Cultural assets are things to cherish. Scan the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and it will be clear that Europe bristles with treasures: from the cultural landscapes of the high valleys of Andorra to the wooden churches of northern Romania. Michelangelo paintings and Gothic cathedrals are self-evidently worth hanging onto. Yet some of Europe’s most important cultural assets are utterly intangible.

Take language, an asset we too often take for granted. Most Europeans somehow learn to get by in one or two other languages beyond their mother tongue. And occasionally we run across folk on our travels who have not had the chance to practice, still less to perfect, another language and remain sadly monolingual. Plus of course a fair number of diehards who elect to remain assertively and stubbornly monolingual for one reason or another.

Europe’s rich diversity of languages captures the media spotlight this week with the European Day of Languages (EDL). Officially slated for Wednesday but celebrated earlier in the week in some countries, EDL is an initiative of the Council of Europe and will be marked in the Council’s forty-seven member states.

Language is a wonderful thing. So why not celebrate the European Day of Languages by getting your tongue round a few pharyngeal fricatives and then check out some of Europe’s threatened minority languages? These are cultural assets on the brink. Mirandesa, Kashubian, and Sorbian are just three of the many we’ve come across over the past year—in Portugal, Poland, and Germany respectively.

This is the second in a series of fortnightly blog posts by the editors of hidden europe.

Photo by oliviagiovetti

We overheard this brilliant aside from an American backpacker in a bar in Zizkov: “What the hell is up with all the puppets?”

It’s sort of a good question. Prague’s more touristy areas have marionette shops on practically every corner. The art of puppetry has been a popular form in Prague since the 17th Century. It was one of the first forms of theatre performed in Czech. Historically, the innocence of the marionettes and the naïveté of their puppeteers have allowed many censored ideas to reach the public.

The National Marionette Theatre (Zatecka 1 in Stare Mesto) performs Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni twice daily. With a theatre bar that allows you to bring your Pilsner into the performance, this Giovanni is a burlesque send-up for those who love and loathe opera alike. Sit in the front row if you don’t mind getting wet.

Photo by Jenny & Peter

Along the Vltava river, which Bedrich Smetana immortalized in his collection of symphonic poems “Má vlast,” now sits a museum that’s worth interrupting your riverside stroll. Go a little past the Charles Bridge and cut into the small side street of Novotneho lavka to visit the Bedrich Smetana Museum.

While the waistcoat pocket-sized museum doesn’t have the space or artifacts to compete with the Dvorak House or the Mozart Museum at Bertramka, there is nothing more Czech than listening to “Vltava” while sitting on the Vltava. Point the laser-tipped baton in the main section of the museum’s room towards any of the music stands to sample “Má Vlast,” the “Bartered Bride,” or a handful of other works by the composer.

More interestingly, and worth the price of the CZK50 (€1.75; $2.35) admission fee, is the display of Smetana’s ossicles—that is, his ear bones. They’re available for viewing under magnification among the standard mix of journals, letters, scores, and family photos.

Whether you’ve never heard of Smetana (for shame!) or can hum the “Bartered Bride” from memory, this is definitely a waistcoat pocket worth checking out.

Photo by Taz Nelson

With a total circumference of over seven miles, the Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed park in Europe. Now it’s neatly serviced by the LUAS green line, and still boasts totally free entry. There’s no reason anyone visiting Dublin should overlook this urban playground.

The mix of sports fields, polo grounds, gardens, and valleys means that there’s something for everyone at Phoenix Park. Even if you’re not dazzled by the landscape, a quick trip to the Zoo, a glimpse of the Aras an Uachtarain—the Irish President’s house—or a turn about Ashtown Castle will make even the most minute trip worthwhile.

Just make sure you keep your eyes open for stray Frisbees, soccer balls, bikes and kites as the Park can get almost as crowded as the city on sunny days!

Photo by Lylla Lausanne

Mark your calendars: July 9th is the 650th anniversary of the Charles Bridge in Prague. Naturally, there are some serious celebration plans in store—the architectural equivalent of a nip and tuck hasn’t been for nought. Mayors from other world cities are to be invited to the celebration, though an official guest list has not yet been released.

As for the non-VIPs, they can look forward to performances and battles by people in period costumes and, well, plenty of beer and sausages. According to czech.cz’s Marcela Zoufalá, bridge construction has a numerological basis:

On that day, 650 years ago, several odd numbers came into alignment: The year was 1357. It was also the 9th day of the seventh month. The first stone was placed at exactly 5:31. As a result, the sequence of numbers occurs as 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1. Moreover, the timing also had significant astrological importance, as all the known planets were on the horizon while the Sun, Mercury and Saturn were mutually conjoined, disrupting the latter planet’s unfavorable influence.

