Atomium (The Belgian national icon)

Built in 1958 for the the Brussels World’s Fair (Expo ’58), it is103 metre(335-foot) tall monument represents a cell of an iron crystal, magnified 165 billion times, with vertical body diagonal, with tubes along the 12 edges of the cube and from all 8 vertices to the centre. The Atomium is the visiualization of microscopic molecular structures on a great enlarged scale,which is located next to Heysel metro station in Brussels.

Nine spheres ,made of steel,18 metres in diameter connect via tubes with escalators as long as 35 m. A panoramic view of Brussels is seen from the top sphere. Other spheres have exhibitions. Three upper spheres are closed to the public for safety reasons.
Designed to be the star attraction of the ephemeral World Exhibition of 1958, this 103 metre high building has continued to shine for four decades, although its brilliance gradually faded with the effects of age and corrosion. But the quality and the precision of the work saved it from demolition, an ambitious renovation project has become rality. The aim was to completely renew the casing of the spheres and to replace the aluminium skin with insulating sandwich panels in mirror polished stainless steel on the outside and galvanised steel on the inside. The facelift also entailed the restoration of the structure, the replacement of all the windows, the lighting and the electricity systems.

After more than a year of renovation work the Atomium has a new face and give visitors a brand new aesthetic experience by taking them on a very special journey through its spheres.Today, the inside of the building glows with an unparalleled sparkle. The one-directional visit through each of the six spheres open to visitors makes the most of the possibilities offered by modern animation techniques. To echo this rejuvenation, the setting of the entire site is currently being developed with in particular the construction of an entrance pavilion at the heart of a pedestrian area. A fascinating and triumphant architectural prowess of the 50s that has once again opened its doors to the general public, the challenge of the Atomium is to retain its vitality. The vitality that endears it to the public.

Zheravna (attractive tourist destination in Bulgaria)

The village has 330 houses and 550 inhabitant. It is an architectural and ethnographic reserve of over 150 houses, a workshop for church candles, a small school, a convent, a church, 8 drinking-fountains, inns and shops, preserved from the time of the National Revival period. Some of them are over 300 years. Every of them is unique monument to the culture,created from unknown master. The village originated between the 12th-14th century. In the 17th-18th century it gained in wealth mostly due to the development of handcrafts, stock-breeding and trade. At that time the typical Zheravna wooden house took shape. Houses, churches, schools and other buildings have been preserved and turned into museums. Zheravna is the birthplace of Yordan Yovkov, an outstanding Bulgarian writer, whose house is now a museum.

Zheravna is situated in the eastern part of the country, in the middle of the Bulgarian Balkan mountains. It is located 55km from Sliven, near to town Kotel. The distance between Zheravna and the Black sea is only 110 km. Zheravna is the best place to spend your vacation. Opyimum geographic position and mountainous relief to Zheravna give an opportunity to relaxation and tourism. Excursions, picnics, fishing, photo-tourism and ecological walks. That is only part of attractions to Zheravna.

Into the bosom of Zheravna-between the cobblestone alleys, behind the tall fence walls, to uncover the flowered gardens, the intricate woodcarvings and traditional furnishing of the Bulgarian Renaissance home.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (the world’s most famous construction mistake)

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the world’s most famous construction mistake. The architect, Bonanno Pisano,
found his bell tower starting to lean almost immediately after he began to build it. And the lean kept increasing through the centuries, a tourist bonanza for Pisa, that would end if the tower leaned too far and fell.
This picture was taken in 1994, prior to a major engineering effort to stabilize the tower and reduce the lean by 10%. The tower was also closed to visitors. I had climbed it back in 1986, great fun, but disorienting.

Why the lean?

The tower is built on unsuitable ground for such a heavy and tall building. It is only about 6 feet above sea level and built on a riverbed. The underlying ground is made up of layers of sand and clay. The layers are not even and the weight of the building has compressed them. Because the layers are not even, as the ground has compressed, it has sunk more in some places than others.

