A country with a misleading name

It's a rainy day here in Belgium, so I decided to make another blogpost. I really liked to make my first recommendation and I also received alot of cheerful comments on my first post, so I will try to keep up the good work! :)

My next post will be about a country that everybody knows and that everybody already had thoughts about: how did they come up with this name? As you probably already know, it's about Greenland. First of all to sort out the misunderstandings, Greenland thanks his name to the Vikings. Erik the Red gave this name more than 1000 years ago as a 'pr' stunt to pull colonists to the 'green' island.

Greenland is one of the places which I have noted in my top 10 list of countries I have to visit before I die. Greenland is the world's largest island and is an autonomous region in the Danish Kingdom, situated between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It has approximately 60.000 inhabitants so It is also the country with the lowest population density.

Cultural attractions 

I understand the doubts that people have: "why should we visit Greenland? It's a cold and inhospitable country". I know, Greenland isn't a country to visit when you aren't really adventurous, so to all the people who prefer to lay down at the beach with a cocktail in their hand: im sorry! :/
So with that being said, I will present the hidden treasure called Greenland.

• Outdoor activities

1. Dog sledding

Dog sledding is, no doubt, a classic way to experience Arctic nature,but what is unique about dog sledding in Greenland, is that a heavy dose of Inuit culture comes along for the ride. Dog sledding helps tell the story of how Greenlanders adapt to the robust environment that surrounds them. Dog sledding in Greenland is a way of life. Living in and off of the nature is central to Greenlandic identity, and therefore when you are close to the nature, you are also close to the Greenlandic culture.

Note: It's possible to book a dog sledding tour for a different duration and location. The price vary between 800 euros until 1500 euros. 

Dog sledding is a way of life in Greenland (I do not own this photo)

1. Hiking

Greenland is the last frontier where robust nature reigns most powerful.As you follow hiking trails flanked by bold rock formations and purple Arctic flowers, you realize that Greenland’s mighty nature stands before you, unaltered by humans, just as it has for thousands of years. Those are the moments when you realise how small we are compared to nature. 

Note:.There is no privately owned land in Greenland so you're free to hike anywhere you wish.The perfect months to hike are June, July and August. The most famous marked hiking trails is the Arctic Circle Trail between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut (160 km). Hikers typically take 8-9 nights to complete the trail.

Once you're there, you realise how small you're (I do not own this picture)

1. Climbing and mountaineering

In Greenland you have a huge variaty of mountains and fjords to climb. Mountaineering in Greenland is closely linked with scientific exploration, and many first ascents were performed in connection with topographic mapping and geological exploration. When you go to Greenland for mountaineering, there are 6 core destinations for climbing: Stauning Alps (North Greenland), Watkins Range (region with highest mountains in Greenland), Schweizer Land (Most of the area lies with in a permit free zone), Cape Farewell ( South Greenland with good granite and solid rock), Evighedsfjorden (extreme skiing and heliskiing), Uumannaq Bay and Upernavik (a classic climbing area). 

Note: The Greenland Government requires expedition permits for all traffic on the Ice Cap, in the Greenland National Park and for most part of East Greenland.f you climb in West Greenland, where permission is not required, it is important to note that there is no mountain rescue in Greenland.

Greenland without mountains is like a pub without beer (I do not own this picture)

1. Diving

The flora and fauna under the ocean surface can only be described as different, even a bit strange, with catfish and lumpsuckers, forests of seaweed and odd looking sea cucumbers all vying for attention. There is a reason why cold water areas biologically are the most prolific areas in the world only surpassed by the coral reefs. 

Note: Ice diving and diving in Greenland are for the thick-skinned. At a minimum, you will need a PADI AWO or a similar certification and must have dived in dry suit within the past year. The perfect months to go diving are from march until september. 

A surprising world of pristine dives await (I do not own this picture)

• Nature experience

1. Northern lights

The northern lights, is Greenland’s way of adding an extra bonus to the adventures of winter. It is free, there is enough for everyone and all it takes is for you to dress warmly, wear a sturdy pair of boots, add an ounce of patience, maybe carry with you a thermos of coffee, and then have someone there to share the adventure. Northern lights are electrically charged particles from the sun, which hits our atmosphere, and creates a natural phenomenon of light with altering colors, revealing how far above our planet the particles are, when they hit the atmosphere.

