My initial impression of the Azerbaijani capital is that of a giant modernisation project, one where the old and the hyper contemporary vie for attention. The city actually feels a bit… undecided. Baku is a crossroads in every sense: between Europe and Asia, between conventional and modern, between traditional Middle Eastern culture and nouveau riche. […]
Grandhotel Cosmopolis: a concrete utopia
In Augsburg’s old town, Grandhotel Cosmopolis is perhaps the most curious hotel in all of Germany; certainly the most unusual I have seen. This particular Grand hotel, you see, functions not only as a hotel, but also as home for asylum seekers, as artists’ studios, open work-spaces, a venue for concerts, exhibitions and other artistic […]
11 things you’ll love about Belgrade
Once there was a country called Yugoslavia. It was a federation of six republics that existed through most of the 20th century. For much of that time, it was essentially held together by one man, Josip Broz Tito. Marshall Tito died in 1980. Soon after, one republic after another broke out of the federation, and […]
De Koninck: Antwerp in a Bottle
As you may recall, we really like Antwerp here at Sophie’s World. So we just had to return! Earlier, we’ve talked about the city’s three World Heritage sites (three!). This time, I’ll tell you about an unusual Antwerp brewery. Sounds, well, not that exciting? That’s what I thought, too. In fact, when I learned we […]
Things to do in Manchester if you’re not into football
So… imagine you are in Manchester. With a girlfriend – or boyfriend – who’s here for one thing and one thing only: footie! You, on the other hand, couldn’t care less for the Beautiful Game. You can’t even remember what the corner kick rule means, even though you’ve heard it a million times. Well then: […]
11 things you’ll love about Kraków
Welcome back to Poland. I’ve written about Gdansk and Warsaw earlier. Today, we’re heading south, to Krakow. Like Warsaw, Krakow’s Historic Centre is a World Heritage site, to be specially preserved for future generations. Here’s UNESCO’s take: The historic centre of Cracow, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal […]
24 hours in Leipzig
“Wir sind das Volk!” That was the Leipzig war cry during those world changing weeks in the autumn of 1989: “We are the people!” On 9 October 1989, 70 000 people gathered in Leipzig. This is where it all began, the Peaceful Revolution that ended one month later with the earth shattering fall of the Berlin Wall […]
Welcome! I'm Sophie - writer, dreamer, negotiator, wanderer, mum - in search of the world's curious places. Mostly with my daughters, sometimes solo. The girls share their take on it, too.
- Chasing shadows in Czechia
- A Tale of Two Villas
- Whimsical Giethoorn – a photo essay
- The Waterhead: A Boutique Hotel in the English Lake District
- The Four Seasons Hotel in Baku: Graceful and luxurious
- Lovely Lucerne: 4 hours is but a glimpse
- World at a Glance: Flemish béguinages, a 13th century women’s movement
- Belgian Belfries
- The Palmyra Hotel in Baalbek: Wacky, Weird and Wonderful
- The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
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Katrin: What a bizzare experience to have! Maybe the citiz...
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Anne-Sophie Redisch: Love unusual finds like this plantation. Thanks fo...
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Jeanette Brunet: I was in Edinburgh in August of 2015 for 9 days. W...
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