Only 5 years after work on the building began, it was leaning noticeably to the North. The lean was first noticed during construction of the third floor. During the building of the next three floors, the lean was corrected by building the floors parallel to the ground, and not level with the leaning building. During this phase the tower started to lean the other way. Now it was leaning to the South.

Several plans have been tried over the years to stop the tower from falling. Some of them have been almost disastrous. In 1934 an Italian engineer drilled 361 holes into the base and filled them with mortar. The tower promptly leaned over some more. In 1993 650 tons of lead were hung from the North side of the building to try and stop the lean increasing. For a while it worked.

In 1995, they decided to try and increase the foundations under the South side of the building. They froze the ground using liquid nitrogen, to stop it moving, and then started to remove stones, so they could insert metal rods. What they didn’t know was that the stones they were removing were part of the original foundation of the building. That is the nearest the tower has come to disaster. In one night the lean increased as much as it normally increases in two years. They quickly added another 250 tons of lead and decided to rethink the whole thing.

At this point everyone was just about ready to give up. Then a British engineering professor came up with yet another idea. His plan was to remove ground from under the high side, instead of trying to add ground under the low side. In 1999 work began, and was done very slowly, so that the building wouldn’t get a sudden shock. At the beginning of June 2001, the work was complete, and the tower had been straightened up by about 16 inches, which returns it to the position it held in 1838. The engineers believe that it is safe for at least another 300 years.
So, if they know how, why didn’t they just straighten it up all the way? The answer lies in the tower’s name. It is the Leaning Tower of Pisa and just wouldn’t be the same if it didn’t lean! Some of the residents of Pisa say it would be better to let it fall down, rather than to straighten it all the way.

TOWER BASICS



Official Name: TORRE PENDENTE DI PISA
Function: Bell Tower (Campanile)
Original Architect: Bonanno Pisano
Architect who realized that the Leaning Tower could not be straightened:
Tomasso di Andrea da Pontedera (1275)
Years Built: 1173-1350



Latitude: 43.7167 (43° 43′ 0″ N)
Longitude: 10.3833 (10° 22′ 60″ E)
Elevation of Piazza dei Miracoli: About 6 feet, (2 meters) (DMS)
First Construction Stop: 1178 (War with Firenze)
Year in which lean became obvious: 1178 (Third Story)
Height at which lean became obvious: 10.6 meters (35 ft.)
Level at which Tower Straightens to North: 5 (About 110 meters)
Second Construction Stop: 1185 (War with Firenze)
Later Construction Stop: 1284 (War with Genoa, Major Sea Battle Defeat)
Height: 55.863 meters (185 feet). 8 stories.
Outer Diameter of Base: 15.484 meters
Inner Diameter of Base: 7.368 meters
Weight: 14,700 metric tons
Thickness of Walls at the Base: 8 feet
Direction of Lean: 1173-1250 North, 1272-1997 South

7th Floor Completed: 1319
Bell Tower Completed: 1350
First Bells added: 1198 (Third Floor)
Total Number of Bells: 7, tuned to musical scale
Largest Bell: L’Assunta (The Assumption). Three and a half tons, cast in 1655.
Oldest Bell: Pasquarreccia.
Address: Campo dei Miracoli – the “Field of Miracles”, Pisa, Italia
Year cement injected into base, (blamed for lean acceleration): 1934
Steps to Bell Tower: 294
Number of visitors who climbed to top in 1989: 700,000
Date Closed to Public: 7 January 1990
Date Re-opened to Public: 15 December 2001
Weight of Lead added on North side (picture above): 600 tons (1995)
Amount of tilt recorded overnight in September 1995: 2.5 mm (0.07″)
Weight of Lead added after overnight tilt in September 1995: 230 tons
Rate of Fall in 1990: 1.2 mm (1/20″) every year (“Un millimetre per anno”)
Source: The Guardian (London) August 19 1997
Amount of tilt correction from 1990 – 1999: 25 mm (about 1.0″)
Amount of tilt correction from 1999-2001: 43.8 cm (about 17.25″)
Date that Tower was last at current tilt: 1700

The Eiffel Tower (The most famous tower on the Earth)

The Eiffel Tower, an immense stucture of exposed latticework supports made of iron, was erected for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of England) officiated at the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, one was unanimously chosen, a radical creation from the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (b. Dec. 15, 1832, d. Dec. 28, 1923), who was assisted in the design by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.

