The Royal Castle

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 royal castle has had a decidedly bumpy HISTORY, knowing periods of both great splendour and great humiliation. Once the nerve-centre of one of the largest and most powerful countries in Europe, it later became the barracks of what was little more than a grubby outpost of the Austro Hungarian Empire. The last war too saw fresh trials, and it was here that the Nazi Governor, Hans Frank, made his home. 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. Today, on the crest of far-reaching restoration, the castle is in its best shape for years. Inside, the State Rooms are an obvious starting point, whilst the Treasury and Armoury are also well worth a look. The Lost Wawel Exhibition, which can be found in the cellars of the west wing, is a remarkable piece of work. It draws back the curtain on Cracow's earliest days. The State Rooms The State Rooms are the main focus of the castle interiors. It is hard to imagine that for well over a hundred years these apartments served no more than a sober, military purpose. For during the nineteenth century the Austrians used the entire castle as a barracks. Thus it was not until 1905 that restoration began, which was itself hindered by the looting and pandemonium of the Second World War. Today, however, you would hardly know the difference. The magnificent tapestries of Zygmunt the Old have returned, and there is a rich array of furnishings, much of them from ancient Polish collections. The only presence that is lacking is those rumbustious, mustachioed grandees, replete with their fur capes and silk belts. But it is said that even they emerge when night has fallen. The Treasury and Armoury Just as well-to-do fellows of today might indulge in a snazzy car or watch, it would seem that nothing more pleased the Ancient Regime nobleman than the possession of swords, maces and general fighting paraphernalia. And for the Poles, the more oriental or jewel-encrusted (and preferably both) the better. Some of the weapons in this armoury are so exquisitely fashioned that they might even inspire a pacifist to indulge in a little sword-play. Alongside these treasures there are also a number of ceremonial objects, many of which hail back to ancient times. The crown jewels are famously absent, having been melted down by the Prussians after the final dismemberment of Poland in 1795. However, the mythic Szczerbiec Sword, which was used during coronations from the 13th century onwards, is still to be found. Lost Wawel It is difficult to imagine Cracow as it was one thousand years ago. In those times the city's heart lay at Wawel, where there was a small fortified settlement. Below, a number of wooden houses had sprung up, and these were protected by a wall. The town was just beginning to make its name as a trading center. Beyond Wawel, the countryside stretched unbroken for miles. With the river curling around on all sides and the curves of the valley rising up in the distance, it was an idyllic place to found either a church or a castle. As the city grew in importance, new elements were added and older ones began to be obscured. At times, whole wings of the castle were rebuilt from scratch. This really gained momentum when Cracow became the main royal seat in 1138. Yet whilst many elements were seemingly lost, traces of the ancient Wawel survived. This exhibition seeks to pour light onto that epoch. Inside this intriguing museum there is a fine model of Wawel as it was before the Austrians moved in in 1795. The fruits of decades of archaeological work on the hill are also displayed. And there in the cellars of the east wing lies a small rotunda of the Virgin Mary. Partially reconstructed after its rediscovery a hundred years ago, it is the best preserved pre-Romanesque church in Poland - a treasure from the dawn of Christianity in Poland, which came a full millennium ago. After storming the castle and admiring its treasures, you might want to make your way to the splendour of the Wawel Cathedral.

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. From its beginnings, the Market Square was the commercial and social heart of Cracow. It was an emporium of the Black Sea trade, and a spring-board for Poland's links with the West. Besides this, it was a place of festivals and public gatherings. Although people are rarely executed there today, the Rynek is still used as an arena for parades, both religious and secular. Above all, the Square is the place for Cracovians to meet, young and old. In this respect it is the city's drawing room. The phrase 'Pod Adamem' meaning 'under Adam' (this being the statue of Adam Mickiewicz - Poland's greatest bard and a serial philanderer) is regularly used to mean 'meet up under the statue'. The Rynek has a great sense of majesty about it. And to lap this up, there are several vantage points from which one can view the square. Many of the buildings are very grand, as the aristocracy wanted their palaces here. They went to town in this respect, lavishing money on their architects. During the summer, when the cafes bring out their chairs, the entire ring pullulates. It is a good place to sit and watch the world go by. Indeed, with its buskers and flower-sellers, its mad pigeons and mime-artists, its wonderfully lively and varied architecture, the Market Square is never a dull place. It is one of the real joys of Krakow.

