Russia - Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city of Russia.

Moscow is situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of European Russia. In the course of its history the city has served as the capital of a progression states, from the medieval Grand Duchy of Moscow and the subsequent Tsardom of Russia to the Soviet Union. Moscow is the site of the Moscow Kremlin, an ancient fortress that is today the residence of the Russian President and of the executive branch of the Government of Russia. The Kremlin is also one of several World Heritage Sites in the city. Both chambers of the Russian parliament (the State Duma and the Federation Council) also sit in Moscow.

Kremlin-Assumption Cathedral

Kremlin-Spasskaya Tower

Red Square-Lenin Mausoleum

Pushkin Statue

Ostankino TV Tower

Kremlin-Basil Cathedral

Poland - Auschwitz

To an unsuspecting motorist, the sleepy, slightly run-down town of Oswiecim might seem like many others in this part of southern Poland. Yet sixty years ago the German occupying forces opened a concentration camp here. Soon afterwards they evacuated the nearby village of Brzezinka and created a much larger camp, covering some 425 acres. What was to go on there was to be veiled in the utmost secrecy and a forty kilometre zone was enclosed to make the area inaccessible. As a matter of course, the two places were then given German names, Auschwitz and Birkenau.

New Zealand - Welington

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city, and it’s also known as our arts and culture capital. A special blend of heritage buildings, museums and galleries, fine food and live entertainment opportunities make this city a great place to visit in any season.

Montenegro - Ulcinj

The Ulcinj "south coast" region of Montenegro is a popular tourist destination.
Ulcinj's old town is a very well preserved castle-looking community that is left over from medieval times. The old town sits atop a mountain overlooking the shore and is a tourist attraction on its own.

Each stone of the Old Town guards its secrets from the past. The Old Town consists from several parts: the upper town, citadel, and the army fortress. This fortress of unique beauty fascinates visitors with its mysterious appearance. Its beauty rises from the sea and has a unique charm, calm and is inspiring. There are remains from ancient times such as the museum complex, a church-mosque, a Venetian palace and the Balsic Tower. In front of the tower there is the Square of Slaves, where once Cervantes was held captive and who, inspired by the love of Dulcinea, a woman from Ulcinj, wrote his famous book "Don Quixote"

Malaysia - Kuala Lampur

More than any other spot in the country, Kuala Lumpur, or "KL" as it is commonly known, is the focal point of new Malaysia. While the city's past is still present in the evocative British colonial buildings of the Dataran Merdeka and the midnight lamps of the Petaling Street nightmarket, that past is everywhere met with insistent reminders of KL's present and future. The city's bustling streets, its shining, modern office towers, and its cosmopolitan air project an unbounded spirit of progress and symbolize Malaysia's unhesitating leap into the future. To some, this spirit seems to have been gained at the loss of ancient cultural traditions, but in many ways KL marks the continuation rather than the loss of Malaysia's rich past. Like Malacca five hundred years before, KL's commercial centre is a grand meeting place for merchants and travelers from all over the world.

Petronas Towers

With a height of 1,453 feet, one of the world's tallest buildings rise above the skyline of Kuala Lumpur. They are called the Petronas Towers, and, inevitably, they have become the symbols for the astounding growth that has taken place in Malaysia over the last two decades.

Lithuania - Vilnius

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania. It lies on the bank of Neris river and has approxmately 560,000 inhabitants.

The Old Town, historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in Eastern Europe (360 ha). The most valuable historic and cultural heritage is concentrated here. The buildings in the Old Town—there are about 1.5 thousand of them—were built in a number of different centuries, therefore, it is a mixture of all European architectural styles. Although Vilnius is often called a Baroque city, here you will also find masterpieces of Gothic, monuments of Renaissance, Neoclassicism and other styles. The main sights of the city are the Gediminas Castle, the Cathedral Square—symbols of the capital—and the historic centre, the Old Town of Vilnius, which in 1994 was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In 2009, at the same time as Linz (Austria), Vilnius was a European Capital of Culture. Vilnius has always been a multicultural city.

China - Qian Shan Mountain

Mount Qianshan is the most famous tourist site in north China. It lies in the east, about 20 kilometers away from Anshan City, and boasts 999 mountains altogether, covering 152 square kilometers. So, it is also called thousand-lotus-flower mountain.

Mount Qianshan features many beautiful peaks, precipitious cliffs, secluded valleys, high-situated Taoism and Buddhism temples, grotesque pine trees in strange shape, exuberant flowers of various kinds, etc. So, for a very long history it has been given the name of Treasure Pearl of North China.

