One of the economic centres of the new Poland, Poznan also has a gorgeous old quarter with a main square that just begs to be photographed.

12. Bieszczady National Park - A range of mountains in the far south-east of the country, this is a great place to experience the relaxed pace of village life. Scenic hiking trails lead right up to the borders with Slovakia and Ukraine.

13. Czestochowa - Home of the Jasna Gora monastery, an important place of Pilgrimage for all Polish Catholics. They come to see the Black Madonna icon, credited with protecting the Polish nation through centuries of conflict. The painting was crowned queen of Poland in 1717.

14. Zamosc - A UNESCO-listed small town in the east of the country with renaissance-style architecture.

15. The Wooden Churches of Malopolska - Dozens of impressive wooden temples dot the countryside villages in the south-eastern region of the country. A few still hold Orthodox services, while most have been converted for Catholic use.

16. Dunajec Gorge - Jump on a wooden raft and hang on as oarsmen in traditional costume steer you down the river.

17. Lublin - A historic city of Gothic and Renaissance buildings with an old town that rewards strolling along every cobbled laneway.

18. The Masurian Lakes District - A region of outdoor pursuits such as hiking and cycling with a number of key historic sights. The city of Olsztyn is the base for most visitors, while the Wolf's Lair (Hitler's Bunker) is the main historical attraction.

19. Kazimierz Dolny - One of the most beautiful small towns in the country, drawing weekend crowds from the capital to its galleries and restaurants.

20. The Skansen in Sanok - The country's finest collection of traditional wooden folk architecture, featuring four wooden churches and dozens of folk cottages.

21. Lodz - A large city in the very centre of the country, Lodz has a modern sense of style based along Piotrkowska street, its main artery. Modern galleries and museums feature alongside some of the best pubs and nightlife in Poland.

22. Hel - An old fishing port at the tip of a long peninsula, Hel draws crowds in the summer who come to enjoy the Baltic beaches.

23. Frombork - A quiet town of rustic charms in the north of the country. It features a museum dedicated to Copernicus, who completed some of his most important theories here.

24. The Karkonosze Mountains - A low range of mountains in the south-west along the Czech border. Hiking and cycling opportunities abound in this region of forests and bizarre rock formations.

25. Lancut Castle - A large 17th-century palace in the south-east of the country.

26. The Churches of Peace in Swidnica and Jawor - Evangelical Churches constructed of wood in the 17th century. The one in Swidnica is the most impressive, with capacity for over 5000 people.

27. The Socialist-Realist Art Gallery in Kozlowka - A small but impressive collection of communist art housed in the former stables of a baroque palace.

28. Przemysl - A town of historical significance near the Ukrainian border. It also makes a good base to explore many of the wooden churches in the villages of the surrounding region.

29. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - A mannerist architectural and landscape park with a pilgrimage Kalvaria.

30. Ksiaz Castle - A large castle south of Wroclaw which was intended to be one of Hitler's bases of operations in WW2.

Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Mountains #5 - Desesti, Romania

The UNESCO-listed wooden church in Desesti is one of the best preserved in the Maramures region of north-west Romania. Known as the church of Pious Parascheva, it was constructed in 1770. The influence of the gothic style is clear in its design, and this was typical of the churches built in the region following the destruction caused by the Tatar invasions of 1717.

The interior contains an excellent collection of icons painted on glass as well as wood. The exterior of the church features a large cross shape formed in the shingles above the front entrance. The church is surrounded by a small colourful cemetery featuring wooden and stone grave markers and sits on a low forested hill above the village.

A highly decorative gate with wooden towers attached can be found below the church at the foot of the hill. A sign on the front of the church informs visitors that the church was struck by lightning in 1924 and that the tower of the church burned down and had to be rebuilt. It seems remarkable that a building made of wood with such an incredibly tall tower wasn't a more frequent target of lightning in the days before lightning conductors came into common use. I was unable to find any local person about who could locate the key to open the church, so this was one of the few Maramures churches I was unable to see the interior of. The village of Desesti has many of the typical Maramures-style wooden gates lining the streets in front of people's houses, and horse carts are a common sight in the roads and laneways.

Beautiful Towns #4 - Vlkolínec, Slovakia

Vlkolínec is a traditional mountain village of rustic log cottages found a few kilometres south of the Slovak town of Ružomberok. The village of 45 homes lies in the Velka Fatra mountains beneath a peak known as Sidorovo. The name of the village is most likely taken from the Slovak word "vlk" meaning "wolf", and may refer to a place where wolves were trapped. The earliest record of the village dates from 1376, and the settlement came under the administration of the town of Ružomberok in 1882.

During the second world war the village was used as a base by Slovak partisans fighting the Nazis, and about one-third of the village was burned by the Germans during the fighting. In 1993 the village became a UNESCO heritage site on the basis of being a perfectly preserved example of a Carpathian mountain village with extensive folk architecture. Nowadays the cottages of the village remain much as they were a century ago, still without piped running water.

A stream runs down the centre of the main street where a communal well made of logs provides a water source for the inhabitants. One of the most unique features that can be seen in the settlement is a wooden belfry that dates from 1770. There are also a number of wooden folk carvings of peasants in traditional costume set up as statues near the entrance to the village.

The village is best reached from the town of Ružomberok on a walk through the hills along marked trails that takes from 70 to 90 minutes depending on the trail you choose. There is no public transport access to the village, although it can be reached by car. There is a car park 100 metres below the village, as there is no tourist vehicle access into the village itself.

Panoramic View #1 - Lviv, Ukraine

When I arrive in a new city or town, one of the first things I like to do is climb a tower or hill to get a bird's eye view of the place. It puts everything into perspective, so I can visualise where buildings and monuments are in relation to one another, and to understand how the town has grown and changed over time.

Many east European towns start with a medieval core that leads to concrete housing blocks which ring the centre; when viewed from above, these stages of architectural progression and the reasons for town planning decisions become clearer. You can watch as people on the street stop for a chat, an old man buys a newspaper from a kiosk, trams glide to a stop in a sidestreet, a shopkeeper sweeps the front steps - all manner of daily life going on, a grand spectacle to observe and interpret meaning from.

Viewing the city from the town hall tower in the market square or from the summit of High Castle hill provides an opportunity to see the different parts of the ancient city and the dozens of church spires from an ideal perspective.

One rooftop in the old town has been painted with the image of a horse, exclusively for the viewing benefit of visitors to the town hall tower. The highest point of Castle Hill has a large blue-and-yellow national flag flying high above this proudly Ukrainian city.

Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Mountains #3 - Plopis, Romania

This Romanian Orthodox church is found in Plopis, a village in the Cavnic river valley in the Maramures region of Romania. A superb example of vernacular wooden architecture, the church sits on a small hill above the rest of the village. It was constructed in 1796 by local village builders and consecrated as the Church of the Archangels. The interior wall murals were painted in 1811 by the local artist Stefan of Sisesti.

The murals include an evocative image of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, with the snake coiled around a tree. The layout of the church is rectangular, with a pentagonal chancel apse. There is a porch in front of the main door featuring six pillars supporting the beams that carry the weight of the roof.

The tall pyramid-shaped steeple on the tower is surrounded by four smaller pinnacles in each corner. These pinnacles indicate that the church once served as an official court of law for the surrounding region. The three-lobed ceiling vault of the nave is considered to be a unique feature among the Maramures wooden churches. The structure has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, one of eight wooden churches in Maramures region to receive this honour.