Malbork Castle

The Castle Museum at Malbork represents one of the greatest historical attractions in Poland itself. Once the nexus of one of the most powerful states on the Baltic, this gargantuan edifice was founded by Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights Siegfried von Feuchtwangen in 1309. There's enough to get your teeth into here to justify a full day out. You'll have join a Polish tour or pay the big bucks for an English one, but there are pocket guides to help bring it all to life. Jump on a train from Gdansk and it's a 30-40 minute journey to the town costing a mere 8 zloty each way. The station is a ten minute walk from the castle. Get there before 2:00pm or you might not be able to see the inside!

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.

Entering the mines involves a long descent by stairwell, and it feels very much like a Jules Verne Journey to the Centre of the Earth type adventure. The chapel of the Blessed Kinga is the undoubted show-stopper, yet it is only one of several attractions. There are a handful more smaller chapels, including the seventeenth century chapel of St. Anthony, and a huge underground salt lake. If Tolkien had seen this place he would probably have got down on his knees and kissed the salty ground. Venerable guests such as Goethe and Emperor Franz Josef were themselves suitably impressed. All tours are guided, which means that sometimes you cannot linger in the more captivating rooms for as long as you might like. However, if you have more than two nights in the Krakow, or bad weather strikes, the mines make a very worthwhile trip.

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.

The Valley of Geysers, Kamchatka geysers

07.06.2007.

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 18^th and 19^th 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.

