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

Lala Mustafa Pasa which was constructed between the years 1298-1312 in the Lusignan period is one of the most beautiful Gothic structures of the Meditteranean region. The Lusignan kings would be inaugurated as the King of Cyprus at the St. Sophia Cathedral in Nicosia first, and following this they would be crowned as the King of Jerusalem at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Famagusta. These ceremonies continued to be held until 1571 when the cathedral was turned into a mosque by the Ottoman Turks.
The architecture of the western front of the building has been influenced by the architecture of the Reins Cathedral. It has an unparalleled window with Gothic style tracery. The 16th century gallery in the courtyard is today used as a reservoir for ablutions. The apsis of the cathedral is in the Eastern style and is composed of three parts as in most Cyprus churches. The windows in the top part have been well preserved. There are two chapels at the side. The cumbez tree in front -a tropical fig tree- is a rare tree in the north of the island.

The spectacular ruins give a fascinating insight into long-lost civilizations and include a magnificent amphitheatre, Roman baths, a gymnasium and royal tombs. The mosaics are particularly beautiful. Just inland from Famagusta are the church and monastery dedicated to St. the founder of the apostolic Cypriot AD. Barnabas a Cypriot from Salamis, visited the island accompanied by and St. Mark and was later martyred in Salamis in 52AD. The church of St. Nicolas is preserved exactly as it was since abandoned in 1976. There is a wonderful collection of 18th century icons and the monastery cloisters now houses an archaeological museum.

For almost a thousand years, Rome, Italy was a very important city in the Western world and possibly the largest city in the world. Whilst it no longer holds that title it still remains one of the planet’s must-see places. The Roman Forum was the centre of the civic and economic life of Rome in the Republican era and kept its prominent role even in the Imperial age. The monumental complex lies between the Capitol, the Imperial Forums, the Colosseum and the Palatine.

The religious and political institutions, law courts, shops and markets would have bustled with life, and the temples and imperial monuments were architectural triumphs. The capital of Italy is a major tourist destination. Rome is situated on the banks of the River Tiber. Rome is one of biggest Europe’s town a population of over three and a half million. The Capitol has remained the nucleus of Roman life for thousands of years. The monumental complex whose remains lie between the Capitol, the Imperial Forums, the Colosseum and the Palatine. The forum was, for the roman culture, the aggregation point par excellence: the market, the tribunal, the most important religious buildings were within it. Every epoch had its forum, the Roman Forum was built in the republican age of Rome, but then it was enlarged in the Imperial age.

The zone is quite large and the richness in materials can astonish the visitor who can admire lots of monuments, among which: Titus Arch, built in honour of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem in 70 A. D. The “Rostrum” is the famous platform from which Mark Antony gave his oration in Shakespeare’s play after Julius Caesar’s assassination. The platform became the setting for many…
Today, it requires a certain amount of imagination to picture the Forum in its former glory, as the ravages of history have not been kind. Fire, invasions and general decay have all played their part, and most recently, in 1932, the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini ordered a main road to be built straight through the site, bulldozing the narrow alleyways.

The Lima Cathedral is a Roman Catholic temple and is located in the Main Plaza of downtown Lima, Peru. It started its construction in 1535. It has been transformed many times, but it still conserves its colonial composition and facade. Lima’s cathedral is big, though not necessarily spectacular. Still, it is worth a visit due to its historical significance. It does have some interesting side chapels where we could watch the nuns maintaining the displays.

Lima’s cathedral is immense and ornate. The dominant structure on Lima’s central plaza, this is a must-see for the first-timer. Inside is the tomb of conquistador Francisco Pizarro, along with many pieces of art dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. There is an entrance fee, but the sight is well worth the 5 soles. Lima Cathedral has been affected by many earthquakes throughout its history. In 1609, its vaults were destroyed, and were rebuilt in 1615, at a lower height with a Gothic style. Again in 1746, it was almost entirely destroyed by a severe earthquake, and was rebuilt in 1758. In 1687, another earthquake destroyed the vaults of the Cathedral, followed by an earthquake in 1746, which destroyed its vaults and pillars. Almost after 200 years, another earthquake in 1940 damaged it a limited way, and restoration work was done in the same year.

