best travel place

Bazar Arab and Roman ruins, churches and mosques, sea and hills, towns and desert. All this is Syria. Once in Damascus, we understand that the capital live in balance between tradition and modernity. The old town with its narrow streets and winding, that develop around the magnificent mosque omayade, retains the charm of an exotic and mysterious place, although in a Christian neighborhood of Bab Tuma tourists and foreign students seem more of the population local. The old Damascene houses, with rich decorations and fountains in the courtyards, there are next to shops and typical current Internet point, while the covered market (Suq Al-Hamidya) is a great way enlightened and full of clothes shops and crafts both sides. Outside the Old Town, are to visit the National Museum and the tomb of Saladin. For purchases and meals are actually spends little. A sandwich with meat and vegetables (shawarma) costs less than half a euro. A lunch at the restaurant at around 5 euros. A bus ride costs 7 cents, in taxis no more than 3 euros. With less than 10 euros to go to Lebanon or Jordan, bus or a collective taxi, leaving the station Baramki.

From the station Haraste, however, leave the bus Palmira (missed the ancient city of Queen Zenobia, in the desert) and Aleppo in the north. On the road to Aleppo worth staying a couple of hours at Hama, to visit the norie, the ancient wooden water wheels (photo above). In the north, inhabited by many minorities, including Kurds and Armenians, the milestone is Aleppo, with the city, whose fortifications were built from 350 BC Can not miss a turn in cities death, old abandoned places for reasons unknown, and the sanctuary dell'eremita San Simeon. Returning to the south, take the path of the sea and stop for a few days on the beaches of Latakia or Tartus and then visit the Krak dei Cavalieri, beautiful crusader castle. If there is time, you can make a quick trip to Maalula (Christian places where you still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus) and Bosra, the ancient city nabatea almost on the border with Jordan.

In Syria, the people are hospitable and cities are very safe. Obviously, it is better to respect the local traditions, not to show off criticism of the regime and not go around with clothes very succinct (but in the sea of Latakia and Tartus you can safely swim in costume). A tip: bring a vocabolarietto Arabic. Not all speak English!