Different places to travel » Castle

Travel – Nassau – the capital of the Bahamas

Traveller — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:23:51 +0000

Nassau is the capital of Bahamas (which is a member of the British Commonwealth). Nassau is the largest city in the Bahamas and is located on the eastern half of New Providence Island. It was earlier known as Charles Town around 1650 and later to Nassau, named after Fort Nassau. Nassau was also known as a pirates den. It has a population of approximately 200,000 and constitutes 70 percent of population of the Bahamas.
Bay Street is a street that runs along the shore and is the main shopping street of Nassau. It has a mix of jewelry boutiques and trashy souvenir shops. Many government buildings and company headquarters are located on Over the Hill district.
Attractions of Nassau:
• Old Town: This town is a combination of abandoned buildings and Caribbean structures. There is a pink Parliament Building with a statue of Queen Victoria out in the front.
• Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Center: This is the only zoo located in the Bahamas. One can see marching flamingo shows and feed the parakeets. This conservation centre is spread wide on five acres of a tropical garden. Flamingos march here as they are trained in formation and marching. This is a show of marching flamingos that is held daily at 10:30, 14:00 and 16:00 three times. There are Caribbean flamingos which are 40 years old and are the largest flock on Great Inagua Island in Bahamas. This centre houses Bahamas parrot and many species of iguanas. The other animals include jaguars, parrots and small mammals.
• National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, West & West Hill Streets: This centre houses the Bahamian art from the pre-colonial era to the present. The building is a renovated building which was once the residence of the Chief Justice.
• Pirate Museum: This museum is a recreation of the pirate town with a pirate ship and a pirate battle along with a few real artifacts blended. It is fun to take a guided tour.
• Fort Fincastle: This is a small fort that was built in 1793. This fort overlooks the city of Nassau. One can see it from a small hill south of town. One can view many cannons that are kept for display.
• Atlantis Hotel Aquarium: It is known to be the largest open-air aquarium in the world. There is a replica of the lost city of Atlantis through which the stingrays and shining fish swim and there are other collections of Caribbean species in this stunning aquarium.
• Balcony house: This is a restored historic structure of the 18th century dating back to 1788. The residence is very old and made out of wood, an example of a tropical colonial house. The interior has not been disturbed, and has the antiques and objects that belonged to that house originally. There are guided tours available for those who want to visit. The design and construction features are used to keep the house cool, dry and termite free, a specialty of the house. A Mahogany set of swan-neck chairs, four poster beds, a drop-front desk, china and crystal and hand-worked brass valences are among the antiques on display.
• The British Colonial Hilton: This is on the site of Fort Nassau and dating back to 1922. This place gives a view of the harbor and visiting cruise ships. The present building is a replacement to the original wooden hotel of 1898. Henry Flager was the owner and was known for building hotels along Miami Beach and along the coast of Florida. These hotels are special for their Colonial constructions. Its historic façade of towers, galleries, and molded reliefs are maintained. The restaurants and spa are special and an amusement park is also housed.
• Doongalik: This is a centre built to preserve the culture of the Black community who are the majority of the population of Bahamas. It has an art gallery depicting the bush medicine, shops, collection of Junkanoo costumes and sculptures. There are also the traditional instruments for making music out of goat skin like drums and cow bells etc., which are a special attraction.
• Government house: There is a pink and white house on the top of Mount Fitzwilliam which is a Roman-classical mansion dating back to 1801. This served as a house for the British Governor General. There is a white statue of Christopher Columbus belonging to 1830 which is on the stairs of the mansion. On alternate Sundays, changing of the guard ceremony is hosted.
• Paradise Island: Paradise Island is a Caribbean island and off Nassau, Bahamas. This Island is connected to New Providence Island by two bridges crossing Nassau harbor. This island has a variety of beaches and hotels and resorts. Cable beach is the popular one. It is dominated by Las Vegas style Atlantis resort. It is on the northern edge of New Providence. Paradise Island is also known as Hog Island. The bridges were built in 1966 and 1990. An Augustinian monastery was also installed which is dating back to 14th century French style.
Things to do: One can take a guided bus tours, explore old forts, Paradise Island and aquarium and roam around the old town.

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit Nassau is May to October. This island has a tropical monsoon climate with constant temperatures almost through the year. Summertime temperatures rarely exceed 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) and the winter months have daytime temperatures between 68 and 80 °F (20 and 27 °C), rarely falling below 50 °F (10 °C).

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
By air: Lynden Pindling International Airport is the largest airport in the Bahamas. It serves most major U.S. airlines and flights to Nassau. Limited service from Toronto and London also exists.
By sea: A total of seven cruise ships can dock at the Prince George Wharf Cruise Terminal which is adjacent to downtown Nassau.

Getting around:
• By water taxi: One can take a water taxi to get to Paradise Island from downtown.
• By minibus: These minibuses are also known as jitneys which are the bus system of Nassau city and New Providence Island. These are on and near Bay Street.
• By taxi: Taxis operate around the city and they are identified by their yellow license plates.
• By car: one can rent a car to roam around.
• By scooter: Scooter (small motorcycle) rental is also popular in Nassau.
• By bike: Bikes and bicycles also can be rented in Nassau.
• By foot: One can go around on foot in downtown.

Plan your trip to Nassau better with these books:

Frommer’s Bahamas 2012	Sailing Misadventures of the Wild Hair	The Bahamas (Multi Country Travel Guide)

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Restaurant
• Hotels
• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• http://www.nassau-hotel.com/

Blogs / Sites about Nassau:

• Travelblog
• Travelpod
• Realtravel
• Virtualtourist

Images and photos of Nassau:

• Google Image Search
• Tripadvisor
• Cruises
• Placesonline

Videos of Nassau from Youtube:

Nassau Bahamas Cruise Dec. 2007

Nassau Bahamas

Nassau, Bahamas, East Bay Street Shopping District, May, 2009

Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau Straw Market

Atlantis, Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau Bahamas Walking Tour – Dec 18, 2007 Pt 2

Plane Wreck at Nassau, Bahamas

nassau bahamas day & night life

Beach on Nassau, Bahamas

Travel – San juan, the largest city of Puerto Rico

Traveller — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:22:22 +0000

San Juan is the largest city of Puerto Rico, it is also the capital and has an approximate population of 442,000. It is the oldest city and located in the north-east of Puerto Rico. San Juan has magnificent beaches, hotels, plazas, historic sites, museums, etc. The total land area is about 122 sq km and a water area of 29.11 sq miles. The best harbors of the Caribbean are housed in San Juan. San Juan is a Latin American city and has a Spanish based culture.
San Juan is a Latin American city with Spanish-based culture, mixed with African traditions and Taíno culture. The citizens of San Juan (called Sanjuaneros) are very festive, as on the rest of the island of Puerto Rico. San Juan has bars and discotheques all-around the city, from Old San Juan to even the southern part of the city that stay open to 3:00-4:00 AM. San Juan has become very modernized as of late, with its first Metro line (called Tren Urbano) and buses. Like most large cities, however, there is a small population of vagrants and beggars lining the streets.
San Juan is also the financial capital of Puerto Rico. There are facilities for petroleum and sugar refining, and pharmaceuticals. The official language of this island of San Juan is Spanish and English. Spanish being the mother tongue of the native living here.

