october-2012

FREE 

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 • WIZZAIR.COM • WIZZMAGAZINE.COM 

SKOPJE 

Lifting the lid 

on the Balkan’s 

best-kept secret 

WIZZ AIR CAFÉ & BOUTIQUE | CITY GUIDES 

DEBRECEN 

Riding with the 

Hortobágy cowboys 

UNDER 

BELGRADE 

Exploring the city 

beneath the city 

PLUS POLISH LONDON | BEST EATS IN VILNIUS | SKIING IN ANDORRA

8 

14 

CONTENTS 

8 SNAPSHOTS 

Events around the network, including Sonny 

Rollins (left) in Prague. 

11 GET ACTIVE 

A modern take on treasure-hunting. 

12 TRAVEL 2.0 

Airbnb helps travellers find somewhere 

cheap to stay, but it could also introduce 

you to a new friend for life. 

14 FOOD & DRINK 

A new wave of boutique bakeries in 

Budapest; the top eats in Vilnius; and 

the world’s best (Belgian) beer. 

18 GADGETS 

We test drive the latest and most serious 

challenger in the eReader market. 

20 SHOPPING 

My partner went to Paris and all they 

bought me was… well, some very nice 

things indeed. 

22 EXPATS 

Meet three Polish entrepreneurs with 

thriving businesses in London. 

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012 WIZZ MAGAZINE 3

CONTENTS 

24 DEBRECEN 

Hungary’s second city is the gateway to 

the Hortobágy, the country’s oldest and 

biggest national park. And it has cowboys. 

30 SKOPJE 

Massive investment is changing the face 

of the Macedonian capital, but its greatest 

asset remains its people. 

42 LUBLIN 

Why is a city in far eastern Poland hosting a 

festival devoted to an avant-garde, modern 

American composer? 

48 BELGRADE 

There’s a whole other world beneath the 

streets of the Serbian capital; we take up a 

torch and explore. 

54 SKI PREVIEW 

In anticipation of the first snowfall of 

the year, we visit the slopes of Andorra and 

4 WIZZ MAGAZINE OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012 

look at skiing opportunities in 

the vicinity of Milan. 

66 DESTINATION GUIDES 

On-the-ground recommendations for 

cities on the Wizz Air network. 

95 WIZZ AIR INFO PAGES 

News and other important information. 

103 CAFÉ & BOUTIQUE 

Choose from our extensive range of 

refreshments, accessories and gifts. 

24 

30 

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Scan the QR code on the left and you will be taken directly 

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FREE 


SKOPJE 





DEBRECEN 



UNDER 

BELGRADE 



PLUS POLISH LONDON | BEST EATS IN VILNIUS | SKIING IN ANDORRA 

WIZZ_39_p001_Cover.indd 1 18/09/2012 15:36 

Editors 

Andrew Humphreys 

Piet van Niekerk 

Art Director 

Daniel Di Paolo 

Picture Editor 

Julia Holmes 

Sub-editor 

Clive Morris 

Production 

Antonia Ferraro, Karl Martins 

Group Publishing Director 

Mark Duke 

Publisher 

Brano Haar 

Advertising Sales Executives 

Anna Tereszkiewicz, 

Oleksiy Korniychuk, 

Lukasz Trzeszczkowski 

Online Director 

Sal Lababidi 

Executive Creative Director 

Michael Keating 

Publishing Director 

Simon Leslie 

Chief Operating Officer 

Hugh Godsal 

Chief Executive 

Jeffrey O’Rourke 

WIZZ is published on behalf 

of Wizz Air by Ink. All 

correspondence and advertising 

enquiries should 

be addressed to: 

WIZZ, Ink, 

141-143 Shoreditch High Street, 

London E1 6JE 

Tel: +44 (0)20 7613 8777 

Fax: +44 (0)20 7613 8776 

www.ink-global.com 

Advertising: 

+44 [0] 20 7749 2333 

Reproduction 

KFR Pre-Press Ltd 

All material is strictly copyright 

and all rights are reserved. 

No part of this publication may 

be reproduced in whole or in part 

without written permission of the 

copyright holder. All prices and 

data are correct at the time of 

publication. Opinions expressed 

in WIZZ are not necessarily those 

of Wizz Air or WIZZ. Wizz Air 

does not accept responsibility for 

advertising content. Any pictures or 

transparencies supplied are at the 

owner’s risk. 

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY TIM E WHITE

WELCOME 

DEAR PASSENGER 

Another successful summer season has come to a close and, as 

the kids have gone back to school and their parents returned 

to work, Wizz Air looks back on another summer of growth. 

Wizz Air’s fleet of 39 Airbus A320s carried 12% more passengers 

than over the same period in 2011, on a record 248 routes. This 

summer the team also announced further expansion in 

Central and Eastern Europe, along with 

the start of operations in Lublin, Wizz Air’s 

seventh airport in Poland, this December. 

As autumn settles in and you find the urge 

to escape and explore, visit wizzair.com 

to check out our newest routes at our 

everyday low prices. As of December, 

Wizz Air will add two more destinations from 

Hungary’s second largest city, Debrecen, to/ 

from both Milan and Eindhoven. Travelling 

for business? At the end of October, Wizz 

Air will restart operations in Slovenia, with two new routes from 

the capital city of Ljubljana to popular business travel destinations 

London-Luton and Brussels. 

For an all together different experience, visit Wizz Air’s newest 

base city, Skopje, in Macedonia. As of 28 October, with the arrival 

of Wizz Air’s first based aeroplanes, seven countries will have direct 

access to the capital city. In addition to current routes from Venice 

and London, Wizz Air travellers from Basel, Dortmund, Eindhoven, 

Malmö, Milan and Munich will now be able to take advantage of 

Wizz Air’s low prices and great service to Skopje. 


“Wizz Air’s 

2013 summer 

schedule is 

now available 

on wizzair.com” 

Wizz Air regularly announces new destinations, along with more 

frequent departures and arrivals from its more popular routes to 

meet the needs of travellers throughout Europe. On page 64 of 

this magazine you can find a comprehensive overview of all of the 

exciting destinations on the Wizz Air map, whether you’re travelling 

for business or pleasure. Visit wizzair.com to book your next trip and 

check out our informative Wizz Destination 

Guides to help you discover the most 

important attractions and upcoming events 

to help you plan for your next trip. Social 

media savvy travellers can visit Wizz Air’s 

Facebook page to interact with a lively travel 

community to discover the latest on what 

to do when visiting destinations throughout 

Europe. 

As we know you’re already dreaming 

about your next summer holiday, Wizz Air’s 

complete 2013 summer schedule, to sunshine destinations 

such as the Black Sea and Greece, is now available on wizzair.com. 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard your next Wizz 

Air flight as the winter holiday season approaches and, until then, 

encourage you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the service onboard! 

On behalf of the Wizz Air team, I wish you a 

pleasant flight. 

JOHN STEPHENSON 

Executive Vice President, Wizz Air

SNAPSHOTS Events around the Wizz Air network 

01 02 03 04 

BERGEN 

Real Life Stories, 

4 October – 3 February 2013 

Installations, paintings and 

sculptures from 10 of China’s 

leading contemporary artists, 

at the Bergen Kunstmuseum. 

The museum’s biggest coup 

is the unveiling of a new and 

previously unseen piece by 

artist and political activist 

Ai Weiwei – no longer under 

house arrest, but still banned 

from overseas travel. Look out, 

too, for the eerily lifelike figures 

sculpted by Xiang Jing, and 

painter Yue Minjun’s sinister, 

grinning self-portraits (above). 

kunstmuseene.no 


EINDHOVEN 

GLOW, 10-17 November 

Eindhoven’s fortunes were 

founded on the lightbulb 

industry – hence its nickname, 

Lichstadt (city of light). For 

a week each November, the 

GLOW festival honours this 

heritage, filling the streets 

with dramatic, large-scale 

light installations. Last year, 

United Visual Artists exhibited 

Volume (above), while the Van 

Abbemuseum was wrapped in 

flickering flames; on a smaller 

scale, maverick arts collective 

We Make Carpets created an 

eerily beautiful alfresco ‘glow 

carpet’, charged with light and 

as magical as any flying carpet. 

gloweindhoven.nl 

BRUSSELS 

Chocolate Week, 

1-11 November 

The city succumbs to seven 

days of indulgence. Workshops, 

guided walks and talks on 

topics such as ‘Chocolate 

and Literature’ explore the 

city’s long chocolate-making 

tradition, and there are plenty 

of tastings and demonstrations 

of the chocolatier’s art. 

Restaurants around the city 

offer specially themed menus 

in honour of the occasion, 

including the art deco Bozar 

Brasserie at Rue Baron Horta 3. 

visitbrussels.be 

LONDON 

Lord Mayor’s Show, 

10 November 

This spectacular parade is an 

annual tradition, dating back 

to the 13th Century. On the 

second Saturday in November, 

the newly elected Mayor of 

the City of London (not to 

be confused with Mayor of 

London Boris Johnson), must 

make his way to the Royal 

Courts of Justice to pledge his 

loyalty to the crown. Riding in 

a resplendent gilded coach, 

the Mayor is accompanied 

by a jubilant, three mile-long 

parade of acrobats, dancers, 

marching bands, musketeers 

and floats, which snakes its 

way through the streets. At 

dusk, head to the riverside 

fireworks over the Thames. 

lordmayorsshow.org

05 

PRAGUE 

Strings of Autumn, 

Until 3 November 

This five-week festival is known 

for its eclectic programming. 

Star sopranos share the bill 

with big-name jazz ensembles 

and polyphonic quartets, in 

venues across the city: this 

year’s highlights include 

performances by sax-playing 

legend Sonny Rollins, jazz 

vocalist Gregory Porter (above), 

and chamber music stars the 

Brodsky Quartet performing 

with multi-instrumentalist 

Tunde Jegede. 

strunypodzimu.cz 

ANTALYA 

International Antalya 

Sand Sculpture Festival, 

Until 29 October 

Armed with 10,000 tons of 

sand and infinite patience, 

25 sand sculptors from 12 

countries have created a 

series of gigantic sculptures on 

Antalya’s Lara beach. Taking 

Hollywood as their theme, 

the sculptures include a vast 

dinosaur skeleton sprawled 

in the sand (Jurassic Park) 

a pneumatic Lara Croft (Tomb 

Raider) and Bram Stoker’s 

vampire (Dracula, above). 

larasandland.com 

06 07 08 

ZARAGOZA 

Fiestas del Pilar, 

6-14 October 

The annual festival for its 

patron saint, the Virgen del 

Pilar, is the highlight of the 

city’s calendar. Thousands 

of people lay blooms and 

bouquets in the Plaza del 

Pilar to mark the Offering of 

the Flowers on 12 October. 

Mime and trapeze artists, 

stalls, musicians and stamping 

flamenco dancers fill the 

streets, and you can’t miss 

the procession of gigantes y 

cabezudos – huge, papiermâché 

figures that loom 

over the crowds. 

fiestasdelpilar2012.es 

ROME 

Roma Jazz Festival, 

12 October – 28 November 

‘Visual jazz’ is the theme of 

this year’s festival, and has 

inspired some intriguing events. 

A musical tribute to Stanley 

Kubrick, an improvised piano 

concert in the dark and a 

rare solo piano concert from 

the great Herbie Hancock all 

feature on the line-up, along 

with live accompaniments to 

documentaries, cartoons, 

video clips and classic films, 

such as Il Sorpasso – The 

Easy Life (1962) with Fabrizio 

Bosso (above). 

romajazzfestival.it

Visit the queen 

of all caves 

www.postojnska-jama.eu

Ondrej Prochazka, a 25-year-old 

university student, wanders along 

the Vltava riverbank, a block 

from Prague’s National Theatre, carefully 

scanning the pavement for signs of hidden 

treasure. He consults his handheld GPS unit 

and stops. “I think it’s down there,” he says, 

and jumps over the iron railings to descend 

a ladder bolted to the embankment. Less 

than a minute later he climbs back up with 

his prize – a small black container that 

he found wedged in a cleft between the 

stones. It’s a geocache. 

Geocaching is essentially a high-tech 

scavenger hunt conducted using GPS 

coordinates. The treasure, or cache, is 

generally nothing more than a small toy or 

trinket stashed in a film canister or plastic 

container. The fun is in finding them. 

“You have to come prepared,” says 

Prochazka, pulling a pen out of his 

backpack, which he uses to winkle out 

another cache by the Terezka Fountain. 

Inside is a rolled up logbook, which he signs 

and dates. “I like it when I can discover 

some special places while geocaching,” he 

says. “It’s a great way to learn about a city 

you’ve never been to.” 

The sport began life in the United States 

in 2000 after the government unscrambled 

satellite signals, allowing public access 

to once-secret military technology. By 

the following year, the popularity of 

geocaching had spread across Europe, 

including to the Czech Republic, which 

today has some 30,000 hidden caches. 

Many of these are in Prague’s city centre, 

around the Old Town and Prague Castle; 

GET ACTIVE 

WIZZ GOES GEOCACHING IN PRAGUE 

Words by Julie O’Shea 

there’s supposedly a cache in the hand of 

one of the towering statues in front of the 

National Museum on Wenceslas Square, 

and several down in the old sewer system. 

Locations are obviously kept as secret 

as possible, otherwise the fun is taken out 

of the hunt. Serious geocachers, such as 

Prochazka, who has been doing this for six 

years, prefer to leave the crowds behind 

and strike out for the rugged terrain of 

the city’s expansive parks, such as 

Stromovka, Letenske Sady, Petrin Hill and 

the further afield Divoka Sarka. The parks 

offer more of a challenge simply because 

there are that many more places to hide 

a cache. “I enjoy having to work for your 

treasure,” he says. “Especially when you 

have to climb something.” 

For more information, visit geocaching.com 


TRAVEL 2.0 

Browsing for somewhere to stay in 

Wizz Air’s newest destination of 

Lublin, choices are limited for the 

budget traveller. The guide produced by the 

tourist office lists nine hotels, of which only 

one is under three-star. Though brimming 

with culture, Lublin isn’t geared up for the 

tourist trade in the way that somewhere 

like Krakow is. The Ukrainian businessmen 

can patronise the Lublinianka Grand; what 

can the more wallet-conscious visitor do? 

Live on air, that’s what. Founded in a San 

Francisco loft in 2008, airbnb.com matches 

local hosts with adventurous newcomers. 

Originally ‘airbnb’ meant literally that – an 

air bed and breakfast for a few dollars. 

The concept worked – now you can “Rent 

from people in 29,715 cities and 192 

countries”. It’s not just mattresses or 

sofas, but entire flats, houses, farms or 

even estates. Prices vary as much as the 


BEYOND BED & BREAKFAST 

Words by Adi Ruszil 

properties but the principle remains: hosts 

make a modest profit from their private 

space, visitors receive an authentic local 

experience, plus lodging, for relatively 

little. In a city like London, with its 

outrageous rates, it’s a near miracle. 

London was where Lublin local Dorota 

Korólczyk first used airbnb. “I went there 

for six months,” says the 26-year-old 

interior designer. “The only way I could 

have done it was through airbnb. The hosts 

I found there will be friends for life. It was 

such a wonderful experience.” 

Tapping into airbnb for the night of 

my Lublin visit – it operates just like a 

hotel-booking site – I could have chosen 

a farmhouse in Studzieniec, with a pool, 

fishing pier and paragliding nearby; 

something called ‘Peter’s Hut in the Wild’ 

in Podborcze; and a room in a dog-filled 

house on the city outskirts. Location 

being important, I chose Dorota’s place in 

the city centre. 

After returning home to work for a 

design company, Dorota was the first 

Lublinite to open her doors to all-comers. 

A real airbnb convert, she sticks to the 

concept faithfully – her offer is €8 for an 

air bed in a spotless apartment tastefully 

decorated in white and brown, with art 

on the walls, literature in English and 

Polish on the bookshelves and the odd 

houseplant. A breakfast of delicious Polishintegral 

sunflower-seed bread, sausage 

and cheese, and tea in bewildering fruit 

flavours, arrives with a string of local tips 

that later prove invaluable. 

I had been to Lublin just as Dorota had 

been to London – no mini bar, no added 

extras, no frosty receptionist – and felt 

much the better for it. Isn’t that what 

travel is all about?

FOOD & DRINK 

LA DELIZIA 

On the corner of Paulay Ede Street, 

at no. 48, is a most unlikely 

apparition – a shop that looks 

as if it belongs more in a fairytale than a 

side street in central Pest. In the centre of 

Sugar! (+36 (0)1 321 6672, sugarshop.hu) 

is a tree made of giant lollipops sprouts, 

and along the walls candy dispensers are 

crammed with sweets of every hue. “We 

wanted to bring something contemporary, 

cool and wild to Budapest’s sweet scene,” 

says Sugar! CEO Gergely Lábady. Together 

with cake designer Eszter Horváth, who 

is from a well-known confectioner family, 

she’s done just that. Horváth’s surreal 

creations run from desserts shaped like 

hamburgers to chocolatey ‘popcorn cakes’, 

while the new Paris-themed collection 

features Eiffel Towers, edible flowers and 

playful cancan dancers. 


SUGAR! 

SWEET SUCCESS IN BUDAPEST 

Words by Anna J. Kutor 

The newest bakery-café on the block, 

Lila Körte (Kecskeméti Street 2, +36 

(0)1 501 1833, lilakorte.hu), takes a 

similarly innovative approach. Its coolly 

minimalist décor and sleek purple 

chairs are a world away from the city’s 

traditional coffeehouses – as are the 

flavour combinations behind the counter. 

“Everyone’s looking for something new 

and exciting, and we can offer that,” says 

Katalin Sipos, the designer and dessert 

maven behind Lila Körte (its name means 

‘the purple pear’). “There’s an exciting 

dessert and pastry scene taking off now, 

but this is just the cusp of it.” Sipos is a 

master of unusual combinations: the 

Rose-Mary is a rosemary and apricot 

cake layered with Bavarian vanilla cream, 

while the white chocolate cheesecake is 

subtly spiked with dill. If those sound too 

LILA KÖRTE 

outré, the café also does a fine line 

in classic cakes, such as rich Esterházy cake 

and poppyseed-plum squares. 

Another newcomer to the scene is 

Péter Oczella. Last year he and his wife 

Éva opened La Delizia (Jókai Street 13, 

+36 (0)30 304 0531, ladelizia.hu), 

Hungary’s first boutique biscuit producer. 

“Our aim is to reignite our customers’ 

palates,” he explains. The pair’s revisionist 

cookies and cakes often feature unusual 

pairings such as rosemary and vanilla 

or chocolate and chilli, while the giant 

lavender-cream macaroons have a cult 

following. First-rate, natural ingredients 

and additive- and preservative-free recipes 

are the secrets of the company’s success, 

says Oczella. “And if it’s all natural, it’s not 

cheating on your diet.” 

We couldn’t agree more.

