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Travel – Isla Verde – a tiny island in the district of Carolina of Puerto Rico

Traveller — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:43:34 +0000

Isla Verde is a tiny island in the district of Carolina of Puerto Rico. It is to the east of Santurce (which is beside Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport above the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge). This city is just outside the capital of Puerto Rico. Rio Piedras and Hato Rey are linked by this island. The island is 400 meters to the north of Punta Medio. It is actually the coastal area of Cangrejo Arriba. The island is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, by San Juan to the east, by Sancturce in the south and by downtown Carolina to the east. There are many restaurants, hotels, casinos and discotheques housed on this island. This city has hotels and casinos along with the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport and Isla Verde club scene.
The official language of this island is Spanish and English. Spanish is the mother tongue of the native living here.

Attractions of Isla verde and around:
• Luis Muñoz Marín Airport: This Airport’s Local Name is Aeropuerto Internacional de Luis Muñoz Marín. It is the Caribbean’s large international airport and also the largest in Puerto Rico. It is situated to the east of San Juan which is in the suburb of Isla Verde. This airport has restaurants, communications areas, and VIP lounges. Flights from the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean serve this airport.
• Luis Muñoz Marín Park: This a famous park in Puerto Rico which has a biking trail, walking and jogging path. It is amidst several small lakes.
• Old San Juan: Its Local Name is San Juan Viejo; it is an old historic colonial city about 500 years old. In here, one can see Spanish colonial history blended with contemporary Puerto Rican culture. It is the second oldest city of America. It has more than 400 restored Spanish colonial buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Old City: This city was given the title of a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1983. It is located on a long narrow inlet at the northeast entrance to the San Juan Bay, Old San Juan that was founded in 1521. Gold mining was done here during 1508.
• Puerta de Tierra: This is a part of the colonial part of San Juan. Now it is a combination of commonwealth government buildings, residences and Navy and Coast Guard facilities.
• Río Piedras: This is the academic enclave of San Juan. It houses the University of Puerto Rico along with the district’s restaurants and cafés. This is also a shoppers spot with indoor and outdoor markets and bazaars. The Jardin Botanico and the Museo de Antropolgia, Hisotria Y Arte are the other attractions of this place.
• Santurce: This is the modern business dense district of Greater San Juan. The main shopping and Commercial Street here is The Avenida Ponce de León. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, The Habana club and great nightlife are all part of this district.
• El Castillo San Felipe Del Morro “El Morro”: This is a citadel that dates back to the sixteenth-century. It is located towards 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 this city of San Juan. It is one of the National Historic Sites. It has a height of 150 feet and is built on an area of 27 acres of land.
• Palacio de Santa Catalina: 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 (UNESCO).
• 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: This fort was built in 1595 to defend from attacks.
• 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 was 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 based guided tour inside the factory.
• Condado Beach: This beach is a one mile long stretch along the Atlantic Ocean and Laguna Condado. The line has many luxury hotels and facilities.
• The Casino of Puerto Rico 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 the 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.

Best time to visit / climate:

Isla Verde 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.

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. 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.
Getting 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):

• Frommers.com
• Wikitravel.org
• http://www.sanjuanhotelsltd.com/
• Virtualtourist
• Hotels.com

Blogs / Sites about Isla Verde:

• Travelpod.com
• Travelblog.org
• http://10000birds.com/isla-verde-avifauna.htm
• http://www.islaverdevacations.com/

Images and photos of Isla Verde:

• Google Image Search
• Webshots
• Virtualtourist
• Tripadvisor

Videos of Isla Verde from Youtube:

Vacaciones en Puerto Rico ,Isla Verde Beach Part 1

ISLA VERDE

Beach in Isla Verde

Water Club Hotel on Isla Verde Beach, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Travel – Herrera, Panama – named after the general, General Tomás Herrera

Traveller — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:07:58 +0000

Herrera is a province located in Panama. It was named after the general, General Tomás Herrera. This province got its existence after the division of the Los Santos province. Chitre is the capital of Herrara and lies on the coastline of the province. Towards its north are the provinces of Veraguas and Cocle, to its south is Los Santos, to its east are Golfo de Parita and to its west is Veraguas.
This province was created in 1854. There are nine provinces in Panama and Herrara is the third biggest in terms of sugarcane production. The economy is also dependent on sugarcane production, along with retail, equipment repair, banking, and domestic service. The other main industries include dairy, cattle, commercial fishing, alcohol, ceramics, clay products, mosaics, and cement.
This province is popular for its festival Del manito ocueno which originated in the city of Ocu. There are many carnivals held in Chitré, Parita and Ocú. Chitre’s carnival is the most famous in Panama. In addition, Herrera is known for the best pottery in the country.
This province is divided into 7 districts:
1. Chitré District. Corregimientos that includes the cities Chitré (capital), La Arena, Monagrillo, Llano Bonito and San Juan Bautistas.
2. Las Minas District. Corregimientos that includes the cities Las Minas (capital), Chepo, Chumical, El Toro, Leones, Quebrada del Rosario and Quebrada El Ciprián.
3. Los Pozos District. Corregimientos that includes the cities Los Pozos (capital), El Capurí, El Calabacito, El Cedro, La Arena, La Pitaloza, Los Cerritos, Los Cerros de Paja and Las Llanas.
4. Ocú District Corregimientos that includes the cities Ocú (capital), Cerro Largo, Los Llanos, Llano Grande, Peñas Chatas, El Tijera and Menchaca.
5. Parita District Corregimientos that includes the cities Parita (capital), Cabuya, Los Castillos, Llano de la Cruz, París, Portobelillo and Potuga.
6. Pesé District Corregimientos that includes the cities Pesé (capital), Las Cabras, El Pájaro, El Barrero, El Pedregoso, El Ciruelo, Sabanagrande andRincón Hondo.
7. Santa María District Corregimientos that includes the cities Santa María (capital), Chupampa, El Rincón, El Limón and Los Canelos.

