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

Visit the top of travel destination in Texas – San Antonio. It is the seventh largest city in the USA. San Antonio will captivate you with different historical, cultural and fun attractions. It is visited over 20 million travelers every year.

San Antonio is famous with its Riverwalk – the most visited attraction in the State of Texas. The existing River Walk houses feature luxurious hotels, shops, galleries, restaurants, exciting theme parks, dance nightclubs, lounges and bars. Enjoy the River Walk from a unique perspective aboard a Rio San Antonio Cruise.
The city is home to the first museum of modern art in Texas – McNay Art Museum. There is the old mission – Alamo which is visited by more than 2.5 million people a year. Admission is free. Also you can take an Alamo Helicopter Tours. Enjoy with a breathtaking view of San Antonio River, The San Antonio Zoo, Sea World, The Botanical Gardens and etc.

 The Anna Hotel is located in the centre of Munich, between the main train station and only one kilometer of the Opera House. The clear design gives special character of the hotel, transforming it into the historical Imperial house.
All of 73 hotel’s guestrooms are finished with teakwood floors, combined with white walls and black granite. In the sixth-floor suite walls are replaced by panoramic windows reaching from floor to ceiling…
The modern ambience of the 73 rooms has all that you’ll need on your trip. They’re equipping with air conditioning, wireless LAN, satellite television, direct line phones, mini bars and etc. The bathrooms have a “tropical rain” – for the jungle feeling, splash showers, heated towel racks, and hairdryers.
The Anna Restaurant serves a huge range of international food in a stylish setting area. Dishes such as corn-fed chicken and couscous, and nougat parfait with grilled mango are featured. Also there is a Sushi Bar offers traditional Japanese sushi and a selection of Asian dishes. Rates: €195 – €310, including breakfast.

 Naumi is a boutique hotel in the heart of Singapore, only 20 km from the airport. It’s nearby to National Museum of Singapore, Botanical Garden, Little India, Chinatown, Arab and Bugis Street.

The hotel spread over 10 floors and comprising a total of 40 rooms. The interiors of the hotel display a clean cosmopolitan look and modern luxury. All 40 rooms are perfect and very stylish, equipped with IP Telephones, Wi-Fi Internet and so on. Naumi Hotel serves as the best place to relax and total comfort in Singapore. The hotel boasts with yoga classes, bar with rare collection of wines and high-quality whiskies and malts, fitness room, rooftop pool bar with day beds for lounging, overlooking Singapore breathe taking. The hotel also features a unique Japanese garden.

Perth City is a ideal place for a summer or winter holiday. There the sun always shining and you will found white sandy beaches and amazing scenery. Perth City is Western Australia’s capital with a population over 1 million people, but it’s one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on the Earth. The nearest city is Adelaide in South Australia, which is 2,104 km away. But, don’t worry, with its cosmopolitan atmosphere is always something to see and do there.

  

 There are lots of outdoor activities, including sailing, fishing, surfing and windsurfing. The Perth’s coastline boasts is excellent snorkeling. Also you enjoy with long relaxing walks along sandy beaches or perhaps lazing on a beach towel while watching the amazing turquoise - blue waves.  
 The region is home to more that 40 vineyards, many of which are still run by the original families which started the wineries many years ago.  
 

This cosmopolitan city offers myriad bars, restaurants and cultural activities. Most popular is Perth district of Northbridge. There you will find a range of nightclubs, pubs, cafes and restaurants, offering an eclectic mix of cultures and cuisines.

The London National Gallery displays one of the finest and most comprehensive Collections of European painting. These paintings belong to the society and entrance to see them is free.

The Gallery was founded in 1824, but the site in Trafalgar Square was chosen for its central location in 1838.

The building has been extended and improved through the years,most remarkable in 1991, when the Sainsbury Wing was opened.

 

It includes many famous works,such as Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

 

All major traditions of Western European painting are represented from the artists of late medieval and Renaissance Italy to the French impressionists.

This plan will help you to explore the collection. You may wish to start by finding one of the famous paintings .You can also plan your route using the ArtStart touch-screen guides,which are available.

 

The Ginza is Tokyo’s most lively area including shopping and dining district, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes. It’s one of the most expensive real estate in Japan – one sq. m is worth more than 100,000 US dollars.  

The Ginza is the center point of Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori and the major attraction is the glass cylinder of the San-ai Building. The side streets of Ginza are full of art galleries, photography, and graphic design. Also there are Sony Building, Mistsukoshi Departent Store, Apple Store Ginza, Kabuki-za Theatre, Tsukiji Honganji, Tsukiji Fish Market. With their huge neon signs, they are “trade-mark” of Ginza. 

