A city rebuilt from rubbles - Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret 1181; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread 01883 Le Havre at dusk What and Why The once beautiful port city of Le Havre , depicted by Claude Monet 's famous painting of his hometown ' Impression, Sunrise ( French : Impression, Soleil Levant ) ' was totally devastated during the Battle of Normandy and its Operation Astoria , when the Allied powers bom

City sitting on seven hills, mixed with rich maritime history and contemporary culture - Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon 263; Fado, urban popular song in Portugal 00563 Rua Augusta Arch - main entrance gateway of the city Another relocation, this time to Southampton , another hiatus of my blog. Based on popular demand, I am on board again. What and Why Lisbon ( Portuguese : Lisboa ) , sitting on seven hills, occupies a unique space in Europe’s hist

Final destination of the Saint James' Way - Santiago de Compogstela (Old Town) 347; Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain 669 Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela from Praza de Praterías What and Why Santiago de Compostela is genuinely an underrated city in terms of tourism, cultural heritage and history. Legend has it that Saint James (Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ, Yaʿqōḇ ) , one of the first apostles of Jesus (Hebrew: ישוע, Yeshua ) was executed

Historic spa town adorned with gorgeous Belle É poque architecture - The Great Spa Towns of Europe 1613; Knowledge, craft and skills of handmade glass production 01961 Karlovy Vary main square: Market Colonnade What and Why Karlovy Vary is one of the most iconic recreational and spa towns in Europe, renowned for its healing thermal waters, mineral springs, elegant Belle- É poque architecture, rich cultural heritage, and historic ties to the art of Bohemian glassmaking . Ne

Historic and gastronomic centre of France with hidden corridors - Historic Site of Lyon 872; Belfries of Belgium and France 943; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread 01883 Restaurants along Rue Saint-Jean What and Why Against common beliefs, the gastronomic centre of France is not Paris , but Lyon . So much that Lyon is inscribed as the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy . The city has apparently more restaurants per capita

The Russian Versailles, Russian Amsterdam and its old citadel - Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments 540 Fountains of Peterhof What and Why As blogged in Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург) | City Centre , the city of Saint Petersburg ( Russian : Санкт-Петербург, Sankt-Peterburg )  is a city built from scratch with a European model in mind, almost fully conceptualised by Peter I (Пётр I, Pyotr I ,   né Пётр Романов, Pyotr Romanov )  in the early

Spectacular rock columns built by 'giant' gracing the coast of Northern Ireland - Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast 369 Giant's Causeway What and Why The Giant's Causeway is the northern coastline along Northern Ireland where more than 40,000 interlocking basalt rock columns were formed and lined, forming a spectacular vista. These rock columns were formed due volcanic eruption some 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleocene epoch, and underwent slow cooling unde

Fortified city protected by three mediaeval castles - Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona 884 Castelgrande ramparts (from internet) What and Why Bellinzona , located near the foot of the Alps ( Italian : Alpi ) at the canton of Ticino , houses a group of important and well-preserved mediaeval fortifications to shelter herself from foreign invasion. These fortifications come in the form of castles and ramparts and they collectively

The king of all lighthouses - Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France 868; Cordouan Lighthouse 1625; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread 01883 Cordouan Lighthouse What and Why The Cordouan Lighthouse ( French : Phare de Cordouan ) , often referred to as the 'king of lighthouses ( roi des phares )' or the ' Versailles of the sea ( Le Versailles de mer ) ' to highlight its grandeur and majesty compared to the rest of boring

Beautiful European-styled city in the North - Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments 540 Hermitage at the background through the staff building What and Why Founded by Peter I ( Russian : Пётр I, Pyotr I , né Пётр Романов, Pyotr Romanov ) in 1703, Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург, Sankt-Peterburg ) is definitely one of the most cosmopolitan and culturally significant cities of Russia (Россия, Rossiya ) . Upon completion of the city within ten

