World Travellers

Many people see Greece as a cheap package tour to get some rest and sunshine, but how many people who actually go to Greece SEE Greece. Greece has a rich history that goes back for over 4,000 years. The ancestors of Hellenes, which is the mainland of Greece, were explorers who travelled the Seas, both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea - covering many distances in search of new people to trade with. The Greeks settled from the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and along the coast of North Africa during their travels.

The people of Greece have always had a strong desire for independence, and enjoy their freedom enough to fight for it over the years. Alexander the Great is perhaps the most well known Greek, conquering most of the known world during the 4th century BC, with a plan to Hellenize it. In 146 BC, Greece was defeated by the Romans, and in 330 AD, Emperor Constantine founded the Eastern Roman Empire. By 1828, the Greeks in a small area of the country had won back their independence, and they continued to fight for the rest of their land. After World War II, many of the islands were returned to Greece, independence, and freedom.

Travel safety is a relative thing, and travel safety tips and advice will be changeable, dependent upon where you plant to travel to and what you will be doing on your holiday.

For example, if one were to plan a weekend at the beach, there are different considerations for travel safety. Tips and advice for that travel safety too would change, leaning more toward boat safety as well as water safety for children and adults, including propeller safety.

Travel safety tips and advice for a fishing or hunting trip, likewise would be extremely different from those which might serve you well if you were to be headed out to a larger city in Florida or California.

Some things remain relatively the same regardless of what type travel you will undertake and where the actual ending point of your travels will be. Those travel safety tips and advice bear repeating again and again.

Inspired from my cave adventure yesterday, I met my friends Andrea and Herbert early this morning to go on a hike through the Raabklamm (Raab River Gorge), which is surrounded by limestone mountains that hold more than 700 caves, including the famous Katerloch and the Grasshöhle, two publicly accessible caves and major tourist attractions in the Weiz area.

Again, we drove through the rolling hills of Göttelsberg, Haselbach, Leska and Dürntal to park our car near an entrance point of the Raab Gorge. Andrea had given me a couple of Nordic Walking poles which I was about to try out for the first time. Nordic Walking, also referred to as “pole walking” or “fitness walking” is a sport that consists of walking with modified ski poles. Originally popular in Finland and Scandinavia, Nordic Walking has become extremely popular throughout Europe, although it hasn’t quite caught on yet in North America.

I was initially a little skeptical about the concept, but once I tried the walking poles, I realized that walking uphill and downhill both became a lot easier since the poles provide additional support and balance. And the continuous arm motion burns up to 40% more calories than walking alone and facilitates quicker movement, even on flat terrain. The additional benefit of Nordic walking is that a portion of one’s weight is distributed to the poles, which reduces the pressure on the back as well as the knee and hip joints.

Athens, the capital of Greece is well connected to major international cities. The International Airport of Athens’, Eleftherios Venizelos, was inaugurated in March 2001 and was built to cater to the needs of a modern world. It is located 23 miles northeast of the city. It has 157 check-in counters and two runways that are 2.5 miles each. The airport can accommodate close to 600 flights a day. It has conference facilities, a post office, a hotel, courier service, banks, currency exchanges, ATMs and many stores and restaurants.

There are 5 international airports in Greece. They are situated in the major cities of the country namely, Athens, Corfu (Ionian), Heraklio (in Crete), Kos (Dodecanese) and Thesaloniki (near the region of Halkidiki). Some Greek islands are not directly accessible by flights. The best way to travel to these Islands is by organizing for a cab transfer from the Athens airport. The airfares to Greece between June and September and during holidays are comparatively more expensive. The weekend flights are also expensive. Of recent, many charter flights have begun operating to and from Greece. Most charter flights operate during summer.

After the New York’s institute report about 10 most polluted areas in the world, the Népszabadság daily newspaper published the list of Hungary’s most polluted regions.

There are no official data; however the Ministry of Natural Environment publishes systematically a list of areas, where the air is most polluted. Unofficial lists are usually based on the level of ecological polluting and the supposed expenditures for helping.

