All About World Heritage Sites
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Would you like to know what the prettiest cities in Europe are? From a high-energy nightlife to artistic grandeur and rich gastronomy, here is the list of most beautiful cities in Europe that look like parts of a fairytale!
Source: Most Beautiful Cities In Europe- The Marvels Of Art And Culture
Visit the capital of Switzerland for some interesting art exhibitions, this summer. We give you the low-down on which ones to see…
Source: Browsing Around Bern
Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) London, England
Set in a 23 feet (nine meters) frame, the clock, whose bell is called Big Ben, was completed in 1859. The tower is 315 feet (96 meters) tall and has 11 floors. It was renamed “Elizabeth Tower” in 2012, in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Salisbury Cathedral Clock, Salisbury, UK
Made of hand-wrought iron, the structure is the oldest working clock in the world and was built circa 1386. Designed only to strike hours, the clock was made without a face.
City Hall clock, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
The clock is housed inside the City Hall which was completed in 1901. The four illuminated clock faces are each 26 feet (eight meters) in diameter. Set in a building 548 feet (167 meters) tall, the clock is made of cast iron with a covering of bronze.
Makkah Royal Clock Tower, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
The four clocks mounted near the top of the high-rise Fairmont hotel hold the record of being the largest timepiece in the world and are illuminated with a total of over two million LED lights at night. The giant clock’s face measures 141 feet (43 meters) in diameter.
I had completely underestimated the appeal of the common onion.
Yet here I am, at 6.30am on a November morning in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, at the Onion Festival, or Zibelemarit. And thousands of people are milling around stalls filled with vegetables, in particular onions produced by local farmers, and which are woven into pretty braids or festive-style wreaths.
In all, there’s a total of 648 food stalls to visit on the medieval streets – when the sun comes up I’ll see the snow-covered Swiss Alps in the distance – 171 of which are selling onions, and 57 tons of onions will be sold by the end of the day.
Yet people are up early for a lot more than onions, and are out and about in the pre-dawn darkness drinking glasses of spicy gluhwein and eating sweet pastries. The air is filled with the smell of roasting chestnuts, and children have gotten their hands on bags of confetti and are liberally showering everyone who comes near to them.
It’s all a bit mad, in a totally cheerful way.
Read more from source: Switzerland: Go on, feel the Bern
LONG lines waiting to get into a historical site, crowded footpaths that are hard to traverse, and sky-high hotel rates are just a few problems caused by tourists in Europe’s summer months.
While Venice and Paris are notably effected by the rise in summer visitors, many European destinations offer a plethora of things to do and see, without feeling like an amusement park. Here are eight of our picks for where you should travel in Europe this summer to avoid massive crowds.
1. BERN, SWITZERLAND
A popular winter destination, Switzerland lures travellers with its stunning landscape dominated by the Swiss Alps.
Surprisingly, the capital of Bern is often overlooked in the summer for major cities such as Geneva and Lausanne that sit along the beautiful Lake Geneva, or the more culturally significant Zurich.
However, the laid-back city is well worth a visit, thanks to its Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage site) that’s packed with medieval architecture, several notable museums, and enticing farmers’ markets. Plus, Bern is within an hour’s drive of Lake Neuchâtel and several expansive nature parks.
Bern hotel pick: Hotel Allegro Bern
2. BEAUNE, FRANCE
Read more from source: Holiday gem we are overlooking
With a beautifully preserved Old Town, a view of the snow-covered Alps, world-class museums, great restaurants offering more than just chocolates and cheese and a river which invites a leisurely swim, it’s no wonder Bernese people have a reputation for being the most relaxed among their countrymen. After all, experiencing these pleasures in full takes time.
What to do in Bern
Thanks to its well-preserved medieval townscape, the Old Town of Bern was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1983. Discover sheltered arcades, narrow streets, well-kept sandstone facades, impressive buildings and the Zytglogge, a medieval tower with a large astronomical clock.
As legend has it, Bern was named after the first animal the city’s founder was able to hunt down in the woods. From 1513, bears have lived in pits around the city and since 2009, several of them are housed more ethically in the BearPark (bern.com/en/detail/the-bearpark), where they have nearly 6,000 square metres of space to explore and play; free entry.
Follow in the footsteps of Albert Einstein who wrote his Theory of Relativity in Bern.
Source: The best things to do in Bern
Traditional, charming and compact, yet ultra-modern, full of surprises and boasting a wide range of business offerings – the canton of Bern is every event planner’s dream come true.
Whether you are at the Grimsel Hospiz hotel in its barren landscape at 2,000 metres, in a typical wooden house in the picturesque Emmental or at the Kursaal in the heart of the Swiss capital – any event is sure to be a success. It is no wonder that the City of Bern won the 2017 Swiss MICE Award in the Destinations category!
Here are five reasons why you should organise your next event in the canton of Bern:
1. After an eventful meeting, what better way to escape than exploring the local surroundings. Options include the Thrill Walk on the Schilthorn, an excursion up to the magnificent Jungfraujoch, a boat trip on turquoise Lake Thun and the spectacular Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge. No matter what your purpose is, an event in the canton of Bern can be easily combined with a trip into nature – not least because of the Swiss capital’s central location and accessibility.
Source: Five reasons why your next event should be held in Bern
From Bern and Brasilia to Wellington, these first cities remain under the radar
United States President Donald Trump’s recent decision to recognise Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, as the capital of Israel means that for the time being, the most populous city in the country is also the capital, at least to American eyes. This isn’t always the case elsewhere, however, and pub quiz contestants are forever forgetting the following cities rule the roost in their respective nations.
1 Ottawa (Population 1.25 million)
The capital of Canada was chosen by Queen Victoria after politicians were unable to reach an agreement. Some say the British monarch selected the small logging town by sticking a hat-pin in a map; others believe she was inspired by a watercolour painting of the area. In reality, there were few other settlements on the frontier between Ontario and Quebec.
Discover a selection of amazing sights and activities in Switzerland from incredible mountains to unforgettable rail journeys.
Romantic break
A ski trip in the Alps allows you to enjoy some quality time with a loved one in the most beautiful of settings.
Spectacular views
The alpine resort of Arosa offers excellent ski conditions for all abilities.
Iconic mountain
Shaped like a jagged tooth, the incredible Matterhorn is one of the most famous mountains in Europe.
On the right track
Located about 160km south east of Zurich, the alpine resort of Arosa is easy to get to by rail.
Picturesque location
With a well-preserved medieval townscape, the Old Town of Bern was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 1983.
Awe-inspiring
Located between Switzerland and Italy, the Monte Rosa massif is Switzerland’s highest peak.
Travel in style
It’s official; this is the most photogenic winter city in the world!
The Swiss city of Bern of course! Wintertime is the perfect season to visit Switzerland’s capital, with its photogenic architecture, breathtaking natural scenery and snow-dusted streets. Not forgetting that Bern’s Old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering an old world charm that can be captured in a single shot.
The study ranking the most Instagrammed winter locations was carried out by Focus Clinic, a laser eye surgery clinic which researched the frequency at which popular cities all across the world were hashtagged on the social media platform Instagram.
Bern amassed a frankly unbelievable 1,082,000 tagged photos, whilst the magical skiing destination of Aspen in Colorado came in a close second with 935,000.