GRAND PALACE

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-19^th 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 19^th 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. The fountains of Peterhof are one of Russia's most famous tourist attractions, drawing millions of visitors every year. Fountains were intrinsic to Peter the Great's original plans for Peterhof - it was the impossibility of engineering sufficiently powerful jets of water that prompted him to move his attentions from the Strelna site to Peterhof - and subsequent generations competed with their predecessors to add grander and ever more ingenious water features to the parkland surrounding the Grand Palace. The most famous ensemble of fountains, the Grand Cascade, which runs from the northern facade of the Grand Palace to the Marine Canal, comprises 64 different fountains, and over 200 bronze statues, bas-reliefs, and other decorations. At the centre stands Rastrelli's spectacular statue of Samson wrestling the jaws of a lion. The vista of the Grand Cascade with the Grand Palace behind it, the first sight to great visitors who arrive in Peterhof by sea, is truly breathtaking. The Grotto behind the Grand Cascade, which was once used for small parties, contains the enormous pipes, originally wooden, that feed the fountains. Elsewhere in the park, the range and diversity of fountains is astounding, from further monumental ensembles like the Chess Cascade and the Pyramid Fountain, to the ever-popular Joke Fountains, including one which sprays unwary passers-by who step on a particular paving stone. The official opening of the fountains at Peterhof, which usually takes place at the end of May, is an all-day festival, with classical music, fireworks and other performances, as each section of the park's fountains is turned on one by one. MONPLAISIR Peter the Great's pet project at Peterhof was this small but charming summer palace, which the Tsar designed by and for himself, although he sought the help of several architects to do so. If you arrive in Peterhof by boat, Monplaisir is one of the first sights to greet you. Sitting in the eastern corner of the Lower Park, right on the shoreline of the Gulf of Finland, Monplaisir vaguely resembles a Dutch Colonial mansion, with its high gabled roof over the central corpus and narrow rectangular windows to keep out the wintry north wind. The facade on the opposite side of the palace is quite different, with long single-storey galleries topped by a balustraded terrace and supported by slender columns. Here, large French windows allow natural light to pour into the rooms, giving the whole building a summery, almost tropical feel. Monplaisir was completed by 1723, and became Peter's preferred retreat, where he entertained only his closest friends and advisors. The rooms inside are almost entirely paneled in oak, and contain an interesting collection of 17th century art, much of which comes from Peter's own collection. Among the highlights inside is the delightful Lacquered Gallery, the creation of which required Russian icon-painters to spend months studying Chinese lacquering. The result is an extraordinary mixture of black, gold and red panels with a distinctly Russian accent. The Assembly Hall, which was the main reception room, used for riotous banquets in Peter's time, is decorated with latticed panels representing Africa, America, and Asia, and intricate rocaille coving. Typically for Peter, Monplaisir displays an intriguing mixture of grandeur and homely comfort, with its pretty Dutch-tiled pantry, where Peter's wife Catherine would herself cook for guests, and the cozy Maritime Study, with tiles representing 13 different types of ship. From the windows, the view across the Gulf to Kronshtadt on one side and St. Petersburg on the other is particularly fine. Added later to Monplaisir are the Bathhouse Wing and Kitchen Block, ordered by Catherine after Peter's death, and the Catherine Wing, which was originally built for Empress Elizabeth, but adapted by Quarenghi for Catherine the Great, who lived at Monplaisir during the last years of her marriage to Peter III. It was here that she heard the news of the coup against her husband that would eventually make her Empress of All the Russias. Inside the Catherine Wing, there are more relics of Alexander I than of Catherine, including his study and bedroom, with an extraordinary boat-shaped bed. Opening Hours: For Monplaisir: June to September, daily from 10.30am to 5pm, closed on Wednesdays. For the Catherine Wing: May to September, daily from 10.30 am to 5pm, closed Thursdays, October to April, weekends only from 10.30am to 5pm. MARLY PALACE Located in the western half of the Lower Park, the Marly Palace is a charming baroque mansion that was built on the orders of Peter the Great as an intimate retreat in the grounds of the Grand Palace. Peter's inspiration was the royal hunting lodge at Marly Le Roi, just outside Paris. Louis XIV had commissioned his residence there as a private, peaceful alternative to Versailles. Peter visited Marly Le Roi during his visit to France in 1717, and, when creating the "Russian Versailles" at Peterhof, he decided to have his own personal sanctuary built in the grounds. This section of the park at Peterhof was the last to be developed during Peter's reign, and it began with the digging of the two ponds - one rectangular, one crescent shaped - that surround the Marly Palace. The ponds were stocked with carp and zanders for the royal kitchen. Work began on the ponds and the landscaping of the surrounding area in early 1720 and, later in the same year, on the house itself. Architect Johann Braunstein originally envisioned a single-storey building, but Peter was dissatisfied with the result, and ordered the addition of a second floor, completed in 1723. Despite this, the building has a pleasantly harmonious appearance - a simple, square baroque mansion with