Worth knowing

Lucía Montes

Editor of Worth knowing — Culture, Context and Meaning

Lucía Montes explores travel through the ideas, customs, and meanings that shape a culture. Her articles seek to explain what visitors may observe without fully understanding: everyday rituals, shared values, and the contexts that help make sense of an experience. She is interested in living traditions, cultural behaviors, and the subtle details that reveal a deeper understanding of a place. Lucía is an editorial voice created by FlowTravel to help travelers better understand the meaning behind what they encounter during their journeys.

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Articles

Latest from Lucía

82 pieces · newest first

Here the World Heritage Site is a 3.5 km path, not a monument

Here the World Heritage Site is a 3.5 km path, not a monument

Half the world's mud volcanoes are next to Baku

Half the world's mud volcanoes are next to Baku

Dhaka's painted rickshaws have been World Heritage since 2023

Dhaka's painted rickshaws have been World Heritage since 2023

Yerevan has a birth certificate, and it is written in cuneiform

Yerevan has a birth certificate, and it is written in cuneiform

You can only walk to the island in the middle of Belgrade for three months a year

You can only walk to the island in the middle of Belgrade for three months a year

The world's oldest wooden wheel came out of the marsh next door

The world's oldest wooden wheel came out of the marsh next door

In Bern you swim the river downstream, and there is a last-exit sign

In Bern you swim the river downstream, and there is a last-exit sign

From Bratislava you leave the country by bicycle over a 500-metre bridge

From Bratislava you leave the country by bicycle over a 500-metre bridge

The Vasa survived because the Baltic is too fresh

The Vasa survived because the Baltic is too fresh

The Vatican has the shortest national railway in the world

The Vatican has the shortest national railway in the world

In Warsaw, the «milk bar» is not a bar

In Warsaw, the «milk bar» is not a bar

The red dot on Bucharest's facades is not decoration

The red dot on Bucharest's facades is not decoration

San Marino's five-euro stamp is not a border stamp

San Marino's five-euro stamp is not a border stamp

Skopje's modern art museum exists because the world sent paintings

Skopje's modern art museum exists because the world sent paintings

In Monaco the aquarium is the ground floor of a scientific institute

In Monaco the aquarium is the ground floor of a scientific institute

Podgorica's Niagara is not a waterfall, and half the year it is not there

Podgorica's Niagara is not a waterfall, and half the year it is not there

In Chișinău the writers are in the park, and in alphabetical order

In Chișinău the writers are in the park, and in alphabetical order

Here Public Transport Has No Ticket

Here Public Transport Has No Ticket

The Closed Balconies Are for Watching Without Being Seen

The Closed Balconies Are for Watching Without Being Seen

The Pink Soup Is Cold, and the Potatoes Come Hot

The Pink Soup Is Cold, and the Potatoes Come Hot

The Neighbourhood Pool Is Not a Spa

The Neighbourhood Pool Is Not a Spa

The Wind That Explains Why There Are Vines Here

The Wind That Explains Why There Are Vines Here

A Ruin Bar Is Not a Themed Bar

A Ruin Bar Is Not a Themed Bar

The City Has Two Names, and Neither Translates the Other

The City Has Two Names, and Neither Translates the Other

The Market Is Inside Five Zeppelin Hangars

The Market Is Inside Five Zeppelin Hangars

The Macchiato Is Not a Drink, It's the Timetable

The Macchiato Is Not a Drink, It's the Timetable

In Zagreb, Saturday Coffee Isn't About the Coffee

In Zagreb, Saturday Coffee Isn't About the Coffee

Bosnian Coffee Is Not Turkish Coffee

Bosnian Coffee Is Not Turkish Coffee

In Copenhagen, Smørrebrød Isn't an Open Sandwich

In Copenhagen, Smørrebrød Isn't an Open Sandwich

In Helsinki, the Sauna Is Not a Spa

In Helsinki, the Sauna Is Not a Spa

Sofia Was Built on Hot Water — and the City Still Drinks It for Free

Sofia Was Built on Hot Water — and the City Still Drinks It for Free

In Brussels, Frites Aren't French Fries — and the Fritkot Isn't Fast Food

In Brussels, Frites Aren't French Fries — and the Fritkot Isn't Fast Food

Why Draniki Aren't 'Just Another Rösti': The Potato as a Second Bread in Minsk

Why Draniki Aren't 'Just Another Rösti': The Potato as a Second Bread in Minsk

