European tourism Gardens of Eden no 6

Excellent European community tourism destinations selected by in country popular vote this week: Heritage

Corinaldo – Italy

Corinaldo is a picturesque tourist resort surrounded by the Azure mountains of the Apennines and by the Adriatic Sea. Its so-called ‘velvet’ beach makes it a charming town of alluring glamour. It is strategically built on a hillside, with a wealth of old brick houses to be found in the districts of St Isidoro and Nevola.

Corinaldo’s buildings and sanctuaries represent a valuable artistic patrimony. The extensive Claudio Ridolfi art gallery reflects Corinaldo’s historical and cultural heritage and is situated in the former convent of the Benedectine nuns of St Ann.

The town’s theatre Carlo Goldoni is worth a visit with its marvellous coffered ceiling. A walk through the town takes you to Cassero square and the magnificent 15th century pentagonal tower, the Sperone. Via Piaggia with its 109 steps and the massive towers of Calcinaro and Rotonda are town highlights.

Corinaldo boasts a number of delicious gastronomical specialities and tasteful dishes prepared with traditional ingredients and typical foodstuffs produced by local farmers. Among these are the tantalising extravirgin oil, select wines, honey, sausages and a remarkable variety of bread.
The most original local produce is, without doubt, Le pecorelle (the little ships) which are sweet cakes prepared according to a secretly guarded recipe that has been handed down through the generations.

Throughout the year, many events and festivals keep the town alive, like the Corinaldo jazz festival, the national photograph competition – Mario Carafoli, the Cantar lontano international music festival, the Corinaldo tipica – local and traditional produce fair, and of course the St Maria Goretti celebrations. There are also theatre representations all year round.

WEBSITE:www.corinaldo.it/
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Carlingford And The Cooley Peninsula (Ireland)

Resounding legends, myths and folk tales await travellers to Ireland’s east–coast town of Carlingford. Just one hour’s drive from both Dublin and Belfast, it is perfectly located for a quick stop over. Given its beauty, however, time should not be a constraint. The place is known for its Lough whose sweeping backdrop of Slieve Foye – the highest mountain in County Louth – gives it unrivalled natural appeal.

Myriad myths and legends surround the area – from the Celts to national tales and the epic An Táin Bo Cuailnge (the cattle raid of Cooley); the Irish giant Finn McCool lies on the side of Slieve Foye with his feet resting in Carlingford Lough; and Fairy Hill on the Cooley Peninsula reputedly has the special power to magically pull parked cars up its slopes.

Carlingford was originally a Viking settlement and even its name originates from its Viking history – Carlin Fjord’ (Fjord simply meant a bay to the Vikings). It is also listed as a Medieval Heritage Town – having more historical buildings than any town of the same size in the whole of Ireland. Extensive town walls have survived, together with the ruins of monasteries and, most important of all, of civic buildings – an extremely rare happening in Ireland.

Carlingford Town, which is a virtual outdoor museum of medieval Ireland, offers various adventure activities to tourists like sailing, angling, painting workshops, golf, beauty treatments, horse riding, designer shopping, bird watching, cycling and guided walking tours. Carlingford even offers a pottery workshop, Irish traditional music workshops and a range of cookery courses taught using local produce and traditional recipes.

Festivals built around the myths and legends of the destination encourage visitor participation in local traditions.include: The Oyster Festival (end August) promotes Carlingford as a food destination, focusing on fresh local seafood during the popular Chowder Day which is the highlight of the event.

The Táin Walking Festival (March) concerns the legendary tale of the attempted theft by Queen Maedbh of Connacht of the brown bull of Cooley and the exploits of Cúchulainn, the Ulster hero, to protect the bull and Ulster from her armies. It features a series of walks and cycling routes.

WEBSITE: www.carlingford.ie/
SEE MORE AT EDEN WEBSITE
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Hortobágy (Hungary)

Hortobágy is not only part of Europe’s Great Plains region, the largest uninterrupted natural grassland in Europe, but also the place of herdsmen who have preserved a very ancient way of life.

