Sarajevo
For a city that has suffered, Sarajevo is outwardly full of amazing vitality and charm. Rat- y old trams circle a city centre containing the Bascarsija bazaar, an ancient trading place with artisans' workshops, coffee-drinking dens, restaurants, trendy bars and boisterous pubs. Sarajevo is a living museum. And boy, is there a lot of it Mosques, churches, cathedrals and fine municipal buildings built by Turks and Austro-Hungarians a bridge where world history took a fateful turn and the Tunnel...
HIGHLIGHTS Ycc
Helsinki Finland's dynamic capital, boasting some of Scandinavia's most sophisticated nighdife p346 Kuopio Home of the world's biggest smoke sauna p359 Rovaniemi The gateway to Lapland, with the Arctic Circle and Santa's official grotto p361 Savonlinna A beautiful Lakeland town with a casde and a month-long opera festival p358 Best journey Take the overnight sleeper train from Helsinki p346 to Rovaniemi p361 wake up in snow-covered Arctic Lapland Off-the-beaten track Cycle through the unspoilt...
clubbing Pps
Mecca 283 870 522 www.mecca.cz U Pruhonu 3, Holesovice cover 90-390Kc Fri amp Sat, free Wed amp Thu S 10pm-6am Wed-Sat Prague's most fashionable club attracts film stars and fab types with pumping dance-floor action. Lucerna Music Bar 224 217 108 www.musicbar.cz Lucerna pasaz, Vodickova 36, Nov M sto S 8pm-4am Leave your musical snobbery in the cloakroom at the '80s nights on Friday and Saturday with everything from The Human League to Soft Cell. Pal c Akropolis 296 330 911 www.palacakropolis...
Black Sea Coast
Go quick Western Europeans with extra euros or pounds are buying up space on the golden-sand beaches. The hotels and condos of the main resort, Sunny Beach, can fit 100,000, while its beach only has room for 30,000 Still, there are some quieter pockets north of Varna and south of Burgas. Most hotel prices raise their rates in June and again in July and August, then drop them a bit in September. Varna was founded as Odessos by Greek sailors in the 6th century BC. Even without the Black Sea at...
Bus
Getting out of Tirana can be extremely confusing. You have the option of buses or furgons see p58 for more information , which leave from hubs on the outskirts of the city which are prone to move from time to time. Travelling times are totally dependent on what degree of 'crazy' the traffic out of town is currently operating at. At the time of writing, furgons going to Kruja 150 leke, 45 minutes, 32km leave from the chaotic Zogu i Zi roundabout. You can catch afurgon to Fier 400 leke, 2V2...
Flanders
The only thing flat about Flanders is topography. Belgium's Flemish-speaking northern region is the country's powerhouse. Attitude with a capital A - that's Antwerp. As an avant-garde fashion capital snapping at the heels of Milan and New York and the top spot on the clubbing circuit between Amsterdam and Paris, Belgium's second-biggest city's a magnet for fashionistas, foodies and party queens alike. And that's without even mentioning history, architecture and caf culture. Antwerp's impressive...
Getting There Around Xkl
Either a bus or a train leaves Skagen Station for Frederikshavn Dkr50 about once an hour. The seasonal Skagerakkeren bus No 99 runs half a dozen times daily between Hirtshals and Skagen Dkr40,1 hours from mid-June to mid-August. The same bus continues on to Hjorring and Lokken. Cycling is an excellent way of exploring Skagen and the surrounding area. Skagen Cyke-ludlejning 98 44 10 70 Banegardspladsen rents bicycles for Dkr85 a day Dkr200 deposit and has a stand on the western side of the train...
Boat Wxl
There's no better way to cruise into Helsinki than aboard a Baltic ferry. The ships are like floating hotels, nightclubs and shoppingmalls rolled into one, but fares are kept reasonably low by competition and duty-free shopping. Ferry tickets can be bought at the terminals or from the ferry companies' offices in Helsinki's centre Eckerii Line www.eckerollnjen.fi, www.eckerollne.fi Aland 018-28000 Helsinki 09-228 8544 Mannerhelmintle 10 Lanslterminaall West terminal Helsinki-Tallinn,...