 
However, the controversial tower elicited some strong reactions, and a petition of 300 names — including those of Maupassant, Emile Zola, Charles Garnier (architect of the Opéra Garnier), and Dumas the Younger — was presented to the city government, protesting its construction. The petition read, “We, the writers, painters, sculptors, architects and lovers of the beauty of Paris, do protest with all our vigour and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower.”
Nature lovers thought that it would interfere with the flight of birds over Paris. But the Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo, Chagall, and Delaunay. It was almost torn down in 1909 at the expiration of its 20-year lease, but was saved because of its antenna — used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature. In the 1960s, it was the subject of a wonderful study by semiologist Roland Barthes.


Built to celebrate the science and engineering achievements of its age, soaring 300m / 984 ft. (320.75m / 1,052 ft. including antenna) and weighing 7000 tons, the structure consists of two visibly distinct parts: a base composed of a platform resting on four separate supports (called pylons or bents) and, above this, a slender tower created as the bents taper upward, rising above a second platform to merge in a unified column.
This unprecedented work, the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was built about 40 years later, had several antecedents. Among them were the iron-supported railway viaducts designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River in Portugal with a span of 160 m (525 ft), and a design for a circular, iron-frame tower proposed by the American engineers Clarke and Reeves for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel knew and publicly acknowledged this influence; he was no stranger to the United States, having designed the wrought-iron pylon inside Frederic Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later in the same year, he had also begun work on the cupola of the Nice observatory.
Eiffel was the leading European authority on the aerodynamics of high frames (he wrote “The Resistance of the Air” in 1913). In the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the curve of the base pylons was precisely calculated so that the bending and shearing forces of the wind were progressively transformed into forces of compression, which the bents could withstand more effectively. Such was Eiffel’s engineering wizardry that even in the strongest winds his tower never sways more than 4-1/2 inches. The superskyscrapers erected since 1960, such as the World Trade Center, were constructed in much the same way.
However difficult its birth may have been, the Tour Eiffel is now completely accepted by French citizens, and is internationally recognized as one of the symbols of Paris itself.

Facilities and Views

 

In the basements of the eastern and western pillars, one can visit the gargantuan 1899 machinery which powers the elevators, an astonishing spectacle reminiscent of a Jules Verne novel. From the Tower’s three platforms — especially the topmost — the view of Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best; don’t forget to bring your camera, and experiment with the f-stop settings to capture a dazzling sunset on the Seine. If you can’t be there in person, then check out a Live Aerial View of Paris with TF1′s webcam online: from the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can see Paris in real time, 24 hours a day, whatever the weather conditions in the French capital. To get the most out of this view of Paris, we suggest you surf their web site between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM GMT (1:00 AM and 3:00 PM Eastern Time in the U.S.), when the City of Light is at its best.
First level: 57.63 meters (189 feet). Observatory from which to study the movements of the Eiffel Tower’s summit. Kiosk presentation about the mythic painting of the Eiffel Tower. Space CINEIFFEL: offers an exceptional
panorama of sights from the Tower. Souvenir shops (yes, every tourist MUST have a miniature replica). Restaurant “Altitude 95″ . Post office, with special stamps “Paris Eiffel Tower “. Panoramic gallery displaying the Monuments of Paris.

