Whilst few would argue that this is amongst the most beautiful royal houses of Europe, it can certainly hold its own in terms of romance. For this sprawling edifice is very much the Camelot of Poland - a mythical place that is cherished by Cracovians and Poles alike. The golden age of Wawel took root many centuries before this. Things began to get into gear in 1138, when Krakow became the main royal seat. However, it was during the reign of Kazimierz the Great (1333-70) that the castle was truly born. A fire in 1499 destroyed much of this, yet also paved the way for Cracow's first taste of the Renaissance. It was then that the stunning courtyard was built, a design that started a long-lasting fashion in Poland. | ||||||||||||
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Royal Castle
THE OLD TOWN OF TORUN
P eople say: "Beautiful Toruń..."
... and are perhaps right. Because here they can witness the layout of streets of Toruń Old Town, which has not been changed for centuries, the most beautiful Polish panorama - of the illuminated medieval part of the city seen from the Vistula River side, Nicolaus Copernicus birth house - the famous son of Toruń, silent arches of St. Johns Cathedral - where the great astronomer was baptised, the tomb of princess Anna Wazówna in Saint Mary church , TheTown Hall of unique beauty, whose courtyard remembers the "Toruń Mutiny" drowned in blood in 1724...
T oruń - as all cities with rich history - has its own magical places.
Tourists and citizens of Toruń point at a lane near The Leaning Tower , arches between apartment houses in Ciasna street, spacious Philadelphia Boulevard, whole area of the Old Town Market, constantly crowded Szeroka street and the Dream Valley hugging the Old Town. Parts of Toruń’s climate are also traditional meetings near the Rafter's Monument , playing his fiddles for the frogs and Nicolaus Copernicus - who "stopped the Sun and moved the Earth". When sightseeing in the home city of the great astronomer, hundreds of thousands of spectators find it a natural thing to attend a spectacle in Planetarium.
T hus we would like to invite you all to the city about which people say: "Beautiful Toruń..."
The Rynek (Market Square)
The Rynek was laid out in 1257 after the Mongol hordes swept through Cracow. At two hundred metres squared, it became the largest market place in Europe. It really is vast - and beautiful - to say the least. And yet it never feels too big, as the Cloth Hall, which runs right down the centre, provides a sense of balance. Some of the great dramas of Poland's history were played out here, and it remains one of the most vibrant and inspiring places in the country.
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Malbork Castle
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Wieliczka Salt Mines
The idea of a fun trip to a salt mine may sound a little dubious. And as you head out through the suburbs you may wonder just why you are leaving the glories of the city behind. However, it is not just the antiquity of these mines that makes them worth the trip (things got fully underway here as early as the thirteenth century), they are also home to one of the wonders of Poland. This is the chapel of the Blessed Kinga, which to all intents and purposes is a full blown church, the only difference being that it is 200 metres undergound, and carved entirely from salt, (including the chandeliers that hang from the ceiling). It is a quite astounding sight, and all the more so as it was carved not by an outsider, but by a group of gifted miners themselves.
Getting to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow shouldn't prove too difficult or expensive. Regular buses run from the top of Starowislna Street opposite the Main Post Office, taking around forty minutes to get there. Be warned that buses are a little cramped and we advise you check departure details at one of Krakow's tourist information offices as these routes chop and change quite a bit. You're best asking a friendly Pole where to get off too, as this is a public bus not a tourist service. If you don't fancy taking your chances on the public transport of fair Poland, then booking your transport with friendly at a travel agency takes all the headache away from your salt mines adventure for just a few extra zloty.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Valley of Geysers, Kamchatka geysers
A group of scientists of the Institute of Volcanology led by the senior scientific research worker Valery Droznin has been delivered to the damaged Geyser Valley. The scientists are facing the task of the scientific evaluation of the loss and working out the recommendations on visiting and studying the Geyser Valley to minimize the damage to the unique place.
For your reference, on June 3 two geysers ("Pervenets" and "Maly") were buried as a result of a landslide from a slope in the middle part of the Valley. The landslide covered the Geysernaya River which caused formation of a natural dike and water flood in the Geyser Valley. Some geysers were covered with water. The speed of the water going up is about 5 meters a day, the water has already gone over the dike and the rest of the geysers that are up the canyon are not going to be flooded. It is very probable that the dike will be damaged by the hot water of the geysers and the water level in the Valley will go down. Then the flooded geysers will be viewed again. Mud volcanoes and fumaroles have not been damaged either.
The director of the Kronotsky Preserve Ekaterina Radugova visited the Valley with the scientists. Her office is supposed to watch the unique natural object. According to her the damage to the Geyser Valley is not catastrophic and more likely is not going to prevent from arranging excurtions for commercial tourism this year.
The scientists who have arrived at the Geyser Valley today (07.06.2007)were surprised by a new geyser with the water jet of about 5 meters. The helicopter pads in the lower part of the canyon destroyed by the landslide are not going to be restored. The experts have already planned some places for the new ones in the upper part of the canyon.
