The Amazing Murals of the Hotel Ruins of Alyko

The secluded cape of Alyko in the southwest of Naxos island is surrounded by the most beautiful coves and beaches. But Alyko is not only famous for its idyllic secluded bays. It has actually a real landmark. Pretty much in the center of the peninsula is a long-abandoned and uncompleted resort. Today, these hotel ruins of Alyko are decorated with murals by street artists from all over the world. 

Mural at the Ghost Hotel in Alyko Beach in Naxos
This mural that basically bursts through walls was created by Indonesian street artist Wild Drawing – or in short WD. It is definitely the most famous and most photographed of the works at Alyko’s open-air gallery.
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Street Art in SEVILLE: Arte Para Todos in the San Pablo District

Seville is one of those many Spanish cities where you can spend days just walking around. Squeezing through picturesque cobblestone alleys, enjoying tapas, bloodred wine, and passionate Flamenco. Visiting the Cathedral, the Alcazar, and the Plaza de España.
But apart from the many world-famous landmarks, Seville has some less glorious barrios located on the outskirts.
One of them is San Pablo located northeast of the center.
Instead of magnificent Andalusian and Moorish architecture, you’ll walk between rather sad housing projects. Nevertheless, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stroll through San Pablo since it’s also home to the art project Arte Para Todos and therewith to the best street art in all of Seville.

Mural by Veronica Werckmeister, street art at the San Pablo district in Sevilla
Expectedly, there is also a mural depicting a fierce Flamenco dancer.
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Seven Days in BARCELONA And Ten Reasons Not to Miss Out on a Visit

As international travel picked up again, one of the first trips I did was to spend seven days in Barcelona, Catalonia’s exciting capital. Barcelona is one of the most-visited cities in Europe, and in this post, I’m listing ten valid reasons why you have to visit this gem, too.

View of Barcelona from the Parque Güell
Some of Barcelona’s highlights in one single picture: The Parque Güell, the Sagrada Familia, the Mediterranean Sea.
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Weekend in DUISBURG – Steel And Style in Germany’s Ruhr Area

On my discovery tour through Germany’s Ruhr Area, I spent a weekend in Duisburg, a city mainly known for its large steel plants but extremely underrated when it comes to art and style.

Tiger And Turtle, a rollercoaster in a new style, visited on a weekend in Duisburg.
The walkable rollercoaster Tiger & Turtle is one of Duisburg’s most outstanding landmarks.

Very unjustly so, because you’ll be surprised how many hidden gems I pulled out from Duisburg’s cultural lucky bag.

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Guide to MALMÖ – a city in search of 24 more nations

Let me guide you to Malmö, a city that combines in a very intriguing way the folksy charm of Astrid Lindgren’s children’s tales and the hip atmosphere of a students’ town – which it is, actually.

View of the Västra Hamnen, Malmö's "city of tomorrow" with the iconic "Turning Torso" from the city beach Ribersborgsstranden.
View of the Västra Hamnen, Malmö’s city of tomorrow with the iconic Turning Torso from the city beach Ribersborgsstranden.

In fact, Malmö has 320,000 inhabitants who share 77 square kilometers. This makes it, believe it or not, Sweden’s third-largest city – after Stockholm and Göteborg.

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TIVOLI – Villas, Waters, and Wealth. A Day Trip from Rome

A day trip from Rome took me to Tivoli where I found mesmerizing villas and playful waters. In short, the remnants of Antique Roman wealth.

View of Tivoli from Hadrian's Villa,  seen when visiting the Villas on a Day Trip
The so-called Poecile with the Roman Campagna in the backdrop.

Mind you, already Mr. Hadrian used to spend relaxing weekends at Tivoli almost 2,000 years ago.

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Best Street Art in PARIS: How Mehdi Ben Cheikh Transformed the 13th Arrondissement Into An Open-Air Gallery

Yes, there is the Eiffel Tower. D’accord, you need to pay the Louvre a visit. Okay, let’s go on a walk alongside the River Seine. But besides all this, make sure to pay also some of the lesser-known and underrated arrondissements a visit. Because it’s right there where the best street art in Paris is waiting for you!

Mural by Pejac - the best street art in Paris.
If you cannot see right away why this mural by Pejac is simply genius, you need to take a closer look. Or check out the zoom below.

Under the aegis of Parisian art dealer and cultural entrepreneur Mehdi Ben Cheikh, the 13e arrondissement in particular has undergone an impressive revival from an a bit run-down part of the city into an open-air gallery.

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Best Street Art in LONDON – Part II: Shoreditch

In the first part on urban art in London, I guided you through Camden Town where there’s barely a street you can walk down without spotting some amazing murals. In this post, I’m proving that it gets even bigger’n’better by introducing you to the best street art in Shoreditch in the Eastern part of London – since that’s where it basically all began.

Mural in Shorditch. Best Street Art in London Shoreditch.
Nuff Said.
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Best Street Art in LONDON – Part I: Camden

In all its different shapes and forms, urban art has been a crucial part of London for decades. Visiting neighborhoods like Camden or Shoreditch, there’s barely a street you can walk down without spotting some amazing murals. In this post, I’m introducing the best street art London offers in the area around Camden. Then, in the second part, we continue our chase for street art in the hunting grounds of Shoreditch in the Eastern part of the city.

Mural of Amy Winehouse by JXC in London's district of Camden.
Camden’s most famous daughter: Amy Winehouse who sadly joined the infamous Club 27 in 2011. JXC painted this memorial.
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