Europe

In Budapest in May ’12, my wife, Sandy, wanted to avoid the overpriced hotel restaurants in the area of the Hilton hotel. (A typical hotel dinner cost $80-$100 for two.)

Here are some of the places my husband, Ed, and I enjoyed eating at during our April-May ’12 stay in Naarden, the Netherlands.

by Lynn Remly; Hudson, OH

They were “only” Stone Age ancestors, yet they produced the most refined art the world has seen within the far depths of winding caves, lighted only by torch and oil. How? Why? When?

In response to the editor’s request for info on acceptable budget accommodations (Aug. ’12, pg. 67), I have three companies to suggest. There are no luxuries at any of their lodgings, but the locations are very good and the prices are great. I would gladly stay at any of them again.

by Bill Altaffer; San Diego, CA

My wife, Liz, and I were in France in August ’12 and visited Mont-Saint-Michel. Here are some tips for ITN readers planning to visit the Mont.

I am a big fan of rail travel and have taken quite a lot of trains in both Europe and Asia. These days, I often wait to buy my tickets in-country. On my last European trip, in Serbia, Bosnia and Hungary in fall 2011, I would buy each ticket on the day of travel or the day before travel.

Since I’m very bad at languages, I write down what I want — the source and destination stations; the date and time of travel, and the train number, if I know it — and just hand the paper to the clerk.

The Richard Wagner Festival 2013 will be held in Leipzig around the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth, May 22. Concerts of Wagner’s operas, ballets and chamber music will be performed May 16-26. Contact Leipzig Tourist-Information (Katharinenstraße 8, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany; phone +49 0 341 7104 260, www.richard-wagner-leipzig.de).

(Second of three parts)

In its time, Bergen was one of the most important cities of Northern Europe. Founded in 1070 by King Olav Kyrre on the western coast of Norway, Bergen served briefly as the country’s capital from 1217 to 1299 before the capital was moved to Oslo.

Its importance was also directly related to its growth as a trading center, especially after 1350, when it became one of the principal foreign trading posts of the Hanseatic League.