FOOD & DRINK 

VILNIUS ON A PLATE 

The food scene in the Lithuanian capital has changed almost beyond recognition in the two 

decades since the nation’s independence. Alongside traditional eateries serving cepelinai 

(Zeppelin-shaped potato dumplings) and cold beetroot soup, newcomers offer international 

cuisine. All these restaurants – except Uzbekistanas – are located within the Old Town 

Paménkalnio gatvé 

4 

Gedimino prospektas 

Pylimo gatvé 

Liejyklos gatvé 

1COZY 

WHERE TO HEAD WHEN YOU 

DON’T WANT THE NIGHT TO END 

This Dutch-owned bar and restaurant is 

a great place to eat late at night, with a 

simple but sustaining menu that includes 

a knock-out burger and fries. One of the 

friendliest places in town, Cozy also hosts 

regular photography exhibitions, and is 

home to the legendary troika – a three-tier 

cocktail. Open Mon-Thur 9am-2am; Fri 

9am-4am; Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am- 

2am. Dominikonu 10, +370 5 261 1137 


Totoriu gatvé 

Šv. Ignoto gatvé 

5 

2 

1 

3 

Arsenalo gatvé 

2 3 

SUE’S INDIAN RAJA 

THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF 

VILNIUS ETHNIC CUISINE 

The décor may be a little over the top, but 

the food here is seriously good, with spicy 

flavours that really hit the spot. Order an 

assortment of bhajis, pakoras and chaat 

(street food-style snacks) to start, then try 

the magnificent butter chicken. Prices are 

modest and the service swift, and there 

are impressive views over the cathedral. 

Open 11am-midnight daily. Odminiu 3, 

+370 5 266 1888, suesindianraja.lt 

Maironio gatvé 

Užupio gatvé 

TRES MEXICANOS 

WHEN YOU WANT TO GO 

SOUTH OF THE BORDER 

Quesadillas, fajitas and burritos are on the 

menu here, but less common dishes include 

caldo tlalpeño (spicy chicken soup), or 

tasty bean-topped molletes. Try cut-price 

Margaritas on Wednesdays and tequilas 

on Fridays, and special offers on burritos 

on Mondays and Tuesdays. Open Sun, Mon 

11am-10pm, Tues-Thur 11am-11pm; Fri, 

Sat 11am-midnight. Tilto 2, +370 6 741 

8600, tresmexicanos.lt

4UZBEKISTANAS 

FLAVOURS FROM A COUNTRY 

DEEP IN CENTRAL ASIA 

Wizz Air doesn’t fly as far east as doubly 

landlocked Uzbekistan in Central Asia – 

Georgia is as far as we go – but you can 

sample Uzbek food at this austere but 

upmarket restaurant. Happily, the friendly 

waitresses speak English, and are happy to 

steer confused diners through the menu. 

Regulars swear by the lamb dishes – the 

lagman, an aromatic and slightly spicy 

soup made from lamb and thick noodles, 

is highly recommended. Open Mon-Thur 

11am-11pm; Fri-Sun 11am-midnight. 

Vienuolio 4, +370 5 261 0429 

5ŽEMAICIAI 

WHEN ONLY LOCAL, 

LITHUANIAN FOOD WILL DO 

It would be a crime to visit Vilnius without 

trying the local cuisine. Here waitresses 

dressed like Heidi hurry through medieval 

underground cellars, serving vast plates 

of hearty, heavy fare. Specialities include 

smoked eel, wild boar goulash and 

assorted sausage platters, along with the 

national dish, cepelinai – a potato-based 

oddity. Open 11am-midnight daily. 

Vokieciu 24, +370 5 261 6573, zemaiciai.lt 

NATIONAL BREWS 

Belgium’s Delirium Tremens is the beer 

that will have you seeing pink elephants 

A few countries might claim beer as their national drink – Germany, 

Australia, and perhaps Britain and the Czech Republic. But nowhere 

is beer brewed and drunk with as much love as it is in Belgium. 

Belgians have been brewing since the Middle Ages; their most 

famous brand, Stella Artois, originated in Leuven, at the Den Hoorn 

brewery, which earliest records date to 1366. Now Stella is part of 

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s biggest brewer, still in Leuven, a 

small town 30 minutes by train from Brussels. 

At the other extreme you have the Trappist breweries, six of 

which are in Belgium. Each brewery is attached to a monastery, 

where the monks actually take part in the production of the beer. 

If there’s a beer you must try, however, it’s Delirium Tremens. 

Named after the shaking fevers that accompany severe alcoholic 

withdrawal, and produced by Huyghe 

Brewery in Melle, East Flanders, this Belgian 

golden ale is a heady 8.5% abv. Hence the 

prancing pink elephants that decorate the 

bottle and branded glasses. It also happens 

to be a very fine drink, and was named ‘Best 

Beer in the World’ in 2008 at the World Beer 

Championships in Chicago, USA.

GADGETS The latest travel technology 

KOBO TOUCH eREADER 

HOW DOES THE NEWEST CHALLENGER 

TO THE KINDLE MEASURE UP? 

With the Touch, Canadian company Kobo 

turns the eReader race into a two-horse affair 

with a serious rival to Amazon’s Kindle. 

In appearance it’s not unlike a slightly 

larger, wider iPhone – in other words, 

stylish and pleasing – but it has a quilted 

back that makes it easier to grip. Like the 

Apple products, it has a single button 


and touchscreen. Functions are operated 

by simple tap controls. It is simple and 

painless to use, incorporating useful 

basic functions such as adding highlights, 

performing searches and reading PDFs. 

The Touch weighs in at a featherlight 

185g, which belies the fact that the Kobo 

Books service offers access to more than 

2.2m eBooks – one million of which are 

absolutely free. The device can hold up 

to a thousand eBooks at any one time, 

and supports English, French, German, 

Spanish, Dutch and Italian. Avid readers 

can expand the Touch’s memory with a 

32GB MicroSD card, which enables the 

device to hold up to 30,000 books – more 

than most public libraries. 

The Touch comes in five different colours. 

Battery life is excellent and the device can 

last uncharged for up to one month. It even 

smiles when in sleep mode. 

kobo.com

... Truthful experience of street music beat, passionate gaming and active life style... 

acme HH08 Street sound 

headphones 

The headphones are specially designed for 

street music admirers. Mobile and dynamic 

music lover will appreciate their foldable and 

compact construction. On-ear cushions ensure 

the comfort for your ears and form an acoustic 

seal that keeps the sound in and noise out. 

ACME invites to experience truthful sounds with 

high fidelity speakers delivering a full range of 

balanced audio sound! 

www.facebook.com/AcmeEurope 

acme HA07 Ultimate headset 

for gamers 

Special headset for gamers guarantees high 

quality of sounds and immersive comfort. 

Ultra high frequency and deep bass affect 

speakers flood with a wave of emotions. High 

sensitivity microphone ensures crystal clear 

conversations with your friends or gaming 

partners. Turn the game into intriguing world 

of adrenalin! 

acme HE11 Magic in-ear headset 

Magic headset ensures pure stylish design and 

comfort. Silvery shimmering metal body of the 

headset drivers adds solidity to your image, 

while soft rubber in-ear cushions replicating 

your ear shape brings maximum comfort. Thanks 

to its resistance to impact of surroundings the 

headset is ideal for active life style admirers. 

Furthermore Magic adapter makes it universal so 

you could connect it to most of iDevice!

SHOPPING Good buys around the network 

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS 

As tempting as it may be at the time, it’s never a good idea to pop a ripe brie in your bag as a 

souvenir of your time in Paris. However, here are some fine alternatives… 

1FOR FOOD LOVERS 

A GIFT BOX OF MACARONS 

from PIERRE HERMÉ 

It is the quintessential Paris question: 

Ladurée or Pierre Hermé? Macaron 

allegiances are taken seriously in the 

French capital. Personally, we favour 

Hermé for softer meringue shells with 

generous créme fillings in highly unusual 

flavours. Try the salted butter caramel, and 

the milk chocolate with passion fruit and 

vanilla. 72 rue Bonaparte, pierreherme. 

com, La Galériste box, €26.50 


2 3 

FOR A QUICK PICK-ME-UP 

EAU DE RAISIN by 

CAUDALÍE, 75ML 

Caudalíe is a winecentric French skincare 

company that also operates spas, including 

one at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Its 

products are derived from grapevines. 

This toner is a quick spritz which is great 

for freshening up a face without causing 

irritation. Au natural, it contains just three 

ingredients – water, grape extract and 

nitrogen. Also comes in 50ml. Available in 

all good pharmacies, €5.60 

FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS 

IT’S NICE TO BE ALONE IN PARIS 

by HERB LESTER 

“Some people are struck with terror at 

the thought of finding themselves alone 

and at a loose end in a big city, but we 

can think of no better to way to pass the 

time,” says graphic artist Herb Lester. To 

illustrate what he means, he’s drawn a 

map with suggestions for enjoying Paris in 

the company of your own self. Social types 

might prefer his Paris for Pleasure-Seekers 

map. herblester.com, €5 each

CREDIT 

4FOR DISCERNING DRINKERS 

LE VIN DES AMIS from 

MAS COUTELOU 

Mas Coutelou wines are made naturally, 

with minimal use of chemicals both in the 

vineyard and the winery. Decanter Magazine 

described Le Vin des Amis as having 

“touches of forest fruit coulis, red currants, 

sweet damsons, herbs and a perfumed 

aroma”, awarding it 19/20. It is, it said, 

“simply stupendous value for money”. 

Get it at La Cave des Papilles, 35 rue 

Daguerre, lacavedespapilles.com, €9 

5FOR CHILDREN 

HENRI’S WALK TO PARIS by 

SAUL BASS AND LEONORE KLEIN 

Graphic artist Saul Bass (1920-1996) 

was responsible for some of cinema’s 

most memorable film title sequences 

and posters, including Alfred Hitchcock’s 

Vertigo. In 1962, for his only children’s 

book. he teamed up with former librarian 

Leonore Klein. Long out of print, it’s the 

story of a boy who dreams of Paris. It has 

recently been reissued and is an absolute 

visual delight. amazon.com, €16.99 

6FOR TREND-SETTERS 

MOUSTACHE GROUP 

T-SHIRT by MEUHNON 

Monsieur Poulet started life five years back 

as a website where artists and fans were 

set challenges to create designs, the best 

of which would be printed on clothing and 

accessories, and sold on a profit-share 

basis. Now it’s also a boutique in the hip 

Marais quarter, selling limited editions such 

as this Moustache tee. Monsieur Poulet, 

24 rue de Sévigné, monsieurpoulet.com, 

Moustache t-shirt, €27 


SNAPSHOTS Expat Poles in London 

The vibrancy, creative influences and freedom to do business in London have not only 

drawn talented and business-minded people from Poland, they’ve inspiring them to stay 

I 

never intended to stay in 

London. When I first came 

here I wanted to improve 

my English and study. I came 

back to finish my MA in Human 

Resource Management and, I 

admit, London surprised me. 

I ended up making a life here. 

London is so multi-cultural. 

I come from a relatively small 

city so there is such a variety of 

things you can enjoy here like 

galleries and exhibitions. 

Almost all of my family live 

here now, but my father left 

to go back to Poland for his 

retirement. You can’t ever get 

bored of London, but you can 

get tired of it. Maybe then it’s 

time to consider going home. 

The Polish community tends 

to stick together and look after 

each other. Sometimes it feels 

easier to talk to somebody in 

you mother tongue. 

I haven’t found it challenging 

to do business in London. 

We just get on with what we 

need to do. Maybe I’ve been 

lucky, but on the whole I find 

the UK a pretty easy place to 

do business. As soon as you 

have a good business idea, 

it’s straightforward to put it 


SETTLING IN 

Interviews by Piet van Niekerk Illustrations Damien Florébert Cuypers 

Inga Kopala 

Profession Director of Amberth InteriorsYears in 

London Twelve 

Home town Kielce 

into practice. There are not as 

many obstacles as in Poland. 

My mother and father had 

their own businesses and I 

can compare our experiences. 

Poland is more bureaucratic. 

Here we have more freedom 

and the government’s focus is 

for you to be successful. It is 

easy to ask for help 

The only drawback is that 

when you have your own 

business in such a vibrant 

city, you obviously don’t have 

enough time to enjoy it. It’s 

harder to find the balance 

between social life and the 

responsibilities of business. 

But London has been good 

to me. I love it here.”

▲ Agnieszka Gabriel-Damaz 

Profession Co-founder of The Polish Bakery 

Years in London Nine 

Home town Rybnik 

W 

hen I first visited, it 

was to study English, 

do an MA and see 

all the famous places I’d heard 

about. Then my husband and I 

established The Polish Bakery. 

We have been here ever since. 

I love London. It’s a 

cosmopolitan city and it keeps 

attracting and surprising me. If 

you are determined to achieve 

something you can do it here. 

The fact that you can indulge 

yourself in different cuisines 

makes London special for 

someone like me who loves 

experimenting with food. 

You can visit historic places, 

art galleries, open air theatres 

such as the one in Regent’s 

Park. This year I enjoyed A 

Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. 

We have a mix of clientele 

with different backgrounds, 

including the Polish community 

in London. We always take 

part in cultural or sporting 

events to promote Poland. 

Even something as small as a 

loaf of traditional sourdough 

bread can encourage those 

from other countries to find out 

something about Poland. 

It is true that the Polish 

community in London stick 

together but I, like many 

others, like to meet new friends 

from other parts of the world 

and more importantly make 

good friends with the locals. 

In life I have learnt to 

‘never say never’ but I can say 

that although life in London 

can become very busy I’m not 

planning to go back to Poland. 

It is my second home now, 

although I always make time 

to visit my family back home. 

▼ Ania Wawrzkowicz 

Profession Still life and internal photographer 

Years in London Nine 

Home town Bydgoszcz 

G 

rowing up in a family 

of architects, I was 

drawn into the creative 

world. I’ve decided to move to 

London to study photography. 

Its courses fascinated me; 

everything from illustrations 

to book arts, graphics, fine 

arts to photography. In Poland 

courses were more traditional, 

less focused on individuals, less 

flexible, less contemporary. 

I studied BA Photography at 

Camberwell College of Art and 

later an MA at London College 

of Communication. 

My work ranges from still life 

to interiors, food photography to 

portraiture and art projects. 

Like in every big city, London 

can be tough at the beginning. It 

took me about a year to feel at 

home here. The longer I stayed 

the harder it became to leave. 

My house, studio, clients and 

agent are here, as well as friends. 

In Poland, there are not many 

magazines I’d be interested in. 

There are brilliant Polish artists, 

though, and good galleries. 

I shot for Polish Elle Decoration 

Magazine. I hope to have more 

opportunities to work there. 

London is definitely my home 

now, but I might live in different 

city at one point. The world is full 

of amazing, fascinating places, 

full of possibilities and potential.”

WHERE THE WILD 

THINGS ARE 

The windswept plains of East Hungary are now a 

conservationist’s haven, and birdwatchers flock to 

Hortobágy park and its wetlands in autumn 


Words by Peterjon Cresswell

There’s nowhere else in Europe like this,” says 

Hortobágy district ranger Zsolt Végvári. 

Speaking in impeccable English learned on 

the wilds of Dartmoor, Végvári guides many of the 

birdwatchers who visit the Hortobágy, a significant 

number of whom come from abroad, in particular the 

United Kingdom. “This is a kind of English-speaking 

hobby,” he laughs, describing the life-long interest in 

birds that brought him here. It also regularly takes 

him to the park’s partner establishment of Dartmoor, 

where he stays with a professor in Bath as part of a 

long-term staff exchange programme. 

You don’t have to be a seasoned twitcher to 

appreciate the wetlands and their wildlife. “In 

spring or autumn, even the casual visitor should be 

able to observe 100 species of bird in a single day,” 

says Végvári. Otters and other small mammals 

also populate the fishponds, but it’s the spoonbills, 

Red-footed Falcons and cranes by the thousand that 

give the Hortobágy its main draw. 

Created in 1973, the Hortobágy is the country’s 

oldest and largest national park. Little more than 

FEATURE DEBRECEN 

half an hour’s drive from Hungary’s second city of 

Debrecen, it is a vast expanse, sprawling across some 

82,000 hectares of grassland, meadows and marshes. 

Almost 350 of Europe’s 500 bird species have been 

spotted here, and October is the prime time for 

human visitors eager to glimpse some of the more 

unusual varieties as they migrate south towards the 

warmer climes of North Africa. 

As well as guiding visitors, Végvári’s responsibilities 

include logging bird numbers. It’s a task best carried 

out at an observation station close to Halastó, the 

system of ponds where autumn’s duck and crane 

migrations are concentrated. “You can see all the 

breeds of European heron and egret here,” he explains. 

He’s keeping a particularly watchful eye out for the 

yellow-brown plumage of visiting Aquatic Warblers – 

now a globally threatened species, and the subject of 

an international conservation project he and his team 

have taken on this year. 

It may be a birdwatcher’s paradise, but for 

Hungarians the Hortobágy has other connotations. 

For them this is the Puszta, the Great Plain; salty 


PREVIOUS PAGE: THE 

PUSZTA ÖTÖS DISPLAY OF 

HORSEMANSHIP AT THE 

MÁTA STUD FARM 

ABOVE: THE TRADITIONS 

OF THE CSKOS COWBOY, 

AND HUNDARIAN GREY 

CATTLE, CAN BE OBSERVED 

AT THE WILDLIFE PARK 

steppelands that stretch east as far as the eye can 

see, then on to Transylvania. It’s the harsh, windswept 

domain of csikós (cowboys) and gulyás (herdsmen), 

of isolated farmsteads dotting a long, long horizon, 

and an age-old way of life eked out in the face of 

unrelenting hardship. It was an image that stirred 

19th-century literary giants such as novelist Mór Jókai 

and national poet Sándor Petöfi, whose much-loved 

work, Az Alföld (“There where I’m from, there is my 

world…”) is named after the Great Plain on which he 

was born. The vision of a lone herdsman stirring his 

cauldron of fiery goulash, the national dish that bears 

his name, is a vision of Hungary itself. 

This is what brings the bulk of domestic visitors 

to the Hortobágy, along with the chance to observe 

long-forgotten local animal breeds at close range 

– domestic animals have grazed here for more than 

two millennia. There are long-horned, silvery-white 

Hungarian Grey cattle and sturdy raczka sheep, 

sporting impressive spiralling horns. Curly-fleeced 

mangalica pigs, whose meat has been enjoying a 

recent revival in Spain, also thrive here, and the 

endangered Przewalski’s horse has been successfully 

reintroduced. They can be observed in fenced-in 

reservations around the wildlife park – also home to 

wild cats, wolves, ospreys and jackals. 

Tourists with a less urgent need to spot Great 

Bustards or Fire-bellied toads might prefer the 

demonstrations of herdsmen’s traditions and 


“Visitors can observe 

long-forgotten breeds 

on the reservation” 

horsemanship organised by the Máta Stud Farm. As the 

horse-drawn carriages that take visitors to the outdoor 

display area are setting off, an expert rider, standing 

astride two horses and controlling another three in 

front of him, dashes across to the arena in a five-beast, 

one-man display of supreme equestrian skill. It’s 

thought that the so-called Puszta Ötös (‘Puszta 

Five-in-Hand’) may have been inspired by Galopp in der 

Manege, a painting by the influential pre-war Viennese 

equestrian artist Ludwig Koch. Life imitated art, as 

ambitious Hungarian horsemen soon mastered the 

challenge. If the origins of the Puszta Ötös are unclear, 

the horsemen’s expertise is unmistakable. 

