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Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Maldives, This is the epitome of a tropical paradise fantasy. The resort consists of two islands surrounded by reefs and is home to utterly luxurious Water Villas and the country’s largest beach Villas. A spa lover’s paradise, there is nothing better than the over- water spa villas, each with private treatment room. The seven restaurants are outstanding, including the world’s first underwater restaurant, situated by coral reef 8m beneath the waves. For total relaxation, the two spas will pamper guests, while water sports, tennis, huge gym and yacht will keep the active delighted. [EDIT] |
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Manarola
Italy, Riomaggiore Manarola (Manaea in the local dialect) is a small town, a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Riomaggiore, in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northern Italy. It is the second smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists. A street in Manarola. Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name "Manarola" is probably dialectical evolution of the Latin, "magna rota". In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to "magna roea" which means "large wheel", in reference to the mill wheel in the town [1]. Manarola's primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned; references from Roman writings mention the high quality of the wine produced in the region. In recent years, Manarola and its neighboring towns have become popular tourist destinations, particularly in the summer months. Tourist attractions in the region include a famous walking trail between Manarola and Riomaggiore (called Via dell'Amore, "Love's Trail") and hiking trails in the hills and vineyards above the town. Manarola is one of the five villages. Mostly all of the houses are bright and colourful. [EDIT] |
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Montreal Botanical Garden
Canada, Montreal The botanical garden is located at 4101 Sherbrooke Street East , at the corner of Pie-IX and Sherbrooke Streets, in Maisonneuve Park, facing Montreal's Olympic Stadium. It contains a greenhouse complex full of plants from around the world, and a number of large outdoor gardens, each with a specific theme. The outdoor gardens are bare and covered with snow from about November until about April, but the greenhouses are open to visitors year round, hosting the annual Butterflies Go Free exhibit from February to April. The garden was founded in 1931, in the height of the Great Depression, by mayor Camillien Houde, after years of campaigning by Brother Marie-Victorin; the grounds were designed by Henry Teuscher. It serves to educate the public in general and students of horticulture in particular, as well as to conserve endangered plant species. The grounds are also home to a botanical research institution, and to the Montreal Insectarium; offsite, the Garden staff also administer the Ferme Angrignon educational farm and petting zoo. While it charges admission, city residents can obtain a pass granting free admission to the outdoor gardens, so many people visit regularly, even if only to sit under the trees. The outdoor areas are also free to everyone between 6 p.m. and nightfall during the summer season (May to September). Many weddings are performed in the gardens every year.[citation needed] The nearest metro station is Pie-IX, which is located on the corner of the Olympic Stadium. [EDIT] |
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Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon
Portugal, Alcochete With its viaducts, Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe. The Vasco da Gama Bridge spans the Tagus River near Lisbon, capital of Portugal. The bridge was designed by Armando Rito and opened in 1998. Type: Cable-stayed Length: 10.7 miles (17.2 km), including viaducts and access roads [EDIT] |
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Kapellbrücke
Switzerland, Lucerne The Kapellbrücke ("Chapel Bridge" in German) is a 204 m (670 ft) long bridge crossing the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne in Switzerland. It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, and one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions. An example of the paintings inside the Chapel Bridge Kapellbrücke 2009, damage from the 1993 fire is still evident The covered bridge, constructed in 1333, was designed to help protect the city of Lucerne from attacks. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century, depicting events from Luzerne's history. Much of the bridge, and the majority of these paintings, were destroyed in a 1993 fire, though it was quickly rebuilt. Adjoining the bridge is the 140 feet (43 m) tall Wasserturm (Water Tower), an octagonal tower made from brick, which has served as a prison, torture chamber, watchtower and treasury. Today the tower, which is part of the city wall, is used as the guild hall of the artillery association. The tower and the bridge are Lucerne's trademark and form the most photographed monument in the country. [EDIT] |
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Costiera Amalfitana
Italy, Amalfi The Amalfi coast is an area of great physical beauty and natural diversity. It has been intensively settled by human communities since the early Middle Ages. There are a number of towns such as Amalfi and Ravello with architectural and artistic works of great significance. The rural areas show the versatility of the inhabitants in adapting their use of the land to the diverse nature of the terrain, which ranges from terraced vineyards and orchards on the lower slopes to wide upland pastures. [EDIT] |
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Blue Mountains National Park
