London weeks started

Show us your London, and win a long weekend to a city where you have never been.
Publish your photo on our Facebook Page’s wall, tag yourself, and you already qualified.

The more “like” your photo gets, the greater chance to win. If you have a story related to the photo, don’t be shy, and tell us.

The game will close on 31st of May.

Game description!

We would love to see beautiful or funny pictures about London. Don’t be shy, upload your photo to our Facebook Page  and win a 3 night City Break for 2 person in a city of your choice.

How to proceed?

1. Upload your photo to europenethotels fan page’s wall

Upload it here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/europenethotelscom/321659022333

2. Go to Photos, find yours, and tag yourself on the photo.

That simple. You already qualified!

Who will win?

You can decide who to win!
The winner will be who’s photo will get the highest “like”

What to win?

The winner will have to choose the destination from europenethotels.com and also will be able to choose the dates. The prize is 3 nights apartment accommodation for 2 people in a chosen destination.

Terms

- We accept only one photo per user

- The long weekend includes the apartment accommodation for 3 nights in the chosen city.

- You have to choose the destination and the apartment from www.europenethotels.com

- We do not limit the travel dates, its your choice

- The total cost of the chosen apartment must be up to 400 euro

Happy Travel !

London weeks by europenethotels

Coming up on 30st of April

Including

- a game where you can win a long weekend,

- we will show you 16 Awesome Hidden Gems of London

- insight interviews with our new partners in London.

Stay tuned…

16 Awesome Hidden Gems of London

London – the land of tea and crumpets, the Queen and the red phoneboxes. Every guide book will tell you to stop at Trafalgar Square or look around Harrods.

But if you want to try something a bit more, well, local, then try these places out. (Go on, they’re near the tourist stops you do want to go to…)

1. Franco Manca

London may not be known for its pizza, but that may change. Franco Manca in Brixton offers handmade pizzas on a slow-rising sourdough crust, finished with various seasonal toppings. All for less than £7. And after you eat dinner there, you can head to one of Brixton’s many clubs for a fantastic night out.

NEAR - Brixton Academy

Credit: JP Hussey on Flickr

2. Bea’s of Bloomsbury

If you’re in the mood for afternoon tea, this is the place to go. Tucked away in – you guessed it – Bloomsbury, this cafe has a set afternoon tea starting at £9 per person. Its cakes are baked and decorated in a kitchen in the back, and everything, from the decor to the porcelain to the wonderful staff perfectly illustrate the charm of British eccentricity. The only downside? It’s incredibly popular with the locals, so you have to book a table, often well in advance of your visit. But it’s so worth the wait.

NEAR - British Museum

Credit: Food Stories on Flickr

3. 606 Club

This club has been showcasing the best British-based musicians for over 30 years, making it a great place to find some hidden musical gems as well. Because of licensing restrictions, they can only serve alcohol to non-members along with a “substantial meal”, but with offerings like Welsh rack of lamb and fresh sea bass, that shouldn’t be a problem.

NEAR - Chelsea Stadium

Credit: m@teo on Flickr

4. Gordon’s Wine Bar

Even though this bar is right next to Charing Cross Underground station, it can be easy to miss: you have to turn down a small walkway, then down a steep set of stairs to the bar. Housed in 17th century cellars, it has the atmosphere of a centuries-old tavern, though that could also be because it is London’s oldest wine bar.

NEAR - Trafalgar Square

Credit: Ewan-M on Flickr

5. The Albion

The oldest operating country pub in London, The Albion was established when Islington was still mostly farmland and fields. Now it’s an incredibly popular pub with a large beer garden in the lush and green Barnsbury area. Though that might be enough to make it a local favourite, it’s the pub’s award-winning Sunday roast that makes people trek from all over the city to spend an afternoon here. But be sure to book a table – at least a few weeks in advance.

NEAR - Upper Street, Islington

The Albion - used with permission 

6. Sunday Upmarket

Here you’ll find some unique items, like vintage dresses, handmade hats and one-off pieces of jewellery, often being sold by their designers. And if you feel like having a bite to eat, you can sample the cuisine of Spain, India, Ethiopia, the Caribbean, amongst many others. It takes every Sunday place in the Old Truman Brewery, an 11-acre collection of shops, restaurants, offices and other spaces.

