Europe for Visitors Blog

Museum im Stasi-Bunker, Leipzig

ABOVE: A museum official shows off the airlock in the former State Security Service bunker near Leipzig, Germany.

The Museum im Stasi-Bunker, a.k.a. the Museum in the Stasi Bunker, offers an intriguing glimpse into life in the former German Democratic Republic.

The restored underground command post, which was designed to house 120 Stasi officers and two KGB liasons during an attack by NATO, occupies a wooded setting about 30 km or 19 miles from Leipzig, Saxony. During its heyday from 1972 to 1989, the site had a cover story: The GDR's powers-that-were claimed that it was a holiday retreat for Leipzig water and sewer workers.

For a two-page illustrated article about the bunker, which is open to the public once a month, see our Museum in the Stasi Bunker article in the Germany section of Europeforvisitors.com.

Top 11 tourist mistakes in Paris (and how to avoid them)

ABOVE: Don't make the mistake of standing in a long line at the Eiffel Tower: You'll save time and money when you skip the lift and take the steps instead.

We've just published an illustrated article at Paris for Visitors titled "Top 11 Tourist Mistakes in Paris (and how to avoid them)." The article, which is in the same vein as our earlier "Top 11 Tourist Mistakes in Venice" article, has pages titled: 

• Here today, gone tomorrow
• Arriving in high season
• Staying in the wrong arrondissement
• Commuting from the suburbs
• Lugging overloaded bags
• Sightseeing by the numbers
• Booking unnecessary tours
• Driving in Paris
• Overspending on local transport
• Being easy prey for pickpockets and purse-snatchers
• Saying "Adieu" instead of "Au revoir"

The article isn't just a list or slide show. Each page has practical advice and, in many cases, links to other resources at Paris for Visitors or elsewhere. 

If a trip to Paris is on your travel calendar, read our Top 11 Tourist Mistakes in Paris (and how to avoid them) before making your plans.

Our Venice travel and dog blogs

ABOVE: Maggie the dog at Venice's Carnival.

In the past week or so, we've been distracted by the challenges of moving to Venice, Italy for three months--and when we say "we," we're referring not only to us, but also to our dog Maggie, who's the subject of a new blog titled "Maggie in Venice: A Bearded Collie's Adventures in Italy." (The blog is well worth reading if you've ever thought of traveling abroad with a pet.)

Our other, non-canine Venice blog may be of interest if a Venetian vacation is on your calendar for 2010. You'll find it at VeniceTravelBlog.com, where it serves as a complement to our Venice for Visitors travel-planning site.