The districts of San Juan are:
• Old San Juan: This is the historic part of San Juan. The most historic attractions, galleries, museums, and tourist traps fall into this part of the district.
• Puerta de Tierra: This is in the middle of Old San Juan and Condado. This is a large residential area.
• El Condado: This is a rich residential neighborhood. It is a beach resort of the city and has many hotels and restaurants.
• Isla Verde: This city is closest to the international airport and has beautiful beaches and parks.
• International Convention Center District: This has a fountain that plays both typical and classical music and has many restaurants and shopping centers.
• Hato Rey: This is a business center and has the main banks, the Plaza las Americas (a mall with over 300 stores), the Hiram Bithor Stadium, Roberto Clemente Colosseum and Coliseo de Puerto Rico.
• Rio Piedras: This houses the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico. This is a municipality.
• Santurce: This is also one of the historical parts of Puerto Rico and is a cultural capital. It has two art museums and a performing arts center.
• Miramar: This is near El Condado and has historical houses.

Attractions of San Juan:
• El Castillo San Felipe Del Morro “El Morro”: This is a citadel that dates back to sixteenth-century. It lies to the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is part of National Historic Site and is a World Heritage Site (declared by the United Nations in 1983).
• El Castillo de San Cristóbal: This is a Spanish fort that is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This fort was built to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. It is one of the National Historic Sites. It has a height of 150 feet and is on an area of 27 acres of land.
• Palacio de Santa Catalina: It is the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. This was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the San Juan harbor. It is also known as El Palacio de Santa Catalina or Palace of Santa Catalina which is also the oldest executive mansion in the New World. La Fortaleza is a World Heritage Site.
• El Catedral de San Juan Bautista: Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer’s tomb lies here which was built in the 1520′s. It was rebuilt in 1540 after being destroyed by a hurricane.
• Castillo de San Jerónimo: It is a fort that is known as Condado. This was known to defend from attacks in 1595.
• Iglesia de San Jose: This is a church and Monastery that dates back to 1523.
• Ayuntamiento or Alcaldia: This is also known as the City Hall.
• The municipal cemetery of Santa María Madgalena de Pazzis: This is a cemetery that is situated just outside the city walls.
• Fuerte San Geronimo: This is a fort that built to tighten defense within the city with a small museum housed inside.
• Centro de Bellas Artes: This is a fine arts centre in the Caribbean in 1981.
• Bacardi Rum Factory: This has a trolley and guided tour inside the factory.
• There are famous beaches in Condado and Isla Verde.
• Parks in San Juan: Central Park, Garfield, Munoz Rivera Park and Parque de las Palomas.
• The Casino of Puerto Rico which is a large building and The Teatro Tapia is the oldest theatre in the Western Hemisphere.
• San Juan National Historic Site: This place has the old and colonial portion and includes three fourths of the city wall and forts San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro, and San Juan de la Cruz, also called El Cañuelo, plus bastions, powder houses.
• Ateneo de Puerto Rico (museum), Casa del Libro, Cuartel de Ballaja, Felisa Rincón de Gautier Museum, La Princesa (former municipal jail, now a history museum), Museo del Niño (Children’s Museum), Museo Nuestras Raíces Africanas( Our African Roots Museum, Museo de Arte ( Museum of Art), The Pablo Casals Museum are other attractions of San juan.

Things to do:
• Surfing waves, golf course, sunbathing at the beach, tennis, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving, and horseback riding, windsurfing and parasailing are the different activities that the island of Puerto Rico offers.
• Golf: This Island has 15 championship golf courses from the San Juan metropolitan area.
• Snorkel and Scuba dive: These activities are the highlights of Puerto Rico’s Caribbean coasts, especially out of Fajardo. A guided diving and snorkeling tour will take one to the best sites of the activity.
• Bioluminescent Bays: The bays of Fajardo and Vieques are bioluminescent and have microscopic organisms that glow which is really beautiful to watch. One can go for kayaking or boating especially during the new moon to enjoy a clear view of the bay. Lajas is also a Bioluminescent bay that is famous as it is also equipped with kiosks and restaurants.
• Casinos: San Juan offers luxurious hotels and casinos that are similar to Los Vegas.

Best time to visit / climate:
San Juan has a tropical marine climate and has minimal seasonal variations. The climate is mild but has abundant rainfall in the north coast. June and November are usually the seasons of Hurricane. So avoid this time. Other than these months, one can visit the island anytime and enjoy all the activities of surfing, kayaking, beach walking, sun bathing, hiking etc.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
US citizens do not need any visa since Puerto Rico is a US territory. A Picture ID should serve the purpose. For other citizens visa and supporting documents are required.
By plane: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is the main airport which is in Carolina, near San Juan. Aguadilla and Ponce also connects with flights like Jet Blue, Continental and Delta. There are direct flights from US. SJU is the modern airport in the Caribbean. From airport taxi services are available.
By boat: The west coast city of Mayaguez and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has ferry services available. From Fajardo to St. Thomas, there is a ferry. There are cruise ships that land in San Juan.

Get around:
It is best to rent a car or take a taxi as the public transport system is not very good. A público is a shared taxi service that is another option that is cheap and best to go around the island. The “main” público station is in Río Piedras that is a suburb of San Juan and which are also known as colectivos and pisicorres.
There are ferries from San Juan and Fajardo to Cataño, Vieques Island and Culebra Island along with Mayaguez ferry travels between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Tren Urbano is a fully automated transit serving San Juan, Bayamón, and Guaynabo. Tren Urbano consists of 16 stations on a single line and is the reliable public transport.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Juan#Eat
• http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Juan#Sleep
• http://www.sanjuanhotelsltd.com/
• http://www.elsanjuanhotel.com/
• Tripadvisor

Blogs / Sites about San Juan:

• Travelpod
• http://www.sanjuanislander.com/blogs.shtml
• Lonely Planet
• http://sanjuansafaris.com/blog/

Images and photos of San Juan:

• Tripadvisor
• http://www.travel-images.com/puerto-rico.html
• Terragalleria
• igougo.com

Videos of San Juan from youtube:

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan Sail Away

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Walking and Driving around Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico – San Juan

Travel – Spiez, located on the south shore of Lake Thun

Traveller — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:54:02 +0000

Spiez is in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district. It is a city in the canton of Bern in Switzerland and is located 11 kilometers on the south shore of Lake Thun. It is known for its waterside castle and lake views. It is a resort village surrounded with mountains.
The Old town or Stadtli and the train station are a major shopping area of Spiez. One can find boats from Thun and Interlaken. Schloss Spiez, which is a medieval castle, is a fifteenth / sixteenth century castle. It is usually open from April to October. This castle was the residence of Stretlingen family and then passed to noble dynasties of Bernese. Spiez is also having a renowned sailing school. The town has tiny lanes and yachts are filled in the bay.
The place of Spiez is populated with Germans and Swiss-Germans. The lake is surrounded with restaurants, tearooms and pizzerias.

