While settlements akin to the city of Bath date back to the time of the Romans, the region we know as Oxfordshire was overlooked and the region didn’t really start to grow in importance until the 8th century. Oxford, Oxfordshire’s county town, is renowned for being the home of the English speaking world’s oldest university, Oxford University.

Usually accepted as being an educational centre from around 1096 the university was mentioned first in the 12th century. Today Oxford can boast a range of colleges all featuring unbelievable architectural delights and the city features buildings which represent each single period of architecture from the time of the Saxons.

Also Oxford still features many of the ancient customs and traditions frequently referred to as “town and gown”. Ever since the founding of nearby Cambridge University there has been an intense rivalry between the two establishments best witnessed in the annual Oxford & Cambridge boat race.

Around the county of Oxfordshire you will discover plenty of picturesque small villages. Popular places to visit include the towns of; Abingdon, Bicester, Henley-on-Thames and Banbury. Alternative towns to visit include; Didcot, Chipping Norton, Shillingford and Thame, plus the villages of Cholsey and Shiplake.

Oxfordshire features many museums including; University Museum of Natural History in Oxford, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Museum of the History of Science and Museum of Oxford. Other museums of interest include; Didcot Railway Centre, Pitt Rivers Museum, River and Rowing Museum, Oxford Bus Museum as well as Cogges Manor Farm Museum, Witney and District Museum, Vale and Downland Museum and Abingdon County Hall Museum and others.

The countryside of Oxfordshire is truly stunning and there are a great deal of beautiful places to spend a little time however this region of England also features a large number of gardens and parks including; Evenley Wood Garden, Hidcote Manor Garden, Oxford Botanic Gardens and Kiftsgate Court Gardens plus lots more.

If you are in need of Oxfordshire bed and breakfast you might discover that Oxford hotels can frequently be rather costly unless you make a reservation on the outskirts of the city. Alternatively search for rooms in some of the close by towns and villages which are commonly less costly.

If you’ve never experienced Spain or you’ve yet to experience the best european city break destinations, Barcelona comes strongly recommended.  
Thanks to the city’s location you may also use Barcelona as a base to explore the Spanish Mediterranean shore, towns such as Madrid, Valencia and Seville, and you can also simply travel from Barcelona to the ski resorts of the Pyrenees and the Andorran or French countryside.  

Barcelona benefits from having some of the best city transport links in Europe – it’s a busy port town, it has got a complicated international airfield, national and continental rail links and a good road network also.  

These are all points in the city’s favor as a start line for further exploration of the delights around Barcelona – but what about the attractions of the town itself which you can explore with Barcelona Reisen.  

Well, architecturally speaking Barcelona has it all – it is world famous for its modernistic Gaudi structures and yet it’s also renowned for its Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture too.  Within the town there are museums, galleries, art centres, cinemas, theatres, concert venues and malls – and within a stone’s throw of the city centre you’ve got the beach and amusement parks for all of the family to enjoy.  

As you can without doubt tell already, there is more to Barcelona than can be experienced and enjoyed in a weekend break!  In fact , it’s fair to say that Barcelona is a town to be savoured which is maybe why it is starting to get a popular destination for those who want to live and work abroad and experience a new life, new languages and new cultural horizons like the Festa Mayor Gracia.  

therefore if you’re interested in seeing more of Spain and Europe, you would like to work and live abroad, learn all about the Spanish culture and luxuriate in the fantastic standard of living and way of life in Barcelona, why not consider basing yourself in the town, getting a short term employment contract, finding a rental loft and having a long working holiday in Barcelona? 

Traveling in the other direction is like being teleported into another dimension. One minute you’re in the busy financial centre of Sydney and suddenly you’re in the middle of an awe inspiring wilderness, staring across endless ranges of blue-green forests, down the dizzying face of the sheer 300 foot cliff face or up at the cascading waterfall. The Blue Mountains are an out of doors and adventure lover’s paradise. There are so many trails crisscrossing the hills and canyons of those ranges that enthusiastic hikers (or bush walkers, as we say in Australia) can easily spend weeks exploring just the ones around Katoomba or adjoining Leura and never take the same trail twice. The cliffs of the Blue Mountains enjoy legendary status among rock climbers the world over and mountain bike lovers flock there to enjoy the many winding trails that have been created just for his or her enjoyment.

Most first time visitors to the Blue Mountains go to the quaint town of Katoomba and come first straight down the main street of town to Echo Point and the Three Sisters Lookout. The three sandstone peaks that are the Three Sisters together comprise one of the most photographed landmarks in Australia, but no photograph can do them and their surroundings justice. Standing against the guardrail and looking down may give even seasoned rock climbers vertigo, but that doesn’t stop them from taking the Giant Staircase down the side of the Sisters towards the valley below and testing their skills on among the many dozens of established climbing routes scattered for miles deep within the canyons at the foot of the Sisters.

The Giant Staircase is also where thousands of hikers begin their discovery of the Blue Mountains. If you have limited time but would like to feel like you’ve escaped society, by the time you’ve reached the foot of the stairs, you will have forgotten everything. Surrounded by unspoiled nature, the only real reminders of civilization you will see will be the signs that will assist you to find your way and the occasional welcome bench where you can rest your weary feet and look out at the horizon. If weariness overcomes you and you don’t want to have to face the steep climb back up to the top, just hop on the world’s steepest railway line and you’ll be back up in minutes.

Incredibly, you can come to the Blue Mountains, do all of this stuff and still be back home in Sydney in time for dinner. However, you probably will not be in a hurry to leave. That will not be an issue, since finding comfortable Blue Mountains accommodation is stress-free. Apart from the many camping grounds in the area, you will find B&Bs, backpackers accommodations, hotels and motels to pick from. Once you’ve checked in, step outside and take a look at the many great restaurants and cafes along Katoomba Street. Being Blue Mountains locals, they know you’ll be hungry and looking for a hearty meal. They won’t disappoint you, either!