This post contains my very special moments during christmas, especially christmas decorations, baking, tree, lights, mood, etc.

In Slovakia, Christmas celebrations begin with Advent. Many Slovaks are Roman Catholics so this is the start of the important spiritual preparations for Christmas.

During Advent there are lots of preparations to be made for Christmas. This includes cleaning the house, baking, shopping and buying the Christmas three. Carps are also sold on the streets from big tanks (carp is eaten in the main Christmas meal).

Christmas Eve is the most important day during Christmas for Slovaks. It is called ‘Štědrý den’ (the Generous Day). The actual evening is called ‘Štědrý večer’ (the Generous Evening) and the Christmas season is called ‘Vianoce’.

In Slovakian Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Vesele Vianoce’.

Each and every region in Slovakia has different traditions when it comes to food.

West Bratislava loves to have their carp fish with some potato salad on the plate. East region like their bobalky – it is flour pasta with either cabbage or poppy seeds and it carptastes delicious! People of east Slovakia go for ribs and ham. Interesting, right?

Bathtub carp is one of several traditions tied to Christmas Eve — a day that is the centerpiece of holiday celebrations for Slovaks and some others in central Europe. It is also the day, children are told, when baby Jesus brings a Christmas tree. (This requires some elaborate subterfuge from parents, who must hide and decorate the tree behind closed doors.) Later in the day, the little ones get their gifts.

And as magically as the fully decorated Christmas tree appears, the pet carp’s life not-so-magically ends. Traditionally, the father takes the live fish from the family tub and, in most cases, slices its head off with a knife. It can be more difficult than it sounds.

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Time: December 2025

Location: Hažín nad Cirochou, Home Village, Humenné County, Prešov District

This post contains very special moments during my visiting Paris, especially during New Years´Eve celebrations, season of holidays.

My perfect three days in Paris:

Arrival in Paris in the morning, city tour: Île de la Cité – the oldest part of the city: Consiergerie – a beautiful prison building, where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned, there is a medieval astronomical clock on the wall, Sainte chapelle – a Gothic chapel from the 13th century, hiding unique stained glass windows with 1134 scenes from the Old and New Testaments, Palace of Justice – the oldest residence of French kings, today a complex of court buildings occupying almost one third of the island, Notre Dame Cathedral – a gem of Gothic architecture, royal coronations, weddings and funerals took place here, Victor Hugo set the plot of the novel Notre Dame de Paris here. Hôtel de ville – city hall, seat of the Parisian administration since 1357, scene of many uprisings and revolutions, walk along the Seine River to the Louvre – once a royal castle, today with over 35,000 exhibits, the largest museum in the world.

In the morning, a tour of the artistic district of Montmartre, dominated by the Sacré Coeur temple, built of white travertine in the neo-Romanesque-Byzantine style. From Sacré Coeur there is a magnificent view of the whole of Paris. Moulin Rouge – the most famous cabaret of the world, located in the “alley of love”. Around lunchtime, arrival at the Pont d’Alma tunnel, in which Princess Diana died, boat trip on the Seine. In the afternoon – early evening, personal free time on the prestigious Champs-Elysées boulevard. Evening free New Year’s Eve program in Paris.

In the morning, a walk along the Seine River past the Musée d’Orsay – a former railway building, now a museum of impressionism, the Bourbon Palace – the seat of parliament, the Hotel des Invalides – a complex of buildings built by King Louis XIV for 6,000 war veterans. Today, it houses the Army Museum, which charts French military history, the Invalides – a military hospital and home for war veterans, the Cathedral, which is the seat of the French military ordinariate and in its crypt are the tombs of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, his son Orlik, his brother and prominent generals and marshals, the Museum of the Order of Liberation – the most honorable French decoration, awarded to those who contributed to the victory of the Allies during World War II, the Museum of Models of Fortresses and Fortified Cities, the Ecole militaire – the royal military academy, where Napoleon also studied.

Then move to the symbol of Paris – the Eiffel Tower – a 324-meter high tower in memory of the centennial of the Great French Revolution, built on the occasion of the exhibition held in Paris in 1889. During the free time, there is the possibility of climbing to the 2nd floor (115 meters) or the 3rd floor (276 meters). During personal free time, it is also possible to walk across the river to the former Trocadéro exhibition palace.

Paris is the city of romance par excellence, the fashion capital and the best example of French art de vivre.

