amazing destinations, wonderful places

Is it a dream or is it for real? These places will make you wonder whether you step into the land of magic and fantasy or still firmly stand on the ground. With unearthly nature, unreal landscapes or fairy tale architecture, these destinations will take you far away from your humdrum reality.

COLMAR, FRANCE

By Fr Antunes

Picturesque Colmar in France, considered the most beautiful city in Europe, looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. This tiny town in Alsace is famous not only for its magically colourful old town. Colmar, situated along the Alsatian Wine Route, is called the "Capital of Alsatian Wine" - it boasts a sunny microclimate and is the second driest city in France, making it ideal for wine growing.

As if being the wine capital was not enough, Colmar, with its pretty squares, fountains and canals, is also called the "little Venice" (la Petite Venise). It is also the home town of Frédéric Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty, and the painter Martin Schongauer.

Colmar, France. By Nikkodem

 FAROE ISLANDS

Faroe Islands. By webax.it

The Lord of the Rings' scenery of Faroe Islands truly makes you believe the archipelago is inhabited by hobbits and elves. Located halfway between Iceland and Norway, in the heart of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the 18-island archipelago is home to beautiful dramatic landscapes of volcanic peaks and oceanic waves hitting against the rocky shoreline. The islands' magical and mysterious scenery seems to be much closer to the fantasy world than to reality.

Saksun, Faroe Islands. By T.K.V

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE, GERMANY

Castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Germany in autumn. By gerdragon

It is not a sugary Disneyland construction, although it looks like a fairy tale palace occupied by some capricious princess. In fact, despite its magical look, the Neuschwanstein Castle is more firmly rooted in reality than one could imagine. Constructed on a rugged hill in the 19th century for Ludwig II, the castle's fixtures were revolutionary at that time: the building had running water and toilets with automatic flushing on every floor as well as a heating system. Today, the Neuschwanstein is the main stop on the Romantic Road, the Bavarian trail of ancient towns and castles.

Dramatic look of Neuschwanstein. By Nataraj Metz

CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

Cappadocia. By Emre Ersahin

If there was a fairy tale about the enchanted land of clay, its setting would look like Cappadocia. This fabulous region located in central Turkey is famed for its pottery and unique rock formation in which the ancient people carved out their houses and churches. The region is also home to the odd-looking rock formations called "fairy chimneys" that can be found in various shapes such as cones, mushroom-like forms, columns and pointed rocks. The tradition of pottery and ceramics in Turkey is one of the world's oldest crafts, dating back to the 8th century.

By Emre Ersahin

 HOI AN, VIETNAM 

Hoi An. By jmhullot

Hoi An is a place that cannot be missed while in Vietnam. This colourful, magical and beautiful little town is home to more silk lanterns than people. Situated on the coast of the South China Sea, the town used to be an important port and trading centre.  Today it is a fairy tale spot visited by thousands of travellers and backpackers that cannot resist its charm. Hoi An's fabulous atmosphere blended with captivating hospitality and fairytale architecture make the town one of the most rewarding destination in South-East Asia.

Lattern shop. By Nikkodem

GREENLAND

Tasiilaq Greenland. By chrissy575

Unspoiled, remote and untraveled, Greenland is a land of wilderness, unbeaten tracks, raw landscapes and jaw-dropping vistas. With virtually no trees, no roads and almost no people, the island seems to be inhabited by mythological dwarves rather than humans. Though cold and rugged, Greenland is a place of unforgettable atmosphere warmed up by the magical aurora borealis and colourfully painted houses.

Winter in Greenland. By noukorama

 VENICE, ITALY

Venice. By MorBCN

Venice is hard to rival. Its admirable architecture, unique canals, the abundance of fantastic sights and extraordinary atmosphere are one of a kind. Venice seems to be imported from another dimension, though the New York Times described it as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". Stretched across 117 small islands, Venice boasts 455 bridges, hundreds of canals where romantic gondolas wind their way through the city, and is home to the famed Carnival of Venice, Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival.

