Touring city in Europe

Silver Member Joined: Feb 23 2010 Posts: 706

I'm looking for a nice place to go in Europe in the week of the 25 december with kosher food (restaurants, chabad,etc) and stunning scenery!!! Anyone have an idea?

Gold Member Joined: Feb 05 2008 Posts: 2455 Location: UK

Venice, Paris, Prague?

all are really nice for a few days and have plenty kosher requirements.

Gold Member Joined: Feb 15 2011 Posts: 1125 Location: UK

Switzerland is a great place for the winter with stunning scenery. Paris has all the Jewish stuff but the scenery is not stunning. Venice is not so great in the cold but it can be done.

Silver Member Joined: Feb 23 2010 Posts: 706

Silver Member Joined: Feb 23 2010 Posts: 706

Gold Member Joined: Feb 15 2011 Posts: 1125 Location: UK

Posted: Thu, Nov 10 2011, 10:01 am Post subject: re: Touring city in Europe

Copenhagen is nice, lots to see and walk around, but there are no resturants, although the chabad can provide you with meals. (eat in chabad house or send to your hotel)

What about the south of france? Nice/marseilles/Monte carlo/cannes?

London? 5 hours on the eurostar.

Silver Member Joined: Feb 23 2010 Posts: 706

Posted: Thu, Nov 10 2011, 10:02 am Post subject: re: Touring city in Europe

athens - chabad just opened a resturant there.

Silver Member Joined: Oct 07 2009 Posts: 612

I've never been but I've heard that Rome is beautiful and has great kosher restaurants.
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Posted: Thu, Nov 10 2011, 11:27 am Post subject: re: Touring city in Europe

Rome is GREAT. And the shopping... omg
Milan also, but fewer Jewish stuff, the kehila is much less observant there.

South France: depends what you like. For me there isn't much to do. But Jewish wise you have a good choice in Marseille. If you go for Monaco, live in Beausoleil instead, prices are more normal, kinda! Don't expect Jewish stuff as the kehila is small and very very "modern".

I'm with you that Switzerland is too expensive for what it offers but if near a frontier you can sleep in another country. Basel zoo is very cool and they have a great heimish restaurant!

I think Madrid has some Jewish stuff.
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Platinum Member Joined: Nov 04 2008 Posts: 8180

Posted: Thu, Nov 10 2011, 3:02 pm Post subject:

If you like skiing, there are quite a few ski resorts with kosher hotels in France, Switzerland and Italy.

Here's one example: http://hotel-lecretet.com/ski-cacher.html

If you're there during chanukah, I know that the Chabad rabbis from Grenoble have a public menorah lighting (along with free peppermint tea and sufganiot) in several of the big French resorts Smile

As for me, I'll be spending that week visiting the UK Smile

Silver Member Joined: Feb 23 2010 Posts: 706

Thanks everyone ladies!!! As usual Imamother is the place to be for information!!!

I decided at the end to go to Venice, tickets are actually not so expensive in comparisen to other countries!!!! SO.... Venice here we come!!!!

A few questions: does anyone know what happened to the kosher hotel there?(Guardino Del Ghetto) it was under management of the Minkowits family but now it says on the website:

Posted: Thu, Nov 10 2011, 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: re: Touring city in Europe

Posted: Thu, Nov 10 2011, 10:05 pm Post subject: re: Touring city in Europe

Venice: from what I understand that kosher hotel/B&B closed. But I've heard of someone with a kosher apartment. I've been to Ducale Palazzio but not done that tour. Watch out for high tide--aqua alta--which can flood plazas and you'll have to walk along wooden platforms. While vaporetto (water bus) is the most convenient to travel for long-ish distance along the grand canal, walking through narrow streets and canals have so much more ambience. Don't bother with rip-off gondolas.

I understand you've chosen Venice, but other European cities that meet your criteria would include Vienna (nice scenary and skiing outside of city), Rome (for me more interesting than Milano), Amsterdam (too close to home?), Barcelona, Andalucia (you can do day trips to Cordoba or Granada, stay in Marbella where there's a shul/kosher butcher), Gibraltar is another good option.

...or come to UK for Limmud! (we're going but after shabbat)
http://www.limmud.org/conference/

Silver Member Joined: Aug 30 2010 Posts: 621

We just came back from 11 days in Spain. Weather was beautiful. Madrid has a kosher restaurant, but I can't recommend it.
We spent Shabbat in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol - beautiful shul and kehilla, I don't know about food arrangements, because we were with a group and had it catered. There's also a big kehilla in Malaga.

Posted: Fri, Nov 11 2011, 9:03 am Post subject: re: Touring city in Europe

Mrs. Bissli, do you really like Limud? My husband was asked to give a few shiurim there many years ago, he said it was a circus and he would never do it again...not exactly kiruv as he knows it...too intellectual for his tastes.
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Posted: Fri, Nov 11 2011, 9:44 am Post subject: Re: re: Touring city in Europe

Posted: Fri, Nov 11 2011, 9:53 am Post subject: re: Touring city in Europe

My husband said that what really bothered him was the circus effect and the fact that everyone was billed the same. At the same time he was giving his shiurim there were lectures on Jewish basket weaving and some touchy feely stuff and new age and he was to put it mildly horrified that rabbonim were being treated by the staff and participants as if they were entertainers, just like the new age speakers or musicians giving concerts...I think he is used to a very different atmosphere when giving shiurim.

In any case, he never went again although I gather he was quite a hit, as he said, if he is doing real kiruv it's under other circumstances and not to compete with musicians and new age gurus. But I can get the appeal if one is going for the Jewish circus effect! Just not for him, it's not his...thing.