Prague, the mother of all cities

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the banks of the Vltava River and its beauty and historical heritage make it one of the 20 most visited cities in the world. Hope that with my post you can see why.

Prague has passed through two World wars, Nazi and Soviet occupation, but still it is one of the most important capitals of Europe.

Many people that traveled to Prague say that the city is one of the most beautifull cities in the world. Most of the tourist attractions are in the neighborhoods of the Historic center:

Hradčany

The district is the oldest castle in Prague, where you can see the Castle of Prague, the San Vito Cathedral, the Salm Palace and the Schwarzenberg Palace to emntion some of the many attractions of Hradčany.

Malá Strana

Located near the Castle District is full of magnificent palaces, churches and squares, which flourished under the shelter of the nobility of the empire. Here you can see the Carlos Bridge, the

Strahov Monastery, the Saint Nicholas Church and many attractions such as palaces, churches and towers.

Staré Město

In this neighborhood some of the oldest buildings in the city are together. You can find the Tyn Church, the Old Town Hall, and many other attractions.

Nové Město

The New Town is an extension of the Old City which dates from the fourteenth century. The most important attractions in Nové Město are the Wenceslas Square, the Dancing House, the

Powder Gate and many houses, theaters and squares.

Prague is so beautiful that it is called the mother of all cities

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Florence, renaissance art and architecture

Florence is an Italian city, capital of Tuscany and the province of Florence situated on the Arno river. Florence is the city in the world that has more renaissance paintings and architecture . Its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1982.

If you want to see art, paintings and sculptures Florence is the city to visit. It is an amazing city with lots of places to see art, some of the most important are:

Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore

The cathedral (or duomo in Italian) dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore is located in the old town. It is famous for its large dome, which is 45 m diameter and height of 100m.

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is the most famous and ancient bridge in Florence. Of medieval origin, was renovated during the Renaissance, replaceing the furriers shops for jewelers. It was the only bridge which survived the withdrawal of Florence from the Nazis in World War II and is now one of the most recognizable symbols of the city and one of the most frequented by tourists.

Piazza della Signoria

The famous Piazza della Signoria is the major square of Florence, home to the Fountain of Neptune of Ammannati, the Loggia dei Lanzi and the Palazzo Vecchio venue of the City Council. In the square are three statues: Cosimo "the Elder" on horseback, the Hercules and Caco, and a reproduction of Michelangelo's David that is on call to City Hall along with Hercules.

Palazzo Vecchio

It is the seat of the municipality of Florence, completed in 1322, and still retains its original function.

Galleria degli Uffizi

At present is the first museum in Italy and the world in relation to Renaissance painting. The entire fortune of the Medici family is in this temple of painting.

Museo nazionale del Bargello

The Bargello National Museum is located in a former prison near the Piazza della Signoria. Meets an interesting collection of sculptures of all kinds and styles, with works such as Bacchus by Michelangelo, Giambologna mercury or Donatello's David.

Galleria dell'Accademia

At the Accademia Gallery, showcases the original David by Michelangelo.

Basilica di San Lorenzo

It was the church of the Medici family. It has a dome designed by Buonantoni and some chapels with altarpieces made sculpture by Michelangelo as the tombs of Lorenzo and Catherine de Medici. It also has a staircase and a library made by Michelangelo, built on the cloister. The interiors were built in large part by Brunelleschi in 1427.

I think that it is almost imposible to visit all the amazing places that Florence has in one trip. It is such an amazing city, with art everywhere that you´ll need to stay long or visit several times to enjoy all.

Edinburgh, Castles and medieval history

A city that always caught my attention and that really is one of the cities I'd like to know one day is Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital and second largest city in Scotland after Glasgow.

It is located on the east coast of Scotland along the Firth of Forth and has been the capital of Scotland since 1437 besides being the seat of Scottish government.

Edinburgh is a city with rich history, one of the things I like are castles and Edinburgh has castles. The city is divided into two districts, the Old Town and New Town, which were designated by Unesco as a World Heritage Site in 1995.

Edinburgh is a city with many attractions and is renowned for its annual Edinburgh Festival, the biggest festival of live events in the world. During the festivals the city's population doubles. Another thing is that Edinburgh is the second most visited city in the UK after London with around 13 million tourists per year.

Areas of the center

The historic center of Edinburgh is divided into two large green areas by the Princes Street Gardens. To the south the landscape is dominated by Edinburgh Castle, sitting on the extinct volcanic plug that is Castle Rock, and the long strip that Old Town is aiming for its edge. To the north lies Princes Street and New Town. The gardens were made in 1816 in what had been the Nor 'Loch. To the west of the castle lies the financial district, housing insurance and banking buildings. Probably the most exciting building, with its large circular building made in sandstone, is the International Conference Center in Edinburgh.

