Having a bit too much free time while coming back to Europe, I decided to combine few faraway friendly visits and traveling, to a longer lonely adventure, back on a bicycle that I'll have to find and buy somewhere.Nevertheless, the road had to be planned in advance for 2 reasons. That's almost the first time I planned really in advance which road I had to follow.
The main reason was that I had to attend to a wedding in France, so I had to be back at least the day before. The other point was that I will cycle in countries I have already visited in the past, and I had to avoid the places I knew, in order to discover and enjoy new places, and secrets spots.
Secret spots and nature where in fact the theme of this journey, where I have been in fact visiting very few cities, and losing myself on the slopes and small roads of countries, seeking for natural oddities and uncommon human creation.
To define my track, I used some interesting posts of travelers, found on blogs and social medias, and 2 very useful websites with informations and some secrets spots.
A first part of this checkpoints were decided after the list on Foursquare called Rediscover Europe.
Other places, if they weren't worldwide famous ( not like Pisa's tower ) were either discovered on the way, or highlighted when I was lost on the Internet on different pages that most of the tourist business wouldn't recommend are they too remote, not money-making, or sometimes just too weird for the standard backpacker, depending of course of the expectation.
AtlasObscura is a great bible for it, with secret or forgotten places around the globe.
Wikitravel, much more famous for traveler, is, on the other side, gathering information from anyone in the community daring to give tips and advices after an experience ( good or bad), and his souvenir. It's, as the name of the website suggests, the traveler version of the Wikipedia online encyclopedia.
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Kutna Hora |
 | Fancy some skulls and bones? Well, if you're in the surroundings of Prague, you can find a very interesting chapel, containing thousands of them. Kutna Hora itself is a town famous for several massives cathedrals definitly worth to see, but the most outstanding place is this little one, where pyramids of skullsand skeletons decorations will bring you to a very unique atmosphere. However, located in a Unesco World Heritage complex, this is not cheap, and the best way to enjoy the place itself is to buy a multi-attractions ticket to combine the visits of at least 2 cathedrals.
| | Price :180kn for a combined ticket |
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Visoky Tatry
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 | When you talk to people about Poland, the main sites are usually lakes, old town, and some historic or religious places like Auschwitz. However, the southern border of the country has several mountainous ranges. Visoky Tatry, meaning High Tatras are the one next to Zakopane, with the highest peak in the region. It's a very green and nice place to cycle or hike, through lakes, or even along the valley leading to the heart of Slovakia. Everything there is free of charge about the sightseeing, so just enjoy the nature, the silence of forests, and the great food if you're tempted to have a break in a little restaurant. I would particularly recommand the hamlet of Koniakow, located in Beskidskie mountain, with a great panoramic view all over hills. | | Price :Free |
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Wooden churches of Poland
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 | Being a quite traditional country, churches are usually great normal buildings in Poland. But the southern part, and all accross the Carpates and Tatras mountains, you'll be able to see little wooden churches with impressive tower. Some of them are classified, some aren't, but in any case, most of them are located outside of touristic areas, in villages. So if you intend to travel in the country using small roads, you'll have plenty of opportunities to reach at least one.
| | Price :Free |
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Happy cemetery
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 | This title alone means everything. A unique peace in Europe where every grave is quite big, with many colors, paintings, and poems written on it, for a very special scenery next to a big church.
| | Price :2€ but can be seen over the wall quite well |
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Tunnel of Love
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 | If you're addicted to travel you may have read of this in many websites and blogs. Unknown free jewel in Europe, pretty difficult to find, but locals will help you, it's the proof that the nature is rulling the world, and as long as humans desappear from a spot, it will do her job, as stunning and perfect as possible. Get some shoes as you have to walk on a railway with bad plants, and try to catch the fairy.
| | Price :Free |
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Decebale's Statue
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 | Once upon a time, in Romania, a king called Dace was ruling the country. Today, the heritage is mostly Dacia, the famous car brand, and this 50m tall rock sculpture along the Danube, in Portiere del Fier ( Iron Gates) national park. If you drive on the romanian side of the 2 roads following the Danube's stream, you have to stop there few minutes to enjoy this nice place.