The interior of Lima cathedral is attractive, with a delicate vaulted ceiling and a checkerboard floor. It is embellished with some impressive baroque furnishings, the most notable of which are the intricately carved choir stalls. The interior is remarkable for the intricate carving work of the wooden seats of the choir, the heavily ornamented “Inmaculada” chapel of Baroque style and an ivory Christ carved by Martinez Montaez, a splendid gift from King Charles V Entering the church and to the fight there is a chapel which holds the remains of the conqueror Francisco Pizarro. In the sacristy there is a museum of religious art. Inside are found colorful tiles from Seville, Spain (the largest collection in Lima), marble columns, and intricately carved cedar doors, cupolas, choir stalls, and stairways. A peaceful courtyard surrounded by arched passageways is found inside. You can see the five main rooms, the big hall and the dinning room on a guided tour. The visits are free, but it is necessary to make an arrangement two days before.
Under the nocturnal sky the cathedral beacons with much lights. Incredible is for the tourists.

Baalbek is a town in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude 1,170 m, situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed but monumentally scaled Temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, known as Heliopolis was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire. Ruins of ancient temples in Baalbek, Lebanon, include the Temple of Jupiter, shown here, which once measured about 89 by 50 m. The temple, in the Corinthian style, was surrounded by a peristyle of 42 columns. The Romans built Baalbek when they took control of the territory that included what is now Lebanon in 64 BC.

In 27 BC, the Roman Emperor Augustus supposedly took the unfathomable decision to build in the middle of nowhere the grandest and mightiest temple of antiquity, the Temple of Jupiter, whose platform, and big courtyard are retained by three walls containing twenty-seven limestone blocks, unequaled in size anywhere in the world, as they all weigh in excess of 300 metric tons. Three of the blocks, however, weigh more than 800 tons each. This block trio is world-renowned as the “Trilithon”. Lion head is the Symbol of power and strength. It was a great decoration on the Roman temple. Earthquake destroyed a part of it but fortunately the head was in a good case.

The second temple, now called the Temple of Bacchus because of Bacchic motives carved at certain points, is in fact the temple of the female counterpart of Baal, namely Baalat, Ishtar or Artagatis. It is in a very good state of preservation and is greatly admired both by connoisseurs and by tourists. It is 70 metres long and is surrounded by a peristyle of 48 columns 20 metres high, bearing an entablature with a frieze of lions, bulls and acanthus leaves, all richly carved. Its entrance is truly monumental, 13 metres high by 7.5 metres wide, finely worked. The nave has fluted columns in relief on the walls. There is a cella or choir 27 metres by 22. The altar of the divinity, placed high, makes the building a religious monument of the highest order. The third temple, a smaller one, placed further to the east and now named after Venus, is a work of wonderful good taste and delicacy.

But as fighting escalated after a Hezbollah raid into Israel on July 12, many people feared for Baalbek and Lebanon’s other archaeological and cultural treasures. Now that a tentative cease-fire has been declared, experts returning to the country say that the sites—which have successfully survived decades of violence in the war-torn region—appear to have once again emerged unscathed.

The “Fontana di Trevi” or “Trevi Fountain”, may or may not be the most beautiful fountain in Rome but it certainly is the most famous. It is also the largest and most ambitious of the Baroque fountains in Rome. Known the world over as the fountain where Anita Ekberg cooled off at night in Federico Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita, it is also known for the legend that holds that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, your return to Rome will be ensured. The Trevi Fountain of Rome, realized under the Pontificate of Clemente XII around 1735 after Christ along the “Palazzo Poli”, is the work of the architect Nicol Salvi and it is still nowadays alimented by the water supply system Virgin projected in 19 before Christ by the consul Agrippa. The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea. In 1629, Pope Urban -8, finding the earlier fountain insufficiently dramatic, asked Bernini to sketch possible renovations, but when the Pope died the project was abandoned. Bernini’s lasting contribution was to recite the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace . Though Bernini’s project was torn down for Salvi’s fountain, there are many Bernini touches in the fountain as it was built. In 1732, Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to create a large fountain at the Trevi Square. A previous undertaking to build the fountain after a design by Bernini was halted a century earlier after the death of Pope Urban VIII. Salvi based his theatrical masterpiece on this design. Construction of the monumental baroque fountain was finally completed in 1762.
If you want to stay in a hotel in Rome near Trevi fountain, you don’t have a long list of choices outside of the famous Trevi Fountain Hotel. Offering an exclusive viewpoint of the great fountain that most tourists will never witness. Converted into a hotel in the 17th century, guests at the Trevi Fountain hotel can sit upon the rooftop lounge where the romantic lights of the square burn well into the night. The bliss of returning to the Eternal City is guaranteed to all foreigners who, with their back turned, throw a coin over their shoulder into the fountain. Before leaving the square be sure to look at the church of Santi Vincenzo ed Anastasio.
The Trevi Fountain is one the tourist highlights of Rome. It takes the Roman fascination with fountains to its extreme in turning a whole facade into a “mere” backdrop for the fountain, which itself extends over half the piazza in front of it.

