Choirokoitia / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Klaus D. Peter, Wiehl, Germany

Cyprus has long been a popular holiday destination for Northern Europeans looking for that perfect beach holiday, and especially for the British whose country ruled the island up until independence in 1960. Cyprus is now firmly in the European Union with the Euro as its currency. With thousands of years of history Cyprus has some wonderful places to visit including  a number on the UNESCO World Heritage list which are:

1. Choirokoitia. A Neolithic settlement dating from the 7th till the 4th millennium B.C. The remains found at this site are some of the most important finds in the Easter Mediterranean and cast in light on the evolution of humans in this area. The site has only been partially excavated so it is hoped that future finds will help in the research.

2. The painted churches of the Troodos Mountains are a well preserved example of Byzantine architecture. The complex consists of 10 monuments all vividly painted with murals providing an overview of Byzantine painting in Cyprus.

3. Paphos and the area around have been inhabited since Neolithic times and was a centre for the cult Hellenic following of the fertility Goddess Aphrodite. A temple to the Goddess was erected by the Myceans (Ancient Greeks) in the 12th century B.C.  With the Mosaics of Neo Paphos some of the most beautiful in the world. The site is of exceptional worth due also to the many villas, fortresses, and tombs that have been uncovered.

These three sites in Cyprus have been deemed so important as to be put on a list giving “enhanced protection” status by the committee for the protection of cultural sites so that the destruction of the Mostar Bridge in Bosnia Herzegovina , and the shelling of the city of Dubrovnik  never occur again.  By giving the sites enhanced protection it is hoped that signature states to the Hague Convention for the protection of cultural monuments will abide by the conventions terms in the event of armed conflict.

Temple in Paphos / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Fiore Silvestro Barbato

Cyprus is most visited during the Summer months, and is thought of primarily as a beach destination.  A visit to these sites though will allow you to see a little more of what Cyprus has to offer including a drive into the mountains where the air is cooler, this provides a nice break to all those days you will be spending at the beach.

Cyprus is an easy Island to fly to from anywhere in Europe, and just recently low-cost carrier Irish airline Ryanair has announced that it is making Paphos a hub, for the airline, and will be basing aircraft in Cyprus. This will create 600 jobs while offering 80 flights a week to 14 destinations throughout Europe. Yet more proof of Paphos’s appeal as a holiday destination.

We hope that you have found this information useful, and that you will visit these cultural sites on your visit the Beautiful Island of Cyprus.

This is another article from Nathan Griffiths and was written on behalf of e rentals. Visit their site to compare rates and deals available for car rentals worldwide.

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Garajonay National Park includes also a mountain massif Garajonay that reaches an altitude of 1487 meters and such it is the highest point of the island. From here, during nice weather you can enjoy a beautiful view over the Atlantic Ocean and the other islands of the Canary Archipelago, El Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Foot of the mountain is covered by the dense forest, on the drier side it is formed by gale and tree heath. These shrubs are reaching heights over 15 meters. Because of their non-combustible timber, they are used in production of pipes. Laurel forest grows on the northern and northeastern slopes. These trees boasts a large, solid, and shiny green leaves.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Axel Brocke

The climate on La Gomera is cooler than on the other islands, even though this area is known for its dry climate. Deep green forests provide a pleasant relax during the hot days. The air is usually cool and moist, it rains almost constantly during the summer. This is due to the action of trade winds that are coming from the northeast, which brings permanent moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. This phenomenon is important in terms of the water regime of the island, because about two-thirds of drinking water are formed by this way. The sunny parts of the forest feature a number of blooming flowers. You can also find almost two meters high fern, which prevent from the smooth walking through the jungle. The local lush vegetation includes 20 metres high trees, which are densely covered with moss. La Gomera is also a home to around 100,000 palm trees, which is the most of all the Canary Islands. Half of them are Canary palms, whose sap is used for production of an edible sweet syrup called also a palm honey. The other half are African palms. In addition to this interesting and unique vegetation, island boats numerous gorges, rock cones and rocks, which descend deep into the sea. Among the most beautiful valley on the island is Gran Rey.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Axel Brocke

More than 450 species of plants grows on La Gomera. Some of these species are endemic and can not be found anywhere else in the world, such as Canarian mahogany and ebony. In the Tertiary period laurel forests covered an area of northern Africa and parts of southeastern Europe. Their demise was due to temperature fluctuations in times of Ice age and subsequent deforestation. Laurel forest in the Garajonay national park is the last surviving example of those forests. Since it is not destroyed, it is called a living fossil.

The island of La Gomera was created by the volcanic eruption and the last eruption is dated to the Quaternary period. Volcanic chimneys spewed basalt and ash that settled in the layers. Those were then burned by hot lava. Long ago, the island was much larger, but due to the erosion has shrunk by more than half into the present area of ​​370 km2.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Axel Brocke

Since it is a popular tourist area there are lots of accommodation options of all categories on the island of La Gomera. The beaches are mostly rocky.

The capital of the island is San Sebastian, which was a popular port of Christopher Columbus. Among the known historical villages are the Valle Gran Rey, Chipude, Agulo and Arure. An interesting feature of the island is that the locals communicated by whistling. This language is called El Silbo or Silbo Gomero and is still used by some people, because such they can communicate over long distances (3-4 km).

