Where to travel in August?

Mostar is a city located in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, crossed by the Neretva river. Devastated by the war in the 90s, the city is reborn since the reconstruction of the “Old Bridge”. Built by the Turks more than 500 years ago, the bridge is now a part of World Heritage List by UNESCO.

In Mostar there are also many buildings dating back to the Austro-Hungarian period. Among the most interesting to see is the prestigious College building situated in the western part of the city. Also, don’t miss the public Turkish Bath. More of that, you can visit the neo-baroque Palazzo Metropolitan from which you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view. Another must-see place in Mostar is the Bišćevića sokak, the street with the famous Turkish house: an Ottoman residence of an important family of the time. Finally, you can also discover Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque built at the beginning of the 17th century, it is inscribed on the list of national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The fabulous Iguazu Falls are located on the border between southern Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Discovered by explorers in the 16th century, the falls are now listed as World Heritage UNESCO. To enjoy the best landscapes and views, you can walk along the different trails and stop at the different observation platforms and lookouts. It is possible to visit the falls on the Argentinian side and on the Brazilian side. In my opinion, if you go to the Iguazu falls, you have to see the two sides which are different and both beautiful.

On the Argentinian side, where there are the most falls, I advise you to do the two circuits: the lowest with a course of 1,700 meters which runs along the falls to the water level, and the upper one, of 650 meters with hanging bridges which allow you to admire the waterfalls. Both routes end just a few meters from the Devil’s Throat (Garganta do Diabo), the deepest and highest waterfall. On the Brazilian side, the main advantage is the configuration of the place, you can indeed admire a magnificient overview of the falls, from Garganta do diablo to San Martin Island. Finally, in addition to the natural beauty of its 275 waterfalls, you will also discover exceptional flora and fauna along the paths.

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is a huge city. Among the attractions not to be missed, there are of course those around the Red Square: the Kremlin, Kitai-gorod, Saint Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Mausoleum, where the Russian revolution father rest in peace. The Moscow metro is like an underground museum. The stations, especially those of the Koltsevaïa line, are decorated with superb stuccos and chandeliers. Taking the metro underground becomes almost a pleasure.

There are also many huge green spaces in Moscow. One of the city’s green pearls is Gorky Park. This park located on the banks of the Moskowa River offers activities such as concerts, ice skating in winter and much more. The Bolshoi Theater is a must-see where you can witness classical dance performances from the best ballet schools in the world. Finally, don’t miss the imposing Cathedral of Christ the Savior near the Moskva River.

Hoge Veluwe National Park is the largest national park in the Netherlands. You can visit this park using one of the 1,800 free white bikes to cross its 26 kilometers of trails, gardens and forests that cover about half of the park’s territory. It’s a very nice tour, with varied and astonishing landscapes.

The other great attraction of this park is the Kröller-Müller museum which is located in the middle of the forest. This museum is world famous and houses several paintings by famous painters such as Seurat, Picasso, Léger, Braque and above all 278 paintings by Van Gogh. In the gallery garden several sculptures by famous authors are present such as those of Rodin and Moore for example.

Finally, if you ride a bike around the park, you may discover one of the most iconic buildings in the Netherlands: the Country Residence Museum Jachthuis Sint Hubertus. It was the former residence of the Kröller-Müllers, completed in 1920

Bilbao is located in the heart of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain, it is the capital of the province of Vizcaya. The city transformed in the 1990s from a predominantly industrial city, unattractive for travelers, to a model of an ideal city for living. The Guggenheim Museum has certainly been the symbol of Bilbao since its inauguration in 1997. “The Guggenheim Effect” has attracted the most famous world-famous architects and designers to Bilbao, such as Alvaro Siza or Philippe Stark for example.

Bilbao is today a modern, cosmopolitan and glamorous city, but which does not forget its medieval origins. Santiago Cathedral is the oldest building in Bilbao and is the city’s main place of worship. Located in the heart of the medieval historic center called Casco Viejo, this splendid Gothic cathedral is one of the stages of the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela.

Capital of Lithuania, Vilnius is the center of Baroque art in Eastern Europe. From the peaks of its hills, you can observe the cobbled streets and the spiers of the many Catholic and Orthodox churches. Almost the size of a village, the center of Vilnius can be explored entirely by foot. The old town is clearly the main center of interest. Here you will notably find Gediminas Hill, from which Vilnius was founded. On the top of it, stands a 20 meters red brick tower topped with the Lithuanian flag which proudly flies. Inside the hill you can visit a museum and see a weapons room, models of the castle in its original appearance, as well as a terrace with a lovely view of the city.

Do not miss strolling around the main arteries of the city like Gedimino Prospekt, Vokiečių and Aušros Vartų. You will for sure arrive at the Cathedral Square, which is always very lively, especially at Christmas when the beautiful Christmas tree is installed. It is also possible to visit the church and towers of Vilnius University. This the oldest university of Eastern Europe and was founded in 1579, est. It hosts now many students from all over the world as well as the oldest library in Lithuania. Finally, beyond the beauty of the historic monuments of the old town, I personally also very much appreciated the many street art frescoes that can be found all over Vilnius.