an air of serenity and comfort, accentuated by its multiple reflections in the still waters of the fishponds. Peter had only two years to enjoy his retreat before his death. Marly was no longer used as a residence and, by the mid-18th century, it had become a store for Peter's personal effects, including his wardrobe, official gifts, and various pieces of furniture and art. Many items from this collection are still on display in Marly today. The interiors of the palace are kept as close as possible to the state they were in when Peter died, although they were entirely reconstructed in the late 19th century, when structural weaknesses entailed the rebuilding of Marly almost from scratch. Opening Hours: May to September: daily from 10.30am to 5pm, closed Mondays. October to April: Weekends from 10.30am to 5pm. PETERHOF HERMITAGE Standing on a moted island right on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, the graceful two-storey Peterhof Hermitage was envisioned by Peter the Great as an informal dining room for his closest associates, with a system of pulleys used to serve food and ensure the privacy of the diners. Designed by Johann Braunstein, the Hermitage was begun in 1721, but not completed until shortly after Peter's death. A sandy-pink building with Corinthian pilasters and large arched windows, the Peterhof Hermitage comprises a bright, airy dining room with seating for fourteen on the upper floor, and a buffet and kitchen for service on the ground floor. Originally, the only connection between the two floors was by a two-seater chairlift used to hoist guests up to the dining area. The dining table was also lowered and lifted to deliver orders and serve food, so that the diners could enjoy total privacy undisturbed by servants. The chairlift was replaced with a staircase after Pavel I was stranded in mid-air due to a snapped cable in 1797. The walls of the dining hall are completely paneled with canvases. The original decor of the room included only a few paintings but, in Empress Elizabeth's reign, 151 canvases from Peter's private collection were mounted on the walls. Most of these were destroyed in a fire in 1808, and the current selection dates from the refitting of the building the year after, and from further renovations in 1925. The paintings, landscapes and battle scenes by French, Dutch, Flemish and German artists of the 17th and 18th centuries, were chosen from the stocks of the State Hermitage to approximate the tastes of Peter. Opening Hours: May to September, daily from 10.30am to 6pm, closed on Mondays. COTTAGE PALACE AND ALEXANDRIA PARK To the east of the main park at Peterhof lies an expanse of landscaped parkland in the English style, named after Alexandra Fedorovna, wife of Nicholas I. Originally divided amongst Peter the Great's favourites, including Alexander Menshikov, who began to build a palace here shortly before he was disgraced and exiled, the land was used as a royal hunting ground for most of the 18th century, and then left to go wild after the court moved to Tsarskoe Selo. In 1825, the land was passed to Nicholas I, who commissioned Adam Menelaws, a Scottish architect and landscape gardener, to create an English-style estate with a "cottage" palace and home-farm. This was in part a concession to Alexandra, formerly Charlotte of Prussia, who found the pomp and grandeur of court life oppressive and intrusive. The Cottage Palace was completed in 1829, and became the permanent summer residence of the Tsar's family. Menalaws' unusual design produced a building which is equal parts seaside villa, Gothic castle and English farmhouse, but nonetheless extremely elegant, with a number of charming decorative details. The palace's interiors bear witness to the private tastes not only of Nicholas and Alexandra, but of their children and grandchildren. Particularly impressive are the spectacular trompe l'oeil murals around the staircase, depicting gothic arches and vaults, and Nicholas's Naval Study, with superb views over the Gulf of Finland. The charming, rambling park around the Cottage Palace contains a couple of other interesting buildings, including the ruins of Nicholas's Farm Palace, where Alexander II enjoyed spending his free time, and the small, neo-gothic Alexander Nevsky Church, which was the later Romanovs' private chapel. VISITING PETERHOF If you only have time to make one trip out of St. Petersburg during your stay, then it should be Peterhof, the greatest of all the city's suburban estates. While the best time to visit Peterhof is of course the summer season, when all the varied buildings in the park are open to visitors and the famous fountains are in operation (June to October), this is also the time when Peterhof is most crowded, with long queues for some of the major attractions, and for transport back to the city. There are various transport options to get to Peterhof from central St. Petersburg. Electric trains run from Baltiskiy Station to Noviy Peterhof, and take around 45 minutes. The station is about 20 minutes' walk from the gates to the Upper Garden across Proletarskiy Park, or there are several buses. Alternatively, marshrutka minibuses run from in front of Baltiskiy Station directly to the park gates in Peterhof. There are also marshrutkas from Avtovo (K-424) and from Leninskiy Prospekt (K-242) Metro Stations. The drive from the city should take a little under one hour. Probably the best way to visit Peterhof is to take a hydrofoil across the Gulf of Finland to the jetty at the end of the Marine Canal. Three companies run regular hydrofoil services through the summer months from the Hermitage jetty, Angliskaya Naberezhnaya next to the Senate Building, and Universitetskaya Naberezhnaya next to the Academy of Sciences. It is also now possible to take a helicopter to Peterhof from the Peter and Paul Fortress. There are three flights daily there and back, and tickets cost around $40 one way.