Attractions of Herrera:
• La Casa Vegetariana: One can get vegetarian food with wide varieties of fruit drinks and soya bean milk etc.
• Gamboa Rainforest Resort: This resort has a magnificent view of the rainforest. There are adventure programs around the Panama Canal area.
• Portobelo National Park: This is a park which offers snorkeling opportunity and kayaking the mangroves and this place is famous for the Spanish and the pirates.
• Colon: Colón is a sea port that is on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. This is a city that is on the entrance to the Panama Canal and is capital of the province by the same name. It is also known as the second city of Panama. It is located on Manzanillo Island. It is surrounded by Limon Bay, Manzanillo Bay and the Folks River. It now includes the towns of Cristobal, Rainbow City, Margarita, and Coco Solo, and the former U.S. Army base of Fort Gulick.
• El Casco Viejo: This is a Spanish colonial city, established in 1671. This city was established after the downfall of Panama Viejo in battles and until 20th century, this city was Panama City. Panama bay and other sites depict its history with Spain, France and United States.
• Iglesia de San Francisco de la Montaña: This is a church that dates to 1727. It has unique Baroque architecture and is a declared National Historical Monument on January 27, 1937. About Seventeen kilometers from Santiago, the San Francisco de la Montaña Church is stationed. This church has hundreds of hand carved pieces and is known to have the oldest baroque group of altars of the continent. These altars are painted or covered with gold leaf. These altars have Scared scriptures carved on them with scenes. It is a reflection of Spanish Catholicism with Indian culture. This is located a few kilometers away from the Pan American Highway.
• La Laguna, Las Colinas: This place is near the mountains and beaches zone. One can enjoy being at the top of a mountain or explore the pre mountain tropical forest with birds, plants and wildlife.
• Palacio de Las Garzas: There are many historic buildings in this area.
• Istmo Brew Pub: This pub provides the tourists with locally brewed beers and imported beers.
• The Panama Canal: This canal is about 77 km (48 miles). It is a shipping canal, located in Panama and this canal joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean; it is a key for maritime trade. The traffic is about 1000 ships in the early days and much higher right now. This canal has its own measurement system called Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) in tons. It is one of the largest engineering projects of the times. The route is via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America.

Best time to visit / climate:

Herrera has a tropical wet and dry climate. The dry season is from January to April whereas the wet season is in remaining year. The best time to visit this place is in the dry season.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
There is a large regional bus terminal in Chitré from where there are bus services to and fro to the destinations like Las Minas, Las Tablas, Los Posos, Ocú, Panama City, Pesé, Santiago, and Tonosí. Chitré has a small airport that has flight service to and fro from Panama City on Aeroperlas.
To reach Panama City:
By plane: Tocumen International Airport is outside Panama City. This airport offers services for Copa Airline, American Airlines (Dallas/Ft.Worth, Miami), Delta Airlines (Atlanta, Georgia), Continental Airlines (Houston, Newark), Avianca (Bogotá, Colombia) and TACA (San José, Costa Rica and San Salvador, El Salvador) along with major Central American airlines, and several South American airlines and European Airlines. There are direct flights between Tocumen and New York, Newark, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Madrid, and all major cities in the Caribbean area, Central America and South America, like Santiago de Chile.
By train:
Between Panama City and Colon, only one train service operates with a passenger car. This ride offers a scenic ride with views of the Panama Canal and the tropical rainforest.
To get around in local taxis is the best way of getting around.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):
• Hotels at allstays
• Hotel at virtual panama
• Hotels at gtahotels
• Hotels at maplandia
• hotels at exclusive hotels
• Hotels at costaricalink

Blogs / Sites about Herrea, Panama:

• Blogs and reviews at travelblog
• Blogs and reviews at travelpost
• Blogs and reviews at the panama realestate

Images and photos of Herrea, Panama:

• Images at google
• Images at tripadvisor
• Images at Panama Pictures
• Images at Topix

Videos of Herrera, Panama:

Caballo en plaza Colonial de Parita (Herrera-Panama)

Herrera Province, Panama

Herrera Cathedral, Chapel,Center, Azuera Peninsula HD

Travel – Solothurn – The most beautiful Baroque City of Switzerland

Traveller — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 21:34:02 +0000

Solothurn is in the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is the capital and the only municipality of Canton of Solothurn. It is located on the banks of Aare and in the north-west of Switzerland. It is situated on the foot of Weissenstein Jura Mountains. The city is also known as most beautiful Baroque City of Switzerland. This town is known to be built in 1530-1792. It is a combination of architecture of Italian Grandezza, French style and Swiss ideas. Its population is approximately 15,137. Solothurn is also known to acquire Wakker Prize which is given for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage. It is 30km east to Bienne.
Other names for this place are as St. Ursen City, Wengi City, the City of Ambassadors, Switzerland’s most beautiful baroque city, and the city of culture. The cathedral, St. Ursen is famous for its skyline and its emblem. This city is known to be of Roman times where they built “Castrum Salodurum”, a bell-shaped walled fort in 350 BC.
The official language of Solothurn is German but French and English are also well known in the centre. The different places to see are Besenval Palace, Cathedral St. Ursus (1762–73), Church of the Jesuits (Jesuitenkirche, 1680–89), Clock tower (Zeitglockenturm, 12th century), Gate of Basel, Gate of Bienne, Landhaus, Museum of the Old Arsenal (1609–14), Old town, The Verena Gorge and the Hermitage , Waldegg Castle and Weissenstein mountain.
Solothurn was the eleventh to become part of Swiss Confederation, there are 11 churches and chapels, there 11 historic fountains and 11 towers, St. Ursus has 11 altars and 11 bells and has levels between 11 steps and so the place is believed to have special connection to the number eleven. There is also a local brewery called Oufi which means eleven and has a beer named Oufi.
The place is filled with renaissance buildings, noble Palais Besenval, religious building, chapels, churches, one of them known for its Italian style staircase; the town walls which were built according to the principles of the French military engineer Vauban. It is also known as Catholic town. This town belongs to 16th to 18th centuries.

