Unesco World Heritage Sites

Andalusia, land of Spain

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andalucia
Andalusia is a region in southern Spain and one of the hottest regions in Europe. The capital of the region is Seville and some of the major towns include Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, Granada, and Huelva.

The region’s culture is rich with many things which seem synonymous with Spain evolving from the region including flamenco dancing and bullfighting. Culture is very important to the region and some of Spain’s most influential painters including Pablo Picasso and Daniel Vazquez Diaz hail from Andalucia.

The Moors who once inhabited the region had heavy influence on the architecture. One of the main sights of the region is the Alhambra in the city of Cordoba. Also interesting is the Great Mosque of Cordoba. Other sites include the Gran Teatro Falla, the Jaen Cathedral, Cathedral of Malaga, and the centres of Ubeda and Baez which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Festivals in Andalusia include the Malaga Film Festival, Seville Fair, and the Festival of Corpus Christi in Granada.

Food in the region is centred on olives, fish, nuts, and meat. Some dishes include ham, gazpacho. Some places to try Andalusian cuisine include Ofelia’s Restaurant, De Locos Tapas in Ronda, and La Parrala Paella Resto Bar in Granada.

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Visit Toulouse

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toulouse
Toulouse is a city in southwestern France and is the fourth largest city in the European country. It is traditionally known as the Ville Rose or Pink City.

The city boasts a number of high-tech research bases and is also the base of the Airbus airplane manufacturers. The city boasts the third largest university in France.

The city has typical architecture of southern France and is the home of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Canal Du Midi and the Basilica of St. Sernin.

Places to visit in Toulouse include the Galerie du Chateau d’eau which is one of the world’s oldest sites dedicated to photography.

There is also the Hotel d’Assezat, cathedral de Notre Dame, Hotel de Pierre, Capitole de Toulouse which is a building of great architectural importance, the Pont Neuf bridge, Jardin des Plantes, Musee des Augustins, and Les Abattoirs museum which features many contemporary paintings and art.

Food is very important to the French culture and the Toulouse sausage is a specialty of the region. Other specialties include the cassoulet Toulousain which is a bean and pork stew, Garbure which is a cabbage and poultry soup and foie gras.

Places to enjoy Toulousain cuisine include Les Jardin de L’Opera, Le Restaurant Adresse, and le Velane.

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Budapest for you

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budapest
Budapest is one of the oldest and largest cities in Europe and is the capital of Hungary. It was formed from the combination of two former cities – Buda and Pest which lie on both banks of the Danube River.

The city was once the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire which was dissolved after World War I and has since been ranked the .second best city to live in by Conde Nast Traveler.

Several UNESCO World Heritage Sites lie in the city including the banks of the Danube River itself, the Buda Castle, Andrassy Avenue, and Heroes Square.

Other sites in the city include the second largest synagogue in the world, an underground system of thermal springs, Gresham Palace, and the Aquincum Museum which is a relic of Roman times.

The city boasts the second oldest underground railway system in the world behind that of London.

Hungarian cuisine relies heavily on meats and stews with goulash being a staple of the diet. Paprika and pork and casseroles are also important to the diet.

Places in which you can enjoy Hungarian cuisine include Gerbeaud Café, and the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia as well as the world famous Mátyás Pince Restaurants.

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Lisbon, charming town

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Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal nicknamed The City of Seven Hills. This city is unique in that it is the westernmost capital city inEurope and the only one on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and the oldest in Western Europe, and the Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery are Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Other places to visit include the Monsanto Forest Park, Castle of Sao Jorge, Luis de Camoes Square, Monument to the Discoveries, and Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos.

There are also a number of museums worth visiting including Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga,the National Azulejo Museum, the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, and the Museu Nacional do Traje e da Moda,Museum of the Orient, the Museu do Teatro Romano, and the Lisbon City Museum.

The city, which sits on the mouth of the Tagus River, has a Mediterraneanclimate with warm winters and summers

The city is served by the Lisbon Portela Airport. A high speed rail network connects the city with other parts of Portugal while a tram network operates in the city.

