Mont Saint-Michel (English: Saint Michael’s Mount) is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre (just over half a mile) off the country’s north coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population of the island is 41. read more…
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 370,000 inhabitants (1.5 in the metropolitan area). read more…
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area. Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. The city was completely destroyed by the controversial Allied aerial bombing towards the end of World War II. The impact of the bombing and 40 years of urban development during the East German socialist era have considerably changed the face of the city. Some restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of the historic inner city, including the Katholische Hofkirche, the Semperoper and the Dresdner Frauenkirche. Since the German reunification in 1990, Dresden has regained importance as one of the cultural, educational, political and economic centres of Germany. read more…
Tallinn
Tallinn was appointed in November 2007 together with the Finnish City of Turku to one of the European Capital’s of Culture 2011. With the motto “Tales from the sea” numerous cultural events and festivals will be held in 2011, including the “Tallinn Maritime Days”, which will bring the city closer to the sea again. About a dozen architectural installations will be built in the city. Since independence, improving air and sea transport links with Western Europe and Estonia’s accession to the European Union have made Tallinn easily accessible to tourists. Estonia has made rapid economic progress since independence and this is reflected in local prices. Although not extortionate, neither are prices as cheap as in other former Eastern Bloc countries. The main attractions are in the two old towns (Lower Town and Toompea – UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites since 1997) which are both easily explored on foot. Eastern districts around Pirita and Kadriorg are also worth visiting and the Estonian Open Air Museum (Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum) in Rocca al Mare, west of the city, preserves aspects of Estonian rural culture and architecture. read more…
Lyon is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region. With 480,000 inhabitants Lyon is the third biggest city after Paris and Marseille. Economically, Lyon is a major centre for banking and the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. The city contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games, and has focussed in recent years on a growing local start-up sector. The city hosts the international headquarters of Interpol, Euronews and International Agency for Research on Cancer. read more…
Sankt Petersburg is probably the most unusual, “un-Russian” city of the country. This is because the origin history and historical and urban development of the “Venice of the North”. Sankt Petersburg has a little more than 300 years of history full of ups and downs. Visitors who are strolling around the streets soon have the feeling to visit one of the great European cities of the 19 century rather than a Russian city. The city at the river Neva has, compared to other capitols in the world, the most extensive historic downtown and can be described without exaggeration as an open-air museum of architecture. read more…
Salzburg, with nearly 150,000 inhabitants, is the fourth largest city in Austria. It is also the capital of the province Salzburg. Since 1996, the old part of the town is on the UNESCO world cultural heritage list. Today Salzburg is a major exhibition and convention destination with many trade and service companies and a powerful tourist industry. In addition, the city is internationally significant because of the Salzburg Festival, which earned her the nickname “Festival City”. For further facts please visit Wikipedia Salzburg. read more…
La Cité, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the beautiful old part of the City of Carcassonne with its medieval walls on the banks of the Aude. Many restaurants, shops, domes and towers are located in the winding cobblestone streets. At the other bank of the Aude the La Bastide district offers the charm of an old French country town. Every Saturday a market is held here. You can explore La Bastide perfectly with the car, but it is recommended to take the free shuttle service to the Cité and then walk around by foot. Do not miss to visit the castle, the Château de Peyreperteuse. Here you can find hotel and restaurant recommendations: tripadvisor.com. read more…
Copenhagen (in Danish København) is the most visited northern European city, located on the largest Danish island of Zealand (Sjælland), home to Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid and Tivoli Gardens. Copenhagen is not only the capital of Denmark, but also the most diverse city in Scandinavia. A quarter of all Danes live in the greater Copenhagen area. With the huge bridge link across the Sound (Øresund) over to Sweden Copenhagen grew in the new millennium to even greater importance as a hub in Scandinavia. read more…