Prime destination for geology, palaeontology and natural splendour - Monte San Giorgio 1090 Monte San Giorgio from Morcote (from internet) What and Why Monte San Giorgio , located in the canton of Ticino of Switzerland ( Italian : Svizzera ) and overlooking Lake Lugano ( Lago di Lugano ) , is one of the world's most important palaeontological sites. The pyramidal shaped Monte San Giorgio offers a fascinating blend of natural beauty, scientific significance, and cultural h

Great wall of Roman legacy in Britain - Frontiers of the Roman Empire 430 Hadrian wall near Willowford What and Why Hadrian's Wall (Latin : Vallum Hadriani ) , stretching across the north of England , is one of the most significant remnants of the Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum ) in the United Kingdom . Constructed on the orders of Emperor Hadrian (né Aelius Hadrianus (Latin) ) in 122 under 'divine instruction', the wall served as the northern frontier of the Roman

The heart of wine-making and Romanesque architectural heritage - Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion 932; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Saint-Émilion vineyards What and Why Nestled in the heart of the Gironde region of France , Saint-Émilion is a name that resonates deeply within the world of wine . This picturesque mediaeval village, surrounded by gently rolling hills and vineyards ( French : vignobles ) , is

A mediaeval monastery with a well-preserved wall gallery of Carolingian art - Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair 269 Benedictine Convent of Saint John What and Why The Benedictine Convent of Saint John ( Romansh : Claustra Benedictina da Son Jon ) , named after Saint John the Baptist (Hebrew: יוחנן המטביל, Yvhnn Hmtbyl ) is an abbey established all the way in 780 BCE in the small village of Müstair of Switzerland ( Svizra ) . According to legends, Charlemagne (né Ch

The first capital of Russia, a major trading post and another centre of Russian Orthodoxy - Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings 604 Millennium Monument What and Why While Veliky Novgorod ( Russian : Великий Новгород) is so-called the 'new city', it is actually one of the oldest cities in the history of Russia (Россия, Rossiya ) . The city was founded in 859 by the Varangian (Old Norse: Væringjar ) prince Rurik (Рюрикъ , Rjurikŭ ) , which began the ruling dynast

World engineering marvel that conquers the scenic Alps - Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes 1276 Brusio viaduct What and Why The Bernina Express is a sightseeing railway line operated by the Rhaetian Railway ( German : Rhätische Bahn ) that runs between Chur of Switzerland ( Schweiz ) to Tirano of Italy (Italian: Italia ) with a main stop at Saint Moritz ( Sankt Moritz ) . The train line is actually two separated lines combined together: the Bernina Li

Spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church - Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad 657 Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius (from internet) What and Why The beautiful Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius ( Russian : Троице-Сергиева Лавра, Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra ) is a lavra ( ла́вра) and the most important Russian monastery , being the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church (Русская П равославная Ц ерковь , Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov'

Formation of Alps in Switzerland - Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona 1179; Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps 1363; Avalanche risk management 01380; Alpinism 01471; Alpine pasture season 01966; Yodelling 02287 Piz Sardona What and Why The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona ( German : Weltnaturerbe TektonikArena Sardona ) is a major mountain thrust fault caused by the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates 100 million years ago! This major shearing action no

A small Russian former capital with more churches than anyone else - White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal 633 Suzdal What and Why Just 25 km north of Vladimir ( Russian : Владимир ) (see our blogged Vladimir ( Владимир ) sits one small town of with a glory history Suzdal (Суздаль) . The historic town dates back to the late 10th century and it became a principality in Rostov-Suzdal (Ростов-Суздаль) in the early 12th century. Later in the mid-12th century this principal

A world famous abbey with a spectacular library that chronicles European language and culture since the 7th century - Abbey of St Gall 268 Abbey of Saint Gall What and Why During the early 7th century, the Irish monk Saint Gall (Latin: Gallus ) and his disciple Saint Columbanus (Irish : Columbán ) came to the site and established a hermitage and stayed there until his death in the mid-7th century. Saint Gall was much revered in the area and after his death people venerated