Ever from Shui Dynasty, it has been the religion center, and many Buddhists and Taoists came here to construct many temples, pagodas half way or at the top of the mountains. It is seldom for both Buddhism and Taoism temples stationing in one mountain area and left with present people so much cultural contents to read, understand ans explore.

For Taoism the most imposing temple is Infinity Temple who was built half way up the steep mountains and has very strange layout. Visitors coming here will sigh at the fine scenery and have the feeling of walking casually into a fairy land. Many poets left with us much poem praising the sights and so many poem inscription tablets stand fully or partly in deep shrub. Emperor-Visited Scenery Zone, Western Ocean Zone, Great Buddha Zone, Bird-Tweedling Zone and Immortal's Platform are present spot sites very deserving visting and at least 4 days are necessary to tour them all.

In the early period of Qianlong Administration of Qing Dynasty, Liu Taibin and Wang Taixiang, two disciples of Guo Shouzhen who was priest of Tiechashan and immortal, came here to practice and nurture their congenital nature in Luohan Cave. The Qianlong Emperor paid visit to this mountain several times.

Algeria - Sahara

The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert. At over 9,400,000 square kilometers (3,630,000 sq mi), it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean. To the south, it is delimited by the Sahel: a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna that comprises the northern region of central and western Sub-Saharan Africa.

Algeria - Annaba - Saint Augustin Church

The Basilica Saint Augustin (Basilica of St. Augustine) is a Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to Saint Augustine of Hippo located in Annaba, Algeria. The basilica is under the circumscription of the Diocese of Constantine. Construction on the basilica began in 1881, was completed on March 29, 1900 and the church was dedicated on April 24, 1914. The statue of St. Augustine in the basilica contains one of his arm bones.

Spain - Menorca

Smaller and quieter than its neighbor Mallorca , Menorca is the second largest of the Balearic islands. Situated just 34 km / 21 miles from Mallorca , the island of Menorca has many family-friendly resorts and almost as many beaches as Mallorca and Ibiza combined. Peaceful holiday resorts line the south coast of Menorca and a string of quiet fishing villages are along the island s rougher northern shore.

Iran - Shiraz

Shiraz is known as the city of poets, wine and flowers. It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens, due to the many gardens and fruit trees that can be seen in the city. Shiraz has had major Jewish and Christian communities. The crafts of Shiraz consist of inlaid mosaic work of triangular design; silver-ware; pile carpet-weaving and weaving of kilim, called gilim and jajim in the villages and among the tribes.

Japan - Tokyo - Ginza

The Ginza is Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes.

One square meter of land in the district's center is worth more than ten million yen (more than 100,000 US dollars), making it one of the most expensive real estate in Japan. It is where you can find the infamous $10 cups of coffee and where virtually every leading brand name in fashion and cosmetics has a presence.

From 1612 to 1800, today's Ginza district was the site of a silver coin mint (Japanese: ginza), after which the district was eventually named. The Ginza evolved as an upmarket shopping district following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.

Taiwan - Bao Sheng Cultural Festival

The 14th day of the 3rd lunar month in the Chinese calendar is the birthday of the Bao Sheng Emperor. Celebrations to mark the occasion took place at Taipei's 205 year old Bao An temple.
The festival features religious rituals, folklore expertise, tours of historic sites, craft workshops, art contests, health care services, and academic seminars.
Taipei Baoan Temple is a representation of Taiwan's folk religion. The temple structure reveals the best of traditional Taiwanese architecture, while the folklore performance troupes and Taiwanese opera performances at the festival highlights cultural heritages. Moreover, the historical, religious, and cultural roles of the temple make it an important site for the local community and tourists from abroad. These explain why Baosheng Cultural Festival continues to attract visitors and tourists over the years.

Indonesia - Borobudur Temple

Borobudur, a Buddhist stupa in the Mahayana tradition, is the largest Buddhist monument in the world. Located on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km (25mi) northwest of Yogyakarta, Borobudur was built around 750 AD. The magnificent temple is a three-dimensional mandala (diagram of the universe) and a visual representation of Buddhist teachings.

The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path through the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.

Finland - Wonderful Landscape

France - Lyon

Lyon is the capital of the Rhone-Alpes region and the second-largest city in France. Located just two hours from Paris on the TGV, the city of Lyon is rich with religious and historical sites.

Lyon has a long cultural influence on France and the world. The city is known for its historical and architectural landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lyon was historically known as an important area for the production and weaving of silk and in modern times has developed a reputation as the capital of gastronomy in France. It has a significant role in the history of cinema due to Auguste and Louis Lumière.