The town of Belogradchik (Bulgaria) is situated between both massifs Venetsa and Vedernik (Stara Planina), among the fantastic world of Belogradchik rocks. It is town amids a greatest natural environment. This is an old settlement, originated as early as 1 century when Romans build a fortress among the rocks. In 1837 during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II the fortress was finished in its present-day . In this period – Ottoman Rule Belogradchik was a small agrarian-craftsman town. In 1850 , the north Carolinian make engagement in the arcadian rebellion. After 1878, Belogradchik gradually becomes a tourist centre above all, which attracts thousands of visitors from the country and abroad.
Of the Panofs,1810 the town Museum of History is arranged in the Revival house. That in itself is an architectural monument. The Astronomical Observatory has one of the most powerful telescopes in Bulgaria. In 1868 was built St.Georg the Victorious Church.
The Belogradchik Rocks are formed from red sandstone and conglomerate- one of the natural wonders of Bulgaria. A fairy-tale stone world surrounds Belogradchik from west, south and southeast. The rocks borrow a stretch of meridian 30 km and with- 3 km. Them looklike humans and animals ,huge sponges, pyramids or castles much. Take a joke most different names had related to different legends. Falkov – Borovets group of rocks with Momina Skala, Pchelin Kamuk, Torlaka, Borovishki Kamuk etc.
Lipenitsa group is to the east of the town among which biggest interest evoke the Dinosaur and the Latin Kale. It is worth seeing the Lepenishka Cave in which charred wheat and vessels dating 2000 years age were found, and Izvozki oak-more than 1200 years old. Among the Zbegovska group of rocks to the west of the town a great impression make the Twins, the rocks in the area called Magaza, Small and Big Zbeg, which were used as fortresses, the lonely obelisk Borich and the Belogradchik stone bridge. The central group rises immediately above the town. One can see about 100m huge lonely rocks named Adam and Eva, the delicate Madonna, Komika, the Female student, Bear, the Monks…. The fantastic kale with ancient fortress walls, above which the most magic rock wonders rise.
Belogradchik Fortress is the perfect inclusion of the unapproachable rocks in the whole fortress system. There construction periods can be seen in the buildings- Roman and Byzantine, Byzantine and Bulgarian and Turkish (1805-1837) . The construction of the last period prevail in its present-day outlook. The fortress is situated at 10200 sq. m and has 5 gates, 4 of which are main.
Magura is a cave, founded near the village of Rabisha, 16km west of the town of Dimovo. It was formed about 3-4 million years ago in the Magoura Hill, 463m high. Inside one can see unique halls and formations as Triumphalnata Zala, Harmana ,the hall of the Stalactone, Glinenite PIramidi, Povaleniyat Bor, etc. The exit of the cave is though Vratach on the bank of the Rabisha Lake. Primitive men lived there. The wall drawings made with bat excrement’s are the only ones in the caves at the Balkan Peninsula. These masterpieces of late prehistoric art date back from the beginning of the Bronze Age. The cave was used by Manush Voivoda as a shelter. Magura Cave is electrified, the length of its galleries are 2500m. A minimal entry fee is paid. There is a hotel, a restaurant, pavilions and other buildings round it.
At their character and remarkable beauty Belogradchishkite rocks , Magourata and the entire universe affect the tourists of whole world.

