Bratislava is located on the edge of the Danube River and the borders of Austria and Hungary, making it the only capital in the world that is bordered by three sovereign states.  The city is dominated by Bratislava Castle with its characteristic four towers.  The labyrinth of cobbled streets, mostly limited to pedestrians, greenery and fountains adorn the small parks, as you walk around this very walkable … Continue reading Bratislava Castle, Slovakia

Auschwitz There are many descriptions of Auschwitz, they are easily found on the internet. Going there in person, the day after you found your family home in Nasielsk, north of Warsaw, is another matter. That research also revealed that Szmuel Grossman born in the 1880s, (uncle to Samuel —David’s father), was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942 brings it Home, (with a capital H for Home). … Continue reading Auschwitz

Piestany Spa The first written mention of the healing springs is from 1549, but the town has been internationally famous since the 19th century. The thermal water is highly effective with the healing of chronic mobility and inflammatory conditions and the blue black mud, harvested from the banks of the town’s river Vah is marinated in the thermal mineral water for a whole year before … Continue reading Piestany, Czech Republic

The Hofburg Palace, home to the Hapsburg royal dynasty for 600 years. They were also the embodiment of the Holy Roman Empire that persisted more or less from the late 900s to the early 1800s. The Holy Roman Empire brought together a collection of kingdoms, duchies, free cities, etc as they pledged a common allegiance to a monarch who was formally anointed a Holy Roman … Continue reading Vienna Austria

The abundance of beautiful old architecture, the location in a horseshoe bend of the Vltava river and the nearby hills, they all make the town very picturesque. Its history dates back to the 13th century. The architecture in the historic core of Český Krumlov has remained largely intact over the course of centuries. It is an excellent example of an old Central European town. There … Continue reading Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Many European cities once had historical Jewish quarter and some still have it. We visited two Jewish quarters one Kraków Poland and one Prague Czech Republic.       From the Jewish point of view, concentration of Jews within a limited area offered a level of protection from outside influences. When political authorities designated an area where Jews were required by law to live, such areas were commonly referred to as ghettos  … Continue reading Krakow and Prague Jewish Quarters

Church of Bones – Sedlec Ossuary You may wonder how all these bones ended up being craved in a small chapel located in the Czech Republic. It goes back to 1278 when the King of Bohemia sent the abbot of the Sedlec Cistercian Monastery to Jerusalem. When the abbot returned, he brought a jar of soil from the Golgotha, known as the “Holy Soil.” Soon … Continue reading Church of Bones