Austria - Linz - ARS Electronica Center

The new Ars Electronica Center is a one-of-a-kind facility. Its uniqueness is betokened by its external form. This bold architectural statement is an instant highlight within the Linz cityscape’s ensemble, yet it still sets itself apart at first—none of its edges run parallel, everything appears skewed, elements simultaneously pulling apart and merging together. A structure that’s constantly assuming new forms depending on the perspective from which it’s viewed. And one that withholds revelation of its scope and dimensions until the moment of direct physical encounter.

Romania - Sighisoara

Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighisoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries.

Sighisoara, one of the most beautiful towns in the heart of Transylvania, looks today much as it did 500 years ago. This medieval town was also the birthplace of Vlad Dracula - nicknamed Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) - ruler of Walachia from 1456 to 1462. It was he who inspired Bram Stoker's fictional creation, Count Dracula. His house is just one of the many attractions here. Others include the Church on the Hill, with its 500–year old frescos; the Church of the Dominican Monastery, renown for its Renaissance carved altarpiece, baroque painted pulpit, Oriental carpets and 17th-century organ; and the Venetian House, built in the 13th century.

Among the most striking attractions is the 210-feet high Clock Tower (Council Tower), built in the 14th century, where each day a different wooden figure emerges from the belfry on the stroke of midnight. The tower was raised in the 13th and 14th centuries when Sighisoara became a free town controlled by craft guilds, each of which had to finance the construction of a bastion and defend it during wartime. The fortification walls, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, were up to 50-feet high and featured 14 defense towers. Most of the old structure s and 9 of the defense towers can still be admired today.

Vietnam

Prince Temple

Hat Market in Hue

Slovenia - Julijske Alpe

The Triglav National Park is the pride of the tourist region of the Julian Alps. It is the only national park in Slovenia. The park was conceived in as long ago as 1906 and originally centred on the area of the Triglav lakes. In 1981 the park was enlarged. It now covers an area of 83,807 hectares and includes practically the whole of the Slovene Julian Alps. The highest point of the park is the peak of Mt Triglav (2864 metres), the highest mountain in Slovenia, from which the park takes its name; the lowest point is in the Tolminka gorges (180 metres). The unique natural and cultural heritage of this area of Slovenia is fully contained within the borders of the Triglav National Park.

Greece - Athens - Acropolis

The word "Acropolis" means city by the edge, and there are many acropolises all over Greece. They were always situated on a high spot, and were often used as a place for shelter and defence against various enemies. The one in Athens is the best known of them all, and is therefore often referred to as "The Acropolis".

The Acropolis is believed to have been inhabited since at least the 7th Millennium BC. During the Mycenaean civilization walls were built around it and there is evidence that there was a Mycenaean palace here as well. The tomb of Cecrops also lie here, and the Athenians might have kept a snake here - symbolizing their first king. There were also other tombs and temples here, all connected to kings, heroes and gods that had to do with Athens.

In the 6th century BC the Acropolis had changed quite significantly. It was no longer a place for palaces, but had turned more into a sanctuary that anything else. Every year a huge procession to the Acropolis took place, and the wooden statue of Athena was dressed and sacrificed to. The Panathenean games were also very important. The games included both athletic and musical competitions and the winner would receive an amphora filled with olive oil - the olive tree being the sacred tree of Athena.

During the Persian wars in the 5th century the Athenians started building the Parthenon, but the Persians burnt the Acropolis and all focus was put on the battles. It was during Pericles era, the so called Golden Age, when the Acropolis got the structure we see today. Starting in the middle of the 5th century, the Parthenon, the Propylaea and a huge bronze statue of Athena was made. It is said that Pericles used unemployed Athenians for workers, and that it was thanks to this initiative, every Athenian had food on his table. The Parthenon was made by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates, and the statue by Phidias.Towards the end of the 5th century the Erechteion was built, as well as the temple of Athena Nike.

When the Romans conquered Greece in the 2nd century BC, many of the sanctuaries were looted. Statues and other works of art were taken back to Rome from Olympia and Delphi for example, but the Acropolis was pretty much left alone. Some of the emperors did make a few additions, though. In the 2nd century AD Herodes Atticus had his great theatre built, and to this day, Athenians are enjoying concerts and ballets here.

During the Middle Ages several of the temples on the Acropolis were converted into Christian churches. Quite characteristic is the fact that the Parthenon, which had been a temple to the virgin goddess Athena, now became a church to the virgin saint Mary.