Venice. By MorBCN

KATHMANDU, NEPAL

Kathmandu. Nepal. By dwrawwlinson

Beautiful and spiritual, Nepal's vibrant capital, Kathmandu, is truly a magical place. Surrounded by mighty mountains, the city is filled with enchanting atmosphere, exotic sounds, smells and fascinating temples. Although Kathmandu is the largest city in the country, it has preserved its fantasy-like charm of ancient temples, shrines and traditional architecture. Called "the Land of Gods", Kathmandu seems to be a slightly unearthly destination.

Inside Tharlam Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Kathamndu. By Wonderlane

BAMBOO FOREST, JAPAN

Kyoto's Bamboo Forest. By Stuck in Customs

Though located in Kyoto, Japan and unrelated with the movies, the landscape of the Bamboo Forest resembles the scenery of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or House of Flying Daggers. Is only one example of hundreds of amazing forests covering the region of South-East Asia. Bamboo plays a significant role in many Asian cultures- it is a symbol of longevity in China, a symbol of friendship in India, and in Japan many Shinto shrines are surrounded by a bamboo forest which is considered a sacred barrier against the evil.

Bamboo Forest. By ebergcanada

SINTRA, PORTUGAL

Palacio de Sintra. By szeke

No wonder Sintra inspired Lord Byron to write Childe Harold's Pilgrimage that celebrates the beauty of the town. Anyone visiting this magical spot, located not far from Lisbon, could feel encouraged to create a sublime poem in honour of Sintra's graces. Pena Palace, the Castelo dos Mouros, and Palácio Nacional de Sintra are the town's three amazing palaces, and the Sintra Mountain Range, one of the largest parks in the Lisbon area, only adds more charm and enigma.

Castelo dos Mouros (Mourish Castle), Sintra. By WaveCult

And the best thing about those places, notwithstanding their magical qualities, is that they're all as real as it gets. Accessible, safe and inviting, they're just waiting for you to pack your bags and reach for that bit of fantasy on Earth. Been there? Seen that? Please tell as a story...

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

10 Most Fascinating Castles and Palaces

 The Potala Palace: Tibet's greatest monumental structure

Perched upon Marpo Ri hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa valley, the Potala Palace rises a further 170 meters and is the greatest monumental structure in all of Tibet. In 637 Emperor Songtsen Gampo decided to build this palace on a hill, and the structure stood until the seventeenth century, when it was incorporated into the foundations of the greater buildings still standing today. Construction of the present palace began in 1645 during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama and by 1648 the Potrang Karpo, or White Palace, was completed. The Potrang Marpo, or Red Palace, was added between 1690 and 1694; its construction required the labors of more than 7000 workers and 1500 artists and craftsman. The Potala Palace was only slightly damaged during the Tibetan uprising against the invading Chinese in 1959. Unlike most other Tibetan religious structures, it was not sacked by the Red Guards during the 1960s and 1970s. As a result, all the chapels and their artifacts are very well preserved. (Photo by MC) 

 Mont Saint-Michel: a Medieval Castle on a Small Island

Mont St Michel France is situated on a quasi-island on the Normandy coast, near Brittany, which at high tide is almost entirely separated from the mainland. Only a narrow causeway, constructed in the 1880s preserves a link to the coast. Beware: the tide comes in quickly - many tourists have drowned attempting to cross the sandy bay. Unlike other castles in France, which began as defensive structures or pleasure palaces, Mont St Michel had its beginnings as a monastery. Today, the Castle attracts over four million visitors a year, far more than most castles in France and has been featured in numerous movies, cartoons, and even videogames. (Photo by citiesXL and lct) 

 Predjamski Castle: Integrated in a Cave

Every castle in the world is unique in some way, no two are the same, but this one --even though it's rather small and humble compared to some-- is probably the only one in the world who is integrated in a cave, precisely the second largest cave system in Slovenia. Its name, Predjamski Grad, literally means "Castle in Front of the Cave." 

The castle wasn't built in one go; first written records exist from 13th century, though the first part (left wing) was probably built in the first half of 12th century. Middle part was added in renaissance, and the right wing was build around 1570. Some things were added and changed later, but since 1990 renovation work is in progress, restoring it to the original 16th century look. (Photo by visitareslovenia) 

 Neuschwanstein Castle: the Classic Fairytale's CastleThe most famous of three royal palaces built for Louis II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig, the Neuschwanstein it’s a royal palace in the Bavarian Alps of Germany. egun in 1869 and left unfinished at Louis's death in 1886, the castle is the embodiment of 19th century romanticism. In a fantastical imitation of a medieval castle, Neuschwanstein is set with towers and spires and is spectacularly sited on a high point over the Pullat River gorge. 