Australia, Dargan The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia. It borders on Sydney's metropolitan area, its foothills starting approximately 50 kilometres west of the state capital.[1] The area begins on the west side of the Nepean River and extends westward as far as Coxs River[2]. Consisting mainly of a sandstone plateau, the area is dissected by gorges up to 760 metres deep. The highest point of the range is 1,190 metres above sea level. A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated into the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site, consisting of seven national park areas and a conservation reserve. The Blue Mountains area includes the local government areas of the City of Blue Mountains, the City of Hawkesbury, the City of Lithgow and Oberon. [EDIT] |
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White Cliffs of Dover
United Kingdom, St Margarets at Cliffe The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to 107 metres (351 ft) [1], owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk (pure white calcium carbonate) accentuated by streaks of black flint. The cliffs spread east and west from the town of Dover in the county of Kent, an ancient and still important English port. The cliffs have great symbolic value for Britain because they face towards Continental Europe across the narrowest part of the English Channel, where invasions have historically threatened and against which the cliffs form a symbolic guard. Because crossing at Dover was the primary route to the continent before air travel, the white line of cliffs also formed the first or last sight of the UK for travellers. [EDIT] |
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Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Site
Italy, Assisi Assisi, a medieval city built on a hill, is the birthplace of Saint Francis, closely associated with the work of the Franciscan Order. Its medieval art masterpieces, such as the Basilica of San Francesco and paintings by Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Giotto, have made Assisi a fundamental reference point for the development of Italian and European art and architecture. [EDIT] |
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Château de Chambord
France, Chambord The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture that blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Italian structures.[1] The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King François I in part to be near to his mistress the Comtesse de Thoury, Claude Rohan, wife of Julien de Clermont, a member of a very important family of France, whose domaine, the château de Muides, was adjacent.[2] Her arms figure in the carved decor of the chateau. Chambord is the largest castle in the Loire Valley, but was built to serve only as a hunting lodge for François I, who maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and at Château d'Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona, whose wooden model for the design survived long enough to be drawn by André Félibien in the seventeenth century. Some authors, though, claim that the French Renaissance architect Philibert Delorme had a considerable role in the Château's design. [3] Chambord was altered considerably during the twenty years of its construction, (1519[4] ‑ 1547), during which it was overseen on-site by Pierre Nepveu. In 1913 Marcel Reymond first suggested[5] that Leonardo da Vinci a guest of François at Clos Lucé near Amboise, was responsible for the original design, which reflects Leonardo's plans for a château at Romorantin for the King's mother, and his interests in central planning and double helical staircases; the discussion has not yet concluded.[6] With the château nearing completion, François showed off his enormous symbol of wealth and power by hosting at Chambord his old archnemesis, Emperor Charles V. [EDIT] |
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Chateau d’Amboise
France, Amboise Built on a promontory overlooking the Loire River to control a strategic ford[1] that was replaced in the Middle Ages by a bridge, the château began its life in the eleventh century, when the notorious Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou, rebuilt the stronghold in stone. Expanded and improved over time, on 4 September 1434 it was seized by Charles VII of France, after its owner, Louis d'Amboise, was convicted of plotting against Louis XI and condemned to be executed in 1431. However, the king pardoned him but took his chateau at Amboise (from brochue at Chateau Royale d' Amboise, 2007). Once in royal hands, the château became a favourite of French kings; Charles VIII decided to rebuild it extensively, beginning in 1492 at first in the French late Gothic Flamboyant style and then after 1495 employing two Italian mason-builders, Domenico da Cortona and Fra Giocondo, who provided at Amboise some of the first Renaissance decorative motifs seen in French architecture. The names of three French builders are preserved in the documents: Colin Biart, Guillaume Senault and Louis Armangeart. [EDIT] |
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Huaynaputina
Peru, Уайнапутина (Huaynaputina, Waynaputina) — крупный вулкан, расположенный в вулканическом нагорье в южном Перу. Вулкан не имеет опознаваемого горного профиля, но вместо этого имеет форму большого вулканического кратера. Знаменит катастрофическим извержением 19 февраля 1600 года (Вулканический Индекс Explosivity или VEI 6), которое было сильнейшим извержением вулкана за всю историю Южной Америки. Считается, что это извержение было причиной больших климатических изменений, известных как «Малый ледниковый период». В частности, оно вызвало великий голод в России 1601–1603 годов, следствием которого стало Смутное время. [EDIT] |
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Montreal Biosphère