And one more pleasant news is that as a result of the landslide some ground sites with incredible colour scheme have been exposed. The colour scheme is formed with light blue and red loam.
Of course, the final decision on the use of the Geyser Valley tourist potential will be taken only after the scientific research has been made (about a week), but it is possible to foresee that it is going to be favourable for the tourists who are going to visit this unique nook of nature.
A lot of wonderful sites are preserved in the Kronotsky Zapovednik, but nine of them is comparable with the uniqueness of the Valley of Geysers - an indisputable World's Miracle, the most precious natural relic of the mankind legacy.
The Valley of geysers was discovered not long ago - in April, 1941 when a hydrologist of the Kronotsky Zapovednik, Tatiana Ustinova, and a guide-ltelmen, Anisifor Krupenin went up along the riverbed of the Shumnaya ("Noisy"), and, entering a narrow passageway between the rocks, stopped not far from the mouth of an unknown tributary.
There is still snow everywhere in April. Somehow making themselves comfortable on a steep snow-covered slope, exhausted travellers decided to have a snack. There was a thawed patch on the opposite shore with a light steam over it, and suddenly a spurt of hot water bursted straight towards them!
The scared people started off - time to save their souls! - but soon realised that the boiling water could not reach them, and the rain of cooled splashes was not dangerous. The gush stopped as abruptly as it started, so Ustinova realized that she saw an authentic geyser, the first one in Kamchatka ever seen. She named it "Pervenets"(The First-Born").
There are over 20 big geysers in the Valley of geysers. Velikan(Giant), Zhemchuzhny (Pearly), Sakharny (Sugary), Troynoy (Triple), Konus (Cone), Fontan (Fountain), Maly (Small), Bolshoy (Big), Shchel (Slit) - here are some names. There are geysers that gush forth every 10-12 minutes, while others may erupt once in 4-5 hours. The wreathes of steam, fountains of boiling water, incredible colours of slopes, hot water streaming along them and profuse greenery of grasses and trees create an enchanting spectacle. Each person getting to the Valley of geysers for the first time, experiences its hypnotic power. The head is spinning with surprise and amazement. But the Valley of geysers does not forgive heedlessness, and collects an annual "tribute" of scalded extremities. The most dangerous spots in the Valley of geysers are covered with grass looking harmless: you sometimes feel an irresistible temptation to step on the green meadow. It is difficult for a person unaware of the Valley's perfidy to imagine that the attractive cover often conceals burning mud, and the foot not gaining a support, will go deep down as if in butter. It is dangerous not to wear boots, though not any pair of boots will protect you from burns - the burning marshy ground is sometimes over 1m deep. The only thing you can trust in the valley is wormwood. This well-known plain plant prefers absolutely reliable spots where, for some mysterious laws, the devil of the underground world has no right to step on. Where wormwood grows, you can pause with relief, sit or even lie down without a fear that the ground will open wide under you or your trousers will get destroyed by acid.
On October 4, 1981, the Valley of Geysers experienced a shock. Typhoon Elsa blowing over Kamchatka, provoked such rains that the water level in the river Geysernaya went several meters up. The swelled stream of mud and stones pulled 3-meter boulders along the river-bed destroying everything in its way. Geyser Bolshaya Pechka (Big Oven) died. Source Malakhitovi Grot (Malachite Grotto), the beauty and pride of the valley, was badly damaged.
Whatever great the losses inflicted by natural calamities may be, they can by no means justify human barbarism. No doubt, if in 1967 "wild" tourism had not been turned into a planned one, and in 1977 had not been prohibited at all, the Valley of geysers would have had a miserable look now: the tourists would have pilfered geysers for souvenirs. Finally in the early 90s the basically required tourist infrastructure was established to receive groups coming on excursions mainly by helicopters.
One should not be an environmentalist to understand that the limit of endurance of the Valley facing such tourist load is rather low. This is not Yellowstone Park with the capacity of 3 million people a year where you can park a car right at the geyser. The Valley of Geysers is a tiny plot full of wonders like a treasure-house and hidden by Nature deep in the mountains of Kamchatka.
PETERHOF--- WONDER OF RUSSIA.
One of St. Petersburg's most famous and popular visitor attractions, the palace and park at Peterhof (also known as Petrodvorets) are often referred to as "the Russian Versaille", although many visitors conclude that the comparison does a disservice to the grandeur and scope of this majestic estate.
Versailles was, however, the inspiration for Peter the Great's desire to build an imperial palace in the suburbs of his new city and, after an aborted attempt at Strelna, Peterhof - which means "Peter's Court" in German - became the site for the Tsar's Monplaisir Palace, and then of the original Grand Palace. The estate was equally popular with Peter's granddaughter, Empress Elizabeth, who ordered the expansion of the Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade.
Improvements to the park continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Catherine the Great, after leaving her own mark on the park, moved the court to Pushkin, but Peterhof once again became the official Imperial Residence in the reign of Nicholas I, who ordered the building of the modest Cottage Palace in 1826.