NEAR – Brick Lane

Credit: LiB on Wikimedia Commons 

7. Monmouth Coffee Company

If you love coffee, this is the place for you. Monmouth Coffee Company makes strong, silky drinks that allow the nuances of a superb roast shine through. They even roast their own beans, supplying many of the other top coffee shops in town. Its employees’ immense knowledge and sublime technique are probably why it regularly features on lists of the top coffee shops in London.

NEAR – Borough Market and Covent Garden

Credit: sashafatcat on Flickr

8. No 12 bus route

If you really want to ride a big red bus to see some of London’s most famous sites, there’s no need to buy those expensive tickets for cheesy tours when you can hop on the northbound 12. Catch it just outside Lambeth North Underground Station, then take it across the river. It takes you past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, 10 Downing Street and Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus. For just £2.00.

NEAR – Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus

Credit: oyxman on Wikimedia Commons

9. The Bar at the Courthouse Hotel

Ever wanted to know what it’s like to spend the night in a 19th jail cell? No? What about hanging out with up to seven of your friends enjoying “legal-themed cocktails” ‘til the wee hours there? If your answer is yes, then this is where you need to go. Plus, you’ll be hanging out where both Oscar Wilde and Keith Richards were held whilst awaiting their trials.

NEAR – Oxford Circus

Credit: Mark Hillary on Flickr

10. East End shopping

(Beyond Retro and www.beyondretro.com and Absolute Vintage)

We’ve already mentioned the East End is great place to shop (see Sunday Upmarket), but if you are heading over that way sometime that isn’t Sunday, you won’t be at a loss for great vintage shops and unique boutiques. They line just about every street around Brick Lane, and they pretty much all have great finds. The biggest – and arguably, best – vintage shops are Beyond Retro and Absolute Vintage, but be sure to stop in a couple of the random shops, too. You’re guaranteed to find something you never knew you couldn’t live without.

NEAR – Spitalfields Market

11. The Roof Gardens

The gardens, spreading across 1.5 acres, are actually three themed gardens: the Spanish Garden, based on the Alhambra in Granada; the Tudor Garden, inspired by that period of British history; and the English Woodland. The English Woodland mimicks the natural English countryside, but it has quite a few ducks as well as a few somewhat unexpected residents – the Gardens’ four flamingos, Bill, Ben, Splosh and Pecks. All of this sits 100 feet above Kensington High Street, on top of soil just 1.5 meters deep.

NEAR – The Serpentine

Credit: Rosalind Mitchell on geograph.org.uk

12. Gay Hussar

Though its traditional Hungarian dishes are still served by friendly staff, people come here for the history. The Gay Hussar’s heyday was after World War II, when the leftist intelligencia and Labour MPs would congregate here to eat, drink and plot the occassional political coup. This rich history is memorialised with the caricatures of various Labour MPs that practically wallpaper the amospheric dining room.

NEAR – Shaftsbury Avenue

Credit: Baston on Flickr 

13. VV Rouleaux

So we’ve made it clear where to shop if you want to buy unique handmade products (see East End shopping), but if you like to make those products yourself, you should make your way to this shop on Marylebone High Street. Packed with the company’s own brand of trimmings and edgings, from ribbons, tassels, tie-backs to flowers and interior and fashion accessories, the store, like our mothers’ jewellery boxes, holds all the shiny, pretty things that fascinated us as children.

NEAR – Madame Tussauds

Credit: Robert on Picasa 

14. Urban Golf

If you thought golf could never be an urban sport, this place will prove you wrong. It’s more chic hangout than simple putting mats, with its locations’ distinctive interior design, state-of-the-art technology and bars serving sushi and lager keep guests fuelled for their games. The golf itself is played in a small room with a screen and two sensors. You tee up with a real ball and club, hit the ball into the screen, which projects one of 22 world-famous courses on the wall. The super-sensitive sensors measure the speed and direction of the shot, allowing it to figure out how your shot would have played and projecting its flight onto the simulated green. Whether you’re a tech-head or a golf freak or just a bit curious, you need to try this one out.

