Kiev Places of Attraction

January 24, 2012 Eastern Europe
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Existing since the year 482 AD the city of Kiev was discovered on the right bank of the River Dnipro by the Schek and Kyi and Khoryv with their sister Lybid. The city was named by them as Kiev in memory of their brother. With a great history behind it, the city was the centre of the Kievan Rus State which grew in history as a great region and today stands tall in tourism.

Today Kiev is a combination of a great megapolis in Europe and has all kinds of architectural landmarks and constructional elegance. There are many places to visit in Kiev and it is interesting to note how this ancient town today is a great travel spot.

Kiev
Visit the Dnipro Embankment and see the River Dnipro lying on the banks of the river Dnipro which is incidentally the third largest European river. This lying in the district of Podil and lying next to the Poshtova Square makes a great travel pleasure. So sail along the Kiev embankments and see the other sites that are situated on the River Dnipro and go up to the Black Sea and enjoy this international cruise.

River Dnipro
Also go to the National Opera of Ukraine which is situated at the junction of Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Streets and Volodymyrska. This is today a greatly architectural piece of Kiev. This building built in the Renaissance style has been existing since the year 1901 is based on a design of the Russian architect Viktor Shreter. In the year 1917, the all Ukrainian Military Congress was held in the theater which was first founded by the first Central Rada. The theater went a lot of reconstruction and today is a major sightseeing attraction.

Then of course there is the St. Michael’s monastery which is a greatly significant cathedral having special significance. The golden domes of this cathedral is a main attraction and it was built in the year 1108 to the year 1113. Kievan Prince Sviatopolk built this but the church was destroyed in the year 1930 and years after that by the Bolsheviks. Then in the years between 1997 to 2000 the monastery was restored properly.

Golden domes
Visit the Kiev Pechersk Lavra which is one of the oldest Kievan monasteries and has a history going back to the year 1051. It was Anthony of the Caves who founded it. In the year 1062, there were many buildings that were erected in Lavra, and then many stone temples, buildings and monastic cells that were erected. Since the year 1990, the architectural structure of this lovely Kiev Pechersk Lavra has been a permanent source of attraction. Today the Kiev Pechersk Lavra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kiev Pechersk Lavra
Then there is the Bohdan Khmelnitskyi monument which is famous for its construction and the granite pedestal. It was in the area of St. Sofia Square that the Kievites celebrated after the victory in a battle against Polish gentry in the year 1648. Then the monument came up in the year 1888 in front of the St.Sophia Cathedral.

Bohdan Khmelnitskyi monument
The Monument to St. Volodymyr is a great symbol of Kiev history and architecture. Situated around 70 metres above the Dnipro level, this is a greatly visited spot by all tourists. Since the year 1853 the bronze figure of the Rus Baptizer is still there erected on a 16 metre pedestal. You can reach the Volodymyrs Hill from Poshtova Square of from the Golden Domed Cathedral.

The Khreshchatyk  is another place of attraction here.

Khreshchatyk

You will never regret taking a trip to this wonderful place.

Beaches in Slovakia and other Attractions

January 16, 2012 Southern Europe
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Come to the beaches in Slovakia and enjoy the pristine surroundings of this lovely region of travel thrills and pleasures. Experience a beach experience that you would always cherish. The simple surroundings, the lovely sights and the water sports activities render the tourists completely filled with great travel pleasures. With the best scenic views and ideal surroundings, the beaches in Slovakia certainly are a great travel attraction. While here in the beaches there are other places to go around which would catch your fascination.

Slovakia beachesSee the bronze statues here which are situated in different areas of the Old Town in Slovakia. These three bronze statutes are beautiful to look at and give great tourist pleasures. The first statue is of the French soldier and is found in the main square of the city and the second statue is that of a photographer.

Old Town in SlovakiaVisit the cathedral which is one of the oldest in Bratislava and is often called the finest one here in this part of the world. Situated very close to Novy this is a great construction and is eye catching to the tourist who comes searching for great travel luxury.

At St. Michael’s Gate one would find the intriguing sight of the narrowest house in the central part of Europe. This house is only 130 cm wide and the tourist is totally intrigued and fascinated by the whole sight.

Then you have the Primatial Palace which was constructed between the years 1777 and 1781. This was specially built for Cardinal Jozef Batthyany who was the Archbishop of Esztergom and also the Primate of Hungary. It is said that he used this as his winter palace.

