Law is highly complex, and it needs to evolve constantly in order to adequately adapt to new social and technological landscapes. Every state deals with its own set of issues and has its own goals, so it is only reasonable that law is not the same there. Similar to how people in Canada have Unibet Sports Canada bonus that might not be available in other parts of the world, there are laws for every state, country and continent that don’t have to be universal. In other words, don’t be surprised if you are fined as a tourist for seemingly no apparent reason. Here we will go over some of these most surprising laws in Europe and offer some clarity about why those strange regulations are in place.
Snacks at historic sites in Italy
In case you didn’t know, if you are in Rome, Florence or Venice, it is not allowed to eat snacks, or a full course meal for that matter, when you are visiting historic sites. The fine for this behavior is no slouch either, as you can even pay a fee of 270 euros.
Seems a bit odd, as Italy is famous for its cuisine, but rest assured this is not some devious tourist trap. In fact, sites are so crowded that it’s difficult to maintain them with all the crumbs flying around, not to mention pigeons flocking and leaving even more filth behind. So, make sure you leave your snacks at home if you plan on visiting historic sites.
Feeding pigeons is not allowed in Italy and Austria
When you think about Venice or Piazza San Marco, one image immediately pops in your head, pigeons, lots and lots of pigeons. And if there are pigeons around you can bet that there is also a lot of acidic excrement, all over your cultural monuments. Since this is the case, it’s reasonable that bird feeding has been banned. In fact, this is one of the more recent laws, as it was passed back in 2008, and the fine can go as high as 700 euros. Vienna liked the results so they decided to implement the same fine as well. For all of those who are looking to take up an extremely expensive hobby, feeding pigeons in Venice should definitely be on your list.
Can’t play music in a Finnish Taxi
There are those who enjoy talking to the cab driver to pass the time, however, there are also introverts, who just want to stay silent during the drive. Luckily, there is music playing, and you don’t have to worry too much about awkward silence. Well, not in Finnland. Finish taxi drivers are not allowed to play music since 2002 when a law defined the activity as a public performance. Don’t worry though, this was easily resolved. Taxi drivers pay around 14 euros to their Copyright Society, and they are allowed to play songs. They need music as much as you after all.
No High Heels in Athens
We all want to look our best when visiting Greek gods and ancient Greek monuments, but the law just won’t allow it. All jokes aside this is no joke, you really are prohibited to wear high heels, and will be asked to remove them and go barefooted when visiting ancient ruins in Athens. This is done for a good reason, every nation wants to protect its cultural sites and spiky footwear is likely to damage the surface.