Travel Extracts

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2011-12-30T09:05:00.001-08:00

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Jaipur – Fort Trio

2010-01-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

Jaipur is called the Pink City. It is founded by King Sawai Hai Singh in 1727 A.D. The city is rich with heritage forts built during the royal era. The three forts are the Amber, Jaigarh and Nahargarh.

Many people would like to visit Jaipur just to primarily see its three famous royal forts. The city was founded in 1727 A.D. and became the home of these three magnificent and historical structures. These are the Amber, Jaigarh and Narhargarh. These forts are enjoyed by many tourists because of its grandeur monuments and buildings.

Amber Fort
Amber Fort lies at the southern part of the colossal Fort of Jaigarh. It is among the best hilltop forts in the Indian state. Amber is situated at the Amber Fort complex 11 kilometers from Jaipur. The place is not only used as a defense system but it serves as the main residence of Kachawas rulers.

Amber Fort is an example of adventurous and combative style of living in order to witness the past. The exteriors have carved temples, large halls, hilltop palaces and lush green gardens. A great Indian elephant embellished with artifacts and ribbons is set to complete the royal flavor. A royal ride gives tourists a comfortable view of the panoramic sights and hilly region around the fort.

Amber Fort can be climbed in a matter of 10 minutes just to to get through a stairway to Diwan-i-am (public audience hall). Every door of this hall has mosaics and sculptures along with a royal cart preserved in its original condition. Sukh Niwas or the hall of pleasures can be reached by walking on an elevated ground. The fort's premises also have a temple called Kali Mata.

Hence, Sheesh Mahal (mansion of mirrors) is the most enchanting bay inside the fort. Its walls and ceilings are decorated with colorful glasses. The pillars at the opposite of Sheesh Mahal are singing rhymes of fine arts. One can make a floral pattern on their body or it may turn out to be a scorpion or butterfly.

Today, the fort remains to be a remainder of the past glory of Jaipur City. As a general advisory, Amber Fort has a hot climate, so visitors are advised to dress comfortably.

Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort is one of the military structures of India that completely stands intact. It was mainly used as a defense system. It even apprehended the famous Treasury of Kachawas. Jaighar Fort is situated 15 km from Jaipur and was born during the 15th and 18th centuries. The large fort is surrounded by outstanding stone ramparts.

The fort is known as the Victory Fort that offers beautiful gardens, granaries, palaces, temples and reservoir having bastions, watch towers and wide walls. Giant mounted cannons called Jaivan is believed to be the largest cannon in the world. It was fired only once and was never used in war. These canons are still worshipped by the Majarajas.

The breathtaking views at Dungar Darwaza overwhelm people who visit the place. There is an armory museum and a collection of puppets as well as coins worth exploring. The hilltop location makes it more appealing to tourists in a two hour exploration of the entire fort. It is an impressive monument that showcases the history of Rajasthan.

Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort is located along the mountain top and built in the year 1734 by Sawai Raja Jai Singh. It was once used as the summer residence of Amber rulers such as the Kachawas and the Maharanis. The place was also known as the Tiger Fort.

Legend tells that the Fort was named after the prince, whose spirit haunted the site, causing mischief to its workers. A tantrik prayer was used so that the prince would leave the fort but a condition was made to name the fort after the name of the spirit.

Attractions in and out of the fort include the Man Sagar Lake, historical buildings and the Madhavendra Bhavan houses.

Tourists really enjoy the magical and grand ambiance of these three forts. The rich heritage continues to attract many people in all walks of life so as to experience the history of the royal age.

German - Some important phrases

2009-06-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Some important German phrases which can be your saver during your Germany visit

Yes - Ja
Hello - Guten Tag
Goodbye - Auf Wiedersehen / Tschüs (informal)
Please - Bitte
Thank you - Danke
My name is … - Mein Name ist …
How are you? - Wie geht es Ihnen? (polite) / Wie geht es dir? (informal)
I’m very well - Mir geht es gut
I feel ill - Ich fühle mich unwohl
How much does it cost? - Wieviel kostet das?
Do you speak English? - Sprechen Sie Englisch? (polite) / Sprichst du Englisch? (informal)
I don’t understand - Ich verstehe nicht
Where is …? - Wo befindet sich …?
Entrance - Eingang / Einfahrt (vehicles)
Exit - Ausgang / Ausfahrt (vehicles)
Danger - Gefahr / Vorsicht
Open - Geöffnet
Closed - Geschlossen
Toilets - Toiletten / WC
Doctor - Arzt / Ärztin (female)
Hotel - Hotel
Restaurant - Restaurant
Beer - Bier
Wine - Wein
Menu – Speisekarte
Today - Heute
Tomorrow – Morgen
Monday - Montag
Tuesday - Dienstag
Wednesday - Mittwoch
Thursday - Donnerstag
Friday - Freitag
Saturday - Samstag
Sunday – Sonntag
One - Eins
Two - Zwei
Three - Drei
Four - Vier
Five - Fünf
Six - Sechs
Seven - Sieben
Eight - Acht
Nine - Neun
Ten - Zehn
Twenty - Zwanzig
Thirty - Dreissig
Forty Vierzig
Fifty - Fünfzig
Sixty - Sechzig
Seventy - Siebzig
Eighty - Achtzig
Ninety - Neunzig
One - Hundred Hundert
One - Thousand Tausend

Amsterdam – Quick guide

2009-01-14T05:47:00.000-08:00

A quick guide for Amsterdam providing summary for all attraction with Tram access. You can print this and keep it for ready reference for your visit to Amsterdam.

Museums and attractions

Allard Pierson museum (Archeology)Tram 4-9-14-16-24-25 stop Spui
Amsterdams Historisch museum (Historical) Tram 1-2-4-5-9-14-16-24-25 stop Spui
Artis/Aquarium/Planetarium/Geologisch museum/Zoölogisch museumTram 9-14 stop Plantage Kerklaan
Anne Frank huis Tram 13-14-17 stop Westermarkt
Heineken Experience Tram 16-24 stop Stadhouderskade
Hortus Botanicus Tram 9-14 stop Plantage Kerklaan
Joods Historisch Museum Metro 51-53-54 stop WaterloopleinTram 9-14 stop Mr. Visserplein
Madame Tussaud's Amsterdam Tram 1-2-4-5-9-14-16-17-24-25 stop Dam
Nederlands Filmmuseum Tram 1 stop 1e Constantijn HuygensstraatTram 3-12 stop Overtoom
Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime) Bus 22-43 stop Kattenburgplein
NEMO (Science and technology center) Bus 22-42-43 stop Kadijksplein
Rijksmuseum Tram 2-5 stop Hobbemastraat,Tram 7-10 stop Spiegelgracht, Tram 3-12-16-24 stop Museumplein
Het Rembrandthuis Metro 51-53-54 stop WaterloopleinTram 9-14 stop Mr. Visserplein
Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art At walking distance from Central Station
Theatermuseum Tram 13-14-17 stop Westermarkt
Tropenmuseum (Royal Tropical Institute) Tram 9-14 stop MauritskadeTram 3 stop WijttenbachstraatBus 22 stop Mauritskade
Van Gogh Museum Tram 2-3-5-12 stop Van BaerlestraatTram 16-24 stop Museumplein
Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance) Tram 9-14 stop Plantage Kerklaan

Monuments

Begijnhof (Garden) Tram 1-2-4-5-9-14-16-24-25 stop Spui
De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) Tram 1-2-4-5-9-13-14-16-17-24-25 stop Dam
De Oude Kerk (Old Church) Tram 4-9-16-24-25 stop Dam
Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace) Tram 1-2-4-5-9-13-14-16-17-24-25 stop Dam

Theater

Carré Metro 51-53-54 stop WeesperpleinTram 7-10 stop OosteindeTram 9-14 stop Waterlooplein
Concertgebouw (Concerthall) Tram 3-5-12-16 stop Museumplein
Heineken Music Hall Metro 50-54 stop Station Bijlmer ArenA
Paradiso Tram 1-2-5-7-10 stop Leidseplein
Melkweg Tram 1-2-5-7-10 stop Leidseplein
Muziektheater Metro 51-53-54 stop WaterloopleinTram 9-14 stop Waterlooplein
Stadsschouwburg (Municipal Theatre) Tram 1-2-5-7-10 stop Leidseplein

Markets

Albert Cuyp (general goods)Tram 4 stop StadhouderskadeTram 16-24 stop Albert Cuypstraat
Bloemenmarkt (flowers)Tram 1-2-5 stop KoningspleinTram 4-9-14-16-24-25 stop Muntplein
Dappermarkt (general goods)Tram 3-7 stop DapperstraatTram 9 stop 1e Van SwindenstraatTram 14 stop Pontanusstraat
Waterlooplein (fleamarket)Metro 51-53-54 stop WaterloopleinTram 9-14 stop Waterlooplein

Other

Amsterdam Arena / Ajax museum Metro 50-54 stop Station Bijlmer ArenA
Passenger Terminal Amsterdam PTA Tram 25 stop Passenger Terminal AmsterdamTram 26 stop Muziekgebouw Bimhuis
Politie Hoofdbureau (Police)tel: 0900 8844Tram 7-10-17 stop Elandsgracht
RAI (Congress center) Metro 50-51 stop Station RAITram 4 stop Station RAIBus 15 stop Dintelstraat
Vreemdelingen Dienst (Police)tel: (020) 559 63 00Tram 2 stop Aletta JacobslaanBus 18-62-195 stop Aletta Jacobslaan
World Trade CenterMetro 50-51 stop Station ZuidTram 5 stop Station ZuidBus 15 stop Station Zuid

A few days in Perth

2008-09-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

(Contributed by D Wright - One of the ex-contributer of our site ) (27 Sep 2008)

Even though the city of Perth isn't as well known as other cities in Australia, the city has many sights and activities for tourists to participate in. Bordered by the Indian Ocean, you can spend your day visiting one of the city's many stunning beaches, rent a charter boat and go deep sea fishing or you can stroll along the boardwalks and visit some of the many shops and restaurants.

Visitors to Perth will find friendly people, fine dining and casual restaurants, and many opportunities to learn more about the city and those who inhabit while visiting museums and historical attractions.

Museums in Perth

In Perth you will find a variety of museums including The Western Australia Museum, The Western Australian Cricket Association Museum, The Army Museum of Western Australia, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, and The Francis Burt Law Museum.

Most of these museums are located in Perth's Cultural Center, which can be found near an area of the city known as Northbridge. Here, you will also find small art galleries, restaurants and cafes, open air sculpture and other unique sights.

Parks and Gardens

In addition to visiting museums, you can also spend time at Kings Park and the Botanical Gardens. This park is located near Perth Cultural Center and overlooks the city and Swan River. Enjoy a long walk through this lush wonderland that's filled with more than 80 species of plants as well as sculptures, artwork and me memorials. Free music concerts are held during the summer months.

Other parks and gardens to visit include:

Harold Boas Gardens (Wellington and Havelock Streets, West Perth)
The Esplanade Reserve (located near the Perth Convention Center)
Langley Park (Riverside Drive between Victoria Avenue and Plain Street)
Wellington Square (Wellington Street)
The Perth Zoo is another attraction that tourists and residents of the city visit often. Not only will you be able to enjoy the Zoo’s natural setting, you will also be able to see animals and other creatures native to Australia up close. See kangaroos, dingoes, wallabies and other animals in their natural habitat.

Important & Historic Sights

A trip to Perth would not be complete without seeing a few historic sights. Even though the city has become more modern over the years, it has still managed to hold on to its roots. Buildings to visit include:

The Old Mill – historic landmark located near the Swan River was built in 1835.
Barracks Arch – Located on the corner of Malcolm and Elder Streets. This building is all that's left of the former Enrolled Pensioner Guards barracks.
London Court - Located between the Hay Street Mall and St Georges Terrace. This area is filled with small architectural details such as engraved clocks, weather vanes and stairways.
Perth Mint – Located at 310 Hay Street in East Perth. Take a guided tour to learn more about how the city prints its money.
With so many interesting sights to see in Perth, those who visit will be left with a lifetime of memories.

Broome and Down the West Australian Coast

2008-09-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

(Contributed by D Wright – One of our ex-contributors) (15 Sep 2008)

Planning for this holiday had involved little more than booking Australian travel insurance, a flight from Sydney to Broome and a rental car which we intended to drive all the way down the coast to Perth, stopping frequently along the way. To avoid needing to be anywhere we made hotel reservations online using Wotif, always a couple of days in advance but we never had any problems with availability.

I had been warned in advance, but stepping out of the plane onto the Broome International Airport runway at midday was like stepping into a sauna fully clothed and carrying packed bags. We collected our rental car at the airport, switched on the air conditioning and checked in at the serviced apartment we had booked. Thankfully the apartment also had air conditioning.

The sand around Broome is a rich red which taints the black tar roads and settles to form a thin layer over all of the cars. I was amazed at the amount of construction of new houses and roads was going on, upon reflection probably due in large part to the mining boom in Western Australia. For such a remote place, houses certainly weren't cheap. The frames of the part-completed houses were all steel - due to hurricanes I was later informed.

In contrast the sand down at Cable Beach was a beautiful white, and the water of the Indian Ocean amazingly clear and pleasant. They do get sharks at the surf beach, and given the warmth of the water, even crocodiles coming around from the river mouth. But not that early in the year we were told by the lady we picked up the rental car from - we were there in November but it gets a lot hotter and more humid in the following months. We did have a swim, albeit with less than total confidence.

A main attraction is the camel rides at sunset, but we gave that a miss and just watched the chain procession of camels and riders pass us instead. After living on the east coast of Australia for 5+ years now it was great to watch the sun set over the ocean. We were persuaded back to the car by a storm of heavy raindrops that developed out of nowhere. It stopped within 20 minutes though and did little to cool down the hot evening, the dark clouds vanished almost as quickly as they appeared.

On a drive through the still industrial area to the heads we noticed a shop that looked almost abandoned selling fresh fish so stopped and bought some to grill for dinner. It turned out to be a great decision - we tried a variety of salmon I had never heard of before that was unbelievably fresh, and even went back to buy fish for the following evening. In the end we spent three days in Broome before starting the drive down.

When in Sydney, Australia

2008-08-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

(Contributed by D Wright – One of our ex-contributors) (30 Aug 2008)

Though not Australia’s official capital city, Sydney is the capital of Australia. The city is filled with many historic sights, a vibrant nightlife and features exciting attractions and restaurants. Whether you want to take a long stroll in one of the Sydney's many parks or you want to visit an art museum or two, you will always find something interesting to do during your stay.

Well known for its beautiful harbour – which boasts the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House – Sydney is a great vacation destination for those who enjoy the outdoors. With a public transportation system that includes buses, light rail, taxis and ferries, it is not difficult to get around without a hire car. You can also walk around specific neighborhoods to experience the variety of cultures that have settled in the city over the years.

Sydney's Beaches
Sydney is well known for its beaches, and for visitors there are many to choose from irrespective of whether you want to sunbathe, swim or just sit and enjoy the sunshine. Popular beaches include Bondi Beach, Collaroy Beach, Manly Beach, and Coogee Beach. In addition to miles of sand, there are also shops, restaurants and cafes to enjoy. Smaller, less populated beaches can be found by going a little way north or south of Sydney.

Museums
The Art Gallery of New South Wales, The Australian Museum, The Museum of Sydney and the Powerhouse Museum are just a few of the many museums in Sydney. In these museums, you will learn more about the history of Sydney, how Australia has evolved since the first colony, and you will learn more about Australia’s traditional owners.

Other Attractions
From the Circular Quay, you can take a ferry to different parts of the city. You will be able to visit the Taronga Zoo, Sydney Olympic Park and Sydney Harbor.

Because the climate in Sydney is agreeable for most of the year, you can participate in different outdoor activities during your stay. Cycling tours are very popular because not only will you get a great workout, you will also be able to see many historic landmarks along the way. Cycling tours through the city and along the many beaches are also available.

If you want to see a different view of the city buy a day-pass for the ferry to Manly – a highly recommended half hour trip which takes travellers through the Harbour and outside the Heads. From the ferry, you will be able to see skyline views of the city and the foreshore.

Sydney Nightlife
Depending on your interests, there are many places to eat, dance, drink and socialise in Sydney. Many local bars feature live music, theme nights and large dance floors. Darling Harbour and Oxford Street are two of the popular and trendy neighborhoods to visit if you want to spend the night dancing and meeting new people.

Bahrain National Museum

2008-08-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Opened: 15th December 1988.
Contains: The main building contains nine exhibition halls, classroom theatre, gift shop and cafeteria

H.H. The Amir of Bahrain, Donated this 1932 Buick to the Bahrain National Museum.

The Jalboot, "Samha", was presented by Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince on the occasion of the opening of the Bahrain National Museum in December 1988. It was built in Bahrain in 1924 and used by his grandfather, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, who was the ruler of Bahrain from 1932 to 1942.

The museum gift shop sells Bahrain handicrafts such as baskets, pottery and cloth as well as books, postcards and souvenirs.

The cafeteria is open during museum hours and serves snacks and light lunch.

New York on Budget

2008-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

You don't need big bucks to enjoy the Big Apple big time. Travel like a New Yorker on the subway. Eat like a New Yorker on the street. And see the city like a New Yorker by visiting public spaces, landmarks and famous places, many of which can be enjoyed for free. Here are some strategies.

GETTING AROUND: Subway fare is $2. A MetroCard with unlimited rides on subways and buses is $7.50 for the day or $25 for seven days.

FAMOUS PLACES: Stroll the serpentine paths of Central Park on your own or take a free walking tour from the Central Park Conservancy, http://www.centralparknyc.org. Carousel rides are $2. For $8, you can hang out with polar bears and penguins at the zoo ($3 for ages 3-12).

At Fifth Avenue and 50th Street is Rockefeller Center. The elegant art deco skyscrapers, Channel Gardens, and statues of Prometheus and Atlas are worth seeing in person, no matter how many times you've seen them on TV.

Grand Central Terminal, at 42nd Street and Park Avenue, is worth a visit too. Spend a few minutes inside gazing at the arches, cathedral windows and ceiling that make the place so grand.

Head west on 42nd Street to Times Square, but wait until after dark to fully appreciate the neon lights. Don't worry — the place is packed, even at night. You'll be perfectly safe.

Take the No. 1 train to the South Ferry stop and hop on the Staten Island ferry. It's free and offers fantastic views of the Statue of Liberty and city skyline, not to mention the manmade waterfalls on the East River, in place through Oct. 13. Details on other vantage points and boat rides for viewing the falls at http://nycvisit.com/waterfalls/.

Free ferries to Governors Island — http://www.govisland.com/ — also offer waterfall views with boats Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 12.

Another way to see the city from the water is by kayak. The Downtown Boathouse — http://www.downtownboathouse.org — offers free kayaking weekends through Oct. 13 on the Hudson River on the city's West Side.

For a thrilling view of Lower Manhattan's urban canyons and skyscrapers, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

ENTERTAINMENT: Whether your taste runs to David Letterman, Stephen Colbert or Maury Povich, if your favorite TV show is filmed in New York, you may be able to see it live for free. Details at http://www.nytix.com/.

A few Broadway shows hold nightly lotteries for cheap front-row tickets ($21.50 for "Avenue Q," $26.50 for "In The Heights," check Web sites for details). It's a great deal if your plans are flexible. Or try the TKTS booth in the Marriott Marquis Hotel, West 46th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, which sells tickets at up to 50 percent off for that night's performance at many Broadway and off-Broadway shows.

Many city parks host free shows in the summer, but they mostly end in August. In September and October, though, parades and street fairs abound. The West Indian-American Day Parade is a massive carnival-style pageant every Labor Day along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. Look for politicians and other celebrities in the Columbus Day Parade along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, 44th to 79th streets, noon-3 p.m. The Feast of San Gennaro street festival takes place on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, Sept. 11-21.

MUSEUMS: Most museums have some free hours. Arrive early and be prepared for crowds. (What, you thought you were the only one on a budget?)

The Museum of Modern Art, 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue, hosts free Fridays, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. The Whitney Museum of American Art, Madison and 75th Street, has "pay what you wish" admission Fridays, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. The Brooklyn Museum (Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum stop on the No. 2 or 3 train) has free admission the first Saturday night of each month except September, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. The arts-and-entertainment event draws huge crowds, from young hipsters to families to older folks.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street, always has a "suggested admission" of $20, which means that no, you really don't have to pay the full amount. Don't be embarrassed; New Yorkers on a budget do it all the time. (One of my high school teachers famously sent us off to the museum with this advice: "A polite quarter will do!")

In Lower Manhattan, the National Museum of the American Indian is always free. Its thought-provoking exhibits include ancient artifacts; masterpieces of pottery, basketry, apparel and other objects; and contemporary art. The museum is housed at One Bowling Green in the former U.S. Customs House, an architecturally stunning 1907 Beaux Arts building.

FOOD: For breakfast, a bagel with cream cheese is the real deal. (Don't you dare put jam on that bagel!) And don't ask how many calories it is; just know that you won't be hungry for hours. In many parts of the city, corner coffee carts sell decent java, pastries and donuts for about $1.

A cheap lunch might be a hot dog from a cart, a slice from a pizzeria or a sandwich to go from a deli. Also popular are "halal" grill carts selling falafel, chicken in pita and other Middle Eastern fare for $5 or less.

For a sit-down splurge, try Dawat, 210 E. 58th St., an Indian restaurant with impeccable service and an outstanding menu created by the writer and actress Madhur Jaffrey. There are several $16 lunch specials. Dinner entrees run more but even at night, you can get a half-order of tandoori chicken for $14.

Supermarkets often sell whole cooked rotisserie chickens to go for under $10. Add a loaf of Italian bread, a readymade salad, and find a park for a picnic for two. Or round up some friends and order a few dishes to share in an ethnic restaurant. Chinatown has many inexpensive restaurants but one of my favorites is Joe's Shanghai at 9 Pell St. You may need a map to find it, but the dumplings are divine. At Aura Thai, 462 Ninth Ave. near 36th Street, panang curry with chicken, beef or tofu is $8.95.

Dessert for two: Split the six-for-$9 selection of truffles and pralines at Max Brenner's, 141 Second Ave. at Ninth Street.

NEIGHBORHOODS: Spend an afternoon exploring. Take the No. 7 train to Jackson Heights and soak up the sounds, sights and smells of the Latin and Asian shops and restaurants. Walk across 125th Street in Harlem. Wander around the Lower East Side, where bargain stores still sell housedresses on racks, but trendy bars and cafes are encroaching on the old neighborhood. Don't forget Coney Island, last stop on the D, F, or Q trains to Brooklyn. If you're tempted by laughter, screams and music from the amusement park, a ride on the Wonder Wheel is $6 while the Cyclone roller coaster is $8. Stroll the boardwalk or wade in the ocean for free.

Big Apple Greeters — http://bigapplegreeter.org — offers free, personalized tours led by volunteers who love sharing their inside knowledge of the city. Request the neighborhood of your choice or let them surprise you with an authentic corner of the city you might otherwise never see. Reserve three to four weeks ahead.

ACCOMMODATIONS: If you don't have a friend or relative to stay with, the Pod Hotel — 230 E. 51st St., http://www.thepodhotel.com/ — has some rooms under $200. Or pretend that Sunday is the new Friday, and book a Sunday-Monday stay through NYC Sunday Stays at http://www.nycvisit.com/sundaystays with room rates 20-30 percent off, free breakfasts and other deals.

[Source: The Economic Times ]

Travel-maniac - Travelling my hobby

2008-07-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Travelling is one of my hobby.

I have travelled lot of Europe - Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Bregenz, Luzern (Titlis, Pilatus), Interlaken (Jungfrau), St Moritz, Venice, Florence, Rome.

On other side of Atlantic, I have been to New York.

In middle east have enjoyed Dubai & Abu Dhabi. Flying trip to Qatar and Oman. Explored Bahrain in detail.

Another area is India. I have been literally to all parts of India except North East India beyond Assam and Jammu & Kashmir state.

I have been to lot of places in Rajasthan including Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota, extensive travel in Shekhawati covering Chirawa, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Pilani, Rajgarh, Mandawa.

In Harayana and Punjab, have covered, Nangal, Chandigarh, Hissar, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Gurgaon.

Then national capital New Delhi and Old Delhi.

In Uttranchal, have been to Dehradoon, Mussorie, Haridwar, Gangotri and then that nice snow trek for Kedartaal.

Continuing in Uttar Pradesh, covered Merrut, Garh Mukteshwar, Lucknow, Agra and Allahabad.

In eastern side, travelled Kolkata, Siliguri, Malda, Bengdubi, Bagdogra, Darjeeling in West Bengal, Rangpo and Gangtok in Sikkim.

In central India covered Bhopal, Jhansi, Dewas, Ujjain and Indore. Places like Mehsana, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Kutch, Bhuj, Mandavi, Mundra, Anjar, Narayan Sarovar, Vadodara, Surat.

On other side of Vindhyachal, Pune, Amravati, Nagpur, Wardha, Mumbai. Have done many trips and treks around Mumbai from Lohgad, Rajmachi, Naneghat, Matheran, Nagphani (Dukes’ Nose) and Tiger Leap in Lonavala, Naikhind, PEth, Chinchoti falls, Mulund to Borivali through Sanjay Gandhi National Park and many more.

On eastern ghat, Vishakhapatnam, Arku Valley and further in Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, Secundrabad, Vijayawada.

In neighbouring state Karnataka, have been to Bangalore and Mysore.

In southern state Tamilnadu covered Chennai and Rameswaram whereas in Kerala have visited Kanyakumari and Trivendrum.

Nestled in western ghat, Goa is one where I have been too.

Since these all travels happened over a lot of time and had not been writing too much, it will be difficult to produce all but over the period will try to blog it out on this site.

Bahrain - Traditional places tour

2008-05-15T04:17:00.000-07:00

We at our office are planning to have a tour of Bahrain covering Traditional Places.

Our tentatively planning is to cover following places:

Bahrain Fort
Barbar Temple
Camel Farm
Al Jasrah House
Burial Mounds
A'ali Pottery
(Stop for lunch)
Al Fateh Mousque
Muharraq Traditional Houses

This tour is planned for Saturday 17 May 2008.

I am planning to join the tour along with my wife and daughter.

Venice Accommodation-Our Experience

2008-02-15T04:15:00.000-08:00

In Venice we stayed at B & B Residenza Degli Angeli. It is essentially an apartment of 3 rooms. 1 with private bathroom and the other 2 share the bathroom on the floor !!! All rooms are equipped with air conditioning and satellite TV. Furniture is in Venetian style. Really beautifully decorated. This B&B is located 5 minutes walking from the infamous Rialto Bridge and 20 minutes from St. Mark's Square.

There is no point in taking address because you cannot reach it unless it is shown to you. You need to take Water bus (Vaperatto # 1) from Railway station to S. Silvestro where owner Mario will arrange pick up and show you not only place as also explain you the path so that you can reach their later.

Best part was Breakfast. Really nice breakfast with sooo soft croissants but that is available only after 8 AM as Mario has to drop his girls to school. Though on last day when we wanted to leave early and he was kind enough to give us some packed breakfast in night itself.

Address:
Mario Fiorentini
Hotel Alex
S.Polo 2606
30125 - Venise
Tel & Fax # 0039 041 5231341
mariofiorentini@libero.it
www.hotelalexinvenice.com
www.angelibb.com
Mobile number: (0039) 349 342 1148 (to contact for pick up)

Our Booking details for idea about cost etc:
We confirm with pleasure the reservation at RESIDENZA DEGLI ANGELI from Tuesday the 22nd of May for 2 nights a nice double room with private bathroom, where we will put a cot free of charge, at the daily rate of 130 Euro including breakfast and all taxes.

Rome Accommodation – Our experience

2008-02-12T04:18:00.000-08:00

In Rome, we stayed at Downtown Accommodation. We booked this directly with owner Isa ( isajiang@virgilio.it ). They have their own site www.downtownaccomodation.com where most of the details are available.

Location: Though walk able when you do not have luggage with you but little time consuming. Instead bus service from Railway Station is fantastic and we alighted in front of the building. You have to be little careful in searching as it is having a big gate like some house and name plate is very small. There is small departmental store below and post office nearby.
Direction: When come out of the Railway station in the direction of City Bus stand then you can walk down on left side on Via Cavour however better to take bus.
Our recommendation: Really good place. Very close to Forum area where you have many attractions. Very good breakfast and very accommodative owners.
Our Booking details to give idea about cost etc:
We are very happy to receive your e-mail , your reservation at Downtown Accommodation is confirmed , you will arrive on May 26th , 2007 , and depart on May 28th , 2007 , one triple room ( one double bed + one rollaway bed ) with private bathroom stay for 2 nights , the price is 110 euro per night per the room which includes breakfast and taxes , so total price is 220 euro or special price 210 euro payment in cash , for your credit card information is just to guarantee the room , we will not charge it , when you arrive , you will decide to pay credit card or cash .
Address:
Downtown Accomodation
Via: Cavour 275, flat (int) 2, 1° floor with lift,
00184, Rome, Italy
Fax: 0039 06 483892
Mobile phone: (0039) 3476706181
E-mail: isajiang@virgilio.it
Web: www.downtownaccomodation.com

Florence Accommodation – Our experience

2008-02-11T04:41:00.000-08:00

In Florence we stayed at Bed & Bed Peterson (BBP). We booked BBP through florenceby.com
Address: Via Guido Monaco 25, Firenze, Italy, 50144
Telephone: +39 3488428160
email: peterson@florenceby

Location:
BBP is located near the main Florentine railway station S.M. Novella around half a kilometre.
Direction:
From main railway station S.M. Novella: Leaving behind the train station, you take the right exit, you go down the stairs, turn right, than straight on (along railway line in the same direction where from your train arrived) (Via Alamanni) till the traffic lamp, cross the road and on the left pavement at nr. 25 you find B&B. This is next to Tabacchi shop which is in corner and bang on Bus stop. But careful this street is one way so you cannot catch bus from Railway station to reach BBP.
From Airport A. Vespucci (about 8 kms): There is a bus shuttle leaving every 30 minutes from the airport and in 20 minutes it takes you to the railway station of S.M. Novella
From highway (about 8 kms): Exit Firenze nord, than after the airport you will find a big road called Via di Novoli, than Via Redi and at the end of it Viale Belfiore, the first on your left is our street Via Guido Monaco.
Distance from main attractions:
BBP is in opposite direction from the historic downtown (Duomo, Uffizi etc.) which is I think aroung 2 km away however same is walkable and can be reached on foot (25-30 minutes walk) or by bus (stop is bang at the gate of the building.
Contact person: Peterson/ Chiara. Really nice people. In fact they were very prompt in answering our email/ queries and helped us in booking museums that is must for short well planned trips.
Our booking details to give an idea about cost etc. (We booked nearly one month in advance):
******
Accommodation / Bed Type: Double Room, En-Suite Bathroom, Double Bed
Service: Self Catering / Room Only
Number. Of Guests: 2 Adults, 1 Kid
Check-In: 24 May 2007, Any Time
Check-Out: 26 May 2007, Before 10am
Unit Price: 65,00 EUR Per Accommodation Per Day
These prices include all taxes
Includes : Air Conditioning, Daily Cleaning
Excludes : Extra Bed
*****
Our recommendation: We found this very convenient and walking distance to most of the places. In fact we did not require any local transportation during our stay. Room was airy and lighted.
Only issue was availability of the food around. Better get your food before reaching B&B in night else there are not many places around. For quick bite, McDonnalds at Railway station is one option. For water and other quick supply store next to the station is what we used.
There is tourist office bang opposite to railway station across the main road but we did not find it open anytime.

Frankfurt - Attractions Guide

2008-02-11T04:28:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Frankfurt with quick information:

GF04 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Bockenheim Strasse

Details: Many of Frankfurt's liveliest bars, cafés and restaurants are in Bockenheim (sometimes called Pig-Out Alley), a working-class district that has evolved into an alternative scene center, heavily populated by students and bohemians. Food shops offer cheeses, fish (smoked or fresh), and local favorites such as Frankfurter sausages.
Location:

*
GF05 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Brotfabrik

Details: Brotfabrik is one of the city's most original performance venues, featuring live and disco music, heavy on salsa, African and Asian sounds. A restaurant and café are on site.
Location: Bachmannstrasse. Call (069) 978-455 for more information.

GF06 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Frankfurt Zoo

Details: Frankfurt’s zoo is one of the most attractive in Europe and is very popular with both locals and visitors. There are 13 different areas in these 14 hectares (35 acres) of land, where thousands of animals from all over the world, including eight endangered species, can be observed. The obvious highlight is the Grzimek Haus, where artificial darkness is created in order to observe nocturnal animals going about their business.
Location: Alfred-Brehm-Platz 16
Tel: (069) 2123 3735.
Website: www.zoo-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 (summer), daily 0900-1700 (winter).
Admission charge (concessions available).