The Events in the town:
• Weissensteinlauf: Weissenstein Walk (Aug)
• Swiss Walking Event (Sep)

Places to see:

• Old Town – It is the finest and most compact Old Towns in Switzerland. It has old building with many Baroque highlights and a marked French influence.
• St. Urs Cathedral – It is made of pale Solothurn marble. It is the most important Early Classical building in Switzerland which has 11 altars and 11 bells. It was begun by Gaetano Matteo Pisoni and completed by Paolo Antonio Pisoni. The interior has stuccoes by Francesco Pozzi and canvasses by Domenico Corvi.
• Museum of the Old Arsenal (1609–14) – This museum has the most ancient collection of armor in Europe.
• Museum of Fine Art –This museum has an important collection of Swiss Art from 1850 onwards, with works by Cuno Amiet, Ferdinand Hodler, Bernhard Luginbühl, Meret Oppenheim, and Jean Tinguely.
• Boat ride on the Aare (in summer) – The boat ride from Aare to the Stork Colony in Altreu and via Büren is splendid. The Old Town features in the National Inventory of Heritage Sites, to bilingual Biel/Bienne.
• Weissenstein – It is the Solothurn’s local mountain (1291 m) which has a chairlift to reach the top and the Hotel Kurhaus Weissenstein in the Jugendstil. One can enjoy the views of Central Switzerland and the Alps. It is a place for walking, cycling, cross-country skiing and sledging.
• The cathedral: This cathedral is of st. Urs and Victor and its tower to which one can go up, are worth watching.
• The clock tower
• Einsiedelei im Verenaschlucht (Hermitage in the Verena gorge): This can be reached by a 45-minute walk north of the city. It is in a forest. It is a place to walk around, especially in the evenings when candles are lit and placed in between the rocks throughout.

How to get there:
By train: Solothurn is served by passenger rail services, the Swiss Federal Rail (SBB) system. Trains run to and from Geneva, Zurich, Bern, and points in between. They are accessible half-hour between 4AM and 1AM every day.
By Boat: Solothurn is also connected by boat to the bilingual town of Biel/Bienne. Boats by the BSG connect to the two towns and leave two (Spring/Fall) or three (summer) times a day.
Get around: The old town is north of the train station and across the river. To get around the town, by foot is the best option.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Solothurn is summer that is around May, June and August. The places are mostly churches, chapels, museums, and palace and walks which are best suited in early summer to mid summer.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Geneva to Solothurn:

View Larger Map

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

• Booking.com
• Hotel.info
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Solothurn.htm
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/solothurn/solothurn/
• http://www.hotelclub.com/Switzerland/Solothurn-hotels/
• http://www.switzerland-trips.com/Solothurn/Solothurn-Hotels-Tourist-Info.html
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Solothurn/tpod.html
• Virtualtourist

Blogs / Sites about Solothurn:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solothurn
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Solothurn
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Solothurn/tpod.html
• http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/57313/Solothurn-Switzerland-5
• http://realtravel.com/e-232547-solothurn_entry-solothurn
• Travelpost
• Virtualtourist

Images and photos of Solothurn:

• Google Search (link)
• http://search.pbase.com/search?q=Solothurn
• Tripadvisor
• Trekearth
• Vrtualtourist
• http://wiki.worldflicks.org/solothurn.html

Videos of Solothurn (link)

Solothurn the city, Switzerland

Solothurn city Switzerland

Solothurn: Timelapse Movie [HD]

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

Travel – Fribourg, also known as Freiburg (in Switzerland)

Traveller — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:14:11 +0000

Fribourg, also known as Freiburg is in the district of Sarine. It is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and is located on the river sides of Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau. It is a cultural border between French and German. The Old city of Fribourg is on a small rocky hill above the valley of Sarine. Fribourg is at an altitude of 581metres (1,906feet) and is 28 kilometers southwest of Bern.
Fribourg is an economic centre and was founded in 1157 by Herzog Berthold IV of Zaehringen. It comprises of architectural sight, Old city, 200 Gothic styled houses, town houses, monuments and cathedral churches. The population of Fribourg is predominantly Catholic. There are number of monasteries and churches in Fribourg and these are known for its architecture, sculpture and painting. The Franciscan monastery was donated by Jakob von Riggisberg in 1256, the Augustinian monastery was founded in the mid 13th century, and a Capuchin monastery (1608), another on Bisemberg (1621), an Ursuline monastery (1634), and a Visitandine monastery (1635) are the monasteries that prevailed in Fribourg.
Today it is the seat of the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg. The people of Fribourg speak French, German and Italian, with majority being French. The other languages of the area are Albanian, Serbian, Spanish and Portuguese.