-300 steel workers, and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets).
-2.5 million rivets.
-40 tons of paint. 1671 steps to the top.
- Maximum sway at top caused by wind: 12 cm (4.75 inches).
-Maximum sway at top caused by metal dilation: 18 cm (7 inches).
-Total height in 1889: 300.51 meters (985 feet, 11 inches).
-Total height with television antenna: 320.755 meters (1052 feet, 4 inches).
-Height varies up to 15 cm depending on temperature. Size of base area: 10,281.96 square meters (2.54 acres). -Weight of foundations: 277,602 kg (306 tons).
-Weight of iron: 7.34 million kg (8092.2 tons).
-Weight of elevator systems: 946,000 kg (1042.8 tons).
-Total weight: 8.56 million kg (9441 tons).
- Pressure on foundation: 4.1 to 4.5 kg per square centimeter, depending on pier (58.26 to 64 lbs. per square inch).Dates of construction: January 26, 1887 to March 31, 1889.
-Cost of construction: 7.8 million francs ($1.5 million).
-Total number of visitors during 1889 Exposition: 1,968,287. Total receipts during 1889 Exposition: 5,919,884 francs ($1.14 million).
-Total number of visitors during 2002: 6,157,042.During its lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has witnessed a few strange scenes, including being scaled by a mountaineer in 1954, and two Englishmen parachuting off it in 1984. In 1923, the journalist Pierre Labric (who was later to become mayor of

 

Montmartre) rode a bicycle down from the first level; some accounts say he rode down the stairs, others suggest the exterior of one of the tower’s four legs which slope outward.
Politics have also played a role in its life. During World War II, the Germans hung a sign on it that read: “Deutschland Siegt Auf Allen Fronten” (“Germany is victorious on all fronts”). In 1958, a few months before Fidel Castro’s rise to power, Cuban revolutionaries hung their red-and-black flag from the first level, and, in 1979, an American from Greenpeace hung one that read: “Save the Seals”. In 1989, the Tower celebrated its centennial with music and fireworks (the show lasted 89 minutes).

Colosseum of Rome (the Most Dramatic Historic Monuments on Earth)

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 Parthenon (the one historical site you can’t miss)

What would a visit to Athens, Greece be without going to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon? The Acropolis is the one historical site you can’t miss. You can take a tour or wander up there yourself but during the summer, whatever you do, unless it is overcast, go early or late in the day. It can get very hot up there and gasping for breath can take way from your ability to marvel at the greatest of all archaeological sites. The Acropolis rises sharply from the plain of Attica with steep cliffs on three sides. It is accessible by foot only to the west, where it is linked by a low ridge to the hill of the Areopagus. It is formed by a layer of blue-grey limestone, which is very hard but water-permeable. This rests on a layer of schist-sandstone marl, softer than the limestone but water-impermeable. This arrangement leads to the ready formation of artesian springs, as well as sheltered caves at the hill’s feet, which was also a factor that attracted human habitation on and around the rock.

Getting to the Acropolis is easy and more pleasant than ever because the large avenues which border the south and west of the site (Apostolou Pavlou in Thission and Dionissiou Areopagitou in Makrianni) have been turned into giant pedestrian streets with cafes and restaurants and the walk is quite pleasant. From the Plaka and Monastiraki side it has always been a car-less, enjoyable walk and all you have to do is walk uphill from wherever you are and when you get to the top and there are woods instead of buildings, and steps, take a right.
After climbing the steps you are at the entrance, or the Propylaea, which was completed in 432 just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian wars. The main architect was Mnesicles, a colleague of Phidias. To your left is the Pinacotheca and a Hellenistic pedestal and on the right the tiny temple to Nike Athena or the Athena of Victory which commemorates the Athenians victory over the Persians. This small temple stands on a platform that overlooks the islands of Saronic Gulf and used to house a statue of Athena. It was dismantled by the Turks in 1686 so they could use the platform for a large cannon. It was rebuilt between 1836 and 1842 and again taken apart and rebuilt in 1936 when it was discovered that the platform was crumbing. If you looking from the propylaea towards Pireaus on a clear day you can see ships waiting outside the port of Pireaus, the islands and the mountains of the Peloponessos beyond.

