Have you ever heard of a city called Skopje? I hadn’t either, but today you get the chance to not only learn why it’s awesome, you also get to see why it’s awesome. I won’t go into too much detail, but let’s just say the thousand year old Kale Fortress looks pretty epic.

Why am I suddenly mentioning places I haven’t been to yet? Well, today marks the third time I have the privilege of hosting one of my very favorite blog carnivals: The Carnival of Cities. If you’re not familiar with this great blog carnival, Carnival of Cities (CoC) is one of the quintessential blog carnivals focusing on travel. And if you’ve been reading Byteful Travel for a while, you probably already know what a blog carnival is; but in the chance that you don’t, all you need to know is that you’re about to be exposed to some great travel writing from all around the globe.

A Trip around the World

As I’ve said before, the Carnival of Cities has been one of my favorite carnivals for a while now because it consistently includes some of the best new travel articles on the web. What makes CoC unique is that it’s city-focused, highlighting any aspect of a specific city; and people often say that reading through it feels like a trip around the world. For this edition, I’m really happy to say that all of the articles in today’s blog carnival have some excellent photography paired with the text, which makes it even more immersive.

Today’s edition includes incredible sights of Singapore’s architecture, a feature on possibly the most utilitarian hotel in all of England, a tale of what happens when you buy a book at “kilometer zero”, a scintillating golden dome that just so happens to be in Indiana, a lovely look at a small Portuguese town, and a feature on a European capital you’ve probably never heard of (but should). Hint: It’s the 4th article down. (It’s the one with the epic thousand year old fortress.)

Asia

Images of Singapore posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying,

“Singaporeans seem to have two main activities: shopping and dining. When you are done shopping, you grab a bite and when you are done eating, you go for a walk with your credit card in hand for some exercise.”

Americas

Indiana, USA – Dominique King presents:
Back to school at Indiana’s University of Notre Dame posted at Midwest Guest, saying,

“Many visitors best know the University of Notre Dame for its fabled football history, but we particularly enjoyed this Indiana university’s photogenic architecture.”

Europe

Paris, France – Sheila Scarborough presents:
Literary Paris: get stamped at Shakespeare and Company posted at Perceptive Travel Blog, saying,

“A special spot in Paris for English-language book lovers (and it even comes with a souvenir).”

Skopje, Macedonia – Anne-Sophie Redisch presents:
Things to do in Skopje posted at Sophie’s World, saying,

“Skopje is one of Europe’s lesser known capitals — here’s the good and the bad.”

Caminha, Portugal – Steve Masters presents:
Caminha, Spain’s Portuguese neighbour posted at Portugal Travel Tips, saying,

“Caminha, sitting on the Portugal border with Spain’s north-west, offers access to long sandy beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean and the waters of the Minho river.”

London, England, UK – Paris Franz presents:
Cheap London hotels – Tune Hotel opens in Westminster posted at London on the Cheap (site down), saying,

“Just think of it — cheap hotels in central London. They are like the rarest of exotic animals. You hear reports, but don’t quite believe until you see it for yourself. Cheap London hotels do exist however, and they now have another name to add to their ranks: The Tune Hotel.”

Want to grow your audience?

You too can be a part of the sheer splendubiousness that is the Carnival of Cities. And honestly, you’d be silly not to consider it. For any writer, blog carnivals are an intelligent way to get the word out about what you’re publishing on the web. (I know this because blog carnivals have been incredibly helpful in spreading the word about this site.)

To request an article to be considered for inclusion next time, please submit your blog post (just one, please one that provides real value and is not spam) to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using the Carnival of Cities submission form. (Past posts and future hosts can be found in the Carnival of Cities carnival index.)

And if you’d like to host the carnival itself, as I have done here, please contact Sheila, the carnival’s maintainer, at the following email address: Sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com. (But please be patient. I’m sure she gets plenty of email.)

I hope you enjoyed today’s featured articles. And while you’re here, why don’t you say thanks to some of the awesome writers who submitted their work? It only takes a minute; and, speaking from experience, I know it means a lot. 🙂