Places to see:
• Bern Bridge, (Bus 4 to Palme): This Bridge is a wooden bridge which is 40m long. It is a renovated bridge and is the only wooden bridge left in Fribourg.
• Berne Gate, (Bus 4 to Palme). This gate has a winding staircase and is 24m high. This gate was built back 1270 and 1290. The doors are original.
• Bibliothèque Cantonale et Universitaire: This library has photographs, books, and audio-visual materials, medieval documents and transcripts.
• Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Rue des Chanoines 3 (From the SBB station, bus 2 or 6): This Cathedral was constructed in 1283 and was completed around 1430. It has been the Cathedral of the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva, and Fribourg since 1945. There are a total of 13 bells in the western tower and bell tower of the choir. The western tower is open to the public and provides a view high above the city.
• Chemins de fer du Kaeserberg, Fondation des Chemins de fer du Kaeserberg: This museum exhibits a network of miniature railways with 2045m of track through a model of Switzerland. The model is built on three levels on a scale of 1:87. The show lasts approximately 90 minutes.
• Espace Jean Tinguely Niki dè Saint Phalle; This is a museum that displays major works from both artists. It also holds temporary exhibits. The museum in a building from 1900 that was once used to shelter trams.
• Fontaine Jo Siffert, Grand-Places: This fountain by Jean Tinguely was dedicated to the memory of his friend Jo Stiffer. The specialty of this mechanical fountain varies depending on sun, clouds, and ice.
• Musée d’Art et d’Histoire: This museum is of art and history. It is housed in Fribourg’s only Renaissance building, The Ratzé Palace. It comprises of paintings and statues from the 12th to 19th centuries as well as historical remains that depict political, religious, and business aspects of life in Fribourg during that period. There is also a slaughterhouse that contains paintings and stone statues from the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Musée de la Bière Cardinal (Cardinal Beer Museum): One can learn the history of the brewery and ancestral brewing methods, housed in former storage cellars.
• Zaehringen Bridge: This is a suspension bridge and is an original piece. It was built back in 1834 and replaced in 1924 with concrete. The bridge is 165m long and spans the Sarine River. There is a footpath beneath the roadway. For a clear view, the Bern Gate or Bern Bridge is the best option. From the steep slope, Whole of the Old town can be viewed.
• Old Town: The Old Town of Fribourg is also known as Basse Ville. It comprises of churches, fountains, ancient bridges and medieval buildings with over 200 Gothic facades dating from the 15th century, cozy cafes and warm restaurants throughout the area.

Events: St Nicholas Day, held in the first week of December.

How to get there:
• By train: Fribourg is accessible by the SBB. Trains run from Geneva airport, Geneva, Thun, Lausanne, St. Gallen, and Bern and Zürich.
• By plane: There is an intercity train from Zürich airport to Fribourg (1hr 41min). Zürich airport is Switzerland’s largest international gateway with flights from all over Europe and North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East and is 160km from Fribourg. Fribourg can also be accessed from Basel’s Euro Airport within 1hr 48min by bus and train. Bus 50 takes you from the airport to the Basel SBB in 17 minutes and runs frequently throughout the day. There are connections every hour from the Basel SBB to Fribourg. Euro Airport is an international airport servicing many cities throughout Europe and is 140km from Fribourg. Geneva airport is also 140km from Fribourg with direct train links that run hourly.
• To go around: The best option to go around is by foot as all of them are at walking distances.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Fribourg is summer that is June-August. The time is right to walk around and visit the places.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Freiburg on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants)

• Booking.com
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurants)
• Accorhotels.com
• http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/fribourg.htm
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/fribourg/
• http://www.hotelclub.com/Switzerland/Fribourg-hotels/ (for cheap deals)

Blogs / Sites about Fribourg:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fribourg
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Fribourg
• Expat Blog
• Travelpod.com
• Travelblog.com
• Travelpost.com

Images and photos of Fribourg:
• Google Search
• http://www.travel-images.com/switzerland6.html
• Infohub.com
• Tripadvisor
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/175454697LbZCYJ
• http://photobucket.com/images/Spirit%20Club%20Fribourg/
• e-architect

Videos of Fribourg:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPqExvVCQ3s

FRIBOURG REGION (Switzerland) – Lakes

FRIBOURG REGION (Switzerland) – Mountains

Arrival in Fribourg, Switzerland

Summer 2007 in Fribourg, Switzerland (time lapse)

Travel – Sankt Gallen, in the north eastern part of Switzerland

Traveller — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:10:28 +0000

Sankt Gallen or St. Gallen , which means Saint-Gall in French, is in the north eastern part of Switzerland. It is the capital of Canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is a seventh century hermitage of Irish monk, Saint Gall. The hermitage is located at the river Steinach and was built in 612. It is in a valley around 700 meters (2,300ft) above sea level and is considered the highest cities in Switzerland. It is a large urban agglomeration with 160,000 inhabitants in it today. It represents the center of eastern Switzerland and is known for its economic base.
The Abbey of St. Gall a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the main attractions of the city. The city library contains books which belong to the 9th century. The transport of the city links to Germany, Austria and to the rest of the country. It is also the gate to the Appenzell Alps. It snows in winter here. The town is situated between Lake Constance and the mountains of the Appenzell Alps.
This town has been the member of the Swiss Federation since1803. The official language spoken here is German. Its land area is of the Size 2026 km².
It is a traffic-free old town. The special feature of this town is its Colorfully-painted oriel windows. In the UNESCO World Heritage listing, the Abbey precinct with the cathedral and Abbey Library has been entered.

Events
• Public City-Tours May until October
• Classic tour incl. visit at the Abbey Library and Textile Museum: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in July and August daily.
• Theme tours:Tuesday (only in German).
• OLMA, the traditional Swiss Fair for Agriculture and Nutrition in autumn.

Musical events
• The symphony orchestra St. Gallen: The symphony concerts are performed at the city theater and in the city concert hall.
• St. Gallen Open Air Festival takes place in the nearby sitter valley the first weekend in July. During the summer open air opera are performed.
• St. Gallen is also home of the Nordklang Festival which takes place in February.