Things to do:

• Hiking: Homebase Spiez
The peaks around Spiez are good for hiking. One can take a train or bus to reach the area. The right peak behind is Nisen which can be reached by a post auto. One can get to or back by train and enjoy the view around.
Stockhorn is another alpine mountain to hike. The starting point is Erlenbach which is 15 minutes from Spiez by train. Take a ride towards Zweissimen. To go to the peak, one can take a cable car or hike or reach there and hike. This hike is unique as the peak is above 400 metre cliff.
There are a few fantastic peaks that will definitely be great hikes starting from Spiez (by train or bus). The peak right behind Spiez is the Nisen. A post auto (bus) can take you to a variety of base locations, and there is a train that can take you down at the end of a tired day, or take you up just for the view.

• Cruising-day tickets in spring for both lakes
In spring one can get a day ticket for Thunersee and Brienzersee.
This ticket will include all of the cruises. Take the train between Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West.

Places to see:

• Schloss Spiez – a great medieval palace
The Schloss or the castle of Spiez is a medieval palace known for its architecture dating back to 10th century. It has old walls of the century. It has the 18th century architecture now because of the renovations taken place. It has fancy baroque furniture and ornate decorations, lovely stucco-works and frescos now.
• Step up the tower
A set of steps leads upwards to the tower of the castle of Schloss Spiez. The tower is 39 meters high and belongs to the year 1200. These steps have a panorama-view of the vineyards that are next to the castle, the village of Spiez with the Niesen and the lovely Thunersee.

• Lovely house
Next to the chapel of St.Columban, there is a house with a great balcony facing the Thuner See and a nice painting behind that balcony. One can view this on the way from the lake.

• Festsaal / the hall for festivities
One of the largest and spectacular rooms of the Schloss Spiez is the Festsall, which means the hall for festivities. The sidewalls, the ceilings have unique stucco-works all over it and they are believed to be made by Antonio Castello from Melide. These are unique and original as they have not been renovated or disturbed.

• Great interior of the Schloss Spiez
The interiors of the castle are open in the summer season. It opening starts on Friday before Easter. There is a medieval bed which is unique in style.

• Interior of the castle
In the castle one can see interesting exhibits. These exhibits belong to different centuries. There is a giant painting, wooden ceilings, spinning-wheel, painting of Swiss history etc.

• Spiez & its flowers
The lovely flower-arrangement of Spiez is one of the things you should not miss. This can be watched only if you take the path to the castle as it is in midway to castle. One can see some great wooden houses in the old Swiss style.

• Ship to Schloss Oberhofen
Take the ship from Spiez to Schloss Oberhofen in summer as it gives one a view of the castle and the surrounding park. The museum there is open between mid of May and mid of October.

• St.Columban – a popular wedding-chapel
Just a few meters from the castle of Spiez are the St. Columban chapel. It belongs to the 10th century. This church is a place for marriages in Switzerland and hence known the wedding-chapel.

How to get there

• Cisalpino (CIS) tilting trains
The Cisalpino Company is an Italian-Swiss joint venture with the Italian and Swiss railway systems as equal partners. Cisaplino tilting trains have been running through the Alps between Switzerland and Italy. These tilting trains can lean on curves and ideal for mountain routes rather than normal trains.
The trains between Switzerland and Italy are operated directly by the Swiss and Italian railways, mainly under the name “EuroCity”.

• Transportation hub:
Spiez is a major transportation hub. Two important rail routes meet her: the Lötschberg-Simplon route from Germany through Switzerland (Basel – Bern – Brig) to Italy and the Golden Pass trains from Montreux via Gstaad and Interlaken to Lucerne (continues to Zurich).

• Veloland Switzerland
There are two different bicycle routes, one for normal bicycles and one for mountain bikes.
Spiez is on the Swiss national cycling route number 8, called the “Aare Route” because it follows along the Aare River from its source to the Rhine, and number 9, the “Montreux–Rorschach” route. And there is a mountain bike route going to Leissingen, Krattigen and Aeschi.

• InterCityExpress (ICE) trains from Germany
Within Germany there is one ICE train per hour on most routes. Five of these ICE trains per day go beyond Basel into Switzerland, stopping at Olten, Bern, Thun, Spiez and Interlaken. For connections to Italy, you have to change trains at Spiez, at the latest.
The journey from Frankfurt to Spiez takes four hours and forty-one minutes.

• Take the train to Spiez
Spiez has its own train station and from Interlaken to Bern, almost all the trains halt here.

Best time to visit / climate:

The place is ideal to visit in summer as the castle is open in summer and you can see the interior of the castle as well. The other places, lake, cruising, hiking are all ideal in the weather of summer. The right peak behind is Nisen which can be reached by a post auto. One can get to or back by train and enjoy the view around.
Stockhorn is another alpine mountain to hike. The starting point is Erlenbach which is 15 minutes from Spiez by train. Take a ride towards Zweissimen. To go to the peak, one can take a cable car or hike or reach there and hike. This hike is unique as the peak is above 400 metre cliff.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website):

• Travelpod
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://www.kayak.com/Spiez-Hotels.48838.hotel.ksp
• Booking.com
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/hotels/index.cfm/berneroberland/spiez
• http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/spiezhotels/
• http://www.eden-spiez.ch/de_neu/
• http://www.switzerlandhotel.net/spiez_hotels.html
• http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-489208-spiez_switzerland_vacations-i
• Virtualtourist (list of restaurants, list of hotels)

Blogs / Sites about Spiez:

• Travelpod
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/AllReviews-g580339-Spiez.html
• Travelpod.ca
• lonelyplanet
• http://realtravel.com/dm-22015-spiez_maps
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Spiez-travel-blogs-1192293
• http://lerlop.com/2009/07/berner-oberland-switzerland/
• http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-mountain-scene-spiez-switzerland-image15439233

Images and photos of Spiez:

• Google Search
• Travelpod
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Bern/Spiez/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g580339-Spiez.html
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/eaglesky/4863206230/
• schweiz-bilder.ch

Videos of Spiez (Google Search)