Avignon is one of the most active and beautiful cities in France. Thanks to its architectural and artistic heritage, this old city is one of the most important Gothic ensembles in Europe. Avignon is famous worldwide thanks to its theater festival -considered as the most important one in the world. Avignon is definitely not a town to stay in if you’re interested in sightseeing the surrounding countryside and don’t have much time. Avignon is ancient, full of history, life, youth, art, music and activity. Just to “see” the town itself, you could wander the narrow streets inside the fortified walls for days without tiring of them. Avignon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Avignon is an architectural city and it has a wonderful way of delimitation its perimeter, there are different walls in this city, one of them are the Roman walls constructed in the first century with a rectangular shape similar to the Roman constructions, unfortunately there is no document that verifies its exact delimitation’s. In the 13th century the King of France Louis VIII ordered to built other walls but they took some more time to get finished, they were concluded in 1248. The present day walls were ordered to be constructed by Innocent VI, the walls are approximately 8 meters high and there are 35 high towers and 50 smaller, most of them of rectangular or square shape.
The other attraction of Avignon is the famous bridge, history says that this bridge was once used for carrying St Benezet to Villeneuve, it had 22 wonderfull arches from which just three are left, anyway they are so majestic that you would imagine how wonderful looked with the other arches. The bridge was built in the Middle Ages perhaps partly to allow the local bishop to cross the river to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. The legend of the bridge’s building is that a local shepherd, Benedict was inspired by angels to build a bridge. When his appeals to the town authorities proved fruitless, he picked up a vast block of stone and hurled it into the river, to be the bridge’s foundation stone. Convinced by this demonstration of divine will, the bridge was swiftly built. The poor shepherd boy was canonised, and his chapel remains on the surviving portion of the bridge.Avignon, a city with a great heritage, also possesses a tremendous cultural vitality. Famous for its theatre festival, Avignon, all year round is a real centre of creativity with its permanent theatres, its cinemas, cultural associations.

The events occur all over town, often staged at historical monuments and in the streets, and with close audience rapport. This is now an international festival, with people from all over France, Europe and the rest of the world arranging vacations around the festival dates. The theater festival has made Avignon important in modern times. Started in 1947 by Jean Vilar, every year between the 10th of July and the 5th of August nearly 120,000 spectators come to discover new talent or admire those actors already known. These shows are enhanced by the background of powerful history and often appear renewed or refreshed in this environment. Avignon is a city small enough to be visited in a couple of days, except if you come during the theater festival. The city center can be visited in a pleasant walking tour. You can use the second day to do an excursion, or dedicate the second day to discover the excellencies of the local cuisine.

City of history and city of theater, the fortified city of Avignon will not leave you in different. Avignon’s architecture is marked by papal history. Going through any of the seven doors of the superbly preserved walls one discovers the city of the Popes.
Don’t miss the Antiquaire quarter, the Place de l’Horloge or the Chemin de Ronde which will take you to the Rocher des Doms. From the top of the ramparts you can understand why the site was chosen for a fort: Avignon stands high above the immense plains of the Rhône River and is the strategic point of the whole valley.

The Colosseum – the greatest amphitheatre of the antiquity – was built in Rome, Italy, about 1920 years ago. It is considered an architectural and engineering wonder, and remains as a standing proof of both the grandeur and the cruelty of the Roman world.

The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is a giant amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. Originally capable of seating 50,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It was built on a site just east of the Roman Forum, with construction starting between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian. The amphitheatre, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign.

The Colosseum remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century — well after the traditional date of the fall of Rome in 476. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such varied purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.

Although it is now in a severely ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and is one of the finest surviving examples of Roman architecture. It is one of modern Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Catholic Church, whose Pope leads a torchlit procession to the amphitheatre each Good Friday.The Colosseum measures 48 metres (157 ft / 165 Roman feet) high, 189 metres (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 metres (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide. Unlike earlier amphitheatres, it was an entirely free-standing structure, constructed on flat ground rather than being built into an existing hillside or natural depression. Its outer wall originally measured 545 metres (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet) and is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic meters (3,531,466 ft) of travertine stone held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.

The surviving part of the outer wall’s monumental facade comprises three stories of superimposed arcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters. Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical mythology.

The Colosseum’s huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators. Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite.

The arena itself was 83 metres by 48 metres (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet).It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning “underground”). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.

Hollywood movies reinforced some widespread false impressions about the Colosseum of Rome. Historians doubt that the wholesale martyring of Christians occurred there. And, the image of lions eating the Christians before cheering crowds is likely fantasy. Films have also bolstered the myth that thumbs down meant to kill the person in the arena. It was just the opposite in Roman times. Thumbs up signaled “kill him” and thumbs down, “spare him.”