Primatial PalaceThen of course there is Novy which is the new bridge that was constructed between the years 1967 and 1972. The roadway takes you to Novy was originally the quarter for Jewish people and is today a major sight seeing attraction in Slovakia.

Go around the streets here and experience the feeling of being in an old town where the tourists find this common tourist activity a great thrill. This gives you a chance to enjoy the entire history of this land called Bratislava and also see the architecture that this place boasts of.

Also there is the Hviezdoslav Square in this land of Bratislava which is built in memory of the writer and politician Hviezdoslavovo Namestie. Enjoy the lovely sight here and experience this novel travel attraction.

Hviezdoslav SquareTourists also like to experience the pleasures of the Primate’s Palace in Bratislava where the first residence of Archbishop stood in this area since the year 1614. The Archbishop Forgac had this as a country house. The Archbishop Esterhazy then converted it into a palace.

Get enchanted with the sights at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, and enjoy this seat of the Slovakian Presidency. This building with its stunning architecture lies outside the old town and is one of the best photogenic regions in this part of the world.

Then there is the Slovak National Theater at Bratislava which is a great construction which today has the Slovak National Theatre which was built between 1884 and 1886. This Neo Renaissance type of construction has been the masterpiece of H. Helmer and F.Fellner.

Slovak National Theater in BratislavaVisit the Devin Castle and enjoy the marvelously constructed architecture which is one of the major attractions of this part of the world. In fact the Devin castle is shown on the postage stamps and the Slovak money.

Thus beach pleasures in Slovakia include beautiful experiences as well as great sight seeing pleasures.

Nicoya Peninsula – Beautiful Costa Rica Beaches

January 10, 2012 Eastern Europe
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Costa Rica tourism is today one of the fastest economy boom . With this kind of popular destination tag, this place has developed a great deal with the best kind of flora and fauna. The Nicoya Peninsula is one such spot which is gaining recognition as one of the better places to go. Amidst the travel to Costa Rica Beaches do go to this part of Costa Rica and enjoy the beautiful beaches and tourist attractions. This is a commercial centre of this region of Costa Rica and is also the place where settlements have been existing since long.

Nicoya is a place which has great greenery and the wildlife here is enviable. There are wildlife habitats at Cabo Blanco, Curu,  Camaronal, La Ceiba, Cueva Muciealago, Diria national park and Romelia. The Nicoya Peninsula is a place where the mortality rate is very high and people live beyond 100 years of age here.

Nicoya Peninsula

The place is not greatly populated and the cattle here along with the beautiful landscape make the place a great tourist spot. The forests and the countryside render the place beautiful and the tourists who want to come for eco tourism would love this place.

Nicoya Peninsula has beaches which surpass the beauty of all the beaches in the world. The coastline here is mesmerizing and the calm serene beaches would ensure that the coastline never loses its beauty. The small villages and the beautiful scenery here ensure that Nicoya Peninsula is one of the best Costa Rica beaches you shouldn’t miss.

Nicoya PeninsulaOnce you are in a beach wouldn’t you want to enjoy water sports such as fishing, surfing, snorkeling, and most of all diving? All these are more are available here and there are many surfers who really love to come back to this place to pursue their passion.

Again this place has some of the best natural surroundings that any place can boast of. It has turtle beaches, birding spots, subterranean caves and great wealth from the sea. All of this is protected under the umbrella of the nature reserves.

With the dry season till May and the trees finding it difficult to bear the heat, dry foliage is a common sight in this place during summer. One of the very dramatic beaches where you have a combination of seasons, Nicoya Peninsula sees a dust covered summer and a lovely virgin rainforest during the winter months. With high temperatures in summer and cold temperatures in winter, this is one of the Costa Rica beaches with a tale of the opposites.

Nicoya Peninsula

Nicoya peninsula is divided into two – Guanacaste and Puntarenas. Guanacaste is a province which is a division of the peninsula and is a major occupant of the peninsula in the northern portion. The Puntarenas lies in the southern portion.

Not much communication means are available between the two provinces. There is a coastal road that is being proposed but not much has happened. The peninsula is still filled with unpaved roads with many potholes.

Don’t worry about the bad condition of the roads. You have come to land of greenery. Enjoy one of the most intriguing Costa Rica beaches.

