Rijeka on the Kvarner Bay

15 November 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture Reading Time:  8 minutes

Croation National Theatre © Djoko/cc-by-sa-3.0

Croation National Theatre © Djoko/cc-by-sa-3.0

Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 129,000 inhabitants. Rijeka is the center of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The city’s economy largely depends on shipbuilding (shipyards “3. Maj” and “Viktor Lenac Shipyard“) and maritime transport. Rijeka hosts the Croatian National TheatreIvan pl. Zajc“, first built in 1765, as well as the University of Rijeka, founded in 1973 but with roots dating back to 1632. Apart from Croatian, the population also uses its own unique version of the Venetian language (Fiumano), with an estimated 20,000 speakers among the autochtone Croats and various minorities. Historically it served as a Lingua Franca for the many ethnicities inhabiting the multicultural port-town.   read more…

Graz in Styria

28 October 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  8 minutes

City Hall © Tamirhassan

City Hall © Tamirhassan

Graz is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria. On 1 April 2010 it had a population of 292,000. Graz has a long tradition as a student city: its six universities have more than 44,000 students. Its “Old Town” is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe. Graz is situated on the Mur River in the southeast of Austria. It is about 200 km (120 mi) southwest of Vienna. The nearest larger urban center is Maribor in Slovenia which is about 50 km (31 mi) away. Styria is a green and heavily forested area.   read more…

Novi Sad in Serbia

16 October 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture Reading Time:  6 minutes

Dunavska street © Micki/cc-by-sa-3.0

Dunavska street © Micki/cc-by-sa-3.0

Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia, the administrative seat of the province of Vojvodina and of the South Bačka District. It is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain, on the border of the Bačka and Syrmia regions, on the banks of the Danube river, facing the northern slopes of Fruška Gora mountain.   read more…

Tartu, the spiritual center of Estonia

26 August 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture Reading Time:  7 minutes

Town Hall Square with fountain The Kissing Students © Alinozka/cc-by-sa-3.0

Town Hall Square with fountain The Kissing Students © Alinozka/cc-by-sa-3.0

Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia, following Estonia’s political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual centre of the country, especially since it is home to the nation’s oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu. Tartu has been an intellectual centre of both Estonia and Baltic countries for several centuries. The city also houses the Supreme Court of Estonia and the Ministry of Education and Research. Situated 186 kilometres (116 miles) southeast of Tallinn, Tartu is the centre of southern Estonia and lies on the Emajõgi (“Mother river”), which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia. The city is served by Tartu Airport.   read more…

Riga und Umeå, Kulturhauptstädte Europas 2014

4 January 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture Reading Time:  12 minutes

© riga2014.org

© riga2014.org


THE CITY OF RIGA

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 700,000 inhabitants, Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states and home to more than one third of Latvia’s population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltic region. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga’s historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. Riga is served by Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the Baltic states.   read more…

Santiago de Compostela

4 July 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  8 minutes

Casa del Cabildo © flickr.com - Aestudio/cc-by-2.0

Casa del Cabildo © flickr.com – Aestudio/cc-by-2.0

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain, with 95,000 inhabitants. Santiago is the site of the University of Santiago de Compostela, established in the early 16th century. The main campus can be seen best from an alcove in the large municipal park in the centre of the city.   read more…

Salamanca in Castile-León

18 June 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  2 minutes

Plaza Mayor © Stef Mec/cc-by-sa-3.0

Plaza Mayor © Stef Mec/cc-by-sa-3.0

Salamanca is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the community of Castile and León. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. With a metropolitan population of 229,000 in 2012 according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Salamanca is the second most populated urban area in Castile and León, after Valladolid (414,000), and ahead of Leon (187,000) and Burgos (176,000). It is the most important university city in Spain and supplies 16% of Spain’s market for the teaching of the Spanish language. Salamanca attracts thousands of international students, generating a diverse environment.   read more…

Košice in Slovakia

23 February 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture Reading Time:  5 minutes

© kosice2013.sk

© kosice2013.sk

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.   read more…

Liverpool at the mouth of the Mersey

12 January 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Albert Dock © Green Lane

Albert Dock © Green Lane

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. It is the fourth most populous British city, and third most populous in England, with a 2011 population of 466,400 and is at the centre of a wider urban area, the Liverpool City Region, which has a population of around 2 million people. Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as Scousers.   read more…

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