The Trip Chicks in Spiez Switzerland

Morning Bells, Spiez, Switzerland

A beautiful scenery of Spiez

Switzerland.Spiez

Travel – Bellinzona – famous for its three medieval castles

Traveller — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:11:07 +0000

Bellinzona is in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is the capital city and is famous for its three medieval castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro. These three castles are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This capital city includes the village of Artore and is on the east of the Ticino River, which is at the foot of the Alps. It is suurounded by Saint-Gotthard Massif. Many major alpine passes several key alpine passes, including the Nufenen, St. Gotthard, Lukmanier, San Bernardino and the Poebene meet and make Bellinzona a key trading centre.
The city of Bellinzona has approximately 17,000 inhabitants. This city is famous for its Carnival Rabadan and the local football team, AC Bellinzona. It is also known to be the most Italianate town of Switzerland. This city is located at the narrow part of the valley to the Alpine passes of St. Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lucomagno (Lukmanier). This is a gateway to Italy and key to the Alps, in north and south directions respectively.
The city is unique with its Italian-style theatre, squares, old houses in Lombardy town and courtyards. The patrician houses tell the history of the place and the place has many churches too. For shoppers, there is a big weekly market on the Piazza Nosetto, every Saturday. This place boasts of the medieval architecture in the Alps. It was first ruled by Romans before it became a part of the Swiss federation. It is an ideal place for touring, for resorts etc. There are many resorts of Locarno, Ascona and Lugano. There are many valleys too to watch for like towards north, Leventina, Side valleys of Tessin, Bedretto valley and Blenio valley.
Among the three castles, The Castelgrande is situated on a rocky peak of the valley along with a series of fortified walls protecting the old city and connect to the Montebello, the second castle. The third castle (Sasso Corbaro) is located on an isolated rocky promontory south-east of the two other valleys.

The Top Events
• La Bacchica, wine festival (Sep – Sep )
• Chocodays – The chocolate week-end (Nov)

Place to see:
• Villa dei Cedri – It is a municipal art gallery which comprises of Swiss and Italian paintings dated back to late 19th and early 20th century. There is also focus on artists from the local area.
• Old Town – It is in the area around the Piazza Nosetto, Via del Teatro and Piazza del Governo. The Old Town is famous for the wealth of beautiful merchants’ houses, stone gateways, balconies with wrought iron railings and inn signs from the history. There is a big weekly market on the Piazza Nosetto, every Saturday. The city is unique with its Italian-style theatre, squares, old houses in Lombardy town and courtyards.
• Teatro Sociale – It is a building is in the typically Italian Classical style and the only theatre in Switzerland to have been preserved from the 19th century. It is said to be inspired by La Scala in Milan.
• Modern architecture in Bellinzona – In the castle, the Castelgrande, the architect Aurelio Galfetti has integrated a boldly designed restaurant. The Convento delle Agostiniane on the Monte Carasso has been converted into a modern training centre by the architect Luigi Snozzi.
• The three castles that have been part of UNESCO heritage sights.
• Castelgrande – This castle is part of the history and is the Old Castle in 14th and 15th centuries. This castle is made out of Castlegranade hill that is 150-200m in diameter and very steep on southern side. The insides of castle wall are now flat with many renovations and expansions. The castle grounds were once filled with buildings which were pulled down by the Dukes of Milan to have interior space. The walls, towers all were raised, extended and added. This castle has an elevator from foot to the top of the castle. It can also be reached by foot by climbing or from the streets of the city centre through the city wall.
• Montebello – Montebello is located of hilltop to the east of the town that is connected to Castlegranade. Montebello is known as the Small, New or Middle Castle in the 15th Century, as Schwyz Castle from 1506 and St. Martin’s Castle after 1818. It was also renovated and extended in 19th century. There is a dedicated chapel to Saint Michael. It has an Archaeological and Civic museum which was opened in 1974 in the tower. The museum is open from March to November. In the history section there are several capitals from the 15th Century and a rare 13th Century Baptismal font and collection of military arms along with drawings and sketches from several artists. The archaeology section includes items from 1400-1500 B.C. It also has a collection of ceramics, glassware, funeral urns, ornamental objects and jewellery in iron and bronze from around the canton.
• Sasso Corbaro – This castle is also known as Unterwalden Castle after 1506; Saint Barbara’s Castle after 1818 and is about 600m south-west of town on a rocky hill. This castle is not integrated to the other two with city walls. The first part of the castle was built in defense of the city to close a gap. It was built in 1478. It is open from March until November. This castle houses the Sala Emma Poglia built for Emma family. The room is typical with walnut panelling and suva, a stove for heating. It has temporary exhibits now.

How to get there:

By train: There are frequent trains from Milan to Lugano (takes 1 – 2 hours) and from Como (takes just over half an hour). All the major trains towards Zurich, Lugano, Chiasso, Locarno and Italy stop at Bellinzona. The train station in Lugano is situated above the city and you can either walk down towards the lake or take the funicular. The landscape between Chiasso – Lugano – Bellinzona is very beautiful, and the train goes very smooth and quiet.

By Road: The A2 and A13 motorways, as well as some main roads link to Bellinzona making it an important transitional node.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Bellinzona is early summer to mid summer. The visit to the three medieval castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro, the walk around Old town, to look at art gallery, this time would be just right for anyone to enjoy.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Wikitravel (link)
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• Virtualtourist (reviews and restaurants)
• Virtualtourist
• Booking.com
• Eurobookings
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/ticino/bellinzona.hotels.html
• http://www.a1tourism.com/switzerland/bellinzona.html

Blogs / Sites about Bellinzona:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Bellinzona
• Tripadvisor
• Virtualtourist
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Bellinzona/tpod.html
• http://www.oleole.com/switzerland/bellinzona/tlnf.html
• http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-Switzerland-Bellinzona
• http://realtravel.com/c-1449-23535-castle_vacations
• http://www.flexijourney.com/Bellinzona

Images and photos of Bellinzona;

• Google Search
• http://realtravel.com/dp-23535-0-bellinzona_photos
• Tripadvisor
• http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l16593-Bellinzona_photos.html
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/128365658HShdpO
• http://wiki.worldflicks.org/bellinzona.html
• http://www.fotopedia.com/en/Three_Castles_of_Bellinzona

Videos of Bellinzona (link)

Castello Grande- Bellinzona, Switzerland

Bellinzona, Switzerland

Bellinzona city (Switzerland)

Travel – Sion – The Place of Castles in Switzerland

Traveller — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:58:09 +0000

Sion is a city which is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais in Switzerland. Its population is around 28,800. It is also known as Sitten in German and means “The place of Castles”. Sion was occupied during the Neolithic era but it seems to have started to really develop during the Celtic times. It has two jutting rocky hills, medieval castles Valère and Tourbillon and a flat valley floor.
Its landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion also has an airfield and FC Sion which is a Swiss Super League Football team. The Airfield organizes Public Air shows. There have been Aerobatic steams; for example, the Frecce Tricolori from Italy was well as the Patrouille de France. The Roman Catholic diocese of Sion is the oldest in Switzerland and one of the oldest north of the Alps.

