cctraveler2's Travel Blog

Overview and Essential Travel Information - Bratislava, Slovakia

 This place was Amazing visited Oct 27, 2004

OVERVIEW Bratislava is the capital of the Slovakia. It is an old city with a long history and many sights. Bratislava Castle dominates the town, around the catsle you find a couple of interesting museums, such as the Museum of Jewish Culture and the Municipal Museum. Opposite is the Blue House, which houses the Exhibition of Arts and Crafts. To the south of the castle hill are the preserved remains of an ancient tower which protected the Danube ford. Other sights close to the castle include the Baroque Church of the Order of the Holy Trinity and the Renaissance Bramer Manor House, where the Archeological Museum is housed. The Main Square of the medieval town constitutes the center of the historical city. The most important events have happened here since the 14th century. Besides regular markets, all gatherings, celebrations and executions took place here. All the houses on the square have an older Gothic core, several of them were built prior to the fortification of the town as defensive houses with towers. The sandstone Renaissance Maximilian's Fountain and circular reservoir stand in the centre of the square. The square is dominated by the Town Hall. The narrow Kostolna ulica next to the Old Town Hall leads to the Primate's Square, which served as a market place in the Middle Ages. On it you find the Primate's Palace, which is the most beautiful Classicist structure in Slovakia. NOTICE This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License, and originated from World66.com. For more information see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0

posted Oct 26, 2004 | Comments (0)

Overview and Essential Travel Information - Accra, Ghana

 This place was Amazing visited Oct 27, 2004

OVERVIEW The capital of Ghana Accra is a pleasant city (pop. 1 100 000) on the southern coast. Start your sightseeing at the Perpetual Flame at the Cenotaph in Revolution Square then go on to the National Museum (one of the best collections in West Africa—allow at least two hours). Next to the museum is a good craft market which sells paintings prints and postcards. The city’s main sites are the Makola Market (the city’s central market,) Liberation Square (memorial to three Ghanaians who were shot during colonial times,) the tropical gardens, the Art Centre (for shopping and cultural events,) the grave of Kwame Nkrumah (the first Ghanaian president) and that of W. E. B. Du Bois (the American-born civil rights leader who spent his last years in Accra). Accra also has some beautiful beaches, some more touristy than others. Labadi and Kokrobite will ask for an entrance fee, but they are very well kept and are cleaned everyday, and going there you'll probably be entertained. If you like a more quiet beach, but yet a clean one (and not a garbage-beach like the one in Osu and near the Art Centre), you should check out Koko beach (in Teshie) and Misty (in between Teshie and Tema) The trip there will take a little longer but it's really worth it. The most touristy area of Accra is Osu. It's located quite close to the Art Centre and Liberation Square. The main street (Cantoments Road) and those around the area have plenty of good hotels and restaurants of all kinds, even fast food like burgers & pizza, Chinese and Indian food, ice cream and, for those who like Ghanaian food better, a big (and really clean) chopbar nearby. SIGHTS National Museum One of the best collections in West Africa—allow at least two hours. Black Star Square Memorial to three Ghanaians who were shot during colonial times. NOTICE This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License, and originated from World66.com. For more information see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0

posted Oct 26, 2004 | Comments (1)

Overview and Essential Travel Information - Budapest, Hungary

 This place was Amazing visited Oct 27, 2004

OVERVIEW Budapest is the capital of Hungary and with a population of 2 million citizens by far the largest city in the country. The city is often referred as the Paris of the east, and deserves this name. It bears some resemblance to Prague, but larger and friendlier. The picturesque setting on two sides of the Danube, the nine connecting bridges and the villa's and public buildings from the fin-de-siècle era really make Budapest one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe. Budapest is composed of two cities: the small Buda, on the west side of the river looking over the much larger Pest on the opposite side. The two parts developed seperately as the bourgois Buda with it's palaces and spas and the more commercial Pest. At first, the hills of Buda were the safe core of the twin cities, but as Buda and Pest were united with Óbuda (Ancient Buda) the plains of Pest became the centre of the growing metropolis. Today, the most famous landmark of Budapest is the Parliament building on the banks of the Danube. From a distance it looks a lot like the English House of Parliament. Only Big Ben is missing. The best view of the Parliament can be had from Castle Hill, a Budapset highlight itself. This collection of palaces, churches and monuments has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is a must see for every tourist. Budapest has some very good museums as well, The National Museum, the Jewish Museum and the Historical Museum of Budapest being the best. Budapest has developed to become a very lively city, with many good restaurants and a nightlife scene you need to check out to believe it. By day, you can roam the city, visit a museum, take a look around churches, make your choise from the dozen or so types of coffee in one of the cafés. By night you can have dinner at a cheap or a fancy eating out, go to the opera, and afterwards dance the night away. SIGHTS Budapest is a beautiful city with more than enough to see to keep even the most demanding visitor happy. The thermal baths of Budapest are famous, and certainly worth a visit. Or you can climb the hill to the citadel for a good view over the city. The Castle District alone is enough to keep you occupied for at least a day. This UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Buda side of town encloses several palaces, museum, churches, and is one of the main tourist attractions in Budapest. A kilometer or so further along lies the citadel on top of another hill. At the statue of Liberty you have a great view over Buda, Pest and the elaborate green cast iron Szabadsag bridge. On the Pest side of town is also much to be seen. There is the area around Hero Sqare (Hosok tere), with several museums, an architectural oddity (Vajdahunyad castle), the zoo, and the stately residential area where most of the embassies in Budapest are located. Don't forget to visit tha Parliament house, the St. Stephan basilica, and the large indoor food market at Fovam ter. As a zoological garden, it may not be spectacular, but the Budapest zoo had other qualities. It is one of the oldest zoos in the world (compeleted in 1911), and some of the beautiful turn-of-the-century buildings, including the entrance gate, are still intact. The cast iron fence surrounding the zoo alone is worth a stroll along that direction. The Vajdahunyad castle was first built out of cardboard and wood for the World Exhibition in 1896. It was a monument to 1000 years of Magyar inhabitation and was supposed to give insight in the architectural past of Hungary and combined several small reproductions of buildings representing different architectural periods in history. The building proved to be so popular that after the Exhibition, they rebuilt the castle in stone. Part of it now houses the agricultural museum. Aquincum dates back to around 35BC, when the Romans colonized the area around Budapest. Back than it was a trading settlement as well as a garrison town protecting other stratigic places along the Danube. You can now visit the museum, see the amphitheatre and admire the water organ. GETTING THERE By Air: The international airport, Ferihegy, is a destination reachable from most major european airports. It's located some 25 kilometers from the town center. Hungarian national carrier is Malév. They are the main operators next to Lufthansa, Delta and Air Alitalia The recently opened '2B' wing means a great improvement of passenger handling. The old Terminal 1 building is now used for cargo flights only. By Train: Budapest has three large international railway stations: Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Station) which is the main terminus for international rail services from Western Europe Nyugati (Western Station) handles international traffic heading east to Romania and Slovakia, and is an sight in it’s own right. Déli is the third, station, at the southern end of the city. By Bus: The cheapest way to reach Budapest is probably hitching, but more reliable are the different international bus services. Most coaches arrive at the downtown Erzsébet tér bus station. It’s recommended that you check-in at least one hour before departure and often baggage is limited to one suitcase plus hand luggage. More is very unpractical anyway. When arriving from Eastern European countries you probably end up at Nép Stadion. NOTICE This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License, and originated from World66.com. For more information see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0