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San Lorenzo de El Escorial, as is its full name, is situated at an altitude of 1028 meters above sea level. It lies at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama, where the stone has been mined and used for its construction, which started in 1563 by order of King Philip II of Spain. This pious monarch decided to commemorate his victory over French troops by founding of the Augustinian monastery, part of which would become the royal residence. The monastery should also serve as a center of education and final resting place of the Spanish aristocracy. And so, over the next 21 years, grew up into a large unique complex in the area of ​​207×161 meters. Two prominent Spanish architects were working on its construction – Juan Bautista de Toledo, who created the plans and Juan de Herrera, who completed a building in 1584.

San Lorenzo de El Escorial features a rich interior decoration, which was assigned to the hands of the greatest artists of that time. Therfore we can admire the beautiful works of Tiziano Vecelli, El Greco or Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. In El Escorial you can also find about one and a half thousand of preserved rare paintings and about five hundred frescos that adorn the ceilings of most of the interior. In 1984, San Lorenzo de El Escorial was just for its unique decoration included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Igor González Martín

In the former times was El Escorial a symbol of secular and religious power of the king and its monumentality is amazing until today. The whole complex is crossed with 24 kilometres of tunnels, which connect individual rooms and buildings. Right in the center is a beautiful basilica, which is a main dominant of El Escorial. In its vicinity is situated Augustinian monastery with three hundred monastic cells and the Panteon de los Reyes, where are the remains of eleven Spanish kings and their wives, starting with Charles V, a father of Philip II. Do not miss a visit to the historical library, which is considered to be the most valuable in the world. Holds almost 45 thousand volumes from the 15th and 16th century and more than five thousand valuable manuscripts in Arabic, Latin and Spanish.

From Madrid to San Lorenzo de El Escorial is the most convenient to travel by bus (line 661 or 664) or by train from the main railway station Atocha and then continue on foot for approximately 20 minutes. The way takes less than one hour in both cases. El Escorial is open every day from 10′o clock except for Mondays. Be prepared for numerous groups of tourists that come here especially in the summer and on weekends.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Janos Korom Dr.

I am talking about Vlkolínec, which is now a part of the city of Ružomberok. It lies at an altitude of 718 m in Revúca Valley, south of the rocky mountain massif Sidorovo, also called Žiar (1099 m asl), which belongs to the mountains of Veľká Fatra.

Vlkolínec is in fact a reservation of folk architecture, a kind of outdoor museum of medieval village with wooden houses, that are typical for the mountain areas. This is the best preserved, most complete and most original collection of folk buildings in the Slovak Republic, spreading on an area of ​​797 hectares.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Janos Korom Dr.

Archaeological findings confirm the existence of a fort on the hill Sidorovo already 2,500 years ago. The name of the village is supposedly derived from the ancient presence of wolves in the area (these animals can be still seen here). The first written mention of Vlkolínec dates from 1376, where is mentioned as one of the streets of Ružomberok. Originally, there were just a few houses, although the number of houses and population gradually increased.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Janos Korom Dr.

At present, there are 73 listed buildings, 55 residential houses. Of these, 18 are now permanently settled with 35 inhabitants. Owners of other houses are here just seasonally. Everything is built of wood, including a local landmark – a two-storey wooden belfry from 1770.

Interesting is also a timbered well from 1860, previously the only source of drinking water for the whole village. One of the few brick buildings is a local Classicist-Baroque Church from 1875. Also the local cemetery is worth a visit.

The whole complex is rare also due to the fact that it was not affected by any new constructions. Already in 1977 the village of Vlkolínec was declared the Reservation of Folk Architecture Monuments, and in 1993 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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There were built routes and electric lighting. The total length of cave is 2811 meters, of which about 550 meters are available to the public. Jasovská cave has a rich sinter decoration. You can admire Virgin stalactites and waterfalls. At the top floor there is also interesting sign written in black letters in 1452 and which talks about the victory of the Hussites in Lučenec.

The cave is a home to 19 species of bats, which live in the cave especially during winter. Since 1995 Jasovská cave is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as a part of the Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst site.

The air temperature ranges between 8.8°C to 9.4°C, relative humidity from 90% to 98%. The cave is open daily – except of Mondays – from April 1 to October 30. Basic admission fee is €5.

See pictures of Jasovská Cave on flickr.com

For further information you can visit official website of Slovak caves www.ssj.sk.

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The basilica, which was built over the grave of St. James grew into Cathedral, which is now the most important monument in the city. The Cathedral was rebuilt into Baroque style in 18th century, which changed its original appearance. The cathedral has a magnificent Romanesque interior façade Portico de la Gloria, which was created by the Master Mateo in 1188. Inside you can see a beautiful Mondragon chapel from the 15th century, the main altar, crypt with the relics of St. James, or a museum of paintings, retables, reliquaries and sculptures.

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It is a perfect example of sacred Roman architecture. Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela became the destination of the Way of St. James, a major historical pilgrimage route since the Middle Ages, which total length is 1600 km. The journey starts in France and leads through the Alps to Santiago de Compostela. Only in Spain it goes through seven provinces, four autonomous regions and around 200 villages and towns.

