Europe Travel Destinations

Located in the heart of Paris is the Louvre palace which houses the national Museum of France we all know as the Louvre. The palace started out as a fortress that was built by Louis XIV who instead chose to reside in the Palace of Versailles thus leaving the Louvre Palace to house the many Royal Collections that include sculptures form some of Europe’s greatest artists till the French Revolution when it was designated as a museum for all of France’s national treasures. The palace has been extended many times over to accommodate the growing collections secured within it’s walls, it first opened its walls as a museum in 1793 but was closed a few years later due to structural concerns of the palace. When it re-opened in 1801, the collection was greatly increased during the time of Napoleon who aptly renamed it the “Musee Napoleon” and the collection grew to it’s current strength of eight curatorial departments namely; Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculptures, decorative arts, paintings, prints and Drawings. All of which coming form all corners of the world showcasing a menagerie of talent and genius the world should see.
The Museum has a part of it’s medieval structure left intact to show it’s past and heritage giving way to the modern exhibit halls that shows off works of great masters such as Leonardo, Michelangelo and more. Featured in many films as the famed The DaVinci Code and many more, the Louvre continues to play it’s part in mystery and beauty as it shows us the beauty that has been produced by some of the most brilliant minds of all time.

Take a peek into Rome’s rich culture and history by visiting the Capitoline Museum, which is a complex of museums located in the Piazza del Campidoglio, which is located on top of Capitoline hill, which earned the place its name.

The Capitoline Museum is made up of three buildings - the Palazzo Senatorio, the oldest of the three buildings, and was constructed in the 12th century; the mid 16th century Palazzo dei Conservatori; and the Palazzo Nuovo, built in the 17th century and faces the Palazzo dei Conservatori, and has an identical design. The museums are filled with different kinds of artwork like paintings and sculptures, as well as many smaller items that date back to Rome’s ancient history. The highlight of the Capitoline Museum is the statue of Marcus Aurelius - the copy in the center of the plaze, and the bronze original in the Palazzo dei Conservatori.

The Netherlands is well known for its windmills of days past and of course tulips that travel the globe with their bright colors. Traveling the country, you cannot pass a trip to the wonderful gardens that abound especially during spring when they bloom in all shapes and sizes. Take a bike ride around the colorful gardens or take a tour of the gardens as you marvel at their diversity and natural beauty. During the spring time around Mid-April is the best time to go on the Flower Bulb Route trip(which is estimated to be around 30 kilometers long and passes Keukenhof), which can be purchased from the Tourist Information Office in Lisse. Several such routes are setup by the tourism industry to showcase the beauty and diversity of the landscape as well as being environmentally firendly without using cars. Bicycles are also the favored mode of transport of the locals to and from the fields so as they say, “when in Rome, do what the Romans do” or in this case, the Dutch.

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Isle of Tiree is also known as Tir-Iodh in Gaelic, which simply means the land of corn. The island is 10 miles long and 4 miles wide and is part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It has a population of just 800 people. It is the perfect place to get away from all the hassle and bustle of chaotic city life. Isle of Mull is its neighbor in the west part, and Coll to its south. The isle boasts of it being one of the sunniest places in Great Britain due to its geographical location. It also takes pride in the many wonderful white sand beaches and dunes, the largest being Gott Bay. There are quite a small amount of trees because of heavy wind. And the Lewisan gneiss is said to be 2900 million years old. In spring and summer displays a colorful scenario of beautiful flowers. It surely will take your breath away.

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What a crazy, complex and amazing city. Amsterdam has become one of Europe’s hottest destinations. Why? Because it just doesn’t fit the stereotypical European destination. Yes, it has fantastic sites but you can see much of what Amsterdam has to offer during a single trip. Another reason why this city is becoming a favorite is because it has transformed its once seedy Red Light District. True, you may still need to shield your eyes but there are areas that provide fantastic dining. Like we said – Amsterdam is crazy, complex and amazing. See what else Amsterdam has to offer with the HotelsByCity Amsterdam travel guide.

It’s almost October, and for all you beer-lovers out there, i’m sure one event comes to mind. Oktoberfest! That’s right, the 14-day festival held in Munich, Germany, that is world-renowned, not only for the beer and the activities, but also for the celebrities that participate in the revelry. With the traditional words “O’zapft is!” (translation: the barrel has been tapped), the world’s largest beer festival begins. The name is actually a misnomer, however, and may disappoint some fans travelling in October, because the festival actually starts in September. This year it opened September 20 and ends on October 5.

Don’t lose heart, however. October is loaded with beer festivals, and some may even be near your locale. For our readers based in the USA, there’s still the Great American Beer Festival to look forward to. That’s said to be America’s largest beer festival, sponsored by the Association of Brewers. This year, it’s slated to be held on October 9-11 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

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Mainly of Alaska’s glaciers are retreating or thinning or mutually, a new book by the U.S. Geological Survey news.

About 5 percent of Alaska’s area is enclosed by more than 100,000 glaciers — that’s about 29,000 square miles (75,000 square kilometers), or more than the entire state of West Virginia.

While a few of Alaska’s large glaciers are advancing, 99 percent are receding, the book, “Glaciers in Alaska,” states. The book was written by USGS examine geologist Bruce Molina.

A USGS project to take pictures of the glaciers of Montana’s Glacier National Park also showed significant retreat. Based on these photos and glacier recession rates, scientists envisaged the park could lose its namesakes by 2030.

Greenland, which is covered by more ice than somewhere else in the world outside Antarctica, has also seen significant melt of its glaciers in recent decades.

The new book on Alaska’s glaciers used satellite images, aerial photos, maps and other studies to document the retreat of the glaciers, which began as early as the mid-19th century. Some glaciers have even disappeared since being mapped in the mid-20th century, the report found.

The account also said that glaciers in Alaska saw “important retreat” in the last two decades of the 20th century.

Finland’s capital city, founded on June 12, 1550, is a multi-faceted town that is unique in many ways and has much to offer any visitor.

Helsinki is set apart from other big historical cities by two factors: the great physical presence of nature and the very clear grid pattern used to design the city’s streets. Most big cities have a limited number of parks. In Helsinki, parks can be found behind almost every corner. Even in the most densely-built districts of the city center, dense parks have been introduced to liven up the landscape. Both the overwhelming presence of nature and the clear street pattern - the network of straight, symmetrical wide streets, which make finding any address a simple task - are the creation of the city’s two main designers, Johan Albrecht Ehrenstr�m and Carl Ludvig Engel.

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There are several ways of getting around Europe; by plane, by train, by car and by public transportation within a city. Flying proves to be quicker cutting precious travel time and Europe has several low-fare carriers. But often times they are located in airports outside the city’s center, so make sure to factor in time and cost of getting from these airports to your destination. Europe has efficient train systems and you can purchase a multi-country pass or a point to point pass. Renting cars can be more economical compared to the above two but using the public transportation can be more efficient and economical with Europe’s excellent public transportation system.

Resource: Fifteen Ways to cut your European travel costs (www.smartertravel.com)

You may find it rather exhausting to book flights, arranged schedules and look for the best price for your European destination trip but it can pay off. Jessica Labrencis mentioned in her article, Fifteen Ways to cut your European Travel Costs, that to save on European trips you need to book an open-jaw flight and you should be diligent in comparing fares. When planning to visit two countries in Europe, an open-jaw flight would mean booking a flight that arrives in one city and departs from another. This will save you the hassle of returning to the city you arrive at for your return flight.