Nicoya Peninsula

Romania major Attractions

January 3, 2012 Eastern Europe
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Romania is such a place that it is really difficult to decide where to start touring this lovely land from the ancient past. The sights and scenes here are increasingly interesting and greatly enjoyable. One who comes here is sure to go back with much more than anticipated.

Visit Danube Delta and enjoy the beauty of the waters here. These waters incidentally form the largest delta in Europe and are a sight to reckon with. The waters form the delta and then drain into the Black Sea. There are more than 300 varieties of birds found here and around 45 types of freshwater species. The lakes and marshes here are the right breeding ground for all these varieties of plants and animals. This is a heritage site recognized by the UNESCO.

Romania

Then you have the Sighisoara Citadel which is a historical hub in the Sighisoara town. The Saxon colonists constructed this in the 12th century and this too is a UNESCO World Heritage site since the year 1999. This is a great exponent of the past culture and history here and explores the Transylvanian tradition. This is here the Vlad III the Impaler or the Dracula is believed to have taken birth.

Sighisoara Citadel

Go to the Black Church in Brasov and understand the turbulent history it has. This was constructed sometime between 1385 and 1477 and is believed to have been built over an earlier church here. It is said that the Mongol invasions destroyed this church which existed then in the 12th century. The German name for this place is Marienkirche and it was greatly affected by the Turkish invasions that took place here in the year 1421. Then in the year 1689, the church was renamed and then again the  Hapsburg invaders destroyed it. It was restored only after almost 100 years. So whatever artifacts are seen here in this town date back to this time.

Black Church in Brasov

Then there is the Rasnov Citadel which is situated around 15 km from Brasov. It is said that this is so named due to the German word Rose. The citadel is believed to have been built sometime in the year 1215 and is said to have been the construction of the Teutonic Knights. This is a less conquered citadel and has only once been attacked by Gabriel Bathory.

The next interesting destination to go to in Romania is the Bran Castle that is located near Bran. This is a national Romanian monument and is also called the “Dracula’s castle”. Today the castle is a museum and tourists love to come here and see the beautiful display furniture and art that has been collected by the Queen Maria. All the tourists have the benefit of a guided tour. There is a small open air museum below the hill and also a park which showcases some Romanian structures like barns, cottages etc.

Dracula's castle

Another place of interest in Romania is the Histria Citadel that was the place where the Greek traders settled initially sometime in 657 BC. It is today the oldest town in Romania. This city was abandoned sometime in the 7th century AD and the ruins here were discovered sometime in the year 1914. During the summer months, there is chance that you can see the archaeological work in progress here.

Histria Citadel

Romania also has some of the best painted churches which showcase the tradition and culture of this place. In all there are around seven churches in the northern Moldavia and the lovely paintings on the walls outside belonging to the 15th and the 16th centuries, are very interesting and exquisite in taste.

A visit here gives you and experience of the exquisite sights of historical significance.

Bucharest Top Attractions

December 27, 2011 Western Europe
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Come to the land of boulevards, vineyards, beautiful constructions and charming edifices. Come to the land of Bucharest and enjoy the Belle Epoque buildings here and get charged in an atmosphere of Romania’s largest city Bucharest which is also the capital and a greatly busy metropolis.

Bucharest

Legend has it that Bucharest was discovered on the banks of the river Dambovita by Bucur who was a shepherd. Bucur means joy. It is believed that he used to play the flute and enthralled many people . Also the nearby vineyards gave good wine and he used to sell it to the local traders who the name Bucur to the region which later became Bucharest.

Dambovita river

While here there are a good many places to see. The House of the Free Press is very popular here and just enjoy the enchanting edifice and structure here which is at the entrance to the city. It is known as the Casa Scanteii is a concept by the great architect Horia Maicu who got this completed in the year 1956 and today it has the best printing presses and newsrooms and the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

Then there is the Arch of Triumph or the Arcul de Triumf which was initially built of wood in the year 1922 and was constructed to honour the courage of all the soldiers of Romania who fought during the First World War Then the Arc de Triomphe was completed in the year 1936. Made of Deva Granite, this is a masterpiece of the Petre Anotnescu and stands tall at 85 feet. There is a staircase in the inside which permits visitors to climb up on top and have a fantastic view of the whole city. There are many sculptures that decorate the entire structure and these creations of top Romanian artists like Constantin Medrea, Jalea, are there for all to see.