Hortobágy is the name of both the national park and 

the village it surrounds. A short walk from the station 

in Hortobágy is the visitor’s centre, along with various 

restaurants, museums and historic attractions. An old 

coaching house has been converted into the Shepherd’s 

Museum, with displays on the herders’ customs and 

distinctive costumes – the boots, distinctive blue shirts 

and wide-brimmed black hats, fashioned to last a 

lifetime (they still cost some €150 today). By contrast, 

the humble kondás (swineherd) wore the most simple 

of shirts and shoes. The nearby Craft Museum explains 

how these clothes, tools and other products were made 

– and in a row of workshops behind the Visitor’s Centre, 

you can see contemporary craftsmen in action and buy 

their wares, which range from leather work, toys and 

textiles to traditional embroidered felt cloaks. 


The centrepiece here, however, is Hortobágy’s 

handsome Nine Arch bridge, built in the late 1820s 

to replace an even older wooden construction. With 

wide entrances designed for funnelling cattle, the 

92-metre bridge linked the east and west of the nation 

when it was otherwise truncated under Ottoman rule. 

As the location for the annual livestock fair, the most 

important trade and social gathering of the year, 

it would have been a hive of activity, of milling 

herdsmen, traders and animals. Csárda (inns) sprang up 

to cater for them, as well as offering drinks, food and 

shelter to the wagon drivers on the salt roads that cut 

across the plains to Transylvania. 

Even today, the Hortobágy remains a working 

concern, where more than 200 shepherds herd some 

9,000 cattle, 50,000 sheep and 350 horses. Deep 

in the countryside a handful of csárda continue to 

offer respite from the vast, windswept steppes, and 

the old songs ring out around the white walls. In 

Hortobágy, the Csárda Museum stands, appropriately 

enough, alongside an old-fashioned csárda, serving 

the traditional beef bogracsgulyas (‘kettle’ goulash) – 

sustaining stuff for twitchers, tourists and csikós alike. 

BELOW: DISTRICT RANGER 

AND CONSERVATIONIST, 

ZSOLT VÉGVÁRI LOOKS OUT 

FOR MIGRATING BIRDS 


LEFT: THE WILDLIFE PARK’S 

MORE DOMESTICATED SIDE 

BELOW: THE CRAFT MUSEUM 

USEFUL 

INFORMATION 

The Hortobágy is geared up to 

welcome visitors, and easy to get 

around by boat, bike, narrow-gauge 

train or one of the safari buses that 

swing over its endless plains. 

For more details visit hnp.hu 

Hortobágy is 39kms from Debrecen. 

Wizz Air flies to Debrecen three 

times a week from London, and from 

Milan and Eindhoven twice a week 

from mid December. 


COVER FEATURE SKOPJE LJUBLJANA 

F A C E S 

OF 

SKOPJE 

The Macedonian capital is 

investing in urban renewal, 

but for the moment its charm 

still rests on its small-town, 

intimate character 

Words by James Parry 

Photography by Tim E. White 

MAIN PICTURE: THE ‘WARRIOR ON A 

HORSE’ STATUE IS A SIGN OF RECENT 

CHANGES IN SKOPJE, BUT HAS PROVED 

CONTROVERSIAL BELOW: THE CITY 

FROM MOUNT VODNO, A POPULAR 

DESTINATION FOR HIKERS 

30 WIZZ MAGAZINE OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012

BELOW: SKOPSKO BEER, A 

FAVOURITE LOCAL BREW 

RIGHT: ON THE HUNT FOR 

JEWELLERY AND ANTIQUES 

BELOW: THE OLD BAZAAR OF 

HISTORIC SKOPJE 


COVER FEATURE SKOPJE 

Summertime and the livin’ is 

easy, runs the famous George 

Gershwin song – and nowhere 

more so than in Skopje, 

Macedonia’s small but buzzing capital. 

Except that here the summer vibe lasts 

well into autumn, with temperatures still 

hitting 25˚ Celsius well into October. 

The city’s vibrant bar and café scene, 

long appreciated by locals, is now 

attracting increasing numbers of visitors 

from elsewhere, drawn also by Skopje’s 

intriguing cultural heritage – the Ottoman 

Turks held sway here for over five centuries 

– and Macedonia’s growing reputation as 

the Balkans’ best-kept secret. 

An obvious starting point for any 

exploration of Skopje is Macedonia Square, 

in which stands the enormous – and, to 

some minds, controversial – Warrior on 

A Horse statue. Standing 22 metres high 

and surrounded by synchronised fountains 

and larger-than-life carved lions on 

sentinel duty, the statue is a thinly veiled 

representation of Alexander the Great, 

Macedonia’s famous son. Whether the 

eponymous hero actually hailed from here 

or from the neighbouring part of Greece – 

as the Greeks claim – is a continuing source 

of debate, but his iconic status in both 

countries is beyond dispute. 

At the base of the statue I meet Dime 

Melovski, born and bred in Skopje and an 

aficionado on where to go, what to see 


LEFT: A BOWL OF PINJUR, 

A DELICIOUS LOCAL 

SPECIALITY RIGHT: BUILT 

BY THE OTTOMANS IN 

1492, MUSTAFA PASHA 

IS SKOPJE’S LARGEST 

MOSQUE 

BELOW: THE GEMIDZII 

MONUMENT BESIDE THE 

VARDAR RIVER

and – most importantly – what to eat. 

“We have great local cuisine,” he explains, 

“which reflects the complex cultural 

influences here. The trick is to know where 

to go for the local specialities!” The sun is 

close to setting and so we head towards 

the banks of the River Vardar, which 

bisects the city centre, and settle into 

one of the riverside restaurants. Skopje’s 

Ottoman heritage is immediately evident 

in the appetiser meze – luscious salads 

and freshly baked flatbread. “You must 

try some of this as well, it’s very typically 

Macedonian,” insists Dime, offering me 

a terracotta bowl of pinjur, a delicious 

dish of baked peppers, tomatoes, parsley 

and garlic. Simple ingredients, elegantly 

combined and full of flavour. 

Afterwards we stroll along the riverside, 

where new buildings and bridges are 

springing up seemingly overnight. The 

city centre is undergoing an architectural 

renaissance, part of Skopje 2014, an 

ABOVE: ECOLOGISTS DIME MELOVSKI AND NATALIJA 

ANGELOVA IN THE OLD BAZAAR BELOW: STATUE OF 

BYZANTINE EMPEROR JUSTINIAN I, WHO WAS BORN 

NEAR SKOPJE 

“MACEDONIAN 

FOOD IS 

EXCITING AND 

FULL OF 

FLAVOUR” 

DIME MELOVSKI 

urban revamp that has already seen the 

installation of that statue, along with a 

triumphal arch, a string of brand new 

neo-classical buildings and an army 

of statues commemorating famous 

Macedonians. There’s a little bit of 

everywhere in this project – Budapest’s 

waterfront, Paris’s Arc de Triomphe and 

London’s Trafalgar Square all spring to 

mind – and now, with the completion of 

Skopje’s new Bridge of Art, complete with 

statues dotted along its length, Prague and 

its famous Charles Bridge have become 

part of the mix. The scale and cost involved 


BELOW: SKOPJE’S VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE IS 

POPULAR WITH LOCALS AND VISITORS ALIKE 

RIGHT: MUSICIANS REGULARLY PERFORM FOR FREE 

IN THE CITY PARK 

are not without their critics, but there is 

no denying that the end result will be a 

dramatic new face for Skopje. 

That Skopje is changing in other ways 

becomes clear when I go for a walk 

around Debar Maalo, an up-and-coming 

area near the city centre, with Skopje 

resident Zdravko Trpkovski. An agricultural 

consultant by day, Zdravko DJs at least 

one night a week in Kafe Bar Kaldrma, a 

venue popular with students and Skopje’s 

growing cadre of young professionals. 

“Macedonians traditionally prefer rock 

music,” he explains, “but all sorts of bands 

are coming through now and the scene is 

becoming really diverse”. Skopje’s lively 

nightlife is concentrated in three main 

areas: the Old Bazaar, Debar Maalo 

and around the city park, which is where 

I head next. 

I meet up with Dime again at the Shell, 

a free stage venue in the park where 

various acts are going through their moves, 

including Zvrks, a rock band from Mostar in 

Bosnia-Herzegovina. Vocalist Ajdin Brković 

is on his first visit to Skopje, attending a 

summer music course. He’s impressed 

by what the city has to offer. “There’s so 

much going on here, both musically and 

otherwise. It’s a really cool place, with 

plenty of opportunities for young people.” 

Yet what I notice are not just the young 

fans crowding around the stage but people 

of all generations joining in. Old ladies with 

small dogs are as much a part of Skopje’s 

alfresco nightlife as their grandchildren, 

and entire families are enjoying homemade 

picnics on the grass around the stage. 


ABOVE: OLD TOWN BAZAAR NIGHTLIFE, 

EASTERN STYLE, TEA AND BOARDGAMES 

OPTIONAL 

“FOR A 

GREAT NIGHT 

OUT, I HEAD FOR 

DEBAR MAALO” 

ZDRAVKO TRPKOVSKI 

LEFT: AGRICULTURAL CONSULTANT AND 

PART-TIME DJ ZDRAVKO TRPKOVSKI 




LEFT: LOOKING FOR BARGAINS 

ON MACEDONIA SQUARE BOTTOM: A 

TRADITIONAL WOOD-FIRED BAKER’S 

OVEN AND SIMIT BUREK, A CLASSIC 

LATE-NIGHT SNACK 

“LOOK OUT FOR 

ANTIQUES AND 

OLD MACEDONIAN 

JEWELLERY” 

RADMILA 

KLIMOVSKA 

By now it’s 1.30am and I’m feeling 

peckish. “It’s time,” says Dime, “for a great 

late-night Macedonian tradition.” He takes 

me to a small family-run bakery where 

a wood-fired oven is producing delicious 

flaky pastry pies known as burek. Filled with 

meat or cheese, they are baked and then 

cut into wedges. It’s a sort of high-octane 

pizza, Macedonian style. Despite the late 

hour, the place is packed as party revellers 

grab a bite to eat on their way home. 

The next morning it feels like time to 

explore old Skopje and find some of the 

history I’ve heard so much about. Before 

heading for the Old Bazaar, I browse the 

stalls set up at the edge of Macedonia 

Square. Most are selling books, but one 

has some interesting old artefacts on 

display. “This is one of the best places 

to buy genuine Macedonian silverware,” 

explains Radmila Klimovska, a collector 

of traditional jewellery, “especially rare 

handmade pieces”. 

I’d already spotted some antique 

shops in the Old Bazaar, so head over 

the 15th-century Kamen Most, or Stone 

Bridge, and into Skopje’s historical centre. 

With its maze of atmospheric streets and 

cobbled alleyways, studded with mosque 

minarets and with the brooding Kale 

Fortress beyond, there’s a real feel of 

the old-style Ottoman Balkans here. My 

first port of call has been recommended

“SKOPJE IS A 

FANTASTIC 

PLACE IN WHICH 

TO LIVE AND 

WORK.” 

DIMITAR 

PRODANOV 


LEFT: EVENTS MANAGER, DIMITAR 

PRODANOV 

BELOW: ARCHITECTURE AND ART 

ON DISPLAY IN THE DAUT PASHIN 

AMAM 

by Natalija Angelova who, like Dime, is 

a project manager with the Macedonian 

Ecological Society. Originally from 

eastern Macedonia, she has a keen eye 

for Skopje’s heritage. “I love the city’s 

historic buildings,” she says, “and one of 

the very finest is the Daut Pashin Amam”. 

Now housing the national Macedonian 

art gallery, this former Ottoman Turkish 

bathhouse was built in the 15th century 

and is worth a visit for its stunning 

domed architecture alone (although 

it’s closed on Mondays). 

Later on I catch up with Dimitar 

Prodanov, the director of an events 

management company and ask him what 

business life is like in the city. “I really 

enjoy the scale of Skopje,” he says. “You 

can get everywhere in 15 to 20 minutes, 


TOP: THE WATERSIDE CAFES AT LAKE MATKA 

ARE GREAT FOR LAZY AFTERNOONS ABOVE: 

BOAT TRIPS ON THE LAKE OFFER THE CHANCE 

TO SPOT WILDLIFE RIGHT: JOURNALIST 

BILJANA STOJANOVSKA 

and work and social life intertwine really 

well here. A lot of business is done in the 

city’s bars and cafés.” 

After a hard morning on the streets I 

feel in need of a change of scene. Cue a 

trip to the country, easily done in a city the 

size of Skopje. Less than half an hour in a 

taxi brings me to Matka, the home village 

of Biljana Stojanovska, a journalist with 

New Macedonia, one of the country’s 

oldest newspapers. “I love the hustle and 

bustle of the city,” she says. “But I always 

enjoy coming home to the countryside.” 

Biljana suggests I go hiking around Lake 

Matka, a hotspot for orchids, butterflies 

and other wildlife. A narrow trail, cut 

into the cliffs, winds along the lake amid 

stunning scenery. I spot an eagle soaring 

overhead, and it’s hard to believe the city 

is so close. 


“LAKE MATKA 

IS A MUST FOR 

NATURE- 

LOVERS.” 

BILJANA 

STOJANOVSKA 


FEATURE LUBLIN 


4CORNERS 

OPEN 

CITY 

Lublin is a place where 

different cultures and peoples 

have co-existed for centuries 

– a legacy celebrated today in 

a variety of festivals 

LEFT: OLD TOWN 

SQUARE, LUBLIN 

Words by Adi Ruszil 


WITH PERFECT GRAVITAS, 

Margaret Leng Tan takes her 

place on stage at Lublin’s Teatr 

Muzyczny (Musical Theatre), perches at her 

tiny, exquisitely-proportioned Schoenhut 

toy piano and starts to play. Tonight is the 

centenary of American experimental composer 

John Cage’s birth, and Leng Tan is playing a 

selection of his works. A long-term collaborator 

of Cage’s in his lifetime, she is ‘the diva of 

avant-garde pianism’, according to The New 

Yorker – and here in Lublin, audiences have a 

taste for the avant-garde. 

2012 is, in fact, ‘John Cage Year’ in Lublin 

– an outré piece of artistic programming that 

speaks volumes about eastern Poland’s largest 

city. As a crossroads between the East and the 

West, this is a city where different cultures and 

religions have coexisted for centuries. Warsaw 

is around 170km – just over two hours – away: 

less than 80km east stretches the Ukraine, less 

than 100km northeast, the state of Belarus. 

Now, in this oasis of hidden courtyards, art 

galleries and cultural centres, an artistic 

revolution is well underway. 

Lublin centres on a cobbled Old Town (Stare 

Miasto) of strikingly restored facades, as pretty as 

Prague’s. A cache of pre-war photographic plates 

discovered at the Café Trybunalska are displayed 

on buildings across the Old Town, and afford an 

evocative glimpse into its past. At the time the 

pictures were taken, Lublin was an important 

Jewish hub of trade and culture, as it had been 

since the 15th century. The community, centred 

on a Jewish Quarter at the foot of Castle Hill, 

was destroyed during the Holocaust – a dark 

moment in the city’s history. 

The past is far from forgotten, but today 

the city is looking forwards – and to a future 

where culture will play a crucial role. With its 

five universities, Lublin is very much a student 

town, brimming with energy and life – and the 

entire city threw its heart and soul into a bid 

to become European Capital of Culture 2016. 

Although Wrocław was the eventual winner, 

Lublin’s art scene still benefitted enormously. 

“We may not have become European Capital 

of Culture, but the bidding process meant the 

Capital of Culture board analysed our event 

very closely,” explains Barbara Szymanska, of 

October’s cutting-edge Theatre Confrontations 

festival. “That, in turn, left us with all kinds of 

advice and ideas to implement.” 

One key personality in Lublin’s cultural 

development is Jan Bernad. As the artistic 

director of the Crossroads Centre for 

Intercultural Creative Initiatives, he is 

responsible for two of the city’s most prominent 

annual events in a crowded arts calendar. 

‘Codes’ is a festival of traditional and avantgarde 

music in May, while June’s Open City 

transforms Lublin into a showcase for public 

art. Thanks to Bernad and his team, Lublin has 

played host to the likes of Philip Glass, Laurie 

Anderson and Jan Garbarek, as well as the 

LUBLIN FEATURE 

TOP: MARGARET LENG TAN 

PERFORMING ON HER TOY 

PIANO ABOVE: SHEET MUSIC 

FOR A PIECE BY COMPOSER 

JOHN CAGE, SUBJECT OF AN 

ONGOING FESTIVAL 


Lublin Soundpainting Orchestra of live 

sign language, and the Clay Songs Project 

of Poland – a one-of-a-kind orchestra 

made of ceramic instruments, that plays 

long-lost folk songs. 

Born in what was then the Soviet 

Union, then forcibly moved to western 

Poland, Bernad came to this area through 

his involvement with pioneering theatre 

group Gardzienice – named for the village 

it was based in, not far from Lublin. The 

group garnered international acclaim 

for its groundbreaking experimental 

performances, interacting with the 

community in often-unconventional spaces. 

Its early members are now seen as the 

grand old men of leftfield culture, and 

the bearded Bernad cuts a striking figure 

around the Old Town, a bag filled with 

project ideas slung over his shoulder as he 

cycles through the cobbled streets. 

He was one of the initiators of this year’s 

celebration of John Cage – a year-long 

celebration of both the composer’s 

centenary and Lublin’s own remarkable 

diversity. The American composer was, in 

Bernad’s eyes, a “20th-century alchemist”; 

the aim of the event, he says, was to 

bring together experimental artists 

and ‘Cageologists’ from around the 

world. It has been an ambitious project, 

involving workshops, symposia, lectures 

and performances. “It would have been 

impossible for us to have staged just one 

event,” he explains, over another cigarette 

on the terrace of Lublin’s landmark Jewish 

restaurant, Mandragora. “Cage himself 

touched on so many elements of music, 

musical theory, dance, art and so on. He 

made extraordinary demands, not only of 

his musicians but of the listener, too. By 

stretching the event out over the course of 

a year, we can explore these ideas and let 

them soak into the city.” 

Autumn will bring Cage 1, 2, 3, a series 

of original works inspired by Cage’s 

compositions and created by both 

professional and amateur musicians. 

After the pieces have been performed, 

the winners will be given the chance to 

play their piece at a final concert on 8 

December. By then, the CagePlugBox, an 

interactive musical installation on Łokietka 

Square by Lublin Town Hall, will have 


Bernard cuts a 

striking figure, 

a bag filled with 

project ideas 

slung over his 

shoulder as he 

cycles through the 

cobbled streets 

THIS PAGE: PUPPET: THE 

BOOK OF SPLENDOUR 

DIRECTED BY PAWEŁ PASSINI 

FOR neTTheatre. FAR RIGHT: 

THE DISMISSAL OF THE GREEK 

ENVOYS AND THE LAMENTS AT 

JAN KOCHANOWSKI THEATRE

een dismantled, allowing the city bugler 

to play his daily noon refrain from the 

rooftop without distraction. 

Before then though, there’s much to 

look forward to for Lublin’s cultural 

cognoscenti. Kicking off in mid-October 

is the week-long Theatre Confrontations 

festival, now in its 17th year. One of 

Poland’s major celebrations of the 

performing arts, it will feature acts from 

Moscow, Minsk, St Petersburg and Kharkiv, 

as well as Polish talent such as Teatr 

Nowy from Łódz´ and Grupa Concidentia 

from Białystok. From 6 November, the 

focus is on contemporary dance, as the 

International Dance Theatres Festival 

takes centre stage at the Chatka Zaka 

Academic Cultural Centre; later in the 

month, the audience at the Lublin Cultural 

Centre will choose the winner of the 

Full-Length Film Festival, a celebration of 

independent film-making. The same venue 

also stages late October’s Freaked-Out 

Films Festival, which screens feature, 

documentary and animation shorts. Last 

year, its line-up included such creations 

as The Man Made of Vinyl, The Art of 

Complaining and the unsurpassable Lullaby 

for 4 Bats, a cult animation classic in which 

a black cat has a “boundless adoration of 

table tennis”. Only in Lublin. 

