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A melange of color awaits around every corner in mysterious Istanbul. For more information on this bright and vibrant city see Enchanting Istanbul
Photo by Morgen Young for EuropeUpClose.com
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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Book now for this Cheap Paris deal: six nights in Paris – including airfare – for as little as $799*! This Paris Deal is for specific dates in April, May, September, and October.
You must book by March 16.
The Comfort Lamarck hotel is located in the 18th district of Paris, with a convenient Metro stop.
This Paris package includes:
• Roundtrip airfare from New York** City to Paris on British Airways.
• Six nights, including breakfast daily, at the Comfort Lamarck
• Many taxes and surcharges.
*Additional taxes and conditions pay apply.
** Other departure cities are available, as are hotel upgrades.
For more information or to book your package, call your travel agent, call 800 227-3235 or click here Go Today Use the promo code TZPAR1 for instant savings.
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Since the early 20th century, Saint Tropez on the French Mediterranean has been the muse of many poets, famous artists and movie directors. Although many yachts and world famous resorts lie in this town, it still maintains the character and charm of a fishing village, proud of its heritage and traditions. With over 300 days of sunshine and over 400 km of beach and shoreline, it’s no wonder many 
consider the French Riviera a paradise. There are so many activities throughout the year to experience in this area such as formula 1 racing, wine tasting festivals, regattas, and polo and golf tournaments. Sites such as Calanques de Cassis (coastal Fjords) and the Verdon Grand Canyon are less than 60 miles from this area and make for great day trips for those interested in the environment and exploring natural wonders unique to the area.
Amid all the glamor and luxury, the hotel that seems to stand out is the 5-star Chateau de la Messardiere, located just a few minutes from the buzzing center of Saint-Tropez . This internationally renowned fairytale style hotel has modern décor but also has a Moorish flair. The h
otel has flagstone walkways, mashrabiyas and lava bathrooms. It also boasts wrought iron railings, carved stone columns and original art mosaics which make this hotel elegant and unique. The panoramic views over the bay of St Tropez and beaches of Pampelonne are incredible and would be of interest to any photographer. All rooms have terraces and there is not a bad view in the hotel. The grounds are filled with every tree possible including eucalyptus, pine, palm, olive, cypress and box trees. All plants and trees on the grounds are treated and maintained with environmentally friendly techniques and products. There is an Olympic size solar heated mirror pool and an extensive well-being spa. There is something for everyone to be able to relax and take in the peaceful surroundings. There is even a free 24 hour shuttle to the nearest beach and to city center.
An important part of the hotel’s motto and philosophy is that it strives to respect the environment. It has earned its green reputation thanks to an efficient management policy that the hotel has been putting into practice over many years. The hotel has an environmental charter, drawn up by the staff that has a list of concrete measures intended to promote continuous awareness and responsible environmental behavior of the hotel. The hotel is located on 25 acres of an official French Bird Protection League and Birdlife ornithological reserve. The hotel’s manager Gerald Hardy is committed to sustained development and states “it’s not enough to be green simply as a fashion statement” Château de La Messardière takes numerous measures to economize and preserve natural resources.
If you have the choice, come here in May, June or September; without the crowd’s one can take the time to admire the charming little streets and alleys in St Tropez. Whether you are a local who is getting away from the hustle and bustle or a tourist who is seeking the vacation of a lifetime on the French Riviera, the Chateau de La Messardière is the place for you.
Written by Jen Westmoreland Bouchard for Europeupclose.com.
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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The Italian city of Lecce, located in the far, far south of Italy, is a city on the rise. Voted one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010 by MSN Travel and Lonely Planet, it has tons of qualities that you won’t find anywhere else in Italy. Sure, it doesn’t have 
gondolas or the Sistine Chapel. Fine. It’s not even located near Rome; in fact, it’s a 5-7 hour train ride from Rome. And yeah, you do have to extend your Italian-language skills as far as they go, but isn’t that part of what traveling is all about? Of all the qualities of Lecce worth listing, there are two that I should get out of the way first: low prices and stunning architecture.
Puglia, the region in which Lecce is located, is one of the poorest regions in the European Union; this is because most of its economy focuses on agriculture. Everywhere you go in Puglia, you will find groves (more like forests) of olive trees and fields of grapevines. This adherence to tradition is my favorite attribute of the region, and you can taste it everywhere you go. Besides great food and wine, the region boasts low prices. Hotels and beautiful B&Bs commonly run 50-80 euro a night for doubles. A complete meal for two with wine can cost as little as 30-40 euro. So, unlike many of the more popular tourist destinations in Italy, Lecce won’t steal your wallet along with your heart.
