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

A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World. Bullrings are often historic and culturally significant centers that bear many structural similarities to the Roman amphitheater. The most famous bullrings in the world are Plaza de toros de Mexico in Mexico and Plaza de toros Monumental de Valencia in Valencia, Venezuela. The main bullrings are usually found in Spain, southern France and Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru.

Continue reading Bullring in the world – the heritage of the past

Florence is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the Medici family. Florence came under the sway of the Albizzi family, bitter rivals of the Medici. The fact that the Medici were bankers to the pope also contributed to their rise. Lorenzo Medici was a great patron of the arts, commissioning works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli and art created by such sculptors as Donatello, Giambologna. The burial place of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa has been located in her home town, Florence.

Continue reading THE CITY OF ART

A city set on seven hills, as the legend tells, Lisbon is the kind of place where you can sit at street cafes and watch the world go by. But for the eager there are also plenty of cultural activities. In addition to architectural masterpieces at Belem, Lisbon has over 50 museums to visit – some of which are Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, National Museum of Contemporary Art, National Coach Museum, and Carmo Archaeological Museum. The city of Lisbon is rich in architecture – Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Baroque, Traditional Portuguese, Modern and Post-Modern constructions can be found all over the city. But, Lisbon isn’t all culture and history, Bairro Alto is the center of nightlife with various restaurants and bars where melancholic traditional Portuguese music, Fado, can also be listened.

Continue reading Lisbon – The city of seven hills

Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia. The city of Sucre is also known as the City of Four Names, being those names La Plata, Charcas, Ciudad Blanca (White City), and Sucre. Founded as Chuquisaca in 1538, the city received its present name in 1840, in honor of the first Bolivian president, Antonio José de Sucre. In 1809 Sucre became one of the first cities in South America to revolt against Spanish rule. On December 13, 1991 UNESCO declared the Historic City of Sucre a “World Heritage Site” in recognition of its rich history and its wealth of colonial architecture. The city attracts thousands of tourists every year thanks to its well-conserved downtown with buildings from the 18th and 19th century. Its many well-preserved 16th-century religious buildings illustrate the blending of local architectural traditions with styles imported from Europe. Population is 247,300 in 2006.

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Sana, San’a, Sanaa, or Sana’a – this city is the capital of Yemen and one of the most fascinating in the Arab world with it’s unique architecture and friendly inhabitants. Sana’a has been a major trading centre for south-eastern Arabia. Once a seat of government for the early Islamic caliphs, it is today the capital city of Yemen. The city’s name, Sana’a, meant “fortified place”.

Continue reading Enjoy in the city of Sana’a, really a unique place, very different to the rest of the Middle East

The Most Serene Republic of San Marino is the third smallest nation in Europe after Monaco and Vatican City. San Marino is located in the north-centre part of Italy, just 23 km from Rimini, the closest important Italian city in its vicinity located at the Adriatic Sea. It has a total surface area of 61 square Km and a population of about 28000 inhabitants. San Marino is said to be the world’s oldest surviving republic- it was founded in AD 301. An 1862 friendship and cooperation treaty with Italy, which has since been revised and expanded, reinforced San Marino’s independence. Tourism dominates the economy of the republic. Some three million tourists visits the San Marino every year.

Continue reading The smallest and the oldest Republic in Europe

Tinos is one of the biggest Greek islands of the Cyclades. It is the third Cycladic Island in size and it is 195 square kilometers. The perimeter of its coast line is 114 kilometers and it is located south-eastern of Andros and north- western of Myconos. Tinos is basically an island with religious and worshipping tourists. Four major festival days are: January 30- the anniversary of the finding of the icon; March 25- the Annunciation of Mary; July 23- the anniversary of the vision of the nun Pelagia and August 15- the Assumption of Mary. The finding of the icon, the erection of the temple, the improvement of the transportation had a great impact to the social and economic evolution of the island.

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Although capital of one of Europe’s smallest countries – Denmark. The clean and friendly city of Copenhagen offers a host of cultural and sightseeing opportunities. With a vast number of pedestrianised streets, the best way to sight see is by foot or you may prefer a leisurely canal cruise past the colourful waterfront houses. Copenhagen is a modern city whose past coexists with the very latest trends in architecture, design and fashion.

Continue reading Stirring tour in the Andersen’s magic tales

Chinese New Year is a perhaps the most elaborate, colorful, and important holiday in China. Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday celebrated among Chinese people – Koreans, Vietnamese, Mongolians, The Philippines, Thailands. Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. Chinese New Year was on 18th February 2007. It will be the Year of the Pig. If you were born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983 or 1995 – you were born under the sign of the pig. The Chinese believe a child born this year in The Year of the Golden Pig will be blessed with a carefree, wealthy and loving life!

Continue reading The improbable celebration – Chinese New Year

Guell park contains amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings-everything in the park is wonderful. It was designed by the catalan architect Antonio Gaudi. It contains the home of the architect Gaudi which is now a small museum.It was declared a universal monument by UNESCO in 1984. Gaudi avoided leveling the grounds so that the park has a network of twisting roads which follow the contours of the land. He divided the land into 60 plots between 1000 and 2000 square meters in size. Park Guell was originally commissioned as a private housing estate of sixty dwelling for Gaudi’s patron, Don Eusebio Guell. In the end, however, only two houses were ever built and the area was subsequently opened as a public park in 1922.

Continue reading Park Guell – undoubtedly among the top 10 sights to visit in Barcelona