Places to see
• Abbey precinct with cathedral and Abbey Library – These are in the UNESCO World Heritage listing and are the landmark of the town. This library includes 140,000 documents, which are a thousand years old. The library contains books which belong to the 9th century.
• Old town – This town is charming and traffic-free where shopping and strolling are done. The typical features are the burgher houses. The special feature of this town is its Colorfully-painted oriel windows that date from the 16th to 18th century; excellent gastronomy.
• New Art Gallery – It is a venue for contemporary art, international and regional projects. It is not a museum as understood.
• St. Gallen Art Gallery: It comprises of national and international modern art.
• ‘Schoggiland’ – Maestrani chocolate factory in Flawil.
• Textile museum & library – The textile museum includes the historical laces, embroidery and cloth embroideries from Switzerland and abroad which date back from the 14th to 20th century.
• Abtwil Säntispark –It is a leisure and water park with wave pool, water slide, brine baths and sauna village.
• Beer bottle museum; It is located at the Schützengarten brewery which is the oldest brewery in Switzerland.
• Santis – It is a viewpoint at 2502 meters in the Alpstein rambling paradise. One can enjoy the spectacular views of the ‘Alpenkranz’ (crown of Alps) and into 6 countries (cableway from Schwägalp).
• Theater St. Gallen: It is a modern and an extravagant building where operas, operettas, ballet, musicals and plays are performed.
• The Historical and ethnographical museum: This museum has several collections of regional early history, city history, folk art, cultural history as well ethnographical collections from all over the world.
• The Trogenerbahn is a connection from St. Gallen to great hiking trails in Speicher and Trogen.
• The other places to see are the reformed church of St. Laurenzenkirche, the Catholic Parish church of St. Maria Neudorf, the Cantonal library and archives, the Art and Natural History museum, the Museum in Lagerhaus and the Cantonal archive, Drei Weieren and nouveau-bath houses.
• In the city, the main train station, main post office, University of St. Gallen, Cantonal School, City Theatre and the towers Lokremise with Wasserturm and the Tröckneturm and Wildlife park Peter and paul, City park at the theater and Cantonal school park are worth seeing.
• The city has a Concert hall where a grand art nouveau style of concertslike classsic, symphony, and jazz are performed.

How to get there

• By plane: St. Gallen has its own small airport Airport St. Gallen-Altenrhein and the closest international airport to St. Gallen is Zurich International Airport. There are direct trains to St. Gallen from the airport. They run twice every one hour. The other alternative airports are the St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport which connects to Vienna and the Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen.
• By train: There are trains between St. Gallen and Zurich. The travel time is 1h10min. The train station of St. Gallen is 500m from the old town. To get to Munich, the Eurocity from Zurich stops at Saint Gallen. There are many local train lines running to Appenzell and Trogen.
• By Bus: From the train station there are many buses and Postbuses to get around St.Gallen.
• Get around: Inside the town, one can take VBSG buses that connect to the part of the city. Taxis are present near the train station and along Marktplatz in the old town. Since the place is traffic-free, one can travel even by foot.
• Bike rental is available at the train station, but check the opening hours before planning a trip.
• By car: The A1 motorway links St. Gallen with St. Margrethen, Zürich, Berne and Geneva.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit is in summer that is around June to august. This time will match with the weather and the events mostly. All the activities can be best enjoyed at this time along with visiting and touring the place.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Directions from Zurich to Sankt Gallen on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• Booking.com
• http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/stgallenhotels/
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/sankt-gallen/sankt-gallen/
• Onetime.com

Blogs / Sites about Sankt Gallen:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Gallen
• http://wikitravel.org/en/St._Gallen
• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g188068-St_Gallen-Vacations.html
• Travelblog.org
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/St.%20Gallen/tpod.html
• http://news.esadeblogs.com/tag/st-gallen/

Images and photos of Sankt Gallen

• Google Image Search
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_st_gallen_4259.html
• http://goeurope.about.com/cs/switzerland/a/st_gallen_sw.htm
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/East/Sankt_Gallen/
• http://www.galenfrysinger.com/switzerland_st_gallen.htm
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/st-gallen.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g188068-St_Gallen.html

Videos of Sankt Gallen

• On Google Search

St. Gallen Sights on Youtube:

University of St. Gallen on Youtube:

Ephesus in Turkey: Glory in the ruins

Traveller — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:08:28 +0000

Ephesus is an ancient city located near the town of Selcuk, about 44 miles away from Izmir, in the Izmir province. The city was once famous for the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Lying in ruins, the city is now an archaeological site. Originally founded as a port on the river Cayster, Ephesus has had a long and interesting history. The city is said to have been founded by Androclos, the son of Kodros, the King of Athens. According to legend, in 10th century BC, Androclos, who had to leave Greece because of the Dor invasion, was looking for a site to establish a new settlement for himself and his accompanying people. It was predicted by a Greek oracle that a boar and fish would guide them to the site of their new settlement. One day Anroclos was frying fish in an open pan, when the fish flew from the pan, and landed in the nearby bushes, where a wild boar was hiding. Scared, the boar came out of bushes and started running. Androclos killed the boar, after pursuing it for some time. The place where he killed the boar was where the city of Ephesus was established. Androclos later on died in a war with the Carians. There was a mausoleum built in the memory of the first king of Ephesus.
Ephesus was ruled by the Lydian’s in the mid 6th century BC, under the Lydian king, Kreisos. This was the golden age of Ephesus. Kreisos even restored the Temple of Artemis, which had been razed by the Cimmerians. His signature is can still found on an excavated column of the temple. The Lydian’s were later defeated by the Persians. Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in the year 334 BC and took over Ephesus. During his reign, the Temple of Artemis was destroyed during a rebellion. Ephesus prospered greatly under Alexanders rule.
After the death of Alexander the Great, Ephesus was ruled was by his general, Lysimakhos, in 287 BC. He moved Ephesus further west, because of the destruction of the port on the river Cayster, due to silting. Lysimakhos changed the name of Ephesus to “Arsinoeina”, after his wife’s name, and built huge stone walls around the city. After his death, the people of Arsinoeina broke down the walls, and Arsinoeina became Ephesus again.
Then the Romans arrived in 190 BC. Ephesus was at the peak of its power and wealth during the reign of Augustus in 27 BC. It grew into a metropolis with a population of around 500,000 people, becoming the most important centre of commerce and culture in Asia. Ephesus was the most powerful and advanced city in Asia during this time, second only to Rome for the Romans. The city remained famous for the Temple of Artemis and the Library of Celsus and its open theatre.
In 263 AD, the whole city was destroyed by the Goths, including the Temple of Artemis, marking the decline of the city’s glory.
In 395 AD, Ephesus became a part of the Byzantine Empire. Constantine I rebuilt most of it, and it was their most important city in Asia. In 406 AD, the archbishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom, ordered for the destruction of the Temple of Artemis.
An earthquake in 614 AD partially destroyed the city again.
As time went on, silting of the harbour, made it unusable and the city became unfit for trade. Slowly, people started abandoning the city. The remaining locals started using the ruins of the once magnificent temples, including the Temple of Artemis, for domestic and other purposes. The Arabs sacked the city in 645 AD and again in 700 AD and 716 AD. The Seljuk’s took over Ephesus in 1090 AD, with the Byzantines regaining control in 1100 AD.
But now Ephesus, remained nothing more than a small village (called Ayasalouk) with the Temple of Artemis completely forgotten. In 1304 AD, the town Ayasalouk saw some good times under the Seljuk’s, who built some monuments of their own. By the 15th century AD, completely abandoned, Ephesus just remained a name in history for people to talk and write about. Ephesus has also played an important role in the spread of Christianity. In 52 AD, St Paul arrived here, and with a lot of struggle and persistence, was able to make most of the Ephesians accept Christianity. The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, is said to have made Ephesus her last home. The house of the Virgin Mary, about 4 miles from Selcuk, is an important place of pilgrimage for the Christians.
The ruined city of Ephesus is the most important tourist destination of Turkey. It attracts millions of people every year, who can still see the glory, splendour and magnificence of Ephesus, in its ruins.