FURTHER INFORMATION 

John Cage: johncageyear.pl 

Crossroads: rozdroza.com/ 

Theatre Confrontations: konfrontacje.pl 

International Dance Theatres Festival: 

dancefestival.lublin.pl 

Film festivals: kinoteatrprojekt.pl 

Chatka Zaka Academic 

Cultural Centre: ack.lublin.pl 

Lublin Cultural Centre: ck.lublin.pl 


DJORDJE BOSKOVIC 

THE TAŠMAJDAN CAVES 

– THE DEFINITION OF 

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 


THE AIR IS COLD AND DANK AS WE DESCEND 

into the concrete bunker. Switching on our 

torches, we shine the beams into the darkness 

and creep along long-abandoned corridors, squeezing 

through heavy, rusted doors as we go from room to 

room. Frayed black telephone cables dangle from the 

ceiling, offering signs of former occupation, but it’s 

better to keep our torch beams pointed downwards to 

avoid puddles of water on the pockmarked floor. 

We pass through one more door and suddenly the 

environment changes dramatically as ahead of us lies 

a pile of rocky debris. Scrambling up it, we find 

ourselves in a vast cave some 20 metres high. Our 

voices echo and in the torchlight our shadows unfurl 

on jagged rock walls. 

We are in the Tašmajdan Caves, deep below 

central Belgrade – almost directly below the Serbian 

parliament building, in fact. But these subterranean 

caverns far predate that institution: they were quarried 

by the Romans for stone, and in the 18th Century, 

the Austrians mined them for saltpetre, an essential 

TUNNEL 

VISION 

The Serbian capital has been invaded 

over 40 times. The result is a maze of 

subterranean passages dating back to 

Roman times. Indiana Jones, your next 

assignment starts here… 

Words by James Williams 

FEATURE BELGRADE 

ingredient in the making of gunpowder. When the 

Austrians later bombarded the city during World War I, 

families took shelter down here and in World War II 

it was the occupying German army that created the 

bunker through which we made our entrance. Citizens 

huddled down here again as recently as 1999, fleeing 

NATO air strikes. This being Belgrade, there have been 

some big parties here, too. 

Our guide, Goran Marković, who runs underground 

tours of Belgrade, recalls going to one of those 

parties back in the 1990s. He has a lot of stories 

to tell because the Tašmajdan Caves are far from 

being Belgrade’s only subterranean lair; the ground 

beneath the city is riddled with a vast network 

of tunnels and deeply buried, occasionally 

long-forgotten, chambers. 

Across town is Savamala, the dockside district in 

the vicinity of the famous Brankow Bridge. It’s an 

area experiencing rapid change as formerly vacant 

buildings are being made over and reinvented as bars, 

restaurants and cultural venues. It also has its own 

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012 WIZZ MAGAZINE 4949

DJORDJE BOSKOVIC / VLADAN MILISAVLJEVIC 

THE COOL AIR IN THE 

SAVAMALA TUNNELS IS 

USEFUL FOR STORING WINE 

tunnel network. “Those are ventilation 

shafts,” says Marković, pointing to a 

brick chimney. “There are tunnels right 

under where we’re standing.” He opens 

a set of wooden doors and leads us 

down into a cellar. Dozens of white 

spiders hang from the rafters and 

metre-high oak barrels are aligned in 

neat rows. The air down here is cool, 

perfect for storing wine, which is why 

Savamala was once popular with vintners. 

A great many of the cellars are linked by 

earthen passageways, few of which are 

still in use. Marković tells us that often 

the people who now occupy the premises 

have no idea where the tunnels leading 

off from their cellars go. Meanwhile, as 

part of the revitalisation of Savamala, 

a wine trade of sorts is making a 

comeback and, above ground once more, 

our party stops for a glass of Serbian wine 

in a newly opened courtyard bar. 

High above the cellars of Savamala is 

Belgrade Fortress, which has existed in one 

form or another since 535AD. It sits on a 

125 metre-high bluff surrounded by the 

wooded Kalemegdan Park, and overlooking 

the meeting of the Sava and the Danube 

rivers. Predictably, the hill upon which 

the citadel stands is riddled with buried 

passageways, storage chambers and 

strongholds. It’s surprising that the ground 

doesn’t simply give way. 

“By exploring the tunnels and 

what they were used for, we 

get a picture of our city’s past” 

THE BELGRADE FORTRESS 

GUNPOWDER STORE 

AND MUSEUM 


“Oh, that has happened,” says Marković, 

as we make our way down into the 

fortress’s former gunpowder store, now 

a small underground museum filled with 

a miscellany of Roman statues, pots and 

tombstones. We venture on, to a Cold 

War-era bunker of long, whitewashed 

corridors and cramped sleeping quarters. 

Alfred Hitchcock was a visitor to the 

fortress in 1964 (he’d been invited to 

Belgrade to speak at the university), 

during which he asked to be shown 

something scary. His guides took him to 

the “Roman” well, actually dug in the 

18th Century and for a time used as a 

prison. We pass through large metal doors 

that are closed behind us and locked, and 

peer down a large circular opening into the 

void before tackling the grimy spiralling 

TOP: THE HILLSIDE OF 

BELGRADE FORTRESS IS 

RIDDLED WITH TUNNELS 

ABOVE: A WINE CELLAR 

IN SAVAMALA 



staircase down which prisoners were 

once marched. 

“We are 35 metres deep now,” says 

Marković. “To go any deeper we would 

need diving gear.” We probe the surface 

of the murky water with our torches. 

“There’ll definitely be some skeletons 

down there,” he says. 

Our organised tour is just one example 

of a newfound enthusiasm for Belgrade’s 

underground places. One man who has 

taken this fascination further than most 

is Rade Milic, an archaeologist from the 

University of Belgrade. His current project 

is called UnderGrad (a play on “Beograd”), 

which aims one day to use augmented 

reality to provide a guide to what lies 

beneath the city. 

“UnderGrad is the first ever scientific 

study of underground Belgrade, as it has 

only been amateurs up until now,” he says. 

“By exploring the tunnels and what they 

were used for we are getting a picture of 

our city in past times.” 

Rade tells me there are about 140 

known underground structures, with many 

more still hidden. The hardest part of the 

research seems to be that once you find 

one tunnel, there’s usually another leading 

off it – and another off that. 

But then Belgrade is one of the most 

invaded cities in Europe, overrun 

according to some accounts no less than 

46 times. Many of the tunnels were 

defensive, or used for storing weapons 

and other supplies. 

Back in the company of Marković and his 

group, we stoop to enter one more tunnel 

in the grounds of the ancient fortress. 

Brushing past cobwebs we shine our 

torches onto World War II motorbikes, 

machine guns and ammo crates 

GERMAN BUNKER 


“We shine our 

torches onto World 

War II motorbikes, 

machine guns and 

ammo crates” 

strewn haphazardly about the place. My 

foot nudges a rusted torpedo and I have 

to step carefully to avoid tripping over the 

Turkish cannonballs that litter the floor. 

Marković shines his torch into a corner. 

“Look, another tunnel,” he says, excitedly. 

Some, he tells us, are up to a kilometre 

long, although many have been blocked. 

“You really have to go in and have a look,” 

he says, beckoning us towards the dark, 

narrow opening. “You go first,” I say. 

To book an underground tour, visit go2Serbia. 

net. Belgrade Under Belgrade by Zoran L.J. 

Nikolic and Vidoje D. Golubovic (Sluzbeni 

Glasnik) has been updated and is currently 

being translated into English. 

ZINDAN GATE IS BUT ONE 

PART OF THE SPRAWLING 

BELGRADE FORTRESS 

SOMETHING 

DIFFERENT 

If you seek luxury 

accommodation, 

Townhouse 27 

(+381 (0)11 202 2900, 

townhouse27.com) 

is a friendly four-star 

with chic, minimalist 

rooms and an excellent 

location close to 

the shops on Knez 

Mihailova. It all makes 

for a pleasant contrast 

to leaky tunnels. 

DJORDJE BOSKOVIC / CORBIS

GETTY 

FEATURE ANDORRA 

AIMING HIGH 

Andorra has recently gone upmarket. For all that, it’s still the 

place to go for pistes, pizzas and pints in the Pyrenees 

Words by Dominic Earle 


GETTY 

With the world’s fourth highest life 

expectancy (fellow tax haven 

Monaco claims top spot), Andorra 

nonetheless makes its money from tourism. 

Some 10 million visit each year to enjoy its 

easygoing, intermediate pistes. Its appeal has 

traditionally lain in being rudimentary and 

down-to-earth. 

But not any more. Recently this tiny Pyrenean 

principality and Catalan stronghold has done 

some serious social climbing, investing tens of 

millions of euros in a makeover replete with 

smart hotels, five-star ski lifts and snowmaking 

facilities. Fortunately, it hasn’t had to actually 

move any mountains in the process; at 1,023m, 

Andorra la Vella is Europe’s highest capital, and 

the principality’s 468 sq km cram in 65 peaks 

above 2,500m. Despite its southerly latitude – 

it’s on a par with Perpignan – the snow record is 

surprisingly good too. 

Andorra remains a great place for pistes 

and pints, with lively bars and late nights – but 

these days the pistes are a little smoother and 

the pints a little dearer. So if you fancy a whole 

country’s worth of ski and après-ski, from the 

high-altitude slopes of Grandvalira and the 

bars of Arinsal to the wild freeride of remote 

Arcalis, Europe’s sixth smallest nation awaits. 


Watch our video at: www.targrybny.pl 

Conveniently located just next to Hilton Gdańsk, Fishmarkt restaurant and bar brings back the tradition 

of fish trade in this place reaching 14th century. Stylish, warm wooden interior welcomes uests 

from the first step. Menu of fine meals, prepared from fresh fish, will satisfy the most demanding gourmet. 

RESTAURACJA TARG RYBNY - FISHMARKT 

ul. Targ Rybny 6C, 80-838 Gdańsk, tel./fax +48 58 320 90 11, e-mail: restauracja@targrybny.pl 

Restaurant & Apartments 

Kamienica Goldwasser is beautifully located at the waterfront at the heart of Gdańsk, next to the he 

iconic wooden port crane. Seven top class apartments, equipped with all modern amenities, offer er 

home-like atmosphere. The restaurant serves traditional Polish and Kashubian dishes, as well as 

international cuisine. Meat is our specialty: try the best steaks in town, or spectacular meat fondue. due. 

www.youtube.com/kamienicagoldwasser 

om/kamienicagoldwasser 

Kamienica Goldwasser, 

ul. Długie Pobrzeże 22 , Gdańsk ńsk 

tel. 58 301 88 78, 

kamienica@goldwasser.pl 

www.goldwasser.pl 

The Golden Spirit of Gdańsk 

Discover traditional Gdańsk beverages: soul warming 

Kurfursten digestive, deeply frozen Machandel juniper vodka 

and unique Goldwasser liqueur filled with 23-carat gold flakes. 

Available exclusively at Goldwasser Restaurant, Fishmarkt 

Restaurants, and Goldwasser Coffee Shop at Długa Street. 

On-line orders welcome!

SUPERSTOCK 

GRANDVALIRA 

Pas de la Casa and Soldeu – now joined at 

the hip as Grandvalira (grandvalira.com) – 

are the showpiece resorts of 21st-century 

Andorra. Together they offer a serious 

alternative to many mid-sized alpine 

destinations; the area’s 192km of runs eclipse 

many of its more illustrious rivals. 

Set on the busy main road from Andorra la 

Vella to the French border, sprawling Soldeu is 

no chocolate box mountain village, but what it 

lacks in charm it makes up for in convenience. 

The main gondola leaves pretty much from the 

boot room of the resort’s best hotel, the Sport 

Village (sporthotels.ad), and the home run 

ends up at the back door. For something more 

low-key, the cosy, lodge-style Hotel Bruxelles 

Soldeu (hotelbruxelles.ad) is a short stroll from 

the gondola and is a fine budget choice. For 

dinner and drinks, Fat Albert’s (+376 851 765) 

is a legendary après ski spot in a 300-year-old 

barn; the hugely popular restaurant dishes 

up steaks, ribs and pizzas among the original 

mangers, while the upstairs bar is packed till 

the early hours and hosts twice-weekly gigs. 

Once you’re on the pistes, most of the skiing 

takes place across three open, north-facing 

bowls above the treeline. Sitting at a snow-sure 

2,250m, Es Piolets is the main mountain base 

with ski schools, a big nursery area and several 

restaurants dotted around the slopes. There 

are three Fun Food restaurants serving up 

sandwiches, burgers and salads – and, if you 

time it right, the chance to watch the waitresses 

doing a dance routine on the tables as the 

music is pumped up to the max. For something 

more refined, Roc de les Bruixes (+376 890 

704) is a gastronomic mountain hut perched at 

2,000m. Come for lunch or, even better, head 

up on a Saturday night; after-dark access is 

via gondola from the linked village of Canillo, 

followed by a stroll along a torchlit track. 

In Canillo itself, the delightful Borda del 

Rector (+376 852 606, bordarector.com) serves 

up suckling pig and wild boar in an atmospheric 

old wood and stone cowshed, with lavishly 

decorated lounge areas and roaring log fires. 

The village is also home to a sporting treat, 

the Palau de Gel (palaudegel.ad), with an 

Olympic-sized ice rink, sauna and gym. 

At the other end of the Grandvalira ski 

area is the loud, brash party resort of Pas 

de la Casa, which first cranked into action in 

1957. Straddling the border, it has something 

of a frontier town feel with droves of French 

skiers and duty-free shoppers heading up for 

a weekend in the white stuff. Pas may not 

be as convenient as Soldeu for exploring the 

whole area, but it has steep reds above the 

village, accessed by a series of fast chairlifts. 

Two minutes from the slopes, the Petit Hotel 

(petithotelpas.com) is a great-value place to 

lay your head, with 12 comfy en-suite rooms. 

If you’d prefer to escape the partying, book 

into luxurious four-star Grau Roig Hotel 

(hotelgrauroig.com), which sits in peaceful 

seclusion at 2,000m in the neighbouring valley 

and offers excellent spa facilities alongside 

ski-in, ski-out accommodation. 

ANDORRA FEATURE 

THIS PAGE: SKI FIRST, 

PARTY LATER AT PAS DE 

LA CASA 

“If you time 

it right, you 

can watch the 

waitresses 

do a dance 

routine on 

the tables” 


ALAMY, SUPERSTOCK 

“Remote Arcalis, 

on the French 

border, is a treasure 

locals prefer to 

keep to themselves” 

VALLNORD 

While Grandvalira is a fully-fledged domaine, 

Andorra’s other ski destination, Vallnord 

(vallnord.com), is more a PR flight of fancy. 

The two ski areas that huddle together under 

the marketing banner, Pal-Arinsal and 

Ordino-Arcalis, may share the same lift pass, 

but that’s where the connection ends – it’s 

a good 20km drive between the two and in 

character they’re worlds apart. Despite a 

spruce-up, Arinsal still hankers after the 

good old days when drinking was as much 

of a sport as downhill skiing. Yes, there are 

new four-star hotels; yes, there’s a hands-free 

lift system, but at heart it is still a party town, 

with plenty of happy hours to dance the night 

away in your ski boots. 

Pal, meanwhile, has no accommodation 

and is little more than a daytrippers’ car park. 

The two are linked by a six-minute cable car 

ride, and the terrain at either end couldn’t 

be more different. While Arinsal’s skiing is 

based around a high, treeless and often windy 

east-facing bowl, Pal is hunkered lower down 

and has plenty of tree cover for sheltered 

cruising. A gondola plugs the handsome valley 

town of La Massana into the ski area, lifting 

day-trippers up the mountain in five minutes. 

As the closest gondola to the capital, Andorra 

la Vella, this can lead to crowding on Pal’s 

already limited slopes, but it also offers an 

attractive base for those seeking a quieter 

option and a fast-track route to the capital. 

La Massana is also just a snowball’s throw 

from Caldea (caldea.com): Europe’s largest 

spa complex and the perfect place to soothe 

aching limbs. At the heart of this striking 

modern temple to ‘thermoludism’ is a vast 

lagoon fed by hot springs and surrounded by 

Turkish baths and saunas. 

Not many tourists from abroad make it as 

far as the principality’s third resort, the remote 

Arcalis ski station. Right on the French border, 

it feels a world away from the neon lights of 

Arinsal down the road. The drive up the Vall 

d’Ordino from La Massana takes you past 

ancient stone farms and acres of untouched 

land, a breath of fresh air after the clogged 

streets and mass development of Andorra la 

Vella, just 20km down the hill. There are no 

hotels in Arcalis itself, but Ordino, the main 

hotel base, is a beautiful town of cobbled 

streets set around an ancient square. Housed in 

a traditional stone building on the Plaça Major, 

the three-star Hotel Santa Barbara de la Vall 

d’Ordino (www.hotelstabarbara.com) is full of 

character and charm. 

There’s talk of expanding Arcalis’s 26km of 

north-facing piste into the neighbouring French 

valley (on the El Túnel piste, you’ll see signs of 

an earlier effort to bore through the mountain). 

For now, this is a treasure that the locals like 

to keep to themselves – and with Andorra’s 

highest skiing, most unspoilt surroundings and 

finest snow conditions, don’t count on a major 

global marketing push any time soon. Instead, 

hop on the Els Feixans draglift from the back 

bowl to the top of the ‘Fora Pista’ freeride area 

and soak up the silence, before floating down 

through the vintage Pyrenean powder, with not 

a single happy hour in sight. 

TOP: VALLNORD RESORT 

ABOVE: THE LUXURIOUS 

CALDEA SPA COMPLEX 


FEATURE MILAN 

SNOW REPORT 

Why not combine a trip to stylish Milan with a spot of skiing? 

Words by Felice Hardy 

ONE GREAT ADVANTAGE THAT SKIING HAS 

over other holidays is that life’s problems are 

put on hold. All thoughts are on that next 

turn or, for many, the right restaurant for lunch. 

The only real dilemma is choosing your destination. 

With a choice of 6,000 resorts in 75 countries around 

the world, the decision certainly isn’t an easy one. 

The advantage of skiing in Italy lies in the friendly 

and laid-back atmosphere, delicious food and the 

good value for money. Lessons and lift passes also 

tend to cost less than in the Swiss and French resorts. 

Flying into Milan, you have a choice of some of the 

best resorts in the country, all within an hour to three 

hours’ drive. We run through our pick of the best. 

ONE HOUR AWAY 

PILA 

• Short breaks at low prices for beginners 

• Crowd-free, easy runs at weekdays 

• Get culture at nearby Aosta town 

Only beginners will find enough skiing for a week in 

Pila; for everyone else this is better for a three- or 


1 

hour from Milan 

PILA (PICTURED) AND 

MONTECAMPIONE 

four-day short break. Still, Pila’s 70km of mainly easy 

runs are almost deserted on weekdays – apart from 

schoolchildren, who tend to stick to the nursery slopes. 