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Venice, Queen of the Adriatic

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venice
Venice is a city in Italy on the banks of the Po and Piave Rivers. The city is renowned for its canals, bridges, beautiful setting, architecture, and artwork.

The city and its lagoon are listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites and is known as the Queen of the Adriatic.

Its beauty makes it one of the most demanded tourist destinations in the world and visitors can embark on a Grand Tour which takes them through cityscape, musical heritage and culture. One of the most famous aspects of the city is being able to take a tour through the canals on a gondola.

The city also hosts several international conferences and festivals as well as the Carnival of Venice annually. The Venice Film Festival is world renowned; other attractions include St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Ca’ d’Oro, Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, and Lido di Venezia.

Music is also very important to the culture of Venice as is food which relies heavily on seafood.

Risi e bisi, fegato alla veneziana and risotto with cuttlefish are a must try. For food try La Cantina and for bacari try the Alla Vedova.

The city has a humid subtropical climate with cool winters and very warm summers and is served by the Marco Polo International Airport.

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Thessaloniki, the summer in Greece

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Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, the capital of the region of central Macedonia, and is famous for being the destination of two of St. Paul’s epistles in the New Testament.

The city is over 2000 years old and in its hey-day Thessaloniki was a co-reigning city of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire alongside Constantinople.

The city is well-known for its many festivals and cultural events with the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and Thessaloniki International Film Festival held each year.

The city boasts many Byzantine monuments and has 15 listed Unesco World Heritage Sites including the Hagias Sophia and Hagias Demetrius which is said to be the largest basilica in Greece. It also boasts many Roman, Ottoman, and Sephardic Jewish monuments. The Aristotle University in Thessaloniki is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.

The city has many imposing hills, mountain ranges, and fault lines and is subject to earthquakes.

Thessaloniki has characteristics of both temperate and Mediterranean climates and has dry winters, fog, and very hot summers with humid nights.

Thessaloniki is a major transportation hub with the Macedonia International Airport and railways connecting the rest of Greece.

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Barcelona, cultural capital of Europe

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Barcelona
Barcelona is one of the largest cities in Spain and the capital of Catalonia. The city is the largest on the Mediterranean Sea and sits between the mouths of the Llobregat and Besos Rivers.

The city was founded as a Roman city and has a rich cultural heritage making it a rich cultural centre and an important tourist destination. The architectural works of Gaudi and Domenech i Montaner have been designated Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Among the city’s main sites are the Sagrada Familia church, Palau Guell, the Columbus Monument, and the Arc de Triomf. Barcelona has many small hills and boasts a Mediterranean climate with mild humid winters and warm dry summers.

The National Museum of Art of Catalonia has a well-known collection of Romanesque art while several other museums exist, which cover architecture. There are also 68 municipal parks. The Camp Nou football stadium, home of FC Barcelona, is the largest in Europe.

The Barcelona International Airport is one of the busiest in the world. The city also has an extensive road and rail network connecting it to parts of Europe. 

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Malta, where centuries of history live

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malta
One of the most densely populated countries in the world, the small Mediterranean island of Malta remains popular among British tourists. The island sits south of the island of Sicily and just north of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea.

The island has a warm climate and many recreational areas which makes it a tourist favourite.There are three Unesco World Heritage Sites on the island which is filled with architectural and historical monuments.

Among them are the Megalithic Temples which are some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world. The island has a strong historical background having once been a base for Phoenicians, Hapsburg Spain, Romans, Aragonese, Arabs, Norman, French, and British.

Carnival has had a strong place in Maltan culture and it also has a strong Christian legacy. The architecture has been highly influenced by its Roman culture with classical and marble structures. Mosaic floors and Christian frescos decorate catacombs and Romanesque as well as Southern Gothic movements also have a place in Maltan culture.

The Italian artist Caravaggio painted seven of his works in Malta, two of the most notable being on display on the island.  

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