Exploring Paris is an essential rite of passage for anyone who decides to learn French and get to know France. There are so many things to do and see in Paris that, however long you stay, it won’t seem long enough. You can climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower to enjoy breathtaking views of the city, wander along the Champs-Elysées, visit the Louvre, have fun at Disneyland Paris, go shopping or window-shopping in the stores of Le Marais and the Place des Vosges.

Enjoying an ice-cream or macaroons on a terrace, enjoying the parks and gardens, seeing a musical or taking part in an Escape Game are all things you can do in the capital. Paris is also a city of sport which is renowned for football (PSG) and tennis (Roland Garros and Paris-Bercy tournaments). Montmartre is the setting of Amélie, and will captivate you with its preserved authenticity. This district, which resembles a village with its paved streets, its portraitists and bistros is an absolute must-see.

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Time: December 2025, January 2026

Location: Paris, France, European Union

This post contains very special moments during my visiting christmas markets in Zakopane, Poland.

Zakopane lies near Poland’s border with Slovakia, in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It is connected by rail and road to the provincial capital, Kraków. Zakopane lies 800–1,100 metres (2,600–3,600 ft) above sea level and centres on the intersection of its Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.

Zakopane became a center for the region’s mining and metallurgy industries; by the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in the region of Galicia. It expanded during the 19th century as the climate attracted more inhabitants. By 1889, it had developed from a small village into a climatic health resort. Rail services to Zakopane began on 1 October 1899. In the late 1800s, Zakopane constructed a road that went to the town of Nowy Targ and had railways that came from Chabówka. Because of easier transportation, the population of Zakopane had increased to about 3,000 people by the end of the 1800s. In the 19th century, Krupówki Street was just a narrow beaten path that was meant for people to get from the central part of town to the village of Kuźnice.

Zakopane is visited by over 2,500,000 tourists a year.[citation needed] In the winter, Zakopane’s tourists are interested in winter sports activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoe walks, and Ice skating. During the summer, Tourists come to do activities like hiking, climbing, bike and horse ride the Tatras mountain, there are many trails in the Tatras. Tourists ride quads and dirt bikes that you can rent. Swimming and boat rides on the Dunajec river are popular. Many come to experience Goral culture, which is rich in its unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and costume. Zakopane is especially popular during the winter holidays, which are celebrated in traditional style, with dances, decorated horse-pulled sleighs called kuligs and roast lamb.

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Time: December 2025

Location: Zakopane, Poland, European Union

This post contains my special moments at Christmas markets in Oradea, Romania.

The Oradea Fortress is a historic fortification located within the city, whose origins date back to the 11th century when it served as an episcopal residence and religious centre. Throughout the Middle Ages, the fortress played a strategic role in the border region between Central and Eastern Europe.

The Citadel of Oradea, which was built during the Mongol invasion, was first mentioned in 1241. The fortress would be destroyed and rebuilt several times over the following centuries. The 14th and 15th centuries were the most prosperous periods in the city’s history up to that point. Many monuments were erected, including statues of Saints Stephen, Emeric, and Ladislaus (before 1372) and the equestrian sculpture of St. King Ladislaus I (1390). The statue of St. Ladislaus was the first proto-Renaissance public square equestrian monument in Europe. Bishop Andreas Báthori (1329–1345) rebuilt the Cathedral in the Gothic style as well as the Hermes reliquary, now preserved at Győr, containing the skull of St. Ladislaus.

Oradea’s architecture reflects a blend of historical influences, shaped by its political and cultural transitions over time. The city features a combination of Communist-era apartment blocks, predominantly in its peripheral neighborhoods, and a significant stock of historical buildings from the period when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In addition to many Baroque buildings, Oradea has a collection of Art Nouveau architecture.

Many buildings constructed in Oradea during the early 20th century reflect influences from Ödön Lechner and the Vienna Secession movement. Architectural works from this period include a range of building types: rental palaces such as Moskovits Palace I and II, Apollo Palace, Stern Palace, Adorján Houses I and II, and Darvasy Palace; private villas including La Roche, Vágó, and Okany Schwartz; hotels such as Pannonia, Emke, Rimonoczy, Weiszlovics, and Fekete Sas (also known as Vulturul Negru); as well as military buildings along Armatei Române Street.

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Time: December 2025

Location: Romania, European Union