The Italian Hotel built inside Abandoned Medieval Grottos | Messy Nessy ChicMessy Nessy Chic Okay come with me, we’re going to explore every inch of this hotel built inside the deserted grottos of an Italian mountain village from the Middle Ages. The cliffs of the Gravina River Valley in Matera Italy are believed to be the site of the first human settlements in the country. So let’s begin our tour of this extremely off-beat, no doubt unique and very chic hotel, La Grotta della Civita… La Grotta della Civita, consists of 18 cave rooms as well as a restaurant, which took a total of 10 years to renovate from what was essentially a series of deserted caves, last inhabited in the 1950s by residents who lived very primitively. In the 1950s, the Italian government relocated most of the people in the cave towns, who were living without proper sanitation, into areas of the developing modern city nearby. When Margareta Berg, a young German girl who ran away from her parents in Germany as a teenager, arrived in Matera, she found mostly hippies living inside the honey colored caves.
10 of the Most Beautiful Castles in Italy Scaligero Castle on Lake Garda Not all ruins and churches, Italy has some of the most beautiful castles in Europe! Here’s our list, in photos, of the 10 prettiest castles in Italy. Fortress of San Nicola, Tremiti Islands Castle on one of Puglia's Tremiti islands This sun-soaked clifftop castle is located on the island of San Nicola di Tremiti, in the Adriatic Sea. Aragonese Castle, Ischia Castello Aragonese, near Ischia Located on a tiny volcanic island connected to the island of Ischia by a 720-foot bridge, the Castello Aragonese dates back to the 5th century B.C. Castell’Arquato, Emilia-Romagna This 8th-century fortress isn’t just a castle, but a town—just as it would have been 1,000 years ago, when castle walls surrounded the hamlet to protect it from invaders. Scaligero Castle, Lake Garda Scaligero Castle, at Lake Garda Belfort Castle, Trentino Belfort Castle in Trentino Castles are thick on the ground in the region around Trento, but Belfort Castle may be one of the most romantic.
Villa Vals If you're in Switzerland and looking for a nice place to stay, Villa Vals might just be your thing. The holiday house is created by Bjarne Mastenbroek and Christian Müller, respectively of architectural offices SeARCH and CMA. To avoid disturbing nature the villa is totally integrated into the landscape and only the entrance is visible. For the interior the duo decided upon traditional contemporary Dutch design, creating a natural, serene environment. www.villavals.ch
14 places to fall in love with France By Madeleine Wilson Secluded beaches, UNESCO buildings, fairytale castles… coming right up. France has a rich and diverse heritage with both architectural and natural treasures to ogle. From the stunning aquamarine gorges of Verdon to the proud medieval city of Carcassonne, we have put together a list of 14 beautiful spots in France, each with their own je ne sais quoi, that promise to spark a lifelong romance! 1. Normandy Several cliffs form what is commonly called the “falaises d’Etretat,” great white chalk cliffs that depict perhaps one of the most famous and beautiful landscapes in France. The little village of Etretat is also very picturesque. 2. Loir-et-Cher Who has not heard of the beautiful Chateau de Chambord! 3. Var, Alpes de Haute Provence The Gorges du Verdon are something of a natural wonder with the turquoise waters of the Verdon Rivers flowing through the giant canyon surrounded by limestone cliffs. 4. Languedoc-Roussillon 5. 6. Yvelines 7. Arles 8. 9. Corsica 10. 11. Calvados
Lofoten Location of Lofoten in Norway Lofoten (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈluːfuːtən]) is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude. Etymology[edit] Lofoten (Norse Lófót) was originally the old name of the island Vestvågøya. The first element is ló (i.e., "lynx") and the last element is derived from Norse fótr (i.e., "foot"), as the shape of the island must have been compared with a foot of a lynx. History[edit] Stockfish has been exported from Lofoten for at least 1,000 years "[T]here is evidence of human settlement extending back at least 11,000[ yrs in Lofoten, and] the earliest archaeological sites ... are only about 5,500 [yrs] old, at the transition from the early to late Stone Age." The town of Vågan (Norse Vágar) is the first known town formation in northern Norway. Geography[edit] WikiMiniAtlas Films[edit]
5 Secret Restaurants in Paris Promise you won’t tell anyone…! 1. L’Etage de Pastavino – Saint Germain’s best-kept secret It just looks like an ordinary Italian deli (épicerie in French) on a bustling market street in Saint Germain … but it’s hiding a secret in a dark corner at the back. Indicated only by two blackboards nearly tucked out of sight, something well-worth discovering is at the top of this winding staircase … Disappear past the shelves of Italian produce and find yourself in a charming, chic and cosy dining room upstairs… Jazz music plays softly in the background. We didn’t order this little plate, but it came anyway. We tried the four house cheeses of the day. Look at that creamy heart of burrata… The menu is varied and written entirely in Italian (which the rather handsome waiters kindly translate and explain to you item by item). So next time you pass a deli-cum-sandwich shop, take a second look, it might not be all that it seems! La Bottega Pastavino//L’Etage de Pastavino, 18 Rue de Buci, 6eme. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Neuschwanstein.jpg (1600×1200) Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner. Contrary to common belief, Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds. The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Amalfi Coast Italy Photography Positano - a charming stop for lunch along the Amalfi Coast There’s more to Italy than Rome and Tuscany. Have you seen the Amalfi Coast? Typical pottery sold along the seaside town of the Amalfi coast The cliffs of Sorrento, one of the main towns along the coast The ancient streets of Pompeii - an easy stop along the Circumvesuviana Train The hill town of Positano Cook up some dishes at Mami Camilla's cooking school near Sorrento Beach cabanas in Sorrento - a popular beach in the summer The villagers (plaster cast) of Pompeii caught in the eruption The Sorrento coastline is a boating paradise Old door in Positano Get out of Rome and visit the Amalfi Coast! For more great information on the Amalfi Cost – check out Italylouge.com For information on the Mami Camilla’s cooking school check out Mami Camilla and tell them you saw it on Ottsworld!