The 7 Wonders of ultramodern Dubai

There are many reasons why Dubai is grabbing more and more headlines these days. One of them is that the emirate city is experiencing a construction boom, with stunning new buildings going up at a pace that rivals even China’s urban development.

Image by Michael Foley

Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his team of advisors know full well that Dubai’s oil reserves are finite and may well run dry by 2030. As a result, tourism and commercial development is slated to replace black gold as the main engine of the economy. Here then are 8 structural wonders that will change Dubai forever.

Hydropolis - First Underwater Luxury Resort

Image by mhvenkat

About the size of London’s Hyde Park and some 66 feet beneath the Persian Gulf, the reinforced concrete and steel multi-star hotel off Jumeira Beach will employ Plexiglass walls and a bubble-dome ceiling to allow guests to view marine life. “Sea-view room” anyone?

The hotel will feature 220 suites at a cost of £300 million ($594.34 million) and will be built entirely in Germany, with assembly in Dubai. After several long delays, Hydropolis is set to welcome guests by 2009.

Burj Dubai - World’s Tallest Building

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With construction that began in September 2004, the Burj Dubai, with 2009 as the inaugural date, is already the tallest man-made building on Earth. With a spectacular design inspired by the indigenous desert flowers that often appear as decorative patterns in Islamic architecture, the total cost of the super skyscraper is going to be close to $4.1 billion. When completed it will have used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tons of steel and 142,000 sqm of glass.

The Palm Islands

Image by Wikipedia

The three largest artificial islands in the world are in Dubai, nestled in the Persian Gulf. Named Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira, they will add 520 km of beaches to the city and will include residential pockets, as well as leisure and entertainment centers.

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Palm Jumeirah consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island. Expected to be ready by mid 2008, Palm Jebel Ali is slightly bigger and should be able to accommodate 1.7 million people by 2020. The largest of them all, Palm Deira, is expected to be finished in 2015.

The World Archipelago

After the construction of three decorative artificial islands, how will Dubai up the ante even further? Well, an archipelago dubbed The World will replicate the world atlas and will include some 300 islands that will be primarily built using sand dredged from the sea bottom.

The total development cost is going to be close to $14 billion. No surprise then that the islands, which range from 250,000 to 900,000 square feet, are being sold to developers for prices that reportedly start at $6.85 million.

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Distance between the islands is going to be around 100m and travel should only be available by boat. With more than 60% of the islands sold by January 2008, there are bound to be some super yachts on the premises sometime in the near future.

Wind-powered rotating skyscraper

Dr. David Fisher is the man behind Dynamic Architecture, the firm that will build the 420 meters (1,378 feet) high wind-powered rotating skyscraper in Dubai. There will be 48 wind turbines installed between each floor (which actually rotates independently) with the express aim of making the entire structure self-sufficient from an energy standpoint.

Instead of traditional ground-up construction, the plan here is to have a nearby factory prefab each floor in segments. The hope is to switch on the turbines by 2010.

The UAE spaceport

With an estimated price tag of at least $265 million, the world’s first spaceport will fall inside the border of a nearby emirate, Ras Al-Khaimah. A quick drive from Dubai, America’s Space Adventures are the wacky developers behind the high profile project slated to target the most affluent tourists. Early renderings indicate that the spaceport will feature a triangular runway (call it a launchpad if you like) and domed passenger terminals.

Wartburg Castle-GERMANY

EISENACH is best known as the site of Schloss Wartburg (Wartburg Castle), most famous for sheltering Martin Luther while he translated the New Testament into German. Founded in 1067, it is also one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Germany. It is reached by a rigorous climb up a 180m (600-ft.) forested slope.

History

Wartburg Castle was founded by Duke Ludwig of Thuringia in 1067 AD. It belonged to the landgraves of Thuringia and once hosted the medieval Minnesinger poets, immortalized by Wagner in Tannhäuser.

Most famously, the Wartburg is where Martin Luther hid out as "Knight George" upon his return from the Diet of Worms in 1521. Here he completed his translation of the Bible. During his stay here, he said he "fought the Devil with ink" and is said to have experienced dark periods of depression.