Canada, Montreal The Biosphère of Environment Canada is a museum in Montreal dedicated to water and the environment. It is located at Parc Jean-Drapeau, on Île Sainte-Hélène in the former pavilion of the United States for the 1967 World Fair Expo 67. Photos of the Biosphère are frequently included in science textbooks to explain the shape of fullerene molecules, which resemble geodesic domes and were so named in honour of Buckminster Fuller. [EDIT] |
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Alamillo Bridge
Spain, Seville Architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava designed the Alamillo Bridge for the 1992 Expo on La Cartuja Island in Seville, Spain. Four new bridges were constructed for the 1992 Expo (World's Fair) in Seville, Spain. Alamillo Bridge, or Puente del Alamillo, is one of two bridges that Santiago Calatrava designed. Alamillo Bridge crosses the Guadalquivir River, connecting the old quarter of Seville with La Cartuja Island. Construction on the bridge began in 1989 and was completed in 1992. Type: Cantilever spar cable-stayed. The deck is secured by a single, cabled pylon angled at 58 degrees. Span: 200 meters [EDIT] |
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Pyramids of Egypt
Egypt, The Pyramids of Egypt are among the largest constructions ever built and constitute one of the most potent and enduring symbols of Ancient Egyptian civilization. Most were built during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. The number of pyramid structures in Egypt today is reported by most sources as being between 81 and 112, with a majority favouring the higher number. In 1842 Karl Richard Lepsius made a list of pyramids, in which he counted 67, but more have been identified and discovered since his time. The imprecise nature of the count is related to the fact that as many smaller pyramids are in a poor state of preservation and appear as little more than mounds of rubble, they are only now being properly identified and studied by archaeologists. Most are grouped in a number of pyramid fields, the most important of which are listed geographically, from north to south, below. [EDIT] |
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Castello Estense
Italy, Ferrara A moated four-towered castle (lit at night), this proud fortress began as a bricklayer's dream near the end of the 14th century, although its face has been lifted and wrenched about for centuries. It was home to the powerful Estes, where the dukes went about their ho-hum daily chores: trysting with their own lovers, murdering their wives' lovers, beheading or imprisoning potential enemies, whatever. Today it's used for the provincial and prefectural administration offices, and you can view many of its once-lavish rooms -- notably the Salon of Games (Salone dei Giochi), the Salon of Dawn (Salone dell'Aurora), and a Ducal chapel that once belonged to Renata di Francia, daughter of Louis XII. Parisina d'Este, wife of Duke Niccolò d'Este III, was murdered with her lover, Ugolino (the duke's illegitimate son), in the dank prison below the castle, creating the inspiration for Browning's "My Last Duchess." [EDIT] |
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Castel del Monte
Italy, Andria Castel del Monte (Italian: Castle of the Mount) is a 13th century castle situated in Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II some time between 1240 and 1250; it has been despoiled of its interior marbles and furnishings in subsequent centuries. It has neither a moat nor a drawbridge and might in fact never have been intended as a defensive fortress. [EDIT] |
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Palace of Caserta
Italy, Caserta The Palace of Caserta, in Italian "Reggia di Caserta", is a former royal residence in Caserta, near Naples, constructed for the Borbone kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and probably the largest building erected in Europe in the XVIII century. In 1996, the Palace of Caserta was listed among the World Heritage Sites on the grounds that it was "the swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque, from which it adopted all the features needed to create the illusions of multidirectional space". The kingdome of Naples was neither powerful nor prosperous when the Palace was built, and it has been unflatteringly described by the historian Edward Crankshaw as "a colossal monument to minuscule glory" and a reviewer of George Hersey, "Architecture, Poetry and Number in the Royal Palace at Caserta", found that "interpretive description is palsied by monotony, the principal quality of the palace and its garden. [EDIT] |
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Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico)
Italy, Padua The world's first botanical garden was created in Padua in 1545. It still preserves its original layout – a circular central plot, symbolizing the world, surrounded by a ring of water. Other elements were added later, some architectural (ornamental entrances and balustrades) and some practical (pumping installations and greenhouses). It continues to serve its original purpose as a centre for scientific research. [EDIT] |
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Piazza Bra
Italy, Verona Piazza Bra is the pivotal point of the modern city, not only for the famous Arena, but also for many palaces that carry the names of the most important Veronese families. Museum of Stones [18th century] is located near the Bra Gates; Gran Guardia Palace [17th century] was planned by Domenico Curtoni; Palazzo Barbieri (City Hall) was planned by the architect Barbierithe in neocalssic style; Located to the north-west is the Liston with its Ottoman buildings between which the Guastaverza, one of the works of Michele Sanmicheli, stands out; In the middle of the square is a large area of grass and flowers with statues in memory of Victor Emmanuel III [1883] and the Monument Partigiano (Partisan) del Salazzari. [EDIT] |