Arcul de Triumf

Tthe Victory Avenue or the Calea Vicotoriei which is surely the oldest Bucharest Street. Very charming and existing since the year 1692 this became a connection between the Mogosoaia Palace and the Old Princely Court. This had paved oak beams and the street soon came to be known as the Calea Victoriei in the year 1878. Today it is a very modern and fashionable tourist attraction in Bucharest. There are many buildings here like the Cantacuzino Palace, the Military Club, the Historical Revolution Square and the CEC Headquarters.

Cantacuzino Palace is one of the best tourist attractions of Bucharest. Constructed between the years 1898 and 1900 this French styled architectural feat along with the best balconies made of wrought iron and beautiful tall arched windows, looks resplendent with the two lions that are shown at the doorway. The George Enescu Museum is located here in the palace now.

Cantacuzino Palace

Visit the Revolution Square and see how this has gained great popularity after TV stations around the world broadcast how Nicolae Ceausescu came into power in 1989. It was here that he stared in absolute disbelief as everyone in the square charged at him. The former Royal Palace stands here at the other side of the square. It is today the National Art Museum and has the magnificent Romanian Athenaeum and the Kretzulescu Church, along with the Athenee Palace Hotel.

The Royal Palace existing since 1937 built in neo classical style is the place where King Carol II and his son King Mihal I . Today this place is a great monument which also homes the Romanian National Art Museum.

Romanian National Art Museum

Take this holiday and add amazing memories to the chronology of your vacation.

Macedonia Top Attractions

December 20, 2011 Eastern Europe
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With beautiful settings, and a lovely ambience, Macedonia is the land with the best lakes and the most magnificent mountain ranges. Tourists come here to see its  history and tradition and also to experience the scenic beauty and the places of luxury. The places here are so exotic and memorable that the tourist remains mesmerized for a long time.

Visit Lake Ohrid in the Ohrid city which is one of the three water bodies that is located on the border of the mountains between Albania and Macedonia. This is one of the oldest European lakes and has a great aquatic ecosystem.

Lake Ohrid

Proceed to the Monument of Meckin Kamen which is a famous spot to visit here. This is also known as the Bear’s Rock and is more famous because of the legend that is attached to it. This tourist destination also has the Pitu Guli Monument, which has the legend which talks about the  duke who fought heroically to save the Krusevo Republic nest . The monument today is on  the place where he was killed.

Pelister National Park which is the second largest national park, and the oldest in the Macedonian Republic is also worth visiting. Filled with the best flora and fauna, the unique pine molica, is found here. With the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula, as the background, the landscape has a beauty which is enviable. With the plethora of wildlife, this is one of the best tourist areas in Macedonia. The skiing facilities here are exciting, and the facilities of a mini golf and handball, besides volleyball and tennis are great sports adventures.

Pelister National Park

The Treskavev Monastery and Church which was founded sometime in the 12th century is a must see. This is on top of a mountain in a remote part of Macedonia. The Byzantine paintings here are greatly famous and the high quality image of the paintings, are greatly admired by all.

The Marko’s fortress near the Prilep city is a great spot and shouldn’t  be missed, in Macedonia. NO one knows when this was built but this was one of the greatest castles of medieval times. This site is an archaeological wonder and is a great place in this part of the world and gives you a preview of the history in the city.

Go to Skopje the capital of Macedonia situated on the banks of the River Vardar. A great historical centre of the Balkans the city has been witness to historical disasters and the earthquake of 1963 has destroyed major portions of Skopje. Still the city has a lot to offer and it is worth going round this place and seeing the domes built in the Turkish style here. Also see the beautiful mosques and minarets which are a major feature here.

Skopje

The lovely Turkish baths in the old Skopje city and the Oriental Bazaar which is a great place to shop for handicrafts are other Skopje attractions. See the beautiful ambience unfold and welcome you into its touristic pleasures.

You have the Municipal Art Gallery at Skopje which is famous for all its magnificent artifacts. The Church of Sveti Spas is also a major tourist attraction. See the Mustafa Pasha where you can see the minaret and also go up on the top and get to see the panoramic view of the city.

Church of Sveti Spas

Macedonia is a great place to visit when you are in this part of Europe. Make sure you are here during one of those tours to this part of the world.

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