Cultural travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Karlovy Vary, also known as Carlsbad, is one of the most important spa towns in Central Europe.The water from the natural hot springs was highly valued for its curative powers, and the town maintains an old-worldly air, with the bathhouses and many of the town’s key buildings dating from that time.
The therapeutic effect of the Karlovy Vary springs has been utilized ever since the Middle Ages. The spa became a tryst of aristocracy in the 17th and 18th centuries. The town’s most valuable architecture has its origin in this period as well, the Baroque Church of St. Mary Magdalen, built by K. I. Dientzenhofer in 1727 – 1736. Though, the spa’s greatest upsurge occurred only in the 19th century when Karlovy Vary became world famous. The spa buildings, colonnades and pavilions were constructed in the mood of a sober Empirical and, later, Art Nouveau styles. The center of the present spa bustle in Karlovy Vary is a modern pavilion with the main Karlovy Vary spring, Vřídlo, and the Mlýnská Colonnade.

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Located 79km south of the Latvian capital of Riga, Rundale Palace and Museum lie just outside the town of Bauska. The Rundale Palace is one of the most outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo art in Latvia, built between 1736 and 1740 as a summer residence of the Duke of Courtland Ernst Johann Biron.

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Batu Caves is one of Malaysia‘s most famous tourist destinations. Every year hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees congregate here for the colourful Thaipusam festival.
The first cave temple was established in 1891, and wooden steps up to the Temple Cave were built in 1920. Of the various cave temples that comprise the site, the largest and best known is the Temple or Cathedral Cave, so named because it houses several Hindu shrines beneath its 100 m vaulted ceiling. To reach it one has to climb 272 steps, a feat performed by many Hindus on the way to the caves to offer prayers to their revered deities.

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Nearby, on the Bolivian side of the lake, arose the population and ceremonial center of Tiahuanaco, capital of one of the most important civilizations of South America. Tiahuanaco ceremonial sites were built along the lake’s shores, indicating that the lake was considered sacred at least 2,000 years ago. More than 25 rivers empty into Titicaca, and the lake has 41 islands, some of which are densely populated. The lake is 196 km long with an average width of 56 km. The lake has waves, testament to its size and not surprising the waters are cold.

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Whilst on your city break holiday in Hungary, we invite you to experience the magic aura surrounding the Budapest opera & ballet and enjoy the enthralling voices of our favourite operatic singers and the vibrant performances of world class ballet dancers. Almost every evening the curtains rise to transfer the spectators to the surprising world created on the stage by talents of the performers, composer and conductor.

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The Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady is a masterpiece of lace work in stone. Begun in 1352, it is one of the finest Gothic buildings in Europe. The church, which became a cathedral in 1559 replaced a Romanesque church built in the 12th century. The last vestiges of that church were demolished in 1481. It contains a number of significant works by painter, Rubens. Its spire is 123 m high. This portal features statues which include the missionary Saint Willibrordus. He is thought to have spent time in Antwerp in the 7th century.

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Stretching for over two kilometers along the St. Lawrence River, the historical Old Port offers to the visitors and the natives alike access to an endless variety of recreational, maritime and entertainment activities. Admission to the site is free. The social, economic and cultural soul of Montreal ever since early French for trades used it as a trading post in 1611. Today, the riverfront welcomes over seven million visitors to year.

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Mont Saint-Michel is close to the border of Brittany, which has led to Breton claims to the mount. Originally the Couesnon formed the border between the two duchies, and every so often the river would shift its bank, leading to ownership of the mount shifting between them. The river’s bed has now been fixed and Mont Saint-Michel is now firmly in Norman hands.
It is home to the unusual Benedictine Abbey and steepled church (built between the 11th and 16th centuries) which occupy most of the one-kilometer-diameter clump of rocks jutting out of the waters of the English Channel. The church is crowned by a gold leaf statue of St. Michael by Emmanuel Frémiet, reaching a height of 155 metres (510 feet) above the sea.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the island has deservedly become one of France’s most popular tourist destinations, with all the baggage that comes with that status. You may struggle to find a bargain bite to eat in the atmospheric old town but you’ll be surrounded by some outstanding Gothic architecture, so it’s a workable trade-off.

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The National Gallery of Canada located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of Canada’ premier art galleries Designed by architect Moshe Safdie and opened in 1988 at its current location on Sussex Drive. This treasure house in granite and glass is the home of Canada’s exceptional art collection. It develops, maintains, and promotes, throughout Canada and internationally, a collection of both historic and contemporary art with special, but not exclusive, reference to Canada.

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The Summer Palace in northwest suburban Beijing is the largest and most complete imperial garden existing in China. It was firs built in the 12th century as an imperial palace. In its compact 70,000 square m of building space, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures. The garden came into existence early in the 1750s and had once been a summer resort for the emperors. The Marble Boat is at the southwest foot of the hill, and the Long Corridor runs east to west along its southern edge.

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