GF07 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Geldmuseum der Deutschen Budesbank (Money Museum of the German Federal Bank)

Details: The Money Museum is a sign of the changing times. In this Deutsche Bundesbank building, an extensive historical collection of coins and paper money has finally been made accessible to the public. The museum also explains the complex nature of monetary policy (especially the new European system) using films, challenging computer games and interactive teaching programmes.
Location: Wilhelm Epsteinstrasse 14
Tel: (069) 9566 3073.
Website: www.geldmuseum.de

GF08 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Goethehaus & Goethe-Museum

Details: Completely destroyed by Allied bombers in 1944, the house where Goethe (1749-1832) was born and spent most of his youth was rebuilt after the war, in 1951, and restored to its former 18th-century glory. Visitors can see the family music room, library, living room and Goethe’s own puppet show and study. Next door, the Goethe-Museum displays German paintings and sculpture from the late Baroque period up to early Romanticism. There are daily guided tours of the house at 1030 and 1400. Tours of the museum can also be arranged on request.
Visit Goethe's birth house and the adjoining Goethe Museum. The Goethehaus is the birth home of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, one of the greatest figures in Western literature. Destroyed in the Second World War, it has been restored to look as when he lived there, with a few original items surviving the war.
Location: Grosser Hirschgraben 23-25
Tel: (069) 138 800.
Website: www.goethehaus-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730, Sat 1000-1800 and Sun 1000-1730.
Admission charge (concessions available).

GF09 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Haus Giersch Museum Regionaler Kunst (Haus Giersch Museum of Regional Art)

Details: This newcomer on the Frankfurt museum scene is devoted to work from artists from the Rhine-Main region and is a wonderful way for culture-keen visitors to get a taste of the regional artistic fare. Taking its place alongside Frankfurt’s finest institutions on Museumsufer, the bright, airy and thoroughly contemporary gallery hosts two changing exhibitions on art and art-historical themes. The one constant exhibit is the building itself, the neoclassical Villa Holzmann.
Location: Schaumainkai 83, Museumsufer
Tel: (069) 6330 4128.
Website: www.museum-giersch.de

GF10 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Historisches Museum (Historical Museum)

Details: The Historical Museum is housed in a complex of imperial buildings overlooking the Main, which also includes the 12th-century palace chapel. The museum traces the story of Frankfurt (including its destruction in World War II) and visitors can learn about the traditions of Äppelwoi in the museum café. There are guided tours on the last Saturday of each month.
Location: Saalgasse 19
Tel: (069) 2123 5599.
Website: www.historisches-museum.frankfurt.de

GF11 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Jüdisches-Museum (Jewish Museum)

Details: Until the Holocaust, Frankfurt was home to Germany’s second largest Jewish population, many of whom played a key role in the city’s financial and cultural success. The story of this important community from the 12th to the 20th century, is told in the Jewish Museum, housed in the Rothschild Palais (a mansion that was the former home of the Rothschilds). The remains of Mikvah (women’s ceremonial baths) in the former Jewish ghetto and special exhibitions are displayed in the supplementary Judengasse Museum (Jewish Alley Museum).
Location: Untermainkai 14-15
Judengasse Museum Kurt-Schzumacher-Strasse 10
Tel: (069) 2123 5000.
Tel: (069) 297 7419.
Website: www.juedischesmuseum.de
Website: www.juedischesmuseum.de

GF12 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Liebieghaus

Details: The Liebieghaus is Germany's premier specialist museum of sculpture, with exhibits ranging from ancient civilizations of Sumeria, Egypt, Greece and Rome to the colossal altarpieces of European Baroque.
Location: Schaumainkai 71, Frankfurt. Call (069) 2123-8617 for more information.

GF13 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Museum für Angewandte Kunst

Details: Displayed in an innovative building by the American Richard Meier, the Museum für Angewandte Kunst has large collections of decorative art from Europe, the Islamic world and the Far East.
Location: Domstre. 10, Frankfurt. Call (069) 21230447 for more information.

GF14 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Museum für Moderne Kunst (Museum of Modern Art)

Details: The outside of the Museum of Modern Art alone would count as one of the city’s major attractions. It is therefore a bonus that this museum, designed by Viennese architect Hans Hollein, is filled with a superb collection of post-war art, predominantly by German and American artists, including Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol and Joseph Beuys. There is also a café-restaurant.
Location: Domstrasse 10
Tel: (069) 2123 0447.
Website: www.mmk-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Tues, Thurs-Sun 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2000.
Admission charge (concessions available).

GF01 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Palmengarten Und Botanischer Garten (Palm Garden)

Details: The Palm Garden is a wonderland of tropical plants and exotic birds. Hidden away from the bustle of the city centre, the attractions of this botanical garden include glasshouses, some 300 different palms and a boating lake. There are concerts staged here in summer, as well as a number of exhibitions and events. Guided tours are available.
Tropical and semitropical greenhouses contains flora, including orchids, and palms. The surrounding park has a lake with rowboat rentals. Between the Palmengarten and the adjoining Grüneburgpark, the botanical gardens have an assortment of wild, ornamental, and rare plants. Flower shows and exhibitions take place throughout the year.
Location: Siesmayerstrasse 63
Tel: (069) 2123 3939/6689.
Website: www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600 (Nov-Jan), daily 0900-1800 (Feb-Oct).
Admission charge (concessions available).

GF02 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Römerberg

Details: In 1240, this low hill (the main square and heart of the Old Town) was the site of the city’s first official trade fair. The Römerberg is bordered by half-timbered houses (Fachwerkhäuser), reconstructed after total destruction in 1945, and the former court chapel – the Nikolaikirche (Church of St Nicholas). The main attraction, however, is the Rathaus Römer (Frankfurt’s city hall since 1405) with its Gothic stepped gables made of Frankfurt’s trademark red sandstone. The coronation of German emperors was celebrated by banquets in the Kaisersaal (Emperor’s Hall) on the upper floors. Portraits of 52 emperors, from Charlemagne to Franz II, now hang on the walls. It is a working town hall, however, and there are currently no tours. The Christmas market that takes place on Römerberg every December is one of the best in Germany, and has taken place here since the late 14th century.
Location:

GF03 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Römerberg, Römer Sankt Bartholomäusdom (Cathedral of St Bartholomew)

Details: Between 1562 and 1792, German emperors were crowned in the Cathedral of St Bartholomew, hence its other name – the Kaiserdom (Emperor Cathedral). In the 1950s, this was Frankfurt’s tallest building, at 96m (315ft), which illustrates just how much the city has developed since then. The cathedral has a red sandstone façade and interior and is one of Frankfurt’s most recognisable landmarks. The present structure was rebuilt after World War II but contains a number of original carvings. There are also great views of the city from the tower. A museum, the Dommuseum, is adjoined to the cathedral and is packed full of ancient archaeological findings.
Location: Domplatz 14
Tel: (069) 297 0320.
Website: www.dom-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Mon-Thur and Sat 0900-1200 and 1430-1800, Fri and Sun 1430-1800, until 1700 in winter (cathedral), Tue-Fri 1000-1700, Sat-Sun 1100-1700 (museum).
Free admission to the cathedral, charge for the museum.

GF15 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Sachsenhausen

Details: Frankfurt is Europe's cider metropolis, and most of its distinctive apple wine taverns are in Alt-Sachsenhausen, the heart of the historic south bank quarter.
Location:

GF16 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: St. Bartholomäus Cathedral

Details: The Gothic cathedral of St. Bartholomäus, the ancient venue for election and coronation of the Holy Roman Emperors, has a tower that invites climbing for a fabulous view.
Location: Dompl. 1, Frankfurt.

GF17 City: Frankfurt
Name of Attraction: Städelsche Kunstinstitute und Städtische Galerie (Städel Art Institute and Municipal Gallery)

Details: An exemplary and comprehensive collection of European painting from the 14th to the 20th centuries is housed in this museum (commonly known as just Städel) on Frankfurt’s legendary Museumsufer (Museum Embankment). German masters, such as Cranach, Holbein and Beckmann, are displayed alongside the likes of Botticelli, Rembrandt and Rubens. Around 500 sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries are also on show, including works from artists such as Rodin, Kirchner and Picasso. There is also a café, and an excellent bookshop. Originally founded by Johann Friedrich Städel as an art museum and art school, the Städel is now one of Europe's most comprehensive art galleries, with paintings ranging from German, Dutch and Italian Primitives to the avant-garde.
Location: Dürerstrasse 2
Tel: (069) 605 098 200.
Website: www.staedelmuseum.de
Opening hours: Tues, Fri-Sun 1000-1700, Wed and Thurs 1000-2100.
Admission charge (concessions available).

Zurich - Attractions Guide

2008-02-10T04:39:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Zurich with quick information:

SZ01 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Botanischer Garten (Botanical Gardens)

Details: Zurich University's Botanical Gardens make for a wonderful place to get away from it all. Inside are over a million plants that comprise the university's botanical collection, representing a number of different ecosystems from tropical rainforests to alpine meadow flowers.
Location: Zollikerstrasse 107
Tel: (044) 634 8461.
Website: www.unizh.ch/bguz
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1900, Sat and Sun 0800-1800 (Mar-Sep), Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat and Sun 0800-1700 (Oct-Feb).
Free admission.

SZ02 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Fraumünster

Details: Although this beautiful church dates from the ninth century (when it was a Benedictine abbey), it is often the five 20th-century stained-glass windows in the choir by Marc Chagall (1970) that attract visitors. These glass works of art are best seen in the morning light. The church itself was begun in the 12th century, although the undercroft contains the original abbey crypt. The Fraumünster spire is an elegant and notable landmark dating from 1732. The rest of the church is predominantly gothic, although the choir is romanesque. The site was originally endowed by Charlemagne's grandson, the German king Ludwig, in 853 and later became the church of the Zurich noblewomen's convent. The stained glass windows in the north transept are by Alberto Giacometti's cousin, Augusto.
Location: Am Münsterhofplatz
Tel: (044) 211 4100.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1115-1800 (Apr-Oct), Mon-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1115-1600 (Nov-Mar).Free admission.

SZ03 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Grossmünster

Details: The twin towers of this attractive cathedral (the largest in Zurich and the city's symbol) face onto the River Limmat and are best seen from Rathausbrücke. Originally endowed by Charlemagne, parts of this minster date back to the 11th and 13th centuries, notably the crypt, which is the largest of its kind in Switzerland. Recent archaeological discoveries suggest the existence of a Roman cemetery underneath the church. There are remains of a romanesque cloister, 12th-century statuary and stained glass in the choir by Augusto Giacometti (Alberto's cousin). The Karlstrum tower has 187 steps, there is no lift.
Location: Grossmünsterplatz
Tel: (044) 252 5949.
Website: www.kirche-zh.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (15 Mar-31 Oct), daily 1000-1700 (1 Nov-14 Mar). Karlstrum tower: Mon-Sat 100-1700, Sun 1115-1600. Cloister: Mon-Fri 0900-1800 (15 Mar-31 Oct), Mon-Fri 100-1700 (1 Nov-14 Mar).
Free admission (charge for tower).

SZ04 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Kunsthaus Zürich (Zurich Art Gallery)

Details: This is the city's most important art gallery, boasting a collection of paintings and sculptures by Swiss and international masters, covering most periods from medieval times but predominately from the 19th and 20th centuries. Two of Monet's Water Lilies paintings and the largest collection of Edvard Munch's works outside Norway can be found here, as well as many works by Füssli and Hodler and important works by Expressionists like Kokoschka, Bechmann and Corinth. There are also good collections of photography, the Dadaists and Alberto Giacometti, as well as an important library. Tours are available in English if reserved beforehand.
Location: Heimplatz 1
Tel: (044) 253 8484.
Website: www.kunsthaus.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 1000-2100, Fri-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

SZ05 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst (Museum of Contemporary Art)

Details: Devoted to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art, especially from the 1990s, the Museum of Contemporary Art features a core collection of works of the Migros Co-operative Society in the open-concept exhibition space. These create a dialogue with the rotating exhibitions and special installations. There are both solo and group exhibitions.
Location: Limmatstrasse 270
Tel: (044) 277 2050.
Website: www.migrosmuseum.ch
Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Fri 1200-1800, Thurs 1200-2000, Sat and Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge.

SZ06 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Museum Rietberg

Details: The collection of the Rietberg Museum of Non-European Art is housed within two buildings dating from the 1850s which are set within the Rieterpark. The Villa Wesendonck has special exhibitions in addition to its collection of Indian, Chinese and African art (the core of which is the sculpture collection donated by Baron Eduard von der Heydt), while the Park-Villa Rieter has paintings from China, Japan and India. The latter also holds occasional world music concerts.
Location: Villa Wesendonck and Park-Villa Rieter Gablerstrasse 15
Tel: (044) 206 3131.
Website: www.rietberg.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

SZ07 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Schweizerisches Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum)

Details: The Swiss National Museum lies on a landscaped triangle between the Hauptbahnhof and the Limmat and Sihl rivers, and has fulfilled the role of the nation's attic for over a century. Special exhibits in this castle-like museum supplement the permanent display of items related to Switzerland and Swiss culture. These include not only paintings and sculpture but also weapons, flags, watches, clocks, tools, toys and prehistoric objects.
Location: Museumstrasse 2
Tel: (044) 218 6511.
Website: www.musee-suisse.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge.

SZ08 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Üetliberg

Details: At an elevation of 871m (2,857ft) this is the tallest point in the city, with views over Zurich, the lake and (on a clear day) the Alps. The Üetliberg is part of the Albis ridge. There is a one-and-a-half to two-hour walk to Felsenegg, from where a cable car connects to Adliswil station, which has connections on S-Bahn line S4 to the city. A 24-hour train/cable car pass is available. The SZU Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (website: www.szu.ch), S10, goes to the top of the city's peak (departing from many stations, including the Hauptbahnhof). A restored 1920s electric railway car can also be hired for groups. The hotel and restaurant Uto Kulm is an excellent venue from which to look down upon the city.
Location: Uto Kulm
Tel: (044) 457 6666.
Website: www.utokulm.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0800-2400.

SZ09 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Zoo Zürich

Details: The open, park-like enclosures of the Zurich zoo house some 1,500 animals from points near and far, in areas that replicate the animals' natural environments. The zoo's animals draw crowds during feeding times (details are available on the website). A complex duplicates Madagascar's Masoala rainforest. There are several good restaurants at the zoo, including the Altes Klösterli, Siesta and Outpost.
Location: Zürichbergstrasse 221
Tel: (044) 254 2505 or 0848 966 983.
Website: www.zoo.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (Mar-Oct), daily 0900-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Admission charge.

SZ10 City: Zurich
Name of Attraction: Zunfthaus zur Meisen (‘zur Meisen' Guild Hall)

Details: The ‘zur Meisen' Guild Hall, opposite the Fraumünster, has exhibits of 18th-century Swiss pottery and china. The elegant rococo galleries are an appropriate setting for the beautifully decorated porcelain figurines that were produced in Kilchberg-Schooren, Zurich and other porcelain and pottery factories. The building itself, built in 1757, expresses a baroque aesthetic and is considered to be the most beautiful of all the Zürich guild houses.
Location: Münsterhof 20
Tel: (044) 221 2807.
Website: www.musee-suisse.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1030-1700.
Admission charge.

Vienna - Attractions Guide

2008-02-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Vienna with quick information:

AV03 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Albertina (Mozart exhibit)

Details:
Location:

AV04 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Ancient Armour and Weapons Museum

Details:
Location:

AV05 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Antique Musical Instruments Museum

Details: The Museum of old instruments is one of the collections inside Neue Burg and there you may see the pianos, where Mozart, Beethoven, Joseph Hayden and Franz Schubert used to perform their works. Even more famous is their collection of renaissance-instruments - it is considdered the most precious collection of these instruments. Another highlight in their collection is a Klavichord, dating back to 1596 - it is able to imitate various instruments and even the singing of birds.
Another highlight of the museum is a small-scale model of the city of Vienna. It dates back to the year 1845, and shows still the medieval townwalls around the city - that wall was taken down later-on in order to build Ringstrasse, as you may see it nowadays !
The Museum of old instruments is open
daily except tuesday 10.00a.m. - 06.00p.m
Location:

AV01 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Belvedere

Details: The Oberes Belvedere (Upper Belvedere Palace), which was built in 1721–23, for Prince Eugene of Savoy, offers terrific views across the gardens to the Unteres Belvedere (Lower Belvedere) and the city beyond. Artwork from the middle ages and the Baroque era is featured in the Unteres Belvedere. The Oberes Belvedere houses art from the 19th-century classical, Romantic and Biedermeier periods on the second floor and post-1918 art on the ground floor. The first floor, however, is what draws visitors, with paintings by Gustav Klimt (including der Küss), Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and other fin-de-siècle artists.
Location: Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Prinz Eugenstrasse 27
Tel: (01) 79557.
Website: www.belvedere.at
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800. Closed Dec 24-25.
Admission charge.

AV06 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Danube River cruise

Details:
Location:

AV07 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Ephesus Museum

Details:
Location:

AV08 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Fine Arts Museum

Details:
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AV09 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Haus der Musik (House of Music)

Details: The Haus der Musik is a major addition to Vienna’s museum scene, offering a link between technology and art. It includes the museum of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, where visitors are given the opportunity to view the last New Year’s Day Concert, the Sonosphere, where many aspects of sound are presented, using hands-on computer technology and giant instruments, the Virtual Conductor, where visitors can use virtual technology to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Brain Opera, an interactive musical environment with unique ultramodern musical instruments. There are also historic displays of great Viennese composers, from Haydn to Berg, a wine bar, a café and several concert rooms. All exhibitions are presented in both German and English and anyone can happily spend hours here, whether musically inclined or not. Open daily 1000-2200.
Location: Seilerstätte 30
Tel: (01) 516 48.
Website: www.hdm.at

AV10 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Hofburg

Details: The Imperial Palace until 1918, the Hofburg is almost a city in itself. Today, it houses the office of the Austrian president, an international conference centre, a number of museums, the chapel where the Vienna Boys’ Choir sings and the hall in which the Lipizzan stallions perform. Visitors can tour the Kaiserappartements (Imperial Apartments), including Franz Joseph's and Sisi's (Empress Elisabeth's) private rooms, the great audience hall, dining rooms and staterooms. The Silberkammer (Imperial Silver Collection) is also on show. The Schatzkammer (Treasury), Schweizerhof 1, contains stunning exhibits that exemplify the power and wealth of one of Europe’s most important empires. The Imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire rests here, as does the crown of the Austrian Empire, the 15th-century Burgundian treasure and the treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Sisi Museum, which opened in 2004 to commemorate the 150th wedding anniversary of Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph, showcases many personal objects and some of the most famous portraits of the beautiful empress. Last but not least, the State Hall of the Austrian National Library is a jewel of profane baroque architecture and one of the most beautiful historical libraries in the world, and should not be missed. Hofburg is a giant area in the very centre of vienna and it includes all of the buildings between Albertina - Nationalbibliothek - Ballhausplatz and between the Burg-Ring and the stables of the Vienna White Horses / Lippizaner. The Hofburg used to be the living-quaters of the austrian emperors and their employees and today you may see most of these rooms that were transfered into various museums. Even when you do not have enough time to enter any of these museums, you may still spend 1-2 hours to enjoy all of the interesting details of the parks and buildings of Hofburg :
Michaelator - the giant gate under the golden dome of Hofburg takes you to Amalienburg ( the large innercourt with great renaissance-facades and a giant monument in the centre.)
Schweizertor is the most beautiful side-gate and it is dating back to the 16th century.
Neue Burg is the big building with the statue of Prinz Eugen in front of it.
In Burggarten you may see the lovely Mozart-monument, the Palmenhaus and the Schmetterlingshaus with exotic butterflies humming in the former Orangerie of the emperor... Schatzkammer is the treasury of the Hofburg and it shows various crowns of the Austrian empire, precious gold- and silverplates and cutleries, and even a 33-meters long centre-piece made of gold-bronze, it was ment as a table-decoration for banquets at the royal court. The oldest crown in Schatzkammer dates back to the 10th century and so it is no wonder, there is a real tresor-door at the entrance to this museum and a lot of people watching each of your steps through the collections !
Photography is not forbidden, but unfortunately it is quite dark in that museum !
Photography only without flash or tripod !!
the Schatzkammer is open daily except tuesday 10.00a.m.-06.00p.m.
at dezember 31st it is only open untill 01.00p.m.
it is closed january 1st + may 1st + november 1st !!
You can purchase a single ticket for all three museums or purchase the "Sisi Ticket", which entitles you to a visit to Schönbrunn Palace, Hofburg with Audio Guide (Imp. Apartments, Sisi Museum, Imp. Silver Collection) and Imperial Furniture Museum • Vienna Furniture Museum).
Location: Innerer Burghof 1, Kaisertor State Hall of the Austrian National Library Josefsplatz 1
Tel: (01) 533 7570 (Imperial Apartments, Imperial Silver Collection and Sisi Museum) or 525 240 (Treasury). Tel: (01) 534 100.
Website: www.hofburg.wien.info or www.hofburg-wien.at Website: www.onb.ac.at
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Imperial Apartments, Imperial Silver Collection and Sisi Museum), Wed-Mon 1000-1800 (Treasury). Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2100.
Admission charge. Admission charge.

AV11 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Kaisergruft (Imperial Burial Vault)

Details: The Imperial Burial Vault in the Kapuzinerkirche (Capuchin Church), which was build between 1622 and 1632, is well worth a visit. The vault became the burial place of the Hapsburgs and the highlight is the double casket of Maria-Theresa and Franz I.
Location: Neuer Markt 1
Tel: (01) 5126 853/16.
Website: www.kaisergruft.at

AV12 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: KunstHausWien (Vienna Art House)

Details: KunstHausWien is the unmistakable architectural expression of Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s unique vision. Appearing like a Klimt painting as seen through a kaleidoscope, the building contains an exhibition of Hundertwasser’s artwork as well as a bright café with a chic clientele and relaxing garden. The goulash is excellent. The nearby Hundertwasserhaus is an apartment project, which can only be viewed from the street.
Location: Untere Weissgerberstrasse 13
Tel: (01) 712 0491.
Website: www.kunsthauswien.com

AV25 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Kunsthistorisches Museum

Details: If you're an art buff don't miss the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the finest in Europe. The Habsburgs loved to collect, and many goodies found their way back to Vienna from their extensive territories. It's impossible to see the whole museum in one visit, so plan ahead or expect to indulge in repeat excursions.
Rubens was appointed to the service of a Habsburg governor in Brussels, so it is not surprising that the museum has one of the best collections of his works. The collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is also unrivalled.
The works by Canova, Vermeer, Dürer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Van Dyck, Cranach, Caravaggio, Canaletto and Titian aren't bad and there are extensive collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman artefacts, and sculpture and decorative arts covering the Austrian high baroque, Renaissance, mannerist and medieval periods, including Cellini's famously over-the-top salt cellar.
The building itself has some delightful features. The murals between the arches above the stairs were created by three artists, including a young Klimt (northern wall), painted before he broke with classical tradition.
Location:

AV02 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts)

Details: This museum was built to house the Imperial Hapsburg collections in one place, although these have now grown to such an extent that some are housed in the Hofburg and in Schönbrunn Palace (see above). The grand staircase in the Kunsthistorisches Museum provides passage to the galleries, which include the Antiquities, Egyptian-Oriental and Coin collections. The Kunstkammer (art chamber) houses sculpture and decorative arts. The Gemäldegalerie (picture gallery) has works by Old Masters, including Dürer, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens and Titian, and the most comprehensive collection of Brueghels in the world.
Location: Maria-Theresien-Platz 1
Tel: (01) 525 240.
Website: www.khm.at
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (until 2100 Thurs).
Admission charge.

AV13 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Mozarteum

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AV14 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: MuseumsQuartier

Details: On the site of the former imperial stables, this large cultural complex, which opened in 2001, is one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Don’t miss the excellent Leopold Museum, a must for anyone interested in Austrian art, and MUMOK, the Museum of Modern Art. The MuseumQuartier is a very pleasant place to hang out for a few hours, especially in summer, as the place is packed with students and young people relaxing outside or in one of the many cafes.
Location: Museumplatz 1
Tel: (01) 523 5881 or 525 70-0 (Leopold Museum) or 525 00 (MUMOK).
Website: www.mqw.at or www.leopoldmuseum.org or www.mumok.at
Opening hours: (Leopold Museum) Wed-Mon 1000-1900, Thu 1000-2100. (MUMOK): Tue-Sun 1000-1800, Thu 1000-2100.
Admission charge.

AV23 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Parliament

Details:
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AV15 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Prater

Details: The Prater is a giant wooded park, fairground and the location of one of Vienna’s most famous sights – the century-old Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel). Harry Lime fought here in The Third Man (1949) and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy fell in love here in Before Sunrise (1995).
Location: Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) Prater 90
Tel: (01) 969 7817 or 728 0516.
Tel: (01) 729 5430.
Website: www.wiener-prater.at
Website: www.wienerriesenrad.com

AV16 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Ringstrasse

Details: Ringstrasse is the traditional center of the city.
Location:

AV17 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Royal Treasury (by the Royal Apartments)

Details:
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AV18 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Schloß Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Palace)

Details: Schönbrunn Palace is Vienna’s answer to Versailles and was used as the summer residence of the Habsburgs from the 18th century until 1918. Of the 1,411 rooms in the palace and its adjacent buildings, 40 state rooms are open to the public. The golden-yellow palace is set within equally magnificent gardens, landscaped in the Baroque style, with some fabulous views. The palace and gardens are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Gloriette is a triumphal arch that stands on the hilltop behind the palace and affords a stunning view over the grounds and the city beyond. The Palmenhaus (Palm House) is an excellent example of late 19th-century architecture, with cast iron columns delicately holding up the glass walls and roof. The world’s oldest zoo can be found in the park. It was commissioned in 1752, to amuse and educate the court. This sumptuous baroque palace is one of Vienna's most popular attractions. It has 1441-rooms-worth of imperial splendour (of which 40 can be visited), complete with a classically landscaped garden. Additional attractions (with separate entrance fees) include a maze and the world's oldest zoo.
The pinnacle of finery is reached in the Great Gallery. Gilded scrolls, ceiling frescoes, chandeliers and huge crystal mirrors create the effect. Numerous sumptuous balls were held here, including one for the delegates at the Congress of Vienna (1814-15).
The Mirror Room is where Mozart (then six) played his first royal concert in the presence of Maria Theresa and the royal family in 1762. His father revealed in a letter that afterwards young Wolfgang leapt onto the lap of the empress and kissed her.
The Round Chinese Room is over the top but rather ingenious too. Maria Theresa held secret consultations here: a hidden doorway led to her adviser's apartments and a fully laden table could be drawn up through the floor so the dignitaries could dine without being disturbed by servants.
Location: Schönbrunn Palace
Tel: (01) 811 13 ext. 239.Schönbrunnner Schlossstrasse 1130
Tel: 01 811 13 (info)
Tel: 01 811 11 333 (booking)
info@schoenbrunn.at
Website: www.schoenbrunn.at
http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/site/publicdir/0101040000_8f.php
Opening hours: Daily 0830-1700 (Apr-Oct, until 1800 Jul and Aug), daily 0830-1630 (Nov-Mar). Hours: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct 8:30am-5:00pm, Jul-Aug 8:30am-6:00pm, Nov-Mar 8:30am-4:30pm Palace opening hours
1st April to 30th June 8.30 am to 5 pm
1st July to 31st
Complete : EUR 36. Imperial Tour - EUR 8.90

AV19 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School)

Details: For over 400 years, the horses of the Spanish Riding School have performed their elegant manoeuvres at the Imperial Stables. The Lipizzaner Museum Wien (situated at the stables) traces the history of these renowned performing horses and offers the opportunity to see into the animals’ quarters. The easiest way for visitors to see the horses in action is at their morning training sessions, 1000-1200 Tuesday to Saturday. Tickets to the training sessions, which involve classical dressage exercise to music, are only available at the door on the day. Tickets for the actual performances are in high demand and need to be booked well in advance. The season generally runs from March to June and from September to December. Gala performances vary from month to month, usually Saturday or Sunday mornings and occasionally Friday evenings. Tickets are available on the Internet, by post or by fax and cost and are expensive (standing room is cheaper). Final dress rehearsals before the season starts are cheaper and tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Location: Michaelerplatz 1 (Riding School ticket office), Reitschulgasse 2 (Lipizzaner Museum)
Tel: (01) 533 9031 (Riding School) or 5252 4416 (Lipizzaner Museum).
Website: www.spanische-reitschule.com or www.lipizzaner.at
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (museum), Tues-Sat 1000-1200 (morning training sessions). Guided tours Tues-Sat in the afternoon. Gala performances are usually held on Sunday morning at 1100, occasionally on Friday evenings.
Admission charge.

AV20 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: St. Ruprecht

Details: St. Ruprecht is Vienna’s oldest church.
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AV21 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Staatsoper

Details:
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AV22 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: Stephansdom (St Stephen’s Cathedral)

Details: The imposing St Stephen’s Cathedral marks Graben’s eastern end and is easily spotted, due to its brightly coloured roof tiles, from more distant viewpoints. Construction began on the cathedral in the 12th century and was completed in 1433. Major restoration and rebuilding work was necessary after the cathedral caught fire at the end of World War II. The incredible latticework spire of this Gothic masterpiece is a focal point for all visitors. The dominating feature of the church is the skeletal 136m (446ft) Südturm, or south tower; nicknamed 'Steffl', it has a cramped viewing platform but is worth an elbow or two to get a glimpse of the enchanting postcard views of Vienna.
The church was re-created in Gothic style at the behest of Habsburg Duke Rudolf IV in 1359, who laid the foundation stone and earned himself the epithet of 'The Founder' in the process.
Südturm took 75 years to build and was to be matched by a companion tower on the north side, but the imperial purse withered and the Gothic style went out of fashion, so the half-completed tower was topped off with a Renaissance cupola in 1579. Austria's largest bell, the Pummerin ('boomer bell'), was installed here in 1952.
A striking feature of the exterior is the glorious tiled roof, showing dazzling chevrons on one end and the Austrian eagle on the other; a good perspective is gained from the northeast of Stephansplatz. The cathedral suffered severe damage during a fire in 1945, but donations flowed in from all over Austria and the cathedral was completely rebuilt and reopened in just three years.
Location: Stephansplatz 1
Tel: (01) 515 523 767.
Website: www.stephansdom.at
Opening hours: Daily 0600-2200, services Sat 1900 and Sun 1015 (Sep-Jun), Sun 0930 (Jul-Aug), guided tours Mon-Sat at 1030 and 1500, Sun 1500. Hours: Mon-Sat 6:00am-10:00pm, Sun 7:00am-10:00pm
Admission charge.