When the Turks came towards the end of the 16th century, they turned the Parthenon into a mosque. Until the 17th century the temple was relatively unharmed, but in 1687 the Venetians bombarded the Acropolis, and a projectile hit the Parthenon, which the Turks used as a storage room for gunpowder. The temple exploded and this is why the temple does not have a roof today.

In the beginning of the 19th century the Englishman lord Elgin was allowed by the sultan to take with him various objects from the Acropolis. It was now he took the famous Parthenon marbles, which until today is a matter of controversy since they are housed in the British Museum despite the Greeks plea to get them back.
Despite all that the Acropolis has been through, it is really the pollution in modern Athens that is its worst enemy. The problem has been known for many decades now, but still no real solution has been found.

Germany - Wartburg Castle - Old postcard

Wartburg Castle was founded by Duke Ludwig of Thuringia in 1067 AD. It belonged to the landgraves of Thuringia and once hosted the medieval Minnesinger poets, immortalized by Wagner in Tannhäuser.

Most famously, the Wartburg is where Martin Luther hid out as "Knight George" upon his return from the Diet of Worms in 1521. Here he completed his translation of the Bible. During his stay here, he said he "fought the Devil with ink" and is said to have experienced dark periods of depression.

Today, the castle is a regional museum. Wartburg Castle was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999 for its association with Luther and for its role as "a powerful symbol of German integration and unity."

Portugal - Guimaraes

Guimarães is a city in Guimarães Municipality, in the North of Portugal.

The city was founded upon much older settlements by Count Vímara Peres after his namesake (Vimaranis, later Guimaranis), soon after he established the 1st County of Portugal (in 868). As the first capital of Portugal, Guimarães is known as the place where the country was born – "The Cradle City". In 1095 Count Henry of Burgundy, who had married princess Teresa of León, establishes in Guimarães the 2nd County of Portugal (Condado Portucalense). In July 25, 1109 Afonso Henriques, son of Count Henry of Burgundy, is born in this same city. That is where Duke Afonso Henriques proclaimed Portuguese independence from the Kingdom of León, after the Battle of São Mamede, declaring himself to be Afonso I, king of Portugal.

The Historic Centre of Guimarães was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001 by UNESCO, due to its Middle Age historical monuments.

Spain - Granada - La Alhambra

The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the top of the hill of the Assabica on the southeastern border of the city of Granada in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

The Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the inspiration for many songs and stories.

Israel - The Promised Land

1570 Map

Ireland - Newgrange Megalithic Passage Tomb

The Megalithic Passage Tomb at Newgrange was built about 3200 BC. The kidney shaped mound covers an area of over one acre and is surrounded by 97 kerbstones, some of which are richly decorated with megalithic art. The 19 meter long inner passage leads to a cruciform chamber with a corbelled roof. It is estimated that the construction of the Passage Tomb at Newgrange would have taken a work force of 300 at least 20 years.

The passage and chamber of Newgrange are illuminated by the winter solstice sunrise. A shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. The dramatic event lasts for 17 minutes at dawn on the Winter Solstice and for a few mornings either side of the Winter Solstice.

Germany - 1945 views

Germany - Aachen

Aachen has historically been a spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favored residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany.

Aachen Cathedral, also referred to as the Kaiserdom ("Imperial Cathedral") of Aachen, is a building of great historical, architectural and religious importance. Built by Charlemagne in 805 AD, its unique design was highly influential on German church architecture and it was a site of imperial coronations and pilgrimage for many centuries.

Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse in German), the first Holy Roman Emperor, began building his Palatine Chapel (palace chapel) in 786 AD. The Palatine Chapel has been described as a "masterpiece of Carolingian architecture" and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. It is all that remains today of Charlemagne's extensive palace complex in Aachen.

France - Saint Malo

Walled and built with the same grey granite stone as Mont St-Michel, ST-MALO was originally in the Middle Ages a fortified island at the mouth of the Rance, controlling not only the estuary but the open sea beyond.
The promontory fort of Alet, south of the modern centre in what's now the St-Servan district, commanded approaches to the Rance even before the Romans, but modern St-Malo traces its origins to a monastic settlement founded by saints Aaron and Brendan early in the sixth century. In later centuries it became notorious as the home of a fierce breed of pirate-mariners, who were never quite under anybody's control but their own; for four years from 1590, St-Malo even declared itself to be an independent republic. The corsaires of St-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the Channel to pay tribute, but also brought wealth from further afield. Jacques Cartier, who colonized Canada, lived in and sailed from St-Malo, as did the first colonists to settle the Falklands – hence the islands' Argentinian name, Las Malvinas, from the French Malouins.