The Parthenon and other main buildings on the Acropolis were built by Pericles in the fifth century BC as a monument to the cultural and political achievements of the inhabitants of Athens. The term acropolis means upper city and many of the city states of ancient Greece are built around an acropolis where the inhabitants can go as a place of refuge in times of invasion. It’s for this reason that the most sacred buildings are usually on the acropolis. It’s the safest most secure place in town. As little as 150 years ago there were still dwellings on the Acropolis of Athens
Every four years the Athenians held a festival called the Panathenaea that rivalled the Olympic Games in popularity. During the festival, a procession moved through Athens up to the Acropolis and into the Parthenon (as depicted in the frieze on the inside of the Parthenon). There, a vast robe of woven wool (peplos) was ceremoniously placed on Phidias’ massive ivory and gold statue of Athena.

The best time to go up there is the late winter or spring when even this stone mountain is not immune to the proliferation of grass and wildflowers which seem to burst from every crack. Even in December, January and February the Acropolis can be surprisingly green.
The Acropolis is open from 8am to 6:30 pm every day. These hours can change depending on the season and sometimes it is open in the evening of the full moon in the summer. They don’t allow you to bring backpacks or day bags on the Acropolis. You have to check them so if you need to bring a bag with you be sure to have a spare pocket for your valuables. The cost of entrance to the Acropolis is about 12 euros and is good for the other sites in the area including the ancient agora, theatre of Dionysos, Kerameikos, Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds and the Temple of Olympian Zeus and is supposedly good for a week. You can also buy individual tickets to these other sites. One way to get to the Acropolis is to walk up from the Plaka and keep climbing until you come to the small road that goes around it and head west (to your right). The entrance is up from the rock of Areopagos. The easiest way is to follow Dioysiou Aeropagitou, the large pedestrian street that starts near Hadrian’s Arch and goes around the north of the Acropolis until you come to the marble paths that lead up the hill. This road becomes Apostolou Pavlou which is also car-less and continues past the cafes of Thission to the lower Ermou and Kerameikos archaeological site which is at the bottom of Monastiraki.

Hotnitca Sunset Waterfalls (a real heaven on earth)

You have probably heard about the beauty of the Victoria Falls in Africa, the might of Niagara Falls in North America, the soarness of Anhel Falls, but you have probably never heard of Hotnitca Sunset Waterfalls located in Bulgaria. It is one really exceptional definition of “heaven on earth” place.
Hotnitca Sunset Waterfalls looks like it is taken from fairytale book, with all these dream-like colorsvariating from deep brown, through grassy green and bright yellow. It is located near this Bulgaria’s medieval capital of Veliko Tarnovo in Central Northern Bulgaria.
At this waterfalls is the first stage of a new eco-path project funded by PHARE. This is the biggest eco-tourism project in Bulgaria. Following an Indian ritual Scotsmen descended a rope from the rocks to the waterfall and lit the first fire in the hearth of the Hotnishki shelter.

Hotnitca Sunset Waterfalls is not so world wide know place, but i assume you it is really amazing and worths a look.

The Rimondi Grand Hotel and Resort (an excellent point to explore)

The Rimondi Grand Hotel and Resort is located in a serene and exclusive setting on a hilltop of an Olive Tree plantation. Overlooking the Agean Sea, this 4 star deluxe hotel is one of the best hotels on Crete. Situated in the coastal Stavromenos village and near the Venetian town of Rethymno, the hotel’s location guarantees you a tranquil and peaceful vacation.

This luxury all-suites vacation village, offer spacious accommodation ranging from studios, 1 bedroom suites, 2 bedrooms suites with private pools to 3 bedroom suites, all with private balcony. The spacious rooms, suites and villas at Rimondi Grand come with air conditioning, flat-screen TV, blackout curtains, telephone, mini bar, tea and coffee making facilities, and safe. Some units include a fully equipped kitchen or a private pool. Wi-Fi is available in public area. Hotel Rooms: 122.Prices start from 94 euro.

The Rimondi Grill restaurant serves authentic Cretan Cuisine, as well as international famous dishes and includes a wide selection of domestic wines. The facilities and services include an outdoor pool and indoor pool, spa treatments, kids club 24 h reception, concierge service, gift shop, lounge bar, event facilities, conference rooms, sun terrace with a pool bar and gardens.

