Europe Travel Directory

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Balanzan tours
Balanzan Tours has been one of the most important tour operators in West Africa for several years.
http://www.balanzantours.com




West Africa travel tours
West Africa is our backyard. No one knows this region better than our operations personnel, strategically located throughout West Africa.
http://www.west-africa-travel-tours.co.uk

Newcastle upon Tyne travel

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, the city developed from a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius, though it owes its name to the castle built in 1080, by Robert II, the eldest son of William the Conqueror. The city grew as an important centre for the wool trade and it later became a major coal mining area. The port developed in the 16th century and, along with the shipyards lower down the river, was amongst the world's largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centres. These industries have since demised, and the city is largely a business and cultural centre, particularly through its reputation for nightlife.

Manchester travel

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted city status in 1853. It has a population of 458,100, and lies at the centre of the wider Greater Manchester Urban Area, which has a population of 2,240,230, the United Kingdom's third largest conurbation. Manchester has the second most populous Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) in the UK and the fourteenth most populated in Europe.

Glasgow travel

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. It is the most populous of Scotland's 32 unitary authority areas. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands. A person from Glasgow is known as a Glaswegian, which is also the name of the local dialect.Glasgow grew from the medieval Bishopric of Glasgow and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow, which contributed to the Scottish Enlightenment. From the 18th century the city became one of Europe's main hubs of transatlantic trade with the Americas. With the Industrial Revolution, the city and surrounding region grew to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of engineering and shipbuilding,constructing many revolutionary and famous vessels. Glasgow was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" for much of the Victorian era.Today it is one of Europe's top twenty financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses.

Edinburgh travel

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish city after Glasgow. Edinburgh is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas.Located in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea. Owing to its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture, including numerous stone tenements, it is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe.

Cardiff travel

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county in Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural institutions and mainstream sports, the Welsh national media, the most popular visitor destination in the country and the seat of Welsh Assembly Government (although its various offices are distributed throughout Wales). According to recent local government estimates, the population of the unitary authority area is 317,500.

Bristol travel

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, 105 miles (169 km) west of London, and 44 miles (71 km) east of Cardiff.With an approximate population of 410,950, and urban area of 550,200, it is England's sixth, and the United Kingdom's ninth most populous city, one of England's core cities and the most populous city in South West England. It received a royal charter in 1155 and was granted county status in 1373. For half a millennium it was the second or third largest English city, until the rapid rise of Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester in the Industrial Revolution during the latter part of the 18th century. It borders the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire, lying between the cities of Bath, Gloucester and Newport. The city is built around the River Avon and it has a short coastline on the estuary of the River Severn, which flows into the Bristol Channel.

Brighton travel

Brighton is a town on the south coast of England and, with its neighbour Hove, forms the City of Brighton and Hove.The ancient settlement of Brighthelmston dates from before the Domesday Book (1086), but it emerged as a health resort during the 18th Century and became a destination for day-trippers after the arrival of the railway in 1841. Brighton experienced rapid population growth reaching a peak of over 160,000 by 1961. Modern Brighton forms part of a conurbation stretching along the coast, with a population of around 480,000. Eight million tourists a year visit Brighton. The town also has a substantial business conference industry. Brighton has two universities and a medical school.

Birmingham travel

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the most populous of England's core cities, and is the second most populated British city after London, with a population of 1,010,200 (2005 estimate). Often considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom, the City of Birmingham forms part of the larger West Midlands conurbation, which has a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census) and includes several neighbouring towns and cities, such as Solihull, Wolverhampton and the towns of the Black Country.

Belfast travel

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of devolved government and legislative assembly in Northern Ireland. It is the largest urban area in the province of Ulster, and the second largest city on the island of Ireland. The City of Belfast has a population of 276,459, and lies at the heart of Metropolitan Belfast, which has a population of approximately 800,000.The city suffered greatly during the period of disruption, conflict, and destruction called the Troubles, but latterly has undergone a sustained period of calmness and growth.

Vinnytsya travel

Vinnytsya is a city located on the banks of the Southern Buh River, in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Vinnytsia Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Vinnytskyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city itself is also designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, and rests in the historic region of Podillia.The current estimated population is 350,400.

Yalta travel

Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black Sea, surrounded by wooded mountains. It enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with many vineyards and orchards in the vicinity.

Uzhhorod trave

Uzhhorod is a city located in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast (region), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Uzhhorodskyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city itself is also designated as its own separate raion within the oblast.

Ternopil travel

Ternopil is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of three main cities of Eastern Galicia.The current estimated population is 221,300 (as of 2004).The city is the administrative center of the Ternopil Oblast (province), as well of the surrounding Ternopilsky Raion (district) within the oblast. However, Ternopil is a city of oblast subordinance, thus being subject directly to the oblast authorities rather to the raion administration housed in the city itself.

Sevastopol travel

Sevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 (2001). The city, formerly the home of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, is now a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy.The unique geographic location and navigation conditions of the city's harbours make Sevastopol a strategically important naval point. It is also a popular seaside resort and tourist destination, mainly for visitors from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

Poltava travel

Poltava is a city in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Poltavskyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city itself is also designated as its own separate raion within the oblast. The current estimated population is 313,400 (as of 2004).

Odessa travel

Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast (province) located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 (as of the 2001 census). From 1819–1858 Odessa was a free port. During the Soviet period it was the most important port of trade in the Soviet Union and a Soviet naval base. On January 1, 2000 the Quarantine Pier of Odessa trade sea port was declared a free port and free economic zone for a term of 25 years.

Ochakiv travel

Ochakiv is a city in the Mykolaiv Oblast (province) of southern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Ochakivsky Raion (district), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located on a peninsula in the Black Sea, at the entrance to the Dnieper Rivers's estuary, just opposite of Kinburn.

Mykolayiv travel

Mykolayiv is a major city in southern Ukraine.There are several variations of the city's name. In Ukrainian, for which the translation is Mykolaiv, also seldom Mykolayiv. Which translates to Nikolaev or Nikolayev.Today Mykolaiv is a major shipbuilding center of Ukraine (as, earlier, of the whole Soviet Union) and an important riverport. The city has three major shipyards one of which is capable of building large navy ships. Other important industries are mechanical engineering, power engineering, metallurgy and cosmetics.