In 1777, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent five weeks in the Wartburg Castle translating the Bible into German. Goethe once said, "The Germans weren't a people until Luther."

In 1817, the Wartburg was the rallying site of the Burschenschaften, students who protested the continued division of Germany into a host of tinpot principalities. More recently, Adolf Hitler engaged in a battle with local authorities to take down Wartburg Castle's cross and replace it with a swastika. Hitler was a big fan of the Wartburg, declaring it "the most German of German castles."

Today, the castle is a regional museum. Wartburg Castle was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999 for its association with Luther and for its role as "a powerful symbol of German integration and unity."

What to See

The Wartburg is a melting pot of several different eras, making it an excellent representative of German architecture: the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Historicist styles are all featured.

The oldest part is the late 12th-century Palas at the left-hand end of the second courtyard, one of Europe's few surviving Romanesque palaces. Several structures were added in the Romantic style in the 19th century as part of a thorough restoration.

To see the interior of the Palas, you must take a guided tour. The highlight is the 200 carved capitals, a third of them original masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture. The finest are those on the central columns.

The 14th-century Burgkapelle (Castle Chapel) features three Romantic-era fresco cycles by Mortiz von Schwind illustrating the life of St. Elisabeth and the history of the castle. In the Festsaal (Festival Hall) is a mural depicting the triumph of Christianity over paganism.

The museum in the Neue Kemenate is devoted mainly to Reformation artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, weapons, furniture and tapestries. There are several great works by Cranach, including the pendants of Hans and Margarete Luther, Martin's parents.

From here you cross the courtyard to the wood-beamed interior of the Wehrgang (sentry walk), which leads to the Lutherstube, the room occupied by Martin Luther while he translated the Bible into German. On the wall hangs a portrait of Luther disguised as Junker Jörg (Knight George), by Lucas Cranach.

Unfortunately none of the furnishings are original to Luther's time, with the odd exception of a whale vertebrae that lies on the floor. But the stove and desk approximate what Luther's room would have looked like during his 10-month stay.

Behind the stove is a hole going through to the bare masonry behind the wall: there was once a large stain here, which visitors associated with the legend that Luther threw an inkpot at the devil. Past souvenir hunters have chipped away the entire wall at the spot.

The entrance ticket also includes a climb up the external wooden stairs of theSüdturm (South Tower), from which there's an excellent view over the castle and the Thuringian Forest.

Quick Facts

Site Information

Names:	Wartburg Castle; Schloss Wartburg
Location:	Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany
Categories:	Castles and Palaces; Historical Sites; World Heritage Sites
Faith:	Christianity
Denomination:	Lutheran
Status:	museum
Architecture:	Romanesque, Renaissance

Visitor Information

Coordinates:	50.966157° N, 10.306334° E (view on Google Maps)
Address:	Wartburg, 99817 Eisenach, Germany
Phone:	(+49) 36 91/25 00
Website:	www.wartburg-eisenach.de
E-mail:	info@wartburg.de
Hours:	Apr-Oct: castle gates open 8:30am-8pm; guided tours 8:30am-5pm Nov-Mar: castle gates open 9am-5pm; guided tours 9am-3:30pm
Tours:	Admission to the Great Hall is by guided tour only, included in admission price.
Cost:	adults €8; disabled €7; students €5; children under six free
Photography:	Permitted
Public transport:	Bus 10 or 13 from Eisenach Hauptbahnhof, or a 30-minute hike through the woods from Eisenach
Parking:	Parking lot (€5 per car) at the base of the castle, then a walk of 500 feet uphill.
Accessibility:	Most of the castle is handicapped accessible. A shuttle is available from the parking lot to the castle.

Half-timbered building containing the Luther Room at Wartburg Castle.

The Palas and other buildings at the south end of Wartburg Castle

West side of the restored 12th-century Romanesque Palas

Entrance to Luther's room (Lutherstube) at the Wartburg

Luther's room while he translated the Bible into German.

Another view of the Lutherstube.

View of Thuringia from the Wartburg

Entrance (and exit) at the north end of the castle complex.