A history of the pilgrimage dates back to medieval times and its symbol is the scallop shell, which can be found at every step. Believers go this long journey for centuries and is important for them to repentance and spiritual cleansing. Along the roads were built hostels, shelters, hospitals, churches and cathedrals, which were designed to serve the pilgrims. Then many cities around grew up that have prospered largely from the influx of pilgrims.

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Also now, there are always thousands of people each year, however not all of them for religious reasons. The pilgrimage has become a renowned tourist attraction, where you can enjoy the beautiful and the changing landscape, to know the local traditions, people and architecture. Suitable for visiting the city is 25 July when the celebrations of St. James are held here and it is also the National Day of Galicia. In 1993, also the St. James pilgrimage has been added to UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The historic city center is full of stone streets. Together with surrounding squares it is now a pedestrian zone and you will find most of the sights here. Since there is an important Spanish university, the city is full of students. Popular tourist place is the Zona Vieja (Old Quarter), which is full of bars, restaurants, clubs and discos.

The southern part consists of the square Praza de Galicia, where you’ll find baroque cathedral Catedral del Apóstol from 18th century. You can also visit the museum of pilgrimage Museo das Peregrinación situated near the cathedral. Art lovers should not miss a visit to Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea with the exhibitions of modern art.

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However the first written document of the Telč dates back to the 1315. In 1334 Karel IV. (at this time as Margrave of Moravia) paid the mortgage of this municipality, and a few years later (1339) he replaced it by the Castle of Bánov, that belonged to Jindřich of Hradec.

The family of the new owner then established a new Telč. Unfortunately, the Memorandum has not preserved, but the first written report of Telč Burgess comes from 1353. It is assumed that it was Menhart of Hradec, who in 1354 built a castle, church, water fortification and Gothic houses (originally wooden) around the perimeter of a large marketplace. Other buildings and lake were built progressively.

Telč is a fascinating blend of architectural styles, and on many houses you can see a gradual evolution from Gothic style through Renaissance to Baroque style, in some cases also the later styles. The best example are the Gothic houses on the square, some with well-preserved typical pointed arches. They have Renaissance facades with beautiful gables, decorated with frescoes and paintings on the walls, or a baroque and rococo sculptures. The square is also decorated with two fountains and the Marian column.

Until now, well-preserved are also the medieval walls and city gates, the castle and other monuments, such as the former Jesuit college from 1655 (now high school).

The town of Telč is listed on UNESCO World Heritage List since 1992.

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The main attraction of the cave is called Milky Way Hall, where you can see the white branches and clusters of aragonite shining like stars in the Milky Way. There are fantastic shapes of flowers and Aragonite crystalline formations.

Ochtinská Aragonite Cave was discovered accidentally in 1954 by Jan Bystricky and open later to the public in 1972. However its length is only 300 meters, and only 230 meters are accessible, it is famous for its rare aragonite filling. In 1995 Ochtinská Aragonite Cave has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List together with other caves in Slovak Karst.

The cave is open daily except of Mondays from April to October. Basic admission is €6.

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The first records of settlements in the island of Corsica comes from the times of ancient Greece, when the island was inhabited by Greeks, Etruscans and Carthaginians. The entire island of Corsica contains of a huge mountain massif, which dominates the hill of Monte Cinto, which is with his elevation of 2706 m the highest mountain on the island of Corsica. The administrative center is the city of Ajaccio. The biggest and most important port is Bastia.

Corsica is the pearl of the Mediterranean Sea. It offers a beautiful diverse nature. There you will find high mountains with lakes and meadows with streams and creeks, as well as beautiful white beaches and clear sea. Parts of the island are registered on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best known is the Gulf Port, where is the Gulf Girolata, Cape Porto, and Scandola Nature Reserve. These sites provide habitat for protected plants and animals such as gulls, cormorants and sea eagles. Gulf Port is therefore registered on UNESCO World Heritage List since 1983.

Among the most important monuments on the island of Corsica is a prehistoric menhirs and dolomens, mountain cascades, and the historic city of Bonifacio.

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The most important monument in the town of Kutna Hora is undoubtedly a monumental and unique late Gothic church of St. Barbara, patron saint of miners. Another important object is Italian Court (Vlašský dvůr) from 14 century, which served as a mint. Other tourist attractions include the Church of St. James (Kostel sv. Jakuba) from 1330, Cathedral of Our Lady (Chrám Nanebevzetí Pany Marie) on the square, Hradek (Czech Museum of Silver), Gothic fortification, the baroque Jesuit College, a stone house, a Gothic fountain and Church of Ursuline Convent (Kostel Kláštera Voršilek). In the Sedlec suburb there is a former Cistercian monastery, founded in 1142.

Historic Centre of Kutna Hora was together with Sedlec added into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 . There is a wide range of accommodation, restaurants, shops and clubs. You can visit the underground city of Kutna Hora, where the silver was mined in the Middle Ages and is now available to the public. Kutna Hora has now more than 21 thousand inhabitants.

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