The Colosseum – Entry €11 (€9 if you’re under 25). Expect a long queue and an even longer wait. You can skip the queue if you decide to take a tour, but if you don’t want a tour, you can STILL skip the queue. If you walk across the street to the Roman Forum, you can buy a day-long pass for €10,better still, a 7-day pass for €20 or a standard Colosseum + Palatine ticket at €11. This pass gets you in to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Baths of Caracalla, and the catacombs. If you don’t want to cram it all into one day, get the pass. Plus, it is nice to buy a slice of pizza and eat in the gardens of Palatine Hill. There are lots of people offering tours in English just outside the entrance to the Colosseum. Inside you can take a tour (English, Spanish, or German) every 30 minutes or so for an additional fee of €3.5 per person. The tours are given by knowledgeable archeologists, but they don’t take you to any areas you couldn’t visit on your own.

The lands of the great gods of Greece and Rome come to life on this unique eight-day cruise across the beautiful Aegean Sea. Throughout this exciting journey, experience the rich history and culture of ancient Greece and Turkey and the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman empires while cruising aboard the m.s. Le Diamant This superb vessel is one of the finest cruisers in Europe and offers well-appointed, deluxe accommodations, as well as excellent service and gourmet cuisine.Begin with the resort island of Mykonos, known for its picturesque seaside villages and windmills, and the nearby island of Delos, mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis Next, explore the stunning volcanic cliffs of Santorini, experience the fantastic Greco-Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman architecture of Rhodes and visit the ancient Monastery of St. John on the island of Patmos. Conclude with a tour of some of the world’s best-preserved Greco-Roman ruins at Ephesus, and the legendary city of Troy, immortalized by Homer Throughout the cruise, expert guides will lead the excursions and special onboard lectures will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the region.

To make your Aegean experience complete, join a low-priced, optional two-night pre-cruise program in the ancient Greek capital of Athens and/or an optional two-night extension in legendary Istanbul.

Santorini is the most extraordinary island in the Aegean. You sail into a strange, enclosed sea, shut off by the Burnt Islands. The volcanic cliffs of Santorini are red, brown or greenish, surmounted by a string of white villages. It is rather like a model of a monster’s jaw made by some infernal dentist; a sinister and alarming place, like nowhere else.

Jetting out from the deep blue sea its volcanic sheer cliffs topped with gleaming white village homes and churches, resemble snowcapped mountains. The thunderous fury of nature left its mark on the island, the home of Greece’s last active volcano which still smolders today. Layer upon layer of red volcanic rock interspersed with white buildings and specks of greenery form a visual demonstration found nowhere else.
The entire center of the circular island sank into the sea during the tremendous volcanic explosion of 3.500 years ago. The eruption caused tidal waves which virtually wiped out the advanced Minoan civilization of Crete 70 miles to the south. Some scholars believe that the island is part of the legendary lost continent of Atlantis which supposedly slipped underwater during the disaster.

From the sheer cliff-top, where the villages are built, you look down on the gentle, green outer slopes of the mountain: the sea has filled the crater of the volcano. The contrast between these two faces of Santorini is dramatic and extraordinary.

The beauty of Santorini must depend on light and line; there is hardly any vegetation apart from vines, and the volcanic earth has no charm of color, unlike the earth and rock of the limestone islands. Yet it has a strange and uncanny fascination of its own. It has rightly been called the black pearl of the Aegean.
The sunsets of Santorini, with the Burnt Islands in the foreground, the islet of Thirassia behind, Sikinos and Folegandros farther off, and the great rock of Christiana, are among the most exciting aesthetic experiences that the Aegean can provide.

The official name of the island is Thira, but foreigners refer to it by the name given in honor of the island’s patron saint, St. Irene of Thessaloniki, who died here while in exile in 304 A.D.Santorini, which covers 73 square kilometers and is located 127 nautical miles from the port of Piraeus, has an important wine trade. In September visitors may tread the grapes and taste the wines. The rich volcanic soil also produces popular small sweet tomatoes. The island also exports pumice stone, china clay and pistacchio nuts. Two million tons of volcanic soil is exported every year for use in the cement industry. A member of the Cyclades group of Aegean islands, Santorini has a permanent population of aapproxiimately 10.500 but during the tourist season this number swells dramatically.

Santorini has 13 villages. Fira, also known as Thira or Hora, is the island’s capital. It is situated 27,5 m. above the sea and may be reached from the port of Skala climbing the steep, 566 broad steps. This should only be attempted by the untiring while the traditional way up the zigzag path is by renting pack mules or donkeys. For those who prefer modern conveniences, a funicular lift is available.
The cable car lifts 800 persons per hour. The duration is only two minutes and offers unforgettable views of the volcanic island.