Budapest

			Introduction Regarded by many as one of world's most beautiful cities, travelers are quickly recognising the appeal of Budapest, with tourism accounting for approximately 20 million visitors per year. Consisting of two very different cities, Buda on the West bank of the Danube River and Pest on the East bank, Budapest (pronounced "BOO-dah-pesht") offers travelers Viennese romanticism at an affordable price. However, Budapest is unique in its own right. Hungarians are proud of what this ancient capital has to offer and its contributions to European culture, especially in the field of music, a language one doesn't need to speak to appreciate. Budapest first appeared on the world map when the Romans founded the town of Aquincum around 89 AD, in what is today Óbuda. It soon became the capital of the province of Lower Pannonia, and the Romans even founded a proto-Pest known as Contra Aquincum on the other side of the river. The Romans were replaced around 900 by the Magyars, who went on to found the kingdom of Hungary. The Mongols dropped in uninvited in 1241, but the Magyars bounced back and built the Royal Castle that still today dominates Buda in 1427. In 1541, Buda and Pest fell to the Ottomans and stayed in the hands of the Turks until 1686, when the Austrian Habsburgs conquered the town. Now at peace, both sides of the river boomed, and after an abortive Hungarian revolution in 1848–49, the great Compromise of 1867 made Budapest the united capital of the Hungarian half of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Budapest emerged from World War I battered but now the capital of an independent Hungary. Its population reached one million in 1930. Air raids and a terrible three-month siege towards the end of World War II resulted in the death over 38,000 civilians, and up to 40% of Budapest's Jewish community were murdered during the Holocaust. A total of 400,000 Jews in the area were murdered by the Nazis and their Nyilas sympathizers. One man noted in history was Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish humanitarian sent to Hungary under a diplomatic cover, who tried to make a difference by distributing Swedish passports to as many Jews as possible. After the war, the city recovered and became a showcase for the more pragmatic policies of Hungary's hard-line Communist government. It was, however, site of the 1956 Hungarian uprising against unpopular policies such as collectivisation. The revolution against communist rule only ended when the Soviets sent in the tanks as they felt Hungary slipping out of their influence and control. Today's Budapest is by far the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city in Hungary and is increasingly popular with tourists. In 1987, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue. Copyrights Text: http://wikitravel.org/en/Budapest Comments Guide

 

Kolsky.

			Introduction Every year many tourists come to the Kola Peninsula to relax, get acquainted with nature, history, economy and people of this wonderful province.The popularity of this area is increasing every year. A variety of natural conditions of the Murmansk region - extensive lowland forest and mountain ranges ("Tundra"), countless lakes and rivers, rare minerals and fossils, a rich and unique flora and fauna, ancient monuments and new buildings - all this can be seen simultaneously in one journey.And anyone who has visited the Kola, can not forget him and tries to come back. Copyrights Photo: http://russos.livejournal.com Comments Photo

 

Towards Yuryev-Polsky.

			Introduction Yuryev-Polsky is an old town and the administrative center of Yuryev-Polsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located in the upper reaches of the Koloksha River, 68 km northwest of Vladimir.Vladimir Oblast is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast).Its administrative center is the medieval Russian capital Vladimir, which is located 190 km to the east from the present-day capital, Moscow. Copyrights Photo: Slava Starostin Comments Photo

 

Banja Luka.

			Introduction Banja Luka is a picturesque city in the western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative capital and the largest city of Republika Srpska, and the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are many historic things to see in the city of Banja Luka. Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure Built in 1887, a 1969 earthquake leveled the church. The current cathedral was built in 1974. Banski Dvor (Governor’s Palace) in center of the city. Built in 1930's. A concert hall, gallery and restaurant. This is the main cultural center. Monastery of Gomionica from 16th century near Banja Luka. Monastery has the collection of ancient icons from 18th century. Ferhat-Pasha Mosque (Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian: Ferhat-pašina džamija), (also called Ferhadija mosque) This example of Islamic 16th century architecture was built during the time of the Ottoman occupation. Built in 1579 it has a central fountain called Shaderwan, stone and iron fence. It is built in the classical Ottoman style. Ferhadija was listed as a cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1950. Later it was protected by UNESCO until destroyed in 1993. The site and the remains of the mosque today are a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is now under erection, therefore remains are not easily visible. Kastel fortress with history up to Roman ages. And contemporary things: Gospodska street Actually Veselin Masleša street, is the main street of city with shops, offices and cafes (on bottom) alongside. Recommended time to visit, because of its liveliness, is during day on Saturdays whole day, and between 12h and 14h on workdays. During evenings visit on Fridays and Sundays or each day in the case of nice weather. Copyrights Text: wikitravel.org/en/Banja_Luka Comments Guide

 

Portoroz.

			Introduction Portorož (Italian: Portorose)is a town in the Coast and Karst region of Slovenia. Slovenia's only mass-market resort on the Adriatic, the name means "Port of Roses", but it has been labeled Portobeton ("Port of Concrete") by Slovenian wags. While it's undeniable that the town entirely lacks the Venetian old towns of Piran, Izola or Koper and has rather too many giant concrete hotels and casinos, you could do far worse if looking for a stretch of beach, comparatively cheap eats and easy access to the rest of the coast. Copyrights Text: http://wikitravel.org/en/Portoroz Comments Guide

 

Lviv.Ukraine.