Climate and best time to visit:

The climate of Ephesus is typical Mediterranean with long, hot and dry summers and cold, rainy winters. During the summer months (May to August) temperatures can reach as high as 40 degrees C. Winters can be chilly with temperatures dropping as low as 5 degrees C. The best time to visit Ephesus is during spring (Mid Feb to April) and autumn (September and October), when the weather is mild.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane: There are flights to Izmir International airport from all major cities of Turkey and Europe as well. From the airport you can take a bus from Izmir central bus station to Selcuk or if you decide to stay in Izmir, your hotel can provide you with shuttle buses to Selcuk. Or even still, if you are tight on time and don’t mind spending some extra bucks, you can take a taxi from the airport to Selcuk.
By sea: You can also get there via ferry from the port of Kusadasi. Take a bus from Kusadasi bus station or a taxi from Kusadasi to Selcuk.

Places to stay (Hotels / Restaurants along with website / Contact details):

There are almost no hotels in Ephesus itself, but accommodation is available is available in the nearby towns of Selcuk and Kusadasi. If you are on a tight budget, some families also give away rooms on rent to tourists. Some nice hotels near Ephesus are given below:

1. Hotel Bella
Ataturk Mah. | St. John Street No: 7, Selcuk, Turkey
2. Hotel Nazar
S.M.Tavaslioglu cd. 2019 SK. No: 14, Selcuk 35920, Turkey
3. Aqua Fantasy Hotel & Aqua Park
Ephesus 35920, Turkey
4. Richmond Ephesus Resort
Pamucak, Selcuk 35920, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

You would find many small restaurants and fast food joints in Ephesus near the gates. Besides this, there are plenty of restaurants on the way to Ephesus from Kusadasi or Selcuk and in the towns itself, selling all kinds cuisines.

Some nice restaurants are given are given below:
1. Ejder Restaurant
9 Cengiz Topel Cad. Selcuk 35920, Turkey
2. Mehmet and Ali Baba Kebab House
4A, 1047 Sok. Selcuk 35920, Turkey
Phone: +902328923872
3. Amazon
Anton Kallinger cad 22, Selcuk, Turkey
4. Okumuslar Pide Salonu
Sahabettin Dede Caddesi 2, Selcuk, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

BLOGS / SITES ABOUT EPHESUS (WITH SMALL EXCERPTS FROM THESE BLOGS):

1. A brief history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus
Ephesus was founded as an Attic-Ionian colony in the 10th century BC on the Ayasuluk Hill, three kilometers from the center of antique Ephesus (as attested by excavations at the Seljuk castle during the 1990s). The mythical founder of the city was a prince of Athens named Androklos, who had to leave his country after the death of his father, King Kadros. According to the legend, he founded Ephesus on the place where the oracle of Delphi became reality (“A fish and a boar will show you the way”). Androklos drove away most of the native Carian and Lelegian inhabitants of the city and united his people with the remainder. He was a successful warrior, and as a king he was able to join the twelve cities of Ionia together into the Ionian League. During his reign the city began to prosper. He died in a battle against the Carians when he came to the aid of Priene, another city of the Ionian League. Androklos and his dog are depicted on the Hadrian temple frieze, dating from the second century. Later, Greek historians such as Pausanias, Strabo, the poet Kallinos, and the historian Herodotos reassigned the city’s mythological foundation to Ephos, queen of the Amazons.

2. Things to do, sightseeing and attractions:
• http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/templeofartemis.htm
The temple of Artemis is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It has been built in the areas of Ephesus on a flat area which has over the centuries turned into a swamp. Today one can only see the ruins of the foundations of this marvelous construction of the Hellenistic Age, entirely made of marble and full of sculptured columns’ capitals and shafts. The most beautiful remains of this temple are today exhibited in the London British Museum.
The oldest remaining found date back till the 6th century BC. It was surrounded by 36 huge columns, later enlarged upon the orders of the Lydia King, Kreisos, during the 6th century BC. Most of the exhibits in the London British Museum belong to this period.

• http://www.turizm.net/cities/ephesus/celsus.html
Library of Celsus: Although the building is of a mainly cultural character it is also a funerary monument. After the death of Celsus Polemaenus, a former consul who had been appointed governor of Ephesus, his son erected a magnificent reading room over his tomb. The building, which dates from the 2nd century, was attacked by fire in 260 but the facade suffered no damage. It is 21 m wide and 16 m high. Equestrian statues stood on pedestals on each side of the main staircases and there are also indications that statues were placed in the niches on the upper floor. The main room measures 16 x 10 m. The burial chamber under the ground floor contains a sarcophag s in an excellent state of preservation. Excavations carried out by Austrian archaJologists at the beginning of the 20th century revealed a 4th century fountain in the front courtyard and very valuable carvings in high relief depicting the wars waged by Marcus Aurelius and ucius Verus against the Parthians.