Lviv travel

Lviv is a major city in western Ukraine.It is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine. In 2001, it had 725,000 inhabitants, of whom 88 per cent were Ukrainians, 9 per cent Russians (down from 16 percent in 1989) and 1 per cent Poles. A further 200,000 people commuted daily from suburbs.

Lutsk travel

Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in north-western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Lutsky Raion (district) within the oblast. The city itself is also designated as its own separate raion within the oblast.The current estimated population is around 206,000.Lutsk is an ancient Slavic town, mentioned in the Hypatian Chronicle as Luchesk in the records under 1085. The etymology of the name is unclear. There are three hypotheses:

Lugansk travel

Lugansk is a city in southeastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Luhansk Oblast (province). The city itself is also designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast, and is part of the Donbass region. The current estimated population is around 445,900.The city traces its history to 1795, when the British industrialist Charles Gascoigne founded a metal factory there. It was the beginning of an industry that still thrives there today. Luhansk achieved the status of city in 1882. Located in the Donets Basin, Luhansk was developed by the Soviet authorities into an important industrial center of the Eastern Europe, particularly a home to the major locomotive-building company.

Kharkiv travel

Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine. It was the first capital of Soviet Ukraine, now the administrative center of the Kharkiv Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Kharkivskyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city is located in the northeast of the country. As of 2006, its population is 1,461,300. Kharkiv is a major cultural, scientific, educational, transport and industrial centre of Ukraine. Its industry specializes mostly in machinery. There are hundreds of industrial companies in the city. Among them are world famous giants like the Morozov Design Bureau and the Malyshev Tank Factory, leaders in tank production since the 1930s; Hartron; and the Turboatom turbines producer.

Kaniv travel

Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper. The current estimated population is 26,426 (as of 2005).Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, considered a founder of Ukrainian literature, is buried on a hill overlooking the Dnieper in Kaniv, and the city houses a memorial museum dedicated to him.

Kherson travel

Kherson is a city in southern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kherson Oblast (province), and is designated as its own separate raion (district) within the oblast. Kherson is an important port on the Black Sea and Dnieper River, and the home of a major ship-building industry.The current estimated population is 329,000 (as of 2007).

Ivano-Frankivsk travel

Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in western Ukraine.It is the administrative center of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (province), and is designated as its own separate raion (district) within the oblast. Prior to 1962, the city was known as Stanyslaviv.The estimated population was 204,200 as of 2004.The city is situated in the Carpathian region, approximately 120 metres above sea level. As is the case with most of Ukraine, the climate is moderate continental with warm summers, and fairly cold winters.

Donetsk travel

Donetsk is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbass) region.The city was founded in 1869 by a Welsh businessman, John Hughes, who constructed a steel plant and several coal mines around the region. Hence the original name Yuzovka. During Soviet times, the city's steel industry was expanded and it was renamed Stalino. Although there is an opinion that city was named after Joseph Stalin, and hence renamed during the De-Stalinisation to its modern name after the Seversky Donets river. Today, the city still remains an important industrial centre for coal and steel in Ukraine, and houses the "Donetsk" special economic zone, established in 1998.

Dnipropetrovsk travel

Dnipropetrovsk is Ukraine's third largest city with 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located south of Ukraine's capital Kiev (Kyiv) on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country. Dnipropetrovsk is the administrative center of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (province). Within the Dnipropetrovsk Metropolitan area there are 1,860,000 people (2001).

Chernivtsi travel

Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. The city lies in the historic Northern Bukovyna region of Ukraine and is situated on the Prut River, a tributary of the Danube. As of the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the city's population is 242,300.Together with the city of Lviv, Chernivtsi is considered to be a cultural centre of western Ukraine. Many famous Ukrainians were born or lived in the city, including the poet Ivan Franko, the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, and former Speaker of the Parliament Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Additionally, many other well known historical figures were born in the city, such as the Vienna Secession artist Oskar Laske. Chernivtsi is also considered as one of Ukraine's greatest cultural and educational centres in history.

Chernihiv travel

Chernihiv is a historic city in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast (province), as well as of the surrounding Chernihivskyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The estimated population of the city is around 299,000.Chernihiv was first mentioned in the Rus'-Byzantine Treaty, but is considered to have existed at least in the ninth century, as uncovered by archaeological excavations of a settlement which included the artifacts from the Khazar Khaganate. Towards the end of the 10th century, the city probably had its own rulers. It was there that the Black Grave, one of the largest and earliest royal mounds in Eastern Europe, was excavated back in the 19th century.

Kyiv travel

Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. As of April 2007, official municipal estimates placed the population of Kiev at about 2.7 million inhabitants, although some much higher unofficial estimates are often published.Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro.

Trabzon travel

Trabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the east, Russia and the Caucasus to the North. The Venetian and Genoese merchants paid visit to the city and sold silk, linen and woolen fabric. During the Ottoman period Trabzon, because of the importance of its port, became a focal point of trade to Iran, India and the Caucasus. Trabzon formed the basis of several states in its long history, and was the capital city of the Empire of Trebizond. The population of the city is 400,187.

Sinop travel

Sinop is a city with a population of 47,000 on Ince Burun (Inceburun, Cape Ince), by its Cape Sinop (Sinop Burnu, Boztepe Cape, Boztepe Burnu) which is situated on the most northern edge of the Turkish side of Black Sea coast, in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, in modern-day northern Turkey, historically known as Sinope. It is the capital of Sinop Province.

Konya travel

Konya is a city in Turkey, on the central plateau of Anatolia. It has a population of 1,412,343 .Excavations have shown that the region was inhabited during the Late Copper Age, around 3000 BC. The city came under the influence of the Hittites around 1500 BC. These were overtaken by the Indo-European Sea Peoples around 1200 BC. The Phrygians established their kingdom in central Anatolia in the 8th century BC. Xenophon describes Iconium, as the city was called, as the last city of Phrygia. The region was overwhelmed by Cimmerian invaders c. 690 BC. It was later part of the Persian Empire, until Darius III was defeated by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. Alexander's empire broke up shortly after his death and the town came under the rule of Seleucus I Nicator.