NEAR – High Street Kensington, Soho and Smithfield

Credit: riklomas on Flickr 

15. Renoir Cinema

This cinema is part of a renowned chain, Curzon Cinemas, that specialise in independent films. But this theatre focusses on French art house films and movies by new world talent. Pretty much the antithesis of Leicester Square’s glitz and shimmer, it seats only 500 people at its two screens, and its bar is, like its sister cinemas, a sophisticated, laid-back destination in its own right.

NEAR – ish to the British Library

Credit: Robin Schroder on Flickr 

16. Village Underground

Part studio, part art collective and part nightclub, this venue embodies artistic vanguard, where the cultural forefront of London comes together. Artists can put up their studios in retired Underground tube carriages, and a restored Victorian warehouse forms the backdrop for its events – maybe a DJ one night, an upcoming band the next, a mixed-discipline art experience the day after that.

NEAR –Shoreditch

Credit: diamond geezer on Flickr 

In a week since we have launched the wordpress widget we have got a lot of requests for developing also a blogspot gadget. We have decided to make the widget available for blogger and blogspot users too.

Steps of the installation:

1. log in to your blogger, blogspot account and on the dashboard choose “layout”

2. on the right side click “add a gadget”

3. in the popup window choose “add your own” and insert the following link: static.europenethotels.com/gadget/gadget.xml

4. fill in the title field and height field

5. contact us to obtain your affiliate key, so you can start earn on bookings generated by your site

If you need any help we are happy to serve you, do not hesitate to contact us.

The Europenethotels widget allows users visiting your site, blog to initiate bookings on www.eropenethotels.com and reserve apartments as needed.

Download WordPress widget here: Europenethotels Widget

Now, here you come.

- We are able to pay a commission for each reservation you drove to europenethotels.

- No monthly fee, no minimum to pay rules, you will get paid on the first day of the month.

- You will be able to track all the bookings made through your site, by our administration panel

Steps of intallation:

1. download it

2. unpack

3. upload it to wp-content/plugins path

4. login to wp admin, and activate the plugin

5. add your widget to your sidebar in wp admin

6. contact us to obtain your affiliate key, so you can start earn on bookings generated by your site

If you need any help we are happy to serve you, do not hesitate to contact us.

Wouldn’t it be nice to find your perfect accommodation using Google Earth? We have developed a plugin for google earth to track the available apartments around your travel destination.

All you have to do is to download the kml file and double click on it. This will install the kml placemarks directly into your Google Earth in “Temporary Places”, Right click and save to “My Places”

Thats all, you are now ready to use it.

Download the kml file from here: Europenethotels kml file

Download Google Earth from here: Google Earth download

Bratislava - Pressburg - Pozsony

The Capital of Slovak Republic

Bratislava is a historic city, which has grown out of its past as a free royal coronation town. At that time it was known as Pressburg, Prešporok or Pozsony. The spirit of its past can be felt in every step. In the historical city centre one can find amazing pastel-coloured palaces, built by European nobility.

Visitors will enjoy the many reconstructed fountains from times long gone, gothic churches, romantic narrow alleyways and one of the most stunning old squares in East Central Europe.

Facts

Bratislava is situated in Central Europe. It is stretching on both banks of the Danube River, the second biggest river in Europe, and at the foot of the mountains of Small Carpathians. Bratislava spreads at the borders of three countries, neighboring with Hungary in the south and Austria in the west. In administrative terms, the city is divided into 17 boroughs.

The Carpathian mountain range begins in city territory with the Little Carpathians (Malé Karpaty). The Záhorie and Danubian lowlands stretch into Bratislava. The city’s lowest point is at the Danube’s surface at 126 metres AMSL, and the highest point is Devínska Kobyla at 514 metres. The average altitude is 140 metres.

Area: 367.5 km2
Position: 17o7´of eastern longitude, 48o9´of northern latitude
Elevation above the sea: 126 – 514 m above the sea level
Time zone: CET (GMT + 1 hour)
Summer time from March to October (GMT + 2 hours)

Getting Around

Bratislava is in Central Europe in a triangle of 3 capital cities: Vienna is a mere 60 km away, Prague 300 km and Budapest 200 km. Whether you fly, arrive by boat along the River Danube, or by car or train, getting there is quick and easy. Bratislava is the gateway to Slovakia, both practically and symbolically.

