Europe Explored » trees and shrubs https://europeexplored.com Travel through the most beautiful places in Europe Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:36:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 Paris City Breaks | France https://europeexplored.com/2012/09/27/paris-city-breaks-france/ https://europeexplored.com/2012/09/27/paris-city-breaks-france/#comments Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:51:04 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=11624 Although spring is supposed to be the time when Paris is at its most romantic, autumn is when it is at its most magical. It is in early autumn, just as the trees are beginning to turn from the greens of summer to the multitudinous hues of yellow, red and brown; when the parks and […]

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Although spring is supposed to be the time when Paris is at its most romantic, autumn is when it is at its most magical. It is in early autumn, just as the trees are beginning to turn from the greens of summer to the multitudinous hues of yellow, red and brown; when the parks and open spaces in the city take on a different ambiance; and when the weather is still warm enough to enjoy a stroll through them; that city breaks in Paris really beckon.  It is also a time when staying in Paris is cheaper than in the high season, and getting there has never been easier or less expensive since you can bus travel to Paris.

Fontaine de Medicis, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris
Fontaine de Medicis, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris by Vinceesq

Of course you can spend all of your time visiting the usual tourist destinations. Even if you have seen the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral many times before; even if you have previously walked the length of the Champs Elysees and you are familiar with the engravings on the Arc de Triomphe at the end of it; if you have already walked your feet off traipsing though the many chambers in the Louvre; and you have whiled away the time in several of Montmartre’s old cafes; no visit to Paris is complete without at least refreshing some of those experiences. But do make at least a little time to visit some of the many Parisian Parks.

Le Jardin du Luxembourg is one of the favourite parks with the locals. Amongst the many botanical displays you will find statues of France’s Kings and Queens, a wonderful Florentine palace, guignols (which are traditional French puppet shows), and ponds where you can hire a boat.

The Tuileries Garden just behind the Louvre dates back to the 16th century. It stretches from the Champs-Elysées to the Louvre and as well as its many autumnal trees and shrubs you will find many artefacts including sculptural works by Rodin and Maillol.

If you have a botanical interest than visit le Jardin des Plantes in the Latin Quarter where you will find literally hundreds of specimen plants and shrubs that look at their best during the early months of autumn. There is also a small menagerie there.

Jardin des Plantes, Paris, France
Jardin des Plantes, Paris, France by Benh LIEU SONG

You may also care to venture as far as the Bois de Vincennes at the eastern edge of the city. This is a huge park and woodland with lakes, winding paths, botanical exhibits, a fairground and a zoo. You can even hire a bicycle there.

These are just a few suggestions, but you might also wish to visit the less well known Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Montsouris which boasts in excess of 1,400 trees, the huge open space of the Bois de Boulogne, or the modern Parc de la Villette.

You are quite likely to find that Paris in the autumn beats Paris in the spring hands down. To book a bus travel to Paris see idbus.co.uk.

This is a guest post by Claire Sim a new Londoner, travel passionate and animal lover. She blogs about Pets and Travelling in Europe. If you want Claire to write you specific content, you can find email her here or contact her on Twitter (Claire_Sim).

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Hortobágy National Park – the largest natural moor in Europe | Hungary https://europeexplored.com/2012/02/01/hortobagy-national-park-the-largest-natural-moor-in-europe-hungary/ https://europeexplored.com/2012/02/01/hortobagy-national-park-the-largest-natural-moor-in-europe-hungary/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:43:41 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=6131 Hortobágy National Park – the Puszta is situated around the village with the same name – Hortobágy and covers an area of ​​70,000 hectares. In 1999, Hortobágy National Park was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Site, but was established already in 1973 and such it is the oldest national park in Hungary. Photo licensed […]

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Hortobágy National Park – the Puszta is situated around the village with the same name – Hortobágy and covers an area of ​​70,000 hectares. In 1999, Hortobágy National Park was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Site, but was established already in 1973 and such it is the oldest national park in Hungary.

Hortobagy National Park, Hungary
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Attila Hajdu

For those travelling through Hortobágy National Park probably seems that there is nothing, just an endless horizon. You can hardly see some well, pub, or settlement, smaller trees and shrubs. So why Hortobágy got onto the UNESCO list? It is a cultural area where the coexistence of man and nature dates back to 2000-year old history. It is the largest natural moor in Europe, which was not created by grubbing up of forests. It is also the oldest national park in Hungary As typical animals in the moor, everyone firstly thinks about such as gray cattle, sheep, seagulls, Mangalica pigs and Nonius horse. But Hortobágy is also the famous place due to bird world. So far, there are 342 registered different species, of which 152 nest in the Hortobágy. Among them there is a number of strictly protected species.

Hortobágy National Park consists of steppe, extensive pastures, ponds and swamps. In the area of ​​the park you can see growing some plant species which usually grow at sea. Park protects primarily large number of different species of birds. During the night, the park is a home to nesting but also migratory birds. Around the lakes you can be observed Waders.

You can access Hortobágy National Park from the tourist centers that acquaint visitors with the local nature, past and present of the park. The most popular are Szálkahalom, Hortobágy, Nagyván and Mátapuszta.


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Keila Waterfall – a beautiful natural phenomena in Estonia https://europeexplored.com/2011/06/08/keila-waterfall-a-beautiful-natural-phenomena-in-estonia/ https://europeexplored.com/2011/06/08/keila-waterfall-a-beautiful-natural-phenomena-in-estonia/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:52:49 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=4374 Keila Waterfall (Keila Juga) is a beautiful natural phenomena, located in the northern part of Estonia in Harjumaa County. You can find it about 25 km south-west of the capital city of Tallinn, near the village of Keila-Joa. Keila Waterfall is the second largest and the third most powerful waterfall in Estonia. Keila Waterfall is […]

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Keila Waterfall (Keila Juga) is a beautiful natural phenomena, located in the northern part of Estonia in Harjumaa County. You can find it about 25 km south-west of the capital city of Tallinn, near the village of Keila-Joa. Keila Waterfall is the second largest and the third most powerful waterfall in Estonia.

Keila Waterfall is 6.1 meters high and 60 meters wide. On its right bank there is the abandoned estate with a park, built in 1833. The adjacent park occupies an area of ​​25 hectares and there is growing over 80 species of trees and shrubs. Upstream of the waterfall you can see an interesting bridge, which symbolizes love. You can also visit here the small hydro power plant. Keila Waterfall is a popular tourist destination. You can use paid parking space near the waterfall.


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