AV24 City: Vienna
Name of Attraction: The Giant Ferris Wheel

Details: The Giant Ferris Wheel, trademark of Austria's capital city and a symbol of Vienna's world-famous Prater, creates a very special point of reference for every visitor with its unmistakeable silhouette, clearly visible even from great distances.
A circular trip on one of the most significant and fascinating structures in the world, and the unique view of the city of Vienna, make the Giant Ferris Wheel an absolute cultural and architectural must for every visitor to Austria's capital.
Location:
http://www.wienerriesenrad.com/cgi-bin/tagnacht.cgi?sprache=englisch&sit...
01. January - 28. February 10.00 - 20.00 Uhr
01. March - 30. April 10.00 - 22.00 Uhr
01. May - 30. September 09.00 - 24.00 Uhr
01. October - 31. October 10.00 - 22.00 Uhr
01. November - 31. December 10.00 - 20.00 Uhr
Admission: Adults Euro 8,00

Venice - Attractions Guide

2008-02-08T04:58:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Venice with quick information:

IV03 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Academy Gallery

Details: From Titian to Tintoretto, from Giorgione to Veronese, the Academy has representative works from its Venetian sons in a remarkable collection of paintings spanning the 13th to 18th centuries. The glory that was Venice lives on in the Accademia, the definitive treasure house of Venetian painting and one of Europe's great museums. Exhibited chronologically from the 13th through the 18th centuries, the collection features no one hallmark masterpiece in this collection; rather, this is an outstanding and comprehensive showcase of works by all the great master painters of Venice, the largest such collection in the world.
It includes Paolo and Lorenzo Veneziano from the 14th century; Gentile and Giovanni Bellini (and Giovanni's brother-in-law Andrea Mantegna from Padua) and Vittore Carpaccio from the 15th century; Giorgione (whose Tempest is one of the gallery's most famous highlights), Tintoretto, Veronese (see his Feast in the House of Levi here), and Titian from the 16th century; and from the 17th and 18th centuries, Canaletto, Piazzetta, Longhi, and Tiepolo, among others.
Most of all, the works open a window to the Venice of 500 years ago. Indeed, the canvases reveal how little Venice has changed over the centuries. Housed in a deconsecrated church and its adjoining scuola, the church's confraternity hall, it is Venice's principal picture gallery, and one of the most important in Italy. Because of fire regulations, admission is limited, and lines can be daunting (check for extended evening hours in peak months), but put up with the wait and don't miss it.
Location: Campo della Carita, Dorsodura. (041) 522-2247 Dorsoduro, at foot of Accademia Bridge
041-522-2247
Vaporetto: Accademia
Mon 8:15am-2pm; Tues-Sun 8:15am-7:15pm; last admission 30 min. before close (winter hours may be shorter)
Prices Admission 6.50€ ($8.15) adults, 3.25€ ($4.05) children 12-18, free for children under 12

IV04 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Basilica dei Frari (Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari)

Details: The glorious Gothic Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, constructed around 1330, is primarily associated with the name of Titian, Venice’s painter son who is buried here, alongside the city’s celebrated sculptor, Antonio Canova. Titian made his reputation and crowned his early years by painting the huge altar piece, The Assumption of the Virgin, for the Franciscan brothers of the Frari in 1518. The view through the choir screen and wooden choir to the high altar influenced Titian’s choice of frame and composition. The best way for one to admire it is to walk slowly up the centre of the nave towards the altar. Titian also executed the painting over the Pesaro family altar in the north aisle. The inclusion of the flag and Turk in the painting alludes to Bishop Pesaro’s victory over the Turks at Santa Maura. Titian’s tomb, located in the south aisle, faces the large marble pyramid created for Canova, depicting St Mark’s lion paying homage to the dead sculptor. Ironically, the design, executed by Canova’s pupils, was based on Canova’s own plans for a new monument to Titian.
Location: San Polo 3072
Tel: (041) 272 8611.
Website: www.basilicadeifrari.it
Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 to San Tomà.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800 and Sun 1300-1800.
Admission: €2.50

IV05 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Basilica di San Marco (St Mark’s Basilica)

Details: St Mark’s Square was memorably described by Napoleon as the ‘drawing room of Europe’. Here, visitors can sit at one of the elegant 18th-century coffee houses (Florian and Caffe Quadri, with tables spilling out into the sunlight from the shadows of the Renaissance colonnades) and peer at one of Europe’s most unusual churches, the golden Byzantine Basilica di San Marco. The basilica was founded in the ninth century, as a shrine for the relics of St Mark, whose body was smuggled from Alexandria in a barrel of salted pork. Formerly a private chapel of the Doges, the church was completely rebuilt in the 11th century, following a fire. Built on a plan of a Greek Cross, its Eastern appearance is enhanced by golden mosaics both inside and out, originally created by craftsmen from the Byzantine court at Ravenna. To see how the church appeared in 1260, visitors should take a look at the mosaic over the left portal – one of the oldest surviving mosaics on the façade. Also on the façade are copies of four bronze horses seized from Constantine’s Hippodrome at the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, which became one of the symbols of the city. The originals are now displayed in the Museo Marciano, inside the church. The interior, lit by the expanse of golden mosaics, houses many of Venice’s greatest treasures. In the chapel north of the main altar is the venerated icon of the Madonna Nicopeia. Once worshipped by the Roman Emperors in Constantinople, she came to Venice in 1204, as their Madonna of Victory, whose blessing was vital for Venetian military campaigns. The golden screen behind the high altar – the crypt in which St Mark is supposed to be buried – is the Pala d’Oro. Decked with sapphires, emeralds and rubies and inset with enamels from Constantinople, it was ordered by Pietro Orseolo, the Doge who was responsible for the rebuilding of the Basilica. Before leaving St Mark’s, visitors should pause to admire the 12th-century pavement, a resplendent mosaic of glass and marble. Now filled with uneven dips, it is a fitting witness to Venice’s unique situation, as the weight of its history threatens to submerge it below the waves. The attempts to reverse this process are all too visible if you cast your eyes towards the lagoon. The waterfront by Piazza San Marco is currently blighted by much-needed attempts to shore it up, and looks destined to ruin many a tourist photo for some time to come.
Location: Piazza San Marco
Tel: (041) 522 5205. Fax: (041) 520 8289.
Website: www.basilicasanmarco.it
Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 to San Zaccaria.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0945-1700 and Sun 1400-1700.
Admission: Free (Church), €2 (Pala D’Oro), €2.50 (Treasury).

IV06 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Burano

Details: Burano sees its fair share of tourists in the summer months and many Venetians descend on this lagoon island at weekends. But on a quiet, sunny weekday, the island is nothing short of idyllic. Many of its narrow canals are lined with brightly painted houses, said to have been painted originally by local fishermen, so that they could find their way home through the murky lagoon mists. The main industry today is tourism, which is fuelled by the production of traditional lace, on sale from many outlets around the island. Once visitors have purchased the obligatory lace souvenir, the only other pursuits are idling around the charming canals and lazing away the day in the waterfront cafés and restaurants. A meal at Il Gatto Nero (tel: (041) 730 120), a popular trattoria serving food every bit as good as Burano’s more expensive and more tourist-orientated restaurants, is an experience to remember, although booking is essential to secure an outside table beside the canal.
Location: Burano Island
Transport: Vaporetto 12.

IV07 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Ca’D’Oro

Details: Once truly a Golden House with ornaments trimmed in pure gold, this Venetian Gothic palace was created in 1434 by Marino Contarini for his wife. A 19th-century Russian prince later presented it to dancer Maria Taglioni, adding to her collection of palaces along the Grand Canal. Its final proprietor left Ca' d'Oro to the city, after filling it with antiquities, sculptures and paintings on exhibit as Galleria Franchetti. One detached fresco on display was created by a young Titian for what is now the main post office.
Location: Calle Ca' d'Oro, Cannaregio 3933. (041) 522-2349

IV08 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Caffe Florian

Details: Built in 1720, Caffe Florian’s Art Nouveau décor, plush red banquettes, and elaborate murals serve as a timeless backdrop for lunch, afternoon tea and libations extending into the night. Lord Byron was a regular, as was Casanova, often stopping by in search of female company. Dickens, Proust, Stravinsky, Modigliani and others also made Caffe Florian a second home. (Caffe Florian also has gone to sea, now operating a replica annex aboard Costa’s CostaAtlantica.)
Location: Piazza San Marco 56-59. (041) 520-5641

IV26 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Campanile di San Marco

Details: A grand, brick bell tower standing 325 feet tall is what you will find when making a stop by this site. Features to take note of include a lovely angel, which will cost you EUR6 to enjoy. It's an easy elevator ride up to the top of this 97m (318-ft.) bell tower for a breathtaking view of the cupolas of St. Mark's. It is the highest structure in the city, offering a pigeon's-eye view that includes the lagoon, its neighboring islands, and the red rooftops and church domes and bell towers of Venice -- and, oddly, not a single canal. On a clear day, you may even see the outline of the distant snowcapped Dolomite Mountains. Originally built in the 9th century, the bell tower was then rebuilt in the 12th, 14th, and 16th centuries, when the pretty marble loggia at its base was added by Jacopo Sansovino. It collapsed unexpectedly in 1902, miraculously hurting no one except a cat. It was rebuilt exactly as before, using most of the same materials, even rescuing one of the five historical bells that it still uses today (each bell was rung for a different purpose, such as war, the death of a doge, religious holidays, and so on).
Location: San Marco, Piazza San Marco
041-522-4064
Vaporetto: San Marco
Apr-June 9:30am-5pm; July-Sept 9am-9pm
Admission 6€ ($7.50)

IV10 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Galleria dell’Accademia

Details: Many of Venice’s greatest paintings remain in the buildings for which they were created, but the most important art gallery, the Accademia, is still worth a visit. Housed in the former church of Santa Maria della Carita and the adjoining Scuola, the collection first opened in 1750. Oils were the favourite medium of the Venetian masters. Frescoes, popular on the mainland, were unsuited to the damp, salty climate of the lagoon and soon perished. Instead, oils painted on wood or canvas (long used in Northern Europe) were exploited to new limits, with the artists demonstrating an unusual sensitivity to colour and light, no doubt partly influenced by the play of light on the lagoon. The small paintings in rooms 4 and 5 are some of the finest in the collection. Giorgione’s Tempesta, depicting a naked mother and child sheltering under a stormy sky against the ruins of an ancient city, is full of mystery. Little is known about the artist and the subject of the scene is unclear, but the interplay of dark and light conveys a deep sense of drama. The larger canvases by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese in room 10 should not be missed either. Titian painted the Pieta for his own tomb, demonstrating his extraordinary ability to create light with his palette. Veronese’s bawdy picture, entitled Feast in the House of Levi, was originally painted as The Last Supper but the artist was forced to amend the subject after charges of indecorum. Visitors should allow time for room 21, to admire the drama and colour of the nine broad canvases in which Carpaccio has dramatically staged the Life of St Ursula.
Location: Dorsoduro 1050
Tel: (041) 522 2247. Fax: (041) 521 2709.
Website: www.gallerieaccademia.org
Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0815-1915, Mon 0815-1400.
Admission: €6.50.

IV24 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Glass Musuem

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IV23 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Gondola Ride

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IV11 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Gran Caffe Lavena

Details: Composer Richard Wagner composed his greatest operatic works at the Gran Caffe Lavena, known for its ornate chandelier. Excellent tables are near the windows in front and great ice cream is available at the bar. Tables outside on the piazza carry a hefty cover charge. Historically, gondoliers also have hung out here.
Location: Piazza San Marco 133-134. (041) 522-4070

IV12 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Harry’s Bar

Details: What Sloppy Joes is to Key West, Harry’s Bar is to Venice as being among the favored watering holes of Ernest Hemingway. Lore has it that carpaccio, in its raw, beefy Hemingway-esque glory, was invented here. Harry’s is also known for its fresh peach juice and sparkling wine Bellinis, which the author called suitable for sissies. The Burtons, Bogart and Bacall were regulars here, and celebrities still stop by, often during film and art festivals.
Location: Calle Vallaresso, San Marco 1323. (041) 528-5777

IV25 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Museo Civico Correr

Details: This museum, which you enter through an arcade at the west end of Piazza San Marco opposite the basilica, is no match for the Accademia but does include some interesting paintings of Venetian life, and a fine collection of artifacts, such as coins, costumes, the doges' ceremonial robes and hats, and an incredible pair of 15-inch platform shoes, that gives an interesting feel for aspects of the day-to-day life in La Serenissima in the heyday of its glory. Bequeathed to the city by the aristocratic Correr family in 1830, the museum is divided into three sections: the Painting Section, the History Section, and the Museum of the Risorgimento (1797-1866). The latter two aren't worth much mention. Of the painting collection from the 13th to 18th centuries, Vittorio Carpaccio's Le Cortigiane (The Courtesans), in room no. 15 on the upper floor, is one of the museum's most famous paintings (are they courtesans or the respected elite?), as are the star-attraction paintings by the Bellini family, father Jacopo and sons Gentile and Giovanni. For a lesson in just how little this city has changed in the last several hundred years, head to room no. 22 and its anonymous 17th-century bird's-eye view of Venice. Most of the rooms have a sign with a few paragraphs in English explaining the significance of the contents.
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IV13 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Naval History Museum

Details: Cannons, ship models and pieces of vessels dating to when Venice reigned supreme on the Adriatic beckon from the Naval History Museum, housing a gilded model of the Bucintoro. This fabulous ship of the doge is said to have made Cleopatra’s famed barge look like a tanker. Also displayed are two dozen Chinese junks and maritime paintings. The Naval History Museum's most fascinating exhibit is its collection of model ships. It was once common practice for vessels to be built not from blueprints, but from the precise scale models that you see here. The prize of the collection is a model of the legendary Bucintoro, the lavish ceremonial barge of the doges. Another section of the museum contains an array of historic vessels. Walk along the canal as it branches off from the museum to the Ships' Pavilion, where the historic vessels are displayed.
Occupying one-fifth of the city's total acreage, the arsenal was once the very source of the republic's maritime power. It is now used as a military zone and is as closed as Fort Knox to the curious. The marble-columned Renaissance gate with the republic's winged lion above is flanked by four ancient lions, booty brought at various times from Greece and points farther east. It was founded in 1104, and at the height of Venice's power in the 15th century, it employed 16,000 workers who turned out merchant and wartime galley after galley on an early version of massive assembly lines at speeds and in volume unknown until modern times.
Location: Campo San Biasio, Castello 2148. (041) 520-0276
Vaporetto: Arsenale
Tues-Sun 9:30am-12:30pm; Tues-Sat 3:30-6:30pm
Admission 3€ ($3.75)

IV14 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Palazzo Ducale (Doges’ Palace)

Details: The Doges’ Palace (once home to the elected leader of Venice, the Doge, as well as the city’s political nerve centre) is a must for anyone interested in the history of Venice and its former empire. A building seemingly too graceful for the dirty work of government, its pearly façade is best appreciated from the lagoon, in whose milky light her rosy complexion blushes beguilingly. A merging of Islamic and Gothic styles, the façade dates from 1365. In contrast to the stern fortifications of the castle that was formerly on this site, the undefended colonnade and arcaded balcony are a testament to Venice’s confidence and democratic outlook during the Middle Ages. The interior is more Renaissance in style, dating mainly from the 16th century, when Antonio da Ponte was employed to refurbish the palace after the fire of 1577. The first floor is predominantly made up of the Ducal apartments, all but empty except for some exemplary paintings by Titian and Bellini. It is on the upper floors that the business of government took place and it is here that Tintoretto and Veronese were commissioned to create new paintings to highlight the power and wealth of the republic. The Anticollegio (or waiting room) holds some of the palace’s best works – Tintoretto’s Bacchus and Ariadne vies for attention with Veronese’s Rape of Europa.
Further on, the Sala del Collegio is dominated by Veronese’s ceiling painting of Venice Triumphant above the throne. But it is the Chamber of the Great Council (Sala del Maggior Consiglio), the huge hall on the third floor, spanning the length of the façade overlooking the lagoon, which holds the palace’s most dramatic work. Tintoretto’s Vision of Paradise (painted with the help of his son, Domenico) is the largest oil painting in the world, with a cast of 500 figures. Tintoretto junior is also responsible for the frieze of portraits of the first 76 Doges, made memorable by the blacked-out image of Marin Falier, the only Doge ever to attempt to overthrow the council and install himself as absolute ruler. Falier was beheaded for his pains but his notoriety lives on in this silhouetted image. The Doges’ Palace is currently nearing the end of a five-stage restoration project, with the final completion date constantly changing. Concerted attempts are being made to keep as many of the museum areas as possible open throughout the running repairs.
Begun in the 12th century and continuously remodeled, this pink and white marble palace represents the most glorious period of Venice in terms of prosperity and power. The ceiling of the Senate Chamber features The Triumph of Venice by Tintoretto.
The pink-and-white marble Gothic-Renaissance Palazzo Ducale, residence and government center of the doges ("dukes," elected for life) who ruled Venice for more than 1,000 years, stands between the Basilica di San Marco and St. Mark's Basin. A symbol of prosperity and power, it was destroyed by a succession of fires and was built and rebuilt in 1340 and 1424 in its present form, escaping the Renaissance fever that was in the air at the time. Forever being expanded, it slowly grew to be one of Italy's greatest civic structures. A 15th-century Porta della Carta (Paper Gate; the entrance adjacent to the basilica where the doges' official proclamations and decrees were posted) opens onto a splendid inner courtyard with a double row of Renaissance arches.
Ahead you'll see Jacopo Sansovino's enormous Scala dei Giganti staircase (Stairway of the Giants; scene of the doges' lavish inaugurations and never used by mere mortals), which leads to the wood-paneled courts and elaborate meeting rooms of the interior. The walls and ceilings of the principal rooms were richly decorated by the Venetian masters, including Veronese, Titian, Carpaccio, and Tintoretto, to illustrate the history of the puissant Venetian Republic while at the same time impressing visiting diplomats and emissaries from the far-flung corners of the maritime republic with the uncontested prosperity and power it had attained.
If you want to understand something of this magnificent palace, the fascinating history of the 1,000-year-old maritime republic and the intrigue of the government that ruled it, take the Secret Itineraries tour. Failing that, at least shell out for the infrared audio-guide tour (at entrance: 5.50€/$6.90) to help make sense of it all. Unless you can tag along with an English-speaking tour group, you may otherwise miss out on the importance of much of what you're seeing.
The first room you'll come to is the spacious Sala delle Quattro Porte (Hall of the Four Doors), whose ceiling is by Tintoretto. The Sala del Anti-Collegio (adjacent to the College Chamber, whose ceiling is decorated by Tintoretto), the next main room, is where foreign ambassadors waited to be received by this committee of 25 members: It is decorated with works by Tintoretto, and Veronese's Rape of Europe, considered one of the palazzo's finest. It steals some of the thunder of Tintoretto's Three Graces and Bacchus and Ariadne -- the latter considered one of his best by some critics. A right turn from this room leads into one of the most impressive of the spectacular interior rooms, the richly adorned Sala del Senato (Senate Chamber), with Tintoretto's ceiling painting, The Triumph of Venice. Here laws were passed by the Senate, a select group of 200 chosen from the Great Council. The latter was originally an elected body, but from the 13th century onward, it was an aristocratic stronghold that could number as many as 1,700. After passing again through the Sala delle Quattro Porte, you'll come to the Veronese-decorated Stanza del Consiglio dei Dieci (Room of the Council of Ten, the republic's dreaded security police), of particular historical interest. It was in this room that justice was dispensed and decapitations ordered. Formed in the 14th century to deal with emergency situations, the Ten were considered more powerful than the Senate, and feared by all. Just outside the adjacent chamber, in the Sala della Bussola (The Compass Chamber), notice the Bocca dei Leoni ("lion's mouth"), a slit in the wall into which secret denunciations and accusations of enemies of the state were placed for quick action by the much-feared Council.
The main sight on the next level down -- indeed in the entire palace -- is the Sala del Maggior Consiglio (Great Council Hall). This enormous space is made special by Tintoretto's huge Paradiso at the far end of the hall above the doge's seat (the painter was in his 70s when he undertook the project with the help of his son; he died 6 years later). Measuring 7m by 23m (23 ft.*75 ft.), it is said to be the world's largest oil painting; together with Veronese's gorgeous Il Trionfo di Venezia (The Triumph of Venice) in the oval panel on the ceiling, it affirms the power emanating from the council sessions held here. Tintoretto also did the portraits of the 76 doges encircling the top of this chamber; note that the picture of the Doge Marin Falier, who was convicted of treason and beheaded in 1355, has been blacked out -- Venice has never forgiven him. Although elected for life since sometime in the 7th century, over time il doge became nothing but a figurehead (they were never allowed to meet with foreign ambassadors alone); the power rested in the Great Council. Exit the Great Council Hall via the tiny doorway on the opposite side of Tintoretto's Paradiso to find the enclosed Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs), which connects the Ducal Palace with the grim Palazzo delle Prigioni (Prisons). The bridge took its current name only in the 19th century, when visiting northern European poets romantically envisioned the prisoners' final breath of resignation upon viewing the outside world one last time before being locked in their fetid cells awaiting the quick justice of the Terrible Ten. Some attribute the name to Casanova, who, following his arrest in 1755 (he was accused of being a Freemason and spreading antireligious propaganda), crossed this very bridge. He was one of the rare few to escape 15 months after his imprisonment, returning to Venice 20 years later. Some of the stone cells still have the original graffiti of past prisoners, many of them locked up interminably for petty crimes.
An Insider's Look at the Palazzo Ducale--I cannot recommend the Itinerari Segreti (Secret Itineraries) guided tours highly enough. The tours offer an unparalleled look into the world of Venetian politics over the centuries and are the only way to access the otherwise restricted quarters and hidden passageways of this enormous palace, such as the doges' private chambers and the torture chambers where prisoners were interrogated. The story of Giacomo Casanova's imprisonment in, and famous escape from, the palace's prisons is the tour highlight (though a few of the less-inspired guides harp on this aspect a bit too much). I strongly recommend you reserve in advance, by phone if possible -- tours are often sold out at least a few days ahead, especially from spring through fall -- or in person at the ticket desk. Tours are at 10:30am Thursday through Tuesday (by reservation only), and cost 13€ ($16) for adults, 7€ ($8.75) for students, and 4€ ($5) for children 6 to 14.
Location: Riva degli Schiavoni, San Marco
Square San Marco. (041) 522-4951
Tel: (041) 271 5911.
Website: www.museiciviciveneziani.it
Transport: Vaporetto 1, 6, 14, 41, 42, 51, 52 or 82.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 (Apr-Oct) and 0900-1700 (Nov-Mar).
Admission: €11 or €15.50 (only Museum Card or Museum Pass holders are admitted).Admission on San Marco cumulative ticket) or 11€ ($14) adults, 5.50€ ($7) students ages 15-29, 3€ ($3.75) ages 6-14 (includes cumulative ticket, free for children younger than 5)

IV01 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Details: Peggy Guggenheim’s collection of modern art is probably the most distinguished in Italy. The wealthy American heiress (a generous benefactor who helped promote Jackson Pollock amongst others) built up her collection between 1938 and 1947. Following the exhibition of the collection at the 1948 Venice Biennale, she bought the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, where she lived until her death in 1979, leaving her estate to the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation. The collection spans Cubism, European Abstraction, Surrealism and early American Abstract Expressionism, with works by a wide variety of artists, including Pollock, Picasso, Kandinsky and Dalí. The sculpture garden is particularly fine and enjoys lovely views over the Grand Canal.
Location: Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Dorsoduro
Tel: (041) 240 5411. Fax: (041) 520 6885.
E-mail: info@guggenheim-venice.it
Website: www.guggenheim-venice.it
Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 from Piazza San Marco.
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1800, closed Tue.
Admission: €10.

IV21 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Piazza San Marco

Details:
Location:

IV02 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Rialto Bridge

Details: Venice is historically centred on Rialto Island, the name of which is derived from the Latin rivus altus, meaning high bank. In the 10th century, a provisions market developed spontaneously on the adjacent island and so, in 1264, the first wooden bridge linking the two landmasses was built. This wooden bridge collapsed in 1444, from the weight of crowds watching a wedding procession. It was replaced in 1588, by Antonio da Ponte’s design for the single stone arched bridge, which beat off proposals by Palladio and Michelangelo. Da Ponte’s bridge retained the covered shops of the original – today the haunt of tacky tourist traps and hawk-eyed goldsmiths but once home to Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Visitors may note how the bridge crosses the Grand Canal at an angle, in order to align with the axis of the Ruga degli Orefici (Goldsmiths’ Road). Until 1854, this was the only point at which the Grand Canal could be crossed on foot. If visiting during the day, make sure to return when it is dark, or even better misty as well, when the bridge really takes on an otherworldly atmosphere.
Location: Ponte di Rialto, near Piazzale Roma
Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission: Free.

IV15 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari

Details: Completed in the 1400s after more than a century of labor, this Gothic brick church houses Giovanni Bellini’s 1488 triptych Madonna and Child with Saints, among other treasured works including Titian’s Madonna di Ca’ Pesaro, which took nearly a decade to complete.
Location: Campo del Frari. (041) 272-8618

IV16 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Scuola Dalmata di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni (Dalmation School of St George the Slav)

Details: During the Middle Ages, the large Dalmatian (Schiavoni means ‘Slav’) population in Venice provided labourers for building ships in the arsenal and sailors for the Venetian fleets. Forming a charitable guild in 1451, they moved their seat to the School of St George in 1480, under the patronage of the Knights of Malta. Vittore Carpaccio, himself of Istrian origin, painted a series of celebrated and brilliantly imaginative canvases, between 1502 and 1508. Located in a dark hall on the ground floor since 1551, the canvases depict scenes from the lives of the guild’s patron saints – St George, St Tryphone and St Jerome. Based on tales from The Golden Legend, the images depict St George killing the dragon, St Jerome welcoming the lion into the monastery, the funeral of St Jerome and the revelation of the death of St Jerome to St Augustine. Carpaccio’s canvases demand attention through a combination of drama and extraordinary detail. The canal-side wall, complete with its relief of George slaying the dragon, is in a dire state, but finally work is underway to shore it up, as well as to stabilise the rest of the exterior.
Location: Calle dei Furlani 3259/a, Castello
Tel: (041) 522 8828. Fax: (041) 520 8446.
Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 52 to San Zaccaria.
Opening: Tues-Sat 0930-1230 and 1530-1830, Sun 0930-1230 (Apr-Oct), Tues-Sat 1000-1230 and 1500-1800, Sun 1000-1230 (Nov-Mar).
Admission: €2.50.

IV17 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Scuola Grande di San Rocco (School of St Roch)

Details: The renown of the School of St Roch, one of the many lay fraternities established in Venice for charitable works, is the series of masterful canvases by Jacopo Tintoretto that decorate its interior. Founded in 1478, the school was dedicated to St Roch, following a particularly vicious outbreak of plague. Tintoretto won the commission to decorate the entire Scuola in 1564 and spent the next 23 years doing so, becoming a brother of the school. The ground floor holds a series of large canvasses depicting scenes from the Life of the Virgin (1582-1587). In the upper hall, connected by Scarpagnino’s staircase, are representations from the Old Testament on the ceiling and New Testament on the walls (1570-1581). The art critic and famous Victorian thinker, John Ruskin, reserved his greatest praise for the Sala dell’Albergo (1564-1567), where the chapter met. On entering the room, the visitor is confronted with the stunning expanse of Tintoretto’s Crucifixion along the breadth of the opposite wall, one of the world’s great works of art. Tintoretto manages to capture the painterly equivalent of tempo, rendering the darkened landscape busy with vignettes of activity while the divine halo around Christ’s head, his face partly hidden as his head bows in death, dimly illuminates the scene. Visitors attending one of the cultural events in the building can nip through during the interval for a free peek at the master’s work.
Location: Campo San Rocco, San Polo 3054
Tel: (041) 523 4864. Fax (041) 524 2820.
Website: www.scuolagrandesanrocco.it
Transport: Vaporetto 1 or 82 to San Tomà.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600.
Admission: €5.

IV27 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Squero di San Trovaso

Details: One of the most interesting (and photographed) sights you'll see in Venice is this small squero (boatyard), which first opened in the 17th century. Just north of the Zattere (the wide, sunny walkway that runs alongside the Giudecca Canal in Dorsoduro), the boatyard lies next to the Church of San Trovaso on the narrow Rio San Trovaso (not far from the Accademia Bridge). It is surrounded by Tyrolian-looking wooden structures (a true rarity in this city of stone built on water) that are home to the multigenerational owners and original workshops for traditional Venetian boats. Aware that they have become a tourist site themselves, the gondoliers don't mind if you watch them at work from across the narrow Rio di San Trovaso, but don't try to invite yourself in. It's the perfect midway photo op after a visit to the Gallerie dell'Accademia and a trip to the well-known gelateria, Da Nico (Zattere 922), whose chocolate gianduiotto is not to be missed.
The Art of the Gondola--Putting together one of the sleek black boats is a fascinatingly exact science that is still done in the revered traditional manner at boatyards such as the Squero di San Trovaso . The boats have been painted black since a 16th-century sumptuary law -- one of many passed by the local legislators as excess and extravagance spiraled out of control. Whether regarding boats or baubles, laws were passed to restrict the gaudy outlandishness that, at the time, was commonly used to outdo the Joneses.
Propelled by the strength of a single gondoliere, these boats, unique to Venice, have no modern equipment. They move with no great speed but with unrivaled grace. The right side of the gondola is lower because the gondoliere always stands in the back of the boat on the left. Although the San Trovaso squero, or boatyard, is the city's oldest and one of only three remaining (the other two are immeasurably more difficult to find), its predominant focus is on maintenance and repair. They will occasionally build a new gondola (which takes some 40-45 working days), carefully crafting it from the seven types of wood -- mahogany, cherry, fir, walnut, oak, elm, and lime -- necessary to give the shallow and asymmetrical boat its various characteristics. After all the pieces are put together, the painting, the ferro (the iron symbol of the city affixed to the bow), and the wood-carving that secures the oar are commissioned out to various local artisans.
Although some 10,000 of these elegant boats floated on the canals of Venice in the 16th century, today there are only 350. But the job of gondoliere remains a coveted profession, passed down from father to son over the centuries.
Location: On the Rio San Trovaso, southwest of the Accademia Gallery
Vaporetto: Zattere
Free

IV18 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: St. Mark’s Square

Details: Rather than being a strict rectangle, St. Mark’s Square is wider at the basilica end. The long arcaded Procuratie Vecchie was built in the early 16th century for magistrates of San Marco, and the Procuratie Nuove was built a half century later. Napoleon, upon entering Venice with troops in 1797, called Piazza San Marco the “world’s most beautiful drawing room.” He then ordered it redecorated, and his architects razed a 16th century church to make room for the Napoleonic wing. St. Mark’s Square’s several cafes are excellent for taking tea while enjoying live music as sunlight moves across the piazza.
Location: Square San Marco. (041) 522-5697

IV19 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: The Lido

Details: While the fashionable set still checks into area hotels such as the Hotel des Bains and The Excelsior, this beach strip area has become quite touristy. Sands are inviting, but waters are too polluted for swimming. On the Lido is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, established in 1386 with a surviving gravestone from 1389.
Location: Visits can be arranged by calling (041) 715-359

IV20 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Torcello

Details: Torcello appears almost deserted and it is difficult to believe that, between the seventh and 13th centuries, it was home to a thriving community of 30,000 who prospered from the wool and salt trade. The town’s decline began in the 14th century, when silt from the rivers turned the waterways around the island into swampland and brought malaria to the community. A visit to this ghost town provides a fascinating glimpse into the early beginnings and architecture of the Venetian lagoons. The main square can be reached by crossing the Devil’s Bridge, the only medieval bridge remaining in Venice, allegedly built by the devil in a single night. The austere façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, linked by a portico to the Church of Santa Fosca and the Baptistery, conceals lavish mosaic wall coverings. Founded in the seventh century and rebuilt in the ninth and 11th, the complex pre-dates St Mark’s Basilica by two centuries. In the central apse, there is a beautiful representation of the Virgin and the Mystic Lamb, inspired by works in Ravenna. The most magnificent mosaic is on the wall over the main door and is an enormous composition depicting Christ and the final judgement. Torcello also has its own provincial museum, Museo Provinciale Di Torcello, dedicated to the island’s history and evolution with exhibits from different eras including Roman and early-Veneto times.
Location: Torcello Island
Museo Provinciale Di Torcello Piazza Torcello, 30012 Torcello
Tel: (041) 730 761. Fax: (041) 730 875.
Website: www.provincia.venezia.it/assap
Transport: Vaporetto 41 and 42 or ACTV 12 or 14 from Fondamente Nuove and Punta Sabbioni. Transport: Vaporetto 41 and 42 or ACTV 12 or 14 from Fondamente Nuove and Punta Sabbioni. Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1000-1200 and 1430-1730 (Apr-Oct) and 1030-1200 and 1430-1600 (Nov-Mar)
Admission: €3.

IV22 City: Venice
Name of Attraction: Vaporetto ride up Canal Grande

Details: A leisurely cruise along the "Canalazzo" from Piazza San Marco to the Ferrovia (train station), or the reverse, is one of Venice's (and life's) must-do experiences. Hop on the no. 1 vaporetto in the late afternoon (try to get one of the coveted outdoor seats in the prow), when the weather-worn colors of the former homes of Venice's merchant elite are warmed by the soft light and reflected in the canal's rippling waters, and the busy traffic of delivery boats, vaporetti, and gondolas that fills the city's main thoroughfare has eased somewhat. The sheer number and opulence of the 200-odd palazzi, churches, and imposing republican buildings dating from the 14th to the 18th centuries is enough to make any boat-going visitor's head swim. Many of the largest are now converted into imposing international banks, government or university buildings, art galleries, and dignified consulates.
Location: 2 most popular stations located at Piazzale Roma/Ferrovia (train station); and at Piazza San Marco
Vaporetto: 1
Tickets 3.50€ ($4.40)

The Glacier Express

2008-02-06T05:03:00.000-08:00

Details: Travel on the famous Swiss mountain railways from St.Moritz to Zermatt and vice versa or from Piz Bernina to the Matterhorn. A 7 1/2 hour railway journey across 291 bridges,

through 91 tunnels and across the Oberalp Pass at 2’033 metres in altitude. A panoramic trip through the Alps in the heart of Switzerland. The Glacier Express travels a beautiful route between the sights of the Graubünden holiday region, central Switzerland, including Lake Lucerne and Lucerne itself, the sunny Valais region with its glacier landscape, and the beautiful regions of the South. Travel in comfort through the unspoilt natural beauty of a landscape rich in ancient, fragrant moun- tain forests, peaceful Alpine meadows, rushing mountain streams and mountain valleys, soaked in tradition and centuries-old culture.
Location:
http://www.glacierexpress.ch/theglacierexpress.php

Bernina Express (St Mortiz-Tirano)

2008-02-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

Details: Cross the Alps from North to South (or vice-versa) in style! The Bernina Express offers breath-taking vistas from the beautiful 1st and 2nd class panorama cars. Ride over graceful viaducts, through galleries hewn into the sheer rock, through switch-back tunnels, along rushing mountain streams, glaciers and even an alpine garden.

Technical buffs will enjoy knowing that the train climbs up to the 2253 m high Bernina Pass without the help of a rack-and-pinion mechanism. The entire trip is narrated.
In summer, an optional bus connects Tirano (Italy) to Lugano. Seat reservations are mandatory for connections 1) and 2). Be sure to have valid entry documents for Italy since you will leave and re-enter Switzerland.

