Mykonos in the South Aegean

24 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Elias Beach © Squirmy2000

Elias Beach © Squirmy2000

Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 km2 (33 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 m (1,119 ft) at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants. most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also known as Chora. Tourism is a major industry. Archaeological finds indicate that the Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BCE. In ancient times, Mykonos, due to its proximity to the then highly populated island of Delos (situated about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away), became very important as a supply island and possibly as a getaway location for Delian citizens.   read more…

The Bosphorus, the link between Europe and Asia

23 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  7 minutes

Bosphorus seen from the Bosphorus University © Mehmet Ergun

Bosphorus seen from the Bosphorus University © Mehmet Ergun

The Bosphorus or Bosporus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles strait to the southwest together form the Turkish Straits. The world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation, the Bosphorus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea.   read more…

Le Havre in the Haute-Normandie

21 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Le Havre Beach © Urban

Le Havre Beach © Urban

Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total population of the greater Le Havre conurbation is smaller than that of Rouen. It is also the second largest subprefecture in France (after Reims). Its port is the second busiest in France (after that of Marseille).   read more…

The Trade Fair City of Leipzig

20 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

New Town Hall © Appaloosa

New Town Hall © Appaloosa

Leipzig with more than 530,000 inhabitants, is one of the two largest cities (along with Dresden) in the federal state of Saxony. Leipzig is situated about 150 km south of Berlin at the confluence of the Weisse Elster, Pleiße and Parthe rivers at the southerly end of the North German Plain.   read more…

The university town of Modena in Emilia-Romagna

19 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Palazzo Comunale (right) and Cathedral (left) © Hierakares

Palazzo Comunale (right) and Cathedral (left) © Hierakares

Modena is a city and comune (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region.   read more…

Karlstad in the historic Värmland County

17 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

Central City Square - Court House and Peace Monument © Alfapicther

Central City Square – Court House and Peace Monument © Alfapicther

Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 62,000 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 87,000 inhabitants. Karlstad has a university and a cathedral.   read more…

Theme Week Dresden – The Zwinger

17 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  5 minutes

Dresdner Zwinger © der-dresdner-zwinger.de

Dresdner Zwinger © der-dresdner-zwinger.de

The Zwinger (Der Dresdner Zwinger) is a palace in Dresden built in Rococo style and designed by court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. It served as the orangery, exhibition gallery and festival arena of the Dresden Court. The location was formerly part of the Dresden fortress of which the outer wall is conserved. The name derives from the German word Zwinger (outer ward of a concentric castle); it was for the cannons that were placed between the outer wall and the major wall. The Zwinger was not enclosed until the Neoclassical building by Gottfried Semper called the Semper Gallery was built on its northern side.   read more…

The Gasometer in Vienna

14 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Gasometer Vienna © Andreas Poeschek - www.wiener-gasometer.at / CC-BY-SA-2.0-at

Gasometer Vienna © Andreas Poeschek – www.wiener-gasometer.at / CC-BY-SA-2.0-at

The Gasometers in Vienna are four former gas tanks, each of 90,000 m³ storage capacity, built as part of the Vienna municipal gas works Gaswerk Simmering in 1896–1899. They are located in the 11th district, Simmering. They were used from 1899 to 1984 as gas storage tanks. After the changeover from town gas to natural gas between 1969 and 1978, they were no longer used and were shut down. Only the brick exterior front walls were preserved. The structures have found a new use in modern times.   read more…

Theme Week Marseille – Košice and Marseille, European Capitals of Culture 2013

14 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera, European Union, European Capital of Culture Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Kosice2013.sk

© Kosice2013.sk


The City of Košice

Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 240,000, Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia after the capital Bratislava. Being the economic and cultural center of eastern Slovakia, Košice is the seat of the Košice Region and Košice Self-governing Region, the Slovak Constitutional Court, three universities, various dioceses, and many museums, galleries, and theaters. Košice is an important industrial center of Slovakia. The town has good railway connections and an international airport.   read more…

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