Vienna, Austria - the City of Art

Austria is the land of many capitals - Vienna over the years has been announced as the capital of architecture, culture, music, design and creativity, fashion and many others. The majestic Alps and the extremely clean and covered Austrian towns and villages are crucial for the European civilization and culture of the past centuries. Popular tourist destinations, attracting tourists and visitors continuously with diverse interests who came on holiday or trip are the cities of Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. There is no less interest in the ski resorts of Tyrol and the Alps.

Vienna is a beautiful and rich city. There are so many attractions so that I am wondering where to start from and who to tell for. Yet let me start with the symbol of Vienna.

1. St. Stephen's Cathedral - situated in the heart of Vienna. It was built over several centuries, beginning as it was launched by Rudolf IV on the ruins of old churches in 1359g. The cathedral was built from limestone and is 107 meters long and 40 m. The highest point is on top of a gothic tower, 136 meters. Its primary color has initially been white, but over time, air pollution and burning of the town at the end of World War II have colored the stones in black. The cathedral has 23 bells, one of which is the second largest in Europe. The interior is very beautiful with many stone sculptures and ornate columns. They overwhelm majesty, gigantic bodies and dimensions of the cathedral, which does not seem so huge when seen from outside. In one corner of St. Stephen cathedral is one of its most popular symbols. This is a carved in stone self-portrait by an unknown sculptor who participated in the construction cathedral's construction. You can climb on foot to the top of the south tower, with an elevator to the top of the north tower, or to enter the catacombs. The entrance to the cathedral is free, but the guided tours to the towers and the underground are paid. According to history, Beethoven learned that he has become completely deaf when he saw frightened birds fly from the roof of St. Stephen, but could not hear the ringing of bells.

2. Prater - The most famous attraction of the park is the Wien's wheel, where you will have an amazing view to the city. It moves very slowly, which allows shooting. Some extreme attractions include the American way, launch towers and the horror tunnels.

3. Hofburg Imperial Palace - Residence of the Hofburg dynasty for 600 years. The complex consists of many buildings in different architectural styles - from Gothic to Baroque. The life of some important historical figures took place here - Emperor Franz Josef I and Empress Elizabeth (Sissi) Maria Theresia. Here was born Marie Antoinette. The complex houses the National Library, Imperial Treasure, ethnographic museum, collections of weapons and musical instruments. On the Heldenplats square are placed statues of Karl who defeated Napoleon and of Prince Eugene of Savoy who defeated the Turks. At present, Hofburg is the residence of the Austrian President.

4. Castle Cathedral, its gardens, the Zoo - summer residence of the Hofburg dynasty. Included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage. You can see the Emperor's chambers in the castle. Here is the oldest zoo in the world, built in 1752. I'm a big fan of zoos, and anywhere I go, I usually visit one. The one here definitely worths. Located on a small area, it is very well organized and is rich of species.

5. Vienna State Opera - Who has not heard of the Vienna Opera?

World famous for its performances and its Philharmonic Orchestra. The building has been completed in 1869 and laucnhed with the opera Don Giovanni by Mozart. So far I have not had the opportunity to go to the show, but you should not miss.

6. The Twin museums - Museum of Natural History and Museum of Fine Arts - The two buildings are designed by the same architects and besides being beautiful architectural works they also contain rich collections. In the Natural History museum can be found collections collected since 250 years. There are skeletons of dinosaurs, a small figurine of 25 centuries, a giant diamond weighing 117 kg., specimens of extinct species.

7. City Hall - The building was built in Gothic style and it is the seat of the city's municipal council. The square in front of the City Hall hosts outdoor performances, Christmas Market, protest rallies, and marches.

8. Belvedere Palace - Complex of two castle with a lovely garden between them.

Here is located the museum of Austrian art. Exhibited are works by Klimt, including "The Kiss".

9. The Danube channels - about 18 km long, it is a center for sports and recreation for the Viennese.

10. Club "Planter's" - a nice bar. The design is colonial in style with leather sofas, wooden tables and bars, palm trees. It is not crowded even when full. Alcohol assortment is amazing - more than 450 types of whiskeys, cognacs and ROMs. Entire room with premium cigars. Incredible atmosphere.

There are many other attractions in Vienna that worth seeing. Walk along the Ring Strasse, Parliament, Burg Theater, anchor watch, Hundertwasser House, Karlskirhe, the Technical Museum, the statue of plague, the modern complex of buildings of the United Nations. There is never enough time to consider everything interesting in and around Vienna. Weeks may compass and find new things in this wonderful city with an aristocratic spirit.

Check for more Vienna and Austria resources in the Europe Directory.