3. Map of Ephesus: http://www.ramtur.com/images/map/ephesus_big_map.jpg

4. Photos of Ephesus:
• Huge photo gallery of Ephesus: http://www.turkishclass.com/turkey_pictures_gallery_45
• Another picture gallery: http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/ephesus_photos.htm

5. Videos on You Tube:
1. A tour of Ephesus:

2. Temple of Artemis (small video clip):

Schaffhausen – City with beautiful culture, buildings and frescos

Traveller — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:41:43 +0000

Schaffhausen is the capital of the canton of Schaffhause, and is located in the northern Switzerland. The old city has many Renaissance era buildings with frescos and sculpture and a fortress, the Munot and is famous for these very reasons. Schaffhausen entered the Swiss Confederation in 1501. Schaffhausen is mostly agricultural land. The town is located between the Black forest and Lake Constance on the upper Rhine.
Rhine Falls in Neuhausen (also known as Rheinfall) is the largest waterfall of Europe and one of the most tourist attractions of Switzerland. One has an accessibility through a train that runs out of the town to the Rhine falls. The 35 buildings in Schaffhausen are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance and they include the following: the entire old city of Schaffhausen, the city walls, the Giesserei Werk I factory, the city and cantonal archives, the Schweizersbild Paleolithic cave and the Herblingen and Grüthalde Neolithic settlements. There are four former guild houses and seven houses on the list. The two religious buildings on the list are the former Benedictine All Saints Abbey and the Church of St. John.
The town is surrounded by vineyards and excellent destination for touring. Like many towns in Switzerland, this town is traffic-free and because of its oriel windows and painted facades, the town is considered the prettiest in Switzerland. Most of the guildhouses are from Gothic and Baroque times. The old town is perfect for shopping and the street market is known as the Vordergasse. The Munot fortress, the city emblem was built and designed by Albrecht Durer between 1564 and 1589 and the huge bell of the fortress when rung is a sign of its closing. There are cycle rides one can talk or just walk on the vine-clad slope of the hilly region of the Randen.
In Trasadingen Wine Trail or in the Museum of Viticulture in Hallau, one can learn how to make wine. Along Rhine riverside, the area is ideal for for cycling, walking and boating. The Untersee Lake-Rhine boat trip from Schaffhausen to Kreuzlingen is the most popular and is nearly 50 km long. The Benedictine monastery of St. Georgen now houses the monastery museum. Over the town the castle of Hohenklingen is present.

Places to see:
• Old Town –This Old Town in Switzerland is filled with wonderful Baroque houses and 170 oriel windows and the fortress which were a status symbol on the houses of rich merchants.
• Rhinefall at Schaffhausen – It’s the Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall, where the water crashes down 21 metres, across a width of 150 metres. In July the water levels are highest.
• The Untersee Lake – Rhine boat trip from Schaffhausen to Kreuzlingen is the most popular and is nearly 50 km long.
• Boat trip on the Rhine from Schaffhausen to Steinam Rhein and on across the Untersee to Konstanz and Kreuzlingen – one of the finest river trips in Europe.
• Former Benedictine abbey of Allerheiligen – the monastery is a church with its 11th century cloisters. It is an important Romanesque historic building, with a herb garden and museum about the town’s history and industry.
• Modern Art Gallery – This art gallery is a former textile factory houses that has large installations by internationally renowned artists.
• The Munot fortress and enjoy the view over the old city and the beautiful landscape. The Munot fortress, the city emblem was built and designed by Albrecht Durer between 1564 and 1589 and the huge bell of the fortress when rung is a sign of its closing.
Other Highlights of the city of Schaffhausen
• Fireworks Display: The Rhine Falls big fireworks display takes place every second last weekend in August. This is a time to be there in the place and enjoy the view.
• Culinary Tour Schaffhausen: Schaffhausen has its culinary side too which can be known in this tour.
• Night watchmen Tours: This tour is for the olden stories of Schaffhausen which are on the scarier side, so if you have a strong heart or like these kinds of scary stories, then go for it. At nightfall the night watchman will tell you frightening stories of terrible court sentences, hangmen, the plague, fires in town, etc.

How to get there:

• By train: From Zurich within 45 minutes to one hour one can take S-Bahn S16 or S33 vi 3 times an hour to Winterthur S33.
• By car: From Zurich one can take the A4/E41 direction north. One can reach right to the city. One shall need a vignette for all Swiss highways.
• Get around: To get around the place take Local buses or walk by foot in the old city.
Buses to all directions are available every 20 minutes when busy or else one can get in 10 minutes itself. One get can get a “Tageskarte” which is like a bus ticket that allows you to use all buses for a whole day.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Schaffhausen is around July-August when the weather is just right for boating, viewing and the Rhine falls also at its highest during this time. The view is splendid and enjoyable at this time.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Directions from Zurich on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• Booking.com
• http://www.lastminute.com/site/travel/hotels/?mpch=sem
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/schaffhausen/schaffhausen/
• http://www.travelpod.com/hotels/Schaffhausen.html
• Eurobookings.com
• Hotel.info

Blogs / Sites about Schaffhausen:

• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Schaffhausen/tpod.html
• http://www.travelpost.com/EU/Switzerland/Schaffhausen/Schaffhausen/4312185
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Schaffhausen-travel-blogs-1192139
• http://www.bugbitten.com/blogs/Europe/CanAm/Interlaken_Lucern_Schaffhausen.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaffhausen

Images and photos of Schaffhausen:

• Google Search
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/East/Schaffhausen/
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_schaffhausen_4256.html
• http://search.pbase.com/search?q=Schaffhausen
• http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/switzerland/schaffhausen/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188071-Schaffhausen.html

Videos of Schaffhausen (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:

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

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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)