Izmir travel

Izmir historically Smyrna, is Turkey's third most populous city and the country's largest port after Istanbul. It is located along the outlying waters of the Gulf of Izmir, by the Aegean Sea. It is the seat of Izmir Province. The city of Izmir is composed of nine metropolitan districts, each with its own distinct features and temperament. The total area of the nine districts is 855 km² and together these districts constitute the area of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality headed by the mayor of Izmir. The total population of this greater urban region in 2007 was 3,175,133.

Istanbul travel

Istanbul is the largest city of Turkey and the third largest city in the world. The city covers 27 districts of the Istanbul province. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the European (Thrace) and on the Asian (Anatolia) side of the Bosphorus, and is thereby the only metropolis in the world which is situated on two continents. Due to its three thousand year-old history, it is considered as one of the oldest still existing cities in the world. In its long history, Istanbul served as the capital city of the Roman Empire, the East Roman (Byzantine) Empire, the Latin Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. The city was chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010. The historic areas of Istanbul were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

Edirne travel

Edirne is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. It is the capital of Edirne Province (Turkish Thrace) and its estimated population in 2002 was 128,400, up from 119,298 in 2000.

Bursa travel

Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. With a population of 1,562,828, it is Turkey's fourth largest city, as well as one of the most industrialized and culturally charged metropolitan centers in the country.Bursa is settled on the north-west slopes of the Mount Uludag in the South of Marmara Region. It is bordered by The Marmara Sea and Yalova on the north, Kocaeli and Sakarya on the north-east, Bilecik on the east and Kutahya and Balikesir on the south.

Antalya travel

Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It is the capital city of Antalya Province. The population of the city was 775157 in the 2007 census. Antalya has a Mediterranean climate. Situated on a cliff over the Mediterranean, Antalya is surrounded by mountains. Developments in tourism, starting in the 1970s, transformed the city into an international resort.

Ankara travel

Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of 850 m (2800 ft), and as of 2007 the city had a population of 3,901,201, which includes eight districts under the city's administration. Ankara also serves as the capital of the Province of Ankara.As with many ancient cities, Ankara has gone by several names over the ages: The Hittites gave it the name Ankuwash before 1200 BC. The Galatians and Romans called it Ancyra. In the classical, Hellenistic, and Byzantine periods it was known as Ankyra. It was also known as Angora after it fell to the Seljuks in 1073, and was so known up until 1930.

Interlaken travel

Interlaken is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.The Aare River flows through the town. Interlaken is located between Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west in the area called Bodeli. The town takes its name from its geographical position between the lakes (in Latin inter lacus).

Solothurn travel

The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.This Celtic settlement was renewed around AD 14–37 by the Roman emperor Claudius, and became a Roman stronghold (castrum) under the name of Salodurum. Its strategical importance lay in the position at the approach to the Rhine from southeast.

Zermatt travel

Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland.It is located at the northern base of the Matterhorn in the Pennine Alps, about 10 km from the border with Italy.Zermatt has a permanent population of around 5,500 people, although the actual population varies considerably through the seasons as tourists come and go. The village is situated at the end of Mattertal, a north-facing valley, at an altitude of 1,620m (5,315ft). The valley is a dead end; although the border with Italy is close, it cannot be crossed by road, as it traverses a glacier at an altitude of over 3,000m. Zermatt is the starting point of the Patrouille des Glaciers and the Haute Route.

Lucerne travel

Lucerne is a city in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and seat of the district with the same name. With a population of 57,890, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland and focal point of the region. The city's agglomeration consists of 17 municipalities in three cantons with an overall population of nearly 200,000.

Lugano travel

Lugano is a town (56,719 inhabitants, a total of 130,000 people in the agglomeration) in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy. The city lies on Lake Lugano and its warm summers, and the fact that in recent years it has attracted an ever growing number of celebrities, entertainers and successful sports people has given it the nickname of the "Monte Carlo of Switzerland" It is the 9th biggest city of Switzerland by population.

Lausanne travel

Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, and facing Evian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located some 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Geneva. It is the capital of the canton of Vaud and of the district of Lausanne. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee are located in Lausanne, as are the headquarters of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It lies in the middle of a wine region. Philip Morris International, maker of Marlboro and other cigarettes, is also based in Lausanne.

Basel travel

Basel is Switzerland's third most populous city; 731,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area stretching across the immediate cantonal and national boundaries made Basel Switzerland's second-largest urban area as of 2004.Located in north-west Switzerland on the river Rhine, Basel functions as a major industrial centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The city borders both Germany and France. The Basel region, culturally extending into German Baden-Wurttemberg and French Alsace, reflects the heritage of its three states in the modern Latin name: "Regio TriRhena". It has the oldest university of the Swiss Confederation (1460).

Berne travel

The city of Berne or Bern is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland and, with 128,041 people (agglomeration: 344,000 / metropolitan area: 660,000), the fifth most populous city in Switzerland (after Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne).The official language of Berne is German. The local Swiss German dialect is Bernese German, spoken by most of the inhabitants. Due to the presence of a large part of the federal administration, several embassies and a fair number of immigrants, the other national languages and many others may be heard in the streets.

Geneva travel

Genevais the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zurich) and is the most populous city of Romandie (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). Situated where the Rhone River exits Lake Geneva, it is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva. The city proper had a population of 186,825 in June 2008, and the metropolitan area had 769,000 residents according to a 2005 census. The Geneva metropolitan area extends partly over Switzerland (517,000 inhabitants) and partly over France (251,000 inhabitants).

Zurich travel

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne. Zurich can be counted as one of the world's preeminent global cities. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zurich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe.

Falun travel

Falun is a city in Dalarna, central Sweden, the seat of Falun Municipality and the capital of Dalarna County. The city is the home of 36,500 of the municipality's 55,000 inhabitants. Falun forms, together with Borlange, a metropolitan area with close to 100,000 inhabitants.Falun was originally famous for its copper mine, and is today an important service and industrial city even though the mine is closed (since 1992).