Schaffhausen - Rhine Falls

2008-02-04T05:07:00.000-08:00

Name of Attraction: Rhine Falls

Details: Schaffhausen’s best excursion is the short trip westwards to the Rhine falls, Europe’s largest waterfall. They are truly magnificent, not so much for their height (a mere 23m) as for their impressive breadth (150m) and the sheer drama of the place, with the spray rising in a cloud of rainbows above the forested banks. The turreted castle Schloss Laufen on a cliff directly above the falls to the south completes the spectacle. August 1 – the Swiss National Day – is particularly impressive, with a huge fireworks display mounted on the riverside.
Getting to the falls is simplicity itself: the 3km riverside walk from Schaffhausen to the suburban town of Neuhausen, where the falls are located, takes about 45 minutes; or you could take city bus #1 or #6 to Neuhausen Zentrum, from where the well-signposted falls are five minutes’ walk away. Schloss Laufen even has a train station (April–Oct only), served by hourly trains on the line between Schaffhausen and Winterthur. (Neuhausen’s own station is awkwardly far from the falls.)
Once you’re within sight of the falls, though, you’re inevitably brought down to earth with a bump by the hordes of tourists crowding both banks in search of the best camera angle, and by the circus of souvenir stalls and dismal restaurants all around. The worst of it is on the north bank; crossing by the arched footbridge over to the south bank – which can still get unpleasantly overrun – at least means you can experience the power of the falls at close quarters. Damp steps (Fr.1) lead from the souvenir shop at Schloss Laufen down to various platforms at the very edge, from where the roaring waters tumble inches from your nose.
The best way to see the falls is from one of the daredevil boats which scurry around in the spray; Rhyfall-Mändli (052/672 48 11) is the best-known operator, running a host of very popular trips continuously throughout the day (June–Aug 10am–6pm; May & Sept 11am–5pm; Fr.5–6.50). Boats depart from easy-to-spot jetties on both banks.
Location:

Salzburg - Attractions Guide

2008-02-03T05:12:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Salzburg with quick information:

AS01 City: Salzburg
Name of Attraction: Festival Halls

Details: Guided tours are given (once daily in winter, twice in June and September and thrice in July and August) of the splendid and world-famous Festival Halls, where all main ballet, opera and musical concerts during the Salzburg Festival are performed.
Location: Hofstallgasse 1
Tel: (0662) 849 097.
Website: www.salzburgfestival.at

AS02 City: Salzburg
Name of Attraction: Getreidegasse

Details: The Getreidegasse is the most famous shopping street in Salzburg, and it is famous not only for the excellent range of shops on offer, but also for the layout of the street and the peculiar and elegant interconnected houses, passageways and courtyards along the way.
Location:

AS03 City: Salzburg
Name of Attraction: Mozart’s Birthplace

Details: The Hagenauer House is where Mozart’s family lived on the third floor from 1747 to 1773. The musical genius was born here in 1756. Today the house is a museum with exhibits such as Mozart’s childhood violin and several of his other instruments. There is also a museum at the Mozart family’s residence (tel: (0662) 8742 2740, website: www.mozarteum.at) from 1773 to 1780 at Makartplatz 8.
Location: Getreidegasse 9
Tel: (0662) 844 313.
Website: www.mozarteum.at

AS04 City: Salzburg
Name of Attraction: Salzburg’s Cathedral

Details: This is the city’s ecclesiastical centre and the most significant piece of early Baroque architecture in the whole of Europe north of the Alps. Among the precious objects it contains is the baptismal font in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptised.
Location: Domplatz
Tel: (0662) 804 7450.
Website: www.kirchen.net/dommuseum

AS05 City: Salzburg
Name of Attraction: St Peter’s Abbey and Monastery

Details: St Peter’s Abbey and Monastery, S t Peter Bezirk, is the oldest continuously active monastery on German soil, founded by the Frankish missionary Rubert after he arrived in Salzburg around 700. There are catacombs, probably of early Christian origin, in the area.
Location: Postfach 113
Tel: (0662) 844 576.
Website: www.stift-stpeter.at

AS06 City: Salzburg
Name of Attraction: The Hohensalzburg Fortress

Details: Overlooking and guarding the city from high above, this is the largest fully-preserved fortress in Central Europe and Salzburg’s chief landmark with a history going back to 1077. It can be accessed by using the Funicular Railway (Festungsbahn) (tel: (0662) 4480 9750) up the hill side from Festungsgasse 4.
Location:
Tel: (0662) 8424 3011 or 846 181.
Website: www.salzburg-burgen.at

AS07 City: Salzburg
Name of Attraction: The Residenz

Details: The former official apartments of the Salzburg prince archbishops is an extensive and impressive complex of buildings, which contains the Residenz Gallery (tel: (0662) 840 451-0, website: www.residenzgalerie.at), an excellent art gallery with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens and Brueghel, to name but a few.
Location: Residenzplatz
Tel: (0662) 8042 2690/2761.
Website: www.salzburg-burgen.at

Rome – Attractions Guide

2008-02-02T04:46:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Rome with quick information:

IR28 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Barberini Gallery

Details: Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica di Palazzo Barberini
Location:

IR04 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Basilica di San Pietro (St Peter’s Basilica)

Details: St Peter’s Basilica lies above a former shrine, which is said to mark the burial ground of the saint. Pope Julius II pulled down the original structure (despite its venerable age of 1,000 years) in 1506 (with his architect Bramante in tow) in order to build a shiny new basilica. Construction lasted 120 years, during which time a team of architects and artists (including Alberti, Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi, Sangallo the Younger and Michaelangelo) struggled over this enormous edifice. Michaelangelo was responsible for the huge dome and supporting drum but died in 1564, before work was finally completed in 1590. The basilica’s interior is an unashamed display of the power of the Church. Amid the grandeur (in the first chapel on the right) lies Michaelangelo’s Pietà (1498/9). Arnolfo da Cambio’s bronze statue of St Peter (1296), in the central aisle, has become famed for its foot worn to a nub by pilgrims’ kisses. Bernini’s Throne of St Peter (1665), above the papal altar (made with bronze purloined from the Pantheon on the Pope’s orders) dominates the far end of the nave. Optional extras include a trip (via lift or stairs) into the dome, the Vatican Gardens (pre-booked guided tours only), and the Vatican Grottoes, containing papal tombs. Access to the Necropolis below the Grottoes (the legendary site of St Peter’s remains) is allowed with written permission only.
+The saga of St. Peter’s dates to the year AD 319 when Emperor Constantine built a basilica over where the tomb of St. Peter. The Basilica is said to be near where the Circus of Nero was in ancient times. After near collapse in the 15th century, a long, labored reconstruction began. Five of Italy’s greatest Renaissance artists died while toiling away on the new St. Peter’s -- Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi, Sangallo the Younger and Michelangelo. Inside the great church is Michelangelo’s Pieta.
Location: Piazza San Pietro St Peter’s Dome Necropolis Vatican Gardens/Vatican Guided Tours Office
Tel: (06) 6988 1662 (pilgrim and tourist information centre, open Mon-Sat 0830-1830). Tel: (06) 6988 4676 (Mon-Sat). Fax: (06) 6988 5100.
Transport: Metro Ottaviano, bus to Piazza del Risorgimento.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1900 (Apr-Oct), last entry 15 minutes before closing time, daily 0700-1800 (Nov-Mar). Opening hours: Daily 0800-1800 (summer), daily 0800-1700 (winter), last entry 15 minutes before closing time. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.
Admission: Free. Admission: €4 (without lift), €5 (with lift). Admission: €10. Admission: €9.

IR07 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Campo de’ Fiori

Details: From Monday to Saturday, each day at dawn, stall holders at Rome’s best-loved fruit and vegetable market set up their wares at Campo de’ Fiori. This down-to-earth square (surrounded by tumbledown orange-ochre facades) is a far cry from the more grandiose piazzas of the centro storico. Here one encounters the friendliness and spontaneity for which Romani are so renowned. Come sunset, some of the city’s liveliest and most authentic wine bars and trattorie spill their tables out onto the cobbles, as locals and visitors, famous actors and ordinary office workers alike flock here to eat and drink below the stars.
Location: Campo de’ Fiori
Transport: Bus to Largo Argentina.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat dawn-dusk.
Admission: Free.

IR03 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Cappella Sistina & Musei Vaticani (Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums)

Details: An awe-inspiring glimpse of Michaelangelo’s depiction of The Creation is worth the queues and crowds that go hand-in-hand with a visit to the Vatican City. Michaelangelo grudgingly accepted Julius II’s commission to paint frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – built as a private chapel of the popes between 1475 and 1480. Work began in May 1508, the frescoes were unveiled in August 1511, and completed in October 1512. 21 years later, a reluctant Michaelangelo painted the Last Judgement on the wall behind the altar, adding his own aged face below the figure of Christ. Pope Pius IV was scandalised by the display of nudity and the offending genitalia had to be concealed by hastily painted loincloths – most have been removed during restoration work. In fact, the recent restoration of the Old Testament scenes has caused great controversy. Although eclipsed by Michaelangelo’s artistry, the Renaissance paintings that line the walls are fine works, created by the masters – including Michaelangelo’s own teacher: Ghirlandaio. The Vatican Museums alone could easily eat up a day or two of a trip to Rome. Highlights include the Stanze di Raffaello (Raphael’s Rooms), the Etruscan Museum (depicting Italy before the Romans) and the Pio-Clementino Museum – containing the world’s largest collection of Classical statues.
+The Vatican Museums serve as a huge warehouse for treasures from antiquity and the Renaissance, held within lavish palaces, apartments and galleries leading to the renowned Sistine Chapel. The Vatican Museums occupy a part of the papal palaces built from the 1200s onward. Access to ticket windows is via a fabulous spiral ramp. Among highlights are the Borgia Apartments, Egyptian-Gregorian Museum, Ethnological Museum, Raphael Rooms, Pinacoteca, Raphael Salon and the Vatican Library.
Location: Vatican City, Viale Vaticano. (06) 6988-4341
Tel: (06) 6988 4947. Fax: (06) 6988 1573.
Website: www.vatican.va
Transport: Metro Ottaviano, bus to Piazza del Risorgimento.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0845-1645 with last entry at 1520, Sat 0845-1345 with last entry at 1220 (Early Mar-Oct), Mon-Sat 0845-1345 with last entry at 1220 (Nov-Early Mar), last Sun of month 0845-1345 with last entry at 1220.
Admission: €12, free last Sun of month, concessions available.

IR27 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Castel Sant'Angelo

Details: From St. Peter's walking along Via della Conciliazione one can reach the second stop of our itinerary: Castel Sant'Angelo. The unique monument houses the National Museum where, besides the stuccoes, frescoes and furniture of the papal apartments, one can also admire an important collection of ancient arms. Castel Sant'Angelo is well known to Opera lovers, since right from its famous terrace overlooking the heart of Rome, Tosca, the protagonist of Giacomo Puccini's opera, threw herself down.
Brief historical outline
Castel Sant'Angelo is an imposing mausoleum built on the banks of the river Tiber, ordered and probably designed by Emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD), who wished to have a tomb for himself and his successors. Over the centuries Castel Sant'Angelo has undergone several changes: first a fortress against the attacks of the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, then a prison and finally a magnificent papal residence.
Location:

IR08 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Centrale Montemartini (Montemartini Art Centre)

Details: One of Rome’s most intriguing and memorable museums, the Centrale Montemartini displays four hundred pieces of Roman sculpture from the Capitoline collection of ancient sculpture displayed among the gleaming machinery and furnaces of a former electricity power plant. Initally intended as a stop-gap solution during renovations on the Capitoline Museums, its popularity has ensured it a place on the Roman museum scene.
Location: Via Ostiense 106
Tel: (06) 574 8042/30. Fax: (06) 575 4207.
Website: www.centralemontemartini.org
Transport: Bus 23 or Metro B: Piramide.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1900, last entry at 1800.
Admission: €4.20 (or €9.90 for a joint ticket including entrance to the Capitoline Museums).

IR09 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Circus Maximus

Details: In its day, the elongated oval of Circus Maximus provided a 250,000-seat arena for Ben-Hur-style gladiator action and was second only to the Colosseum as an impressive structure of ancient Rome. Circus Maximus now in ruins was plundered by medieval and Renaissance builders looking for marble and stone.
Location: Between Via dei Cerchi and Via del Circo Massimo

IR10 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Climb to the top of Palatine Hill (Monte Palatino).

Details: Legend has it that the ancient city of Rome was born atop Palatine Hill. Well-preserved samples of Roman era palaces and temples still stand, incorporated into the natural landscape by trees and vegetation that grow out of the ruins. Today these sites — which include the Baths of Septimus Severus — feel more like a park than an archeological site. Quiet paths shaded by slanting maritime pines give the place a serene feel. For a treat, visit Palatine Hill at early dusk, and watch the sun set on the center of ancient Rome — from Circus Maximus, to the Forum, to the Colosseum.
Location: Address: Via Sacra; Phone: +39 06 699-0110;
Web Site: Tourist Information Service, www.romaturismo.com
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily April through October; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily November through March;
Cost: 12,000 lire;

IR01 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Colosseo (Colosseum)

Details: Near to Via Sacra and the fourth-century Arco di Costantino (Arch of Constantine) lies the gigantic oval of the Colosseum – 186m (620ft) long, 153m (510ft) wide and about 47m (157ft) high. Emperor Vespasian began construction in AD72 and work was completed eight years later by his son Titus. It was the scene for entertainment that one can hardly comprehend – gladiatorial conquests between men, lions and wild beasts, with death guaranteed. The ‘games’ were finally outlawed in the fifth century. The stadium has been pillaged over the centuries and rocked by earthquakes. Today, only its skeletal framework remains, with the winding passages used to force animals up to the battlefield of the arena (formerly underground) now exposed.
+The Colosseum is the most recognizable symbol of Rome. Once called the Flavian Ampitheater, it was built from A.D. 72 to A.D. 80 — in just eight years. Here, up to 50,000 spectators — protected from the sun by an ingenious system of shades — packed the stands to watch Roman gladiators fight it out in the ultimate combat. Today, the only wild animals haunting visitors are stray cats that make their home in the shadow of this monument.
+The Colosseum in its present shell-like state remains Rome’s greatest architectural legacy. The elliptical bowl seating 50,000 debuted in A.D. 80 with bloody combat between gladiators and wild beasts. Many historians now doubt legends of Christians being fed to the lions at the Colosseum.
Location: Address: Piazza del Colosseo; Via dei Fori Imperiali Phone: +39 06 700 4261;
Tel: (06) 3996 7700.
Website: www.pierreci.it (online booking)
Transport: Metro Colosseo, bus to Piazza del Colosseo.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1930 (summer), daily 0900-1630 (winter), last entry one hour before closing time.
Admission: €8 + €2 supplement when there are exhibitions (ticket also allows entry to the Palatine).

IR23 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Fori Imperiali

Details: Forum of Caesar, Augustus, Pax and Trajan (including Trajan's Column) and Traianus' markets, mark the passage from the Republic to the period of Empire and constitute the archaeological area of the Imperial forums.
Location:

IR05 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Foro Romano (Roman Forum) and Palatino (Palatine)

Details: The Roman Forum is now a heap of marble fragments, columns and floor layouts. A leap of imagination is required to recreate the former marketplace that was the political, commercial and social heart of ancient Rome and the symbolic centre of an Empire stretching to Greece, Sicily and Carthage. Fire, barbarians and pillaging builders in medieval and Renaissance times contributed to the Forum’s present state of disrepair but the Forum was only revealed during the excavation work of the 19th century. A bird’s-eye view is gained from behind Piazza del Campidoglio, while a closer look can be had from along Via Sacra, which runs through the heart of the Forum. Among the best preserved and most fascinating monuments are the AD203 triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus (built to celebrate victory over the Parthinians) and the remains of Caesar’s rostra, from where his great speeches were declaimed. Another stunning feature is the former atrium of the House of the Vestal Virgins and the adjacent Temple of Vesta, a circular building where the vestal virgins were entrusted in keeping the eternal flame alight. Just up from the Arch of Titus in the Forum is the Palatine where the palaces of the Roman emperors stood.
+You won't have to strain your imagination to picture the Forum as the political, commercial and religious center that it once was, Columns, arches and temples built between 500 B.C. and A.D. 400 — including the Temple of Vesta, where virgins once guarded the sacred fire — are artifacts of its ancient prominence. This center fills the valley between Capitoline and Palatine hills.
Location: Piazza di Santa Maria Nova 53 (off Via dei Fori Imperiali)
Tel: (06) 699 0110 or (06) 3996 7700.
Transport: Metro Colosseo, bus to Via dei Fori Imperiali or Piazza Venezia.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1930 (summer), daily 0900-1630 (winter), last entry one hour before closing time.
Admission: Free for Foro Romano, €8 for combined Palatine and Colosseum ticket.

IR11 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Foro Traiano e Mercati di Traiano (Trajan’s Forum and Trajan’s Markets)

Details: Inaugurated in AD 112-113, Trajan’s Forum was the last built and most impressive of the Fora. The complex contained a main square, a basilica, two libraries and was completed by the markets of the same name, a sort of Roman, and remarkably well-preserved, equivalent of a shopping mall. The markets contained about 150 small shops spread over six storeys. Trajan’s column (which stands 38 m or 125 ft high) is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of Roman art, and was probably located between the two libraries on a base containing the burial urns of the Emperor and his wife. Its beautifully carved reliefs tell the tale of Trajan’s war campaigns in Dacia (now Romania). On the top of the column stood a statue of the emperor. This was removed by Pope Sixtus V in 1585 and replaced with a statue of St Peter made to face the direction of the basilica dedicated to the saint that was being built at the time.
Location: Via IV Novembre 94
Tel: (06) 679 0048.
Transport: Any bus to Piazza Venezia.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1900 (summer), last entry at 1800, Tues-Sun 0900-1800 (winter), last entry at 1700.
Admission: €6.20.

IR12 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Galleria Doria Pamphilj

Details: A British voice with a cut-glass accent issuing from the hand-held free audioguide leads visitors through the picture-clogged rooms, lavish furnishings and ageing sculptures – in short, the excessive wealth of the powerful Doria Pamphilj family, a pillar of Rome’s papal aristocracy. Jonathan Doria Pamphilj, the half-British sibling and heir, along with his sister, of the Doria Pamphilj fortunes is a modern-day prince and recalls childhood memories of roller-skating along the parquet floor of the 18th-century ballroom – tiny indentations prove the truth of his tale. The rambling palace is still occupied and a number of the private apartments are open to the public (mornings only) for a small additional fee. Works by Correggio, Caravaggio and Velázquez are on show here, as well as some amusing pieces by lesser-known artists.
Location: Piazza del Collegio Romano 2
Tel: (06) 679 7323. Fax: (06) 678 0939.
E-mail: arti.rm@doriapamphilj.it
Website: www.doriapamphilj.it
Transport: Bus to Piazza Venezia.
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 1000-1700.
Admission: €8, concessions available.

IR22 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Gianicolo Hill

Details: Gianicolo Hill If you make
your way to Gianicolo Hill, not only can you enjoy
out one of the best vistas of the city, but leave your
visit until the evening and you can witness a sunset
which will take your breath away.
Location:

IR13 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Golden House of Nero

Details: After Rome burned in the deadly blaze of A.D. 64 -- historians have yet to prove Nero set it, much less fiddled -- the emperor seized some 200 acres of the central charred city to erect one of history’s most opulent palaces, with a 150-foot statue of himself in the nude at the entrance. Successors destroyed much of the golden palace, but remains are again on view after a 15-year restoration re-opening in 1999. The Colosseum area was once a lake reflecting the Golden House. The word grotto comes from this palace, believed built underground.
Location: Via della Dommus Aurea. (06) 3974-9907

IR14 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Make a wish at Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi).

Details: Squashed into the corner of a small piazza, Trevi Fountain's statue of Neptune seems ready to burst forward from the ancient Acqua Vergine aqueduct. The recently cleaned, and gleaming, 18th-century fountain is one of Rome's most famous sights. It draws throngs of tourists, who crowd into the tiny square to toss coins into the water over their left shoulders; legend says this assures a return trip to the city. A string of legends surround the Trevi Fountain, which is situated amid the labyrinthine streets off Via del Tritone. It is said that a virgin came across a three-way (tre-vie) spring, causing the original fountain to be built. More recently, the far-from-virginal Anita Ekberg immortalised the fountain in the famous scene of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1959). According to myth, a coin cast in these waters will ensure a return visit to Rome. The Baroque extravaganza was designed by Nicolò Salvi for Pope Clement XII and completed in 1762. The statues (representing Abundance, Agrippa, Salubrity, the Virgin and Neptune guiding a chariot drawn by sea horses) appear as a cast of characters performing a melodrama, with a Renaissance palace for their backdrop and craggy rocks in the foreground.
Location: Address: Piazza di Trevi, off Via del Tritone; Phone: Italian Government Tourist Board (ENIT), U.S., (212) 245-4822; in Rome, +39 06 488-991; Rome Tourist Information Service, +39 06 360 04399;
Web Site: Tourist Information Service www.romaturismo.com
Hours: All;
Cost: Free;

IR21 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele

Details: Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele This
unmissable, imposing, white marble building beside
the Roman Forum is fastly becoming one of Rome's
best known landmarks. Not liked by many locals as
it looks so new beside so many ancient buildings,
there is a museum inside which is free of charge.
Location:
Open daily from 9am?5pm.

IR15 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Musei Capitolini (Capitoline Museums)

Details: The oldest public collection in the world, the Capitoline Museums are made up of two separate buildings: the Palazzo Nuovo houses the country’s most important collection of Roman sculpture (including the original of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius which stands proudly in the middle of the Piazza del Capidoglio), the Palazzo dei Conservatori and Braccio Nuovo house more ancient sculpture as well as Renaissance and Baroque art.
Location: Piazza del Campidoglio
Tel: (06) 3996 7800. Fax: (06) 678 5488.
Website: www.museicapitolini.org
Transport: Any bus to Piazza Venezia
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-2000, last entry at 1900.
Admission: €6.20 (+ €1.60 exhibition supplement), €9,90 combined Capitoline Museums and Centrale Montemartini ticket (see in Further Distractions below). xx

IR16 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: National Gallery

Details: Palazzo Barberini ranks as one of Rome’s most outstanding baroque palaces. Within and on view are the lavish rococo apartments and the Gallery of Decorative Art, which is part of the National Gallery of Ancient Art. The Collection of bronze urns with engraving is outstanding.
Location: Palatine Hill

IR02 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Pantheon

Details: The best-preserved and most beautifully proportioned of Rome’s ancient monuments, the Pantheon has become an emblem of the city. Built by Hadrian between AD119 and AD128, as a temple to the gods, the Pantheon was converted to a Christian church in AD608 – the key to its miraculous survival. The radius of the dome is exactly equivalent to the height and a 9-m (30ft) hole, known as the oculus, in the dome’s centre allows light (and rain) into the building. Statues of the deities would once have decorated the interior. Now the focal point of interest is the tomb of Raphael. Most astonishing of all are the large brass doors, which belonged to the original Roman building.
Built in 27 B.C. and rebuilt in second century A.D, the Pantheon (All the Gods) is the lone ancient Roman building remaining intact. This perfect square resting in a cylinder measuring 142 feet wide and 142 feet high ranks among the world’s architectural wonders thanks to spatial concept. Michelangelo studied its once-gilded dome before designing the cupola of St. Peter's. Walls are 25 feet thick, and bronze doors weigh 20 tons each. More than a century ago, Raphael's tomb was discovered here. Buried nearby are Vittorio Emanuele II, king of Italy, and his successor, Umberto I.
Location: Piazza della Rotonda
Tel: (06) 6830 0230.
Transport: Bus to Largo Argentina or Via del Corso.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1930, Sun 0900-1800, public holidays 0900-1300.
Admission: Free.

IR26 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Piazza del Campidoglio

Details: Ancient seat of the most important temple of the state cult and symbol of Rome “caput mundi”, the Campidoglio has always maintained its importance in the life of the city as centre of the City Government since the 12th century and with the presence of the Capitoline Museums, the most ancient in the world. The square, considered one of the most elegant in Europe, was designed by Michelangelo who created the splendid access ramp, new facades for the preexisting buildings (Palazzo Senatorio at the centre and the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the right), and added the Palazzo Nuovo on the left, giving it the trapezoidal shape that never fails to communicate a sense of harmony and equilibrium to visitors. The orientation of the square helps us understand the evolution of the city that at Michelangelo’s time had already turned its back to the remains of ancient Rome, the place of the past, of a historical phase that was concluded, to face the new centre of power and rule of the day, the Vatican.
The original of the bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, whose copy is placed at the centre of the square is preserved in the Museum and escaped destruction in later times only because the personage on horseback was identified with Constantine, the first Christian emperor.
Location:

IR25 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Piazza di Spagna

Details: Heart of the most elegant and exclusive area of the historical centre, Piazza di Spagna has always been a meeting place for the Romans, but also for foreign visitors and artists who in the past used to stay in the numerous hotels and inns in the neighbouring streets. The famous staircase, designed in the 1700s by Francesco De Sanctis, proved to be an efficient and spectacular solution to the age-old problem of the connection between the square, controlled at length by the Spaniards whose embassy was located there, and the “French area” at the top of the hill that included the Renaissance church of the Trinità dei Monti. The 138 steps in the staircase are animated by terraces and curved sections that create the effect of a waterfall precipitating into the square below. In the spring it is decorated by colorful azaleas and it is also the setting of a famous fashion show. The Fountain of the Barcaccia was designed by Pietro Bernini, Gian Lorenzo’s father, and it represents a sinking boat placed in a low basin, a brilliant solution to the problem of low pressure in the conduits of the aqueduct that feeds it and that did not allow high jets of water.
The streets around the square are famous for the boutiques of the most famous brands in international fashion and include Via Condotti, one of the most elegant streets in the world.
Location:

IR17 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Piazza Navona

Details: This dramatic piazza, lined with cafés and restaurants, lies at the heart of the centro storico. Its oval shape follows the form of the former stadium, built in AD86 by Emperor Domitian. During the Renaissance, the site was flooded to stage mock naval battles. The piazza gained its current form in the mid-17th century, when Pope Innocent X commissioned Borromini to design the Church of Sant’Agnese. In front of the church Bernini built the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), adorned with powerful figures representing the four great rivers (the Nile, the Danube, the Ganges and the Rio de la Plata or River Plate) which in turn represented the four areas of the world known in Borromini’s time (Africa, Europe, Asia and America respectively).
Location:
Transport: Bus to Largo Argentina or Corso Rinascimento.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission: Free.

IR18 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Protestant Cemetery

Details: Amid cypress trees, romantic poet John Keats is buried with his requested epitaph -- "Here lies one whose name was writ in water" -- engraved on the tomb. Other occupants of this old cemetery include ashes of Percy Bysshe Shelley, author of Prometheus Unbound, who before age 30 drowned off the Italian Riviera in 1822.
Location: Via Caio Cestio 6. (06) 574-1900

IR19 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: South of the Forum and overlooking it, Palatine Hill is the oldest inhabited site in Rome, with remains unearthed from the 9th century BC. Hidden corners and shaded lanes make the Palatine a fine place to wander on foot.

Details: Trevi Fountain
Location: Trevi Fountain, on a piazza of Via del Tritone, is a striking oasis of rest featuring mythical sea creatures and cascading waters. As if not sufficiently immortal on its own, films like Three Coins in a Fountain and Fellini’s La Dolce Vita have made it on

IR24 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: The Capitol and the Vittoriano

Details:
Since its origins the Capitol hill has been the seat of the city's government and the adequate place for solemn public celebrations. Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, is surrounded by three noble palaces: the central one, Palazzo Senatorio, is the seat of the Municipality whereas the two on the sides, Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, host the treasures of the Capitoline Museums. The Capitoline Picture Gallery contains over 200 paintings from the 14th to the 18th centuries by extraordinary painters such as: Tiziano, Pietro Da Cortona, Caravaggio, Guercino, Rubens and many more. The square is dominated by a copy of the bronze equestrian statue of Marc Aurelius that survived destruction because it was believed to represent the Christian emperor Constantin. The elegant plinth was designed by Michelangelo. The original can be admired inside the adjacent Museum.
A new passageway connects Piazza del Campidoglio to the terraces of the Vittoriano which offer a breathtaking view of the city. The Vittoriano, also monument to Victor Emanuel II, first king of Italy, is now completely open to the public free of charge, including the Museum-Sanctuary of the Flags of the Armed Forces and the Museum of the Risorgimento that are housed in its interior. The monument was inaugurated in 1911 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the unification of Italy and since 1921 has been the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Location:

IR06 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: The Spanish Steps and Keats-Shelley Memorial House

Details: A grand outdoor staircase, the Spanish Steps offer a fabulous view of city monuments and rooftops. But they are also a great vantage point for people watching. The Spanish Steps are the meeting place in Rome, filled daily with guitar-playing city dwellers and stylish shoppers descending on the piazza's world-class boutiques. When you've had enough rest, head next door to the Keats-Shelley house, and take a look at memorabilia from literature's Romantic period. Or take a sip and a photo in front of the piazza's azalea-trimmed Fontana della Barcaccia (Old Boat Fountain).
+The Piazza di Spagna district is little changed from 18th-century prints depicting the area – and is still dominated by the elegant double steps known as the Spanish Steps. These were designed in 1723-26 by Francesco de Sanctis to link Via del Babuino with Via Felice – the first great street planned by Sixtus V (1585-90). Reminiscent of the grand ascent to the Sacré Coeur in Paris, the steps lead up to the 16th-century Trinità dei Monti. From here, spectacular views over the city rooftops more than warrant the steep climb. The Spanish Steps acquired their name from the neighbouring Spanish Embassy but the area is more intimately associated with England – even becoming known to the rather provincial Romans as er ghetto de l’Inglesi (English Ghetto). The tourists on the Grand Tour of the 18th and 19th centuries (including Keats, Shelley, Byron and the Brownings) helped to establish the district’s reputation as a cosmopolitan artistic quarter. At the foot of the steps lies the boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain, designed in 1627 by Bernini. To the right stands the modest Keats-Shelley Memorial House, where 25-year-old John Keats died of tuberculosis in 1821. Exhibits include pictures and prints, private letters, an urn bearing Shelley’s ashes and a lock of Keats’ tawny red hair.
Location: Address: Piazza di Spagna 26, junction of Via Condotti, Via del Babuino and Via Due Macelli; Phone: Italian Government Tourist Board (ENIT), U.S., (212) 245-4822; in Rome, +39 06 488-991;
Tel: (06) 678 4235. Fax: (06) 678 4167.
Website: www.keats-shelley-house.org
Transport: Metro Spagna.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1300 and 1500-1800, Sat 1100-1400 and 1500-1800.
Admission: €3.50.

IR20 City: Rome
Name of Attraction: Villa & Galleria Borghese

Details: Just to the east of the Spanish Steps lies green relief from sightseeing – the sculpture-scattered gardens landscaped in the 17th century for Cardinal Scipione Borghese (nephew of Pope Paul V). This area includes the city zoo, Piazza di Siena arena, mock ancient temples, imitation medieval castles and an artificial lake. Unfortunately, the most playful elements of this Baroque extravaganza, trick fountains which sprayed unwitting passers-by, no longer exist. The pull of culture may be strong enough to lure the resting visitor into the Casino Borghese, a treasure trove of sculpture and antiquities, the Museo Etrusco (Etruscan Museum) in nearby Villa Giulia, with its remarkable sarcophagus of the reclining ‘Bride and Bridegroom’ from Cerveteri, or the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art) featuring Italian art of the 19th and 20th centuries housed in a massive neo-classical palazzo built in 1912. However, the Galleria Borghese (home to Bernini’s most famous work, Apollo and Daphne) should be seen first (ticket reservation is obligatory and visitors are only admitted every two hours).
Location: Galleria Borghese Piazzale del Museo Borghese 5 Villa Giulia Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9
Tel: (06) 32810 (information and booking) or (06) 8413979. Fax: (06) 3265 1329. Tel: (06) 320 0562.
Website: www.galleriaborghese.it
Transport: Metro Spagna, bus or tram to Via Veneto. Transport: Tram 3 or 19.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1930, last entry at 1700. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0815-1915, last entry at 1815.
Admission: €8.50 (reservation required), concessions available. Admission: €4.