Its architecture is Lecce’s primary asset, most of which came into existence during the 17th Century, thanks to a period of gentrification spurred on by the Hapsburg Dynasty. Lecce demonstrates Baroque architecture unlike anywhere else on earth. The façade of the famous Santa Croce church is a stunning mix of religious figures and mythological creatures. The church’s beauty makes it a prime location for Italian weddings, and every summer the church’s steps are carpeted with flower petals. The city’s numerous other churches are nearly as immaculate as Santa Croce, and jump out around every corner. Even the homes in Lecce tout impressive carvings and sculptures because the stone with which everything in the city is made, Lecce stone, is a high-quality limestone that is ideal for sculpting.
I began visiting Lecce in 2006. After seeing so many other cities in Italy, I hadn’t expected to find Lecce’s Duomo or ancient ruins so impressive. Furthermore, many of the other towns and cities in Puglia that I had visited did not have the sheer beauty that this “Florence of the south” promised. But Lecce pays off, and I’ve returned regularly ever since.
The best times to visit the city are April through the end of June and August 27th through mid-November. Summer in Lecce is beautiful and there are an endless number of outdoor events, such as outdoor symphonies, jazz concerts, and cultural arts of all sorts. And the city is very, very busy with Italian, Greek, and German tourists. The best accommodations are the B&Bs located in the city center. They are an unparalleled way to experience the town’s old history.
Written by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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Welcome to Cluj, Romania: a city that for centuries has embodied the religious diversity typical of its region, Transylvania. Survey downtown Cluj, Romania, from atop the citadel hill to its north, and you can see churches of six denominations. Scanning left to right, you first see the tall domed tower of the Romanian Orthodox church, then the spire of the Unitarian church, which swells 
into a bulb before rising to a point. Next is the white-topped Lutheran church. Then look into the distance to find the massive bulk of the Calvinist church, before bringing your focus back to the foreground to observe the largest church, a Roman Catholic one. Finally, there is the small gray roof of the Greek Catholic church.
Then, consider that the Unitarian, Lutheran, Greek Catholic and Orthodox buildings are not just any old churches, but cathedrals: the seats of bishops in their respective denominations.
Since it would be overwhelming to tour all these churches in one go, I will focus on the two biggest cathedrals: the Orthodox and the Catholic. The four smaller churches - and a couple of interesting others that don’t happen to be visible from that hill – have their own curious stories to tell, so they will be the subject of a whole different post.
The Orthodox cathedral, with its carved stone facade built onto a skeleton of concrete, serves the Romanian community which, today, is the largest ethnic group in Cluj. It was erected between 1923 and 1933, after Transylvania became part of Romania. Intended as a monument of Romanian national pride, the building has neo-Byzantine architectural features – most notably its central cupola. The church is 64 meters tall and has room for 2,000 worshippers. Its interior dazzles with large mosaics and murals in many colors, with gold predominating. Walking straight ahead from the main entrance, you eventually reach a grand iconostasis with icons arranged in five rows. From the huge alcove behind it, a mural of Mary and Jesus gazes down at you. Hanging far down from the interior of the cupola is a massive chandelier shaped like a crown, which was a gift from Carol II, King of Romania.
The Orthodox cathedral stands on a square called Piata Avram Iancu, one of the main squares in Cluj. And just a few blocks west is another, similarly sized square, Piata Unirii, home to an older, Catholic church. This, the tallest church in Cluj, is, in fact, the tallest in Transylvania, at 80 meters including the cross on top. The magnificent Gothic church, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, is not a cathedral, because Cluj is not a Catholic episcopal seat but, in stead, falls under the bishopric of nearby Alba Iulia.
Catholicism made a comeback at St Michael’s after a couple of other denominations held it for a while. In 1551, St Michael’s became a Lutheran place of worship, and then became the seat of a Unitarian bishop in 1566. It has been a Hungarian-speaking Catholic church since 1718.
St Michael’s was built between 1350 and 1487, although some of what you see today is reconstruction, including the clock tower which was rebuilt, in neo-Gothic style, in the 19th century. The likeness of St Michael (killing a dragon) above the main door is original. To its left is an inscription in Latin proclaiming that the depiction was installed there in 1444. Still older is the church’s 24-meter altarpiece, made in 1390. The colossal, richly adorned pulpit, carved from wood, is a comparative youngster, dating from 1750. The interior is massive, with huge arches bolstered by two-meter thick pillars separating the side naves from the main one.