Walking around Bratislava you will discover that it really is a little big city. The intimate and compact ancient city centre, which is home to most of the city’s cultural and historical monuments, is an exclusively pedestrian zone. Within walking distance you will find not only the best and largest hotels and restaurants, but also a wealth of galleries, museums, theatres and historical sights.

The dense network of trams, buses and trolleybuses means you can move around easily outside the core of the city. Universal tickets covering all connections can be bought at any newspaper stand or from ticket machines (only coins accepted). A 10-minute ticket costs SKK 14, and a 30-minute ticket SKK 18, which is under 50 Euro cents. It is worth buying an all-day or multi-day ticket. The ticket is only valid once stamped in the machine on the vehicle and is transferable. You can find timetables at every stop. Ticket prices and types.

Coming back to the hotel in the ‘wee small hours’ is not a problem. If you are accommodated outside the centre you can use one of the night buses or call a taxi. The night buses run from 23:00 to 05:00 in the morning.

The so-called tourist information connections operate on lines that link entry points to the city with its centre. The ambition of these lines is to help visitors find their way around Bratislava and to give them some basic information about how to spend their free time in the city.

There are many underground and open-air car-parks in Bratislava. The cheapest parking is on designated parking places on the city streets, tickets for which can be bought from street sellers wearing orange vests. We strongly recommend that you use designated parking areas to avoid the unpleasant experience of having your car clamped or towed away!

Bratislava welcomes tourists, business people, and investors, who are attracted to this blooming city and its lively atmosphere. There are many cities in Europe that can boast their own special unique charm, and Bratislava is definitely one of them.

You can enjoy the best Bratislava Apartment selection too.

Special thanks for the information provided by www.visitbratislava.eu, Bratsilava’s Tourism Office.

Prague

A city on a river and nine hills

Our team is cooperated with the Czech Republic tourist office to give you the most authentic taste of Prague.

The capital of the Czech Republic

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. It has an area of 496 km2 and is home to 1,200,000 people
The year 870, when Prague castle was established, is regarded as the beginning of the city’s existence. However, people inhabited the area in the early Stone Age.
In 1918, at the end of World War I, Prague was declared the capital of a new country – the Czechoslovak Republic. In 1993 it became the capital of an independent Czech Republic.

In the heart of Europe

Prague is situated in the heart of Europe – approximately 600km from the Baltic, 700km from the North Sea and 700km from the Adriatic.
Prague is not a huge distance from other central European cities. Vienna is 300km away, Bratislava 320km, Berlin 350km, Budapest 550km, Warsaw 630km and Copenhagen 750km.
Prague city centre’s exact geographical location is 50°05‘19“N and 14°25‘17“E.
The city is on Central European Time (CET; GMT + 1), summer time - CET + 1 (GMT + 2)

Unesco Listed Sights

Prague’s historical centre has an area of 866ha (Hradčany and Prague Castle, Malá Strana, the Old Town including Charles Bridge and Josefov, the New Town and Vyšehrad). Since 1992 it has been listed by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.

European city of Culture 2000

Prague is one of nine European cities to hold this prestigious title which it gained thanks to its numerous museums and galleries housing unique collections, tens of theatres and important concert halls which host performances by world famous artists.
You may also be interested in Prague Apartments

A city on a river and nine hills

Undulating topography gives Prague its inimitable beauty and its stunning panoramic views. Prague’s many hills provide some stunning vistas.
The River Vltava flows through Prague for 31km, and at its widest measures 330m. The Vltava has created some interesting places in Prague – islands and meanders, providing many idyllic scenes.

A city of love

A walk through the gas-lit narrow streets, a kiss under a tree in blossom in a Baroque garden, a cruise on a historical steamship, night time at a castle or chateau, a ride on a steam train, a wedding in a chateau park – all of these are ingredients in the cocktail that is Prague. And it’s up to every visitor which ingredients to add.

Shopping and culinary delights

Famous Czech glass, costume jewellery, celebrated Czech beer, natural cosmetics, culinary specialities, world-famous brand names – all these come with a guarantee of quality and at a very reasonable price.