Places to see
• Basilique de Valère – The Valère basilica (Basilique de Valère), is a church in Sion. The church (Notre-Dame de Valère) was built during the 12th and 13th centuries. This church is full of Swiss architecture.
• Château de Tourbillon – The Tourbillon castle (Château de Tourbillon) is a castle in Sion in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is located on a hill and the Basilique de Valère, located on the opposite hill.
• FC Sion – FC Sion is a top league Swiss soccer team located in town.
• Vineyards: Just outside the city centre, Sion is full of vineyards. It is really nice to see bunches of grapes and to watch the landscapes. It shows the varieties of vines of different species of grapes and shows the different types of wines per district.
• NAX: This is a village around Sion. This village can be reached by a bus or a car. It is worth a visit because of its location on the top of a plateau and its views of Rhone plain and the “Bas Valais”. It is also known as “THE BALCONY OF THE SKY”. This village comprises of old wooden houses, oven, a church and magnificent Alpine Flora.
• Sierre – Chateau De Villa: There is a village close to Sion, called Sierre. It has a castle named CHATEAU DE VILLA. One can take a walk or get a train to reach the castle.
• Sierre – Chateau Merciere: The village Sierre has another castle name chateau merciere which is 15 minute uphill taking the Escaliers-Jean-Daetwyler from the train station. This castle and the villas have nice park with flowers.
• St. Leonard – The biggest underground lake: St. Leonard is a small village near sion which has the biggest underground lake in Europe. This lake is 300m long, 20m wide and 10m deep. One can take a boat to navigate.
• THE OLD TOWN: The Tourbillon Castle and the Valère Fortress are part of the Old town. The Old town is for a nice walk with nice buildings around and streets are traffic-free. There are many churches in the heart of Old Town.
• Notre Dame Du Glariere – It is a Cathedral with Romanesque tower built in 12th century and later rebuilt in the 15th century. Church has works of art; wood etc. Close to it there is the smaller 16th century EGLISE DE ST THEODULE.
• Chateau De Valere: This church is on a hill built in 12th century. It organizes old organ. Frescoe, postcard view from the terrace are its special features.
• Rue Du Grand Pont: It is a street of Sion which is full of flags. It is a 3D reconstruction of the old city, river inside the wizard’s tower. The Town Hall and an astronomical clock are the highlights.
• Tour Des Sorciers – WIZARDS’ TOWER: The Tour des Sorciers (12th C.) is remain of the medieval city walls. It is a 3D reconstruction of the old city, river inside the wizard’s tower.

How to get there:

To get to Sion, rail is the easiest method. The route the goes through Sion starts from Brig and goes towards Montreux.

By Train: From Milano (Italy) To Sion in Switzerland. There are at least 10 departures per day of trains from Milan in Italy to Geneva which have a stop in Sion. Four of them are direct trains (Cisalpino train). They pass through the Simplon pass and Tunnel

Get around: This area is excellent for hiking in alpine valley. One can view the Swiss Architecture and go up the shills to take a look of castles and churches.

By air: Sion Airport is the airport of Sion. This connects to other airports.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Sion is summer, that is around May, June and August.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Virtualtourist
• Hotel.info
• Snowjet
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Sion.htm (cheap deals on hotels)
• Accorhotels
• http://www.allstays.com/Europe/switzerland/sion-hotels.htm
• http://www.agoda.com/europe/switzerland/sion.html (lowest discounts)

Blogs / Sites about Sion:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Sion
• Virtualtourist
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.blogged.com/topics/sion/
• http://en.wordpress.com/tag/piory-of-sion/
• http://sionphoto.blogs.com/
• http://www.oleole.com/switzerland/sion/tlm8.html

Images and photos of Sion:

• Google Search
• http://sionphoto.blogs.com/
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Valais/Sion/
• http://myfrenchwindow.com/the-rest-of-my-sion-photos/
• http://realtravel.com/dp-19601-0-sion_photos
• http://www.webshots.com/explains/travel/sion.html
• http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l1651-Sion_photos.html

Videos of Sion (link)

Sion Switzerland

Sion, Switzerland

Cycling in Sion, Switzerland

Montreux – at the foot of the Alps on Lake Geneva

Traveller — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:40:22 +0000

Montreux is in the district of Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a municipality and is situated at the foot of the Alps on Lake Geneva. This place is known for hosting several festivals. The most famous one is the two week Jazz festival.
It is a tourist spot with lakes. As a popular pastime, one can take a walk along the lake from Villeneuve to Vevey.
The main square of the town, Place du Marché, features a statue of Freddie Mercury (who was famous for his love for singing) along with his band. Strolling along the Riviera and going hiking are other options for enjoyment. There are many small villages around Montreux that include La Tour-de-Peilz, Clarens, Territet, and Villeneuve. The Chateau of Chillon gives a view of the entire Lake of Geneva. One can go by bus, walk or boat. Montreux is also famous for its recording studio called “The Mountain Studios”.

Some of the festivals in Montreux are:
• Freddie Mercury’s Montreux Memorial Day: is held annually in the first weekend of September in the memory of long-time resident, Freddy Mercury.
• The Montreux Jazz Festival: is held annually in July (since 1967) at the Montreux Music & Convention Centre. This centre was built in 1973.
• The Golden Rose Festival: is held annually in spring. This festival was awarded the Golden Rose of Montreux, an international award for television.
• The Golden Award of Montreux: is held annually in April (since 1989). It is the first in International advertising and multimedia Competition in Europe.

Places to see in Montreux
• Chateau de Chillon: It is a historic castle on a small island in Lake Geneva which is only a few meters from the shore. It was actually meant for taking a toll from people and goods passing between Italy and the rest of Europe on the road north from the St. Bernard pass. This castle is just 45 minutes walk from Montreux along the lakeside. One can reach in 4 minutes by train. One of the most famous people here was the Prisoner of Chillon was a political prisoner from Geneva who was released in 1536.
• Marmots’ Paradise: The Mountains around Hauts-de-Montreux are full of forest trails, caves, grottos, and wildlife, and surrounded by isolated villages. It is said that marmots from all over the world live in an observable system of underground burrows here. It’s a natural reserve. It also has an amusement theme park in there to enjoy.
• Corniche Lavaux Vineyards: It’s a Natural trail which has mountains views and lakes. It is a historic site and is a winery too.
• Rochers-de-Naye; it is a mountain with an observation tower and deck. One can view Lake Geneva from high above which is very beautiful. It a truly spectacular viewpoint.
• Freddie Mercury Memorial: It’s a memorial of a long-time resident, Freddy Mercury. He was also a member of the band “Queen”, a lover of songs. It has his statue.
• Swiss chocolate Train: It is a scenic railroad trip.
• Musee du vieux Montreux: It is a historical museum. It gives an insight to the life of Vieux Montruex.
• Montreux Old town: Promises a beautiful walk through the old town along the side of Lake Geneva. The streets and locality depicts the old times.
• Lakeside Promenade Fleuri: A place for hiking lovers, having a nice hiking trail.
• Casino Montreux: It is a casino for casino lovers. It has three restaurants, 379 slot machines and 22 table games.
• Clinique La prairie: If you want to relax, then this is the spa for you.
• Gstaad: It is a historic village.
• Golden Pass Line; this is another scenic railroad ride.