Prices are low; a private ski lesson is about half 

what you’d pay in the cheapest A-list French resort. 

Although Pila has a quiet nightlife, the valley 

town of Aosta, linked by gondola, represents a life 

outside skiing beyond that of a purpose-built ski 

resort, with shops, bars, clubs, a cinema, theatre and 

well-preserved Roman remains and Roman theatre. 

Stay at Hotel Lion Noir (lionnoirhotel.it), a recently 

renovated alpine-style venue which is a good-value 

and unpretentious choice. It has wonderful views of 

the Grand Combin of Aosta and it’s a ski-in, ski-out 

hotel, being next to the Aosta-Pila cableway. 

MONTECAMPIONE 

• For families at intermediate level 

• Three resorts with a variety of accommodation 

• Encompasses a spa village 

The family-friendly resort has just 35km of piste, rising 

to a top height of 2,000m. The slopes suit mainly 

2 

hours from Milan 

CERVINIA (PICTURED), 

GRESSONEY AND 

MADESIMO

eginners to intermediates and are particularly 

popular with Italian weekenders. Small the ski area 

may be, but there are three mountain restaurants and 

a choice of three resort bases in which to stay. 

La Splaza (residencelasplaza.it) is a complex 

with 130 apartments with panoramic balconies. 

It’s at the base of the mountain, directly in front of 

the ski lifts of Montecampione-Alpiaz, and offers 

a superb view of the slopes and the surrounding 

mountains of Valcamonia Montecamione. Le Baite 

offers ski-in ski-out accommodation (monticolo.it/ 

montecampione-1800-le-baite.html), in Alpine lodge 

style, up the mountain, while Boario Terme spa village 

(termediboario.it) is in the valley, with a shuttle-bus 

linking it to the ski area. The latter arguably makes the 

most pleasant base, being a real village with a choice 

of bars and restaurants, rather than a purpose-built 

ski station like the other two. Boario Terme is famous 

for its spa and thermal waters, and there’s a good 

choice of hotels, from the simple to the luxurious. 

TWO HOURS AWAY 

CERVINIA 

• Intermediate skiing and superb nursery slopes 

• Guaranteed snow and fantastic views 

• World-class hotels and restaurants 

The village isn’t too picturesque, but the views from 

it are. This is the reverse side of the Matterhorn and 

Cervinia shares a high-altitude ski area with Zermatt. 

The slopes are mainly intermediate – with long and 

fast pistes – with superb nursery slopes in the village. 

What sets Cervinia (cervinia.it) aside are the fabulous 

mountain restaurants and a few world-class hotels. 

Top restaurants are Chalet Etoile, Rifugio Guide 

del Cervino and Bontadini. Hotel Hermitage 

(hotelhermitage.com) and new next-door-neighbour, 

Saint Hubertus Resort (sainthubertusresort.it), in the 

woods above the village, come highly recommended. 

Slightly cheaper are Le Samovar (samovarcervinia. 

com) and Hosquet Lodge (hosquetlodge.it), attractive 

little B&Bs in the pedestrian centre. 

3 

hours from Milan 

JOIN THE GLAM SET AT 

MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO 

(PICTURED) 


Gościnni gospodarze blisko 

lotniska w Dortmundzie 

Charming Hosts at 

Dortmund Airport 

Pokoje od 

Rooms from 

64 EURO 

Hotel Dortmund Airport 

Schleefstraße 2c ∙ 44287 Dortmund 

Tel. +49 (0) 2 31 / 98 98 90 

dortmund-airport@balladins-hotels.com 

www.balladins-hotels.com 

FREE 

Na jego cześć zbudowano Dwór Artusa, gdzie 

spotykali się podróżnicy z całego świata i kupcy gdańscy. 

Artus House was built in his honour and it is where travelers and 

traders from all over Europe meet together in Gdańsk 

Dzisiaj tuż obok, w sercu Starego Gdańska, powstał Hotel Artus, który 

kontynuuje tradycję otwartości i gościnności gdańskiej. 

Today at the heart of the Old Town, there is a new Artus Hotel, which 

continues with our tradition of openness and great hospitality. 

Zarezerwoj pokój już dziś. Na haslo ARTUS otrzymasz najlepszą 

cenę na pobyt do końca kwietnia 2013r. 

Make your reservation today. Quote ARTUS to receive 

the best prices from now until April 2013. 


SKOPJE 





DEBRECEN 



UNDER 

BELGRADE 




WIZZ_39_p001_Cover.indd 1 18/09/2012 15:36 

To reach an audience of over 2,000,000 

passengers every issue, 

please contact our advertising sales team on 

+44 (0) 207 749 2333

“Skiing in Italy 

means a laid-back 

atmosphere, 

delicious food and 

value for money” 

GRESSONEY 

• For a rich variety of on- and off-piste skiing 

• A charmingly Swiss influence 

Monterosa Ski is an area made up of the resorts of 

Gressoney-La-Trinité, Champoluc and Alagna on 

the southern side of the border with Switzerland. 

Although the three villages are close as the crow flies 

and well connected on piste and by lift, it takes two 

to three hours to drive between any two of them. It is 

one of the most underrated skiing in the Alps – both 

on- and off-piste (monterosa-ski.com). 

Gressoney-La-Trinité is a community of cobbled 

streets with ancient wooden chalets surrounded by 

more contemporary buildings. Being central, it is 

the most convenient location. Don’t miss a visit to 

Capanna Carla restaurant, at the far end of the valley. 

You can head across towards Champoluc for easy blue 

and red cruising, or turn right for Alagna and some of 

the most exciting powder skiing in the Alps. 

Ellex Hotel (ellexhotel.it) in Gressoney-La-Trinité is 

a slope-side bio-hotel created with natural materials. 

Its 20 bedrooms, named after Alpine flowers, have 

wooden floors and goose down duvets. 

MADESIMO 

• For beginners, intermediates and snowboarders 

• Feeling daring? Try the steep Canalone ski trail 

• A quiet, small and pretty idyll 

The small, attractive resort in the Valchiavenna ski 

area is close to the Swiss border. Its 50km of skiing 

is served by a dozen modern lifts and is ideal for 

less adventurous intermediates looking for quiet, 

uncrowded slopes. The ski school has small classes, 

there’s a snowpark for freestylers and snowboarders, a 

69km snowmobile trail, and the pistes are floodlit for 

night-skiing. However, Madesimo’s main claim to fame 

is its notoriously steep Canalone ski trail. 

The nightlife centres around a few very Italian bars 

and hotels. Stay at the new four-star Hotel Boscone 

(bosconesuitehotel.it), close to the slopes. It comes 

with a spa, restaurant and a children’s mini-club. 

THREE HOURS AWAY 


• For winter skiers, snowboarders, freestylers 

• Fabulous pistes and mountain restaurants 

• Expect the glam set and Italian celebs 

The delightful town of Madonna di Campiglio 

(campigliodolomiti.it) has a lot to offer for a mediumsized 

ski resort: beautifully groomed pistes, mountain 

restaurants and Italy’s best snowpark for freestylers 

and snowboarders. Madonna itself is a chic resort, 

attracting Italian celebrities, but the prices are far 

lower than you’d expect for a resort of this calibre. 

A downside is that the ski area isn’t too high – in 

fact, the top pistes are at 2,500m, so make sure to visit 

before the end of February if you can. 

The ski area is split into three chunks – Cinque 

Laghi, Pradalago and Monte Spinale/Grosté – linked 

by piste at resort level. Once you’ve explored the 

main slopes above Madonna, and so long as you’ve 

bought the more expensive Superskirama lift pass, 

you’ll be able to ski over to the neighbouring resorts of 

Marilleva, Pinzolo and Folgarida. 

Hermitage Biohotel (biohotelhermitage.it) is just 

over a kilometre from the resort centre, but offers a 

free minibus every five minutes to and from the slopes. 

Inside, there’s a Michelin-starred restaurant and a 

lovely spa. A cheaper option is the bright and cheery 

three-star Hotel Montana (montanacampiglio.it), a 

ski-in, ski-out hotel with a piste right beside it.. 

Felice Hardy is co-editor of the ski information 

website, welove2ski.com 

FABULOUS MOUNTAIN 

RESTAURANTS AWAIT AT 


MILAN FEATURE 


THERE HAS NEVER BEEN a more 

opportune time to invest in Poland. The 

economy excelled in the aftermath of 

the global financial crisis that hobbled 

many of its European counterparts, 

while preparations for the recent 

THE ARBORETUM, completed 

in April 2012, is a residential 

building located in close proximity 

to Piotrkowska Street, in Łódz. The 

area was once home to the unique, 

art-nouveau brick façade of the 

Aleksander Schicht manufacturing 

facility, and this heritage has been 

respected by incorporating two of 

the original building’s walls into 

INVEST IN POLAND 

A guide to the very best investment opportunities 

in one of Europe’s strongest economies 

Euro 2012 tournament included 

huge improvements in the country’s 

infrastructure and the building of 600km 

of new motorways. Meanwhile, property 

prices have been rising, and this trend 

looks set to continue. This collection of 

the design. The building offers 315 

residential units and 319 parking 

spaces, as well as functionally 

finished common areas, fencing 

and a green courtyard with a 

playground. 

4 Łukasinskiego St, Łódz 

+48 42 632 50 52; +48 604 942 042 

www.arboretum-lodz.pl 

biuro@arboretum-lodz.pl 

MOZAIKA MOKOTÓW is 

a residential estate located in 

Warsaw’s Mokotów District, 

close to one of the city’s largest 

malls and well connected to the 

city centre and Warsaw Airport. 

Built by Spanish developer 

Layetana Developments Polska, 

the estate was inspired by 

Mediterranean architecture and 

exciting investment opportunities spans 

the whole country, including apartments 

and housing estates in Warsaw, Łódz, 

Katowice, Poznan and the tri-city area, 

and represents the very best that 

Poland has to offer. 

its carefully arranged common 

areas abound in greenery. All 

apartments are finished to the 

highest standard and can be easily 

modified to meet clients’ needs. 

Contact the Client Assistants for 

the latest sales promotions. 

7 Cybernetyki St, Warsaw 

+48 22 460 49 60 

www.MozaikaMokotow.pl

BAZANTOWO IS AN 

exceptional place on the map 

of Katowice city. This 20-hectare 

housing estate forms ‘a city within 

a city’, and has been ranked as 

the best place to live in Silesia. 

Its outstanding architecture is 

matched by its rich facilities, as 

inhabitants live only a few steps 

away from a shopping and medical 

APARTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE 

to buy in Poland’s first condohotel, 

affiliated with the Golden Tulip 

Brand. Here, you can maximise 

your gains by profiting from a 

global reservation system and 

cooperation with large tour 

operators. All costs connected with 

management, advertising, rental 

and maintenance will be covered 

centre, amazing sports facilities, 

including the region’s largest 

sports complex, as well as the 

local nursery and kindergarten, a 

modern Piarist school, playgrounds 

and sports fields – all of which are 

available on the estate itself. 

2 Hierowskiego St, Katowice 

+48 32 205 95 00; +48 606 422 273 

www.bazantowo.pl 

by the hotel company; the owner 

shares only profits. Investors can 

gain a 21% return in just three 

years, as the interest is higher than 

even the most profitable bank 

deposit rate - 

estimated at 9% 

p.a., for 15 years. 

www.ql.pl 

qualia@ql.pl 

DEVELOPERS LINEA have 

been building Osada Lesna in 

Dabrówka, near Poznan, for the 

past decade. Currently, 2500 

inhabitants live in its modern 

single and family homes, and 

enjoy the shopping centre, school, 

church and recreation facilities 

built nearby. Beautifully situated, 

surrounded by woods, inhabitants 

QUALIA DEVELOPMENT, 

a company with 12 years’ 

experience, have built Neptun 

Park, an intimate and luxurious 

housing estate on the outskirts of 

Gdansk and Sopot. It is beautifully 

located, close to the sea and 

surrounded by lush greenery, yet 

still benefits from the excellent 

tri-city infrastructure. Around the 

also benefit from Linea’s unique 

involvement in community 

activities. Many customers buy 

these properties for investment 

purposes, as the S11 and A2 

West Poznan roads have made 

the region more attractive. 

2 Platanowa St, Dabrówka 

+48 61 890 12 12 

www.dabrowka.com.pl 

corner, the Gdansk shipyard and 

old town are easily accessible. This 

unique combination of factors have 

even enticed numerous celebrities 

to Neptun Park, including the 

Olympic champion 

sailor Mateusz 

Kusznierewicz. 

www.ql.pl 

qualia@ql.pl

FLYING TO OVER 

70 DESTINATIONS 

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Barcelona 

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London Luton 

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Valencia 


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Doncaster/Sheffield 

Gdansk 


Poznan 

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Belgrade 

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Brno 

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Prague 

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Dortmund 

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Hamburg Lübeck 

Haugesund 

Glasgow Prestwick 

Gothenburg 

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London Luton 

Malmö 

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Stavanger 


Trondheim 

Turku 


Gdansk 

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Belgrade 

Budapest 

Gdansk 

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Grenoble 

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Haugesund 

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Heraklion (Crete) 

Budapest 

Katowice/Krakow 76 

Barcelona 

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Dortmund 

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Kyiv 

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Rome Ciampino 

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Kutaisi 

Kyiv 

Kyiv 76 

Antalya 

Barcelona Girona 

Cologne 

Dortmund 



Kutaisi 

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MADRID 

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BERGEN 

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ALICANTE 

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GOTHENBURG 

COLOGNE 

TRONDHEIM 

HAUGESUND 

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FRANKFURT HAHN 

ROME FIUMICINO 

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HAMBURG LÜBECK 

NAPLES 

OSLO SANDEFJORD TORP 

MALMÖ 

PRAGUE 

MEMMINGEN / MUNICH WEST 

STOCKHOLM SKAVSTA 

GDANSK 

WARSAW-MODLIN 

POZNAN 

LODZ LUBLIN 

WROCLAW 

BUDAPEST 

DEBRECEN 

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MILAN-BERGAMO LJUBLJANA 

VERONA 

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ARAD 

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CATANIA 

SPLIT 

BRNO 

BARI 

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SKOPJE 

CORFU 

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[ destinations ] 

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DESTINATIONS Wizz Air routes 


Larnaca 

Budapest 

Liverpool 

Gdansk 

Katowice 

Vilnius 

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Ljubljana 78 


London Luton 

Łód´z 

Dortmund 

London Luton 

London Luton 78 

Belgrade 

Bourgas 

Brno 

Bucharest 

Budapest 

Cluj Napoca 

Debrecen 

Gdansk 


Kyiv 

Ljubljana 

Łódz 

Lublin 

Poznan 

Prague 

Riga 

Skopje 

Sofia 

Split 

Timisoara 

Tirgu Mures 

Varna 

Vilnius 

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Wrocław 

Lublin 82 

London Luton 


Lviv 

Dortmund 

Milan-Bergamo 


Madrid 82 

Bucharest 

Budapest 

Cluj Napoca 


Prague 

Sofia 

Timisoara 

Tirgu Mures 

Warsaw-Modlin 

Malaga 

Budapest 

Malmö 

Belgrade 

Budapest 

Gdansk 


Skopje 

Warsaw-Modlin 

Memmingen/ 

Munich West 

Belgrade 

Bucharest 

Kyiv 

Skopje 

Tirgu Mures 

Milan-Bergamo 

Arad 

Bucharest 

Cluj Napoca 

Gdansk 


Kyiv 

Lviv 

Prague 

Timisoara 

Tirgu Mures 

Skopje 

Sofia 

Vilnius 

Warsaw-Modlin 


Bucharest 

Budapest 

Debrecen 

Naples 

Bucharest 

Budapest 

Prague 

Oslo Sandefjord 

Torp 

Belgrade 

Gdansk 


Lublin 

Poznan 

68 WIZZ MAGAZINE // FEBRUARY/MARCH OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012 2012 

Riga 

Vilnius 

Warsaw-Modlin 

Wrocław 


Bucharest 

Budapest 

Cluj Napoca 

Paris-Beauvais 85 

Bucharest 

Cluj Napoca 

Gdansk 


Poznan 

Sofia 

Timisoara 

Tirgu Mures 

Vilnius 

Warsaw-Modlin 

Wrocław 

Pisa 

Bucharest 

Poznan 85 

Barcelona 

Bourgas 

Cork 


Dortmund 

London Luton 





Prague 86 

Barcelona 

Bari 

Bourgas 

Eindhoven 

London Luton 

Madrid 

Milan-Bergamo 

Naples 



Rhodes 

Belgrade 

Budapest 

Riga 86 

Eindhoven 

London Luton 


Rome Ciampino 88 

Bucharest 


Rome Fiumicino 88 

Belgrade 

Brno 

Budapest 

Cluj Napoca 

Gdansk 

Poznan 

Prague 

Sofia 

Timisoara 

Tirgu Mures 

Vilnius 

Warsaw-Modlin 

Simferopol 

Kyiv 

Skopje 88 

Basel Mulhouse 

Dortmund 

Eindhoven 

London Luton 

Malmö 

Memminghen 

Milan Bergamo 

Venice-Treviso 

Sofia 88 

Barcelona 


Budapest 

Dortmund 

Eindhoven 



London Luton 

Madrid 

Milan-Bergamo 



Valencia 


Split 

London Luton 

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Gdansk 


Vilnius 

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Stockholm Skavsta 91 

Belgrade 

Budapest 

Gdansk 


Poznan 

Warsaw-Modlin 

Thessaloniki 

Budapest 

Timisoara 

Barcelona 

Dortmund 


London Luton 

Madrid 

Milan-Bergamo 



Valencia 


Tirgu Mures 91 

Barcelona 

Budapest 

Dortmund 

London Luton 

Madrid 

Memmingen/ 

Munich West 

Milan-Bergamo 



Trondheim 

Gdansk 

Turku 

Budapest 

Gdansk 

Valencia 

Bucharest 

Cluj Napoca 

Kyiv 

Sofia 

Timisoara 

Varna 

Budapest 

London Luton 


Bucharest 

Cluj Napoca 

Kyiv 

Lviv 

Prague 

Skopje 

Sofia 

Timisoara 

Verona 

Bucharest 

Vilnius 

Barcelona 

Bergen 

Cork 


Dortmund 

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Liverpool 

London Luton 

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Oslo/Torp 

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Stavanger 

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Barcelona 

Bourgas 


Budapest 

Cork 


Eindhoven 



Gothenburg 

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Liverpool 

London Luton 

Madrid 

Malmö 

Milan-Bergamo 




Stavanger 


Wrocław 92 

Cork 


Dortmund 

Eindhoven 

London Luton 



Zakynthos 

Budapest 

Zaragoza 

Bucharest 

Cluj Napoca

Barcelona 

barcelonaturisme.com Euro 

Boots and ballet 

Autumn is the time for specialist 

walking tours, such as Suzanne Wales 

on Contemporary Catalan design 

(+34 661 050 954), or the Ruta del 

Modernisme (rutadelmodernisme. 

com) on Gaudí. October has a 

programme of flamenco singers and 

guitarists at the Palau de la Música 

(palaumusica.org), while the Liceu 

Opera House (liceubarcelona. 

cat) hosts ballet from the US until 

late October, and Prague until 

late November. La Castanyada is 

Barcelona’s answer to Halloween; it’s 

on 31 October and 1 November with 

roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes 

on the streets, and with panellets 

(marzipan cookies rolled in pinenuts) 

in bakeries. A glass of cava is nice too. 