Like almost all St. Petersburg's suburban estates, Peterhof was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War. It was, however, one of the first to be resurrected and, thanks to the work of military engineers and over 1,000 volunteers, most of the estate's major structures had been fully restored by 1947. The name was also de-Germanicized after the war, becoming Petrodvorets, the name under which the surrounding town is still known. The palace and park are once again known as Peterhof.
The Grand Palace at Peterhof was designed to be the centerpiece of Peter the Great's "Russian Versaille". Around 1720, the Tsar gave up on attempts to establish his court at Strelna, mainly because the boggy ground proved entirely unsuitable for the canals and fountains that he envisioned. Moving his attentions further east to Peterhof, the Tsar began to draw up his own plans for the grounds and palace. Work had already begun on a modest palace, designed by Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, in 1714, and that building was completed in 1721.
Meanwhile, fired by Peter's untiring enthusiasm, a massive amount of work had been completed around the palace, including the landscaping of the Lower Park, the digging of the Sea Canal, and the building of Monplaisir, Marly Palace, and most of the Hermitage. The original Higher Palace was somewhat inadequate for its surrounding splendours, and Peter instructed Le Blond and his pupil, Johann Braunstein, to expand the building.
Work was halted after Peter's death in 1725, and Petrhof was almost abandoned until Peter's daughter Elizabeth came to the throne in 1740. Elizabeth commissioned Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who had already completed the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg, to build a genuinely regal palace. Rastrelli chose to retain the original building within his design, and the result is supremely elegant and surprisingly restrained. The long, narrow palace, which was built in the last decade before baroque made way for neoclassicism, has minimal decoration, and Rastrelli's chief stylistic flourishes are the two white pavilions with gilded cupolas at the end of the wings. Beige and white, the palace is majestic without being overwhelming, and provides a perfect backdrop both to the elegantly formal Upper Garden, and to the spectacular Grand Cascade.
Inside, the Grand Palace is considerably more lavish, and the fact that the interiors had to be almost entirely reconstructed after World War Two does nothing to detract from their grandeur. A combination of original designs by Rastrelli and renovations by Yurii Felten and Vallin de la Mothe during the reign of Catherine the Great. Further changes were made in the mid-19th century, but nonetheless the palace's sumptuous interiors have retained a remarkable homogeneity of style.Visitors entering the palace are confronted by Rastrelli's incredibly ornate Ceremonial Staircase, which sets the tone for what is to come with a magnificent fresco of Aurora and Genius and multitude of gilded statues. Highlights include the richly gilded Ballroom and Felten's splendid white-and-turquoise Throne Room, which has a particularly fine parquet floor. The Western Chinese Study is heavily Oriental, with jewel red and green walls and a beautiful Chinese tea-set. The Drawing Room of the Imperial Suite is equally influenced by chinoiserie, with particularly fine silk wall hangings. The rest of the Imperial Suite, the royal family's private quarters, is furnished in grand 19th century style. Also of interest is Peter the Great's charmingly simple Oak Study, and the adjacent Crown Room, which was in fact the Imperial bedchamber.
PETERHOF PARK AND GARDENS
The spectacular parkland at Peterhof is remarkable for the sheer variety of styles encompassed in its layout and features. Representing nearly two centuries of European aristocratic fashion executed to the highest standards, Peterhof is like an encyclopedia of park design through the age of empire. Particularly impressive is the fact that the master landscapers and garden designers who worked on the estate at Peterhof managed to overcome the extremely inclement conditions of the northern climate to create a wonderland of greenery and flowers, sweeping vistas and ornate architectural decorations. The first areas of land to be developed at Peterhof were the formal gardens around Monplaisir and Marly, part of the Lower Park. The earth excavated to create the Marly Ponds was used to build a rampart against the sea winds that, along with a 3-meter-high stone wall, surrounds the Garden of Venus, Peter's orchard, with cherry and apple trees, and several charming statues. The garden was created simultaneously with Marly, and completed in 1724. Adjoining the Garden of Venus, the Garden of Bacchus was also begun during Peter's reign, although additions were made to its statuary and fountains throughout the 18th century. The same is true of the gardens around Monplaisir. Also during Peter's reign, and then under Empress Elizabeth, who continued her father's work at Peterhof after over a decade of neglect, the Upper Gardens south of the Grand Palace, which great most visitors to Peterhof beyond the entrance to the park, were laid out, mostly by Jean Leblond and Nicola Michetti. Here, three alleys lead to the Palace, surrounded by formal flowerbeds and low, clipped hedges. Catherine the Great oversaw the creation of the first landscape garden at Peterhof, the English Park, which was designed jointly by English landscaper James Meders and the great Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi. The park was once the setting for Quarenghi's English Palace, considered one of the finest works of Russian classicism, which was later used as a guesthouse for foreign visitors, and then destroyed by artillery fire in the Second World War. The grounds were again extended considerably during the reign of Nicholas I, who not only commissioned the ALEXANDRIA PARK, but also added large sections of landscaped gardens around the original Lower Park. THE FOUNTAINS OF PETERHOF.
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