Split, Italian Spalato, seaport, resort, and chief city of Dalmatia, southern Croatia. It is situated on a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea with a deep, sheltered harbour on the south side.
A major commercial and transportation centre, the city is best known for the ruins of the Palace of Diocletian (built 295–305 CE). Collectively with the historic royal residences, fortifications, and churches in the city, the palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Pop. (2001) 188,694; (2011) 167,121.
Fribourg is the capital of the region of the same name in western Switzerland. In the medieval old city above the Sarine River, the Gothic Fribourg Cathedral has art nouveau stained glass and views from its bell tower. The nearby Espace Jean Tinguely–Niki de Saint Phalle displays the namesake 20th-century artists’ sculpture. Occupying a Renaissance palace, the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire showcases medieval art.
Distance: 23 miles
Bern, the capital city of Switzerland, is built around a crook in the Aare River. It traces its origins back to the 12th century, with medieval architecture preserved in the Altstadt (Old Town). The Swiss Parliament and diplomats meet in the Neo-Renaissance Bundeshaus (Federal Palace). The Französische Kirche (French Church) and the nearby medieval tower known as the Zytglogge both date to the 13th century.
’s-Hertogenbosch, also called Den Bosch, French Bois-le-Duc, gemeente (municipality), south-central Netherlands. It is situated where the Dommel and Aa rivers join to form the Dieze and lies along the Zuidwillemsvaart (canal).
Lucerne, a compact city in Switzerland known for its preserved medieval architecture, sits amid snowcapped mountains on Lake Lucerne. Its colorful Altstadt (Old Town) is bordered on the north by 870m Museggmauer (Musegg Wall), a 14-century rampart. The covered Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), built in 1333, links the Aldstadt to the Reuss River’s right bank.
The Hôtel de Crillon is a historic luxury hotel in Paris which opened in 1909 in a building dating to 1758. Located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, the Crillon along with the Hôtel de la Marine is one of two identical stone palaces on the Place de la Concorde.
The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It’s home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises. Mahé, a hub for visiting the other islands, is home to capital Victoria. It also has the mountain rainforests of Morne Seychellois National Park and beaches, including Beau Vallon and Anse Takamaka.
Bateaux Mouches are open excursion boats that provide visitors to Paris, France, with a view of the city from along the river Seine. They also operate on Parisian canals such as Canal Saint-Martin which is partially subterranean.
Kamikōchi is a remote mountainous highland valley within the Hida Mountains range, in the western region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It has been preserved in its natural state within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park.
Video timeline: 0:00 Taisho Pond 2:44 Mt. Yakedake 7:00 Tashiro Pond 11:14 Azusa River 21:30 Kappa Bridge (Kappabashi)
Drottningholm’s gardens and park are among Sweden’s most prominent contributions to Europe’s garden design and landscaping. As you stroll around, you’ll explore different artistic ideals from various centuries.
The history of the gardens begins when Drottningholm was taken over by the Dowager Queen Hedvig Eleonora in 1661. To help her develop a new pleasure garden, she commissioned Nicodemus Tessin, who was inspired by the French landscape architect André Le Nôtre’s proposal for the Château of Vaux-le Vicomte in France. Tessin was also heavily inspired by the gardens of the Palace Versailles.
The Baroque parterre garden—closest to the palace—has an intricate embroidery design originally inspired by Vaux-le Vicomte. Walking further into the park, you are greeted by a water parterre with ten pools and cascades. Beyond the cascades, there are four hedge groves surrounded by pine hedges, and the finale: a large bush called “the star.” The garden would later receive an outer frame with four linden tree-lined avenues. The oldest lindens are from Hedvig Eleonora’s time.
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