Travel Destination News

Zurich - Host City of 2008 European Football Championship

Take a trip to Zurich to enjoy a remarkable vacation. Zurich is one of the eight cities that are hosting European Football Championships of 2008. It is Switzerland’s largest city and situated on the banks of Lake Zurich, where the lake meets River Limmat in Northern Switzerland. Zurich is associated completely with international banking. It is financially and culturally of great significance, despite its modest size. Zurich promotes its image as Downtown Switzerland and the historic center of the city is so compact that it can be easily explored by walking. Zurich has grown considerably in the last decade to become a much sought after travel destination. This is owing to liberal development of cultural, entertainment and hospitality sectors.

Reaching Zurich and Getting Around

Zurich Airport is the biggest and busiest airport of Switzerland and one can easily travel to Zurich by plane. Zurich has train connections to major Swiss and other European cities. If you have a rail pass, the train travel works out to be cheaper. Car is also an excellent mode of transport for reaching Zurich, as nearly every highway leads directly into Zurich. Bus services are also available from European cities of countries like Spain or Yugoslavia. Zurich is accessible via boats also from the other lake towns and villages.

Zurich has an excellent system for public transport. Public transport in Zurich is safe, efficient, clean and affordable and the transport network comprises of bus service, local trains, trams and boats for the river and lake. You can buy a single ticket that is valid for all modes of transport. You can explore the city center of Zurich on foot as the old town, main railway station and Lake Promenade along with all major tourist attractions are within walking distance. Bikes can be easily rented and you can see Zurich by way of bicycles.

Tourist Attractions

Majority tourist attractions in Zurich are concentrated in the old town around the lakefront and river. The travelers must see the ancient Romanesque church of Grossmunster, Zwingliplatz. This church is a representation of reformed Zurich. The other notable tourist attraction is the ancient Gothic church of Fraumunster with magnificent window paintings. Landesmuseum is a must see for all tourists as this is the largest museum of Swiss history. Kunsthaus is an important museum of Swiss art. Schanzengraben is a small canal and it was a part of the fortifications between Sihl and Limmat.

Rietberg Museum has the best collection of Asian art in entire Europe. Langstrasse is Zurich’s red light area and worth a watch for its safe and clean environs, despite its notoriety. Zurich Zoo is another interesting tourist spot. Lake Promenade is a beautiful place for relaxing and spending weekends or evenings. Zurich has a lovely Chinese Garden gifted by Kunming city of China. The Lindenhof Hill in the middle of old town offers scenic views of the city. Take leisurely walks along the beautiful alleyways of Niederdorf in the old town. It has many luxurious shops as well. The other tourist attractions of Zurich include Museum Buehrle, Swiss National Museum, Jacob Coffee Museum, Zurich West, Theater am Neumarkt, Rote Fabrik and Bahnhofstrasse.

Zurich has many tourist activities like biking, skiing, street parade events, celebrations, hiking, music concerts, shopping and cuisine and so on.

Barcelona – Site of 1992 Olympic Games

Barcelona has undergone sea change in terms of overall development since the hosting of 1992 Olympic Games. This event has been instrumental in complete transformation of Barcelona. Earlier, it used to be a rundown and boring industrial center with very few touristic offerings. Now, Barcelona has umpteen sporting facilities, in addition to other major investments. Barcelona is the second biggest city of Spain and Catalonia’s capital. Catalonia is one of Spain’s seventeen regions. Barcelona is a treasure house of historical buildings and architecture and none of this has been overshadowed by the latest construction and development. Rather, the new and old have blended so well and co-exist and in perfect harmony. You can see the old charm combining beautifully with the contemporary buildings.

About Barcelona

Barcelona is strategically located near the French border and has a huge Mediterranean coastline. The city is bustling with many kinds of industries like textiles, manufacturing, tourism and electronics and many more. The independent character of people is maintained very well by preserving the patriotic feelings quite strongly. You can see this to be prominently evident in Camp Nou, the home of Europe’s famous football team, Barcelona FC, when the crowds fiercely cheer on the home winning team.