 

 

Eating and drinking 

Most city’s chefs say autumn is the 

best time of year. In the Boqueria 

food market, El Quim de Boqueria 

(La Rambla 91, elquimdelaboqueria. 

cat) does superb wild mushrooms with 

eggs; Can Culleretes (C/Quintana 

5, culleretes.com), which dates back 

to 1786, is big on classics like goose 

and pears, and fine-dining restaurants 

such as Cinc Sentits (C/Aribau 58, 

cincsentits.com) launch their autumn 

tasting menus in homage to some of 

the best regional products. 

Getting to the centre 

We provide a shuttle bus transfer 

between the airport and any address 

in the centre. It is €18 (€36 return). 

Words Tara Stevens 

Barcelona & Basel 

Basel 

basel.com Swiss Franc 

Crafts and trinkets 

Once an event for prize pigs and 

bushels of grain, today the Basel 

Autumn Fair (27 October – 11 

November) is all about eating, 

shopping and rollercoasters. 

Now over 500 years old, the fair 

is scattered over a dozen sites, 

with the Petersplatz a shoppers’ 

paradise of crafts and trinkets, and 

the Messeplatz full of the screams 

of adrenaline seekers. Climb the 

Münsterplatz and board the giant 

Ferris wheel to enjoy a spectacular 

view of the Black Forest. 


Basel’s best eating is on both sides 

of the Rhine, with the two-Michelin 

starred Cheval Blanc (lestroisrois. 

 

 

DESTINATIONS 

com) facing the more modest 

restaurants in Lesser Basel. Try Hotel 

Krafft (krafftbasel.ch) or the cosy 

Zum Schmale Wurf (schmalewurf. 

ch). For nightlife, the bars and clubs 

at the Kaserne (kaserne-basel.ch) 

are a good place to start, while the 

brash discos of the Steinenvorstadt 

are a good place to end a night. 


EuroAirport, straddling the French- 

Swiss border, is the world’s only 

binational airport. Make sure to exit 

through Swiss customs, and then Bus 

50 (2.80 Swiss Francs, €2.50) takes 

you to Basel Railway Station within 

20 minutes. A taxi costs about 40 

Swiss Francs (€33). 

Words Richard Harvell 


EXPERIENCE CENTRAL BOHEMIA 

Beautiful, romantic and diverse, the Czech Republic's Central Bohemia 

Region off ers the perfect getaway during the winter months 

IN WINTER, VISITORS TO 

the pleasant and diverse country 

of the Czech Republic can 

enjoy active tourism pursuits, 

immerse themselves in culture 

and history, tuck into amazing 

gastronomic experiences and 

relax in revitalising spa retreats. 

In particular, the Central 

Bohemia Region, which encircles 

the capital city of Prague, offers 

a perfect balance between the 

natural, rural atmosphere and 

dignified castles and châteaux 

of the country, and the urban 

delights and cultural and 

entertainment programmes 

of the city. 

Winter sees the Central 

Bohemia Region at its most 

romantic; the sight of roofs, 

treetops, meadows, fields and 

roads covered with a layer of 

soft, white snow is reminiscent of 

stories told around the fire and 

fairy tales of old. 

The region is renowned 

for its rich and varied natural 

environment, and so it is little 

wonder that many Bohemian 

kings and noblemen of the past 

used to build their residences 

here, many of which are still 

open to tourists today. Take the 

time out to visit and admire any 

of these beautifully preserved 

castles and châteaux, which 

include Karlštejn, Krivoklát, 

Ceský Šternberk, Konopište, and 

Kokorín, before sitting down 

to enjoy the best of traditional 

Czech cuisine and a warming 

glass of mulled wine at a cosy 

country restaurant. 

Named on the UNESCO 

list of World Cultural Heritage 

sites in 1995, the medieval town 

of Kutná Hora remains one of 

the most significant sightseeing 

destinations in the region, not 

least because of its unique GASK 

gallery and the architectural gem 

that is St Barbara’s Cathedral. 

Alternatively, if you simply 

want to relax and restore your 

strength, head to Podebrady, a 

picturesque little spa town only 

one hour from Prague. Here, 

visitors can enjoy the beauty 

of a winter hunt, as the nearby 

hunting districts are home to 

wildlife including pheasants, 

hares, deer, stags, mouflon sheep 

and even wild boar. 

The Central Bohemia Region 

is one of the most pleasant 

and interesting areas of the 

Czech Republic all year round. 

However, it is during winter 

that it is at its most peaceful 

and tranquil; at which time it 

becomes an ideal destination 

for any holidaymaker, whether 

they are seeking an exciting, 

active vacation or simply a quiet 

and restful escape. 

Visit www.middleczech.cz 

for more information. 

CREDIT

Belgrade 

tob.co.rs 

Serbian Dinar 

J.Lo’s in town! 

Jennifer Lopez calls into Belgrade’s 

Kombank Arena on 20 November as 

part of her Dance Again world tour, 

in which she promotes her Greatest 

Hits album (eventim.rs/rs). The 44th 

BEMUS – Belgrade Music Festival 

– with classical and contemporary 

music – is 11-21 October. 


Contemporary Zaplet at 

Kajmakčalanska 2 (zaplet.rs) offers 

a mix of Serbian and Asian dishes 

as well as an extensive selection 

of wines. The coffee is particularly 

fine, also. Be sure to book ahead. 

The golden colours of autumn 

surround the atmospheric Rubin at 

Kneza Viseslava 29 in the woods of 

Kosutnjak. Here, at this quartercentury 

old restaurant, Serbian-style 

meat is grilled to perfection. 


In Belgrade Wizz Air provides a 

shuttle-bus transfer between the 

airport and any address in the city 

centre. It costs €7 (€14 return). 

Words Peterjon Cresswell 

Belgrade – Brussles 

Brno 

brno.cz 

Koruna 

Germany on screen 

Fans of German cinema will love 

the Goethe Institut’s Das Film Fest 

(facebook.com/dasfilmfest), 17-21 

October, with a focus on women’s 

perspectives. Legendary music spot 

Fléda (fleda.cz) maintains a fantastic 

programme of Czech artists in 

between its club nights. If planning 

a visit to the UNESCO-listed Villa 

Tugendhat (above), do book several 

weeks before you plan to leave or you 

will have to try for tickets as they’re 

made available (tugendhat.eu). 


For excellent Czech-style dinners 

and beers on tap, the updated 

Stopkova Plzenská Pivnice 

(stopkovaplzenskapivnice.cz) is a 

popular spot with both locals and 

the business crowd. Book ahead to 

ensure a table. 


The bus to Brno leaves approximately 

every half-hour, takes 20 minutes, 

and costs about €1 (25 koruna). 

A taxi into town is about €10 (250 

koruna), and takes 20 minutes. 

Words Brien Barnett 

TO REACH AN AUDIENCE OF OVER 2,000,000 

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ADVERTISING SALES TEAM ON +44 (0) 20 7749 2333 

DESTINATIONS 

Brussels 

brusselsinternational.be 

Euro 

Let there be light 

On White Night (Nuit Blanche) 

on 6 October, museums, concert 

halls and other places of interest 

put on special events until the wee 

hours (2012.nuitblanchebrussels. 

be). Missed it? Every Thursday this 

autumn museums stay open until 

10pm. From 6-21 October sample 

gastronomic delicacies under one 

roof at the Brussels Expo; visit 

salonalimentation.be for details. 


For football, Fat Boys at 5 Place de 

Luxembourg (+32 (0)25 11 3266, 

fatboys-be.com) shows most sports 

and serves burgers from €12. For 

something more upmarket, check 

out old wine cellar converted into a 

beautiful restaurant, Les Foudres, 

which serves French cuisine, such as a 

filet of pork with thyme for €18 (+32 

(0)26 47 3636, lesfoudres.be). 



between the airport (Charleroi South) 

and any address in the Brussels city 

centre. Tickets are €30 (€60 return). 

Words Poppy Bullock 

FREE 


SKOPJE 





DEBRECEN 



UNDER 

BELGRADE 




WIZZ_39_p001_Cover.indd WIZZ_39_p001_Cover.indd 11 18/09/2012 15:36 


DESTINATIONS Budapest & Debrecen 

Budapest 

budapestinfo.hu 

Hungarian Forint 

A slice of the city 

Perhaps the highlight of autumn’s 

live-music calendar is the appearance 

of Chrysta Bell (above) on 16 

October at the A38 (a38.hu), a boat 

venue moored on the Danube on the 

Buda side. The singer is best known 

for her collaboration on the film 

soundtracks of David Lynch. Bossa 

nova band Nouvelle Vague perform 

an exclusive musical, Dawn of 

Innocence, at the same venue on 

23 November. While no match 

for Mexico’s wild celebrations, in 

Hungary the Day of the Dead 

(Halottak napja) runs over two days, 

1 and 2 November. Cemeteries 

across Budapest will be filled with 

flowers and aglow with candlelight to 

commemorate loved ones. 



St Martin’s Day falls on 11 

November, and is when many of 

Budapest’s traditional restaurants 

offer roast goose. One classic venue 

at which to try it is the Fülemüle 

at 5 Kofarago Street in District 

VIII (fulemule.hu). A favourite with 

football fans, not least on Serie A 

Sunday afternoons, Trattoria Pomo 

D’Oro at Arany János 9 is arguably 

Budapest’s best mid-priced Italian 

restaurant (pomodorobudapest.com). 


Wizz Air provides a point-to-point 

bus transfer between the airport and 

city centre (Deák Ferenc Square). The 

cost is €5 (€10 return). 


Debrecen 

gotodebrecen.com 

Hungarian Forint 

Last chance to see… 

Hurry to see a stunning collection of 

Bulgarian iconography at the Elötéri 

Gallery, at Teleki utca 50. Ends 5 

October. Across at the MODEM Arts 

Centre (modemart.hu), Mikoránok 

is an exhibition by Aleksandra Grela, 

a Polish-born artist who now lives 

in Debrecen. It attempts to create a 

common language between the two 

countries by means of three dozen 

abstract paintings. Ends 6 October. 

On 23 November, the Debreceni 

Zenede music academy celebrates 

its 150th anniversary with a special 

performance at the Kölcsey Központ 

(kolcseykozpont.hu). 


The Régiposta, also known as the 

Old Post Office, is one of Debrecen’s 

most venerable restaurants, housed 

in a building at Széchenyi utca 6 

(regiposta.hu) that dates to the 

1690s. Hungarian classics dot the 

menu: Orja soup Hajduság style 

with noodles is 590 forint (€3) and 

turkey stew with tarragon, 650 forint. 

Another landmark is the Régi Vigadó 

(regivigado.hu), in the parkland by 

Debrecen University, where Magyar 

dishes are served in a historic building. 


A special bus connects with Wizz Air 

flights, calling at Debrecen University, 

the city centre, the train station and 

other central points. Tickets are 500 

Hungarian forints (€2). 



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PLEASE CONTACT OUR ADVERTISING SALES TEAM ON 

+44 (0) 20 7749 2333

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DESTINATIONS Dortmund – Gdansk 

Dortmund 

dortmund.inyourpocket.com 

Euro 

Medieval markets 

The huge Westfalenpark south 

of the city centre is perfect for 

an autumn stroll; there’s a lively 

fleamarket on 28 October. There 

are also amazing views from the 

220-metre-high Fernsehturm TV 

tower which was built in 1959 to 

honour a horticultural show. From 

31 October to 4 November, the 

streets around Dortmund’s Alte 

Markt square are teleported back to 

the 14th century for the medieval 

Hansamarkt. Expect locals in period 

dress, music, theatre, and plenty of 

food and drink 


Dortmund retreats indoors 

during autumn, but with so many 

restaurants, cafés and bars in the 

city centre it’s never hard to find a 

cosy place to recharge. Near the 

centre, the Chocolat Café (Neuer 

Graben 74) is a lovely place to 

enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or 

coffee with cake. You can also 

enjoy breakfast with pancakes; 

this is the perfect place to curl up 

on the sofa with a book. In the 

north of town, the modest-looking 

Siedlerklause restaurant (Maienweg 

60, janmoellmann.de) is in fact an 

excellent place to sample regional 

cuisine paired with French wines. 


The airport shuttle bus takes 22 

minutes and costs €6. 

Words Jeroen van Marle 


Eindhoven 

vvveindhoven.nl 

Euro 

Fine design 

If the food-centric ‘Eating by Design’ 

exhibit at Designhuis (Stadhuisplein 

3, +31 (0)40 232 9720, designhuis.nl) 

doesn’t sate your need for deliciously 

modern design, discover the latest 

buzz-worthy innovations at the 

annual Dutch Design Week (20-28 

October, ddw.nl). Expect more 

than 1,500 exhibitors in dozens of 

locations across town, including the 

much-anticipated graduate show of 

the Design Academy Eindhoven, which 

invariably demonstrates the ability of 

Dutch design to scale new heights. 


With an interior styled by Maarten 

Baas and Piet Hein Eek, and 

a location inside the modern 

Parktheatre, Park & Pluche 

(Theaterpad 3, +31 (0) 40 215 6256, 

parkenpluche.nl) has artistic allure. 

Chef Ralph Drost’s fried tuna terror 

and the sesame-covered salmon 

receive rave reviews, while the 

three-course à la carte Cabaret menu 

at €22.50 per head has a variety 

of seafood treats – if it’s cabaret 

night. For a mix of DJs head to De 

Vooruitgang (Markt 11, +31 (0) 40 

243 3995, de-vooruitgang.nl). 


The Phileas electronic bus no. 401 

leaves every 10-15 mins from the 

airport and takes 20 minutes to reach 

Eindhoven’s train and bus station. 

Tickets are €3 from the driver. 

Words Anna J. Kutor 

Gdansk 

gdansk-life.com 

Złoty 

Jazz in the Baltic 

As the oldest and most prestigious 

jazz festival in the region, Jazz 

Jantar (19 October – 4 November) 

attracts thousands of music lovers 

to Poland’s Baltic coast. As always, 

expect some of the world’s top 

names to perform under such themes 

as Avant Days and Young Jazz 

(jazzjantar.pl). Looking for a fun and 

educational day trip for the family? 

Just one hour away from Gdansk is 

Malbork, home to a UNESCO-listed 

medieval fortress, built by Teutonic 

Knights in 1406 and the largest (by 

area) castle in the world. 


It’s easy to get a taste for the freshest 

flavours of the sea in this area, but 

at cosy Santorini on Swietojanska 61 

(santorinigdynia.pl) in Gdynia you’ll 

even be transported to sunny Greece. 

Or try artsy Spoldzielnia Literacka 

(spoldzielnialiteracka.pl) in seaside 

Sopot for budget-friendly Polish food 

with a quirky, laid-back feel. 


Wizz Air provides a point-to-point bus 

transfer between the airport and city 

centre for €4 (€8 return). 

Words Dana Dramowicz

DESTINATIONS Kyiv & Krakow 

Kyiv 

discover-ua.info Hryvnia 

Scorpions in town 

‘Wind of Change’ band Scorpions 

play the Palace of Sports on 29 

October, as part of their World Tour. 

Lucky Pub at 13 Velyka Vasylkivska 

Street is a beery joint within a stone’s 

throw of Arena City and some of Kyiv’s 

sultriest supermodel hang-outs. The 

second floor balcony is favoured by 

young blades for its superior views of 

the pedestrian traffic. Golden 

Gate Irish Pub (goldengatepubkiev. 

com) is on the hilltops of Old Kyiv 

(15 Zolotovoritska Street) and has a 

mix of expats and English-speaking 

locals. Book ahead if you need a table. 


Shlyapa or The Hat Restaurant (14 

Gorkova Street, +380 44 287 2222) 

is a buzzing joint with cool black and 


white décor. The salo (cured meat) 

comes highly recommended (50 

hryvnia per portion/€5). Viola’s Bar 

(1a Shevchenko Boulevard, +380 44 

235 3751) is a basement beer bazaar 

and a lively but cosy place to begin 

your evening. It attracts a range 

of Bohemian and humanities types, 

earning a reputation as a spot for the 

kind of expats who don’t really like to 

think of themselves as expats. 


Wizz Air flights arrive at Kyiv’s 

recently revamped downtown airport 

Zhuliani. Mini-buses and trolley 

buses for the city centre depart from 

outside the airport regularly. A taxi to 

most city centre destinations will cost 

around 120 hryvnia (€10). 

Words Peter Dickinson 

Krakow 

cracow-life.com Złoty 

Media frenzy 

Film and music buffs have a packed 

schedule this autumn, when both the 

Unsound music festival (14-21 

October, unsound.pl) and Etiuda & 

Anima animation festival (23-29 

November, etiudaandanima.com) 

take over the city. The former has 

performances from figures in avantgarde 

and electronic music such as 

Lustmord and Theo Parrish. Rynek 

Underground relates city history with 

interactive technology. Look for the 

entrance in the Market Square’s Cloth 

Hall, before heading underground 

and exploring the cellars of medieval 

Krakow (podziemiarynku.com). 


If there’s one name that’s synonymous 

with culinary quality in Poland, it’s 

„We choose WIZZ AIR 

because now we can all fly!“ 

(Tim 36, Natalia 28, Andrea 30, John 33, Tanja 25) 

Fly Wizz. Choose smart. 

Gessler, and Krakow is finally home 

to a restaurant from Warsaw TV chef 

Adam Gessler himself. Located in the 

Francuski Hotel at ul. Pijarska 13, 

the elegant Gessler restaurant offers 

refined European cuisine with an air of 

Old Poland. For a more humble snack, 

head to ul. Augustianska 4 where 

you’ll find the ever popular Hummus 

Amamamusi, for – you guessed it – a 

plate of delicious hummus, served 

with accompanying pita. 


Wizz Air provides two point-to-point 

transfers: one runs between the 

airport and Krakow city centre (€13 

single, €26 return), and the other is 

between the airport and Katowice city 

centre (€6 single, €12 return). 


DESTINATIONS Ljubljana & London 

Ljubljana 

ljubljana.inyourpocket.com 

Euro 

Wine and design 

Sample wine and food from around 

Slovenia at the Wine Route 

Festival in locations throughout 

the Old Town, including Ljubljana 

Town Hall (3 November, 11am-5pm, 

ljubljanskavinskapot.si). At the 

Museum of Architecture & Design (Pot 

na Fužine 2, mao.si) the Biennale 

of Design exhibits top international 

design until 11 November. 


Traditional Slovenian food, wine 

and spirits can be tried at Manna 

(Eipprova 1a, +386 5992 2308, 

kulinarika-manna.si), a charmingly 

rustic house serving a hearty 

breakfast, lunch and dinner. Brunch 


consists of chicken burger with fries. 

For excellent coffee and fantastic 

cake, try Café Plato (Ajdovščina 

1, +386 1230 8480, plato.si). After 

dark, the weird skeleton-themed Pr’ 

Skelet cocktail bar (Ključavničarska 

5, +386 (0)1 252 7799) is great for 

a fun night on the town. 


It takes about 25 minutes to 

cover the 25km between Ljubljana’s 

Jožeta Pucnika airport and the 

city centre by taxi (expect to pay 

€35-45). Alternatives include the 

shuttle bus (€5-9) or the city bus 

(hourly, €4.10), both of which take 

up to 45 minutes. 