Note: the best place to watch the Northern light is Kangerlussuaq because it's uniquely located inland in lee of mountains and ice; Kangerlussuaq can boast of having more than 300 clear nights a year.   The season for watching the northern lights in Kangerlussuaq, which is from the end of September to the middle of April, is the same as in the rest of the country.

Aurora Borealis is one of the great surprises of the Arctic night (I do not own this picture)

1. Whale watching 

Greenland prides itself on having only free and wild animals in its waters, so Greenland’s whales are free to swim wherever the krill and schools of fish lead them.

Whether this is your first or fifth whale watching tour, seeing such a magnificent creature right before your eyes can be overwhelming. Though you probably only see a fraction of the whale’s body, you just know that you are tiny in comparison and that humans are not paramount in this world. 

Note: Summer is prime whale watching season

What is a human compared to a whale? (I do not own this picture)

• Cultural experience 

1. Inuit culture

For a period of nearly 2500 years, shifting waves of nomadic peoples, living off what the land and the sea could offer, had called this country home, but now the largest island in the world no longer had a human population.Today we know, that the group, now referred to as the Dorset Culture, were the ones who came here, to a land void of humans, 1300 years ago. It seems they may already have been here during an earlier wave of immigration right before the country was depopulated, but in spite of the amount of time they spent in Greenland, the Dorset Culture is shrouded in mystery.

Inuit traditions live on in the present (I do not own this picture)

Accommodation

Stages in Greenland are quiet scarce, so I recommend to book early. 

Transportation 

Air Greenland operates regular flights from Copenhagen to the main international airport in Kangerlussuaq, seasonal flights between Keflavik in Iceland and the Greenland’s capital Nuuk.

Air Iceland flies year round from Reykjavik Domestic Airport to Kulusuk in East Greenland and the capital Nuuk in West Greenland. Air Iceland also operates seasonal flights to Narsarsuaq in South Greenland, the capital Nuuk, Ilulissat in the Disko Bay, and Ittoqqortoormiit in North East Greenland. 

Greenland is a rugged land and except for a few settlements and sheep farms in South Greenland there are no roads between any towns or communities. This means that passenger-approved boats, helicopters and planes tie the country together in a web of sea and air connections operated by both large and small scale operators. Greenland’s national airline Air Greenland services all major towns and a number of settlements with domestic flights and helicopter connections year round.

This was my presentation of a country that I would love to visit once. I hope you're as much in love with Greenland as I do and that I have helped you to organise a trip to Greenland! If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to contact me! :) 

The following weeks I will not be able to post something because I'm on a road trip to the US. But I promise, once I'm back I will make a short summary of my trip with some recommendations! :) 

For this post, I used photos and information from http://www.greenland.com/en/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland. 

Hope to see you soon with another beautiful place to visit! :)

Also you should should take a look at my twitter: https://twitter.com/LRSVGT

Brugge die schone

As my first recommendation I will start with a city which has a special place in my heart: Bruges. Bruges is the capital of the province West Flanders in Belgium, it has approximately 120.000 inhabitants. The city is also know by the name of Brugge die schone (Bruges that beauty) or Venice of the North. Bruges thanks these names because of his medieval history and his many canals in the city. Bruges is also a part of the Unesco world heritage. In this post I will present the major cultural attractions, accommodation and transport.

  Venice of the North (I do not own this picture)

Cultural attractions 

Bruges that beauty, but why should you visit it? Well in this post I will try to convince you why you should visit Bruges before you die! The first thing that I will present are the cultural attractions. As I said, Bruges has a medieval history (founded in the 12th century, and has been Europe's richest city for ages) so the amount of historic buildings are (to say it with the famous words of Jimmy McMillan) too damn high!

• Grand Market

The Grand Market is the place to be for all the people who visit Bruges. At the Grand Market you'll find the Belfry. the belfry formerly housed a treasury and the municipal archives, and served as an observation post for spotting fires and other danger. The bells in the tower are used to announce the time, fire alarms, work hours, and a variety of social, political, and religious events. At this day, there are still 47 bells in the Belfry, together weighing around 27.5 tonnes. Also at the Grand Market you will find the Provinciaal Hof (Province Court) is a Neogothical building. It is the former meeting place for the provincial government of West Flanders, used until 1999. 