How to get there:

By plane: Geneva Cointrin International Airport is the major airport to Montreux. It has direct flights from most cities of Europe, Canada and United States, North Africa and the Middle East. It will take around an hour from Geneva by car. Geneva is connected to Geneva International Airport by its Railway Station.
By train: From Geneva, Lausanne, and Brig-Glis, Montreux is connected by direct rail services and is easily accessible via rail connection from anywhere in Switzerland.

Get around locally (local transport): Montreux-Oberland-Bernois or MOB is one of the longest established of the Swiss narrow gauge railways and runs from platforms 5 and 6 of the town’s main line station to Zweissimmen via the resort town of Gstaad.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Montreux is March and September. The best time to visit because of the weather and lack of tourists. One will be able to experience the summer swimming days along with cooler Montreux nights in September. It is a great time for hiking, biking, and swimming. Somewhat unpredictable in the sense that it’s always better to be prepared for both summer and winter weathers in all the times.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Geneva to Montreux on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Topbooker.com (list of hotels along with the prices and ratings)
• http://realtravel.com/dp-18206-0-montreux_photos (has popular hotels)
• http://realtravel.com/df-18206-montreux_restaurants (has restaurant details)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants (list of restaurants)
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/accommodation.html?gclid=COjZj6SMsaMCFcRA6wod1Rf24A
• Octopus Travel

Blogs / Sites about Montreux:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Montreux
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Montreux/tpod.html
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/lake-geneva-region/montreux/travelblogs
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Montreux-travel-blogs-1191517
• http://www.expat-blog.com/en/blog/europe/switzerland/www.montreux-life.com

Images and photos of Montreux

• Google Images
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_montreux_4377.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188108-Montreux_Vaud.html
• http://www.travel-images.com/switzerland.html
• Picsearch
• http://realtravel.com/dp-18206-0-montreux_photos

Videos of Montreux (link)

Locarno – an older town, great to visit

Traveller — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:30:32 +0000

Locarno which means “Lion’s Flesh” in Latin is located in the Swiss canton of Ticino. It is on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore and is the capital of Locarno district. The language majorly spoken here is Italian. Locarno is the third biggest populated city of canton Ticino (with the first and second being Lugano and Bellinzona).
To enjoy Locarno, one can walk or rent a bike. One can rent a bike from the train station of Locarno. Lacarno is otherwise a walk able city with all its visiting centres at few distances. This old town is having all sorts of locations, from castles to lakes to views of the mountains to a botanical garden. It is also famous for the Treaty of Locarno which was signed by the European powers to ensure peace after world war I. Locarno is now primarily a tourist spot.

There are many places to visit in Locarno, since you will find a combination of art, tourism and nature.
• Astrovia Locarno: It’s a 1: 1,000,000,000 scale model of the Solar System. Just like the solar system the Sun can be found at the end of Via Gioacchino Respini that runs along the river Maggia. 6 km away from this starting point in the village of Tegna, Pluto, the final planet is found.
• Madonna Del Sasso, Cardada and Cimetta: The sanctuary of Madonna Del Sasso is the pilgrimage in Orselina and is above the city. Its interior decoration is highly splendid and gives a perfect view of the city. A gondola runs to the top of Cardada from Orselina (1, 340 m (4,396 ft)). There is a rare chair lift that goes further to the top of Cimetta (1,671 m (5,482 ft)).
• Castello Visconteo: Castello Visconteo is a 12th century built. It was the residence of a Captain Orelli, a true faithful to the Emperor. After changing hands like Ghibellines and Visconti in a war, only a fifth of the original structure remains today. It is a castle. This is now a Municipal and an Archeological Museum. It’s also known as The Castle of Locarno. It has the historical monuments in the city and depicts Italian architectural styles.
• Cimetta, Locarno: This place is for the trek enthusiasts. Cimetta is situated at a height of 1672m and the alpine mountains. It is covered with snow during winters, which is a magnificent view to look at. Hence it is a desired spot for skiing and other winter sports.
• Ascona, Locarno: If one wants to explore the small villages near Locarno, then Ascona village is one of them. This village is filled with natural beauty and art. There is an old museum in Ascona, which depicts devotion to art.
• Morcote, Locarno: Morcote is a scenic village in Locarno which is filled with nature. It has a park with a wide collection of plant species and the reproduction projects from all around the world.
• Funicular ride: The funicular railway up to the old monastery and cable car station is worth a ride.
• Piazza Grande: This is a park that has a wide collection of plant species like gardens of palms, camellias, bougainvillea, cypress, oleanders and magnolias etc., from all over the world. It is also a major shopping area and is in the heart of the centre.
• One can also walk to the Lake Maggiore promenade or take boat trips on Lake Maggiore.

Festivals in Locarno:
• Moon and Stars Music Festival; is held in July that attracts international acts.
• Locarno International Film Festival (Festival Del Film internazionale): is held in the first two weeks of August on Piazza Grande. It has one of the biggest open air screens in Europe.

