Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Allan Engelhardt

The area of today’s town St. Albans was in ancient times inhabited by the Celts. Their village was located at Prae Hill, about two kilometres west of the city. The town was built around the Benedictine monastery, where was in year 324 executed the first British Christian martyr St. Alban.

For centuries, the town remained in the place of the most tumultuous events in the history of England. Originally a Roman settlement of Verulamium became the center of the province of Britannia, and later the leading spiritual centre of the region.

The local Abbey of St. Alban was founded in 793 and in 1553 transformed to the parish church. When St. Albans received the status of the city in 1877, it was appointed the Cathedral. This great example of medieval architecture still dominates the city. It features some Classical elements, such as murals on Norman pillars of the 13th and 14th century.

The oldest preserved part of the cathedral is the nave of the year 1077, which is the longest in England with its 84 meters. Arches built in the early English Gothic style come from the 13th century. In the cathedral you can find the remains of the shrine of St. Alban. It is a marble pedestal composed of more than 2000 small fragments. Next to it is a tomb of Duke Humphrey of Gloucester.

In St. Albans you can also visit the oldest surviving pub in England – Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, located on the street Abbey Mill Lane. It is also one of the most unusual constructions and originally served as a medieval dovecote.

According to the recent research of Nationwide Building Society, St Albans is now the 3rd most expensive city in UK (after the heart of London – Westminster followed by Winchester).

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jannis Andrija Schnitzer

The cathedral was built over 600 years. Its eastern part with the chorus and part of the two towers were built in the year 1300. In the 15th century there was added the second floor to the south tower where was placed a bell. Towers were connected with the chorus through a long low building. Cathedral, as we know it today, was built in the 19th century of neo-Gothic style.

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Its official name is Hohen Dom zu Köln. The total length of the cathedral is 144.58 m, width is 86.25 m, and height of tower is 157 m. The median nave is 119 meters long and over 45 m wide, the higher one is the only cathedral in Beauvais, France (48.5 m). The church could accommodate 4,000 people and all windows cover an area of 10,000 m².

Everything that was newly built since 1842, was built according to the original medieval plans.

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If you’re thinking on going on holiday to get away from drizzle and wind but don’t know where to go because you don’t know what the best place is to go, it has to be Majorca.

It’s beautiful all year round and many things you’re able to do there, so here is a list of attractions that are in Majorca so you know what to expect from a villa holiday:

The days or nights out are never dull, the Pirates adventure in Magaluf, the most recommended show in the whole on Majorca, and it features acrobatics and dancing that you can watch while eating your lunch or dinner, it is an incredible show for all the family and was spoken like it is a west end show.

For a bit of thrill instead of relaxing, why not go to Aqualandia, It’s only a few minutes from Cala Dor. It’s a great family day out with many attractions, with over 17 different slides and each one is unique, from Adults to Kid’s mini slides also including a massive wave pool and also sunbeds for people who just want to relax. You can easily spend many, many hours there and not realise it.

If none of them take your fancy, why not visit Plama the capitol of Majorca, many scenic options to view from, and easily accessible via train and car, with many of architectural monuments and many visitors coming over just to see them it is a definite must see.

Majorca is full of many more attractions but it is easier to find them, why not go and see for yourself?

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Amalfitana Coast has been inhabited since the early Middle Ages. There are many cities with important architectural monuments and works of art. The local people adapted to the terrain variety (the terraced vineyards, orchards in the valleys). The largest center of Amalfitana Coast is the historic town of Amalfi. The main monument is The Dome from 10th century. Another popular place is the village of Positano and Ravello romantic village with its beautiful gardens. Since 1997, Amalfitana Coast is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan of Rila who was the famous Bulgarian saint and hermit. Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and it is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe as a whole.

Rila Monastery has been destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century and it was rebuilt later (from 1834 to 1862). It is a characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

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