Kiruna travel

Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lappland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality (pop. 23,122 in 2007) in Norrbotten County.The name Kiruna comes from the Sami language Giron and means ptarmigan, a white bird native to northern areas. This bird is also depicted on the city arms, together with the sign for Iron. Iron symbolizes the mining industry which has been of great importance for the town.

Umea travel

Umea is a university city in Vasterbotten, Sweden.Umea is the biggest city in Norrland and the capital of Vasterbotten County. The city has about 76,000 inhabitants and is the seat of Umea Municipality (with a total population of 111,571).Umea is a center of education, technical and medical research in Sweden, with two universities and over 30,000 students.Umea has been expanding for several decades and is one of Sweden's fastest growing cities. Growth sped up in 1965, the same year that the university was established. In the last 30 years, housing in Umea has doubled and this rate of growth continues. 700 to 800 new apartments are at present constructed each year.

Orebro travel

Orebro is a city in the province of Narke, in central Sweden. Orebro is the seat of Orebro Municipality and the capital of Orebro County.Orebro received its Royal Charter and city privileges not later than 1404. Orebro literally means a bridge over gravel banks, which is how the geography looks, with the stream Svartan draining into the lake Hjalmaren. The location became a natural seat of commerce in the medieval time, and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building which has undergone several modifications.

Lund travel

Lund is a city in the province of Scania, southern Sweden. The town has 76,188 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 105,000. It is the seat of Lund Municipality, Skane County. The city is believed to have been founded around 990, when the Scanian lands belonged to Denmark. It soon became the Christian center of Northern Europe with an archbishop and with the towering Lund Cathedral, built in 1103.

Lulea travel

Lulea is a city with a population of 45,731 in the urban area, and 57 144 including connecting suburbs. The city is located at the coast of Norrbotten in northern Sweden. It is the seat of Lulea Municipality and the capital of Norrbotten County.The town of Lulea is situated on a peninsula where Lule Bay meets the Gulf of Bothnia; the bay stretches northwest and becomes the Lule River, allowing sea-based transportation across the county. The town's location on the peninsula of Svartöstaden required expansion, and therefor much of its ground area of 2110 square kilometres is man-made. Lulea also has urban areas built on the island of Hertsön which, thanks to Lulea's location, is Sweden's 7th most populated.

Linkoping travel

Linkoping is a city in southern Sweden, with a population of 97,885 (2006). It is the seat of Linkoping Municipality with 140,367 inhabitants (2007) and the capital of Ostergotland County. Linkoping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linkoping (Church of Sweden) and is well known for its cathedral.Linkoping is the center of an old cultural region and celebrated its 700th anniversary in 1987. Nowadays Linkoping is known for its university and its high-technology industry. Dominating the city's skyline from a far distance is the tower of the cathedral.

Karlskrona travel

Karlskrona is a city in the province of Blekinge in south-eastern Sweden. It is the seat of Karlskrona Municipality and the captital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the HQ of the Swedish Coast Guard . The city has a population of about 32,600 out of municipal total of 62,000.

Karlstad travel

Karlstad is a city in Varmland, Sweden. The city has 58,544 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 83,500. It is the seat of Karlstad Municipality and the capital of Varmland County. Karlstad has a University and a Cathedral.Karlstad is built on the river delta where Sweden's longest river, Klaralven, runs into Sweden's largest lake, Vanern. It has the second largest lake port in the country after Vasteras.

Halmstad travel

Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of the Nissan River in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County. The city has a population of about 56,000, out of a municipal total of nearly 90,000.

Helsingborg travel

Helsingborg is a city in Scania in the southernmost part of Sweden, which has a population of 93,838 (2007)Dec. It is the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skane County which has 126,346 inhabitants. Helsingborg city is increasing by around 900-1600 persons every year.Helsingborg is the centre of a region of about 300,000 inhabitants of north-west Skane. This arguably makes the Helsingborg area the fourth largest metropolitan area in Sweden.Helsingborg is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city Elsinore clearly visible on the other side of the strait of oresund about 4 km to the west.

Boras travel

Boras is a city in the traditional province of Vastergotland in western Sweden and the seat of Boras Municipality, Vastra Gotaland County. It has a population of 63,500 out of a municipal total of 100,985.Boras is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them the railway between Gothenburg and Kalmar, and is often considered[citation needed] the Swedish city gaining the most from the nationwide railway system laid between 1870-1910.

Vasteras travel

Vasteras is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Malaren in the province Vastmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm. The city has a population of 107,005 inhabitants (2005) out of the municipal total of 133,623 (2007).Vasteras is the seat of Vasteras Municipality, the capital of Vastmanland County and an episcopal see.

Uppsala travel

Uppsala is the capital of Uppsala County (Uppsala lan) and the fourth largest city of Sweden with 128,409 inhabitants.Located about 70 km north of the capital Stockholm, it is also the seat of the Uppsala municipality (Uppsala kommun). Since 1164, Uppsala has been the ecclesiastical center of Sweden, being the seat of the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden. Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest center of higher education in Scandinavia

Malmo travel

Malmo is the third most populous city in Sweden, situated in its southernmost province of Scania.Malmo is the seat of Malmo Municipality and the capital of Skane County. Malmo is also a bimunicipal locality, as part of it is Burlov Municipality. The total population of the urban area was 258,020 by the end of 2005, of which 9,108 were in Burlov.The administrative entity for most of the city is Malmo Municipality which has 283,000 inhabitants in eight different localities.

Gothenburg travel

Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden after Stockholm and the fifth largest amongst the Nordic countries. It is the capital of Vastra Gotaland County (West Gothia). The city is located on the south west-coast.Gothenburg has a population of 500,085 and 510,491 in the urban area. The metropolitan area has a population of 905,729.The City of Gothenburg was founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. It is situated by the sea at the mouth of Göta Älv, the river running through the city, and is the largest sea port of the Nordic countries.Gothenburg is also a significant university city with a large student population of both the University of Gothenburg, which is Scandinavia's largest university, and Chalmers University of Technology.

Stockholm travel

Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the official residence of the Swedish monarch. As of 2008, the Stockholm metropolitan area is home to around 21% of Sweden's population and contributes 35% of Sweden's gross domestic product. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden with a population of 807,311, the urban area have 1,3 million, and around 2 million in the metropolitan area.