The construction of the castle was carried out according to a well thought-out plan. The castle was equipped with all kinds of technical conveniences which were very modern, if not to say revolutionary at that time. Running water on all floors. There were toilets equipped with automatic flushing on every floor. A warm air heating system for the entire building. American tourists are already familiar with Neuschwanstein; the sleeping beauty Castle in DisneyLand, was modeled on it. (Photo by grotsasha) 

 Matsumoto Castle: Japan's most fascinating castle

Matsumoto Castle, locally known as Matsumotojo, is one of the mostcomplete and beautiful among Japan's original castles. It is also a good example of a so called "hirajiro", a castle built on the plain rather than on a hill or mountain. Matsumotojo's castle tower and smaller, second turret were built from 1592 to 1614 and were both well defended, as peace was not yet fully secured at the time. In 1635, when no more military threats existed, a third, barely defended turret for moon viewing was added to the castle.(Photo by lpq) 

 Hunyad Castle: were Dracula was held prisoner

Now located in Hunedoara, Romania, the Hunyad Castle was part of Principality of Transylvania, and it’s believed to be the place where Vlad III of Wallachia (commonly known as Dracula) was held prisoner for 7 years after he was deposed in 1462. The castle is a relic of the Hunyadi dynasty. It was built in Gothic style, but has Baroque and Renaissance architectural elements. It is a large and imposing building with tall and diversely colored roofs, towers and myriad windows and balconies adorned with stone carvings. (Photo by ctc) 

 Malbork Castle: World's Largest Brick Gothic Castle

The Castle in Malbork was built in Prussia by the Teutonic Order as an Ordensburg. The Order named it Marienburg, literally "Mary's Castle". The town which grew around it was also named Marienburg, but since 1945 it is again, after 173 years, part of Poland and known as Malbork. The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress, and is the world’s largest brick gothic castle. UNESCO listed the castle and its museum as World Heritage Sites in December 1997. (Photo by ordensland) 

 Palacio da Pena: Oldest Palace inspired by European Romanticism

The oldest palace inspired by European Romanticism, the Pena National Palace in Portugal stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon. First built in the 15th century as a palace, it was later reconstructed and donated to the church as a monastery. An earthquake in 1755 ruined most of it, until Prince Fernando acquired it in 1838 rebuilt it. The style of the palace is an eclectic combination of the original and subsequent styles, plus Romantic, Bavarian, and Moorish architecture, plus an English garden. (Photo by cm-sintra andMatt & Isabel) 

 Löwenburg Castle: The Disneyland of the 18th century

Within the Wilhelmshöhe Hill Park which sits on one end of the city of Kassel, there stands what appears to be a medieval castle. However, theLöwenburg or "Lion's Castle" was ordered to be built by the Landgrave Wilhelm IX from Hessen Kassel (1743 -1821), the Walt Disney of his era, over a period of eight years between 1793 and 1801 as a romantic ruin. It was carefully designed by his royal court building inspector Heinrich Christoph Jussow who had gone to England specifically to study romantic English ruins and draw up a plan for the Landgrave's garden folly. Today scholars regard Löwenburg Castle ruins as one of the most significant buildings of its genre, in addition to being one of the first major neo-Gothic buildings in Germany. (Photo by Ben) 

 Prague Castle: World's Largest Ancient Castle

One of the biggest castles in the world, and according to Guinness Book of Records, the biggest ancient castle, Prague Castle is about 570 meters in length and an average of 130 meters wide. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept here, and it was the place where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices.(Photo by liberato) 

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Climate Change Tours in Google Earth

In case you weren’t aware, Google Earth has been used to create a number of great climate change tours in the past year or so. From climate change effects to rainforest tours about solutions to it, there’s some really good stuff available. Google has a short video summarizing and highlighting some of its climate change videos as well. Take a look:

chinese and the people of China

EF - Live The Language - Beijing from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.
Commercial for EF Language Schools.

