Slovakia’s President Lives Here – Keep Calm and Wander

Slovakia's President Lives Here - Keep Calm and Wander

The President of Slovakia lives here – at the Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava. I was surprised that the surroundings were not heavily-guarded with Presidential guardians. It was early June when I was there – and boy, it was quiet!

As you can see in the photos below, I was the only tourist roaming around. It’s so different from Presidential residences I’ve been to – like the White House in the USA, 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, Canada, or at 10 Downing Street in London.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Bratislava Castle – Keep Calm and Wander

Bratislava Castle

Bratislava Castle sits on the hill overlooking the Old Town and Danube River. This extraordinarily large rectangular building was once a ruin after a brutal fire burnt it down in 1811. According to history, the Celts were the first inhabitants in this area. Though it looks plain, palace facade has some fragments of Rennaissance and Gothic elements of style.

Unfortunately for me, the castle was closed on the day I visited there – so I have no idea what it looks like inside. However, the gardens and the shades around the palace is a cool refuge from the summer heat.

In the 18th century, the most revered ruler of that time, Maria Theresa lived here. She had a huge family, but all of them took care of this place like no one else.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Bratislava, Slovakia – Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Bratislava

Here are 10 things to do in Bratislava that are worthwhile your time. Two full days and a night were enough for me to explore Slovak Republic’s capital city before hopping on a train in the evening to my next destination. However, it is possible to visit the city in one day, because most of the ones listed here are walking distance from each other in the Old Town.

I was in Bratislava in early June last year and it was not even crowded. The Old Town at noon was quiet and there were only a few tourists. It was a welcome relief for me after visiting big cities, like Frankfurt, Cologne, Berlin, Vienna, and Prague.

1. Bratislava Castle

Situated atop the Old Town, the Bratislava Castle is an important mid-16th-century building. You can have spectacular views of the Petrzalka and the UFO Bridge not to mention the honor of attending one of the exhibitions.

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Friendly Eastern Europe – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Friendly Eastern Europe - The Nomadic Boys

Europe has some of the most gay-friendly countries in the world with extremely progressive LGBTQ rights. However, these are largely confined to the North and West. The further East you head on the continent, the less gay-friendly it becomes.

East Europe is notorious for lagging behind the rest of the continent when it comes to LGBTQ rights. Thankfully, when most of them started joining the EU from 2004 onwards, membership requirements forced them to adopt more progressive LGBTQ laws, especially with regards to recognising civil unions for same-sex couples and introducing anti-discrimination legislation.

This is not to say that East Europe is completely void of any fabulousness! During our many trips as a gay couple around the region, we discovered several places that have a more liberal outlook, a thriving LGBTQ community and a vibrant gay scene. Based on our first-hand experiences, we’ve put together what we think are the 5 most gay-friendly cities – gay friendly Eastern Europe.

Disclosure: this was written as part of a paid collaboration with Moon Travel Guides.

What is East Europe?

A quick note about this. Whilst we appreciate that some countries fall into the “Central” rather than “East” Europe grey area, others would argue they are “Baltic” instead, or “Balkan”, there is no clear definition of which countries are strictly defined as “East Europe”.

We’ve therefore taken the UN breakdown of what is East Europe and included the countries that the travel industry also regards as being part of “East Europe”.

Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay Friendly Eastern Europe Travel Resources