In the center of the square you'll find the statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck. They were both fighters during the Bruges Matins (massacre) which was a revolt against the French ruler. The revolt led to the Battle of the Golden Spurs, which saw the Flemish militia defeat French troops on 11 July 1302.

Note: when you want to go to the top of the Belfry you'll have to pay 8 euros for an adult, 6 euros per person for youths until 25 years and people who are older than 65 years. 

Grand Market of Bruges (I do not own this picture)

• basilica of the holy blood

In this minor basilica you'll be able to find a venerated relic of the Holy Blood allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace. 

Note: the basilica is free to visit, the museum and treasure chamber is 2 euros per person. 

Basilica of the holy blood (I do not own this picture)

• Beguinage

Ten Wijngaerde the only preserved beguinage in the of Bruges. There are no more Beguines living there, but since 1927 it functions as a convent for Benedictines. 

Note: when you visit the Beguinage, there is no entrance fee, you only need to be quiet! ;) 

Beguinage of Bruges (I do not own this picture)

• Churches

Since we're in Western Europe, you will find churches. In Bruges there are alot of Churches but the 2 most famous churches are the Our Lady Church and the Saint-Salvator's Cathedral. The Our Lady Church was established in the 9th century (small chapel) and 12th century (main church). In the church you will find the world known sculpture Madonna and child from Michelangelo, the only sculpture that left Italy when Michelangelo was still alive. The Saint-Salvator's Cathedral is the main church of the city and is one of the few buildings in Bruges that have survived the onslaught of the ages without damage. It was established in the 10th century. 

Our Lady Church (I do not own this picture)

• Bruges canals

These are the small canals that float through the city of Bruges and is named after the Reie, the old river that floated through the city. Because of the amount of the canals and small bridges, Bruges is named the Venice of the North. 

The famous Bruges canals (I do not own this picture)

Accommodation

Apart from the historical buildings is Bruges also a city for real Burgundians. In the city you will find alot of pubs and bars where you will be able to try our Belgian specialities such as Beer, Chocolate and French Fries (yes this is a Belgian invention, damn you French people!). 

The city has also alot of eating facilities. You have the fast food chains such as McDonalds, Quick, Subway, Panos but you also have restaurants where you will be able to have an enhanced dinner. And for the people who love to have a culinary sublime dinner, then you have to go to de Karmeliet, it's 1 of the 3 Belgian 3 michelin stars restaurants. 

As for the sleeping facilities, you will have plenty of choices. The city has a huge offer of budget friendly hotels (Ibis hotel) and more luxury hotels (Pand Hotel Small Luxury Hotel). 

And last but not least, for the people who love to go shopping: Bruges is is one of the famous shopping cities in Belgium. You have a huge variaty of clothes, shoes and electronic stores. 

Transportation

Bruges is one of the most famous cities in Belgium so it's easy to get there. For a radius of 80 km you will find 3 airports: Ostend airport, Brussels South aiport (Charleroi) and Brussels national airport. From these airports you're able to go to Bruges by train or by bus and train (when you arrive in Charleroi). Once you're in the city, you don't need to use any public transportation because everything is easily accessible by foot or bike. 

So this was my first post of my travel guide, I hope you enjoyed it and that I have convinced you to visit the beautiful medieval Venice of the North!

Hope to see you soon with another beautiful place to visit! :)
Also you should should take a look at my twitter: https://twitter.com/LRSVGT

The start of a new era

Hello everyone, as you probable already know I am new here in this Blog world. First of all I will introduce myself. I am Lars, I'm from Belgium and I'm almost 18 years old (woohoo :D) . Apart from Football and American Football is traveling my biggest passion. I had the idea of starting my own Blog for quiet some time, but it was my girlfriend who convinced me to take action and to start this Blog. So yeah, here we go!

So what will this Blog be all about? As I said in the introduction, I love traveling so I will make this a sort of travel guide for everyone who loves to travel as much as I do. You probably think: "another travel Blog, why should I read this one?". Well this will not be a regular travel guide, apart of the famous cities and countries, it will also be a traveler's guide to countries or cities where there isn't that much tourism but where you will find beautiful cities or magnificent nature.

So, with this been said, I hope you'll enjoy this new Blog and I look forward to see you in a couple of days with my first recommendation! :)