Paris - Attractions Guide

2008-02-01T05:17:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Paris with quick information:

FP10 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Alexander III Bridge

Details:
Location:

FP11 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Arc de Triomphe

Details: Originally commissioned by Napolean, the Arc de Triomphe has stood since 1836. Underneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier along with an eternal flame to mark those who have died in the two world wars.
This is a perfect first stop on your tour of the city. Built in honor of the French Army and unveiled in 1836, the top of the Arc de Triomphe offers a grand panoramic view (keeping in mind, of course, that in a city that boasts the Eiffel, offering a noteworthy view is no easy feat). Inside the arc, a museum details the monument's history. Outside, in the shadow of the arc, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier pays homage to the soldiers killed in World War I.
Location: Place Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile, 16e Phone: 01-43-80-31-31
Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris; Phone: +33 (1) 55 37 73 77;
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., October through March; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., April through October;

FP06 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Assembly Nationale

Details:
Location:

FP12 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Basilique du Sacre-Coeur

Details: The dome affords the best view of Paris, especially at night just as the lights are coming on. This 19th century cathedral also has an observation platform on the inside of the dome where you can get a full view of the church's interior.
Location: Place St-Pierre 18e Phone: 01-42-51-17-02

FP01 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Cathédrale de Notre-Dame (Cathedral of Our Lady)

Details: The stocky Notre-Dame Cathedral, situated on the Ile-de-la-Cité, could not be more different from the filigree Eiffel Tower. Bishop Maurice de Sully began construction on the cathedral in 1163, to outshine the new abbey at St-Denis, work was completed in 1345. The result is a gothic masterpiece, with three stunning rose windows. Visitors should be prepared to climb the 387 spiral steps to the top of the 75m (246ft) north tower. The views over the River Seine and the city centre are well worth the effort. There is also a treasury with various liturgical objects on display. A violent storm in 1999 caused significant damage to the cathedral, though by 2004 much of it had been repaired. The scaffolding, which has blighted the cathedral for as long as anyone can remember, looks set to remain for the foreseeable future.
At the center of the Parisian arrondissements is the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, around which Paris was built. Since the 1100s, Notre Dame has played an integral role in Parisian history, and is one of the oldest remaining structures in the city.
One of the most spectacular examples of Gothic architecture in Paris, the Notre Dame began construction back in 1163 and has been continually altered and restored ever since. Towering over the Place de Parvis on the Isle de la Cité is Notre-Dame, considered the most enduring symbol of the city. Completed in 1345, the Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece. Inside, the building can accommodate up to six thousand devotees and the interior features three massive rose windows and an enormous organ with 7,800 pipes. The top of the tower is accessible and offers a breathtaking view of Paris and also lets visitors take a closer look at the famous gargoyles.
The tower contains the bell that was rung by the fictional Quasimodo. There is also a museum opposite the North Door that focuses on the history of the Cathedral, and beneath the square fronting the Cathedral is Notre-Dame's archaeological museum, inside a crypt.

Location: 6 Place du Parvis-Notre-Dame, 4th
Tel: (01) 4234 5610 or 4432 1672 (information on tower).
Website: www.cathedraledeparis.com
Transport: Cité métro; RER Châtelet-Les Halles or Saint-Mic stations or bus 21, 24, 27, 38, 47, 85 or 96.
Opening hours: Daily 0745-1845 (cathedral), daily 0930-1845 (towers), Mon-Sat 0930-1130 and 1300-1730 (treasury).
Free admission (cathedral), charge for towers and treasury.

FP02 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres

Details: If you have the time, it is well worth the less than 2 hour trip to see this medieval wonder of stained glass and iron sculpture. The Cathedral at Chartres contains some of the oldest surviving and most beautiful stained glass in the world, much of it dating back to the 1100s. There is so much to see here that one should allow at least a full day for the adventure. Sundays are especially popular because of the free afternoon organ concerts.
Location: 16 Cloitre Notre-Dame, Chartres Phone: 02-37-21-56-33

FP13 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Centre Georges Pompidou (Georges Pompidou Centre)

Details: Considered outrageous in 1977, the Pompidou Centre, designed by Piano and Rogers, has become part of the Parisian landscape, primary coloured tubes and all. The building was revamped and extended a few years ago, to cope with the huge numbers of people visiting its expanding collection of contemporary art and multimedia library.
Location: Place Georges Pompidou, 4th
Tel: (01) 4478 1233.
Website: www.centrepompidou.fr
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1100-2100, late-night openings until 2300 for some exhibits.
Admission charge, free first Sun of each month.

FP14 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Champs-Elysees

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FP15 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Chateau de Versailles

Details: The palace of Louis XIV, the Sun King, where the staff gathered to witness the levee of the rising monarch every morning, is a jaw-dropping excursion into the 17th century world of unbelievable opulence and ornamentation enjoyed by the royal class, which kept a safe distance from the squalor of their subjects in central Paris. You should allow a full day to see this grand siecle phenomenon, though you could spend many days there and still not see everything. Although only about 13 miles southwest of downtown Paris, plan to spend the entire day touring the palace, exotic vegetable, fruit and flower gardens, and enjoy dinner at one of the special neighboring restaurants. Keep your car at the hotel, and use one of the many convenient public transportation or hotel shuttle alternatives available.
Built by Louis XIV back in the 15th century, the Palace of Versailles served as home to French royalty until the French Revolution. While it has suffered with the passing years, it stands as a monument to the past glory of France and remains a world famous attraction.
After meeting at the Paris office you'll ride your bicycle to the nearest train station (RER) for the quick 20 minute trip to Versailles. Once at Versailles, you'll first visit the village market to buy baguettes, cheese, ham, wine or whatever you desire for the delicious picnic later in the Chateau's gardens (cost of lunch is at your own expense).
The highlight of the day is your bicycle ride through the gardens behind the Chateau. The average Versailles tourist doesn't realize that they can only visit a small fraction of the gardens on foot. You, however, will be able to visit everything worth seeing including Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon, the Grand Trianon and the quiet Hameau. The gardens and forests are crisscrossed by a network of fantastic trails and tree-lined paths. Bring your camera for breath-taking views in every direction.
Once you arrive at the far end of the Grand Canal settle down for a picnic in the exact spot where Kings Louis XIV, XV and XVI ate in order to marvel at their house. The magnitude of Versailles and the basis for the anger of the French citizens in 1789 is finally understood. But today simply relax all alone in the grass and sunshine since your cycling group will be the only ones that can easily reach the end of the Grand Canal.
After lunch pedal again through the gardens back towards the Chateau itself for an unforgettable view into the lives of the monarchy before being deposed by the Revolution in 1789. Visit the Hall of Mirrors (site of the treaty ending World War I), the King's State Apartments and the amazing King's Chapel. And finally after enjoying one of the treasures of France we'll return to Paris via train (RER).
Location: Versailles, place d'Armes Phone: 01-30-84-74-00

FP16 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise

Details: Visit the graves of Oscar Wilde, John-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, legendary American songwriter Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Moliere, Proust, Chopin, lovers Abelard and Heloise from the 1100s, the Rothschild family, and countless other famous authors, artists, politicians and intellectual leaders collected in one highly spiritual and inspiring setting. Even Rin Tin Tin's grave is here, curiously adopted by the ever-present cats draped reverently across his monument. A visit to Pere-Lachaise is an essential element of your itinerary, and one you will never forget.
Location: 16 rue du Repos, 20e Phone: 01-43-70-33

FP17 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Disneyland Paris

Details: Despite its American roots, Disneyland Paris is the paradigm of European amusement parks. This 5,000 acre resort, one-fifth the size of Paris itself, is just 20 miles to the east from downtown Paris, and if you start early and allow yourself a full day, you can see a good bit of it. Your concierge can help you select from a variety of public transportation and hotel shuttle alternatives, or if you prefer, you can enjoy one of the excellent theme hotels right at the resort.
Location: Marne-la-Vallee Phone: 01-64-74-30-00

FP18 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Ecole Militaire

Details: Literally translating to "military school" in English. Napoleon studied here and his discharge papers stated that he "could go far if the circumstances are right."
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FP19 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Foret de Fontainebleau

Details: A little more than a half-hour's drive south of Paris will bring you to Napolean's former palace and the old hunting grounds of French royalty. Fans of nineteenth century French history will find their treasure here, as well as many furnishings and personal effects of Napolean and his era. Even with lunch at one of the local restaurants, the whole adventure can be done in about half a day.
Location: Fontainebleau, place d'Armes Phone: 01-60-74-99-99

FP20 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Grand Palais

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FP21 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Jardin des Tuileries

Details: The stunning Jardin des Tuileries, famous for its statues, is at the edge of place de la Concorde, 1e ( Métro: Tuileries or Concorde). Designed by Le Nôtre, the gardener of Louis XIV, it contains impressive statues including eighteen magnificent bronzes by Maillol which can be found inside the Jardin du Carroussel where they were installed between 1964 and 1965. A century earlier, the Palais des Tuileries was built here under the order of Catherine de Médicis. The palace was occupied by Louis XVI and later by Napoleon. After it was attacked twice by Parisians, the palace was finally burned to the ground in 1871. Although the palace would never be rebuilt, the gardens survived. Today, the trees are still arranged in special patterns and the pathways are kept meticulously straight.
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FP22 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden)

Details: This garden, part formal, part jardin à l'anglaise, was created for Marie de Médicis (Henri IV's widow), along with the Palais du Luxembourg, which now houses the French Senate. It is a favoured spot for a Sunday stroll, game of tennis, chess or boules, pony ride or yacht trip on the lake.
Location: Boulevard St-Michel, rue de Médicis, rue Guynemer, rue d'Assas, rue Auguste-Comte or rue de Vaugirard, 6th
Tel: (01) 4234 2362.
Opening hours: Daily 0715-2130 (Apr-Sep), daily 0800-dusk (Oct-Mar).
Free admission.

FP23 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: La Basilique du Sacré-Coeur (The Sacred Heart Basilica)

Details: A long, wide series of steps lead to the snowy-white domed Sacré-Coeur that dominates the arty district of Montmartre. A mishmash of styles, the Catholic church was built between 1870 and 1919, to fulfil a vow made during the Franco-Prussian war. The interior is splendid with neo-Byzantine mosaics and the domed tower offers a spectacular view over Paris. The crypt contains an interesting collection of religious relics and a slide show on the construction of the Basilica. Below the church, a park tumbles down the hillside in a flurry of benches that make an ideal spot for surveying the city skyline.
Location: Parvis du Sacré-Coeur, 18th
Tel: (01) 5341 8900.
Website: www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com
Opening hours: Daily 0600-2300 (Basilica), daily 0930-1830 (crypt and dome).
Free admission (Basilica), charge for dome and crypt.

FP24 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: La Grande Mosquée de Paris (Paris Grand Mosque)

Details: Built between 1922 and 1926, close to the Jardin des Plantes, this Hispano-Moorish mosque caters for France's Muslim community. There is free access and guided tours to the sunken garden and patios. The prayer room, however, remains closed to the non-Muslim public. There is also an authentic hammam (Turkish bath) with masseurs at hand, as well as a wonderful mosaic courtyard complete with fig trees and a fountain - the perfect setting for enjoying a sweet mint tea served in tiny gilded glasses with some honeyed baklava. In the adjoining restaurant, couscous and other Arabic dishes are served.
Location: 1 place du Puits-de-l'Ermite (access via 39 rue Géoffroy-St-Hillaire), 5th
Tel: (01) 4535 9733.
Website: www.mosquee-de-paris.org
Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs and Sat 1000-2100, Fri 1400-2100 (women), Tues 1400-2100, Sun 1000-2100 (men), tours Sat-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-1800 (winter), Sat-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-2200 (summer), closed Muslim holidays.
Admission charge, free to tearoom.

FP07 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: La Madeleine

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FP25 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Les Catacombs

Details: An attraction with limited appeal, but nonetheless one of the world's wonders, the Catacombs of Paris consist of almost a mile of illuminated dirt tunnels filled with human bones and skulls transposed for public health reasons from over-filled 18th century cemeteries. Also used by the French Resistance in the forties, the Catacombs have developed a mystique of their own, and are worth seeing while you are here, however briefly.
Location: 4850 1 place Denfert-Rochereau, 14e Phone: 01-43-22-47-63

FP26 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Les Egouts de Paris

Details: The underground sewers of Paris have become one of the more sophisticated arrays of conduit for drinking water, waste, telephone and pneumatic tube systems in the world. This over 1,300 mile network of alphanumerically coded arteries is an engineering as well as logical marvel. Short tours and an educational program are provided, and the experience is well worth a couple of hours on your itinerary.
Location: Tours start at: Pont d'Alma, 7e (Left Bank) Phone: 01-47-05-10-29

FP27 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Les Halles

Details: Les Halles is also known as the "Belly of Paris" because of the many vendors that sell food in the area. It is a popular haunt among local teenagers who frequent its vast underground shopping mall.
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FP28 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Literary Landmarks

Details: Paris has been the home of many great artists and writers, and a stay in Paris would not be complete without a tour of the places where they worked and played.
Ride the Métro to place St-Michel and look for the famous rue de la Huchette of the Left Bank. This street and its denizens were immortalised in the classic The Last Time I Saw Paris by Eliot Paul. Walking on you'll soon find yourself in the Paris of the hipster mind: the old haunts of the Beat Generation as described by Jack Kerouac in Satori in Paris. The Café Gentilhomme in his story is no longer there but the Hôtel du Vieux-Paris, 9 rue Gît-le-Coeur, 6e, a favourite of Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, is still around, attracting dreamers and seekers inspired by the Beats.
A walk down the "Yankee alleyway", rue Monsieur-le-Prince, takes you into the world of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James McNeill Whistler, Richard Wright and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Martin Luther King Jr. went here once in 1959 to visit Richard Wright, the Mississippi-born novelist who wrote Native Son. King came to discuss with Wright his thoughts on the civil rights movement.
Whistler stayed at a studio at no. 22 and Longfellow lived on no. 49. Holmes stayed at no. 55.
From here you can head over to the Hôtel de Crillon, 10 place de la Concorde, 8e for a drink. The famed hotel was the setting of Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises.
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FP29 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Marche Buci

Details: In the gastronomical capital of the world, you must see where the best chefs of Paris weigh, squeeze, sniff and taste their produce and meats. If you are fortunate enough to have cooking facilities at your hotel, you cannot do better than to obtain your ingredients here, at this famous open-air market. Just take the Metro, stop at St-Germain-des-Pres, and you will see it.
Location: Rue de Buci, 6e Phone: 01-42-51-17-02

FP42 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Montparnasse Tower

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FP05 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Musée d'Orsay (Museum of Orsay)

Details: The museum's home, an impressively converted railway station by the banks of the Seine, is stunning, but the real strength of this large museum lies in its collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. The collection, covering the decisive 1848-1914 period, is arranged chronologically, beginning on the ground floor, jumping to the third, and then descending to the middle level. Among the most famous works are Manet's Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), rejected from the Salon of 1863, five of Monet's paintings of Rouen Cathedral and the realist work L'Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World), by Gustave Courbet, whose graphic depiction of the female sex continues to shock.
This museum is relatively recent compared to other Parisian museums but it is already well-known for its impressive collection. Located inside a railway station by the Seine , it contains work created between 1848 and 1914, covering the Art-Nouveau period as well as Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art for which the museum is famous.
The chronologically organised collection includes important works by Courbet, Monet and Manet. A permanent exhibit features the famous L'énigme by Gustave Doré and the statue of Joan of Arc in Domrémy by Henri Chapu
Location: Entrances at 1 rue de la Légion d'Honneur and 1 rue de Bellechasse, 7th
Tel: (01) 4049 4814.
Website: www.musee-orsay.fr
Transport: RER Musée d'Orsay; Métro Solférino; bus 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84 or 94.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1800, Thurs 0930-2145.
Admission charge, free first Sun of each month.

FP30 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Musée du Quai Branly

Details: This grand new museum was a welcome to the Parisian cultural scene when it opened its doors during 2006 after much hype. The collections, which include a broad sweep of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, have been lauded by critics and the public alike. Inside there are over 3,500 artefacts. From the main reception a ramp takes visitors off towards the eclectic collections, which include masks in Oceania, costumes from Asia and also African musical instruments and textiles.
Location: 17 Quai Branly, 7th
Tel: (01) 5661 7000.
Website: www.quaibranly.fr
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 1000-1830, Thu open to 2130.
Admission charge.

FP04 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Musée National du Louvre (Louvre National Museum)

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The Louvre today was originally constructed as a fortress, before becoming a palace. It now serves as one of the finest museums in Europe, and contains some of the most famous pieces of art including da Vinci's Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. One of the greatest art museums in the world is the Louvre in Paris, an enormous building that contains a significant collection of paintings, artefacts and sculptures from different parts of the world. Open to visitors since 1793 (some time after the Revolution), it was first opened so that people could see the magnificent collection of treasures liberated from the royal palaces.
The most famous showcase of the collection is Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, encased within bullet-proof glass inside its own room. The main collections include objects d'art from the ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome and Asia.
http://www.louvre.fr/+
During the 19th century this place was the home of Richelieu and a popular site for gambling and other hedonistic pursuits. Today it is the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, as well as a nice place to have a quiet walk, with its gardens and impressive arcades. The main courtyard stands out, with its black and white stripped columns courtesy of Daniel Buren (1980).+
The world's most famous works of art live here, including the Mona Lisa, the statute of Venus de Milo, the ancient Winged Victory, and thousands of other priceless works many of which originally were collected privately by French royalty throughout history and donated to the museum. You will not be able to see everything, not even in several trips on multiple visits to Paris, but your experience will be better if you research ahead of time just a few things you would like to see, then check with your concierge to see which times would be best for avoiding the crowds, so you can have a more leisurly time of it.+
The Louvre first opened to the public in 1793, following the Revolution, as a showcase for the art treasures of the kings of France. The museum is organised into three wings on four floors - Richelieu (along rue de Rivoli), Sully (around cour Carrée) and Denon (along the River Seine). The vast permanent collection includes Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Egyptian and East Asian antiquities, French, Spanish, Italian and northern European sculpture and 19th-century objets d'art. The painting collection is the strongest, with French, Italian, Dutch, German, Flemish and Spanish masterpieces from the mid-13th to the mid-19th centuries. Most famed French works include David's Coronation of Napoléon, Ingres' The Turkish Bath, Géricault's depiction of disaster, The Raft of the Medusa and Delacroix's ode to revolution, Liberty Leading the People. The museum's greatest treasure, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, is in a bullet-proof case. There are plans to move it into its own room, but for now it is on display in room 13, on the first floor of the Denon wing. Excavations have exposed traces of the medieval Louvre, which are on display together with the history of the Louvre under the Cour Carrée, in the entresol level in the Sully wing. Buying tickets from the official website in advance saves unnecessary time spent queuing. Following the massive Da Vinci Code hype the crowds are thicker than ever, so it is advisable to arrive early, especially if buying tickets upon entry.
Location: Cour Napoléon, 1. Reception area is under the giant glass pyramid
Tel: (01) 4020 5050.
Website: www.louvre.fr
Transport: Métro Palais Royal or Musée du Louvre; bus 21, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81 or 95.
Opening hours: daily 0900-1800, Wed and Fri until 2130, closed Tues. Opening hours for temporary exhibitions vary.
Admission charge, free first Sun of each month, advance tickets can be purchased from branches of FNAC and on the Internet, tickets allow same-day re-admission.

FP31 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Musée National Picasso (National Picasso Museum)

Details: Paris-based Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) owned most of this collection, one of the largest worldwide, housed in a 17th-century mansion in the Marais. All phases of his art are represented, with preparatory sketches and paintings covering the Blue Period, Rose Period, cubism, classicism, surrealism and sculptures ranging from a huge plaster head to a small cat. Memorable works include the Blue Period self-portrait Paolo as Harlequin, the surreal Nude in an Armchair and poignant paintings of Marie-Thérèse, his lover and muse. Photographs are displayed alongside the works they inspired, and African masks with Picasso's ‘primitive' wood carvings. There is also a glimpse of the artist's personal taste in paintings, with his Matisse and Cézanne paintings displayed alongside his own.
Location: Hôtel Salé, 5 rue de Thorigny, 3rd
Tel: (01) 4271 2521.
Website: www.musee-picasso.fr
Opening hours: Wed, Fri-Mon 0930-1800, Thurs 0930-2000 (summer), Wed, Fri-Mon 0930-1730, Thurs 0930-2000 (winter).
Admission charge, free first Sun of each month.

FP32 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Musée Rodin (Rodin Museum)

Details: Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) lived and worked in this 18th-century hôtel particulier, now the Rodin Museum, and his sculptures populate the interior and gardens. Indoors, The Kiss portrays eternal passion frozen in white marble, while The Hand of God gives life to creamy white, half-formed figures. Works of Rodin's mistress and pupil, Camille Claudel, and paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Rodin himself are also on display. The gardens are graced by the monumental bronze The Thinker, whose godly physique contrasts sharply with the decrepitude of the writhing figures of The Gates of Hell and the controversial final portrait of Balzac, once described as ‘a block that disgraces its author and French Art'.
Location: 77 rue de Varenne, 7th
Tel: (01) 4418 6110.
Website: www.musee-rodin.fr
Access:
• Metro (line 13): Varenne, Invalides or Saint-François-Xavier
• RER (line C): Invalides
• Bus: 69, 82, 87, 92
• Parking: Blvd des Invalides
Opening hours: Museum: Tues-Sun 0930-1745, garden: Tues-Sun 0930-1845 (Apr-Sep), museum: Tues-Sun 0930-1645, garden: Tues-Sun 0930-1700 (Oct-Mar).
Admission charge, free first Sun of each month.

FP33 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Napoleon's Tomb and Les Invalides

Details:
Napoleon's Tomb and Les Invalides - This is where you can find the most famous Frenchman of all - Napoleon. In 1789 French citizens stole tens of thousands of muskets from here to use in the raid on the Bastille. The Revolution had begun!
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How to get there
Metro line 8 : Latour-Maubourg,
RER C : Invalides
Buses : 32, 63, 93
Opening times
From 10am to 5h45pm from 1st april to 30 september
Closed on the 1st january, 1st may, 1st november and 25 décember.
The Dôme and the tombeau de l'empereur are open from 10am to 6h45pm from 15 june to 15 september

FP34 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Details: This appealing park spreads over 23 hectares (57 acres) between Gare du Nord and Belleville. It was originally commissioned by Napoleon III and mixes grandeur with wildlife. Its walkways are alive with the likes of wagtails, tits, gulls, geese and swans. In the lake pike, tench and roach abound. The park is perfect for escaping the city for a while, strolling around its lofty inclines or even popping on some in-line skates and heading around the skate trail.
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Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk.
Free admission.

FP35 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Parc Zoologique de Paris

Details: The best way to get to one of the great zoos of Europe is by Metro, which has its own stop here. This is a habitat-style zoo, no cages, and offers a great opportunity to see wild animals truly at home. Many activities, children's programs and refreshment alternatives in the area also augment the experience, well worth a day's investment.
Location: Bois de Vincennes, 53 avenue de St-Maurice, 12e Phone: 01-44-75-20-00
Metro line 1 : Porte Dorée, Saint-Mandé-Tourelle.
Bus: 86, 325, 46
Summertime: From 9 am to 6pm
(6.30pm on the sunday and bank holiday)
Wintertime : From 9 am to 5pm
(5.30pm on the sunday and bank holiday).
Price : 8 Euros

FP36 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Paris Plage

Details: Since its inception in 2001, Paris Plage has become a highly successful annual event. The idea of shutting off a busy 3.5km (2-mile) section of riverfront expressway in the city centre and turning it into a giant leisure oasis is both simple and brilliant, though it has provoked the ire of some of the city's taxi drivers. A flurry of deckchairs and hammocks replace the cars and even an open-air swimming pool, mainly geared towards children, features alongside the stalls selling food, drinks and ice cream. Mist sprays, sand and the sight of relaxing locals and tourists manage to raise a smile from all but the most world-weary of Parisians. Such has been the success of Paris Plage that, even when there is no sand, for the rest of the year sections of the river are now closed frequently at weekends to allow Parisians to cycle and walk along the riverside.
Location: Banks of the Seine between Tuileries Tunnel and the Henri IV bridge
Opening times: Jul-Aug daily.
Free admission.

FP37 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Petit Palais

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FP08 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Place de la Concorde

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FP38 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Place de Pigalle

Details: The 9th arrondissement spans the spectrum of French popular entertainment culture, from brassy to elegant, that defines a world famous part of the unique Parisian experience. Place de Pigalle, termed "Pig Alley" by the American soldiers present during the Allied Liberation, includes everything from the more lurid strip clubs to the famous Folies Bergere and the legendary Opera Garnier. Many of the world's famous entertainers have performed in at least one of these venues, notable poets and painters have frequented the sidewalk cafes, and you can trace their steps while you absorb a lot of the history and spirit of Parisian popular culture by spending an afternoon or evening there.
Location: 9th Arrondissement

FP39 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Pompidou Centre

Details: The modern Pompidou Centre was built in 1970s and today its striking design is part of the city's landscape. Named after Georges Pompidou, the former president of France, the building sees millions of visitors a year, making it one of the city's favourite attractions.
Inside is the Musée National d'Art Modern, which features a large collection of art from the 20th century, covering significant art movements such as Cubism, Abstract and Fauvism. The building also houses many theatres featuring musical and dance performances, as well as numerous cinemas.
West of the building is a square famous for its street performers.
http://www.centrepompidou.fr
Location: Address: Place Georges Pompidou, entrance by the plaza in Rue Saint-Martin Transport: Métro Rambuteau, Châtelet, Hôtel de Ville; RER (train) Châtelet or Les Halles; bus 21, 29, 38, 47, 58, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 81, 85, 96.

FP03 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower)

Details: One of the most famous landmarks in the entire world, no trip to Paris would be complete without a tour of the Eiffel Tower. Built back in 1889, the tower stands tall at over 1000 feet and offers spectacular views of the surrounding landscape from its observation decks. It also features two restaurants located on the first and second floors.The Eiffel Tower was originally intended to be a temporary structure to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. Eventually it came to be known as the city's signature landmark, and today over 6 million people a year come to Paris to see it.
The tower rises 300 metres above the Champ de Mars, and it was the tallest building in the world until 1930. From the tower's highest level, visitors can enjoy a spectacular panorama of the city.
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/+
For years the tallest structure in the world, this engineering marvel affords a view of over 40 miles, weather permitting, and includes a movie theater, restaurants and a bar. Built originally in 1899 as a temporary exhibition structure, the Eiffel Tower remained when Paris discovered its utility as a city-wide communications tower.+
The Eiffel Tower literally towers over the Champ de Mars in the smart 7th arrondissement. The top (third) floor offers a sweeping panorama of Paris. From directly underneath there is a fascinating view of the delicate ironwork constructed by Gustave Eiffel, who was commissioned to build the tower for the Exposition Universelle in 1889 - the centenary of the French Revolution. The Tour Eiffel is also home to a number of restaurants, which offer views of the city and sky high prices to match.
Location: Champ de Mars, 7th
Tel: (01) 4411 2323.
Website: www.tour-eiffel.fr
Transport: RER Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel station; Métro Bir-Hakeim, Trocadéro, Ecole Militaire; bus 42, 69, 72, 82, 87
Opening hours: Daily 0930-2300 (Sep-mid Jun), daily 0900-2400 (mid Jun-Aug).
Admission charge.

FP41 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: Tuileries Gardens

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FP09 City: Paris
Name of Attraction: UNESCO

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Nice - Attractions Guide

2008-01-31T05:20:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Nice with quick information:

FN01 City: Nice
Name of Attraction: Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain

Details:
Location: Promenade des Arts
Tel: (04) 93 62 61 62.
Website: www.mamac-nice.org

FN02 City: Nice
Name of Attraction: Musée des Beaux-Arts

Details: The castle was built 2000m above the valley floor and its centre piece became the lavish Sängersaal (Minstrel's Hall) where Ludwig could indulge in his obsession with Wagner and medieval knights. Rather madly, for all the money spent on it, when it was finished in 1886 the first sky scrapers in America were being built.
Location: 33 avenue des Baumettes
Tel: (04) 92 15 28 28.
Website: www.musee-beaux-arts-nice.org

FN03 City: Nice
Name of Attraction: Musée Matisse

Details: Works on show by the one time Nice resident include his Blue Nude IV and Woman with Amphora. Nearby, Matisse devotees can also visit his grave in the grounds of the Monastère de Cimiez.
Location: 164 avenue des Arènes de Cimiez
Tel: (04) 93 81 08 08.
Website: www.musee-matisse-nice.org

FN04 City: Nice
Name of Attraction: Orthodox Cathedral

Details: Nice’s Russian orthodox cathedral, dedicated to St Nicholas, is hard to miss with its distinctive half dozen gleaming onion domes. Its 17th-century appearance belies the fact that it was built at the start of the 20th century.
Location: 17 boulevard du Tzarewich
Tel: (04) 93 96 88 02.

FN05 City: Nice
Name of Attraction: Parc du Château

Details: This lofty park rises above the city centre and offers a cool and shady place to relax on a hot summer day. The views of Nice and the Mediterranean are worth the effort of climbing up to the spot where the Greeks first set up shop when they colonised the area.
Location:

FN06 City: Nice
Name of Attraction: Promenade des Anglais

Details: This waterfront boulevard still retains a faded charm, backed up with grand fin-de-siecle hotels on one flank and the Mediterranean on the other. Those who crave sand between their toes may want to avoid the pebbled expanse of frazzled bodies on the ‘beach’. Alternatively, join the rollerbladers posing on the promenade above.
Location:

FN07 City: Nice
Name of Attraction: Vieux Nice

Details: This atmospheric old web of streets is overlooked by many day trippers heading straight for the Promenade des Anglais, a travesty as this is a great place for wandering around exploring the churches, cafes and old shops.
Location:

Munich - Attractions Guide

2008-01-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Munich with quick information:

GM01 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Around Marienplatz

Details: Marienplatz has been at the heart of Munich since the city’s foundation in 1158. The area is now a major hub for the urban transport network. For centuries, it was known as the Schrannenmarkt (the place where farmers and merchants came to buy and sell their goods) but was renamed in 1854, after the statue of the Virgin Mary in the centre. The north side of Marienplatz is entirely dominated by the neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), built in the 19th century. Miniature statues of Bavarian rulers and other characters adorn the hall’s façade, while the 85m (279ft) tower houses a Glockenspiel consisting of 43 bells. The bells are accompanied by mechanical marionettes that perform scenes from Munich’s history. Visitors can ascend the tower by lift.Nearby, other buildings of note include the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), which houses a delightful toy museum, and the Frauenkirche – Munich’s cathedral. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, on the site of the Romanesque Marienkirche, the austere cathedral houses the tomb of Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian and the legendary ‘Devil’s Footprint’ intriguingly embedded in the church floor.
Location: Neues RathausMarienplatz 8FrauenkircheFrauenplatz 1
Tel: (089) 2331.Tel: (089) 294 001.Tel: (089) 290 0820.
Admission charge.Admission charge.Admission free (charge for tower).

GM02 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Bavaria Film Studios

Details: The tour of Germany’s ‘Film City’, where around 150 hours of cinema and TV films are produced every year, reveals the tricks of the film industry, including the making of films such us Das Boot (1981), Cabaret (1972) and Die Unendliche Geschichte, better known as The Neverending Story (1984), as well as many German TV series. English tours are available through advance booking.
Location: Bavariafilmplatz 7
Tel: (089) 6499 2000.
Website: www.filmtour.de
Admission charge.

GM03 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: BMW Building

Details: To place the famous car company, BMW, in an over-dimensional four-cylinder-engine was the original idea of Viennese architect K Schwanzer. The world's biggest ‘V4’, in the shape of a four-leaf clover, was erected in 1973, to accommodate modern offices. The unusual building consists of the four silver towers, flat factory halls below and a giant ‘egg cup’ at the end of the halls, which houses the BMW museum. The exhibition displays classic old-timers as well as the latest, technically up-to-date models of the prestigious German car producer. The highlight of the museum is the spectacular cinema-scope show at the end of the tour.
Location: Petuelring 130
Tel: (089) 3822 3306/3639.
Website: www.bmw.de
Admission charge.

GM04 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Deutsches Museum von Meisterwerken der Naturwissenschaft und Technik (German Museum of Masterpieces of Natural Sciences and Technology)

Details: The vast Deutsches Museum presents a dauntingly comprehensive survey of science and technology, from prehistoric tools to space age inventions. Permanent interactive exhibitions are organised around various themes, including Aerospace, Computers, Mining, Technical Toys and Telecommunications. Next door, the Forum der Technik (Technology Forum) houses a planetarium and an IMAX theatre. Flugwerft Schleissheim (Schleissheim Aerodrome), located at Germany’s oldest aerodrome, is a branch of the museum, which focuses on aviation history. Sailing ships, models of atoms, windmills, space probes, diesel locomotives, industrial robots, organs, lifeboats,...this unbelievable abundance of technical achievement - and lots more - can be found in the Deutsches Museum.
A house of superlatives: it is not only one of the first scientific-technological museums in the world, but also one of the most frequently visited, and with an area of 50,000 square meters the biggest of all. The laws of nature, instruments and technological methods are presented in this Mount Olympus of knowledge on a scientifically high level, yet in an enthralling and entertaining way. Machines hum, lightning flashes through the air, telescopes zoom in on star formations.
Learning by doing - this concept enthralls around 1.3 million people every year. And has been providing visitors with a comprehensive basic understanding of science and technology for one hundred years.
Understanding that is urgently needed to get to grips with a world that is becoming more and more complex. Also part of the Deutsches Museum: the Verkehrszentrum (featuring all kinds of vehicles - from formula 1 car to bicycle) and the Flugwerft (focussing on airplanes)
Location: Museumsinsel 1 Flugwerft SchleissheimEffnerstrasse 18, Schleissheim
Tel: (089) 21791. Tel: (089) 315 7140.
Website: www.deutsches-museum.de Website: www.deutsches-museum.de
All rapid-transit (S-Bahn) lines to Isartor station; Underground lines U1 and U2 to Fraunhofer Str.; bus no. 131 to Boschbrücke; tram no. 17 to Isartor; tram no. 18 to Deutsches Museum.
Street parking is very restricted. There are one or two multi-storey car parks within walking distance (see map), but we really cannot recommend coming by car.
The Munich public transport company Münchner Verkehrsverbund (MVV) provides a Park+Ride service from several stations outside the city.
Opening times and admission charges
The Deutsches Museum is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
It is closed only on January 1, Shrove Tuesday, Good Friday, May 1, November 1, and December 24, 25, and 31.
On December 13 the museum is closed at 13:30.
The op
Admission costs € 8.50 for adults, € 3 for children aged 6 and over, € 7 per person for groups.