Words Jeroen van Marle 

London 

visitlondon.com 

Sterling 

Spooks and spies 

British secret agent James Bond 

returns in Skyfall on 26 October at 

the Odeon at revamped Leicester 

Square. Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie 

opens the BFI London Film Festival 

on 10 October, and Great Expectations 

closes it on the 21st (bfi.org.uk/ 

lff). Last year, Wren’s St Paul’s 

Cathedral was returned to its former 

glory; it’s open every day, but avoid 

Sunday if you want to climb the 

Dome for the fantastic views (pictured 

above). Entry is £15 (stpauls.co.uk). 


North of Notting Hill Gate, where 

many flock to the famous Portobello 

Market on Saturday, El Pirata de 

Tapas is winning praise, not least from 

celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, for its 

authentic Spanish dishes. Standout 

dishes include seared scallops with 

chorizo; endives and valdeon cheese 

foam; and roasted fig with cheese & 

crispy ham (elpiratadetapas.co.uk). 


First Capital Connect train tickets 

to London (including bus transfer 

to Luton station) can be purchased 

onboard your Wizz Air flight: they’re 

€15 (€27 return). We also provide 

a point-to-point bus transfer from 

London Luton Airport to London 

Victoria Station in cooperation with 

Green Line. It’s €11.50 (€23 return). 

Words Clive Morris 


PASSENGERS EVERY ISSUE, 

PLEASE CONTACT OUR ADVERTISING SALES TEAM ON 

+44 (0) 20 7749 2333

Hotel by the Prague Astronomical Clock 

GRAND 

Special off er for 

October / November HOTEL 

double room from 

119 EUR / 99 EUR PRAHA

DESTINATIONS Lublin & Madrid 

Lublin 

explorelublin.pl 

Złoty 

Lublin for Christmas 

Wizz Air’s London-Luton to Lublin 

route begins 18 December, on Monday 

and Friday, just in time for Christmas. 

Market stalls around Lublin Old Town 

will be selling traditional crafts, 

mulled wine and sausages. As the 

city’s year-long celebration to mark 

the centenary of US composer John 

Cage’s birth ends, performances by 

young musicians during the autumn 

will determine the three finalists for 

the finale concert on 8 December. See 

our story on page 42. 


As the nights draw in, where better to 


enjoy traditional Polish cuisine such as 

grilled turkey in sauce or pork knuckle 

than at the Sielsko Anielsko (Rynek 

17, sielskoanielsko.pl), the birthplace 

of noted 19th-century composer 

Henryk Wieniawski? Soups, pastas 

and chicken dishes can be enjoyed in 

the informal, music-focused Czarny 

Tulipan (ul. Grodzka 1, czarnytulipan.pl). 


A local train connects the airport with 

the main railway station just south 

of the city centre; the journey time is 

approximately 15 minutes. 


Madrid 

esmadrid.com 

Euro 

Strolling the Retiro 

Now that the summer heat has been 

replaced by the crisp autumnal air, a 

stroll around the Retiro on a clear 

day is a must (Metro: Retiro). The 

park, in the southeast of the centre, 

is home to a host of entertainers, 

musicians and food stalls. Be sure 

to enjoy a boat ride on the lake, 

and afterwards check out the bongo 

players by the lakeside statue. Perfect 

for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 


For cheap eats you can’t better La 

Gloria de Montera (C/Caballero 

de Gracia 10, +34 915 234 407, 

lagloriademontera.com), which 

serves quality Spanish food at very 

low prices. Weekend brunch at Café 

Oliver (Calle Almirante 12, +34 915 

217 379, cafeoliver.com) should not 

be missed. Grab a table by the window 

and watch the world go by. 



between the airport and Madrid city 

centre. A ticket is €18 (€36 return). 

A Metro ride (no. 8) from Barajas 

Airport to the centre costs €5. A bus 

service from the airport to Atocha 

train station is also €5. 

Words Simon Hunter 


PASSENGERS EVERY ISSUE, PLEASE CONTACT OUR 

ADVERTISING SALES TEAM ON +44 (0) 20 7749 2333

Paris 

parisinfo.com 

Euro 

Wine and big bangs 

Set in one of the most picturesque 

quarters of Paris, the annual 

Montmartre Wine Harvest Festival 

(10-14 October) offer local delicacies 

paired with regional wines. Saturday 

the 13th marks the occasion with 

fireworks too, on Square Louise 

Michel. Party animals and live-music 

lovers should check out Les Nuits 

Capitales, which has jazz, hip-hop, 

electronica, pop and everything in 

between performing in various venues 

around the city from 14-20 November. 


Vegans can eat like kings at the 

Gentle Gourmet Café (24 Boulevard 

de la Bastille, +33 (0)1 4343 4849, 

gentlegourmetcafe.com), which serves 

lasagne from €13. On a blustery day, 

cosy up in a bistro with French onion 

soup. Try Royal Madeleine’s at 11 

rue du Chevalier Saint-George on the 

Right Bank (+33 (0)1 42 60 1436, 

royalmadeleine.com). 


Wizz Air provides a shuttle bus 

transfer between the airport (Paris 

Beauvais) and any address in the city 

centre. Tickets are €31 one-way, or 

€62 return. 

Words Poppy Bullock 

Paris & Pozan 

Poznan 

poznan-life.com 

Złoty 

Hotel Mistral 

Urban culture is back 

The city’s philharmonic, opera, and 

theatres are back in October. The 

Grand Theatre offers interpretations 

of Hamlet and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene 

Onegin (opera.poznan.pl). Polish 

youth have embraced the nostalgia 

of Poland’s Communist past through 

quirky bars and pubs serving up retro 

dishes from pig’s trotters to herring 

– plus vodka by the truckload. Try 

Proletaryat at ul. Wroclawska 9 

(proletaryat.pl) for a taste. 


Distinctly avant-garde boutique hotel 

Blow Up Hall (blowuphall5050.com), 

Pokoje i apartamenty - Konferencje - Restauracja - Imprezy okolicznosciowe 

Hotel Mistral | ul. Słoneczna 1 | 05-270 Marki k/Warszawy 

T:+48 22 781 27 54 | F:+48 22 781 27 55 | E: info@hotelmistral.pl 

DESTINATIONS 

which doubles as an interactive art 

piece, takes risks in its restaurant as 

much as it has with its design. The 

innovative menu blends Polish classics 

with contemporary concepts to create 

a one-of-a-kind dining experience 

for its guests. Or grab a bite at Łapu 

Papu at Garbary 47 (lapupapu.pl), 

where a home-style cheeseburger sets 

you back a mere €2.50. 


Take an Express Line bus (or night 

bus no. 242) to the Central Railway 

Station; it takes 30 minutes, or the 

no. 59 bus to Bałtyk. 

Words Dana Dramowicz 

www.hotelmistral.pl 


DESTINATIONS 

Prague 

prague-life.com Koruna 

Pop, jazz and circuses 

Prague and jazz go hand in hand, 

so make plans for the legendary 

Reduta Jazz Club during the 33rd 

International Jazz Festival 

(jazzfestivalpraha.cz), 13-27 October. 

The venue has been going since 1958 

and is open daily, the music really 

getting going around 9.30pm. O2 

Arena plays host to back-to-back 

blasts from the past: first up, Lionel 

Richie on 20 October, then J.Lo on 

the 26th. British rock band Muse 

(pictured below), who performed this 

year’s official Olympics theme, hit 

the stage 22 November, followed by 

America’s stuntmen extraordinaire 

and motocross competitor Travis 

Pastrana and Nitro Circus on 

26 November. 


Prague & Riga 


Quaint in the manner of a farmhouse, 

Mlejnice (Kozna 488/14) serves up 

traditional Czech-style food, and 

features especially flavourful and 

hearty meat dishes – though best 

avoid the beer cheese unless you 

really want it. After dinner, make your 

way to U Medvidku (Na Peršty´ne 

345/7, umedvidku.cz) for a few 

rounds of Budweiser (or speciality 

beers, if they’re on tap) with a lively, 

chatty crowd. 


Wizz Air provides a shuttle bus 

transfer between the airport and any 

address within Prague city centre. 

Tickets are €10.50 (€21 return). 

Words Brien Barnett 

Riga 

liveriga.com Lats 

The light fantastic 

Looking for a break from the city? 

Head out to the coastal resort 

of Jurmala where you can get a 

two-hour luxury spa treatment, 

starting from 60 lats (€86), at 

the Hotel Jurmala Spa Hotel & 

Conference (hoteljurmala.com); it’s 

perfect for banishing winter blues. 

Back in Riga proper, WinterFest 

is a music festival beginning 5 

November, marking the upcoming 

seasonal landmarks. Early concerts 

take place at the Latvian National 

Opera. The Staro Riga Festival of 

Light (staro.lv) uses modern light 

and video technology to illuminate 

80 urban structures, each with its 

own story to tell, in the evenings of 

15-18 November. A public holiday 

to mark the Independence of 

Latvia in 1918 is on 18 November so 

expect the lights to be replaced by 

fireworks over the Daugava River that 

evening. And British singer-songwriter 

Katie Melua, born in new Wizz Air 

destination Kutaisi, Georgia, plays 

Riga Arena on 24 November. 


Modern and airy Le Dome at 

Miesnieku 4 (zivjurestorans.lv), close 

to the Grand Palace, caters for every 

meal, including breakfast (from 1.50 

lats, that’s €2.10), business lunch, 

tapas and romantic dinners. It majors 

in fish, and fish soup is 8.40 lats (€12) 

and butter-fried Baltic trout is 12.80 

lats (€18) – but there’s also lamb, 

venison, beef and chicken. For a more 

homely venue with a Scandinavian 

feel for Sunday brunch, Innocent 

Café at Blaumana 34 (innocent.lv), 

two streets from Vermanes Garden, 

can deliver your fix of Illy coffee in a 

glass, served by some of the city’s best 

baristas. There’s free wi-fi, too. Open 

from 8am weekdays, 10am weekends. 


Bus no. 22 takes 30 minutes to get 

to the centre; it leaves opposite the 

terminal, behind the car park P1. A 

one-way ticket from the driver is 0.70 

lats (€1) – at the airport information 

desk ‘Welcome to Riga’ it’s 0.50 lats. 

Words Clive Morris

Our hotel is located in the very heart of Jurmala, within a block of historical buildings and 

only 15 minutes drive to Riga international airport. We are also only 8 minutes walk to 

Riga’s famous pedestrianized street which is the main entertainment and shopping area 

of the city and only 10 minutes walk to a sandy beach. Right next to the hotel there is a 

convenient, fully enclosed, parking area and a marvelous green zone with centenarian 

thuya and pines. 

Accommodation with tasty breakfast from 45 Euro per night. 

In the cafe we offer a variety of international cuisine where it`s easy to find something 

suitable for every taste. 

123-SERVICES.COM 

OFERUJE: 

 

 

 

 

! 

WE OFFER: 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information please contact: 

T: 0844 567 1025 | F: 0844 507 0033 

E: info@123-services.com

DESTINATIONS 

Rome – Sofia 

Rome 

turismoroma.it Euro 

A slice of the city 

Autumn is festival season. Roma 

Europa Festival features worldclass 

international dance, music and 

theatre; this year they have added 

a series of digital art installations. 

The Roma Jazz Festival is from 12 

October to 28 November, see page 9 

for details. In the cooler months 

a great way to enjoy Rome is with a 

cycle tour. One of the best companies 

in the city is Top Bike Rental 

(topbikerental.com). 


Surrounded by tombs on the Appian 

Way, Cecilia Metella’s speciality is 

pasta served in terracotta bowls. It 

also does excellent grilled meat and 

fish. Mains from €18 (ceciliametella. 

it). Cavour 313 (cavour313.it) is a 

wine bar with a traditional wood and 

marble interior, at 313 Via Cavour. 

Aimed at vino buffs, there’s a menu 

of snacks and platters to go with your 

glass. Wine is €5. 


Wizz Air provides point-to-point bus 

transfers between the airports (both 

Ciampino and Fiumicino) and Rome 

city centre (Termini Station). It is 

€8.50/€17 return to/from Fiumicino 

and €6/€12 return to/from Ciampino. 

Words Marc Zakian 


Skopje Sofia 

exploringmacedonia.com Denar inyourpocket.com Lev 

Autumn ambience 

Wander around the Old Bazaar in 

the evening, enjoying the atmosphere 

and checking out the bars and cafés. 

Sample lifestyle and fashion at 

Skopje’s third Women’s Show, 

26-28 October, at the Skopje Fair. 


Autumn is the season for ajvar, a 

paste made from roasted peppers and 

eaten with bread and cheese. Menada 

and Rajika Bar in the Old Bazaar 

have a great vibe and are good for 

live music. Nearby Vinoteka Temov 

is a must for wine fans. Beer-lovers 

will enjoy skopsko, the local brew. For 

a stronger tipple, try rakiya, made 

from fermented grapes. Typical Skopje 

food includes kebapçi, kebabs with a 

Middle Eastern flavour – try the cafés 

near Kapan An. At the end of a night 

out, head for Apche in Debar Maalo, 

a must for the sweet-toothed. Try 

boza, a yeast-based cocoa drink, and 

tulumba, a doughnut in syrup. 


Taxis from the airport to the centre 

cost €25/1,600 denar (less when 

travelling in the reverse direction). A 

shuttle bus operates from the airport 

to the central bus station and main 

hotels; it costs 100 denar (€1.50). 

Words James Parry 

Interior life 

The first cold spell of autumn brings 

with it a different kind of cultural 

event. From October onwards galleries 

and museums settle into their best 

exhibitions. November sees annual 

film festival Cinemania, which shows 

around 90 films, from box office 

hits to highlights from Cannes, at 

the National Palace of Culture and 

cinemas across the city. Wine lovers 

will enjoy the Salon de Vin at the 

Inter Expo and Congress Centre in 

November. 


The original and still the best, 

Chevermento (chevermeto-bg.com) 

serves up hearty Bulgarian style 

peasant food, from dumplings to 

suckling pork (16.90 leva or €8.60). 

Duck the hunter’s style consists of 

grilled duck fillet with wine sauce, 

bacon, pickles, onion, garlic and 

red pepper, and is 19.90 leva (€10). 

Grilled or fried trout is 11.90 leva 

(€6). Kitsch, colourful and always fun. 

Head to the School for Performing 

Arts for a lighter contemporary take 

on genuine Bulgarian eats. KEVA at 

ul. Georgi S. Rakovski 114 serves up 

salads, soups and sandwiches for very 

reasonable prices. The homemade 

lemonade is terrific, too. 


We provide a personalised Wizz taxi 

service between the airport and any 

address within Sofia city centre. The 

price is €16 (€32 return). A shuttle 

bus (No. 30) links the two terminals 

with the centre for 1.50 lev (€0.75). 

Or take bus No. 84 for 1 lev (€0.50). 

Words Catherine Quinn

In our program: 

Step, 

Tango, 

Illusionists, 

Can-can, 

Burlesque, 

Charleston buzz, 

Night dances, 

And music evenings! 

Every Friday and Saturday 

The program starts at 9 pm 

 

 

 

 

www.night-life.lt 

Welcome 

to the best gentlemen’s 

 

Beautiful dancers and 

unforgettable nights! 

 

 

for our free driver service 

 

Our locations: 

 

 

 

 

 

www.edenclub.lt

Stockholm 

stockholmtown.com 

Krona 

It’s total art 

Too Much Skin, Taste & Turpentine 

is Scandinavia’s first solo exhibition 

by Germany’s Anton Henning, and 

also the largest exhibit Magasin 3 

(Frihamnen,+46 (0)8 5 456 8040, 

magasin3.com) has arranged of a 

single artist. The Berlin-based artist’s 

work contains a lot of art historical 

references, and is often referred to 

as Gesamtkunstwerk – a total work 

of art, including paintings, sculptures, 

drawings, collages and videos; the 

show runs until 9 December. 


Trattorian (Norr Mälarstrand 

9, Kajplats 464, trattorian.se) is 

the latest addition to celebrity 

chef Melker Andersson’s growing 

empire. This time he successfully 

takes on Italy. The interior is 

Stockholm & Tirgu Mures DESTINATIONS 

chaotic Mediterranean kitsch with 

an overload of candles, woven 

baskets and wine bottles. The food 

is straight-up classic. How about 

gnocchi con salsiccia followed by 

tiramisu? The restaurant is beautifully 

situated at the shore of Lake Mälaren. 


Flygbussarna Airport coaches depart 

in conjunction with flights and take 

about 80 minutes. It is 259 kronor 

(€30) for a return ticket. 

Words Victoria Larsson 

Tirgu Mures 

mures.ro 

Leu 

Young talent, old 

treasures 

Look out for Alternative 20, an 

annual international short film 

festival to promote young talent in 

the cinematic art, 7-11 November 

(madisz.ro). The Toldalagi Palace 

at Piata Trandafirilor 11 is one of 

Transylvania’s most beautiful baroque 

palaces and now houses the Folk 

Museum. At Bolyai 17, the Teleki- 

Bolyai Library, Hungary’s first 

public library, holds an impressive 

collection of over 60,00 rare books, 

as well as a memorial exhibition of 

mathematicians Farkas Bolyai and his 

son János Bolyai. 


At Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918, 136a, 

Rosen Garden offers rich food and 

atmospheric music; speciality of 

the house is Transylvania soup (€4), 

mamaliguta with sour cream (€6); 

and pork medallion in brandy with 

mozzarella and puree (€9). 

La Piazzetta at Str. Crinului 4 

(la-piazzetta.ro) offers a true Pizza 

Spéciale Italiene experience. Parma 

pizza, €8; Pescatore pizza, €7. 


Wizz Air provides a point-to-point bus 

transfer between the airport and the 

centre. The cost is €2.50/€5 return. 

Words Adriana Neagu 

„I choose WIZZ FLEX ticket so I can change 

last minute* where and when to fly.“ 

(Julia, student, 23 years) 


* up to 3 

hours prior 

departure 

OCTOBER-NOVMEBER 2012 WIZZ MAGAZINE 91

DESTINATIONS Warsaw & Wrocław 

Warsaw 

warsaw-life.com 

Złoty 

Movie magic 

The Warsaw Film Festival (12-21 

October) is a highlight every autumn. 

For a list of films showing, visit wff.pl. 

If it’s cloudy weather, grab a dose 

of sunshine at the city’s newest and 

hippest ice-cream parlour – Lody 

Na Patyku at Lipowa 7a. Their 

Prosecco on tap is an almost equal 

draw for some! For all the Communist 

architecture and contemporary 

skyscrapers, Warsaw is Poland’s 

greenest city. Walk out of the 

bustling commercial centre to the 

Lazienki Park, home to the elegant, 

17th-century Palace on the Water. 


Gourmet burgers are the newest 

trend, such as Lokal Bistro (along 

the Royal Route to ul. Krakowskie 

Przedmiescie 64). My’o’My at 


Szpitalna 8 fills its bagel burgers with 

healthy and often vegetarian-friendly 

ingredients. It is worth a visit for 

its cottage chic interior, plus boozy 

and non-alcoholic cocktails. Head 

to Przekaski Zakaski at Krakowskie 

Przedmiescie 13, the cult Communiststyle 

bar, for 24-hour vodka. 