Prague, a city of a hundred spires

The city’s huge number of towers led to the city being called ‘the city of a hundred spires’ several centuries ago. At present there are around 500 towers in the city.

Special thanks for the information provided by www.czechtourism.com , Czech Republic’s Tourism Office.

Budapest Bathing Culture - including Szechenyi, Rudas, Kiraly and Gellert thermal baths

You cannot visit Budapest without indulging in a hot bath, one of the oldest and most popular traditions in the city.

Bath culture in Hungary was developed during the 16^th and 17^th centuries, but has been used for a much longer time, originally by the Romans, who had been using thermal baths for healing and relaxation for years. The baths are still as popular as ever, but are currently more comparable to spas. Set against beautiful, landscaped backdrops, there are nearly 50 hot baths throughout the city where people can gather to soak as a group or alone.

Known throughout the world as the “City of Spas,” Budapest has so many hot baths because the land underneath the city is littered with natural springs and wells. When the Romans began building the baths hundreds of years ago, they believed that the mineral water beneath the ground supplied healing waters. Naturally warm, the water offers a relaxing experience for everyone and soothes body aches and pains.

In modern times, the baths in the city are both more formal and laid back. Upscale spas and hotels feature elegant baths where wealthy guests can enjoy a hot soak before or after various spa treatments while public baths provide the ideal places for families and locals to indulge and enjoy the company of others.

The city also still features several of the baths built by the Romans, all of which have been remodeled throughout the years to provide the same kind of relaxing escape amidst their original beauty.

Bathing houses and baths also serve as meeting places in the city. Friends and family members will often meet up at a bathing house on a weekend while business colleagues are known to have meetings while indulging in a hot bath. While this may seem inappropriate in other cultures, bathing is so popular in Budapest and has been around for so long, that it’s not only appropriate, but encouraged.

Some of the most popular bathing houses in Budapest today include the Gellert Baths, located in the Gellert Hotel, the Kiraly Baths, the Szechenyi baths, the Lukacs Baths and the Rudas Baths, which many argue are the best in Hungary.

Pictures of thermal baths in Budapest:

Szechenyi Bath

Gellert Bath

Rudas Bath

Kiraly Bath

More information in english about Baths in Budapest: http://www.budapestgyogyfurdoi.hu/en/

From Soups and Main Courses to Desserts

Slovak Dumpling Dishes in Bratislava

Though the city has yet to have been identified with a main cultural cuisine, Bratislava is increasingly becoming known for its Slovak-inspired meals, most of which are based around the dumpling. Often potato-based, the Slovak dumpling is a national dish and can be eaten as an appetizer, snack, main course or dessert throughout the day, no matter what meal you’re eating.

Slovak dumpling dishes in Bratislava can be both sweet and savoury. In Slovakia, the dumplings are commonly known as halusky. The most popular dumplings in the city are Bryndzove halusky, which are small potato dumplings without a filling served with sheep’s cheese sprinkled on top.

While it’s safe to say that the most popular Bratislava Slovak dumpling recipes are often hearty, combining meat and cheese for a main course, there are also several notable soup, appetizer and dessert recipes that revolve around dumplings as well. While dumplings can be combined with a main dish, they’re often served as a side dish, as many countries would use traditional potatoes or rice. Below, we’ve listed some of the most popular dumpling selections in Bratislava.

Halusky & Fried Cabbage – Slovak dumplings made from potatoes combined with fried cabbage. Often eaten for lunch or dinner.

Prune Dumplings – Though this is a sweeter dish, it’s usually served during the main course as a side.

Kapustinica (Slovak Soup) – This popular soup is made with cabbage, smoked pork sausage, various vegetables and dumplings. It’s often served at Christmas and weddings.

Rezeň & Dumplings – Served most often for dinner, this is a popular breaded steak recipe served with dumplings covered with sauce on the side.

Apple Dumplings – Though there are many renditions of this dish throughout the world, the Slovak version includes potato dumplings with seasoned, cooked apples either on top of them or inside. This is most often eaten for dessert, but enjoyed for breakfast as well