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

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

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

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

A Carthaginian trading post with a syncretic urban structure and culture - Kasbah of Algiers 565; Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous 01602; Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practices 01718; Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper) 01951 Kasbah of Algiers What and Why The kasbah or casbah of Algiers ( Tamazight : ⵍⴷⵣⴰⵢⵔ, Ldzayer ) is a chaotically beautiful eclect

The only remaining wonder of the ancient world - Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur 86; Koshary, daily life dish and practices associated with it 02278 Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre What and Why There is absolutely no need for any introduction to the pyramids of Egypt ( Arabic : مصر , Miṣr ) . Pyramids are the oldest but the only standing seven wonders of the ancient world , standing on the various sites for more than 4,500 years! Unless

The fortress of political might and fear continued - Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow 545 Kremlin What and Why Built as early as the mid-12th century, the Kremlin ( Russian : Кремль, Kreml' ) is now home to the president of Russia (Россия, Rossiya ) and the epicentre of post-cold-war Russian politics. The Kremlin has survived almost a millennium of upheavals, change-of-hands, vandalism and reconstruction, the fortress-complex symbolises the political forte Russian leadershi

Former glorious capital of Vijayanagara with unrivalled sculptures - Group of Monuments at Hampi 241 Chariot near Vitthala temple What and Why Hampi ( Hindi : हम्पी) was the capital of the Vijayanegara Empire (Sanskrit: विजयनगर साम्राज्य) and reached its zenith during the 14th century when it was the second largest city in the world, after Beijing (Chinese: 北京) . As a result it developed rapidly in terms of culture and religion and was considered the richest and most prosp

One of the earliest cultural boulevards of Europe - Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences 1618; Mediterranean diet 00884 Plaza de Cibeles What and Why The Paseo del Prado is the main north-south axis of Madrid , and is characterised by a densely tree-lined boulevard. The boulevard is the main tourist landmark for the city residents with a few world-class museums along the way: the Prado Museum ( Spanish : Museo Nacional del Prado ) , the Thyssen-

Universal symbol and cradle of Greek antiquity civilisation - Acropolis, Athens 404; Mediterranean diet 00884 Acropolis What and Why Stepping into the Acropolis of Athens ( Greek : Ακρόπολη Αθηνών, Akrópoli Athinón ) is like being teleported back in time and it is one feeling that you can experience when you are there. The Acropolis is an ancient citadel built on top of a rocky hill which has become synonymous as the cradle of Greek and western civilisation, and much herald

Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis - Delos 530 Delos lions What and Why Delos ( Greek : Δήλος) , in spite of its current size, barrenness and lack of water, was surprisingly a major political focal point during the classical antiquity period . The island was a major commercial and trading centre from the 2nd century BCE till the 1st century CE, due to the belief in Greek mythology that the island was the birthplace of the twins Apollo (Ἀπόλλων, Apollōn ) , god of the sun, mu

Hilltop mediaeval town with one of the most beautiful cathedrals - Historic City of Toledo 379 Toledo What and Why Toledo stands out from other European cities for being a confluence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures, and is hence nicknamed the 'City of the Three Cultures', and it becomes as a result a heritage city with extensive cultural monuments. The city was also the royal residence of the Holy Roman Emperor (Latin: Imperator Romanorum ) Charles V (Dutch: Karel

Historic residence of the King of Spain - Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid 318 El Escorial What and Why El Escorial is a massive and elegant Spanish royal sites ( Spanish : reales sitios ) and functioned as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university, school and hospital throughout its time. Commissioned by Philip II ( Felipe II , né Felipe de Habsburg ) with the intention of demonstrating the power of Spain's ( España ) monarchy

A mosque? A cathedral? - Historic Centre of Cordoba 313; Fiesta of the patios in Cordova 00846; Mediterranean diet 00884 Mosque-Cathedral What and Why Cordova ( Spanish : Córdoba ) is an epicentre of cultural crossroads in Europe as it contains a mixture of the diverse cultures that have settled it throughout history. Very few cities in the world had the history and privilege to serve as the capital of a major Roman province, namely Further Hispania ( Hispania Ulterior )

The darkest and cruellest chapter in modern human history - Auschwitz Birkenau, German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940–1945) 31 Birkenau camp entrance What and Why Simply the grimmest of all places that I have visited, just the mention of the name sends shiver down one's spine. Auschwitz-Birkenau has become a widespread symbol of terror, genocide and the Holocaust in the global consciousness. This breath of horror persists until today when Poland ( Polish

Mediaeval Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery in a conflict epicentre - Medieval Monuments in Kosovo 724 Visoki Dečani What and Why Visoki Dečani Monastery ( Albanian : Manastiri i Deçanit ) is one of the four mediaeval Serbian Orthodox Christian monasteries in the disputed state of Kosovo ( Kosova ) . The famous historic monastery is commissioned by the King of Serbia (Serbian: Србија, Srbij a ) Stefan Dečanski (Serbian: Стефан Дечански, né Стефан Немањић, Stefan Nema

Venetian fortified town deep in the Mediterranean sea cliff - Natural and Culture-Historical Region of Kotor 125; Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th centuries: Stato da Terra - Western State Da Mar 1533 Fortification of Kotor What and Why Kotor ( Montenegrin : Котор) is a beautifully landscaped historic fortification built largely by the Republic of Venice (Venetian: Venèçia ) around the Mediterranean inner bay, between the rugged mountains and the serene w

The Pearl of Adriatic as if a page from Games of Thrones - Old City of Dubrovnik 95; Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik 00232; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Dubrovnik What and Why Dubrovnik , known as the ' Pearl of the Adriatic ' by George Byron , is a city that comes out of the page of the mediaeval fantasy stories with the city being beautifully planned and constructed with brown marbles and limestones. The history of the ci

An Ottoman bridge symbolising ethnic diversity and reconciliation - Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar 946 Stari Most from across the bank What and Why Mostar is famous for its gorgeous Old Bridge ( Bosnian : Stari Most ) which connects the eastern and western part of the city across the river Neretva . The bridge is significant in many aspects: It carries history when it was built in the mid-16th century and stood for 427 years until it was blown up during the Bosn