Széchenyi Chain Bridge.

As a public park between Lentos and Brucknerhaus, the Danube Riverbank offers recreation and relaxation. In the summer, the "bank" is a popular meeting place for the young people of Linz. As a public space of culture it is the setting every year for the Linz "Cloud of Sound", and sculptures by internationally renowned artists are also found here in the "forum metall".

The cultural city of Linz ~ Danube is an ideal starting point for a cruise. In addition to liner cruises, sightseeing and event tours are also offered.

From twilight to midnight, from Brucknerhaus to the Linz Castle, the bank of the Danube is transformed every evening into a sea of lights. The art project "Lichtblicke" ("Bright Spots") brightly accentuates the characteristic buildings and bridges on the Danube for night owls.

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Danube is a second longest river in the world. It flows through 10 countries: Germany, Austia, Hungary, Serbia,  Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine. On the rivers banks are located 4 european capital cities: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. Danube's delta has been UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

Danube starts in the Black Forest (Germany) from the two smaller rivers: Brigach and Breg. And it flows into Black Sea in Romania and Ukraine.

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Local legends tell that long long time ago the gods send dragon family to help defending land from chinese invadors. Dragons were spitting jewels and jade forming the wall of islands to protect the land. So people could defend their land and later it become Vietnam. Dragons decided to live on earth and place where mother dragon flew down was calle Ha Long.

The bay consists of dense cluster of 1969 limestone islands covered with thick jungle vegetation. Most of them are inhabited and unaffected by human presence. The islands feature endless numbers of beaches, grottoes, and caves.


Ha Long Bay is perhaps the most popular tourist attraction in the country.

Visit Halong Bay official site for mor information and photos.

Wikipedia

The fisrt plantations of coffee trees were in Arabian penisola. And first coffee shop opened it's doors in Constantinople in 1475. In Europe coffee was introduced via Venice and first coffee house was opened in Italy in 1645.

In modern days, coffe in its wide varieties are used all around the world. The largest market of coffee is Unated States, following by Germany and Japan.

In many countries coffee drinking is connected with social rituals. In some countries of Northern Europe coffee parties are popular, where besides the coffee are being offered also pastries and snacks.

In Canada, a retail coffee chain - Tim Hortons - has become a Canadian cultural icon. The locations of the chain serve as community hubs, much as a pub would in the U.K.

Also in Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraina, Double Coffee chain has became very popular. You can get there several kinds of coffee, milk shakes, tea and not only, you can also have lunch.


Interesting fact is that first Double Coffee opened in Riga, Stabu street, the same street where I lived in Latvia.

Image: How Stuff Works

Image credit: Yahoo

Tokyo originally was called Edo, the name of city was changed when it became of capital de facto of Japan in 1868. And the name means Eastern Capital. Tokyo was left twice in ruins by earthquake and bombarbement, because of this it is modern city with few old buildings left intact. In foto - beautiful Rainbow Bridge build in 1993, 570 meters long.

Under the rule of Ptolemy city florished and soon needed not only a symbol but also entirely practical building to guide ships into harbour. So Ptolemy authorised construction of Pharos and twenty years later it was finished. Pharos of Alexandria was first lighthouse in the world. And pharos (the name of island it was constructed) became the rooth for word lighthouse.

The lighthouse seems to have been a great tourist attraction. It is not fully clear how it was destroyed, but probably, as for many ancient buildings, it was an earthquake.