GM05 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Englischer Garten (English Garden)

Details: The English Garden is the largest urban park in Germany, is a quiet oasis in the heart of busy Munich. Attractions include the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower), with its great beer garden, the Japanisches Teehaus (Japanese Teahouse) and the Monopteros, a Greek-style temple. The Kleinhesselhoher See (a lake in the centre of the park) and the Amphitheater offer lots of activities in the summer months. The Haus der Kunst, home of the State Gallery of Modern Art (tel: (089) 2112 7137), which hosts excellent temporary art exhibitions, and the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, the Bavarian National Museum (tel: (089) 211 2401) are located on Prinzregentenstrasse, on the southern edge of the park.
Location: From Prinzregentenstrasse to TivolibrückeHaus der KunstPrinzregentenstrasse 1Bayerisches Nationalmuseum Prinzregentenstrasse 3
Tel: (089) 3866 6390. Tel: (089) 2112 7113.Tel: (089) 211 2401.
Website: www.schloesser.bayern.deWebsite: www.hausderkunst.deWebsite: www.bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de
Admission free.Admission charge.Admission charge (free on Sun).

GM14 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Königssee

Details: 10 km long emerald-green mountain lake, considered the pearl of the Berchtesgadener Land. Some of the most magnificent panorama views across all of Bavaria can be found here. To preserve the purity and tranquillity of the water only electrically-powered boats have been allowed on the lake since 1909.
Location: By car, take the Autobahn Munich-Salzburg to Berchtesgaden.
By train, get off at Berchtesgaden Station
Tel: +49(0) 80 51/9 66 58-0
Fax: +49 (0) 80 51/9 66 58-38

Email:
seeverwaltung.chiemsee@
bsv.bayern.de

GM13 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Lake Starnberg

Details: One of the reason Munich is such a desirable place to live is that is has practically everything; mountains nearby for skiing and hiking, beautiful parks and also close proximity to some beautiful lakes. Starnberg, at the northern end of Lake Starnberg is at the heart of the Five Lakes district and the lake itself is a favourite spot for windsurfers, and boaters. There are numerous places to rent boats just west of the train station.
Location:

GM06 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Münchener Residenz (Munich Residence)

Details: The Munich Residence embodies over 600 years of Bavarian history. Successive members of the Wittelsbach dynasty expanded the original 14th-century castle to create a complex of palaces around seven courtyards. The elaborate rooms contain antiques, sculptures, paintings and tapestries amassed by the Wittelsbachs between the 16th and 19th centuries – some rooms can only be visited during the morning or afternoon. Other royal treasures are on show in the Schatzkammer (Treasury). The entire Residenz complex, including the Rococo Cuvilliés-Theater, was rebuilt and restored after being reduced to rubble during World War II. With the Residence, Munich owns one of Europe's most significant interior decoration museums. For five hundred years the facility in the middle of the old city was the residence and center of power of the Bavarian dukes, electors and kings, but also the expression of art intellect and passion for building. The rooms of Duke Maximilian I - Kaisersaal, Steinzimmer and Reiche Kapelle - show the palace construction art of the 17th century. The ancestral portrait gallery and the Reiche Zimmer represent courtly rococo according to drafts by François Cuvilliés. The classical apartments in the King's Building go back to drafts by Leo von Klenzes.
The highlight of the guided tour is the Antiquarium: the largest and most beautiful Renaissance hall north of the Alps was built around 1570 for the antique collection of Duke Albrecht V and later used as a festival hall.
The 130 rooms of the Residence Munich have been filled with furniture and oil paintings, tapestries and porcelain from the best artists of their time. In addition to the resplendent showrooms, numerous special collections such as silver, porcelain or relic rooms can also be viewed.
Schatzkammer - Georgsritter
Treasury of the Residence

The Treasury offers unique gold work from the Middle Ages right through to the classicism period. But the eminent collection also comprises precious works made of mountain crystal and ivory, gems, jewelry, tableware, right up to Ottoman daggers. Among the highlights of the collection are the Bavarian crown insignia and the precious statuette of St George the Knight. World famous exhibits are the Arnulfziborium, the cross relic of Emperor Heinrich II or the Gisela cross.
Location: Residence
Verwaltung der Residenz München
Residenzstraße 1
80333 München
Tel. +49(0)89/2 90 67 1
Fax +49(0)89/2 90 67 225

E-Mail ResidenzMuenchen@
bsv.bayern.de
Website: www.schloesser.bayern.de
The Residenz is located in the centre of the city and can easily be reached by public transport. The following stops are close by:
S-Bahn (suburban railway): S1, S2, S4-8 "Marienplatz"
U-Bahn (underground): U3, U6 "Marienplatz" or U3-U6 "Odeonsplatz"
Bus 100 "Odeonsplatz"
Tram 19 "Nationaltheater"
Opening hours
April - 15th Oct:
9 am - 6 pm
16th Oct - March:
10 am -4 pm
daily
Fountain machinery in the internal link Court Garden
The fountain machinery can be viewed every day.
It is in operation from April to October every day from 10 am to 2 pm.

EUR 9,00

GM17 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: New town hall (Neues Rathaus)

Details: New town hall (Neues Rathaus)
Built 1867 - 1909 in Flanders Gothic style; its facade, over 300 feet in length, features strikingly elaborate stone ornamentation. Its 260-foot tower with carillon is, with St. Peter's Church and the twin towers of the Cathedral, one of the most distinctive features of the city's skyline.
Glockenspiel
Carillon (Glockenspiel)

The town hall?s tower harbors the world famous carillon, which has existed since 1908. The figures of the carillon show parts of Munich?s history. A joust is displayed in the upper part which was arranged for the marriage of duke Wilhelm V. and Renata of Lothringen.
The lower part of the carillon shows a famous dance of Munich, the ?Schäfflertanz?. It was arranged at the time of the plague (1515-1517) and has since been traditionally performed every 7th year in Munich.

Location: New town hall/Carillon
Marienplatz 8
80331 München
Opening hours
Tower:
Nov - April:
Mon - Fri 10 am - 5 pm; Sat, Sun and holiday closed
May - October:
daily 10 am to 7 pm
Glockenspiel (carillon):
Nov - Feb at 11 and 12am
March - Oct at 11am, 12am and 5pm, no carillon performance on Good Friday

GM07 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Olympia Park

Details: The Olympia Park complex was laid out in 1972, for the 20th Olympic Games. It covers an area of 270 hectares (667 acres). At its heart is the giant tent-like structure of the Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium), which hosts national and international sporting events and concerts. A number of tours are available upon reservation. The Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower) soars 290m (950ft) above the park, offering magnificent views from its revolving restaurant and observation terrace.
Location: Olympiapark
Tel: (089) 30670 or 3067 2414 (tours).
Website: www.olympiapark-muenchen.de
Admission charge for tower and tours.

GM08 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Schloss Nymphenburg (Nymphenburg Palace)

Details: Located on the western edge of the city, the Nymphenburg Palace was built as the summer residence of the Wittelsbach family. Its stunning symmetrical lay out and the beautiful surrounding parkland was created in the 18th and 19th centuries. Highlights within the main palace include the late-Rococo Steinerner Saal (Hall of Stone) and the ‘Gallery of Beauties’ – a collection of portraits of beautiful women commissioned by Ludwig I. The extensive grounds conceal four miniature palaces within their landscaped confines, one of which, the Amalienburg, is considered the most attractive Rococo palace in Germany. The Nymphenburg complex also includes the Marstallmuseum, which houses royal coaches and riding equipment, as well as the Bäuml Collection of Nymphenburg porcelain, with exhibits from 1747 until the 1920s.
Please note!! - The interior of Nymphenburg is closed for lunch between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm.

Location: Menzinger Strasse
Tel: (089) 179 080.
Website: www.schloesser.bayern.de
How to get there? Unlike the other castles, the worst way to get here is by car. It's easy to get lost, and finding a parking space is next to impossible. Munich has such good public transport that there is no need for driving to the Palace.
* By bus - no. 41
* By tram - no. 12

Admission free, charge for palaces and museums.

GM09 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: The Three Pinakotheks

Details: The Alte Pinakothek (Old Pinakothek), constructed in the 19th century, for King Ludwig I, is home to one of the world’s oldest and most important collections of paintings by European Old Masters, including Dürer, Raphael, Rembrandt and Rubens. The Neue Pinakothek (New Pinakothek), located opposite, in a modern building, was conceived by Ludwig I, as a showcase for contemporary art. The museum houses European painting and sculpture from the second half of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century. German painting of the 19th century forms the core of the collection. The entrance price includes an audio-guide, which is available in English.The third Pinakothek der Moderne (Pinakothek of Modern Art) is a collection of contemporary art, architecture and design, taken from disparate collections throughout the city to complement the works housed in the first two galleries. The Glyptothek (ancient Greek art) and the Antikensammlung (antiquities) are located nearby, at Königsplatz.
Location: Alte PinakothekBarer Strasse 27Neue PinakothekBarer Strasse 29Pinakothek der ModerneBarer Strasse 40
Tel: (089) 2380 5216.Tel: (089) 2380 5195. Tel: (089) 2380 5360.
Website: www.pinakothek.de/alte-pinakothek Website: www.pinakothek.de/neue-pinakothekWebsite: www.pinakothek.de/pinakothek-der-moderne
Admission charge (free on Sun).Admission charge (free on Sun).Admission charge (free on Sun).

GM16 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Viktualienmarkt

Details: he Victuals Market, only a few steps from the Marienplatz, is Munich's most popular open air market.
A walk across the "Victuals Market" can be a sensual revelation. Stalls not only offer the freshest fruits and vegetables in Munich, but traditional Bavarian Schweinshax'n and Speck, sea food, delicious cheeses from all over Europe, herbs, honey products, sushi and hand-made straw puppets are also for sale. Or would you prefer a freshly squeezed apple-carrot-ginger juice? For all those who appreciate culinary seduction of the senses, this is the perfect place to spend your lunch break, get inspired for new creations, and buy those rare and special herbs and spices that can't be found anywhere else in the region.
However, although this is its main purpose, the Victuals Market is not only a place for buying and selling : the market also hosts a number of traditional and folkloric events, such as the colorful Fasching festivities and the masked dance of the market women on Shrove Tuesday.
Right next to the Victuals Market is the site of the "Schrannenhalle", built under King Maximilian I according to a French model. This was a market hall over 430 m long, where grains were sold, and which burned down in 1932.
Rebuilt with the original wrought-iron frames, the new "Schrannenhalle" was inaugurated in September 2005. Housing a market, shops, restaurants and cultural venues, the hall is a meeting place for old and young in the heart of the city.
Location: Viktualienmarkt
Am Viktualienmarkt 6
80331 München
Opening hours
Mo - Sat till 8 pm

GM10 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Westpark

Details: Laid out in 1983, for the International Garden Design Exhibition, Westpark offers 72 hectares (178 acres) of wilderness in the city. Three separate areas recreate the contrasting natural habitats of mountain, meadowland and dry grassland, human interference with the plants and animals is kept to a minimum. In among the natural attractions, visitors can find beer gardens, cafés and several playgrounds. In summer, a floating stage hosts concerts, theatre and open-air cinema events. Open 24 hours a day
Location: Garmischer Strasse, Sendling-Westpark
Admission: Free.

GM11 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Zentrum für Aussergewöhnliche Museen (Centre for Unusual Museums)

Details: This place lives up to its name. Under one roof, visitors will find a chamber pot museum, a go-cart museum, a perfume museum, a lock museum, an Easter Bunny museum and a museum dedicated to the Bavarian-born Austrian Empress Sisi.
Location: Westenriederstrasse 41
Tel: (089) 290 4121.
Website: www.zam-museum.de
Admission charge.

GM15 City: Munich
Name of Attraction: Zoo (Tierpark Hellabrunn)

Details:
Location: Münchener Tierpark Hellabrunn AG
Tierparkstr. 30
D-81543 München
Via underground and bus:

U3 (e.g. starting from Marienplatz) to underground station „Thalkirchen“, approximately 3 minutes footpath in order to reach the “Isar Entrance” (signposted).
timetable for the U3 as PDF

Bus line 52 starting from “Marienplatz” to terminal “Tierpark”,
right in front of the “Flamingo-Entrance”.
timetable for the 52 bus as PDF
April to September: 8.00 am - 6.00 pm
October to March: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

Please note that the buildings are shut 30 minutes before closing time.
EUR 9,00
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Neuschwanstein (Fuessen) Castle

2008-01-28T05:22:00.000-08:00

Name of Attraction: Neuschwanstein Castle

Details: Neuschwanstein was built from 1868 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and is probably the best known castle in the world. It is a mixture of styles and the initial blueprint was penned by a theatre designer rather than an architect. The "fairytale castle" of King Ludwig II, with over 1 million visitors a year.
Kind Ludwig II commissioned the castle to be built in 1868. The solitary monarch's desire was to turn his friend Richard Wagner's operas into reality. The architectural plans were drawn up by Eduard Riedel, and building began in 1869. In 1874, George Dollmann took over the construction. The interior decoration was almost finished at the time of Ludwig II's death in 1886. The castle itself was not completed by Julius Hoffmann until 1892.
Special feature:
The monumental castle stands on a jagged cliff, towering 200 meters above the river valley. It was first open to the public on August 1, 1886 - hardly a month after Ludwig's demise.
Location: Palace Neuschwanstein
Schlossverwaltung
Neuschwanstein
Neuschwansteinstr. 20
87645 Schwangau
Contact
Tel. +49(0)8362/ 9 39 88-0
Fax 49(0)8362/ 9 39 88-19

Email:
svneuschwanstein@bsv.bayern.de
April - Sept 9 am - 6 pm
Okt - March 10 am - 4 pm
daily

Luzern - Attractions Guide

2008-01-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Luzern with quick information:

SL05 City: Luzern
Name of Attraction: Spreuerbrücke

Details: The Spreuerbrücke is the city's Mills bridge. It's an old covered wooden bridge located by the water spikes on the Reuss river - and somewhat similar to the more famous chapel bridge in terms of architecture. The Spreuerbrücke, however, is much shorter. It was built in 1407 and restored in the 19th century. There are many gables in the bridge, and they are painted with the Dance of Death, a mural by Kaspar Meglinger (17th century) to commemorate the people who, at that time, were swept away by the plague.
Meglinger's paintings portray various conditions of men and women, priests and warriors, princes and men of learning, the young bride, the devout nun, the lawmaker, the hunter, the miller, even the artist himself, are all depicted at the mercy of Death, with his mocking smile and his ever-changing garb. These paintings, suitable for a Benedictine abbey, are seen by every inhabitant of beautiful Lucerne who crosses the river via the Spreuerbrücke. It has a small chapel in the middle that was added in 1568.
Location:

SL04 City: Luzern
Name of Attraction: Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

Details: Since the city of Luzerne straddles the Reuss River where it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (670 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333, although much of it had to be replaced after a 1993 fire.
photos
Swans of Lake Lucerne
View more photos >
A tourist (the story blames an American) was smoking next to the bridge, as there is no smoking allowed on the wooden structure. When he finished, he flicked his cigarette, which landed on a nearby German Shepard. Feeling something burning on its back, the dog freaked out and ran onto the bridge. After it shook the cigarette off it ran back to its master. Shortly thereafter the middle section of the bridge burned down. This is why there is a sign at the bridge's entrance that does not allow German Shepard's or smoking.
Partway across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history. The Bridge with its Tower is the city's most famous landmark.
Location:

SL06 City: Luzern
Name of Attraction: Gletschergarten Glacier GArden

Details: outstanding natural monument from the Ice Age 20,000 years ago, and a fun hall of mirrors
Location:

SL03 City: Luzern
Name of Attraction: Löwendenkmal

Details: Löwendenkmal, Lucerne's Lion Monument , which honored the 700 Swiss guards who died in 1792 defending King Louis XVI and his family, not knowing that the royal family had secretly escape .
The "Dying Lion of Lucerne" is one of the world's most famous monuments. This compelling sculpture was carved out of natural rock to honor the Swiss mercenaries that died at the Tuileries during the French Revolution in 1792.
Designed by Danish sculptor Berthel of Konstanz, the 19th century wonder is a simple, stirring image of a dying lion. The Latin inscription translates: 'To the bravery and fidelity of the Swiss'.
Mark Twain described the Lion of Lucerne as "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world".
Location:

SL01 City: Luzern
Name of Attraction: Pilatus Trip

Details:
Location:

SL02 City: Luzern
Name of Attraction: Titlis

Details:
Location:

SL07 City: Luzern
Name of Attraction: Transport Musuem

Details:
Location:

Geneva - Attractions Guide

2008-01-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Geneva with quick information:

SG01 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Carouge

Details: This little artisan town, 2km (1 mile) south of the city centre, is full of book and antique restorers, glass blowers, watchmakers, clothes designers, hatters, bistros and restaurants. In 1772, the people of Turin (the capital of the kingdom of Sardinia) came to set up a town to rival Geneva. Carouge changed hands frequently but, in 1816, the town was annexed to Geneva and became Swiss.

Its architecture remains Italianate in style and the narrow streets are straight and orderly, with apartments looking onto wide, green courtyards. Many are open to the public, such as the courtyard of Rue Vautier (opposite number 43) and the courtyard of the Musée de Carouge.
Location: Carouge
Musée de Carouge
Place de Sardaigne 2
Tel: (022) 342 3383.
Website: www.carouge.ch
Website: www.ville-ge.ch/geneve/culture/musees/musees/carouge.htm
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1400-1800.
Free admission.

SG02 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Cathédral de St Pierre (St Peter’s Cathedral)

Details: Built between 1160 and 1289, St Peter’s Cathedral is surprisingly small. Even more surprising is its combination of Romanesque, Gothic, and neo-classical styles. The austerity of the main body of the church is wholly appropriate for a building in which John Calvin preached (1536-1564). However, the 15th-century Chapel of the Maccabees, restored in 1875, is a riot of gilded embellishment against blue and red grounds that recall the decoration of Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch by William Burges. The neo-classical façade was added in 1750. Under the cathedral is one of Europe’s largest underground archaeological sites with some good 14th-century mosaics, while the top of the north tower offers fine views over the old town and lake.
Location: Cour St-Pierre
Tel: (022) 311 7575.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1200 and 1400-1700, Sun 1100-1230 and 1330-1700 (Oct-May), Mon-Sat 0900-1900 and Sun 1100-1900 (Jun-Sep).
Free admission, charge for the tower.

SG03 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Jardin Anglais (English Garden) and Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock)

Details: The English Garden, dating from 1854, is home to the Monument National, a statue of two young women – the ‘Republic of Geneva’ and ‘Helvetia’, symbolising Geneva’s attachment to the Swiss Confederation on 12 September 1814. Within the park there is an elegant bronze fountain and L’Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock) (decorated with over 6,300 plants) that was installed in 1955 to honour Geneva’s watch-making industry. The clock is the largest in the world – 5m (16.4ft) in diameter and 17.7m (58ft) in circumference. Its second hand advances nearly 27cm (10.6 inches) per second.
Location: Quai Général Guisan
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission.

SG04 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Jardin Botanique (Botanical Gardens)

Details: Geneva’s world-renowned Botanical Gardens were created by the botanist A P de Candolle, in the Parc des Bastions in 1817. Relocated to their present site in 1901, the 28-hectare (69-acre) gardens have greenhouses with tropical plants from six continents, a pond brimming with aquatic plants, thousands of flowers, a garden of the senses, an aviary and a park of rare animals, as well as a research laboratory, herbarium collection and extensive library.
Location: Chemin de l’Impératrice 1, Chambésy
Tel: (022) 418 5100.
Website: www.cjb.unige.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700 (Oct-Mar), daily 0800-1930 (Apr-Sep).
Free admission.

SG05 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Jet d’Eau (Water Fountain)

Details: The famed Water Fountain is the Eiffel Tower of Geneva, an impressive 140m (459ft) fountain that dominates the Geneva harbour and all modern depictions of the city. The Jet was originally the safety valve for the city’s water supply and is Europe’s tallest fountain. This water showpiece is illuminated at night, however, during the day, the fountain takes care of the special effects for itself – when the sun shines, a rainbow hovers behind the powerful jet of water, which spurts straight up into the sky at a speed of 200kph (125mph).
Location: On the Rive Gauche, off Quai Gustave Ador and the Horloge Fleurie in the Jardin Anglais
Operating hours: Daily 0930-2315 (Mar-mid-Oct), subject to weather conditions.
Free admission.

SG06 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Large Electron Positron Collider

Details: The world’s largest scientific instrument, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), straddles the border between Switzerland and France, just outside Geneva. Operated by CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Research), the particle accelerator lies in a 27km- (17 mile-) long tunnel. It is used to study the outcome of high-speed collision between constituent parts of atoms, mimicking (for a split second) the apparent state of the universe at the moment of its creation. The exhibition explains how particles are accelerated to near the speed of light and what has been learnt from over a decade of experiments. The LHC is due to switch on in 2007.
Location: Off the road to St Genis, France, on the Route de Meyrin
Tel: (022) 767 8484.
Website: www.cern.ch
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700.
Free admission.

SG07 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Maison Tavel (Tavel House)

Details: The one-towered Tavel House is named after the noble Tavel family, who lived here in the 14th century. Today a museum, it provides an insight into the day-to-day lives of Genevois from the 14th to 19th centuries. The attic houses the Magnin Maquette of 1896, a huge relief model of Geneva before 1850, with its city walls still in place.
Location: Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6
Tel: (022) 418 3700.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch/geneve/culture/musees/musees/tavel.htm
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Free admission, charge for temporary exhibitions.

SG08 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: MAMCO (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art)

Details: Situated in a former factory, this museum extends over four floors that are best visited from top to bottom. One of the permanent displays is L’Appartement, a faithful reproduction of a Parisian collector’s flat, for which he has loaned his own furniture, paintings and sculptures.
Location: Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10
Tel: (022) 320 6122.
Website: www.mamco.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1200-1800, Sat-Sun 1100-1800, closed Mon.
Admission charge.

SG09 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Mur des Réformateurs (Reformation Wall)

Details: Construction of the 60ft (18m) Reformation Wall began in 1909, on the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. The monument is dedicated to the four figures central to the Reformation movement – John Calvin (1509-64), Théodore de Bèze (1513-1605), John Knox (1513-72) and Guillaume Farel (1549-65).
Location: Parc des Bastions
Opening hours: Dawn to dusk.
Free admission.

SG10 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Museum of Art and History)

Details: The Museum of Art and History presents a multidiscipline approach to history (from prehistoric times to the present) through important collections of fine art, archaeology and applied art, including arms and armour, costumes and musical instruments. The most celebrated work is Konrad Witz’s early 15th-century painting, La Pêche Miraculeuse.
Location: Rue Charles-Galland 2
Tel: (022) 418 2600.
Website: http://mah.ville-ge.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Free admission.

SG11 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Musée de l’Horlogerie et de l’Émaillerie (Clock and Watch Museum)

Details: Set in an attractive Palladian townhouse, this museum traces the development of Genevois clock making, which began in the 17th century and reached its height in 1785. Of particular interest is the watch that was owned and made by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s grandfather (in the form of a skull that splits in half to reveal the time) and an astronomic automated clock made in 1711.
Location: Route de Malagnou 15
Tel: (022) 418 6470.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch/geneve/culture/musees/musees/horlogerie.htm
Opening hours: The museum is currently closed to the public. It will reopen in 2009.
Free admission, charge for temporary exhibitions.

SG12 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Musée International de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge (International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum)

Details: With a powerful combination of audiovisuals, sculpture, computers and documentation, this extraordinary museum tells the story of the founding of the Red Cross by Henry Dunant, as well as its present humanitarian actions. It is Geneva’s most impressive and original museum. The Café Dinant also is a multimedia area.
Location: Avenue de la Paix 17
Tel: (022) 748 9525.
Website: www.micr.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700, closed Tues.
Admission charge.

SG13 City: Geneva
Name of Attraction: Palais des Nations (Palace of Nations)

Details: This vast building, designed in the form of a double horseshoe and set in a park with century-old trees, is the largest United Nations centre after New York. It was built between 1929 and 1937 to host the League of Nations, the precursor to the UN. Visits are extremely popular and allow entrance to certain conference rooms (including the Council Room with frescoes by José Maria Sert, and the Assembly Hall) and an opportunity to sign the Livre d’Or, the golden book of peace.
Location: Avenue de la Paix 14
Tel: (022) 917 4896.
Website: www.unog.ch
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1200 and 1400-1600, 1000-1700 (Jul-Aug). Tours are available, and must be booked in advance. ID is necessary.
Admission charge.

Cologne (Koln) - Attractions Guide

2008-01-27T05:25:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Cologne (Koln) with quick information:

GC01 City: Cologne
Name of Attraction: Cathedral

Details:
Location:
http://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=2&L=1
09:00 to 18:00
EUR 4

Amsterdam - Attractions Guide

2008-01-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Amsterdam with quick information:

NA24 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Aalsmeer Flower Auction

Details: This is the world's largest flower auction! Here flowers and plants are auctioned and then packaged for distribution to all corners of the world. Some of the flowers that you see sold at auction this morning could be at your local florist the very next day!
Location:

NA01 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Amsterdam Historical Museum)

Details: The Amsterdam Historical Museum shows how this city grew from a small medieval town into a modern city. Housed in a former orphanage that dates back to 1524, the museum is filled with paintings, prints and archaeological finds. One of the most interesting exhibits is an 18th-century coach without wheels. According to council regulations (and to reduce the noise of wheels on the cobbled streets) wealthy Amsterdammers had to travel by sleigh, even in summer. The entrance fee to the museum includes free entry to the Civic Guards Gallery, a glass-roofed ‘street’ between Kalverstraat and the Begijnhof, which is lined with 15 massive portraits of the Amsterdam Civic Guards, dating from the 17th century. However, the Rijksmuseum has the most famous painting of the Civic Guard – Rembrandt’s Nightwatch (see above). The museum’s courtyards are a relaxing place to be on a warm summer’s day with the restaurant offering outside tables.
Location: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 357
Tel: (020) 523 1822. Fax: (020) 620 7789.
E-mail: info@ahm.amsterdam.nl
Website: www.ahm.nl
Transport: Trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 14, 16, 24 or 25.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1100-1700.
Admission: €6 (concessions available).

NA02 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Anne Frankhuis (Anne Frank House)

Details: The queues can be horrendous at the small but very popular Anne Frank House, which annually attracts roughly half a million people. It is the historic home where Anne Frank, her family and four other Jewish people hid from the occupying Germans during World War II, after fleeing their native Germany. Finally caught by the Nazis, after two years in hiding, they were taken off to concentration camps, where Anne died. However, her father survived and published her diary, which has been translated into 50 languages. The story of how they were saved by local people for so long sometimes masks the reality that the city’s Jewish population was all but wiped out during the war.
Location: Prinsengracht 263, Westerkerk
Tel: (020) 556 7100. Fax: (020) 620 7999.
E-mail: museumsecretariaat@annefrank.nl
Website: www.annefrank.nl
Transport: Trams 13, 14 or 17.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 (Sep-Mar) daily 0900-2100 (Apr-Aug).
Admission: €7.50 (concessions available).

NA25 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Artis, a cultural zoo

Details:
Its atmospheric, 19th century character with ponds, ancient formal gardens and trees makes Artis ideally suited to the casual stroller. Alongside the Predator Gallery, the original design of an English stately home garden gives way to the Classical 'French Gardens' (laid out in 1891), called the Dutch Garden. The eight-meter high Westerman monument commemorates Artis's founder. Marble statues of the Four Seasons border this geometrical garden.

The statue of the Japanese Bodhisattva near the ibises is surrounded by different blooming plants each season.

Few zoos are as well endowed with listed buildings as Artis. Twenty of these historical monuments bear diamond-shaped plaques with an inscription from a bygone age. Some examples are the Large Museum (1855), the Library building (1867) and the Aquarium (1882). The romantic Masmanhuisje predates the foundation of Artis (1838). It now houses the ibises. The stroll is made even more romantic by a visit to the two, larger than life, 18th century Bodhisatva statues (also known as Buddhas). These were brought to Artis from Japan more than a century ago.
Location:
http://www.artis.nl/international/general/index.html
The best way to visit Amsterdam is by NS train (Dutch Railways). From Schiphol Airport, the train to Amsterdam Central Station takes a mere 15 minutes. Artis is easily accessible by public transport (trams 9, 10 and 14 and Waterlooplein metro station).
During the summer season the zoo can also be reached by canal boat: from Amsterdam Central Station, board the Artis Expres, a canal boat operated by Lovers shipping company (tel. 31-20-6222181) or take tram line 9 to the zoo.
Artis is open every day of the year, from 09.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. During the period of 'summer time' Artis closes at 18.00.
dults is € 16,00, for senior citizins (65+) € 15,00 and for children from 3 to 9 years € 12,50. Groups exceeding 20 people get a discount of € 1,00 per person. An entry ticket for Artis also provides admission to the Planetarium, the Geological Museum, the Aquarium and the Zoological Museum. The zoo guide can be purchased for € 2,50 at the ticket office or at the counter in the Planetarium shop. Furthermore, there are free routes, e.g. the Artis Sculpture Route, available.

NA03 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Dolfinarium Hardewijk

Details: Dolfinarium Harderwijk is the largest marine animal park in Europe.
There's a lot to do here. Those impressive and fantastically funny dolphin and sea lion performances for example. And you have to see the walrus show - you'll have a whale of a time there. The playground and the beach are brilliant too. Or visit the Lagune. Don't miss the 3-D spectacle. Experience a truly adventurous show with real pirates. A Delightful Dolfinarium Day is not only great fun, but also full of excitement and things to learn about. In short, there are plenty of good reasons for taking the family to Dolfinarium Harderwijk to enjoy a delightful day at the Dolfinarium.

Location: (80 KM)

NA04 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Efteling

Details: Efteling is one of the leading family attraction parks in Europe.
Each year, some three million people visit the World of Wonders in Kaatsheuvel, in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant. They step into an enchanting adventure, right away from reality. Efteling presents fairytales, attractions, entertainment and events in a relaxing green park covering 72 hectares. Fairytales are alternated with exciting thrill-rides and enchanting journeys of discovery through the different Realms. Entertainment on paths and in squares is a gay characteristic of the entire park. Efteling has been attracting visitors of all ages from at home and abroad since 1952. The wide range of activities, and the way they are presented by Efteling, have led to major international awards. For example, Efteling received the Applause Award for the best park in the world, and the Pomme d'Or, the highest tourist sector award in Europe.

Location: (100 KM)

NA05 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Heineken Experience

Details: The award winning Heineken Experience is a self-guided, multimedia delve into the workings of the world’s largest beer exporter. There is plenty of information on the company’s rich history and also the ‘Bottle Ride’, where visitors get to feel what it is like to be a beer bottle during the production process. At the end of the tour, there is, of course, the chance to sample the hallowed brew in the ‘See You Again Bar’. People do come back judging by the fact that in April 2005, they celebrated their one millionth visitor.
Location: Stadhouderskade 78
Tel: (020) 523 9666. Fax: (020) 523 9738.
E-mail: info@heinekenexperience.nl
Website: www.heinekenexperience.nl
Transport: Trams 16, 24 or 25.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission: €10 (concessions available).

NA06 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Hortus Botanicus

Details: The very pretty Hortus Botanicus is home to more than 800 plants from all over the world. It is also one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, established as a ‘Hortus Medicus’ herb garden in 1638. The garden became an ornamental garden, displaying foreign plants brought back by the East India Company, from as far afield as South Africa, India, Indonesia, Australia and Japan. Conducted tours take place on Sunday at 1300 and last for 60-90 minutes.
Location: Plantage Middenlaan 2a
Tel: (020) 625 9021. Fax: (020) 625 7006.
E-mail: hortus.amsterdam@wxs.nl
Website: www.hortus-botanicus.nl
Transport: Metro Waterlooplein tram 7 or 9. Public transportation
Tram 9 and 14: Mr. Visserplein stop.
Tram 6 (Mon-Fri): last stop.
Metro: Waterlooplein stop (Hortusplantsoen exit
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1700. Close at 1600 in Dec-Jan and stay open until 2100 in Jul-Aug.
Admission: €6 (concessions available).

NAHH City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Hotel Abba

Details: Overtoom 120-122
Amsterdam 1054 HM, The Netherlands
Location:

NA07 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Houseboat Museum

Details: Living on a houseboat sounds like an alluring way of life and it is increasingly popular in the Amsterdam area, partly due to the city’s chronic housing shortage. This modest museum, reputed to be the only one of its kind in the world, attempts to delve into this unique way of life, answering questions about what it is like to live on a boat in this historic city. The boat is much as it would be as a house (with a living room, shower, toilet and bedroom) and is a far better way of scouring a houseboat that poking through the windows of a real one, as many curious tourists cannot help themselves doing.
Location: Opposite Prisengracht 296
Tel: (020) 427 0750.
E-mail: info@houseboatmuseum.nl
Website: www.houseboatmuseum.nl
Transport: Trams 13, 14 or 17.
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1100-1700 (Mar-Oct), Fri-Sun 1100-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Admission: €3 (concessions available).