The spellbinding Santorini Island (the perfect place for your romantic getaway)

Sitting on the cliff of the Caldera, Tholos Resort is nestled in the wonderful area of Imerovigli on the island of Santorini – considered as one of the most beautiful villages on the island. Built in 2006 and boasting panoramic views of the sea, this exclusive resort comprises 2 buildings of typical Cycladic architecture. Nearby points of interest include: Naval and Archaeological Museums, Petros M. Nomikos Conference Centre, Museum of Prehistoric Thira and Catholic Cathedral.

Overlooking the sea, this Santorini resort offers only 12 guestrooms. The air-conditioned guestrooms rooms include separate sitting areas, desks and balconies with spectacular sea views. All rooms feature complimentary wired high-speed and wireless Internet access, satellite television, refrigerators, direct-dial phones, safes and bathrooms equipped with bathrobes, slippers, and hair dryers. Room service is available during limited hours.

Tholos Resort offers numerous amenities, such as an outdoor swimming pool with poolside bar where guest guests can relax with a coffee, soft drink or cocktail, 24-hour front desk, laundry facilities and fantastic restaurant with ocean view where guests can savour while they enjoy lunch and dinner. Spa amenities include massage/treatment rooms and beauty services.

The Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso (A picturesque location above the water)

The Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso is a Roman Catholic monastery set in a stunning position clinging to the rock face on the south-east shore of Lake Maggiore. Perched on its “balcony” overlooking the Borromeo Gulf, the monastery is located in the municipality of Leggiuno, in the Province of Varese, the region of Lombardy, Italy. This is one of the most intriguing historical sites on Lake Maggiore. Originally only accessible by boat or via a steep staircase down the cliff from 60m above now you reach it from the lake by climbing a flight of 80 steps or you can descend the 268 steps from the car park above.

The Hermitage was founded in the 12th century by the merchant Alberto Besozzi of Arolo. In 1195 he built a tiny, isolated church in recognition of his deliverance. The present buildings date from the late 13th – early 14th centuries.A legend said that the shrine was used as hermitage by the blessed Alberto Besozzo, who miraculously took refuge on these rocks during a tempest and retired there after a solemn vow to Santa Caterina, the patroness of sailors. The monastery consists of three buildings: the southern convent, the convent and the main church. In 1914 it was declared a national monument. Inside there are some important well-kept frescoes dating from the 14th to the 18th century. Today the monastery is run by a community of Oblate Benedictines.

The inner courtyard of the complex opens onto the church, whose portico is formed of four rounded arches in Renaissance style. Appealing to tourists from all over the world, there is a new possibility this year for those wanting to visit the hermitage: the newly inaugurated elevator that provides easy access for the elderly or disabled.

Muhu Island (a great holiday destination)

Muhu Island is an Estonian paradise, charactarized with sleepy fishing villages, working windmills, thatched cottages, plenty of deer, moose and birds, tombstones and is one of the oldest in Estonia. Muhu is more secluded than the two larger islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, yet easily accessible. At 198 km² Muhu is a small, but still Estonia’s third largest island in the Baltic Sea. It is linked by ferry to Virtsu on the mainland, and to Saaremaa by a causeway, the Vainatamm. In winter, when its cold enough an ice roadconnects the island to the mainland.

The island is also home to thousands of sweet foxes, deers and moose and lots of birds – even three couples of the rare and majestic sea eagle nest on Muhu Island. Muhu is also famous for having a working traditional wooden windmill. St. Catherine’s church is one of the oldest in Estonia and is notable for its trapezium-shaped tombstones with pagan symbols. The most intricate tombstone depicts the pagan Tree of Life.

Over the centuries Muhu has developed at its own pace and its traditions are well known throughout Estonia. The famous Muhu patterns are a refined expression of folk-art as are popular souvenirs made of aromatic juniper wood. Each midsummer a jazz music festival takes place in Muhu, features famous international musicians and attract jazz fans from far and aside.

Muhu is a great holiday destination for those who value nature and culture,luxury and relaxation, peace and quiet.It’s also an ideal location for walking, riding, fishing, camping and swimming. Nearby attractions include Saaremaa and Hiiumaa Islands.