Austrian Embassies Consulates Abroad
For a complete list visit www.auslandsoester-reicher.at and click on 'Osterreichische Botschaften und Konsulate' under 'Kontakte'. Otherwise, contact the following Australia 02-6295 1533 www.austriaemb.org.au 12 Talbot St, Forrest, ACT 2603 Canada 613-789 1444 www.austro.org 445 Wilbrod St, Ottawa, Ontario KIN 6M7 France Embassy 01 40 63 30 63 www.aussen ministerium.at paris 6 rue Fabert, 75007 Paris Consulate 01 40 63 30 90 17 Ave de Villars, 75007 Paris Germany 030-202 870...
hirtshals
Hirtshals' breezy, friendly character reflects that of its commercial fishing harbour and ferry terminal. The seaward end of Norregade opens out into a wide, airy space, Den Gronne Plads, the 'Green Square' that overlooks the fishing harbour and its tiers of blue-hulled boats. There is a tourist office 98 94 22 20 www.visithirtshals.com Norregade 40 S 9.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat mid-Jun-Aug,10am-3pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pmSatSep-mid-Jun . Hirtshals Hostel 98 9412 48 www.danhostelnord .dk...
Dubrovnik
Lord Byron was not overstating the case when he proclaimed Dubrovnik to be 'the pearl of the Adriatic'. It is clear that Dubrovnik is special. A magnificent curtain of walls surrounds marble streets and baroque buildings that exude a pearly light in the Adriatic sun. The main pedestrian thoroughfare, Placa, is a melange of caf s and shops with outstanding monuments at either end. The steep, stepped streets leading off Placa, harbour a diverse range of bars, caf s and restaurants. Beyond the...
Sights Wnq
Originally an island, the old walled city became linked to the mainland by the isthmus of Le Sillon in the 13th century. During 1944, the battle to drive German forces out of St-Malo destroyed around 80 of it. The main historical monuments were faithfully reconstructed, while the rest of the area was rebuilt in the style of the 17th and 18th centuries. Constructed between the 12th and 18th centuries, the town's centrepiece, Cath drale St-Vincent place J de Ch tillon S 9.30am-6pm , was severely...
Brussel Bruxelles
Quirky, secretive, surreal - Brussels, like the country it represents, pulls multiple identities into one enigmatic core. Home to superb Art Nouveau architecture, the EU headquarters, shabby suburbs, and more restaurants, pubs and chocolate shops than you'll ever manage, Brussels subdy slides under your skin. The Grand Place, the imposing 15th-century market square, sits in the centre of Petit Ring, a pentagon of boulevards enclosing central Brussels. The centre is divided into the Lower Town,...
EMBASSIES CONSULATES Albanian Embassies Consulates
For a full list, visit www.mfa.gov.al. Canada 613-2363 0953 embassyrepublicofalbania on.albn.com Suite 302, 130 Albert St, Ottawa ON KIP 5G4 France 01 47 23 31 00 ambasade.albanie wanadoo .fr 57 av Marceau, Paris 75116 Germany 030-259 3040 kanzlei botschaft -albanien.de Friedrichstrasse 231, D-10 969, Berlin Greece Athens l 21-0687 6200 albem ath.forthner .gr Vekiareli 7, Filothei loannina 26-5102 1330 algefeer panafonet.gr Str Foti Tzavella 2 Thessaloniki 31-547 4494 fax 31-546656 Odysseos Str...
Highlights
Tirana Albania s capital reveals tantalising glimpses of its communist past p58 Berat A living museum of Ottoman houses, mosques and an ancient citadel p62 Off-the-beaten track Explore the spectacular ruins of Butrint, hidden in the forest p63 Area 28,748 sq km ATMs In most cities and towns Budget 30 per day Capital Tirana Head of State President Alfred Moisiu Language Albanian Money leke 1 123 leke US 1 96 leke UK 1 181 leke A 1 72 leke 100 86 leke NZ 1 60 leke Phrases Tungjatjeta hello ,...