Chain Bridge at night

posted Oct 26, 2004 | Comments (1)

Overview and Essential Travel Information - Tripoli, Libya

 This place was Amazing visited Oct 27, 2004

OVERVIEW Tripoli, the capital of Libya, is well worth a visit. Although the oil boom has produced quite a few ugly buildings, the jumbled streets of the old town still offer a taste of Tripoli’s ancient charm. The city sites include a few museums see {tripoli/museums, the Gurji Mosque and a U.S. Army cemetery that dates from World War II. Spend some time walking along the harbor to see the Roman Arch of Marcus Aurelius (AD 163) the Turk and Al Mushir suqs. There are also some excellent beaches just outside the city. SIGHTS Naqa mosque This is Tripoli's oldest mosque, and the present building is a mixture of dates; its last major additions were built in about 1610. It is often known as the camel mosque, after a story told about the Arab conqueror Amr Ibn al-As, who was said to have been offered large camel-loads of tribute by the citizens of Tripoli, presumably in return for a peaceful life. The conqueror is said to have refused the gifts, but asked instead for a mosque to be built in the city. The roof of the mosque consists of 42 brick-built domes, supported by columns from various sources, some of which date from Roman times. The minaret is square in shape and its spiral stairway is made of plaster and palm wood. Friday Mosque The friday (Jami') Mosuqe was founded by Othman Ra'is in 1670.It is also known as the 'Great Mosque' of Tripoli. Karamanli Mosque The Karamanli mosque is probably the most splendid mosque in the entire city. It is near the castle, at the entrance to the main souq. It dates back to the beginning of the 18-th century. At its centre is a twenty-five domed roof built over a sanctuary which is decorated with very beautiful stucco work. Gurgi Mosque The Gurgi mosque is most visited by tourists. The structure is quite elegant. It was built by Yussef Gurgi in 1833, to a 16-metre square plan. Its nine columns support a roof made up of sixteen small domes. The mosque's minaret, which is the tallest of all Tripoli's mosques, is octagonal in shape and has two balconies. NOTICE This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License, and originated from World66.com. For more information see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0

posted Oct 26, 2004 | Comments (0)

Overview and Essential Travel Information - Zagreb, Croatia

 This place was Amazing visited Oct 27, 2004

OVERVIEW Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and its most important city. ALthough the city is not as popular with tourists and travalers as the Dalmatian coast is, it still offers a few nice attractions that make it worthwhile to stop over for a few days. The city is divided into three parts: the thousand-year old upper town (Gornji grad) which contains the Presidential Palace, the historic church of St. Mark's, the Croatian parliament, museums and galleries which are all set in cobbled streets lit by gas lamps; the 19th century lower town (Dolnji grad) with its shops, restaurants, cafes, theatres, parks; and the modern post-war (WWII) part of Zagreb (Novi Zagreb) which is full of high-rise buildings and basically has nothing to offer to tourists. Zagreb is called a city of museums as there are more of them per square foot than any other city in the world. But this doesn't mean that there is nothing else for you to do if you are not a history buff. One of the many pleasures that many Zagrebcani enjoy is sitting in one of the numerous cafes, watching the world go by. In the evening, you can visit one of the many restaurants, sampling one of the delicious Croatian dishes, and finish the day in the one of the bars or clubs. Whatever you choose to do, you are guaranteed to have a good time! NOTICE This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License, and originated from World66.com. For more information see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0

posted Oct 26, 2004 | Comments (0)