The outstanding landscape of Hortobágy, known as puszta, in eastern Hungary is a unique example of the harmonious coexistence of people and nature. Through the considerate use of the land, both the diversity of species and habitat have been preserved. Traditional Hungarian domestic animals (nonius horse, Hungarian grey cattle, racka sheep, water buffalo, mangalica pig), as well as herdsmen, shepherds and horsemen are a regular part of the landscape.

The customs, festivities and gastronomy of Hortobágy herdsmen have endured through the centuries. 200 families still perpetuate the traditional way of life and there is now a famous centre for horse breeding which tells of the 300 years of the Máta stud. Visitors can discover more about this living heritage through the national herdsmen competition and the Hortobágy international equestrian days as well as through the herdsmen’s museum.

The Hortobágy national park, encompassing 80 000 hectares, is Hungary’s largest protected area. One of the most amazing sights in the park are its birds – flocks of migrating birds such as geese, cranes and shore birds can be spotted around the park. A major part of the national park is formed by natural habitats, alkaline grasslands and meadows, with marshes enclosed between them as a result of the water’s shape.

The rare breed park is an open-air exhibition of traditional Hungarian domestic animals, such as the nonius horse, Hungarian grey cattle, water buffalo, racka sheep, mangalica pig. The Hortobágy visitor and educational centre exhibition presents the rich flora and fauna of the national park by means of interactive multimedia tools. The centre houses a tourist information office and handicraft workshops.

The Hortobágy hosts a wide range of popular events, many of which relate to the herdsmen. There are ‘driving-in’ and ‘driving-out’ celebrations which relate to the herdsmens’ activities and take place at the end of the fall and the beginning of the spring..

Festival of the cranes: one of the most spectacular phenomena of autumn is the arrival of tens of thousands of cranes in Hortobágy that can be seen every October as they fly above the grasslands to their overnight roosting places

SEE MORE AT EDEN WEBSITE
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Prefecture Of Grevena (Greece)

The prefecture of Grevena lies in the south west part of Western Macedonia. It is a mountainous area with a rich natural habitat: forests (-Valia Calda, Valia Kirna), rivers (Aliakmon, Venetikos) valleys and flora and fauna abound. Nature intertwines with culture and history, making Grevena an attractive destination for tourists.

Grevena has a rich cultural and historical heritage with museums (a paleontological museum and archaelogical sites), important religious monuments (churches, monasteries) and the most impressive stoned bridges in all Macedonia. The most noteworthy are declared as listed monuments by the 11th Ephorate of Byzantine Monuments. The region promotes geotourism and has alpine and tourist trails. Mushrooms are an important part of local gastronomy and history.

As a mountainous region, Grevena offers diversity in the recreational activities – hiking and trekking, horse riding, mountain climbing and river sports (kayak and white water rafting). Most of the activities are related to snow and take place in the winter time. Grevena has one of the best ski resorts (Vasilitsa) and the only one with black-pine trees surrounding the ski trails.

During carnival celebrations lots of customs and traditional events take place in the region attracting many visitors. The themes for the festivals are drawn from the experiences of locals, their social life and the history of the area. Locals and visitors are entertained on a cultural route that includes photographs, music and songs – all of which offer a true sense of a genuine Grevena feast.

Every year, Deskati celebrates Easter Pasxalogiorta. Inhabitants revive the local custom of Andromana of saying goodbye to this great Orthodox feast by organising a traditional festival that attracts many visitors. The youngest people perform the Andromana local dance which is unique in Greece. Standing on each other’s shoulders, the dancers form three rows consisting of six, five and three persons respectively.

Local cuisine includes exquisite dishes made from mushrooms, meats, cheeses and organic products. Home made products like marmalades, sweets and candies, and local spirits like Tsipouro are famous throughout the region.

One way of presenting and promoting Grevena’s specific products, especially local and organic products, is the mushroom feast organised in the summer. A mushroom society has also been set up and informs the public about the mushrooms in the area and how to cook them.

WEBSITE: www.grevena.gr/
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Valere Tjolle

Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite – special offers HERE

See also

No 5 www.travelmole.com/stories/1147875.php
No 4 www.travelmole.com/stories/1147779.php
No 3 www.travelmole.com/stories/1147673.php
No 2 www.travelmole.com/stories/1147583.php
No 1 www.travelmole.com/stories/1147467.php