Vacation in the Germany's capital city Berlin

Berlin is the capital and the largest city of Germany. Located in northeastern Germany, Berlin is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Area. The city is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. About thirty percent of Berlin's territory consists of forests, gardens, parks, lakes and rivers.

I recommend a trip to Berlin to those who are interested in history, modern trends of development of urban culture, the spirit of freedom and who want to feel like in the center of European life. With this diary of a journey to Berlin and surroundings with my ideas and recommendations you can make your own plan for the conquest of Berlin.

Information:

I, unfortunately, did not remember where the tourist information office in Berlin is situated. Perhaps, in the railway stations surroundings, but there are several stations in Berlin. In any case, you can take a map of the city and the city's program of activities from your hotel or the tourist offices in major tourist areas of the city, which you certainly will find during your stroll through Berlin.

Shopping:

Shopping in Berlin can almost everywhere: from the main shopping street Kurfyursterdamm to the central station. At the airport, take a shopping guide - a booklet named "Tax-free shopping in Berlin", which describes the most important places.

Other European capitals:

Berlin is not very close to other popular tourist cities of Europe. On East - Poland with its capital Warsaw, where you will unlikely want to go. In the south-east - the Czech Republic. But the distance to Prague is 6 hours by train, so I do not recommend such a trip as you will actually spend 2 days on the road. In my opinion, it is better to devote your vacation to Berlin and its surroundings, or to travel carefully and thoughtfully to Germany, than to jump on the neighboring country.

Anyway, if you have a spirit of adventure or dream to go to another European city outside Germany, then use the plane. Keep your eyes open and get tickets for this additional city right now on sale at Airberlin. If you are lucky, you may find flights to many cities within Europe on sale for just 29 euros. At this price, you will not find any other vehicle. Even if you are interested in the option - to land in Berlin and then fly away from Dusseldorf, the movement Berlin-Dusseldorf costs 29 euros too - this is also the cheapest way. Cheap railway tickets are also within this range, but it is unlikely that you can catch them on sale.

A brief summary of your potential entertainment in Berlin:

* On a boat on the Spree - Survey of historic and political quarters. It is said that over the weekend on board the excursion boat can see the family Bundeskanzler for morning coffee, because the boats routes pass near Bundeskantsleramt (residence of the Chancellor).

* Potsdamer Platz - a place with plenty of museums - a museum island with museums for every taste and interest

* Panorama in Berlin with television tower height of 200 meters on the Alexanderplatz.

* In Berlin there is definitely much more fun, just you may have to look for information on other sites, because for me this city is still a mystery. I go there regularly, but I can not say yet that I know Berlin. Every time I am discovering something new.

Other notable German towns near Berlin:

* Potsdam and Sanssouci Castle - UNESCO cultural heritage

* From Berlin for a couple of days you can go to Dresden - on the road-speed train will take 2 hours on the regional - 4 hours.

Check for more Berlin and Germany resources in the Europe's Travel and Tourism Directory.

Bergen, Norway - A North Tale

If you want to enjoy the beauty that offers the second largest city in Norway - Bergen, you'll need to stock up in advance with an umbrella, waterproof clothing and courage. But if you're lucky, you might grab the 2-3 weeks in the year when there is no rain. But as the local people say how sad it would be if a man leave a few drops of rain to deter him, because the city has so many things that you should see.

The truth is that the drops are not just a few - the average of 260-270 rainy days per year would help Bergen to win the prize "rain capital of Europe" against London and Brussels. But if we leave aside the vagaries actually worth to listen to advice and should not pass because it will actually miss the opportunity to submerge into a medieval Scandinavian tale.

In tourist guides Bergen is not accidentally defined as a "city, entered the sea in the clouds with head and heart in the right place". Located on the Norwegian Sea in the southwest of the country, Bergen is surrounded by a group of mountains which are called seven mountains. To a large extent they are "culprit" for the heavy rain that poured over the city as act as a barrier for the clouds caused by the Gulf Stream does not allow them to scatter and literally pour over it. These mountains, however, give Bergen the picturesque views of endless literally immerse in the sea snowy mountains.

The biggest natural charm, however, is to view fjords, and the town deservedly has earned the nickname official port to the fjords. They are one of the main reasons Bergen to be one of the most attractive destinations for European cruises.

One of the most charming things in the port city is the fact that it has managed to preserve its historic appearance. Created by King Olaf III in 1070, later Bergen became the first capital of Norway. The spirit of rich commercial fishing center can be felt even today in the port section, where multicolored wooden houses have been restored in the traditional style of architecture dating back 900 years after every fire. So well-deserved in 1980, the complex is on the list of World Heritage by UNESCO.

Check for more Bergen travel resources in Europe Travel Directory.