 If you want a taste of Japanese food, Ginza offers everything to your choice. You can choose to dine at the “hibachi”, the sushi bar and other culinary temptations. Fish, seaweed, vegetables and rice are available of the traditional Japanese restaurants.  

If you want to listen to nice music… if you want really to have real coffee or quality drinks… or want taste culinary wonders, we show you top 5 of most exciting places in Sofia, Bulgaria.

 1. “CAPPUCCINO”is the most fashionable club in Sofia. Located at the center of the city the club is very attractive at the night . The atmosphere is ideal for meeting with friends, elegant family or business lunch or private party. “Cappuccino” offers original menu of the Italian cuisine and the rich wine list with plentiful variety of white and red wines from Chile, Australia and New Zealand.
Official site: http://barcappuccino.net

2.  “UPSTAIRS”is charming club, located at the most busiest shopping area in Sofia – “Vitosha” bld. The menu features Italian cuisine and the bar offers a lot of classic and fashion cocktails.  Start the day with freshly baked croissants and coffee… have lunch as in Italy… and try the best “Mojito”.
P.S Dj parties on Friday and Saturday.
3. “MOTTO”is one of  fashionable places, distinguished with of modern design in retro-chic style. Here you can find a pleasant atmosphere accompany with a good cuisine with well selected original dishes. Its trendy settings and the wide variety of alcoholic drinks and cocktails make  Motto one of the few good bars in Sofia.
Official site: htpp://motto-bg.com
4. “OPERA”is at the heart of Sofia, at the National Theater for Opera and Ballet. The cuisine is modern combination of different styles, including sushi, vegetarian, oriental and European ones. The interior is a combination between the baroque architecture of the building and the modern design of the club-restaurant. After dinner the nice atmosphere with Dj’s participation predisposes consumption of exotic cocktails.
Official site: http://opera-bg.info
5.  “CAFE DEL MAR”has its own, simple style with dim light and relaxing chill-out music. The club offers its visitors wide variety of brand drinks and elegant cocktails. Here you can relax of the daily round with discreet conversation with your friends or can organized your small private party.

 

 

Gabon lies between the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. It’s a charming country with lots of the ancient monuments and fashion metropolis cities. Gabon becomes independent on August 17th 1960. Libreville – the capital of Gabon has grown into a contemporary city since Gabon gained independence. There is the major port in West Africa.

Libreville was the capital of French Equatorial Africa from 1888 to 1904. It was built on a series of hills and surrounded by traditional villages. Freed slaves were sent there named the city – Libreville (Fr. – “free town”). Libreville’s greatest asset is the seafront where people gather to relax by the Atlantic Ocean. The seafront boulevard is lined with expensive hotels and stores. Next to the boulevard is Louis quarter which is known for its night clubs, restaurants and bars.   

There is no shortage of things to do and see in Gabon. Cap Esterias Beach offers the sight of leatherback sea turtles, which can weigh up to 500 kg, but only in certain periods of the year. Along the seafront you will find some Gabonese sculptures (some are 20 feet tall) looking over the beach. From history to art to culture to the outdoors, Gabon attractions are profuse…

 

Now we introduce you with two of most popular French restaurants in Brussels, Belguim. The first restaurant which you offer is “The Comme Chez Soi”. The restaurant was founded in 1926, but today it is one of the most visited restaurants in the city. The restaurant’s name translates as “like at home”. It serves typically Belgian cuisine, based on local products. The restaurant’s most popular dishes are “Sautéed lobster with truffles and chanterelles” and “Roast saddle of lamb”. This distinctive menu and a wine list cans to satisfy any gourmet. If you want to dine on Friday or Saturday night, make your reservation two to three months ago… 

  

The second offer in our article is “L’Ecailler du Palais Royal” – one of the best fish and seafood restaurants in Brussels. It’s a favorite for many diplomats with its quality cuisine and a large selection of French wines. Specialties include, of course, the assorted fishes and seafood, such as “Scallop carpaccio with green Puy lentils”, “Encrusted smoked eels”, “Medaillion of roasted burbot”, etc. Average budget which you need is 50-60 €.

This impressive gate, with its magnificent Korean-style roof, is the oldest wooden structure in Seoul. It’s dates from the construction of Seoul’s old city walls in 1398. Originally a grand entrance to the city of Seoul, today Sungnyemun Gate  marks the southern boundary of the old city center. Due to its historical and architectural value, it’s been designated Korea’s National Treasure, like a symbol of Korea’s blending of the ancient and modern.
The gate, itself, is made of granite blocks forming a huge granite block with an arched passage through the middle. Resting on top of this structure is a traditional two-story pavilion. It was rebuilt after being almost totally destroyed during the 1950-1953 Korean War and in 1962 was declared as South Korea’s National Treasure.
A fire on Feb. 10, 2008 destroyed Seoul’s historic landmark gate, the more than 600-year-old Sungnyemun gate. Some 30 fire trucks and nearly 130 firefighters were called in to battle the blaze, needing five hours to put out the blaze. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will make every cooperative measure with the Cultural Heritage Administration to rebuild the Gate. Official estimate to the restoration will cost $21 million and take 2-3 years.