The Old Town

Old Town is an interesting place to go because it has preserved its medieval structure of their buildings and much of the Protestant Reformation. One end is closed by the castle and the main artery, small streets called closes or wynds routes down the hill on both sides of the main street in the form of a crossroads. You can find great places that mark significant sites such as St Giles Cathedral and the Courts. Other notable sights include the Royal Museum of Scotland, Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh University, and numerous underground streets, which are relics of old school building.

New Town

New Town has two main streets: Queen Street and Princes Street. Princes Street has become the main shopping street in Edinburgh, there are few Georgian buildings. These streets were connected by a series of perpendicular streets.

But Edinburgh has many places of interest to know, among them stands the National Gallery of Scotland, with works by Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Velasquez, Watteau, Paul Gauguin and others. Other museums in the city are the Royal Scottish Academy, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the Dean Gallery, the Museum of Scotland, Royal Museum, the National War Museum of Scotland, the Museum Edinburgh Museum of Childhood and the Royal Botanical Gardens. It is noteworthy that most of the museums are free.

So if you like castles, history and everything associated with the Medieval, Edinburgh is an ideal city to visit.

Naples, art, architecture and cuisine

Naples (Napoli) in is the capital of the region of Campania, and of the province of Naples in Italy. It is a very old city, almost 2800 years old, and a very important city in the south of Italy.
Naples is a city with rich history, art, culture and gastronomy. Known by its great pizza!!
In Naples there are lots of places to visit, some of the places you can see in Naples are the Duomo, Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore, the Naples National Archaeological Museum, the Palazzo Reale, Castel dell´Ovo, the San Gennaro catacumbs, the Capodimonte Musseum and the Phisics Musseum among others.

Duomo di Napoli
The Duomo di Napoli is the Cathedral of Naples and it is the main church of Naples. It is dedicated to San Gennaro, the city's patron. The church houses a vial of the Saint's blood that is brought out twice a year, on the first Saturday in May and 19 September, and usually liquefies. According to legend if the blood should fail to liquefy, then something bad will happen to Naples.



Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore
It is a church located in the square with the same name, San Domenico Maggiore square is one of the most interesting places in Naples and is on the historic center of Naples. The Church of San Domenico Maggiore incorporates a smaller, original church built on this site in the 10th century


Naples National Archaeological Museum
The museum contains a large collection of Roman artifacts from Pompeii, Stabiae and Herculaneum. The collection includes works of the highest quality produced in Greek, Roman and Renaissance times.



Palazzo Reale
It is one of the four residences used by the Bourbon Kings of Naples during their rule of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies.


Castel dell´Ovo
A Castle located on a small island, the Megarides, where colonists from Cumae founded the original nucleus of the city in the 6th century BCE.

San Gennaro Catacumbs
The Catacombs of San Gennaro are underground paleo-Christian burial sites, and are the most important such sites in Italy south of Rome. They are situated in the northern part of the city, on the slope leading up to Capodimonte.

Capodimonte Musseum
The Palace and Museum of Capodimonte is a grand Bourbon palazzo. It is the main museum and art gallery of the city.


Naples,like many Italian cities has a great density of cultural resources and monuments, including castles, churches, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, fountains and palaces.

But not only by architecture and art Naples is known, its cuisine is great, and Naples is known to be the home of Pizza, the place where the Pizza was invented. So not only you can visit great places and see lot of art, but you also can have great meals in Naples.

Warsaw, the capital and largest city of Poland

Capital of Poland, is located, as well as Krakow, on the banks of the Vistula river. Warsaw is much less ancient than Krakow. In fact, we can literally say that it is a new city, it was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War.

Rebuilt in recent years, the city has a modern air today, where the wide avenues and new buildings coexist with the historical and ancient monuments that were restored. Thanks to that, you can visit the old town and see how was the Royal Castle Square with the column dedicated to Sigismund III, who made it the capital to Warsaw.

Here is where the royal castle and is where the old Royal tract (4 km) begins. Following the old town, we find the Cathedral of St. John (the oldest church in town) and also the Old Town Square, the most beautiful part of Warsaw.

Later, it appears the Barbakan (Tower Defense) and not much further they call the New Town, but dating from the fourteenth century, with the new Town Square, the home of Marie Curie or a monument to the Warsaw Uprising.

The city also wanted to remind the Jewish people in the Ghetto Square, a memorial to what this city has suffered during the war.