Valencia travel

Valencia is the capital of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia and its province. It is the third largest city in Spain and the 21st largest in the European Union. It forms part of an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar.The estimated population of the city of Valencia proper was 797,654 as of 2007 official statistics. Population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,738,690 as of 2007.[citation needed] As of 2007, the mayor of Valencia is Rita Barbera Nolla.

Seville travel

Seville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos (feminine form: Sevillanas) or Hispalenses. The population of the city of Seville was 699,145 as of 2007 (INE estimate). The population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,450,214 as of 2007 (INE estimate), ranking as the fourth largest metropolitan area of Spain.

Zaragoza travel

Zaragoza is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former Kingdom of Aragon, Spain. It is situated on the river Ebro and its tributaries, the Huerva and Gallego, near the centre of the region, in a valley with a variety of landscapes, ranging from desert (Los Monegros) to thick forest, meadows and mountains.

Granada travel

Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain.The city of Granada is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, Beiro, Darro and Genil, at an elevation of 738 metres above sea level yet only one hour from the Mediterrean coast, the Costa Tropical. At the 2005 census, the population of the city of Granada proper was 236,982, and the population of the entire urban area was estimated to be 472,638, ranking as the 13th-largest urban area of the Spanish Kingdom. About 3.3% of the population did not hold Spanish citizenship, the largest number of these (31%) coming from South America. Its nearest airport is FGL Airport.

Cordoba travel

Cordoba is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of C?rdoba. it was founded in ancient Roman times as Corduba by Claudius Marcellus. Its population in 2007 was 323,600.Today a moderately-sized modern city, the old town contains many impressive architectural reminders of when Cordova was the thriving capital of the Caliphate of Cordova that governed almost all of the Iberian peninsula. It has been estimated that Cordova, with up to 500,000 inhabitants in the tenth century, was the largest city in Western Europe and, perhaps, in the world.

Cadiz travel

Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of the same name, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cadiz, the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula and possibly of all southwestern Europe, has been a principal home port of the Spanish Navy since the accession of the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century. It is also the site of the University of Cadiz.

Bilbao travel

Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country in northern Spain and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque: Bizkaia). The city has 354,145 inhabitants (2006) and is the most financially and industrially active part of Greater Bilbao, the zone in which almost half of the Basque Country’s population lives. Greater Bilbao’s 950,155 inhabitants are spread along the length of the Nervion River, whose banks are home also to numerous business and factories, which during the industrial revolution brought heightened prosperity to the region.

Barcelona travel

Barcelona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008, while the population of the Metropolitan Area was 3,161,081. It is the central nucleus of the Urban Region of Barcelona, which relies on a population of about 5.5 million. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Bes?s and is limited to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge.

Madrid travel

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the fourth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, and the Ruhr Area. The city is located on the river Manzanares both in the centre of the country and Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its subsequent conurbation and extended suburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha.

Koper travel

Koper is a coastal town and municipality and the largest commercial port in Slovenia, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The town has a population of 23,726 and is officially bilingual, with both Slovene and Italian as official languages. Sights in Koper include the 15th-century Praetorian Palace in Venetian Gothic style, the 12th century Carmine Rotunda church, and the Cathedral of St Nazarius with its 14th century tower.

Velenje travel

Velenje is a municipality with 33.331 inhabitants in the northeast of Slovenia. Stari Velenje is mentioned for the first time 1264 and 1374 as small market town and was a center of handicraft and trade. Due to lignite mining, the city expanded especially after World War II. After the death of Yugoslav president for life Tito it was renamed Titovo Velenje in 1981, but the old name was returned to the city in 1991, shortly before Slovenia became independent.

Slovenj Gradec travel

Slovenj Gradec is a town and a municipality formerly in the Slovene Styria region, now in the recently enlarged Koroska statistical region of northern Slovenia. The town is located around 45 km west of Maribor and 65 km northeast of Ljubljana.Historically, Slovenj Gradec was part of the Duchy of Styria within the Austrian Empire until 1918, when, together with Lower Styria, it was ceded to the new Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Ptuj travel

Ptuj is a city and one of 11 urban municipalities in Slovenia. It is situated in Lower Styria, and has about 23,000 inhabitants. It is a colorful city with a diverse nightlife. There are many parks and public spaces inside and outside of the city. The nearest airports are Ptuj Sport Airfield, which is seven kilometers away, and Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport, which is eighteen kilometers away.

Portoroz travel

Portoroz is a coastal town in Slovenia and one of the country's largest tourist areas. Portoroz belongs to the coastal municipality of Piran, located in the southwest of the Gulf of Trieste (at the northern-most point of the Adriatic Sea) between the boundaries of Italy to the North and Croatia to the south.

Piran travel

Piran is a town and municipality in southwestern Slovenia on the Adriatic coast on the Gulf of Piran. The origin of the name is uncertain, with some scholars favouring derivation from the Celtic "bior-dun", while others prefer the Greek word "pyr" (fire), a reference to the lighthouse on the tip of the peninsular

Brezice travel

Brezice is city and municipality in Slovenia in Posavje, near the Croatian border.Brezice is one of the largest municipalities on Slovenia's southeastern border with Croatia. Lying at the confluence of two of this nation's largest rivers, the Sava and the Krka, it also stands at the juncture of a number of important international traffic routes. Brezice prides itself on a rich historical and cultural heritage, the genesis of which predates the Roman era.

Novo Mesto travel

Novo Mesto is a town and one of the eleven town municipalities in the Lower Carniola region of the Slovenia. According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia it covers a total area of 298.5 km², along a bend in the Krka River and the town is considered the economic and cultural center of Lower Carniola. On 7 April 2006 it became the see city for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto, which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana.

Nova Gorica travel

Nova Gorica is a town and a municipality in western Slovenia, on the Italian border. Nova Gorica is a new town, built in 1948, when the Paris Peace Treaty established a new border between Yugoslavia and Italy, leaving nearby Gorizia outside the borders of Yugoslavia and thus decapitating the area of the lower Vipava Valley from its regional center. Nova Gorica is the principal urban center of the traditional region of Gori?ka in the Slovenian Littoral.