| | Price :Free |
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Belogradchik castle
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 | With several thousands of castle, Europe is definitly the place to be if you want to visit one. But among all of them, some are really modern, and cosy, while other are ruins in different shapes. Belogradchik, lost in the middle of hills where boulders seem to have be falling from the sky, it is probably the best combination of fortress and surroundings you can have in this part of the world. Almost free, you will enjoy the view, even with bad weather.
| | Price :3€ or 5Leva |
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Tito's bunker
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 | One of the most incredible human construction of the 20th century by its size, its furnitures and ... the fact that it was unknown to everyone even 20 years after being done. Today, a museum of modern art is set in the brand new inside of an unused anti-atomic bunker build by the Yougoslavian secret services. The ticket is quite expensive, but it's a unique piece of its kind, and the guide, working for the Tourist Office of the county will give you loads of informations, and answer all your questions, if you can't really imagine how did a huge amount of concrete like this stay invisible to everyone's eyes.
| | Price :9€ |
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San Marino's Mount Titan
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 | Amount the readers of this blog, very probably some of you have never heard of San Marino, which is one of the 4 smallest countries in Europe with Vatican, Monaco and Liechtenstein. However, being tiny doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve a visit, and the impressive peak, in the middle of an already hilly landscape, crowned by a castle and several towers is really something that you can add on your to-do list if you're planning to cross Italy. Entrance of the old town is free and except if you'd like to visit some museums, the stroll inside paved streets will definitly let a stamp in your journey in case of San Marino would be tempted to disappear again from your memory. The view is impressive on both sides, it seems to be a movie-made place.
| | Price :Free |
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Piazza Michelangelo in Florence
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 | Not secret at all, maybe the less "tips" of this list, Florence, capital of the so famous Tuscany, is a jewel, and has an important place in differents subjects tought in school. Become it was were Da Vinci studied, and where his eternal rival MichelAngelo also worked. The most famous square of the city, on the top of the hill, on the southern bank of the river, is wide, and offers a view of all the domes and bell towers quite stunning. Walking up there if you don't really like public transportations, you'll find different gardens offering viewpoints. But the one on MichelAngelo square ( piazza), is really the best that could have been made to contemplate 2 of the most famous artists ( and one mathematician called Galileo) city.
| | Price :Free |
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Middle finger of Galileo
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 | Florence has much to offer, but instead of staring at buildings like in many old towns, to admire the architecture, a second activity, still pretty common in a tourist's schedule; is to go to the museum. Galileo's museum of science, is a very complete and interesting one. But among all the astrolables, globes and others items used by scientists until now, one odd thing ( in fact few others as well) are visible under a little glass, to protect it forever. The scientist middle finger!
| | Price :9€ |
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Reclined tower of Pisa
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 | Not really normal to find a worldwide famous monument in such a list, but I'll try to give you the only secret I have. Be there as early as possible in daytime. Arrived just after sunrise, when its structure was still in the shadow, you may be able to enjoy the first rays of the sun without anyone. If you arrive 20 minutes to late, you'll be facing what you can imagine in such a special and mighty place : huge crowd, plenty of selfie sticks, and no freedom move or catch your own moment with the tower.
| | Price :Free |
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Cinque Terre
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 | Another famous place in Italy, even it's not as popular as some historical cities like Rome and Venice. Divided into 5 very colorful villages, at the bottom of cliff, or even dug in them, it's one of the gem of the italian coast. Arriving by train, you can arrive straight in the center of each one, and enjoy the colors, the sea ( most of them are not swimming-friendly however). Arriving by the road, you'll have a steep way down, and the same way up, to come by on the national road. But you may catch some interesting viewpoints, even if they are not so great due to the rocky formations which are hiding the villages as long as you don't reach their gates. The later you'll arrive, busier it will be. The Path of Love was closed in 2017 due to a recent landslide, so the more picturesque path among them is closed. You can still find some paths through vineyards, so if you see some guys lost in their middle, you may find an entrance to be there as well in the surroundings.
| | Price :Free |
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