Kamani Sinite Nature Park(the marvelous Nature Park )

In the Balkans, above the town of Sliven, over an area of 7094.1 hectares is situated the marvelous Nature Park Sinite kamani (Blue Stones) – bluish-grey to violet rock cliffs mounting to more than 1000 meters above the sea level – the peaks Big and Small Chitalka, Kutelka, Bulgarka (the highest peak in the East Balkans – 1181 m) covered with beech forests, the lake in Karandila, the rock phenomena Kuminite (Chimneys), Kuklite (Dolls), Rakavichkata (Glove) – marvels which only the nature can create.



The Nature Park Sinite Kamani is famous for its nature landmarks. “Halkata” (the Ring) – the arc-shaped stone garland, possessing, according to the legends, magic force – is one of the symbols of the town of Sliven. The forms that the nature has sculptured in the cave Zmeevi dupki (Dragon’s holes) – Zmejat (the Dragon), Orelat (the Eagle) and Vladishkija tron (the Bishop’s throne) are amazing. The ancient beech forest in the vicinity of the Kushbunar spring in the region of Karandila is quite picturesque.

The specific climate and lay conditions of the nature park determine the great diversity of flora and fauna. The plant species are more than 1000, about 900 of which are representative of high species. 27 of the high species are registered in the Red Book of Bulgaria, the endemic species are 48 and the tertiary relict species are 2. The invertebrate animals are represented by 235 species – eight species of fish, nine species of amphibians, nineteen species of reptiles, 165 species of birds and 34 species of mammals. The lay is of typical mountain type – steep and ravine slopes and at sea level between 290 and 1181 meters above the sea level. The north and northwest winds, the wind called “bora”, famous also as “the wind of the town of Sliven” and the night breeze are typical for the region. Through the park flow many rivers and their beds form numerous shoots, pools and waterfalls.

Tunnel of Love(one of the most beautiful tunnel in world)

Located in Kleven, not far from the Ukrainian regional center Rivne, this beautiful train tunnel of trees is considered as one of the most beautiful tunnel in world. Named as “Tunnel of Love” by local people, the tunnel is actually a three kilometer section of private railway that serves a fiberboard factory near the town of Klevan. It runs around three times a day delivering wood to the factory. Naturally covered by green trees and makes a tunnel, it is sure to transport the viewer into a world of fantasy.

During the warm months of the year the trees planted next to each other form a fairy green tunnel along one kilometer long section of the railway. The Tunnel of Love is the main attraction in the area and is very popular among lovers who like to make a wish and kiss there. It is believed that if the love is sincere their wish will come true. Everybody who visits the plays says that this is the most beautiful in Ukraine. Visiting this place will be something you will always gladly remember. It is just the type of place that can bring your emotions to the surface, so that you can feel the love of not only your partner, but of everybody visiting the place.

Lido di Venezia(a beach resort since the 19th century)

The Lido has been famous as a beach resort since the 19th century. Today it is fascinating to see the elegant Art Nouveau and Moorish-style vilals and hotels, the tree-lined avenues and the impressive former premises of the Municipal Casino, the Palazzo del Cinema and the Excelsior Hotel overlooking the beach. At the Hotel Des Bains, Luchino Visconti filmed his celebrated Death in Venice. 

Once fortified and used for military purposes, and theatre of the War of Chioggia between the Genoese and the Venetians /14thC/, the Lido was and still remains the setting for one of the most important of the traditional feasts of the Serenissima; for it is here that the ceremony of the Marriage of the Sea takes place, with a large Venetian crowd in attendance.  The Lido was also where the most illustrious guests were received by the Seigniory. The Church of San Nicolo di Lido is evidence of this past: founded in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 17the century, it has Corinthian columns and capitals. Recently has been opened the Planetarium, one of the most interesting and important of Italy. The Fort of Sant’Andrea is interesting too: built in the 156th C on the plan by Michele Sanmicheli it is perhaps best admired from a vantage point near San Nicolo.