Maribor travel

Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia. The population of Maribor is approximately 133,000. Maribor lies on the river Drava at the meeting point of the Pohorje mountain, the Drava Valley, the Drava Plain, and the Kozjak and Slovenske gorice hill ranges. It is the center of the Slovenian region of Lower Styria and its largest city. Maribor Airport is the second largest international airport in Slovenia. The nearest larger urban center is Graz in Austria which is about 60 km away.Maribor's coat of arms features a white dove flying downwards above a white castle with two towers and a portcullis on a red shield.

Kranj travel

Kranj is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 53,000 It is located approximately 20km north-west of Ljubljana. The centre of the Upper Carniola region is a mainly industrial city with significant electronics and rubber industries. The historical region of Carniola is named after the town, which was its provincial capital in the early Middle ages.

Celje travel

Celje is the third largest city in Slovenia. Exhibiting the typical characteristics of a Central European city, it is the regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the municipality of the same name - the Urban Municipality of Celje. Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle (407 m) at the confluence of the Savinja, Loznica, and Voglajna rivers in the lowest part of the Savinja Valley. It is 241 m above mean sea level.

Idrija travel

Idrija is a small town and municipality with the same name in Slovenia. It is known for its mercury mine and laces.Near Idrija there was notable archeological find of an approximately 43,100 year-old juvenile cave bear femur at Divje Babe, which may be a prehistoric flute.Idrija town squareUnder Austrian rule it was known as Idria. Mercury was discovered there in 1497, and mining productions were taken over by the government in 1580.

Izola travel

Izola is an old fishing town and a municipality in southwestern Slovenia on the Adriatic coast of the Istrian peninsula. Its name originates from the Italian Isola (island).An ancient Roman port and settlement known as Haliaetum stood to the southwest of the present town as early as the 2nd century BC. The town of Izola was established on a small island by refugees from Aquileia in the 7th century . The coastal areas of Istria came under Venetian influence in the 9th century.

Ljubljana travel

Ljubljana is the largest and capital city of Slovenia. It is located in the center of the country and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants. Ljubljana is regarded as the cultural, scientific, economic, political and administrative center of Slovenia, independent since 1991. Throughout its history, it has been influenced by its geographic position at the crossroads of Germanic, Latin and Slavic culture.

Trnava travel

Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnavka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres. It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric (1541-1820 and then again since 1977). The city has a historic center. Because of the many churches within its city walls, Trnava has often been called "parva Roma", i. e. "Little Rome", or more recently, the "Slovak Rome".

Topolcany travel

Topolcany is a town in the Nitra Region of Slovakia. The population as of 2006 was 28,685. The town's population is nicked "Zochari".The name Topolcany was assumed to be derived from "topol", Slovak for poplar tree. Groves of these trees were once abundant on the banks of the Nitra River. Recent studies show that this name is derived from Old-Slavonic "topol" meaning "warm, hot", for there were hot springs in early medieval times.

Rajecke Teplice travel

Rajecke Teplice is a spa town in the Zilina District, Zilina Region in northern Slovakia.The first reliable written record was in 1376. It has town status since 1989.

Presov travel

Presov is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of the administrative Presov Region. With a population of approximately 91,000, it is the third-largest city in the country.The city name originates in the Hungarian word "eper" which means strawberry. The city's historical coat of arms also contains strawberries. Historically, the city has been known as Eperjes in Hungarian, Eperies or Preschau in German

Poprad travel

Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains. It is the biggest town of the Spis region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia.The city has an historic centre, an international airport and is the starting point of the Tatranska elektricka zeleznica a set of special narrow-gauge trains connecting the resorts in the High Tatras with each other and with Poprad. Main line trains link Poprad to other destinations in Slovakia and beyond; in particular, through trains run to Prague in the Czech Republic.

Nitra travel

Nitrais a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the Nitra River valley. With a population of 85,000, it is the fourth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center. Today, it is a seat of a kraj and an okres.

Levice travel

Levice is a town in western Slovakia. The town lies on the left bank of the lower Hron river. The town is located in the north east corner of the Danubian Lowland, 110 km east of Bratislava, 40 km sout east of Nitra, 42 mi north east of Nove Zamky, 32 km south west of Bansks Stiavnica, 55 km south west of Zvolen and 25 km from the border with Hungary.

Levoca travel

Levoca is a town in the Spis region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well-preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levo?a, and many other Renaissance buildings.

Kosice travel

Kosice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the Hornad River at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the borders with Hungary. With a population of nearly 235,000 Kosice is the second largest city after Bratislava.Being the economic and cultural centre of eastern Slovakia, Kosice is the seat of the Kosice Region and Kosice Self-governing Region, the Slovak Constitutional Court, three universities, various dioceses, and other institutions. The city has a well-preserved historical centre, with Slovakia's biggest Gothic cathedral. The city is well known as the first settlement in Europe to be granted its own coat-of-arms.

Zilina travel

Zilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around 200 kilometres (120 mi) from the capital Bratislava. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of around 85,000, an important industrial centre, the largest city on the Vah river, and the seat of a kraj and of an okres.

Banska Bystrica travel

Banska Bystrica is a key city in central Slovakia located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Velka Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With 81,281 inhabitants, Banska Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia. It started as a permanent settlement in the 9th century and obtained the municipal privileges of a royal town in 1255.

Bratislava travel

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 427,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two countries. It and Vienna are also two of Europe's closest national capitals, at less than 60 kilometres apart.

Pristina travel

Pristina is the capital and largest city of Kosovo, a territory in the Balkans that is disputed between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia following a declaration of independence. It is the administrative center of the homonymous municipality and district.It is estimated that the current population of the city stands between 500,000 and 600,000. The city has a majority Albanian population, alongside other smaller communities including Turks, Serbs, Bosniaks, Roma and others.

Vrsac travel

Vrsac is a town and municipality located in Serbia. In 2002 the city's total population was 36,623, while Vrsac municipality had 54,369 inhabitants. Vrsac is located in the Banat region, in the Vojvodina province. It is part of the South Banat District.The name Vrsac is of Slavic origin. It derived from the Slavic word vrh, meaning "summit".