Based on earlier listed facts, Hungary’s most polluted region is considered to be the Danube River. According to the massage of International Fund for Wild Nature Protection, Danube is one of World’s most polluted rivers. Most of the problematical plots of the river are in Hungary, the most polluted one is in Budapest. The expenditures for its cleaning are approximated to 100 billion forints. The European Union is ready to offer resources for the building of treatment facilities.

The second region that was included in the list is the valley of Sajó River (north-east Hungary), where industrial polluting reached its apogee. There are 4 electro-stations, two cement factories, some metallurgical centers, a machine-building and a mining factory in this region. Besides here in the Kazincbarcika, Tiszaújváros and Sajóbábony cities, 3 Hungary’s most big chemical factories are situated.

Holidays in Northern Cyprus can be a tricky subject to discuss. The two main communities inhabiting the island of Cyprus (Turkish and Greek Cypriots) have always got along well on a personal level, but have had constant political problems over the years. To condense many arguments, much history and many years of governmental wrangling into a short summary, there was a conflict in 1974, the end result of which was the island being divided into two parts. The Greek community have since occupied the south of the island (officially The Republic of Cyprus) and the Turkish, the north (known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or TRNC for short). Though the politics are, as ever, extremely complex, the simple fact is that until recently, the TRNC has been effectively isolated, able to trade only with mainland Turkey.

This has certainly not stopped holidays to north Cyprus becoming ever more popular over the years. Although the numbers of visitors to the north is a mere fraction of those traveling to the south of Cyprus, it is nevertheless significant and comfortably in excess of 100,000 per annum. To the British holidaymaker too, the north has always had much to offer. Most Turkish Cypriots speak good English, Sterling is widely accepted and there is a significant, and long-established, ex-pat community. Most important to the average British visitor, the relative economic isolation of the country means that it has developed at a much slower pace than its neighbour.

A part of Scandinavia, Denmark is one of the top tourist destinations in the entire world. It has a lot of offerings for the eyes of the people. The cities here are also famous including Copenhagen, which is the largest in the country and is also the capital.

Also included are Arhus, Odense, Aalborg, Esbjerg, Senderborg, Herning, Renne and Nyokobing Falster. All of these places have the most spectacular attractions such as cliffs, old churches, buildings, castles and even a vibrant night life. Among the things that make this place attractive are the interesting museums in Denmark. If you are a history buff or you just love art, there are several museums that you can visit here.

The first one is the Trapholt Museum. What makes this appealing is that this is the only one of the Denmark museums where you can find different types of art in the modern fashion. Here, you will discover designs, furniture and applied modern arts as well as the Kubeflex. This is a summer house created and styled by world renowned designer Arne Jacobsen. Another captivating museum is the one located at Koldinghus. With its impressive buildings that have been standing for more than five centuries now, this area appeals greatly to its visitors. You will find here a great hall, library hall, castle chapel and a dark dungeon. When one goes up the topmost section of the Giant tower, he will get a stunning view of the Castle Lake and the Kolding town.

Because Switzerland is a just a small country, its attractions are near each other and can be reached quite easily. Mountain resorts, lakes, forests, castles, museums, and ancient and modern architecture make this federal republic an excellent tourist destination. With its low crime rate, it is also very safe for tourists.

1.) The Jungfrau Region

The Jungfrau Region offers spectacular scenery to bewitch the eye. The white peaks of three towering mountains-the Jungfrau, Monch, and Eiger-contrast with the green valleys and meadows in this Alpine wonderland. Enjoy the fresh mountain air while visiting this place.

2.) Chateau de Chillon, Montreux

The town of Montreux is located in the heart of the Swiss Riviera on the shores of Lake Geneva. Walk by the lakeside and explore the Chillon Castle, or take a tour of the tower, courtyards, dungeons, and rooms of this eleventh-century castle, the most frequently visited historical building in Switzerland where its numerous rooms house weaponry, frescoes, and furniture. The castle can be reached by walking along the lakefront or taking the train or trolley bus.

3.) Fasnacht Spring Carnival, Basel