There is evidence of conflict between Catholics and Protestants on the church’s interior walls. When they were in control of this building, Protestants obliterated almost every trace of rich, 15th century frescos. But some patches of fresco painting can still be seen, having been uncovered when the church was restored in the mid 20th century. At the rear, under the clock tower, is a small chapel where there is a whole mural showing the Crucifixion.
The rich history of Cluj and its diverse population is indeed reflected in the outstanding art and architecture of every church you visit.
Written by David Hill for EuropeUpClose
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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Ever have one of those moments when you wish you could look out your window and see the streetscape of Paris spilled out before you? Well now you can have the same view from your desktop. Mashable reports on the new release of the Paris 26 Gigapixels site, which stitched together 2,346 photos (or 26 billion pixels) to create a panoramic view of Paris (complete with the wistful accordion music from Amélie…swoon).
The zoom capability on the site is impressive: You can see the gargoyles on Notre Dame Cathedral, or the tourists gathering on the steps outside Sacré Coeur. The site also does well by highlighting 20 Most Beautiful Paris Monuments, providing history and background information about each. But to get the real “I’m in Paris” sensation, go to the full-screen mode and navigate the streets until you find an apartment to call your own. Then grab a baguette and pretend you’re peering out from the window of your pied-à-terre. (There’s also an HD mode, which only enhances the experience.)
To learn more about how the Gigapixel photo was taken, read about it here and here.
[Mashable]
[Paris 26 Gigapixels]
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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Best-selling author Elizabeth Berg penned our cover story about cooking school in Positano, Italy, with sumptuous photos by Massimo Bassano. Try not to salivate.
Our contributing editor Andrew Nelson could get dropped off in Siberia and instantly make friends, but we made things slightly easier for him. We sent him to Miami without a plan, and told him to use only one tool, Twitter, to help him get around. In the resulting story, “Tweet Me in Miami,” he gets guided by locals whose “recommendations and comments are fresher and more up-to-date than any guidebook,” he writes. Get the full story here. Thanks to all of his followers who gave suggestions (and their Twitter names are embedded in our online story)!
Looking for an authentic getaway in Britain and Ireland? Charles Kulander culled 89 charming hotels packed with personality for our annual Stay List. Most hotels began as something else (monasteries, castles, you get the idea) and have evolved into unique lodgings. To be selected the sites must be fully engaged with
their surroundings, tied to community, and tuned to the environment. Find the complete list of hotels here.
And last but certainly not least, sand-loving expat Kris LeBoutillier reveals his favorite little-known beaches in
Southeast Asia, based on 12 years of travels and countless pictures of
sunsets. Read the story and see more of his photos.
Find more from the issue plus dozens of online extras on Traveler’s website. And if you’re not getting the magazine in your mailbox, subscribe here.
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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Antarctica’s South Georgia Island has a population of several
million penguins. I know that for a fact because I think I took that
many pictures of them. One of those penguins happened to be
black–all black–and perhaps you noticed, that one penguin’s been
getting a bit of attention lately. Several people have asked if I got
any video of this rare bird and I kept shrugging my shoulders and
saying “no, no, too bad.” That is, until today. After unpacking, doing
laundry and finally sifting through my million-and-one penguin shots, I
located this one shot clip of the beloved and ultra-unique all-black
penguin. Here he is folks. — Andrew Evans
Andrew Evans traveled 10,000 miles–by bus–from Washington D.C. to Antarctica for National Geographic Traveler and has tweeted about his travels at @Bus2Antarctica. Follow the map of his journey, bookmark all of his blog posts, watch videos, and get the full story on the project here.
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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Vacationers take in the last splash of sunset from popular Ochheuteal Beach, a seaside resort area on southern Cambodia’s Sihanoukville peninsula. Not far away lie stretches of sand offering complete seclusion. “This Cambodian coast is low-key, without pretension,” says Kris LeBoutillier, who wrote and photographed the story “The Beach Beyond: Asia’s Secret Getaways” now out in the April 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler. See more images from the story here.
Photo: Kris LeBoutillier
Written by Travel News on March 14th, 2010 with no comments.
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Photo: Chris Devers via Flickr
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