Novi Sad travel

Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Backa District.According to the 2002 Census, Novi Sad is Serbia's second largest city, after Belgrade, with around 300,000 inhabitants. In its most recent official census from 2002, the city had an urban population of 216,583, while its municipal population was 299,294. The city is located on the border of the Backa and Srem regions, on the banks of the Danube river and Danube-Tisa-Danube Canal, while facing the northern slopes of Fruska Gora mountain.

Nis travel

Nis is a city in Nisava District With more than 250,000 inhabitants it is the largest city of South Serbia and third-largest city in the country, after Belgrade and Novi Sad. The city covers an area of about 597 square kilometres, including the city of Nis itself, the Niska Banja spa and 68 suburbs. Nis Constantine the Great Airport is its international airport with the destination code INI. Nis is the administrative center of the Nisava District of Serbia.

Belgrade travel

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies on two international waterways, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube in north central Serbia, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkan Peninsula. With a population of 1 630 000, Belgrade is the largest city in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, second largest city on the Danube river[4] and the fourth largest in Southeastern Europe, after Istanbul, Athens, and Bucharest.

Yekaterinburg travel

Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District. Its population of 1,293,537 (2.000.000 in metropolitan area) (2002 Census), which is down from 1,364,621 recorded in the 1989 Census, makes it Russia's fifth largest city. Between 1924 and 1991, the city was known as Sverdlovsk, after the Bolshevik leader Yakov Sverdlov.

Volgograd travel

Volgograd is a city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is 80 kilometres long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River. The city was the site of the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II.

Vladivostok travel

Vladivostok is Russia's largest port city on the Pacific Ocean and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai. It is situated at the head of the Golden Horn Bay not far from Russia's border with China and North Korea. It is the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet.

Sochi travel

Sochi is a Russian resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border. It sprawls along the shores of the Black Sea and against the background of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. At 145 km (90 mi), Greater Sochi is claimed to be the longest city in Europe. As of the 2002 Census, it had a population 328,809, down from 336,514 recorded in the 1989 Census. In 2006, the population was estimated to be 395,012. The city has been selected to be the host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014.

Saint Petersburg travel

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd. It is often called just Petersburg .Founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia on 27 May, 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years. Saint Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is Russia's second largest and Europe's fourth largest city after Moscow, London and Istanbul. The city has 4.6 million inhabitants, and over 6 million people live in its vicinity. Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural center, and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea.

Nizhny Novgorod travel

Nizhny Novgorod is the fourth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. Population: 1,311,252 It is the economic and cultural center of the vast Volga-Vyatka economic region, and also the administrative center of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and Volga Federal District.From 1932 to 1990 the city was known as Gorky after the writer Maxim Gorky who was born there.The city is an important economic, transport and cultural center of the nation.

Kazan travel

Kazan is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia's largest cities. It is a major industrial, commercial and cultural center, and remains the most important center of Tatar culture. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in central European Russia.

Irkutsk travel

Irkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, situated 5,185 kilometers (3,222 mi) by rail from Moscow. Population: 593,604 622,301 The city proper lies at the Angara River, a tributary of the Yenisei, 72 kilometers below its outflow from Lake Baikal, and on the bank opposite the suburb of Glaskovsk. The river, which has a breadth of 580 meters is crossed by a flying bridge and two other bridges downstream.

Moscow travel

Moscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest city in Europe, with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is the country's political, economic, religious, financial, educational and transportation centre. It is located on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District, in the European part of Russia. Historically, it was the capital of the former Soviet Union and the Grand Duchy of Moscow and Tsardom of Russia, the pre-Imperial Russian states.

Timisoara travel

Timisoara also known as "The City of Athletes", is a city in the Banat region of western Romania. It is the capital of Timis County.With 307,347 inhabitants, Timisoara is a large economic and cultural center in Banat in the west of the country.It is a multicultural city with influential minorities, primarily Hungarians, Germans, and Serbs, as well as Italians, Arabs, Indians, Bulgarians, Roma people, Jews and Greeks.

Suceava travel

Suceava is the capital city of the Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania.The city covers two types of geographical areas - the hills (of which the highest point is the Zamca Hill) and the meadows of the Suceava River valley. The unusual configuration of Suceava City includes two groves - Zamca and Sipote - which are both located within the city limits. Burdujeni, one of the neighbourhoods, is connected to the rest of the city through an avenue, making it resemble a satellite town of Suceava.

Constanta travel

Constanta is the oldest living city in Romania. Founded in 2007, the Constanta metropolitan area comprises 14 localities located at a maximum distance of 30 km from the city and, with 550,000 inhabitants, is the second largest urban area in Romania, after Bucharest.Port of Constan?a is the biggest harbour on the Black Sea and the fourth largest in Europe, having the potential in the next few years to become the second largest in Europe after Rotterdam.

Cluj-Napoca travel

Cluj-Napoca is the third largest city in Romania, and the seat of Cluj County, in north-western Transylvania. Geographically, it is roughly equally distant from Bucharest (323 km / 201 mi), Budapest (354 km / 220 mi) and Belgrade (327 km / 203 mi). The city lies in the valley of the Somesul Mic River and is the capital of the historical province of Transylvania.

Iasi travel

Iasi or Jassy, is a city and municipality in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of Moldavia from the 16th century until 1861 and of Romania between 1916–1918 during World War I.The second largest Romanian city, Iasi is the economic, cultural and academic centre of the Romanian region of Moldavia. The city has the oldest Romanian university and accommodates an annual count of over 60,000 students in 5 public and 3 private universities.

Sighisoara travel

Sighisoara is a city and municipality on the Tarnava Mare River in Mures County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighisoara has a population of 32,287 (2002).During the 12th century, German craftsmen and merchants known as the Transylvanian Saxons were invited to Transylvania by the King of Hungary to settle and defend the frontier of his realm. The chronicler Krauss lists a Saxon settlement in the actual Sighi?oara by 1191. By 1280 it was known by the Latin name of Castrum Sex, and by 1298 by the Saxon name of Schespurch resp. Schaesbrich. By 1337 Sighi?oara had become a royal center for the kings, who awarded the settlement urban status in 1367 as the Civitas de Segusvar.

