Indie Places

Venice’s Canale Grande, or the Grand Canal, is the main “street” of central Venice.  This canal forms an S as it follows an old riverbed.  The Grand Canal begins at the Tronchetto parking garage, a huge parking garage.  One thing you should know about Venice: there are no streets in the city.  If you’re driving a car, be ready to haul your luggage to your hotel—there’s no on-site parking unless you’re staying in one of the hotels in Venice is on the outskirts of the city.  Within Venice, it’s all walkways and canals.

The Piazzale Roma transportation centre is located at Tronchetto, and from there, you can grab a boat on the canal.  It’s around 4 kilometres long, and there are a number of different routes on the canal.  If you’re looking to see the entire canal, take the No. 1 from the Piazzale Roma and ride to San Marco.  This is an especially beautiful trip at night when everything is lit up.   This boat trip is a great way to relax after dinner, plus it makes frequent stops along its 40-minute trip from one end of the canal to the other.

While riding down the Grand Canal, you’ll find a number of sights to see.  You’ll actually go under three different bridges.  If you want, you can always journey along the side of the canal yourself and walk over these different bridges.  You can cross the Ponte di Scalzi, the Rialto Bridge, and the Accademia Bridge as you wander along the waterway.

If you want something a bit more private, gondolas also traverse the Grand Canal.  They’re a bit expensive, of course, but they’re also incredible romantic.

Milan is known for many different sights and attractions, but one of the most unique and historical is the Duomo, a huge cathedral.  The Duomo is the world’s second largest Catholic cathedral; the only larger cathedral is the cathedral of Seville.  The Duomo can easily hold 40,000 people without feeling crowded!

The Duomo Cathedral is located on the Piazza del Duomo, and if you’re planning on spending a day at the cathedral, you may want to book one of the hotels in Milan near it so you can walk.  Walking through Milan is a joy, anyway, so even if your hotel is a dozen or more blocks away, you should take the time to stroll through this historic city.

The first thing you’ll see is the Duomo’s amazing exterior.  The entire building is made of brick with a marble face.  Its main spire stretches 109 meters into the air.  The architectural style is an interesting blend between the classical Gothic and the neo-Gothic look.  This is because construction on the western section of the Guomo started in 1616 and wasn’t finished until after 1800.  Some Baroque and Neo-Classical influences can also be seen.  Since 1900, parts of the cathedral that were less Gothic in style were replaced with Gothic designs by Giuseppe Brentano.

Once you step inside the Duomo, you’ll find a lofty roof, wide aisles and hallways, and strong round pillars.  There are a number of interesting stained glass windows, statues, and paintings within the Duomo.  It is a bit dark, as most older cathedrals tend to be.

Boston, Massachusetts, is home to many different historical sites.  As one of the oldest states in the United States, Massachusetts was the setting for many major events, especially during the American Revolution.  If you’re planning on visiting Boston soon, you may want to see some of these interesting sites.

The Old North Church, built in 1723 by the Episcopalian Church, is the oldest church is Boston.  It is the church described in the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” as the church where one lantern would be hung if the British were coming by land and two if by sea.  History buffs visiting the church won’t have to spend too much—no admission is required although the historical society does ask that each person donate a couple of dollars towards the preservation of the church.

The USS Constitution, the oldest ship in the US Navy still in existence, is docked in Boston.  It was actually built in Boston’s North End in 1797 as one of the first six frigates in the US navy.  During the War of 1812, the Constitution gained the nickname of Old Ironsides after cannon balls actually bounced off the ship’s thick sides.  While it has served as a museum for many years, it is still seaworthy.  Every Fourth of July, the Constitution is taken out for a tour around the harbour.  Visitors can tour the vessel and visit the museum located near the dock.

The Old South Meeting House was first used by the Old South Society in the early 1670s.  It is the most famous meeting house in the state.  In 1770, many people stayed at the house following the Boston Massacre.  In 1773, over 5,000 people met at the house and made plans for the Boston Tea Party.