 The Haymarket Hotel is situated on a small street of Haymarket, in the heart of London, next to the Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. The Haymarket is an intimate, boutique hotel and is a member of design hotels. The hotel’s unique design was designed by John Nash, the architect who developed most of Regency London, including Buckingham Palace and others.

All 50 guest rooms are individually designed with antique furniture and all of them offers high-speed wireless access and DVD/CD players. The roomy bathrooms are designed in granite, glass and oak, with double basins, a separate shower and an oversize bathtub, as well as large flat-screen TVs.

Hotels amenities:Spectacular 18-metre swimming pool, fully equiped gym with: cardio-vascular machines and treatment room for massage and beauty therapies, conservatory, drawing room, library, shooting gallery, nightclub and restaurant serving modern English and Italian cuisine.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, originally the industrial capital, today is one of Britain’s major tourist places. It’s one of the liveliest and most cosmopolitan destinations in Europe. The city offers the best shopping in the United Kingdom outside London, and the most vibrant and exciting nightlife in Scotland. No matter what brings you to Glasgow – the castles, the history, the architecture – Glasgow’s got it all!

Glasgow is filled with exciting experiences – the ballet, orchestra and restaurants. It’s home to more than twenty museums, boasts world famous art collections, whether your taste is for Mackintosh or Modern Art, Dinosaurs or Dali, Tall Ship or Tearoom. Most galleries and museums are with free admission. To experience Scotland’s beloved tea ritual, there are few places cuter than Miss Cranston’s – a cafe that bakes some of the city’s best crumpets and cakes.

The Glasgow Science Center is another favorite among travelers, and families in particular. The Science Center has four floors of exhibits, as well as an IMAX theatre. The Glasgow International art fair also takes place every April from 2005.

Glasgow Tower is a free-standing tower built in 2001, costing £10 million. It is currently the largest building in Scotland and the largest building in the world which can turn 360 degrees from the ground up.

Grand Central Terminal (popularly called Grand Central) is a Terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is the largest train station in the world by number of platforms 44, with 67 tracks along them. They are on two levels, both below ground, with 41 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower. The monumental railway station was constructed in 1903-1913 for the New York and Harlem Railroad Company. It is a grand Beaux-Arts building which serves as a transportation hub connecting train, metro, car and pedestrian traffic in an efficient way. Grand Central Terminal is home to five fine restaurants, twenty casual restaurants, and about fifty unique specialty shops. The terminal hosts large public events in its 12,000 square foot Vanderbilt Hall.

The terminal opened in 1913, after about 10 years of construction. Over the years, the terminal suffered deterioration and possible demolition. Founded to oversee the station’s replaning, the Grand Central Corporation envisioned the project as “Terminal City”- a multi-lot development linking the new station with hotels, apartments, and office buildings running along 42nd Street and up Park Avenue. This plan, often described as a “city within a city” can be understood as the precursor to ideas explored later at Rockefeller Center.
Outside, the station’s facade has the grand scale of the interior. Modeled on a Roman triumphal arch, the facade symbolizes the triumph of the railroad. Jules Coutan’s central sculptural group depicts Mercury (the god of commerce) supported by Minerva and Hercules (representing mental and moral strength).
The interior of Grand Central is also amazing sight and will transport you to another time. The Main Concourse seen here is an immense space 120 feet wide, 375 feet long and 125 feet high. Each of the four clock faces are made from opal, and both Sotheby’s and Christie’s have estimated the value to be between US$10 million and US$20 million. Besides train platforms, Grand Central contains restaurants (the most famous of which is the Oyster Bar and also the bar at Michael Jordan’s The Steak House overlooks the busy terminal), fast food restaurants, bakeries, newsstands, a gourmet and fresh food market, an annex of the New York Transit Museum and more than forty retail stores.
The terminal, a thruway for millions of commuters every week, offers many a chance to conjure up to romance of train travel. In 1963 Grand Central Terminal was landmarked. This innovative complex, integrating the train system with an intricate web of urban conditions, will be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. Grand Central holds many secrets that you only need to look closely to see. Visit the Grand Central Terminal’s official website to print out a great itinerary for your tour – Official Web Site