How to get there:

• By car: Take highway A2 Baselto Chiasso from the east, exit at Bellinzona South, direction Locarno. After the Magadino airport, take the A13 highway,direction Loscarno. After the tunnel, the first exit will bring you in the center of Locarno.
Take the road coasting the Lake Maggiore, from Verbania trough Cannobio and the Brissago customs from the west. Then take the A13 highway, direction Locarno. An alternative, from Simplon and Domodossola, is the Valle Vigezzo and Centovalli road, direction Locarno.
• By train: Locarno is directly linked with Zurich, Basel, Lucerne, Milan and Bellinzona by regular trains. The Centovallina train line connects Locarno and the Simplon line (from Geneva or Bern).
• By flight: Take a flight from any major city to Lugano airport and take the bus to Locarno. One can take train also instead of bus to Locarno.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Locarno is all round the climate. In summer, biking, hiking, mountain viewing etc., are available. For persons interested in skiing, snow surfing etc., winter is the best time.
It’s best to go in a time that is matching with the festivals held in Lacarno, i.e., July-August, to fully enjoy the area activities.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Travelpod (list of hotels with reviews)
• TripAdvisor
• Booking.com
• http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/booking/hotels-list.shtml
• http://www.hotelclub.co.uk/SearchResults.asp?id=10941
• http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/locarnohotels/

Blogs / Sites about Locarno:

• http://www.travelpod.com/hotels/Locarno.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locarno
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/ticino/locarno/travelblogs
• http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-512743.html
• http://www.fest21.com/blog/locarno
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Locarno-travel-guide-1191324
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locarno_Treaties

Images and photos of Locarno:

• Google Search
• TripAdvisor
• Picsearch
• http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Locarno/gallery
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/locarno.html

Videos of Locarno (link)

Thun – located on the shore of Lake Thun

Traveller — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:03:11 +0000

Thun is in the canton of Bern and is a municipality in Switzerland. It is located 30km south of Bern and here River Aar flows out of Lake Thun. The food industry and publishing are of economic importance here along with tourism. Machine and apparatus engineering is also well known here. Hiking, mountain biking, water sports, swimming etc., are some of the activities one can enjoy.
There are beautiful views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau and, the giant pyramidal Niesen (2362m) and flat-topped Stockhorn (2190m). Obere Hauptgasse, and the tranquil, cobbled Rathausplatz at its northwestern end were once flooded and the new one is the renovated one. There are many places to visit. The Swiss Gastronomy museum, Muehleplatz, Aare River, Lake Thun, Wocher panorama etc,
• Schadau Park and Castle: This is the Castle of the twelfth century. It also a history museum which has medieval armors and weaponry. Built in 1190 and occupied by the Bernese in 1386. Schadau Park is at the lakeshore, but on the station side of the river. This has tended flowerbeds and views across the water to the mountains
• The Rathaus (town hall): This was erected in the 16th century.
• Lake Thun: This is the lake with a view of Bernese Alps along with Niesen, Stockhorn and Jungfrau peaks. Lake Thun is the largest lake in Switzerland. It is surrounded by green mountains and Jungfrau snowy summit. There are water-sports and swimming, if interested. One can just walk or else, enjoying the view.
• The Wocher Panorama, the oldest remaining panorama drawing in the world. It’s a part of the Kunstmuseum Thun. The name is originated because of the painting of the artist Marguard Wocher. His painting depicted small town of Thun. It’s of the nineteenth century and one can view an intimate view into living-rooms, classrooms and narrow streets. The paints have marvelous mountains, mirrored in the blue of the lakes and are beautiful. The panorama shows view from the quays along the river Aare to Niesen, Blüemslialp, and Jungfrau peaks and back to the castle.
• Niederhorn (1954 m/6411 ft): One can get by rail, boat or by bus. The other modes of transfer are by funicular and by aerial cableway. This is a vantage point in the Bernese Oberland. Lakes of Thun and Brienz to the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau can be viewed from this vantage point.
• Kunstmuseum Thun Concept and Program: The Kunstmuseum Thun is in the former Grand Hotel which has all the collection of the city of Thun since 1949. In five to six large exhibitions per contemporary art trends at international levels are shown. The collection embraces important minor masters, a large number of Swiss pop art works, classical modern Swiss art and works by all the renowned artists of the region. Among the artists represented in the collection are: Cuno Amiet, Ferdinand Hodler, Paul Klee, Franz Gertsch, Balthasar Burkhard, Claudia & Julia Müller, Chantal Michel and Shirana Shabhazi.
• Project room enter: The project room “enter” is a special platform for young innovative art. The small exhibitions held there offer scope for artistic experimentation and exciting insight into current, not yet fully formulated positions in art.
• Museum shop and Café Thunerhof: It is the best art book store in the region. It has a large selection of original art books for children. The Café Thunerhof serves warm and cold snacks.

How to get there:

• By Train: The Berne S-Bahn operates from Berne to Thun. The suburban trains are connected to the Berne metropolitan area. Non-S-Bahn suburban trains operate from Thun to Hasle-Rüegsau.
• By Car: From national motorway A6 from Berne or Spiez, Thun can be reached. This highway has two exits (Thun South, Thun North).
• By Foot: Thun can be got around by walk.
• By Bus: Thun has a local bus-system. The STI brings around the city.

Best time to visit / climate:
The place of Thun is best to visit during the summer. Thun is full of flower blooms and its scenic views, lakes are best enjoyed. Hiking, biking etc., are the best things to do.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Thun in Switzerland, on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):
• Booking.com
• Restaurants on World66.com (list of best restaurants in lauterbrunnen)
• http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/booking/hotels-list.shtml
• Restaurants on TripAdvisor (list of restaurants)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g188053-Thun-Hotels.html
• Virtualtourist.com
• http://www.thun.ch/en/tourism/accomodation/hotel.html

Blogs / Sites about Thun:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/thun
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/berner_oberland/thun.html
• http://www.magicswitzerland.com/thun.htm
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Thun
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Thun/tpod.html
• http://www.travelpost.com/EU/Switzerland/Bern/Thun/2105725
• http://www.yukiba.com/1446-thun-switzerland-europe-trip.html

Images and photos of Thun:

• Google Images
• http://switzerland.europe-mountains.com/bern/thun-gallery.aspx
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_thun_4296.html
• http://photobucket.com/images/Ao%20thun%20nu/
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Bern/Thun/
• http://realtravel.com/dp-18993-0-thun_photos
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_thun_4296.html

Videos of Thun (link)

How to see London as a tourist

Traveller — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:02:43 +0000

A huge number of tourists visit London every year, and follow the regular tourist cycle of visiting the sights of the city. This post is my experience of the same.
We had gone to visit some relatives living near London, and thought about doing a visit to some of the sights and beautiful places in London. We were living in Dulwich, which was some distance away from Victoria station, from where we wanted to start the tour. Now, we had a choice, whether to do the tour using the tube, or using a bus. If you are looking for convenience and a bit of speed, then the tube is the way to go, since it is fast, avoiding London traffic. However, one of the main problems with the tube is that you would feel like a bit of a rabbit, suddenly coming up from a hole to view some great building, and then diving underground to see another building. You do not get a feel of the city, and that is what we were trying to do. So, it was the bus that we are going to use, but there was the realization that London roads can get crowded and traffic would cause a journey on the bus to take time.
There are tourist buses that do the rounds of most of London’s tourist sites, with the buses being of the hop-on, hop-off type. You take a ticket for the bus, get on, get down at any of their stops to see the tourist location, and then get onto the next bus that comes on, and it can be very convenient. These buses come by every 5-10 minutes, so there is not much waiting that needs to be done. Our journey started by taking a train first to Victoria, and just outside Victoria Station, there were these buses ready to start. We had an option to buy take a ticket to Madame Tussaud’s while buying our bus ticket (the bus ticket cost us 21 pounds each), and given that the Madame Tussaud’s ticket allows one to bypass the regular queue, it was well worth it (and did I mention that the ticket was also available at a discount ?). The bus ticket also entitles you to a small cruise on the Thames, which was also great fun.
What are some of the tourist places that this bus tour covers ? There are several different tours, so the actual places covered are different in each tower, but some of the places to cover are:
Buckingham Palace,
Westminster Abbey,
St. Paul’s Cathedral,
The Tower of London,
Big Ben,
London Eye,
Marble Arch,
TrafalgarR Square,
Waterloo (and more places)

A map of the tour is available at this link.