The final historic place on this short list of Boston historical sites (there are many others that aren’t listed here) is the Granary Burying Ground.  This graveyard features the tombs of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and many others.  This graveyard is located almost in the centre of Boston, and it’s completely free to visit.

If you really wanted to make your trip a historic one, you could stay in one of the historic Boston hotels like the Boston Park Plaza and Towers.

If you plan on visiting the Czech Republic and its capital city of Prague, there are many things you’ll want to check out.  Prague sits on the Vltava River, and it has served as the centre of the country for over 1,000 years.  The city has many different things to see, but one of the must-see sights is Prague Castle.

The castle is, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest ancient castle in the entire world.  Home to not only the Czech Kings but also to the Holy Roman Emperors and the current presidents of the Czech Republic and the previous country of Czechoslovakia, the castle has served as the centre of the country’s political world since it was built.  It also serves as a museum of sorts, housing the Czech crown jewels and other national treasures.

Built in 870 AD, Prague Castle features several different buildings within its walls.  Some of the oldest include the church of Our Lady, the Basilica of St. George, and the Basilica of St. Vitus.  In fact, the first convent founded in Bohemia was located within the walls of Prague Castle.

In 1541, parts of Prague Castle burned down during a massive fire.  However, it was rebuilt, and some of the new buildings were done in the Renaissance style.  The castle was damaged again during the Second Prague defenestration.  During this and the following years, many different pieces of art were stolen from the castle.  Queen Maria Theresa oversaw the last major renovation and repairs on the castle during the latter part of the 18th century, creating the castle as we know it today.

Prague Castle remained the home of royalty until 1918, when it was converted into the offices of the president of the Czechoslovak Republic.  Some further renovations were done then, mostly to the New Royal Palace section and the gardens.

When the castle was occupied by the Nazi army during World War II, it served as the office of Reinhard Heydrich, the German overseer of what was termed Bohemia and Moravia.  After WWII, the communist government moved into the castle.  Later, since Czechoslovakia split into Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, the castle has served as the offices of the president and his council.

You can tour many parts of the castle, including Our Lady and the other historical cathedrals.  If you love seeing old buildings and learning about the history of the Czech Republic, you don’t want to pass up seeing this amazing part of Prague.

Many of the hotels in Prague are spectacular, but one really stands out when talking about Prague Castle. The Prague Castle Hotel has spectacular views of Prague castle.

London, being the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is one of the busiest cities in the world and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of tourist attractions that you can visit to make the most of your visit! With palaces, museums and all manner of famous buildings, bored in London is one thing that you certainly will not be!

If you like to enjoy the finer things in life, then there are a number of different galleries which you can visit and enjoy and among the most famous are the Tate Gallery and the National Gallery both of which contain works of art that are considered to be among the most famous in the world. The best thing about these galleries and also other museums within London is that many of them are free to enter and are perfect for the whole family to enjoy.

Once you have been to visit the many galleries and museums within London, why not take a trip to the London Eye which is one of the most famous and yet one of the newest structures in the capital. The London Eye gives you a view for miles over the most picturesque areas of London and when you go up by night, the lights that are shining could rival that of the casinos in Las Vegas!

If you are looking for something a little different to do in London, there is always the London Dungeons where you can find out about the capitals most notorious serial killers such as Jack the Ripper, of whom many a film has been created! If that is a little too much for the younger generation of your party to enjoy, you could always take a look at the London Aquarium, filled with water dwelling creatures to amaze even the most complicated of minds!

Once you have had enough of the sightseeing in London and fancy a spot of lunch, there are simply hundreds of wonderful places to eat, and among the most popular are the good old fish and chip shops that the country is so famous for! If this is not your style however, you could always pop along to the local pub for a traditional pub lunch or one of the many London hotels that offer five star gastronomic delights alongside a five star service!