We provide three types of transfers; 

a low-cost bus between the airport 

and centre for €8 (€16 return); a train 

transfer from Modlin station to any 

of the Warsaw stations, for €5 (€10 

return); and unlimited regional train 

travel between Modlin train station 

and any stations in the Mazovia region 

for 24 hours after the arrival and 

before the departure of the flight, 

for €6 (€12 return). 

Words Dana Dramowicz 

Wrocław 

wroclaw-life.com 

Złoty 

Jazz and classical 

The Wrocław Opera and 

Philharmonic kick off their new 

seasons with grand performances 

and premieres, but if laid-back 

music is your thing don’t miss the 

Jazztopad Festival (jazztopad.pl). 

The city’s already buzzing about 

the closing concert – octogenarian 

free jazz legend Ornette Coleman 

– on 25 November. Wrocław is no 

slacker when it comes to Poland’s 

flourishing art scene, as you’ll see at 

the Contemporary Museum at pl. 

Strzegomski 2a (muzeumwspolczesne. 

pl) or at the WRO Art Centre at 

ul. Widok 7 (wrocenter.pl). Fancy 

some exercise? The bicycle rental 

programme is it’s one of the most 

convenient ways to get around the 

compact historical centre. You can 

register at nextbike.net/pl. 

„I choose WIZZ XPRESS priority pass 

to beat the queues and board first.“ 

(Monica, journalist, 32 years) 



Wrocław offers a huge variety of 

dining options, but experiencing a 

proper rustic Polish feast should be 

the culinary cornerstone of any stay 

in the city. Godspoda Wroclawska, 

right in the Market Square’s Cloth 

Hall, will take you back in time 

with home-style dumplings and 

sausages just like grandma used 

to make (gospodawroclawska.pl). 

For a budget-friendly lunch, try 

Nalesnikarnia Paryska at ul. Wielka 

59 (nalesnikarniaparyska.pl), which 

does sweet and savoury crepes. 


Get the no. 406 bus which leaves 

every 20 minutes, and takes that 

amount of time to get to the Central 

Railway station. It is 2 złoty (€0.50). 


NEWS 

Exciting new European destinations 

– all the latest Wizz Air news 

NEW NORWEGIAN ROUTES 

Beginning April 2013, Wizz will launch its first route to/ 

from Ålesund (pictured). The service will operate to/from 

Gdansk, with initially two flights a week. Also launching 

that month will be a new Trondheim-Vilnius route, which, 

again, will initially operate two services a week. Wizz 

Air now offers truly low fares from six Norwegian cities, 

making it the largest carrier operating between Norway 

and Central and Eastern Europe. 


WIZZ NEWS 

WIZZ KEEPS 

GROWING 

Looking forward to four new 

routes and 550,000 passengers 

for 2013 in Belgrade – and more… 

WIZZ AIR IS TO DOUBLE ITS FLEET 

investment at Belgrade by adding one 

new Airbus A320 and launching four new 

low-fare routes to Basel, Corfu, Oslo Torp 

and Rhodes. In addition to these new 

Belgrade routes the airline will increase 

frequencies on its existing services 

to Brussels Charleroi, Eindhoven, 

Göteborg, Malmö, Munich West and 

Stockholm Skavsta. 

Wizz Air now offers 13 international 

low-fare routes from Belgrade. This 

significant growth at Belgrade reflects the 

airline’s strong commitment to Serbian 

aviation, with Wizz Air’s fares enjoying 

huge demand by travellers who previously 

have not been able to enjoy air travel due 

to high fares. 

Meanwhile, in September we opened our 

new route from Kutaisi to Kiev. This new 

route will operate three times per week 

and is the first low-fare airlink to/from 

Georgia. Kutaisi is Georgia’s second largest 


city and home to the country’s parliament, 

which is housed in a stadium-sized, oystershell-shaped 

building. Other sights include 

the magnificent Bagrati Cathedral and 

Gelati Monastery, both of which are 

UNESCO World Heritage sites, and have 

commanding views over the city. 

Looking ahead to Winter 2012/13, Wizz 

Air will start flying from Lublin to London- 

Luton and Oslo. Lublin (pictured above) 

is a major city in the east of Poland that 

enjoyed a golden age in the 16th century, 

when it was an important link between 

Krakow (then the capital of Poland) and 

Vilnius in Lithuania. It retains a great 

many beautiful historic buildings including 

the castle, with its Chapel of the Holy 

Trinity that contains unique Byzantine wall 

paintings dating back to 1418. 

Wizz Air’s Lublin route to London-Luton 

starts 18 December (operating Monday 

and Friday), with the Lublin-Oslo route 

commencing in early 2013. 

USEFUL 

INFORMATION 

Use the web check-in service 

on wizzair.com – it makes travel more 

convenient by decreasing queuing at 

check-in. 

Don’t forget that you can make your 

travel more comfortable by booking 

additional services such as WIZZ Reserved 

seat, Xpress Priority Boarding, XXL Extra 

Legroom, SMS confirmation and airport 

transfer services. 

If you travel with checked baggage, do 

not forget to pay for it online: you will be 

paying half the price! 

CHECKED-IN 

BAGGAGE 

POLICY 

Wizz Air checked-in baggage fee amounts 

are determined based on the date and 

scheduled duration of the flight. When 

booking online or via the Call Centre, the 

following checked-in baggage fees will 

automatically apply: 

Duration of flight under 1 hour 

50 minutes 

Low season: €15/bag/flight 

High season*: €20/bag/flight 

Duration of flight over 1 hour 

50 minutes 

Low season: €20/bag/flight 

High season*: is €25/bag/flight 

Checked-in baggage purchased at 

the airport will be subject to a higher 

baggage fee. 

If you book a return flight, the scheduled 

duration of the flight for the first flight leg 

will be applicable for both flight legs. The 

applicable online checked-in baggage fee 

converted into the selected currency will be 

displayed at the time of booking. 

*High season = 9 June – 23 September and 

15 December – 7 January

Join WIZZ Xclusive Club 

and save up to €10 per ight! 

More than 200,000 members are enjoying the bene ts! 

AS A MEMBER GET 

INSTANT ACCESS to promotional fares 

COMPANIONS’ BENEFITS 

EXCLUSIVE OFFERS 

Book your option to change! 

Purchase WIZZ Flex 

WIZZ Xclusive Club offers you exclusive 

access to a pool of promotional tickets that 

can be cheaper by up to €10 per one way 

ight than regular prices*. 

*WIZZ Xclusive Club promotional tickets are subject to availability. 

For actual discounts and availability please always check 

wizzair.com or call our Call Centre. 

Fly WIZZ. 

Choose smart. 

Only € 10 per ight 

Travel plans can change in the last minute. Save the 

change fee of €30 with WIZZ Flex and modify the 

date, time or routing of your booked igth, up to 3 

hours prior departure! 

You will need to pay only the fare difference*. 

*This service is not valid for name change and group bookings 

For details visit 

our webpage

Cardul BCR Wizz Air. Adun` puncte. 

Zbori mai mult [i pl`te[ti mai pu]in. 

www.bcr.ro 

Conteaz` cu cine faci banking. Cu cardul de credit BCR Wizz Air, te po]i bucura de c`l`torii prin Wizz Air mai des [i mai ieftin. 

Nu-]i r`måne decåt s`-]i faci bagajele, s` alegi destina]ia [i s` cuplezi centura de siguran]`. 

DAE = 27,80% pentru o valoare a liniei de credit pe cardul de credit BCR Wizz Air de 5.367 RON, f`r` garan]ii, calculat` pe 12 luni, dobând` variabil` 

24,78%/an; comision de emitere card principal 24 RON; comision de administrare anual` a cardului principal 36 RON. Dobânda de 24,78%/an este 

variabil` [i se modific` la fiecare 3 luni. În luna octombrie dobânda va fi revizuit` dup` formula ROBOR 3M + marja fix` de 19,5%.

vásárlásait 

 

A Wizz Air Hitelkártyával minden vásárlásával 100 forintonként 2 pontot gyûjthet, amelyeket egy az egyben 

 

 

Részletek a www.erstebank.huvagy a wizzair.com oldalon. 

.com 

 

A tájékoztatás nem teljes körû.A részletes kondíciókat és szerzõdéses feltételeket az Erste Bank mindenkor hatályos Lakossági Hitelkártya 

Általános Szerzõdési Feltételei és a Lakossági Hitel Hirdetmény, a pontgyûjtés és pontbeváltás részleteit a Wizz Air Kártyák Pontgyûjtõ Feltételei

More than just 

ight tickets! 

WIZZ credit cards 

Transfers and 

accommodation 

Airport transfer 

Car rental 

Hotel or Hostel booking 

JOIN NOW! 

Insurance 

Travel Insurance 

Multi risk & 

Cancellation 

Find out more at 

wizzair.com 

Improved 

travel comfort

MEET OUR STAFF 

Mark Lendvay, 29 

Performance pilot 

and captain, from 

Eger, Hungary 

WIZZ NEWS 

What is your favourite city? 

I am based in Gdansk, Poland, and I enjoy 

being there. The weather is a little bit 

cooler than the rest of Europe, but it 

has everything a big city has to offer, along 

with the small-town charm of a resort 

town and plenty of history that has 

shaped its character. 

What is your favourite route? 

I enjoy flying to Bergamo, Italy, as its 

routing takes us over the Alps, providing a 

spectacular view. The approach to landing 

is quite fun to fly. 

Tell us about a favourite place 

Whichever city I’m in, I love to search out 

the restaurants and other places to eat 

that only the locals know about. How and 

what people eat tells you a lot about their 

culture and outlook on life. 

Is there anywhere on the 

network that you would love 

to visit? 

Trondheim or Bergen in Norway. The sun 

never sets in the summer as you go further 

north, and on autumn nights you have 

a chance to see the aurora borealis (the 

Northern Lights). The scenery is absolutely 

breathtaking from above – I‘d love to see it 

from ground level as well. 

How long have you been with 

Wizz Air? 

I started as a first officer in early 2008; 

two years later I added the role of 

performance pilot to my duties. As 

performance pilot, I manage our take-off 

performance calculation software, 

which all our pilots must use before 

every take-off. I also maintain the 

navigational charts and navigational 

database onboard our aircraft. 

What is the best part of 

your job? 

It’s always exciting to take part in 

evaluating a new destination, making sure 

that our aircraft can operate to and from 

there safely and efficiently. 


Reserved for You! 

Experience smoother and less stressful travel with a 

guaranteed seat located in the first 2 rows of the aircraft! 

Additionally get priority boarding to cut the waiting time 

before boarding and the possibility to be amongst the first 

to exit the plane. 

For more information please go to 

wizzair.com - Travel services section

CAFÉ & BOUTIQUE 

Our extensive range of 

onboard perfumes, accessories and gifts 

M&M’S FUN 

CANDY 

Even more opportunities 

for shopping! 

GIORGIO ARMANI 

MINIATURE COFFRET 

L’OREAL REVITALIFT 


CAFÉ 

Hot Drinks 

Soft Drinks & Juices 

Alcohol 

PREMIUM PRE WINES €4 

0,187 0,18 L PRODUCT MAY VARY 

RUM RU / VODKA / WHISKY €4 

0,05 

L 


SAVE €1 

BUY 2 CANS 

OF BEER 

FOR €5 

BEER €3 

0,33 L 

PRODUCT MAY VARY 

CAPPUCCINO €3 

HOT CHOCOLATE 

COFFEE €2 

DECAFFEINATED 

HOT TEA €2 

MINERAL WATER €2 

sparkling / still 0,5 L 

COCA-COLA €2 

COCA-COLA LIGHT 

SPRITE 

0,33 L 

NESTEA €3 


JUICES €3 


BURN ENERGY DRINK €3 

SOUP €3

+ 

Food & Drinks 

BUY ANY SANDWICH + SOFT DRINK OR HOT DRINK (EXCLUDES ALCOHOL) + GET A FREE TWIX OR SNICKERS 

* WE HAVE SELECTED A VARIETY 

OF FILLINGS FOR OUR SANDWICHES, 

PLEASE ASK THE CREW WHAT IS 

AVAILABLE ON TODAY’S FLIGHT. 

PRODUCTS MAY VARY. 

= 

OR 

TRIANGLE/BAGUETTE 

SANDWICH* €4 

Fresh Food 

PRINGLES €3 

43g 

SALTED, CRUNCHY €1 

PEANUTS 

25g 

BAKE ROLLS €2 

garlic / pizza 

CROISSANT €2 

SNICKERS €1 

TWIX €1 

M&M’s €2 

125g 

SIZE MAY VARY 

Savoury Snacks/Sweets 

FREE 


BOUTIQUE 

FOR HER 

PACO RABANNE 

LADY MILLION €59 

EDP 50ml 

Floral 


ACQUA DI GIOIA €51 

EDP 50ml 

Floral 

HUGO BOSS FEMME €29 

EDT 50ml 

Fresh 


CAFÉ – BOUTIQUE 

FOR HIM 

PACO RABANNE 1 MILLION €62 

EDT 100ml 

Spicy 


ACQUA DI GIO VALUE SET €47 

EDT 50ml + Balm 75ml 

Fresh 

BOSS BOTTLED SPORT €60 

EDT 100ml 

Fresh


CALVIN KLEIN FORBIDDEN 

EUPHORIA €57 

EDP 50ml 

Fruity 

HAUTE COLLECTION COFFRET €39 

Favourite fragrances in one box. 

Poeme EDP 4ml, Safari EDP 4ml, Tresor 

EDP 7.5ml, Noa EDT 7ml, Paloma Picasso 

EDT 5ml. 

Fragrances and Beauty 

VERSACE BRIGHT CRYSTAL €55 

EDP 50ml 

Floral 


MINIATURE COFFRET €43 

Armani Code 5ml, Aqua di Gio 

5ml, Attitude 5ml, Armani Pour 

Homme 5ml, Diamonds 5ml 

LANCÔME TRÉSOR IN LOVE SET €49 

EDP 50ml FREE Body lotion 

Fruity 


BOUTIQUE 

CHOPARD WISH €20 

EDP 30ml 

Oriental 


GREAT VALUE FRAGRANCE FOR HIM & HER 

ONLY €20 EACH! 

L’ORÉAL REVITALIFT REPAIR DUO O 

(DAY 50 ML + NIGHT 50 ML) €27 

This lightweight formula gives your skin an 

exceptionally even, radiant and natural-looking 

finish, thanks to its advanced pigment complex. 


PACO RABANNE PACO €20 

EDT 100ml 

Fresh 

L’ORÉAL É DUO SMOOTHING 

RESURFACING PRIMER 

STUDIO SECRETS €30 

Inspired by professional make-up, it masks 

lines and smoothes the complexion.


LANCÔME HYPNOSE DOLL 

EYES MASCARA €24 

For volumised, extended and lifted 

lashes with perfect separation. 

LANCÔME ABSOLUT 

VOYAGE PALETTE €59 

A complete make-up palette, perfect 

for travelling. 

L’ORÉAL VOLUME MILLION LASHES DUO 

AND FREE KOHL €27 

Voluptuously thick, gorgeously intensified lashes. 

Fragrances and Beauty 

LA-TWEEZ EEZ €22 

Get perfect brows with La-tweez 

tweezers, featuring an ultra-bright LED 

light. Includes case with built-in mirror 

to use on the go. 

L’ORÉAL LIPSTICK TRIO €28 

3 desirable shades of pink – Pink Fashionista, 

Aphrodite Scarlet and Impulsive Fuschia. 

L’ORÉAL NEW 4 COLOUR 

RICHE NAILS €15 

Travel Retail Exclusive. 


BOUTIQUE 

LAMBRETTA WATCH 

PURPLE CIELO €49 

This watch is a smart 

accessory for any occasion. 

BLACK RAPP 

WATCH €20 

The buckle-less strap 

adjusts to wrist size. 

PIERRE CARDIN WARDROBE SET €45 

3 pendants and 6 pairs of earrings. 


LAMBRETTA WATCH 

WHITE CIELO €49 

This watch is a smart 

accessory for any occasion. 

WHITE RAPP 

WATCH €20 

The buckle-less strap 

adjusts to wrist size. 

PIERRE CARDIN HEART BRACELET 

WITH FREE EARRINGS €19

MINI SOUNDBOX TRAVEL SPEAKER €20 

Travel Easy Mini Sound Box Speakers for MP3 

and Music Players. 

SWISS TRAVEL ADAPTOR €20 

One adapter, four options for more than 

150 countries. 

Gifts and Accessories 

NECK PILLOW €10 

Inflatable neck pillow. For your com comfort 

and relaxation during travelling. travelling 

Made from soft, anti-allergenic, 

luxury fabric. 

PHONE CHARGER €10 

Ready-to-use emergency phone 

charger kit, including battery. 


CAFÉ BOUTIQUE – BOUTIQUE 

HELLO KITTY PLUSH €8 

Hello Kitty plush toy with pink 

baby-tartan. 

M&M’s FUN CANDY €6 

New fun item filled with a 20 gram bag of 

M&Ms Milk Chocolate. 

PRODUCT SELECTION 

Due to limited space onboard, we apologise if your choice is no longer available when you order your preferred 

food and beverages. Product selection may vary from country to country. 

PAYMENT 

HELLO KITTY €21 

EDT 60ml 

For little girls who love perfume. 

SUPER BRICK GAME €17 

999 games in one ready-to-use pack 

with headphones. 

We are accepting the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard. In case of credit card payment, passenger must provide proof of identification. 

Cash payment can be made in Euros (bank notes of up to €100 value and coins of €1 and €2). 

Other currencies (Bank notes only): British Pound (excluding Scottish pound), Bulgarian Leva on Bulgarian flights, Czech Kroner on Czech flights, 

Hungarian Forints on Hungarian flights, Lithuanian Litas on Lithuanian flights, Polish Złoty on Polish flights, Romanian Lei on Romanian flights, Serbian 

Dinar on Serbian flights, and Swedish Kronor on Swedish flights. 

All prices are quoted in euros as the base currency. Return change will be given in euros unless local currency is available. Passengers are prohibited from 

consuming alcoholic beverages that they have supplied themselves. Please make sure that you receive a receipt for your purchase. 


HELLO KITTY

FUN PLANE AIRPORT SET €15 

MODEL AIRCRAFT €10 PLUSH AIRCRAFT €14 

Ladies fragrances Gifts & cosmetics and Toys 

BUY ANY 2 WIZZ LOGO ITEMS FOR €20 

AND SAVE UP TO €10 

WHILE STOCKS LAST 

KEY RING AND FRIDGE 

MAGNETS SET €12 

SWEETWHEELS €11 

TRAVEL TICKETS - SAVE TIME BUYING ON BOARD 

FIRST CAPITAL CONNECT TRAIN TICKETS: 

TO LONDON 

Adult Open Return €27 

Adult Open Single €15 

Child Open Return €13 

Child Open Single €8 

Adult tickets start at 16 years and above 

TO BEDFORD 

Adult Open Return €22 

Adult Open Single €11 

Child Open Return €11 

Child Open Single €5 

Adult tickets start at 16 years and above 

Tickets include shuttle bus from Luton Airport Parkway 

Luton 

Airport 

(LTN) 

Luton Airport 

Parkway 

St Pancras 

International 

Farringdon 

City Thameslink 

† 

London 

Blackfriars 

London Thameslink stations (LDN) 

† Blackfriars Tube station closed until late 2011 

London 

Bridge 

Elephant 

& Castle

october-2012

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