Andorra la Vella Isn't Tax-Free — It's a Low-Tax Country

Andorra la Vella Isn't Tax-Free — It's a Low-Tax Country

Tirana's Xhiro: The Evening Walk That Goes Nowhere

Tirana's Xhiro: The Evening Walk That Goes Nowhere

Oslo's Forest Is Open to Everyone — But It Isn't a Free-for-All

Oslo's Forest Is Open to Everyone — But It Isn't a Free-for-All

In Sarasota, Those Modern Houses Aren't 'Old Houses' — They're Built Climate

In Sarasota, Those Modern Houses Aren't 'Old Houses' — They're Built Climate

Siesta Key: The Drum Circle Isn't a Show

Siesta Key: The Drum Circle Isn't a Show

In Osaka, Teasing Isn't Bad Manners

In Osaka, Teasing Isn't Bad Manners

In Santiago, the Once Is Not the Five O'Clock Tea — It's Dinner in Disguise

In Santiago, the Once Is Not the Five O'Clock Tea — It's Dinner in Disguise

Rebetiko Is Not a Bouzouki Night

Rebetiko Is Not a Bouzouki Night

Why Málaga's Sardines Are Never Cooked in a Kitchen

Why Málaga's Sardines Are Never Cooked in a Kitchen

Santorini: The Basket Vine That Turns Thirst Into Wine

Santorini: The Basket Vine That Turns Thirst Into Wine

Why Maine Throws Its Biggest Lobsters Back

Why Maine Throws Its Biggest Lobsters Back

Vancouver's Skyline Is Not an Accident

Vancouver's Skyline Is Not an Accident

The Sugar Shack Isn't a Restaurant — It's How Quebec Ends Its Winter

The Sugar Shack Isn't a Restaurant — It's How Quebec Ends Its Winter

In Berlin, Sunday Shuts Down — and That's the Plan

In Berlin, Sunday Shuts Down — and That's the Plan

Key West's Roosters Aren't a Pest

Key West's Roosters Aren't a Pest

Jakarta Isn't Measured in Kilometers

Jakarta Isn't Measured in Kilometers

In Valencia, Paella Is Not a Seafood Dish

In Valencia, Paella Is Not a Seafood Dish

Why the Wine Called Porto Isn't Made in Porto

Why the Wine Called Porto Isn't Made in Porto

The Milanese Aperitivo Isn't a Cheap Dinner

The Milanese Aperitivo Isn't a Cheap Dinner

Lisbon's Azulejos Aren't Decoration — They're the City's Working Skin

Lisbon's Azulejos Aren't Decoration — They're the City's Working Skin

Tartan Is Not as Ancient as It Looks

Tartan Is Not as Ancient as It Looks

Kafka Is Not an Attraction: He Is a Way to Understand Prague

Kafka Is Not an Attraction: He Is a Way to Understand Prague

Ceviche Isn't a Dinner Dish

Ceviche Isn't a Dinner Dish

In San Juan the Blue Cobblestones Are Not Painted

In San Juan the Blue Cobblestones Are Not Painted

In Vienna Coffee Is Not a Drink: It Is an Address

In Vienna Coffee Is Not a Drink: It Is an Address

In Amsterdam the Bike Is Not a Vehicle: It Is the City's Order

In Amsterdam the Bike Is Not a Vehicle: It Is the City's Order

Florence's Unsalted Bread Is Not a Mistake

Florence's Unsalted Bread Is Not a Mistake

In Naples Pizza Is Not a Dish: It Is a Pact

In Naples Pizza Is Not a Dish: It Is a Pact

In London, the Pub Is Not a Bar

In London, the Pub Is Not a Bar

Venice Is Dying of Success

Venice Is Dying of Success

In Southeast Alaska, the Potlatch Is Not About Giving Wealth Away

In Southeast Alaska, the Potlatch Is Not About Giving Wealth Away

The Emirati Heritage Beneath Dubai's Skyscrapers

The Emirati Heritage Beneath Dubai's Skyscrapers

Flamenco Is Not a Show

Flamenco Is Not a Show

In Granada, the Free Tapa Isn't Generosity: It's a Code

In Granada, the Free Tapa Isn't Generosity: It's a Code

Kyoto's Geisha Aren't What You Think

Kyoto's Geisha Aren't What You Think

Barcelona Is Not the Spain You Imagine

Barcelona Is Not the Spain You Imagine

In Rio, Tell Me Your Posto and I'll Tell You Who You Are

In Rio, Tell Me Your Posto and I'll Tell You Who You Are

The Hammam Isn't a Spa: It's a Neighbourhood Bath

The Hammam Isn't a Spa: It's a Neighbourhood Bath

The Pyramids Were Not Built by Slaves

The Pyramids Were Not Built by Slaves

The Day of the Dead Isn't Mexican Halloween

The Day of the Dead Isn't Mexican Halloween

The Body and Courtesy: The Code Behind Thai Calm

The Body and Courtesy: The Code Behind Thai Calm

In New York, the Tip Is the Wage

In New York, the Tip Is the Wage

Buenos Aires, the City on the Couch

Buenos Aires, the City on the Couch

In Australia, You Swim Between the Flags

In Australia, You Swim Between the Flags

In Istanbul, the Tea Isn't a Hook

In Istanbul, the Tea Isn't a Hook

La Bella Figura Isn't Vanity

La Bella Figura Isn't Vanity

Why Madrid Eats So Late

Why Madrid Eats So Late

The Bonjour That Changes Everything in Paris

The Bonjour That Changes Everything in Paris

Tokyo's Silence Isn't Coldness

Tokyo's Silence Isn't Coldness