Lugano – a city by the Lake in Southern Switzerland

Traveller — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:30:23 +0000

Lugano is a lakeside city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of southern Switzerland and near the border with Italy. Some of the pleasures of Lugano include palm trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and the Alps, and plenty of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities. The climate of Lugano is moderate to temperate. The city is on Lake Lugano and has given it a nickname “Monte Carlo of Switzerland”. It is the 9th largest city of Switzerland by population. It is surrounded by mountains with enchanting viewpoints.
The origin of the name is possibly the Latin word Lucus, meaning wood or sacred wood, or Gaulish locovanno “lake dweller”. It is the third most important financial centre and a conference, banking and business centre, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. Lugano offers all the advantages of a world-class city, combined with the cachet of a small town.
The city is traffic-free and has a historic town centre, numerous buildings in Italianate Lombardy style, exclusive museums, view of the mountains, a lake and a packed calendar of events all invite visitors to see the sights. The two closest mountains to Lugano, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, give you an outstanding panorama of the town, Lake Lugano and the alpine scenery. From Monte Brè there is a walk down to the village of Brè, which has preserved its typical Ticino village centre, and enhanced it with works of art. From the San Salvatore, another popular walk leads down through the beautifully situated Carona to Lake Lugano at Morcote. Taking a boat trip back to Lugano is a splendid way to round off the day. Other excursions are to the fishing village of Gandria, up the Monte San Giorgio or the Monte Generoso or to the Lilliput world of Switzerland in Miniature at Melide

The popular buildings in Lugano are
• St. Lawrence Cathedral (9th and 15th century)
• St. Mary of the Angels Church (16th century) with the fresco of the Christ’s Passion from Bernardino Luini
• Parco civico – Villa Ciani
• Piazza della Riforma
• Villa Favorita
• Piazza della Riforma

The Poular Museums are
• Art Museum
• Museo delle Culture (Museum of Cultures)
• Cantonal Art Museum
• Foundation Aligi Sassu and Helenita Olivares
• Historical Museum
• Cantonal Museum on Natural History
• Swiss Custom Museum
• Municipal Art Museum
• Wilhelm Schmid Museum
• Gottardo Gallery
• Hermann Hesse Museum

More things to do:
• Lake Lugano: The best and the beautiful lake of the city.
• Cattedrale San Lorenzo
The cathedral in Lugano is standing above the city centre. There has been a church on the same site at least since 818, but it was not until 1888 that the church became a cathedral. San Lorenzo has got a tall bell tower and a renaissance façade from the year 1517. It has a mix of medieval, baroque and rococo styles and great artwork.
• Parco Civico
Parco Civico is a 63, 000 square metre big park by the lake. It is often called Parco Ciani after Villa Ciani, which is a mansion in the park. This villa is now housing the Museo Civico di Belle Arti, a museum with a collection of 15th – 20th century paintings.
• Pedalo: Take a Pedalo and enjoy by going on the Lake Lugano and have a grand view of the city.
• Parco Civico: Is a 63,000 square meter beautiful Park located on the lakeside from central Lugano. It is also known as Parco Ciani, after the Ciani brothers who bought and restored the estate.
• City Tour by the “Red Arrow”: This little tourist friendly train is the convenient way to see the hidden beauties of Lugano in 40 minutes.
• Monte Tamaro: It is a biking trail (mountain); Cross-country ski area; Downhill ski area; Mountain; Other; Snowboard ski area.
• L’Enoteca di via Cantonale – Le Cantine Lucchini
The enoteca is the first local reality which includes almost the whole wine production of the canton Tessin. The Enoteca is a wide open door for the exploitation of the ticinese territory and of the wine.

How to get to Lugano:

By plane: Lugano has a small international airport with flights arriving from many European cities especially Italy, England, France and Germany. The airports is 1 1/2 hours away by bus or train and are served by easy Jet and Ryanair.
Swiss International Airline, Flybaboo and Darwin Airline offer discount web special prices to Lugano from many parts of Europe.
By Train: Trains leave for Zurich (3hr) and Milan (40min-1hour) as well as Geneva (via Zurich or Locarno-Domodossola: 5h30′ with 1 or 2 train-change, 6h30′ via Milan with 1 train-change). Note that getting to Geneva or points west it is faster to go via Zurich or Locarno as the trains are more frequent and faster.
By Bus: There are two shuttle services (Star Bus, Malpensa Express between Lugano and Milan – Malpensa Airport) and a daily bus service during summer to Tirano (Italy) with train connection (Bernina Express) to St. Moritz (Switzerland).
By boat: Since a small part of the lake is actually in Italy it is advisable to bring your passport if you plan on exploring by ferry. Lugano is small enough to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only, but the hills above the lakefront are very steep so the bus or the funicular from the center of town might be a better option on the way up to the train station if you have a lot of bags. Taxis can be found on the main roads. Ferries and Funiculars are great options for seeing the views.

Best time to visit / climate:

Lugano has mild climate and is considered a popular tourist destination in the spring when the camellias are in bloom. Some believe the best time to visit Lugano to see the sites and enjoy its beauty is in October, when the summer crowds have thinned and winter crowds have not yet arrived. The weather is cool, but not yet cold and everything takes on a quiet, peaceful feel.

Location on Google Maps:

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Driving directions from Milan to Lugano:

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Driving directions from Zurich to Lugano:

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

• Tourism
• Tripadvisor (list of restaurants with addresses and ratings)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g188095-Lugano_Ticino_Swiss_Alps-Hotels.html (list of hotels)
• Booking.com
• Venere.com
• otel.com

Blogs / Sites about Lugano:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Lugano
• http://lugano.arounder.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugano
• http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/36/what-to-do.aspx

Images and photos of Lugano:

Google Images

http://goeurope.about.com/od/luganotravelguide/ig/Lugano-Pictures/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188095-Lugano_Ticino_Swiss_Alps.html

http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_lugano_4366.html

http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/travel/cities/western%20europe/switzerland/cities%20i-o/lugano.html

Videos of Lugano