NA08 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Keukenhof "Flower Garden"

Details: In the spring Keukenhof is naturally The flower attraction of Holland.
In the 32 ha park millions of bulb flowers bloom in all colors of the rainbow for eight weeks.
Location: Keukenhof is situated between Amsterdam and The Hague, Haarlem and Leiden. From Amsterdam, take the A4 toward The Hague, exit N207 toward Lisse.
From The Hague, take the A44 toward Amsterdam, exit N208 toward Lisse; or on the A4, exit N207. As you near th

NA23 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Keukenhof Tulip Garden

Details: KEUKENHOF: A KITCHEN GARDEN FULL OF BULBS
Keukenhof, which means "kitchen garden," was originally a noble's salad garden. Near Lisse in the bulb district, it showcases 6 million bulbs that grow in drifts, blooming in waves for about two months in spring.
Paved footpaths wind through 70 acres of lawns, lakes, woodlands, steams, and shrubs, all edged with rivers of bloom. In one place, we delighted in a bank of daffodils around red-flowering currant (a Western native); in another, a cool river of blue Muscari wowed passerby.
Flowers are labeled; most are available commercially.
the multi-colored bulb fields on the way to visit the Keukenhof Exhibition. This world renowned display garden is a 70-acre estate where 6 million bulbs are planted annually by local growers. Keukenhof is the world's largest exhibition of blooming tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Stroll through the gardens, view the plantings in the three exhibition halls and walk up the windmill for a magnificent look at the brilliant colors in the accompanying bulb fields.
This afternoon visit we stop in Gouda, which is internationally renowned for its beautiful gothic Town Hall dating from 1450. The town also boasts the Waag (Weighing House) dating from 1668 and the St. Jans church with its beautiful stained windows. Oh yes, if the name Gouda is familiar it's because of the famous cheese produced here. We will see how the cheese is produced and enjoy a cheese tasting. Enjoy your time here and take time have a cup of coffee/tea and a real Dutch "stroopwafel" (syrup waffle).
Location:
http://www.keukenhof.nl/
08:00 to 19:30
EUR 13

NA09 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace)

Details: The Royal Palace, designed by Jacob van Campen, was built in 1648, as Amsterdam’s city hall. When King Louis Napoleon arrived in Amsterdam, in 1808, he had the city hall turned into a palace. The large collection of Empire-style furniture, chandeliers and clocks date from this period. Although the palace is still the official royal residence, the royal family lives in The Hague. However, Queen Beatrix does host official functions here.
Location: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147
Tel: (020) 620 4060. Fax: (020) 623 3819.
E-mail: info@kon-paleisamsterdam.nl
Website: www.koninklijkhuis.nl
Transport: Trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24 or 25.
Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat and Sun 1230-1700 guided tours need to be booked two weeks in advance.
Admission: €4.50 (concessions available).

NA10 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Madurodam - Den

Details: Among many other attractions, miniature city Madurodam boasts the canal houses of Amsterdam, the Alkmaar cheese market and parts of the Delta Works, all replicated in minute detail on a 1:25 scale. Watch windmills turn, ships sail and modern trains traverse the city on the world's largest miniature railway
Location: (60 KM)

NA11 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Marken

Details:
Location: 20 KM

NA12 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Museum Het Rembrandthuis

Details: This museum, a charming three-storey house, built in the early 17th century, is where Rembrandt lived for nearly 20 years. Recently, a museum wing has been added, with more space for a permanent collection of his work. It is home to a comprehensive collection of 250 of the artist’s etchings and self-portraits. The work of Rembrandt’s teachers and students are also on display, which adds depth and dialogue to Rembrandt’s own work.
Location: Jodenbreestraat 4-6
Tel: (020) 520 0400. Fax: (020) 520 0401.
E-mail: museum@rembrandthuis.nl
Website: www.rembrandthuis.nl
Transport: Trams 4, 9 or 14 metro Nieuwmarkt boat to Waterlooplein or Zwanenburgerwal.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1300-1700.
Admission: €7.50 (concessions available).

NA13 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: NEMO Museum

Details: The funky and modern NEMO Museum is an unmistakable sight on the banks of the IJ. Just a short stroll away from Centraal Station, this museum attempts to defy the crusty image of some traditional museums by offering plenty of hands-on exhibits to stimulate young minds and keep them occupied, as well as provide more information on science and technology for older visitors. This bright, relaxed venue is a good antidote to Amsterdam’s other, perhaps more stuffy museums, especially for younger visitors. The rooftop has a beach area, a surreal place to take in the rays on a sunny day.
Location: Oosterdok 2
Tel: (020) 531 3233 or (900) 919 1100. Fax: (020) 531 3535.
E-mail: info@e-nemo.nl
Website: www.e-nemo.nl
Transport: Bus 22.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: €11 (concessions available).

NA14 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)

Details: Despite its name, the building of the original church that stood on this site was started in 1408, as the congregation had outgrown the Oude Kerk (Old Church). The present structure dates to the 17th century, the previous wooden church having been badly damaged by fire. One of the most interesting pieces inside the church is the pulpit. Rising to a height of more than 10m (33ft), it took sculptor Albert Jansz Vinckenbrinck almost 20 years (1645-1664) to create. A close look at the carved ‘rope’ of the handrail will reveal mischievous angels sliding down it. Located next door to the Royal Palace, on the Dam, the Nieuwe Kerk has been used for the inauguration of Dutch monarchs since 1815 – Queen Beatrix was crowned here in 1980. The church is also renowned for excellent exhibitions and it is rated as one of top three exhibition locations in the Netherlands.
Location: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal
Tel: (020) 638 6909, for recorded information.
E-mail: mail@nieuwekerk.nl
Website: www.nieuwekerk.nl
Transport: Tram 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24 or 25.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1600, Sat and Sun 1100-1700 (can vary).
Admission: Variable according to exhibition. Often Free

NA15 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Rijksmuseum

Details: The largest and most popular museum in the Netherlands was opened in 1885 and has grown steadily ever since. Today, it is in the midst of the biggest rebuilding programme in its history. Under the title of ‘The Masters’ much of its most famous work, though, is still on show in the impressively designed Phillips Wing and as much of the rest of the collections are being put on display as possible.
Location: Jan Luijenstraat 1
Tel: (020) 674 7047. Fax: (020) 674 7001.
E-mail: info@rijksmuseum.nl
Website: www.rijksmuseum.nl
Transport: Trams 5, 6, 7 or 10. In Amsterdam:
From Central Station: tram 2 or 5 (to Hobbemastraat)
From Zuid/WTC Station: tram 5 (to Hobbemastraat)
From Sloterdijk Station: tram 12 (to Concertgebouw)
From Amstel Station: Metro to Weesperplein, from there tram 6, 7 or 10 (to Spiegelgracht)
From regional bus terminal on Marnixstraat: bus 26, 65, 66 or 170 (or a 10-minute walk)
You can also take the Canal Bus!
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (subject to change with ongoing work).
Admission: €9 (concessions available).

NA16 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Roemer Visscherstraat

Details: Also known as United Europe, or Seven Countries Houses, the extraordinary street, Roemer Visscherstraat, was built in 1894, by architect Tjeerd Kuipers, with the intention of focusing on the history of European architecture. Lying between the Vondelpark and Leidseplein, numbers 20 to 30a of this street provide a one-minute excursion through seven European cities. Number 20, with its Gothic windows, is based on romantic German architecture. Number 22 is a miniature French Loire château, while 24 is a Moorish masterpiece reminiscent of Granada’s Alhambra. There is an Italian palazzo at number 26, next door to which, with its onion-shaped dome, is a house reminiscent of a Russian cathedral. Number 30 is a Renaissance-style Dutch house, while 30a is an English cottage.
Location: Roemer Visscherstraat 20-30a
Transport: Tram 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10 or 12.

NA17 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Scheepvaartmuseum (Netherlands Maritime Museum)

Details: The highlight of the maritime museum is the newly built reconstruction of an old Dutch East Indiaman that is moored just offshore. The ship may have no engine but it looks impressive and its confined interior is authentic. The museum helps open up the reality of the country’s rich maritime past when the Dutch were major global players and their fleet ventured as far as modern day Indonesia, Goa and Macau.
Location: Katterburgerplein 1
Tel: (020) 523 2222. Fax: (020) 523 2213.
Website: www.scheepvaartmuseum.nl
Transport: Bus 22 or 32.
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: €7.50 (concessions available).

NA18 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art

Details: The best collection of modern art in Amsterdam is currently located in a temporary home whilst work continues on Museumplein. The collection includes Dutch and international art from the second half of the 19th century onwards, with works by Picasso, Cézanne, Chagall and Monet, as well as photography, video, film and industrial design. Recent Dutch artists on display include Mondrian, De Kooning and Lichtenstein.
Location: Oosterdokskade 5
Tel: (020) 573 2911. Fax: (020) 675 2716.
E-mail: info@stedelijk.nl
Website: www.stedelijk.nl
Transport: Trams 2, 3, 5, 12 or 16 bus 63.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800, Thu 1000-2100.
Admission: €9.

NA19 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Van Gogh Museum

Details: This spacious museum houses a permanent display of 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 letters by Van Gogh, as well as works by Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin. A new wing is being used to display temporary exhibitions, usually of 19th century art.
Location: Paulus Potterstraat 7
Tel: (020) 570 5200. Fax: (020) 570 5222.
E-mail: info@vangogh.nl
Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Transport: Trams 2, 3, 5, 12 or 16.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800, Fri until 2200.
Admission: €10 (concessions available).

NA20 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Volendam

Details:
Location: 35 KM

NA21 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Vondelpark

Details: Named after a famous Dutch poet, the Vondelpark is known as the ‘green lung’ of Amsterdam. It contains 49 hectares (120 acres) of ponds, gardens, lakes, playgrounds, cafés and a bandstand. During summer, there are regular free concerts. At times, palm readers and buskers (African drummers, classical quartets and jazz singers) provide entertainment. Just a short walk from the Leidseplein, the Vondelpark is an ideal place for visitors to get away from it all.
Location: Vondelpark, Roemer Visscherstraat
Tel: (020) 676 5860.
E-mail: info@vondelpark.tv
Website: www.vondelpark.tv
Transport: Tram 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10 or 12.
Opening hours: Daily dawn until dusk.
Admission: Free.

NA22 City: Amsterdam
Name of Attraction: Zaanse Schans

Details:
Location: 35 KM

Innsbruck - Attraction Guide

2008-01-26T05:39:00.000-08:00

List of attractions of Innsbruck (Austria)

AI01 City: Innsbruck
Name of Attraction: Swarovski Crystal Worlds (Swarovski Kristallwelten)

Details:
Location:
New: Crystal Worlds Transfer: from 9 am, 4-times
a day, every 2 hours.
Route: Innsbruck main train station - Museumstraße -
Hungerburgbahn - Crystal Worlds in Wattens
and return. Free transfer with the Innsbruck Card. Tickets available
on the bus EUR 8.5
Open:
Daily from 9 am until 6.30 pm
Last entrance at 17:30
24th and 31st December until 4 pm
Last entrance at 3 pm
From 1st December 2006 till 31rd March 2007
every Thursday till 8 pm
(last entrance at 7.30 pm)
Closed:
from 6th to 17th November 2006
Tickets: EUR 8

Hamburg - Attractions Guide

2008-01-26T05:36:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Humburg with quick information:

GH01 City: Hamburg
Name of Attraction: Cruising the Alster Lake

Details: There are many ways to cruise the Alster, the best is the Alster-Kreuz-Fahrten option, which makes nine stops on a leisurely two-hour trip, allowing you to hop on and hop off at will, visiting bucolic lakeside cafes and restaurants or stopping for a picnic.
Location: Jungfernstieg (landing stage)
Tel: (40) 35 74 240.
Website: www.alstertouristik.de

GH02 City: Hamburg
Name of Attraction: Harbour Tours

Details: Hamburg owes its prosperity, past and present, to its docks, so a trip around the harbour (daily noon, Mar-Nov with English commentary), sailing past huge container vessels and spotting ships from all over the world, is essential.
Location: Landungsbrücken, Brücke (pier) 1
Tel: (40) 3178 2231.

GH03 City: Hamburg
Name of Attraction: Kunsthalle

Details: Hamburg’s expansive city art gallery spans the ages from 15th-century German Old Masters through French impressionism to Andy Warhol and 21st-century installations – it’s worth a visit for the Café Liebermann alone.
Location: Glockengiesserwall
Tel: (40) 428 131 200.
Website: www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de

GH04 City: Hamburg
Name of Attraction: Michaeliskirche (St Michael’s church)

Details: Visit this city landmark at noon (daily) for the three-organ concert, then ascend the tower for great views over the harbour and the city.
Location: Englische Planke
Tel: (40) 3767 8100.

GH05 City: Hamburg
Name of Attraction: Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte (Museum of Hamburg History)

Details: The Museum of Hamburg History brings to life the story of the city, from the feared pirate Störtebeker to the Beatles at the Star Club, with some impressive large scale exhibits and interactive displays, all with English captions.
Location: Holstenwall 24
Tel: (40) 428 132 2380.
Website: www.hamburgmuseum.de

GH06 City: Hamburg
Name of Attraction: Speicherstadt

Details: The world’s biggest warehouse complex part retains its original function and now also holds a variety of visitor attractions, from the Hamburg Dungeon and the world’s largest model railway of its kind, to five small museums – on Spices, Toys, Afghanistan, Customs & Excise and the Speicherstadt (‘warehouse city’) itself.
Location:

GH07 City: Hamburg
Name of Attraction: Sunday Fish Market

Details: Good street food, live music, souvenirs, tremendous food bargains and the type of stall-holder banter which will make even non-German speakers smile have all made this early-morning market a city legend.
Location: In and around Fischmarkt

Brussels - Attractions Guide

2008-01-26T05:34:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Brussels with quick information:

BB03 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Atomium and Mini-Europe

Details: Léopold II bequeathed the 202-hectare (500-acre) estate of Heysel to the city of Brussels in 1909. The large exhibition spaces are located here, to the northwest of the centre. Its most famous landmark, however, is the Atomium – a giant model of an oxygen molecule, built for the 1958 World Fair as a temporary structure, although never fully dismantled. It reopens in February 2006 following extensive renovation, including replacement of its metal ‘skin’. The highest sphere gives a panoramic view of the entire region. The science exhibition is of interest only to young children. Discover the symbol of the 1958 Brussels world fair from the inside. The Atomium was originally built for the 1958 World Fair and since its construction it has become the symbol of Belgium. The 102-metre-tall steel and aluminum structure is meant to be a symbol of the atom concept, increased by 165 billions times! It offers a superb panoramic view of Brussels and its surroundings.
Nearby Mini-Europe shrinks Europe to a size that can be covered in a short walk, with faithful miniatures of the Eiffel Tower, Westminster and the Berlin Wall in the process of being dismantled. Five new ‘countries’ were included for 2005, among them Cyprus and Lithuania.
Location: Atomium Boulevard du Centenaire
Bruparck, Boulevard du Centenaire
Tel: (02) 475 4777. Fax: (02) 475 4779.
Tel: (02) 474 1313. Fax: (02) 478 2675.
E-mail: info@atomium.be
E-mail: info@minieurope.com
Website: www.atomium.be
Website: www.minieurope.com
Transport: Métro Heysel, bus 84 or 89, tram 23 or 81.
Transport: Métro Heysel, bus 84 or 89, tram 23 or 81.
Opening hours: (From February 2006) Daily 0900-1900 (Apr-Aug), daily 1000-1730 (Sep-Mar).
Opening hours: Daily 0930-2000, (Jul-Aug), daily 0930-2400 (late Jul-late Aug) daily 0930-1800 (Sep-Mar).
Admission: €6 between Feb and Apr 2006, €8 from May 2006, concessions available.
Admission: €11.80, concessions available.

BB06 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Autoworld Car Museum

Details: Strictly for the car mad, this museum has over 400 cars on display. The entire 20th century history of the motor vehicle is covered from 1886 to the 1970s. There are rare pre-World War II models on show as well as cars from all over the world.
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BB07 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: BRUPARCK

Details: Here you find a reconstructed Belgian village complete with café's and restaurants. You can have a tropical beach experience at the indoor Océade Océade swimming complex. Kinepolis: one of the largest movie complexes in Europe with 24 cinema rooms and a giant IMAX movie screen. If you go to the movies in Brussels always check if the movie is shown in the original language with subtitles, or dubbed in French.
Location: Situated at the Heysel. (Metro station : Heysel)
The price of a movie in Belgium is between 7 and 9 Euro.

BB08 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Brussels City Museum (Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles)

Details: The city museum is located in the King's House on the Grand Place. The museum tells the story of Brussels and how it grew from a tiny village to become the capital of Europe. Probably the most interesting exhibit is the outlandish collection of some 600 costumes donated to the Manneken Pis over the centuries. http://www.brussels-online.be/maison-du-roi/uk/
Location:

BB05 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Belgian Centre for Comic Strips)

Details: The history of the Belgian comic strip, including its links with silent movies and animation, is displayed throughout the airy and uplifting Grand Magasin Waucquez, designed by Victor Horta. Original drawings by early masters, such as André Franquin (who created accident-prone Gaston Lagaffe), and Georges Remi (Hergé) (who breathed life into Tintin) are complemented by modern-day cartoons, temporary exhibitions, an exhaustive academic library, children’s library and a brasserie.
A famous Belgian art form in
The Belgian Comic Strip Centre is housed in a charming art nouveau building designed by the creator of Lucky Luke, Spirou, the Smurfs and Gaston Lagaffe - Victor Horta. In the museum you will see how cartoons are made, learn about production techniques and see antique cartoon strips of many recognisable characters. The museum shop, packed full of books, gadgets and posters, is well worth a visita beautiful Art Nouveau Setting. Discover the history of Belgium's comic strip heroes (Tintin) and visit the beautiful shop with its many books and comic strip gadgets.
Location: Rue des Sables 20
Zandstraat / Rue des Sables 20 1000 Brussel
Tel: (02) 219 1980. Fax: (02) 219 2376.
E-mail: visit@cbbd.be
Website: www.cbbd.be
http://www.brusselsdiscovery.com/bd/mur2.html
Transport: Train/métro Gare Centrale, bus 29, 38, 47, 60, 65, 66, 71.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800.
Admission: €6.20, concessions available, €2.50 (reference library).

BB09 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Galéries St. Hubert

Details: The Galéries St. Hubert is a grand 19th-century shopping arcade near the Grand Place in central Brussels which has been recently restored to its original grandeur. Once the stomping ground of such names as Baudelaire and Victor Hugo - who kept his mistresses in an upstairs apartment - the arcade is now a welcome escape from modern day shopping. With its cinema, cafés, bookshops and theatre, there is plenty to see and do. Indulge in some chocolate tasting at the original Neuhaus shop - famous for Belgium Pralines - which opened its doors back in 1857.
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BB04 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Grand-Place and MUSIC AND LIGHT SHOW AT THE GRAND PLACE

Details: A web of narrow cobbled streets suddenly opens out into the vast Grand-Place – economic and social heart of Brussels since the Middle Ages. The array of filigree Gothic buildings is dominated by the asymmetrical Hôtel de Ville, built in the 15th century. Its 96m (315ft) spire is topped with a gilded copper statue of St Michael. Opposite the Town Hall and almost as grand is the Maison du Roi, commissioned in 1515 and faithfully rebuilt in the 1890s. Sometime pied-à-terre of the Hapsburg monarchy, the building now hosts the Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles and its small collection includes tapestries and altarpieces, as well as the costumes worn by the Manneken-Pis. A series of lavish Guildhouses complete the rectangle of the square – number 10 still houses the guild of brewers, Maison de l’Arbre d’Or. Events, displays and markets are often held in the Grand-Place.
Described by Victor Hugo as "the most beautiful square in Europe," the Grand Place is located in the very heart of Brussels. The square contains numerous impressive baroque and gothic buildings, many of which have dazzling gilt details. The Hôtel de Ville (town hall), a gothic masterpiece dating from the early 15th century, is also located in the square. Don’t miss a guided tour of the town hall, which takes you into many of its art-adorned rooms. During the summer months there is free nightly entertainment including fireworks and light shows.
Location: Grand-Place
Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles
Tel: (02) 279 4350. Fax: (02): 279 4362.
Transport: Métro Bourse, De Brouckère or Gare Centrale.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (Closed Jan 1, May 1, Nov 1 and 11, Dec 25)
There are two sessions of aproximately 15 minutes each night (between 21.30 h and 23.15 h, depending on the sunset).
Admission: €3.

BB10 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: La Maison d’Erasme (Erasmus House Museum)

Details: Dedicated to the great 15th/16th century traveller and scholar, this interesting museum is located in the Anderlecht district to the west of the city centre, and with the adjacent Anderlecht Convent, is the oldest public museum in Belgium. It houses collections of art, furniture and literature relevant to the time and studies of Erasmus, who stayed in the house in 1521. It also features attractive gardens.
Location: Rue du Chapitre 31
Tel: (02) 521 1383. Fax: (02) 527 1269.
E-mail: info@erasmushouse.museum
Website: www.erasmushouse.museum
Transport: Métro line 1B to St Guidon, tram 56 to St Guidon, bus 49 to Formanoir.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: €1.25.

BB11 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Manneken-Pis

Details: The Rue de l’Etuve leads from the grandeur of Grand-Place to this allegory of irreverence and symbol of Bruxellois self-mockery – a bronze statuette of a urinating boy. If it were not for the occupation of the young child, the sculpture might resemble an angelic putto, such as the ones decorating the façade of the nearby Bourse (Stock Exchange), said to have been sculpted by Rodin. Jérôme Duquesnoy cast Manneken-Pis in the 1660s, perhaps as a reference to the peasant lads of legend, who extinguished fires with their urine. Manneken-Pis is regularly kitted out in a choice of some 500 outfits supplied by companies, charities and other organisations wishing to promote their name or brand.
Location: Rue de l’Etuve
Transport: Métro Bourse.

BB13 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Musée Belvue (Belvue Museum)

Details: Re-opened in July 2005 to coincide with Belgium’s 175th anniversary celebrations after major re-modelling work, the Musee Belvue is dedicated to the 12 major periods of the country’s history. The exhibitions are themed around the reigns of each of the country’s 12 monarchs. The building itself is located at the scene of the 1830 Belgian Revolution which led to the establishment of an independent state.
Location: Hôtel Bellevue, Place des Palais 7
Tel: (02) 545 0800. Fax: (02) 502 4623.
E-mail: info@belvue.be
Website: www.belvue.be
Transport: Métro Trône, Porte de Namur or Parc, tram 92, 93 or 94, bus 38, 60, 71.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (Jun-Sep), Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (Oct-May). Closed Jan 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, Dec 25.
Admission: €3, concessions available.

BB01 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Musée du Cinquantenaire (Royal Museums of Art and History)

Details: Everything conceived by Léopold II was on a grandiose scale and the Parc du Cinquantenaire, built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence, is no exception. The Musée de l’Armée, situated in the north wing, has an interesting display of vintage aircraft and free entrance. However, the Musée du Cinquantenaire, formerly known as the Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire (Royal Art and History Museums), is the major draw card of the area. Boasting collections from five continents, ranging from prehistory to the present, it includes Art Nouveau furniture designed by Victor Horta and fine examples of centuries-old lace. Comic strip fans might find some pieces familiar – the large Egyptian collection was the source of inspiration for Belgium’s artists, including Hergé.
The Cinquantenaire Museum houses a very valuable collection of works from different civilizations throughout the world. Its artefacts give an overview of the history of mankind in five continents (with the exclusion of Africa) from prehistory to the present day. Recently modernised and expanded, the new "treasure room" is worth a look as well as old favorites like the array of European decorative arts, the folklore section and the antiquities.
Location: Parc du Cinquantenaire 10
Tel: (02) 741 7211. Fax: (02) 733 7735.
E-mail: info@kmkg-mrah.be
Website: www.kmkg-mrah.be
Transport: Train/métro Mérode or Schuman, tram 81 or 82 (to Mérode), bus 21, 67, 80.
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0930-1700, Sat-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: €4, free first Wed of the month 1300-1700.

BB14 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Musée Horta (Horta Museum)

Details: Architect Victor Horta (1885-1946) worked to produce some 110 buildings, first in neo-Gothic style, famously in Art Nouveau and latterly in sparse Modernist style. Many (such as the Hôtel Solvay, Avenue Louise 224, and Hôtel Van Eetvelde at Avenue Palmerston 4) are still standing. However, the Musée Horta (the architect’s former home and studio) is beautifully preserved and open to the general public. Attention to detail sweeps through the building, from the vertical letterbox and finely scripted number 25 on the façade to the sculpted staircase and dining room floor, where a marble mosaic encircles the finest American ash. A theatrical arrangement of secret front doors allowed the architect to welcome guests from different social and religious backgrounds without their being aware of each other’s presence.
Location: Rue Américaine 25
Tel: (02) 543 0490. Fax: (02) 538 7631.
E-mail: info@hortamuseum.be
Website: www.hortamuseum.be
Transport: Tram 81, 82, 92 (Place Janson), bus 54.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1400-1730.
Admission: €4.95, concessions available.

BB15 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Belgian Royal Museums of Fine Art)

Details: The most important of Belgium’s museum complexes is located close to Place Royal. It boasts two rich museums, their collections ranging from the 14th century to the modern day – the Musée d’Art Ancien (Museum of Ancient Art), housed in the former court of Charles de Lorraine, and the underground Musée d’Art Moderne (Museum of Modern Art), inaugurated in 1984. The Musée d’Art Ancien (also known as the Museum of Fine Arts) excels in its collection of the Old Masters, with works by Rubens, Bouts and Memling. Collections of Brueghel the Elder and Younger and Hieronymus Bosch are small, as Belgium’s foreign masters took most of these treasures away with them. A passageway leads to Musée d’Art Moderne, with its splendid collection of the Belgian Surrealists. René Magritte is given pride of place, although the haunting works of Paul Delvaux are also of interest. Picasso, Chagall, Henry Moore and Francis Bacon are also represented.
Location: Rue de la Régence 3
Tel: (02) 508 3211. Fax: (02) 508 3232.
E-mail: info@fine-arts-museum.be
Website: www.fine-arts-museum.be
Transport: Gare Centrale, tram 92, 93 or 94 (to Royale), bus 20, 38. 60, 71, 95 or 96 (to Royale).
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: €5, free first Wed of the month from 1300.

BB16 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Muséum des Sciences Naturelles (Natural Sciences Museum)

Details: Close to the European Parliament and containing what is claimed to be one of the finest dinosaur collections in the world (‘starring’ the iguanadons of Bernissart) this fascinating museum additionally features a special presentation on the Arctic and Antarctic regions. There is an extensive permanent marine mammals exhibition. All forms of wildlife, extinct and extant, plus mineralogy, are represented here.
Location: Rue Vautier 29
Tel: (02) 627 4211. Fax: (02) 646 4466.
Website: www.naturalsciences.be
Transport: Métro Maelbeek, Trône, bus 34, 80.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1645, Sat-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission: €4, concessions available, free first Wed of the month from 1300.

BB02 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Palais Royal (Royal Palace)

Details: Some of Brussels’ most opulent buildings and key attractions are clustered around the centrally located Parc de Bruxelles, a formal 1870s park with poker-straight tree-lined avenues and a central fountain. The southeast edge is graced by the Palais des Académies, a former residence of the Prince of Orange and Place du Trône, an impressive statue of Léopold II astride a horse. Nearby, Brussel’s Royal Palace and museums are congregated. Opposite the Parc de Bruxelles lies the Palais Royal, begun by King William I (1815–30) in the 19th century and later expanded by Léopold II. The royal family now resides in Laeken, in northern Brussels. However, the palace is still used as royal office and for state functions. From the end of July until early September, the palace, with its Throne Room, chandeliers, tapestries and gracious dining room, opens to the public.
Located in the centre of Brussels, the sumptuous public apartments are only open for about 6 weeks during the summer, starting from July 21st each year. Originally a 12th century fortress, the building has since then overlooked the Park of Brussels across the road. In 1731, the Palace burned to the ground and the present neo-classical palace has been modified several times during subsequent Austrian, French and Dutch rule. The palace is currently used as the state offices of King Albert II as well as for state receptions, royal audiences and court ceremonies. Take a guided tour and visit the impressive 150 foot long Throne Room with its intricate mosaic parquet floor and majestic chandeliers. The Blue Room, the Louis XVI Music Salon, the Goya Room, the Empire and the Mirror Room are equally breathtaking. If you’re in Brussels during the summer months, this tour is not to be missed.
Location: Rue Bredeorde 16
Tel: (02) 551 2020. Fax: (02) 502 3949.
Website: www.monarchie.be/en/visit/palace/
Transport: Métro Trône or Parc, tram 92, 93 or 94, bus 20, 21, 22, 34, 38, 54, 60, 71, 95 or 96.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1030-1630 (mid Jul-mid Aug), times can vary due to official events. Information on (02) 513 8940.
Admission: Free.

BB17 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: Place du Grand-Sablon

Details: Although the smartest square in town, the Place du Grand-Sablon remains laid-back. Notre-Dame du Sablon dominates the square. Although it began as a humble chapel for the guild of archers, the arrival of a statue of Mary (with reputed magical healing properties) from Antwerp, in 1348, dramatically increased its popularity. The building was expanded into an impressive Gothic church, which still hosts the annual Ommegang procession (see Cultural Events and Special Events). The area is a major centre for antiques dealers and hosts an busy antique and books market at the weekend. It is worth wandering around the Sablon district. Intriguing cul-de-sacs lead off from the square to shady spaces – such as the charming Impasse Saint-Jacques. The nearby Place du Petit-Sablon is a small, green square, surrounded by 48 bronze statuettes representing the 16th-century guilds, with larger statues at its heart, including the martyr-heroes, Egmont and Hornes, and Mercator, the cartographer.
Location: Place du Grand-Sablon

Transport: Bus 20, 34, 48, 95 or 96, tram 92, 93 or 94.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0930-1700, Sun 1300-1700.
Admission: Free.

BB18 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: The Brussels Gueuze Museum (Musée Bruxellois de la Gueuze)

Details: Brussels' Gueuze Museum is located in the last artisan brewery of Gueuze Beer in Brussels. Gueuze is a dark, semi-sparkling beer, slightly acidic and often regarded as "the burgundy of beers." It is a speciality of Brussels. This museum includes a brewery tour which allows you to taste the beer.
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BB19 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: THE FLOWER CARPET

Details: Every two years, during the third week of August, Belgian begonia cultivators decorate the Market Place with a beautiful flower carpet. Every two years there is a different decoration theme.
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BB20 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: THE IGUANODONS OF BERNISSART

Details: One of the most beautiful collections of Dinosaur skeletons can be seen in the Museum of Natural Sciences. The skeletons of the Iguanodons were found in the 19th century in the south-Belgian village of Bernissart.
Location: Location Waversesteenweg / Chaussée de Wavre 260

BB21 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: THE OMMEGANG

Details: Every year at the end of June and the beginning of July, an historical procession, called the Ommegang, takes place at the Market Place. This procession goes back to the 16th century and was originally created to welcome Charles V in Brussels.
Tickets and information: Brussels Tourist Office.

Location:

BB22 City: Brussels
Name of Attraction: TOONE THEATER

Details: Pub dating from 1696, with excellent choice of Belgian beers. On the first floor is the famous Toone Puppet Theater. Beautiful 'marionettes' perform classical opera's or Brussels folk stories in different languages (on demand).
Location: Location: Kleine Beenhouwersstraat / Petite rue des Bouchers , near Grand' Place.
Open: every day from 12 am to 12 pm.

Berlin - Attractions Guide

2008-01-26T05:28:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Berlin with quick information:

GB01 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Berlin Wall History

Details: Much of the Wall or the ‘Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart’, as the GDR authorities liked to call it, has succumbed – first to enthusiastic revellers and souvenir hunters and then more significantly to developers only a few sections remain. The East Side Gallery (website: www.eastsidegallery.com), along Mühlenstrasse (S-Bahn Ostbahnhof), emerged in the post-Wall years as a poignant symbol of new hope, as it was covered with inspiring artwork. The Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer is a small graffiti-free stretch of the Wall that has been preserved by the authorities. A visitor centre has information about the Wall years, while a chapel is dedicated to the 80 or so victims that died trying to cross it. Perhaps the best place to get a sense of what the divided city was like is the Mauermuseum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, located next to the site where the famous border-crossing stood. A number of permanent exhibitions document the history of the Wall and place it into context, as well as record the famous paintings on the Western side of the division. A short walk from Checkpoint Charlie is the Topographie des Terrors, an informative open-air exhibition focused around a preserved section of wall and the former headquarters of the SS and Gestapo (demolished). Torture and suffering is documented, and an audio tour in English is available. A new building has been commissioned for the site but will not be completed for some years.
Location: Gedenkstätte Bernauer Strasse 111 Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (Mauermuseum) Friedrichstrasse 43-45 Topographie des Terrors Niederkirchnerstrasse 8
Tel: (030) 253 7250. Tel: (030) 2548 6703.
Website: www.the-berlin-wall.de or www.berlinermauer.de Website: www.mauer-museum.com Website: www.topographie.de
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1700 (visitors centre). Opening hours: Daily 0900-2200. Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000 May-Sep 1000-dark Oct-Apr.
Free admission. Admission charge. Free admission.