Fancy! If the construction of the metro extension to Ruzyne was half as well organized, it might already be built by now.

The Mercato Trionfale, in the Prati neighborhood, goes often without mention in the guidebooks. While it isn’t particularly charming, it’s one of the largest, cheapest, and most authentic city markets in Rome.

The market stretches up and down both sides of Via Andrea Doria. Clothing, housewares, fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, wine, and even breads are among the market’s offerings.

The best of the bargains are found at the first stand on the the corner of Via Andrea Doria and Largo Trionfale, where fruit is hawked by the kilo. While you’d never ordinarily think that you would need a kilo of celery, or two kilos of oranges, the €1 price tags might just change your perspective on bulk fruit purchase.

Photo courtesy of Denica

Along with the European Union flag—Bulgaria joined the EU on January 1—a very common sight in Bulgaria this year has been the white, green, and red “Не сте сами/You Are Not Alone” ribbon.

The ribbon is a symbol of a media campaign in support of the five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor jailed in Libya. Displayed on cars and in store windows, and worn by people everywhere, the ribbons have effectively infiltrated Bulgarian life.

Politicians, celebrities, and artists throughout Bulgaria and Europe are vocally supporting this campaign. And now Sofia is abuzz with news of the campaign’s newest international supporter, George Michael, who is set to perform at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Sofia on May 28 as part of his 2007 European Tour. The singer intends to use his Sofia concert as a vehicle to increase awareness of the plight of the Bulgarian nurses. Tickets: BGN50 (€26; $35) to BGN70 (€36; $48).

Photo by Kaymaria Daskarolis

Nafplio, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Athens, is hands-down one of Greece’s most charming towns. It is also home to Karonis Wine Shop (Amalias Street 5, Nafplio, +30-27520-24446.) The shop was established in 1882, although Karonis has actually been producing ouzo, brandy, wine, and other spirits since 1869. Recently, the family-owned company has taken a lead in developing innovative wine-tasting experiences for connoisseurs and amateurs alike.

Open Monday through Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. through 9:30 p.m., Karonis also happens to produce our favorite ouzo, which even ouzo-skeptical visitors tend to find palatable. A .70 ml bottle of 80-proof ouzo goes for €5.75, while the .70 ml bottle of 88-proof “Special” ouzo costs €7. Souvenir-size .20 ml bottles can be had for as little as €1.95.

Photo courtesy of Purple Cloud

As soon as the bus pulls into Riga’s bus lot, haul yourself across the street to one of Europe’s largest markets.

The four converted hangars that comprise the Riga Centraltirgus (Riga Central Market) are an integral part of the city’s landscape. The cavernous chambers—filled with meats, fish, fresh and pickled fruit, candy, nuts, seeds, and dairy—are ripe for exploring. There’s also the usual amusing refuse found at overstimulating flea markets, such as Dinacell (!) batteries and toothpaste made of silver and flowers.

Everything’s priced nicely: a lunch assembled from the fresh cheeses, yellow apples, rye bread, and creamed honey came to a total of LVL1 (€1.42; $1.92) per person.

A few of our favorite discoveries:

Pickled golden apples. Keep an open mind when sampling a pickled apple and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the seltzer-like sizzle, a result of the brine’s acidic effect on the flesh of the fruit.

Biezpiens cheese. The condensed version chilled and covered in chocolate is unspeakably delicious.

Hand-knit stocking cap. The right vendor is the key to locating one-of-a-kind, non-ugly knit caps. Expect to pay about 1 Lat for a cap.

Photo by urbanlegend

Hungary’s tokaj wine (pronounced tock-oi) is justifiably respected all over the world. And tokaj wine growers have always known their stuff. They were the very first to classify wine based on its quality back in the 1600s. The Russian tsars loved the wine so much they kept a Cossak regiment on standby to escort the tokaj shipments from Hungary to their court!

The Tokaj Wine Region, with its 27 settlements, has been a World Heritage Site since 2002. Apart from visiting numerous wine cellars, there is much to do in and around the picturesque main town of Tokaj. Boat trips, canoeing, horse riding, and forest walks are all readily available. There is a range of places to stay as well, from a room in a private house, as cheap as HUF2000 (€8.10; $11) per night to the Toldi Wellness Hotel, where for HUF7000 (€28.30; $28.40) each you can enjoy the hotel spa, elegant bed and breakfast accommodation and garden terrace.

An especially fun time to visit is from May 25 through 28, when Tokaj holds its wine festival. Concerts, wine tasting, a folk fair, and even a fish soup cooking competition are scheduled during the festival. The town can be reached from Budapest out of Keleti (East) Station. The trip takes 2 hours 35 minutes and costs HUF4840 (€19.60; $26.60).