So, you get started on the bus (and it was a double decker bus); I quickly climbed to the upper level even though it was windy, since you get a great view. We got down at several stops on the way, with the places that we spent a lot of time being:
London Eye (you cannot go away from London without doing a spin (1 hour) on the huge ferris wheel),

A view of London Eye at night from outside the entry point

London Eye straight ahead – view from the path right in front

Big Ben and surrounding areas (the whole area has many great buildings, where you get a great view of the architecture)

Photo of Big Ben by night – Well lighted up and an important tourist attraction

Thames (go for a cruise on the Thames, you get a short view of the history of London along with seeing the numerous bridges on the way)

A cruise ship on the Thames in London (similar to the one I was traveling in)

Passing under one of the Bridges across the Thames in London

The Hungerford Bridge over the river Thames in London

Tower of London (the place used by royalty earlier, and also used as a detention and execution place)

Part of the Tower of London as seen from the Thames

The Tower of London – A beautiful lawn replaces the moat now

The beautiful architecture of Tower of London

Buckingham Palace (the current residence of the queen, there is a great changing of the guard ceremony every alternate day at 11 in the morning)

A closer view of the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace

Close up of marching formation at Buckingham Palace changing of the guard

Front facade of Buckingham Palace when it is less crowded

The beautiful autumn at the Green Park just outside Buckingham Palace

Madam Tussaud’s (A world famous wax museum, but I got bored after around 30 minutes)
Trafalgar Square (A great open place, with a water attraction, big lions, and mermaids)

Admiralty Arch and adjoining building near Trafalgar Square in London

One of the fountains of Trafalgar Square in London

People enjoying on the bronze lions in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square

The Tower Bridge looks incredible and one should visit it atleast once.

A beautiful view of the Tower Bridge in London against a blue sky

A photo of London Bridge in a beautiful setting

Photo of Tower Bridge and the buildings to one side of the bridge

Some other photos from London

Bus that takes tourists on a trip around London to the major tourist points

A beautiful view of a partially cloudy sunset over the Thames and Westminster in London

A beautifully decorated London store near the Chinese New Hour in the evening

A close up of the glass dome of the London City Hall

A glimpse of the exterior architecture of Westminster Abbey

A jetty on the Thames used to drop and pickup passengers of cruise ships

A more detailed view of the dinosaur skeleton in the central hall of the Science Museum in London

A view of the London skyline with the top of the Gherkin (Swiss Re building) in the background

Constitution Arch with the largest British bronze statue on top in Belgrave Square

Rick Steves’ London 2012	Streetwise London Underground Map	London Sights 2011: a travel guide (Kindle)

A day trip to Dover Castle

Traveller — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:36:31 +0000

We had gone on a short trip to meet relatives in London, and I had a great urge to see Scotland. I mentioned this to the relatives, and was so politely and decently informed that I must have not done enough research. Scotland is a fair distance from London, and requires some amount of planning (and a few days) to enjoy thoroughly, and of course, this was the start of winter and it would be nice and cold. So, Scotland was dropped; I was unhappy , but one cannot argue against solid logic.
So now the search was on for an alternative, we needed to go out of London atleast once, and Dover Castle had been seen by some friends of my relatives; so Dover was the best (and actually only) possible place to go to. I had heard of Dover before (not specifically the castle though) – it is the place where the English Channel tunnel starts on the English side; in addition, Dover is the closest port to France, and must have been the first place to be attacked by any invader. So much for history, Dover Castle it was (for want of a better alternative).

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We did not need to hire a vehicle, relatives vehicle was good enough. And so we started – getting out of London is always the more troublesome part. Once you are out of London, then it is a straight road (around 120 kilometers) on a straight 8 lane expressway. It took roughly 2-2.5 hours to reach there, and even the expressway was beautiful on many stretches. As we reached closer, there were turnoffs for the Dover-Calais Chunnel (train under the English Channel), and soon, we could see the water of the English Channel and the cliffs of Dover.
The Castle is reached by passing through the main streets of the town of Dover, and then following the directions. The entrance to the castle is fairly expensive, (I think it was just about 10 pounds per adult), and lower for children (if you live in England or frequently visit, consider buying a Heritage package that allows a family to visit a number of places for an overall much lower rate). The road to the castle goes through a big gate, passes in front of the castle and keeps on going to the parking lot. The first thing that struck me as I started moving around was the incredible cleanliness of the place, with nothing out of place and everything spic and span. The grass looked so green and like a good carpet (although it was cold when we went in November, and hence we did not really try to sit on the grass !).
The castle is really old (you can imagine how old the whole location is when you realize that the castle also contains the ruins of a Roman lighthouse built when the Romans were in control of Britain). The castle has had sections built over a period of time, and was last used during the second World War when it was the headquarters for Admiral Ramsay (when he was over-seeing Operation Dunkirk, the saving of the British expeditionary force from the continent), and was also a field hospital and a command center. There is a vast labyrinth of tunnels built over different periods of time that also served as military headquarters.

The architecture of the castle is incredible, and since it is located on a height, the upper towers offer a good vantage position for looking over the surroundings. What is special are the exhibits inside the castle that showcase the quarters for the king when he would visit over here. There are many posters and presentations that display the going-ons in the castle when the king would visit (an interesting tidbit is that the king never paid enough to have proper work done inside the castle, and hence this was probably the first location in the world where the field of interior decoration was used to a large degree to cover up for lack of new construction).

You also get a guided tour of the tunnels used during wars, including an actual simulation with sound effects, a movie displaying the history of the war effort, as well as a chance to see the bunks, hospital areas, command centers, wireless and communication abilities, etc. This was very interesting, and made the trip very worthwhile; be sure to book this early since there is a limit to the number allowed per such visit. There is also a beautiful old church called St. Mary’s church in the premises.

Overall, the trip was a very good experience, and I had lots of fun. What took the cake in the end was the classic sunset over the English channel and the great colors of the setting sun. And then the trip back was tiring, with the inevitable letdown after a beautiful visit.