BT Art Box Celebrating a British icon The Smile of a Tear, London by Martin Pettitt

When speaking of art and culture many think of this as being secondary to the philosophy and opinions of the local culture. This is not so in England. Art is an integral part of the Brit’s way of life. England has long been known as the place where innovative ideas and creativity flourish. One can see this through their architecture, sports, philosophy and even in their folklore.

London offers many opportunities for the young Brits to become immersed in the artistic way of life. One such project that exists to enhance creativity and artistic ability is the Tate modern. Here one can see fine works from the past and learn about new modes and mediums of the artistic movement today. There are also a number of different art festivals that one can visit as well. Go to see some classic works, hear music and song, as well as dancing and stand up comedy.

If a show is what you desire, London theatre tickets can offer a number of different options. Shows like the Lion King and Cats are long running favourites of the locals and are sure to enthral and please visitors and guests. London theatre tickets can also get the best deals for groups, and in some cases even offer a tour or hotel stays along with the tickets.

Whether one is seeking a showing of Phantom of the Opera, a food festival where the cuisine of the island can be tasted or just a tour of a museum, they are sure to find what they are looking for in London. London theatre tickets can aid in acquiring passes to many of the cultural events and secure tickets for theatre performances. Be sure to book ahead of time to ensure that tickets will be available when you are visiting.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jiuguang Wang

And how did the period get its name? Just after Hallstatt village, which was at that time an important trading center. There was the salt mined in its vicinity, which was also exported to far away places. The history of the local salt mining extends at least from 2nd millennium BC up to the present and gave the region not only wealth and prosperity, but also created a specific cultural landscape, where nature blends with human activity in unusual harmony. It also led the Commission of UNESCO to add this area “Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape” on the list of World Heritage in 1997.

Very interesting on Hallstatt is that it has long been accessible only by boat across the lake, or along narrow mountain trails. The first road was built along the shore in 1890, but only thanks to the power of explosives. Despite of this apparent inaccessibility the people settled here anyway seven thousand years ago. The rich history recalls not only architecture of Hallstatt, but also the local museum, which collects extensive archaeological excavations. Many of them come from the necropolis on the plateau above the town, where were discovered the remains of 4,000 people. And those remains were the main reason to name the period as “Hallstatt period”.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Party Lin

It is understandable that many places in Hallstatt are related to salt. The local salt mines are reportedly the oldest in the world and you can see them in an unusual museum. Why unusual? Well, how many museums have you visited which had 64 metres long wooden roller coaster…? But the underground salt mines offer much more than this unusual attraction. You can learn about the life of people who mined salt here for thousands of years. The body of one of them was found here in 1734, perfectly preserved by salt. Notable is also an underground salt lake with an area of ​​1400 m2.

If you already have enough salt, you can target the other wonders of the underground world – Dachstein ice caves. And because we are in the Alps, it is not necessary to say that you can see lots of interesting also on the surface. Whether it’s a remarkable historical buildings, or simply “just” beautiful countryside with fresh air and a nice panorama of mountain giants.

There are lots of Austria hotels in the town as well as camp sites at the shores of the lake. Hallstatt is also a great starting point for your hiking tours around the mountains.

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