			Introduction Lviv (also spelled L'viv and Львів; Polish: Lwów, German: Lemberg; also known as Lvov, its Russianized name used during Soviet era) is in Western Ukraine and used to be the Capital of East Galicia. The biggest city of the region and major Ukrainian cultural center. The historic city center is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city has a multicultural history. It was founded in 1256 and fell under Polish control in the 14th century. Poles, Jews, Ukrainians, Germans and others lived there together for centuries. The Polish king John II Casimir founded the Lviv University in the 17th century and Lviv was by this time one of the most important cities in the Polish-Lituanian Commonwealth, along with Krakow, Warsaw, Gdansk and Vilnius. In 1772 the city was taken by the Habsburgs and in Austrian times it was known under the name of Lemberg, the capital of Galicia. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, it was returned to Poland. As result of World War II Stalin moved the Soviet frontier westward so Lviv became part of the USSR, as Lvov (still widely frequent, even locally). With the Ukrainian independence in 1991, the name was officialy changed to Lviv. Lviv is located in the most Ukrainian region of Ukraine; as a Soviet province, most signs were put only in Ukrainian, and only a few also in Russian. Because of its Polish and Austro-Hungarian history, Lviv has a Central European flair in its architecture that makes it one of the most beautiful cities in Eastern Europe. Its tourist potential is yet undiscovered because infrastructure is rather undeveloped and most people don't speak any foreign languages except Polish, Russian and German. This is changing among young people, some of whom will speak at least a little bit of English. Nevertheless, visiting Lviv is very rewarding for the pioneer traveller, as life is extremely cheap here and the place has a truly authentic feeling, unlike places like Krakow or Prague, which are swamped with tourists. Copyrights Text: http://wikitravel.org/en/Lviv Guide Comments

 

Druskininkai. Lithuania.

			Introduction The town is located at the Ratnyčia River estuary to the Nemunas River and is surrounded by a natural forest reserve. The town is situated in a picturesque landscape with rivers, lakes, hills and forests. According to some sources the site of present-day Druskininkai was inhabited by local Yotvingian tribes in the early Middle Ages. In the 13th century the area was conquered by the Lithuanians. A small castle was built in the area as a part of the defence system against the Teutonic Order. In 1308 the castle was conquered by the Teutonic Knights and destroyed, causing a depopulation of the area. The first written mention of Druskininkai dates back to 1636. The name comes from the Lithuanian root "druska" which means salt and suggests that the local population collected the precious mineral. In the late 18th century it was believed that minerals found in the waters of Druskininkai area poduced health benefits and their usage in the medical treatment of asthma and other ailments began. In the early 19th century Ignacy Fonberger, a professor at the University of Vilnius, analyzed the chemical composition of Druskininkai's waters and showed that they contain large amounts of Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Iodine, Bromine, Iron and Magnesium. He also promoted the town as a holiday resort for the population of Vilnius. The Nemunas river in Druskininkai In 1837 czar Nicholas I of Russia bestowed upon Druskininkai the status of a spa, and construction of pensions and hostels started. To ease communication to the spa, a ferry service on the Nemunas was started. The spa became popular in many parts of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1862 the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway was opened and Druskininkai's railway station was placed only 19 km from the city. By the beginning of the 20th century the Druskininkai spa became one of the most popular resorts in the area, with tourists and convalescents coming from all over the world. It also became a place of summer residence for the middle class of Vilnius, Warsaw and Moscow. After World War I the town became part of Poland (see Polish-Lithuanian conflict) and soon became one of the Polish resorts. Its popularity was increased by the patronage of Józef Piłsudski, who spent most of his summer holidays there and promoted the development of the area. Soon most of the resort was bought up by the state-owned Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego and the construction of luxurious villas and pensions started. In 1934 a railway link with the Porzecze train station was opened and the town became more accessible to the general public. After Poland was invaded in September 1939, the town was briefly incorporated into the Belarusian SSR. However a month later, in October 1939, Stalin transferred Druskininkai to Lithuania which in turn was annexed in August of the following year and incorporated into the Soviet Union. In 1951, Druskininkai began to grow rapidly again and several huge sanatoriums and spa hospitals were opened. The city became a famous resort, attracting around 400,000 visitors per year from all over the Soviet Union. The Water Park in Druskininkai The collapse of the Soviet Union was followed by economic difficulties faced by Lithuania and some of its resorts, due to the lack of many of their former tourists. In 2001 unemployment reached 29% in Druskininkai. Recently Druskininkai began a revival. Sanatoriums, spas and the city's infrastructure have been renovated by both the local government and privately-owned businesses. Despite damage inflicted during World War I, the city features houses and villas reflecting all periods of its development - Russian, Polish and Lithuanian. Copyrights Text: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druskininkai Guide Comments