Directed by Gustav Johansson

D.O.P: Niklas Johansson
Typography: Albin Holmqvist

Produced at Camp David

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

France the people and their language

EF - Live The Language - Paris from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.
Commercial for EF Language Schools.

Directed by Gustav Johansson
D.O.P: Niklas Johansson
Typography: Albin Holmqvist
Produced at Camp David

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Spain the language and the people

EF - Live The Language - Barcelona from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.
Commercial for EF Language Schools.



Directed by Gustav Johansson

D.O.P: Niklas Johansson

Typography: Albin Holmqvist

Produced at Camp David


"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Castlerigg, Keswick, England, UK

Castlerigg dawn 4, originally uploaded by bingleyman2.

It was such a great mood that I think it justifies multiple images. A 5000 year old sight.

Castlerigg Stone Circle (alt. Keswick Carles, Carles, Carsles or Castle-rig) near Keswick in England is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain and is the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. Every year, thousands of people make the short journey from Keswick to the plateau of Castlerigg Fell and to Chestnut Hill, on which the monument stands. This plateau forms the raised centre of a natural amphitheatre created by the surrounding fells and from within the circle it is possible to see some of the highest peaks in Cumbria:Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Grasmoor and Blencathra.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rome, Piazza Venezia

Rome, Piazza Venezia, originally uploaded by Antonio Lupetti.

The Piazza Venezia is a piazza in central Rome, Italy. It takes its name from the adjacent Palazzo Venezia, the former embassy in the city of the Republic of Venice.
The piazza is at the foot of the Capitoline Hill and near the Roman Forum. It is dominated by the imposing Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. In 2009, during excavations for the Rome C Metro Line, ancient remains of what has been identified as emperor Hadrian's Athenaeum were unearthed in the middle of the square.

source and more info @: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Venezia

Strait of Gibraltar

Strait of Gibraltar, originally uploaded by Zanthia.

The Strait of Gibraltar (Arabic: مضيق جبل طارق, Spanish: Estrecho de Gibraltar) is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa.
The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq (meaning "Tariq's mountain"), albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or "Gate of Charity". It is also known erroneously as the Straits of Gibraltar, or STROG (Strait Of Gibraltar), in naval use and as "Pillars of Hercules" (Greek: Ηράκλειες Στήλες) in the ancient world.
Europe and Africa are separated by 7.7 nmi (14.3 km; 8.9 mi) of ocean at the strait's narrowest point. The Strait's depth ranges between 300 and 900 m (980 and 3,000 ft) which possibly interacted with the lower mean sea level of the last major glaciation 20,000 years before present when the level of the sea was believed to be lower by 110–120 m (360–390 ft).
Ferries cross between the two continents every day in as little as 35 minutes. The Spanish side of the Strait is protected under El Estrecho Natural Park.
source and more info @: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Gibraltar

Iran it's beautiful

Travel Inside Iran from Flo14wer on Vimeo.

For me Iran is a beautiful, magical country, a monument for the grandor of human civilization. Iran is a place where dazzling architecture is set amid desolate expanses of desert or steppe; where snow-capped mountains plunge dramatically to a seacoast of steamy lushness; where nomads guide their flocks to seasonal pasturelands; where tombs, temples, castles, and mosques bespeak the richness of the Persian past. High and dry for the most part, the land is sectioned by great mountain ranges, dotted with venerable villages of mud and stone as well as modern cities, and has a cultural fabric woven of many different threads, Persian,Turkish, Kurdish, Baluchi, ...

Galway, Republic of Ireland

Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) or City of Galway (Cathair na Gaillimhe) is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the fifth largest and the fastest-growing city inIreland. It is also the third largest city in the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the River Corrib betweenLough Corrib and Galway Bay. The population of Galway city and its environs is 72,729 according to the 2006 census.

galway.jpg (624×528)


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Underwater Sculpture | Fubiz™

Découverte d’une des dernières installation sous-marine de Jason de Caires Taylor “The Silent Evolution” avec plus de 350 statues moulées à partir de véritables personnes. Des sculptures très réalistes plongés dans la mer dont voici plusieurs exemples dans la suite de l’article.