GB17 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Bus 100 tour

Details: the bus 100 tour—the most economical bus tour in Berlin. We bought day passes at the Zoologischer Garden station (the tourist office is in the back) and this includes the bus map/tour map. At the time of our visit (06/2006) it was €5.40. As we waited patiently for the bus at Zoologischer Garden, we began to realize why it’s called the bus 100 tour—we were waiting in line with other tourists and as soon as the bus pulled up, only the fastest and fittest made it to the top of the double-decker for the coveted front row seats. Get on this bus at the very first stop, if you want a seat and the best views of Berlin.
Location:
EUR 5.40

GB02 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Centrum Judaicum - Neue Synagogue (Jewish Centre - New Synagogue)

Details: The Neue Synagogue was completed in 1866. Its location in the heart of the Scheunenviertel (Berlin’s Jewish district) suffered serious bomb damage in 1943. Thanks to renovation in the mid-1990s, its Moorish dome can now be seen in its original glory. The synagogue houses a Jewish Centre, with an exhibition. The Alter Jüdischer Friedhof (Old Jewish Cemetery) is a short walk away, at Schönhauser Allee 23-25 (open Monday to Thursday 0800-1600 and Friday 0800-1300).
Location: Oranienburger Strasse 28-30
Tel: (030) 8802 8451.
Website: www.cjudaicum.de
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri 1000-1400 (Oct-Mar) Sun and Mon 1000-2000, Tues-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri 1000-1700 (Apr-Sep) closed on Jewish holidays guided tours Sun 1400 and 1600, Wed 1600. Dome closed Oct-Mar.
Admission charge.

GB14 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Checkpoint Charlie

Details:
Location:

GB18 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: East Side Gallery

Details: We got off the bus at Alexander Platz and then took the S-bahn to the East Side Gallery (formerly the Berlin wall). Sobering, but worth the visit.
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GB03 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Fernsehturm (TV Tower)

Details: The best views in East Berlin are from the Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz. Looking vaguely like the Death Star on a concrete spit, the television tower is Berlin’s tallest structure at 368m (1207ft) and makes for a good reference point, as well as blighting many views of the city skyline. The Communist designers inadvertently made it so that sunlight reflecting on its facets forms a Christian cross. In a sign of changing times, a glare of advertising neon surrounds the base of the tower. Visitors can take an elevator up 203m (666ft) to the viewing platform or the revolving café, for a good look over the city.
Location: Panoramastrasse 1A, Alexanderplatz
Tel: (030) 242 3333.
Website: www.berlinerfernsehturm.de
Opening hours: Daily 0900-0000 (Mar-Oct) daily 1000-0000 (Nov-Feb).
Admission charge.

GB16 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Holocaust Memorial and Brandenburger Tor

Details:
Location:

GB04 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Judische Museum (Jewish Museum)

Details: The striking design of this Daniel Libeskind-designed memorial to Jewish life in Berlin is based on a shattered Star of David. Even before the installation of the permanent exhibits (recalling the life and history of German Jews through the centuries) visitors came to experience the evocative spaces within this incredible structure.
Location: Lindenstrasse 9-14
Tel: (030) 2599 3300.
Website: www.jmberlin.de
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-2000 Mon 1000-2200 closed on Jewish holidays.
Admission charge.

GB19 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: KaDaWe

Details: Next, we headed to KaDaWe for lunch on its famous 6th floor food market. KaDaWe reminded me of the Macy’s at Herald Square in New York City—so of course it was a hit with me!
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GB13 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Ku’damm

Details:
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GB05 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Kulturforum (Cultural Forum)

Details: Located in the west of the city, the Kulturforum is a cultural centre, grouping together all the museums that have European art as their chief focus, including a Musikinstrumentenmuseum (Musical Instrument Museum) and a hall for chamber music. The opening of the Gemäldegalerie (Painting Gallery) in 1998 brought a stunning collection of 13th- to 18th-century paintings to the site. It joined the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) and the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery). The latter, built to the designs of Mies van der Rohe, contains German Expressionist and Realist art, as well as other works of the 20th century. There is also a sculpture garden.
Location: Philharmonie und Kammermusiksaal Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1 Musikinstrumenten-museum Tiergartenstrasse 1 Gemäldegalerie Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 8 Kunstgewerbemuseum Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 8 Neue Nationalgalerie Ku
Tel: (030) 254 880 or 2548 8156 or 2548 8999 (ticket hotline). Tel: (030) 254 810 or 2548 1178. Tel: (030) 266 2951 (information). Tel: (030) 266 2902 or 266 2951 (information). Tel: (030) 266 2951.
Website: www.berlin-philharmonic.com Website: www.sim.spk-berlin.de Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de
Opening hours: Shows generally Fri-Sun 1600 and 2000 (depending on programme) guided tours daily 1300. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0900-1700, Thur until 2200, Sat and Sun 1000-1700. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2200. Opening hours:
free for last 4 hours on Thurs. Admission charge.

GB21 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Olympic Stadium

Details: We then walked to the Elephant gate at the Zoo before we decided to take the S- and U-bahn to Olympiastadion (the Olympic Stadium).
Location:

GB06 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Potsdamer Platz and the New Centre

Details: After lying desolate for decades, except for the platform that allowed Westerners to peer over the Wall into the East, Potsdamer Platz is again part of Berlin’s thriving centre – in the 1930s, it was the busiest square in Europe. In just a few years, the forest of cranes has given way to a new precinct full of shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. The best place to see it all (as well as terrific views over the rest of Berlin) is from the Panorama-Point, at the top of the Kollhof building, reached by what is claimed to be one of the fastest lifts in Europe. One of the more interesting constructions is the Sony Centre, with its piazza covered by a futuristic sail-like roof. On the ground floor is the Filmmuseum Berlin, which recalls some of the city’s great achievements in the early days of cinema and devotes considerable space to Marlene Dietrich, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday on December 27 2001.
Location: Potsdamer Platz Filmmuseum Berlin Potsdamer Strasse 2 Panorama-Point Potsdamer Platz
Tel: (030) 300 9030. Tel: (030) 2529 4372 or 2554 2104, for guided tours.
Website: www.filmmuseum-berlin.de Website: www.potsdamerplatz.de
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800 Thurs 1000-2000. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1100-1930.
Admission charge.

GB07 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Reichstag

Details: British architect Lord Foster has transformed the Reichstag, which was built at the end of the 19th century and has long since been emblematic of the German State. It was damaged in the fire of 1933, which marked Hitler’s consolidation of power, and has now been renovated for the Bundestag (People’s Assembly) of a reunited Germany. The new dome is meant to symbolise the transparency of the democratic government and visitors can pass between its layers to witness the decision-making chamber of the government. There are free hourly talks on the visitor’s gallery of the plenary during weeks when parliament is not in session – check this on the website. Talks in English take place at midday on Tuesdays. Guided tours of the Reichstag also take place when parliament is not sitting. They last 90 minutes and are held at 1030, 1330, 1530 and 1830. Booking in advance in writing is recommended. The walk through the dome itself is stunning, culminating in sweeping views of a city in transition. The rooftop restaurant (tel: (030) 2262 9933) provides a way to beat the queues and is open until 2400.
Location: Platz der Republik
Tel: (030) 2273 2152.
Website: www.bundestag.de
Opening hours: Daily 0800-2400 (last admission 2200).
Free admission.

GB20 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm church

Details: The ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm church were next on our list; another reminder of the destruction of war and the Berlin effect—that new can be built on old; the resilience I talked about.
Location:

GB08 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Schloss Charlottenburg and museums

Details: The Charlottenburg Palace was built in 1699, as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of King Frederick 11. Visits to the Old Palace are by guided tour only. Prices and hours vary for the New Wing, the Orangerie, the mausoleum and other parts of the complex. The museums and galleries that are in and around the palace include the Berggruen Collection, opposite the palace, which contains 100 artworks by Picasso, as well as a representative collection of his contemporaries.
Location: Schloss Charlottenburg Spandauer Damm 20-24 Sammlung Berggruen Westlicher Stülerbau, Schlossstrasse 1
Tel: (030) 3209 1440. Tel: (030) 326 9580.
Website: www.spsg.de Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1700, last tour at 1600 (Old Palace) Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (25 Mar-31 Oct), 1100-1700 (1 Nov-31 Mar) (New Wing) grounds open daily 0600-2100 (summer) daily 0600-2000 (winter). Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge. Admission charge.

GB15 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Sony center

Details:
Location:

GB09 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Spandauer Zitadelle (Spandau Citadel)

Details: This 16th-century fortress is the oldest non-religious building in the city. Its location overlooking the Havel River and the charming old town of Spandau make a trip to this district a lovely excursion within the city.
Location: Am Juliusturm
Tel: (030) 354 9440. Website: www.zitadelle-spandau.de
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0900-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1700, last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Admission charge.

GB10 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: The Bode Museum

Details: The Bode Museum houses one of the best collections of antique and Byzantine sculptures in the world. Closed in 1939 and left to decay for over six decades, the museum reopened its doors in October 2006 after a £102m renovation project. Boasting over 1,700 exhibits, the museum, now back to its former glory, is a must see not just for sculpture fans, but for anyone with an interest in the arts.
Location: Museumsinsel, Eingang: Am Kupfergraben
Tel: (30) 2090 5555.
Opening hours: TBC
Admission charge.

GB11 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Tiergarten

Details: There are few cities in the world where one can lie naked in the middle of town at noon and not be arrested. Besides having delightful tree-shaded walks, canals and flower gardens, the Tiergarten also has a couple of open fields on either side of Hofjägerallee, where the locals sunbathe au naturel. While the sunbathers cannot be seen from the Siegessäule (the Victory Column in the centre of the park) it does provide a good view of the other major sights around Berlin. The angel at the top of the 69m (226ft) column was the perching place for the angels in Wim Wenders’ film Wings of Desire (1987).
Location: Strasse des 17 Juni Siegessäule
Tel: (030) 391 2961.
Website: www.monument-tales.de
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1830, Sat-Sun 0930-1900 (Apr-Oct) Mon-Fri 1000-
Free admission. Admission charge.

GB12 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Unter den Linden and the Museumsinsel

Details: One of Berlin’s most recognisable landmarks, the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), stands at the western end of Pariser Platz. Stretching eastwards from here is Unter den Linden, along which some of the city’s richest cultural treasures lie. These include the Deutsche Staatsoper (German State Opera), the Neue Wache (New Guardhouse), which is now a memorial to the victims of fascism and tyranny, and the Zeughaus (Arsenal), which houses the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum). From mid 2006, this will house a new permanent exhibition on German history from the Middle Ages. The Museumsinsel (Museum Island), at the eastern end of Unter den Linden, offers the Pergamonmuseum, containing a host of antiquities, including the enormous Pergamon altar, Bodemuseum (closed until 2006) and the massive, neo-Baroque Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), built in 1893-1905 and recently renovated. Within the newly restored Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) is the ‘Galerie der Romantik’, a large collection of German and Austrian paintings from the first half of the 19th century. These include paintings by Caspar David Friedrich. There are also Impressionist works by Manet, Monet and Degas. The Altes Museum (Old Museum) is a striking neo-classical building, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, which opened in 1830. The main floor houses a collection of antiquities, while the upstairs galleries house the collections of the Egyptian Museum, which will remain there until 2009 when they will move to the Neues Museum (currently being refurbished). It is possible to buy a joint ticket for all of the Museum Island museums at a cost of €12, available from the museums.
Location: Altes Museum Am Lustgarten Deutsches Historisches Museum Unter den Linden 2 Pergamonmuseum Am Kupfergraben Alte Nationalgalerie Bodestrasse
Tel: (030) 2090 5577 (recorded info) or (030) 266 3660. Tel: (030) 203 040. Tel: (030) 2090 5577 or (030) 266 3660. Tel: (030) 2090 5577 or (030) 266 3660.
Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de Website: www.dhm.de Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2200. Opening times: Daily 1000-1800. Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2200. Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800 Thurs 1000-2200. free for last 4 hours
Admission charge

GB22 City: Berlin
Name of Attraction: Wannsee & Beer Garden

Details: Then, on to Wannsee and you wouldn’t believe you’re still in Berlin. This water-front treasure gave our wary feet some time to recover from all the walking. The beirgarten at Wannsee helped too…gotta love a beer garden—kids with their parent, pet owners and their dogs…everyone is welcome at the beer garden.
Location:

Florence ( Firenze) - Attractions Guide

2008-01-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

List of most of the attractions in Florence (Firenze) with quick information:

IF12 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Baptistry

Details: The Baptistry, Piazza di San Giovanni The Baptistry is the oval?shaped building in front Il Duomo and is best?known for its doors telling the 'Story of Moses'. Dating back to the 12th century, its frescoes and golden mosaics inside will leave you mesmerised.

Open Mon?Sat 12pm to 6.30pm, Sun
8.30am?1.30pm;
admission €3.

IFHH City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Bed & Bed Peterson

Details: Via Guido Monaco 25
Florence 50144, Italy
Location:

IF01 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Cappella Brancacci (Brancacci Chapel)

Details: The area on the other side of the river, known as Oltrarno, was not even a part of Florence until the city walls expanded in the 12th century, to encompass it. Even today, Oltrarno has a character of its own. The slower pace of life is accompanied by less showy buildings and fewer tourists, rewarding the adventurous with a taste of everyday life in Florence. The reason most visitors make the trek across the river, however, is to see the famous Brancacci Chapel, which is situated inside the church of Santa Maria del Carmine. Miraculously salvaged from a fire in the 18th century, the chapel is home to frescoes by Masaccio, his pupil Masolino and Filippino Lippi. Masaccio’s crisp retelling of The Tribute Money, set against the background of Renaissance Florence, is snappily executed with bright colours and comic asides, in sharp contrast to his mournful Expulsion from Paradise. Both the Paradise fresco and Masolino’s Temptation of Adam and Eve were propelled into the public eye in the late 1980s, when they underwent restoration to remove the bogus foliage, added on by prudish Victorians, to cover up the genitalia. Visits to the chapel are restricted to 15 minutes.
Location: Piazza del Carmine
Tel: (055) 238 2195 or 276 8224.
Transport: Bus D.
Opening hours: Mon and Wed-Sat 1000-1700 (reservation required), Sun 1300-1700.
Admission: €4, concessions available.

IF02 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Cappelle Medicee (Medici Chapels)

Details: The stunning Medici Chapels were built by the powerful Medici family, to serve as their mausoleums and were intended to reflect the immense wealth and influence of this mighty family. The Chapel of the Princes is decorated with semi-precious stones and dotted with works of art, while the New Sacresty was designed by Michelangelo. Entering the chapels is rather like stepping into a large box of jewellery.
Location: Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini 6
Tel: (055) 238 8602.
Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it/cappellemedicee
Transport: Bus A.
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0815-1700, second and fourth Mon of each month 0815-1700, first, third and fifth Sun of each month 0815-1700.
Admission: €6, concessions available.

IF03 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Galleria degli Uffizi (Uffizi Gallery)

Details: The most important art collection in Italy and one of the richest in the world is usually heralded by the burr of foreign tongues from the queues of tourists that snake across the courtyard. Located in Vasari’s majestic Uffizi Palace, the Uffizi Gallery houses the Medici art collection bequeathed to Florence in 1737, on the condition that it never leaves the city. The impressive résumé of Italian and in particular Florentine art is arranged to illustrate how evolving techniques and ideas influenced the artists. The huge collection is really too big for one to tackle at a single sitting, however, visitors with limited time should ensure they take a peek at rooms seven to 18. These include some of the city’s biggest draws – Botticelli’s mythological masterpieces, The Birth of Venus and Primavera (Spring) and Leonardo Da Vinci’s Annunciation. Early rooms concentrate on medieval art with a particular bent towards the Sienese school, exemplified by Duccio, Martini and Giotto. The latter end of the gallery features work from the Umbrian and Venetian schools, including Titian, Tintoretto and Raphael.
Location: Piazzale degli Uffizi 6
Tel: (055) 238 8651 (294 883 to book tickets in advance) Fax: (055) 238 8699.
E-mail: uffizi@mac.uffizi.firenze.it
Website: www.uffizi.firenze.it or www.polomuseale.firenze.it/uffizi
Transport: Bus 23 or B.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 08.15-18.35 (last entry 1800).
Admission: €9.50 (plus €3 to reserve in advance), concessions available.

IF04 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Galleria dell’Accademia (Accademia Gallery)

Details: While Florence offers a panoply of artworks, most people associate the city with just one masterpiece – Michelangelo’s David. The huge statue occupies pride of place in the city’s Accademia Gallery, dwarfing the multitude of chattering tourists who stand in awe before him. The statue was carved from a single block of marble in 1502, when the artist was just 29 years old. Its exaggerated size and musculature is a symbol of the new-born Republic that briefly cast out the Medici – the city’s ‘Goliath’. Also in the gallery are Michelangelo’s unfinished Slaves, which stand captive in blocks of marble, from which their forms seem to struggle to escape.
Location: Via Ricasoli 60
Tel: (055) 238 8612. Fax: (050) 238 8609.
E-mail: galleriaaccademia@polomuseale.firenze.it
Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it/accademia
Transport: Bus 1 or 17, or C.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0815-1850.
Admission: €6.50 (€9.50 in summer), concessions available.

IF05 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Museo di San Marco (San Marco Museum)

Details: Rebuilt at the behest of Cosimo de Medici, this Dominican convent was home to Fra Angelico, as well as the fanatical Girolamo Savonarola. The ‘mad monk’ famously preached damnation upon the Florentines and exhorted them to burn their books and paintings on the Bonfire of the Vanities. Savonarola is depicted in a haunting portrait in the Corsini Gallery, himself being burned at the stake in Piazza della Signoria. More important are the works of Fra Angelico, a gentle and devout monk whose luminous frescoes, painted as a focal point for the monks’ meditations, adorn each of the preserved monk’s cells. The deep religious conviction inherent within each fresco is emphasised by the stark simplicity of their setting. At the head of the stairs lies the most powerful of them all, The Annunciation, a striking representation of the young Mary’s fear and astonishment as she learns she is to be the Mother of Christ.
Location: Piazza San Marco 3
Tel: (055) 238 8608. Fax: (055) 238 8704.
Transport: Bus C, 1, 6 or 10.
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0815-1350, Sat 0815-1850, second and fourth Sun of each month 0815-1900, first, third and fifth Mon of each month 0815-1350.
Admission: €4, concessions available.

IF06 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Bargello National Museum)

Details: The grim façade of the Palazzo del Bargello, formerly the city’s jail and torture chamber, is a daunting introduction to Tuscany’s most impressive collection of Renaissance sculpture. Masterpieces by Cellini, Donatello and Michelangelo are arranged over three floors and overflow into the Palace’s handsome courtyard, where many a Florentine lost his head. Donatello captures the spirit of the early Renaissance best, with his sensual David and his watchful St George, who once graced the façade of Orsanmichele. Cellini’s exquisite bronze statuary outshines the somewhat staid Michelangelo on display, while Giambologna’s Mercury should not be missed. Two bronze panels by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, depicting the Sacrifice of Isaac, provide a compelling comparison. Both artists entered the panels in a competition to win the commission to cast the north doors of the Baptistery. Both won, although Brunelleschi refused to work in partnership with Ghiberti and instead went on to construct the cathedral dome – a veritable artistic snub.
Location: Via del Proconsolo 4
Tel: (055) 238 8606. Fax: (051) 238 8756.
E-mail: museobargello@libero.it
Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it/bargello
Transport: Bus 14.
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0815-1350, last entry 1320, open on the second and fourth Mon of each month and on the first, third and fifth Sun of each month.
Admission: €4, concessions available.

IF07 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)

Details: Brunelleschi’s gravity-defying dome dominates the Florence skyline and defines the city. The double-skinned dome that sits atop the city’s candy-coloured Duomo (cathedral) was an architectural breakthrough, since Brunelleschi invented an entirely new way of counteracting the weight of the dome, thus building the largest self-supporting dome since classical times. The cathedral (built under the proviso that it be the largest house of worship in Christendom, a feat eventually claimed by St Peter’s Cathedral in Rome) took 150 years to complete. Its original façade was pulled down on the orders of Ferdinand I in 1587. The Duomo remained faceless for nearly 300 years, until 1887. Described by Ruskin as a ‘Chinese puzzle’, the lavish pink, white and green marble frontage belies a cavernous interior that is surprisingly free from decoration. Once inside, most people look heavenward – pausing to admire Giorgio Vasari’s recently restored frescoes in the cupola – before climbing the 463 steps for a spectacular view over the city. Tall, slender and straight-backed, the Campanile (bell tower) is the graceful sidekick to Brunelleschi’s stout Duomo. Built according to Giotto’s designs, in 1334, the Campanile was completed after its creator’s death, by Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti. The tower is decorated with two garlands of bas-reliefs, strung around its rose-tinted façade. Higher up, sculptures of the Prophets and Sybils, carved by Donatello, look down upon the city below. The original pieces are now in the Grande Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum). Visitors can climb the 414 steps of the Campanile, for the rewarding views over the piazza, which afford a closer inspection of the Duomo and Brunelleschi’s rusty crown, once described by the architect Alberti as ‘large enough to shelter all the people of Tuscany in its shadow.’ The adjacent Baptistery completes the trio. This provided the inspiration for both the Campanile and Duomo façades. Originally believed to be a pagan temple, the octagonal building is the oldest in Florence. It is famous for its gilded bronze doors, particularly those on the east side, dubbed the Gates of Paradise. Executed by Lorenzo Ghiberti (‘with the greatest diligence and the greatest love’) over a period of 27 years, each of the 10 bronze bas-reliefs tells a story from the Old Testament, with astonishing realism and compassion. Nowadays, most are copies, the originals having been moved to the Cathedral Museum for restoration and safekeeping. Ghiberti, the most self-satisfied of artists, preserved his own balding image in the frame of the door, fourth in from the left-hand side.
Location: Piazza del Duomo Duomo (Cathedral) Cupola (Dome) Grande Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum) Piazza del Duomo 9 Campanile (Bell Tower) Baptistery Piazza di San Giovanni
Tel: (055) 230 2885.
Website: www.operaduomo.firenze.it
Transport: Bus 14 or 23.
Opening hours: Mon-Wed and Fri 1000-1700, Thurs 1000-1630, Sat 1000-1645 (1st Sat each month 1000-1530), Sun 1330-1645 (last entry 40 minutes before closing). Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1900, Sat 0830-1740 (first Sat each month 0830-1600) (last entry 40
Admission: Free. Admission: €6, concessions available. Admission: €6, concessions available. Admission: €6, concessions available. Admission: €3, concessions available.

IF13 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Piazza della Signoria

Details:
Location:

IF14 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Piazzale Michelangelo.

Details:
Location:

IF08 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Details: Across the river, in Oltrarno, lies the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. Built in 1440, for the wealthy Pitti family, this monstrous palace was intended as a challenge to the omnipotent Medici. The architectural snub was short-lived, however, when the family fortunes dwindled and the palace was acquired by their rivals. It is best for visitors to start early in the day, as the palace now houses a number of museums and galleries, including the lavishly decorated State Apartments. Most visitors only make it around the Galleria Palatina, which houses yet more paintings from the Medici collection. Rubens, Titian and Raphael, wrapped in heavy gilt frames, vie for attention amid frescoed ceilings and opulent furnishings. Museums on site are the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (Gallery of Modern Art), Galleria del Costume (Costume Gallery), Museo degli Argenti (Silver Museum) and Museo delle Porcellane (Porcelain Museum). Visitors at saturation point might choose to skip all the galleries and head straight for the Boboli Gardens, a haven of fountains, grottoes and shady walks, populated by local cats and perfect for sun-drenched picnics. The carpet of medieval Florence rolls away beyond the palace – visitors are advised to crack open the Chianti, unwrap the salami and slip back into the Middle Ages.
Location: Piazza Pitti Galleria del Costume Museo degli Argenti Museo delle Porcellane Boboli Gardens Galleria Palatina Galleria d’Arte Moderna
Tel: (055) 238 8615 or (055) 244 883. Tel: (055) 238 8713. Fax: (055) 2388713. Tel: (055) 238 8709 or 8761. Fax: (055) 238 8699. Tel: (055) 238 8605. Fax: (055) 238 8699. Tel: (055) 238 8614. Fax: (055) 238 8613. Tel: (055) 238 8601 or 8616. Fax: (055) 26
E-mail: costume.pitti@virgilio.it E-mail: costume.pitti@virgilio.it E-mail: gam@polomuseale.firenze.it
Website: www. polomuseale.firenze.it/gam Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it/palatina Website: www. polomuseale.firenze.it/gam
Transport: Bus D.
Opening hours: As for separate museum opening hours (see below). Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0815-1350, second and fourth Mon 0815-1350 of each month, first, third and fifth Sun of each month 0815-1350. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0815-1630 Nov-Feb, closes at 173
Admission: Free, €10.50 (combined pass for all museums), concessions available. Admission: €5 (combined with Galleria d’Arte Moderna), concessions available. Admission: €4 (combined with Museo delle Procellane), €6 in peak season, concessions available. Admission: €4 (combined with Museo degli Argenti), €6 in peak season, concessions available. Admission: €4 (combined ticket with Museo degli Argenti and Museo delle Porcellane), €6 in peak season, concessions available. Admission: €8.50, concessions available. Admission: €5 (combined with Galleria del Costume), concessions available.

IF09 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Ponte Vecchio (Vecchio Bridge)

Details: Even the dogs of war could not bring themselves to destroy the Ponte Vecchio – the only bridge to survive the Nazi bombing of Florence during World War II. Nowadays, the famous 14th-century bridge is literally paved with gold (home to Florence’s gold and silversmiths) and is a prime shopping trap for the city’s affluent tourists. It was Cosimo de Medici who first created the mood for change, when he ordered the previous occupants (a motley crew of butchers, accustomed to throwing their bloody leftovers into the River Arno) to make room for a more genteel trade. High above the shops, a secret passageway known as the Corrodoio Vasariano links the Uffizi Gallery to the Pitti Palace. Built by Vasari, it was intended to shield the powerful Medici family from the Florentine riffraff, as they journeyed from one palace to the other. Lined with portraits of the city’s greatest artists, the passage reopened to the public in 1997, although opening times are erratic due to staffing problems. Visits can be booked on special request, via the tourist office.
Location: Between Via de ‘Guicciardini and Via Por Santa Maria
Transport: Bus B.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours, on special request (Corrodoio Vasariano).
Admission: Free (bridge and Corrodoio Vasariano).

IF10 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Santa Croce

Details: The elegant Franciscan church of Santa Croce has tended to overwhelm the visitor and is held responsible for the little known disease, Stendhal’s Condition. When the French writer, Stendhal, visited the church, he suffered a fainting fit brought on by its beauty and apparently this continues to afflict up to 12 visitors a year. Lord Byron reported himself ‘drunk with Beauty’ at the sight of the church, which is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect responsible for the Duomo. Its broad piazza, once the site of jousts, wild animal fights and the burning of heretics, is today home to miniature Davids and plaster cast Virgins, as souvenir stalls ply their trade to visitors weakened by stendhalismo. The big draw inside the Gothic interior is death. Some of Italy’s most gifted men are buried here, including Michelangelo (whose body was smuggled out of Rome in a packing case), Machiavelli, Galileo, Rossini and Ghiberti. Dante’s tomb lies empty – the forefather of Italian literature died in Ravenna and the city refused to return his corpse, in spite of Florentine pleas. A series of colourful chapels, their frescoes commissioned by wealthy bankers, lift the gloom. Those in the Bardi Chapel are considered some of Giotto’s best. Outside, in the tranquil cloisters, stands a Renaissance gem, the Pazzi Chapel, designed by Brunelleschi in 1430. The pure geometric design is an indication of the renewed influence of classicism over Gothic forms.
Location: Piazza Santa Croce
Tel: (055) 244 619 or 246 6105.
Transport: Bus 14 or 23.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1730, Sun 1300-1730 (last entry 1700). Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0815-1630 Nov-Feb, closes at 1730 Mar, 1830 Apr, May and Oct, 1930 Jun-Sept, also opens 2nd and 3rd Mon of month, closed first and last Mon of each month Opening ho

IF11 City: Florence
Name of Attraction: Santa Maria Novella

Details: The zebra-striped façade of Santa Maria Novella, completed by Leon Battista Alberti in 1470, is the starting point of many a tour of Florence. Situated near the city’s train station, to which it lends its name, the graceful scrolls, Gothic arches and classical pediments combine to form one of Florence’s most dramatic façades. Alongside Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella (home to the Dominican order) was the most important church in the city. A fresco cycle by the city’s top social painter, Ghirlandaio, depicting the lives of the Virgin Mary and St John the Baptist, is peopled with Florentine society. But the highlight of the lofty interior is Masaccio’s Trinity (1427), a fresco displaying outstanding use of perspective, which marked a breakthrough in Renaissance painting. Miraculously, the flat wall becomes a recessed vault bearing the crucified figure of Christ. Behind him, deep within Masaccio’s coffered chapel, God demands the viewer to acknowledge his sacrifice.
Location: Piazza Santa Maria Novella
Tel: (055) 215 918 or 282 187.
Transport: Bus A, 36 or 37.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 0930-1700, Fri and Sun 1300-1700.
Admission: €4, concessions available.

Discover Tuscany

2008-01-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

The Tuscany EXPERIENCE

A relaxing 10 day tour stay in the famous Italian region of Tuscany

Visit the Academy Gallery and Michelangelo’s famous statue of "David"
Tour the Pitti Palace’s magnificent collection of Renaissance masterpieces
Sample delectable wines during an included winery tour and tasting
Visit the historic, medieval cities of Sienna, Pisa and Lucca
Enjoy a guided tour of historic Assisi and the Basilica of St. Francis.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Rolling landscapes, savory wines, delicious food, and stunning architecture.this can only be Tuscany. Explore of Italy’s most famous treasure. On this special journey you will travel back roads, enjoy unhurried walking tours, visit magnificent historic cities and sample delectable cuisine and wines. Your adventure begins with an overnight flight to Italy.

Day 2: Arrive Rome, Italy - Tour Begins

Your tour begins in Rome where you have some leisure time before joining your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner this evening.

Day 3: Rome - Assisi - Montecatini Terme

Travel to the medieval walled city of Assisi, birthplace of the patron saint of Italy, St. Francis. Take a local expert guides you on a tour of the magnificent Basilica of St. Francis and the historic old city. Continue on to beautiful Tuscany and the famous spa resort town of Montecatini Terme, your home for the next six nights.

Day 4: Pisa - Lucca

Travel to the ancient maritime Republic of Pisa where you will find the Piazza dei Miracoli, the Duomo (Cathedral) and its historic Baptistry, along with the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Next, journey to historic Lucca and explore the old town, filled with gothic palaces, charming shops, and streets bustling with activity.

Day 5: Siena

Travel through Tuscany’s low-lying hills to Siena, one of Italy’s most beautiful cities. Embark on a lovely walking tour through the narrow Gothic streets and behold the stunning palaces, mansions and historic Piazza del Campo. Enjoy free time to explore Siena’s captivating ambiance. Your day concludes with a winery tour and tasting of various local wines.

Day 6: Florence

A cultural tour in the "Cradle of the Italian Renaissance" showcases the beautiful city of Florence. A local Florentine guide highlights many of the city’s priceless treasures, including the Academy Gallery which houses Michelangelo’s monumental figure of David. At the Piazza del Duomo, center of religious life in medieval Florence, you’ll see the impressive Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. You also view the Church of Santa Croce, burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. The remainder of your day is at leisure for you to explore this magnificent city. A delightful experience awaits you this evening as you attend a Tuscan feast featuring traditional cuisine, wines and your favorite Italian melodies.

Day 7: Montecatini Terme

Enjoy a day of leisure to relax and experience the local flavor. Take this opportunity to shop at the local boutiques and dine at one the many fine local restaurants. Perhaps indulge in a favorite local pastime and visit one of the many thermal spas which draw people from all over Europe to Montecatini Terme.

Day 8: Florence - Pitti Palace

Today you return to Florence and enjoy a guided tour of the amazing Pitti Palace. See master works by artists such as Raphael, Rubens and Caravaggio in this impressive collection, and. also tour the staterooms of this former royal palace. The remainder of the day is at leisure for you to independently explore the many treasures of this great city. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner celebrating the end of a memorable trip to unforgettable Tuscany. *The Pitti Palace is closed Mondays

Day 9: Tuscany - Rome

Travel the Autostrada to Rome, the Eternal City. The remainder of your day is at leisure to explore your hotel’s surroundings or visit Vatican City and the magnificent Vatican Museums on your own.

Day 10: Rome

Spend the day discovering this glorious city at your leisure. Perhaps you’ll stroll by the Spanish Steps, explore the history of the Coliseum and the Forum, or simply watch the world go by from a sidewalk café.

Day 11: Rome

Flight to back home