Barcelona Climate and Time to Visit

Barcelona enjoys a balmy climate all through the year and hence, it is major hit with the tourists. The cheap air fare also makes Barcelona all the more popular and it has become all time favorite short break tourist destination of Europe. There are many low cost air carriers operating flights to Barcelona like ClickAir, EasyJet, RyanAir, Jet2.com, Vueling, Blue Air and Sterling Airlines and so on. The busiest time in Barcelona is in August. Barcelona is made up of many quarters and the most significant and interesting ones from tourist view point include Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Gracia and Barceloneta.

Getting In and Going Around

Barcelona can be reached easily by planes, rail, boats and buses. Barcelona can be best explored by Bus Turistic that links all the major tourist sites in the city. You can take the metro rail also to travel around the city. The exotic modes of transport include Tramvia Blau and Funicular. Biking is very cheap in Barcelona and you can easily rent bicycles. There are many bike tours available. If you are driving outside the city, then car is a viable option, otherwise parking is very costly near the famous tourist destinations.

Tourist Attractions

Barcelona has ample tourist attractions like La Rambla, Placa d’Espanya, Barri Gotic, Sant Pau del Camp, La Placa Reial, Tibidabo, Montjuic Castle, FC Barcelona, Olympic Port, Barcelona Zoo, Poble Espanyol, Palau Nacional, Palau de la Musica Catalana,Monestir de Pedralbes, L’Aquarium, Hotel Majestic and Hospital de Sant Pau in addition to many more. Barcelona houses many notable museums like MNAC, MHC, MACBA, Museum of City of Barcelona, Picasso Museum, Caixa Forum, Joan Miro Museum, Fundacio Antoni Tapies, Football Museum, Catalan Archeological Museum, Military Museum and Maritime Museum, Ceramic Museum and many more.

Barcelona has excellent festivals and events that are full of arts, entertainment, theater and you surely must witness all these interesting events. Barcelona is throbbing with activity at all times and has an exciting nightlife too. So, pack your bags and head for a Barcelona holiday.

Grand Canyon – Natural Wonder of the World

Grand Canyon is a natural wonder of world’s seven natural wonders. It is a huge draw for tourists and nearly ten million visitors pay a visit to this place every year. The Grand Canyon area is developed as a United States National Park. It is a world heritage site of the UNESCO. Grand Canyon National Park is completely situated in North Arizona. It can be approached from two sides- the more accessible side of South Rim and the remote side of North Rim. Both, North Rim and south Rim have ample options of hotels, restaurants and camping sites. The busy and crowded summer season sees all of these accommodations filled up to the full capacities. The best times to visit Grand Canyon are during spring, fall and winter.

Grand Canyon Experience

The Grand Canyon experience is one of its kinds and it surely leaves the visitor overwhelmed with awe and fascination. The visitors who have already been to Grand Canyon say that they have been left speechless and stupefied after seeing the grandeur and magnificence of this breathtaking natural wonder. People fall short of words while describing the beauty of this unimaginable landscape. It is a must see for all people of the world. One has to see it to experience the indescribable beauty of this place. You will get to see unsurpassed vistas in this landscape of Grand Canyon.

About the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a mammoth canyon that has been carved over a period of many million years by the great Colorado River. The Grand Canyon National Park has many elevation changes with a difference of nearly seven thousand feet, starting from Point Imperial at 9,000 feet to Lake Mead at 2,000 feet. The Grand Canyon itself is, nearly over a mile deep from rim to the river. Geological history of more than two billion year is displayed in the exposed rock layers of the canyon.

The Grand Canyon National Park was founded as a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 and it was later converted to national park in the year 1919.

Animal Life

The animal life found in the Grand Canyon National Park includes the exotic California Condor, Stellar Jays, Canyon Wrens, raven, hummingbirds, swallows, mule deer, elk, desert big horn sheep, coyote, mountain lions, ringtail, bobcat, black bears, squirrels, skunks, snakes and lizards.

Vacation in Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon makes for a great family vacation and the family can indulge in big time fun by being one with nature by way of camping, hiking and other nature based activities. The people find a trip to Grand Canyon as a wonderful and peaceful experience of their lifetimes. You will enjoy amazing sunrises and sunsets over the best of landscapes. People who visit once will always return to Grand Canyon for more. The magic and mystery of this place leaves people spellbound. You can reach it by car, bus, plane or guided tour. Getting around Grand Canyon can be easily done by car, motor coach tour and park service shuttles or by walking.