Tag Archives: Travel

Travel: ‘Exploring Seven Of The World’s Most Beautiful Temples’ (Video)

Potala Palace, Tibet – A Masterpiece of Tibetan Art and Architecture, at 12,139 Feet Above Sea Level, Potala is the Highest Palace in the World. The 1,300-year-old Structure Was Originally Built as a Gesture of Love, Commissioned by Tibetan King Songtsen Gambo for His Marriage to Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Eventually Monks Came to Rule Tibet and the Palace Was Expanded and Converted Into the Winter Residence for the Dalai Lama.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Angkor Wat is a Hindu Temple Complex in Cambodia and is the Largest Religious Monument in the World, on a Site Measuring 162.6 Hectares. Originally Constructed as a Hindu Temple Dedicated to the God Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, It Was Gradually Transformed Into a Buddhist Temple Towards the End of the 12th Century, Angkor Wat is the Prime Example of the Classical Style of Khmer Architecture, the Temple Attains a Classic Perfection by the Restrained Monumentality of Its Finely Balanced Elements and the Precise Arrangement of Its Proportions.

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City – The Most Famous Roman Catholic Church in the World. Dating Back to Roman Architecture of the Early Christian Art Period. The Basilica, Was Built Above the Burial Site of St. Peter, One of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus and the First Bishop of Rome Construction Began in 1506 and It Took 120 Years Before the Church Could Be Consecrated. To This Day Saint Peter’s Remains One of the Largest Churches in the World.

Taktsang Monastery (Tiger Nest), Bhutan – Paro Taktsang Monastery is One of the Most Important Symbols of Culture and Religion in the Kingdom of Bhutan, Located High in the Himalaya Mountains. Like Many Prominent Buildings in Bhutan, Paro Taktsang Features Stark White Exterior Walls and Red Shingled Roofs as Well as Golden Roofs. Temples in Bhutan Are Typically Constructed of Stone and Rammed Mud. The Interior of Paro Taktsang Features Golden Ceilings, Golden Idols and the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, Where a Statue of a Large Tiger Can Be Found.

Bagan, Myanmar – Also Known as the Land of a Thousand Temples, the Ancient Kingdom of Bagan in Myanmar is Symbol of Burmese Religion, History and Culture, Once a Major Power in Southeast Asia, Bagan is Home to Over Two Thousand Buddhist Temples Standing as Symbols of Burmese History and Culture, Bagan Temples Are Unique Among Southeast Asian Architectural Styles. They Are Characterized by Central, Square Structures Built Around Shrines, With Interior Passages Supported by Vaulted Arches Radiating Outward.

Borobudur, Indonesia – This 9th Century Buddhist Construction in Central Java is Indonesia’s Greatest Tourist Attraction, the Temple Design Follows Javanese Buddhist Architecture, Which Blends the Indonesian Indigenous Cult of Ancestor Worship and the Buddhist Concept of Attaining Nirvana. The Temple Demonstrates the Influences of Gupta Art That Reflects India’s Influence on the Region, Yet There Are Enough Indigenous Scenes and Elements Incorporated to Make Borobudur Uniquely Indonesian.

Karnak, Egypt – Karnak is the Largest Ancient Religious Site in the World, a Complex Made Up of Three Main Temples. One of Its Most Famous Features is the Hypostyle Hall, Which Has 134 Massive Columns That Rise Up to 60 Feet in Height, and Ten Feet Across. Karnak Was Not a Quick Build. It Took Fifteen Hundred Years to Complete.

Walking Tour: ‘Pilsen – Czech Republic’ (Video)

Pilsen is a city in the western Czech Republic. It’s known for the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, specializing in bottom-fermented beer since 1842, with brewing cellars and a bottling plant. Ringed by parks, the old center has the 19th-century Great Synagogue, which also hosts concerts. The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, completed in the 16th century, has Renaissance paintings and a tall spire with a viewing gallery. 

Aerial Travel: ‘Ko Samui’ – Island In Thailand (Video)

Ko Samui, Thailand’s second largest island, lies in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus. It’s known for its palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest, plus luxury resorts and posh spas. The landmark 12m-tall golden Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai Temple is located on a tiny island connected to Ko Samui by a causeway. 

Autumn In Japan: Saimyoji Temple In Kōra (Video)

Saimyō-ji, also known as Kotō-sanzan Saimyōji or as Ryūōzan Saimyōji is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in Kōra, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Founded at the beginning of the ninth century by the 54th Emperor of Japan, the temple is dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing. 

Travel Tours: ‘Madeira Island, Portugal’ (Video)

Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago comprising 4 islands off the northwest coast of Africa. It is known for its namesake wine and warm, subtropical climate. The main island of Madeira is volcanic, green and rugged, with high cliffs, pebbly beaches and settlements on deltas of the Fajã River. Capital Funchal has botanic gardens and is known for its harbor and a large New Year’s fireworks show. 

Walking Tours: ‘Ice Skate Rink’ Rathausplatz, City Hall, Vienna (Video)

It surprised me, but despite the coronavirus lockdown, the ice rink “Wiener Eistraum” on Vienna’s City Hall Rathausplatz was opened. Of course, with the corresponding adjustments, so that as a visitor you can hardly get to the rink. And this time there is no place to buy food or drinks. For the first time, a Community Distance Marker is being used at the ice rink, which supports people in maintaining the prescribed minimum distances and at the same time enables targeted contact tracing. Nevertheless, I made a short video so that you can see how things are going in Vienna during COVID.

Video recorded: January 1, 2021

Travel: One-Year Walking In Stockholm (Video)

Long and short walks, suburb and center, street noise or music, in snow, sun or rain in Stockholm, Sweden.

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, encompasses 14 islands and more than 50 bridges on an extensive Baltic Sea archipelago. The cobblestone streets and ochre-colored buildings of Gamla Stan (the old town) are home to the 13th-century Storkyrkan Cathedral, the Kungliga Slottet Royal Palace and the Nobel Museum, which focuses on the Nobel Prize. Ferries and sightseeing boats shuttle passengers between the islands.

Tourism In 2021: Egypt Sees ‘Slow Return’ After 70% Plunge In 2020 (Video)

Egypt’s tourism sector is eying a gradual recovery after revenues plunged by nearly 70% to $4 billion in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism minister and travel companies said.

Egypt, a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs. Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza’s colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor’s hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs. The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities. 

Travel & Nature: ‘Bladon Lake At Blenheim Palace’ In Woodstock, England

Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house in Woodstock, OxfordshireEngland. It is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England’s largest houses, was built between 1705 and 1722, and designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1987.

Landmarks & History: ‘The Pantheon – Rome’ (Video)

“Anyone who steps inside the Pantheon immediately feels the crushing weight of human history, but also the incredible lightness of human creativity,”

If Rome is the Eternal City, the Pantheon is its eternal building, still in use after 2,000 years and attracting six million visitors a year.

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple, now a Catholic church, in Rome, Italy, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. It was rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD.

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