Sibiu travel

Sibiu is one of the largest cities in Transylvania, Romania with a population of about 175,000. It straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt. It is the capital of Sibiu County and is located some 282 km NW of Bucharest.It is one of the most important cultural and religious centres in Romania as well a major transportation hub in central Romania. The city used to be the centre of the Transylvanian Saxons in Romania until World War II.Sibiu was designated European Capital of Culture for the year 2007 together with Luxembourg.

Brasov travel

Brasov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brasov County, with a population of 284,596, according to the 2002 census, is the 7th largest Romanian city, after Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Iasi, Craiova and Galati. People from Brasov are known, in English, as Brasovian. Brasov is located in the central part of the country, about 166 km from Bucharest. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians, and is part of the Transylvania region.The city is notable for hosting the Golden Stag international music festival.

Bucharest travel

Bucharest is the capital city, industrial, and commercial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country.and lies on the banks of the Dambovita River.Bucharest was first mentioned in documents as early as 1459. Since then it has gone through a variety of changes, becoming the state capital of Romania in 1862 and steadily consolidating its position as the centre of the Romanian mass media, culture and arts. Its eclectic architecture is a mix of historical, interbellum, Communist-era and modern.

Viseu travel

Viseu is both a city (capital of the District of Viseu) and a municipality in the Dao-Lafoes subregion of Centro Region, Portugal. The municipality, with an area of 507.1km², has a population of 98,753 (2006), and the city proper has 47,250. The Greater Metropolitan Area of Viseu is also one of the Grandes Areas Metropolitanas - Greater Metropolitan Areas of Portugal with 354,162 habitants.

Tomar travel

Tomar also known in English as Thomar, is a city of some 20,000 and also a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 351.0 km² and a total population of 43,007 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 16 parishes, and is located in the district of Santarem.It was founded as headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal in the 12th century and contains some of the most significant Templar monuments in Europe. Tomar was especially important in the 15th century when it was a centre of Portuguese overseas expansion under Henry the Navigator, the Grand Master of the Order of Christ, successor organization to the Templars in Portugal.

Porto travel

Porto also Oporto in English, is Portugal's second city and capital of the Norte NUTS II region. The city is located in the estuary of the Douro river in northern Portugal. The largest city in the region, Porto is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region. The city, which had an estimated population of about 240,000 (2008), lies at the centre of the political Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto, with a population of slightly more than 2.0 millions (est. 2008),[1] and of a broader metropolitan agglomeration (including the city of Braga) with over 3.2 million inhabitants (2008).

Guimaraes travel

Guimaraes is a city and municipality in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the district of Braga. In the 9th century, Vimara Peres was able to expel the Moors and founded a fortified town under his own name Vimaranis (of Vimar) which later became Guimaranis, present day Guimaraes. The city is often referred to as the "birthplace of the Portuguese nationality" and also was the birthplace of Afonso I of Portugal, the first Portuguese king.

Funchal travel

Funchal is the chief city of Madeira Island and is the capital of the Madeira Autonomous Region, Portugal. Funchal is also the largest city on the islands and with its neighbouring boroughs of Camara de Lobos, Santa Cruz, Machico and Ribeira Brava has over 150,000 inhabitants. It is the most populous Portuguese City (Cidade in portuguese) outside mainland Portugal (Portugal Continental). The Funchal urban conurbation includes the cities of Funchal, Camara de Lobos, Canico and Santa Cruz, all on the south side of Madeira. Funchal is located in a unique area on the island; the natural geological features form an "amphitheatre" surrounding the city, which begins at the harbour and rises almost 1200 metres high on gentle slopes.

Evora travel

Evora is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The city proper has 41,159 inhabitants, and the municipality has a total area of 1,307.0 km² with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the district of Evora and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in the District of Evora.The present Mayor is Jose Ernesto Oliveira of the Socialist Party.

Coimbra travel

Coimbra is a city and a municipality in Portugal, former capital of the country during the first dynasty period and home to the University of Coimbra, the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world and one of the oldest in Europe. According to the INE's census of 2001, the city proper had a population of 101,069 and the municipality had a population of 148,443 inhabitants in a 319.4 km² land area. Over 430,000 inhabitants live in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Coimbra made of 16 municipalities comprising a 3,372 km² territory. It is the seat of the Centro region, as well as of the District of Coimbra and the Baixo Mondego subregion which are both located within it. Like most university cities, it comprises a large number of dislocated students from outside Coimbra among its residents, including thousands of international students.

Aveiro travel

Aveiro is a city of some 67,003 people and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 199.9 km² and a total population of 73,521 inhabitants, and 59,860 electors (2006).It is the second most populous city in the Centro region of Portugal,after Coimbra.The municipality is composed of 14 parishes, and is located in the District of Aveiro (Aveiro distrito)and the chief city of Baixo Vouga. The present Mayor is llio Manuel Delgado da Maia, elected by a coalition between the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Social CentreThe municipal holiday is May 12.

Lisbon travel

Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. It is also the seat of the district of Lisbon and capital of the Lisbon region. Its municipality, which matches the city proper excluding the larger continuous conurbation, has a municipal population of 564,477 in 84.8 km2 (33 sq mi), while the Lisbon Metropolitan Area in total has around 2.8 million inhabitants, and 3.34 million people live in the broader agglomeration of Lisbon Metropolitan Region.Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, the Grande Lisboa subregion is considered the second most important financial and economic center of the Iberian Peninsula.

Poznan travel

Poznan is a city in west-central Poland with over 567,882 inhabitants (2006). Located on the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical centre and a vibrant centre of trade, industry, and education. Poznan is Poland's fifth largest city and fourth biggest industrial centre. It is also the administrative capital of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

Krakow travel

Krakow is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, with a population of 756,336 in 2007. Situated on the Vistula river in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Krakow from 1846 to 1918, and the capital of Krakow Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1999. It is now the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.

Warsaw travel

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly 370 kilometers (230 mi) from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2007 was estimated at 1,706,624, with a metropolitan area of approximately 3,350,000. The city area is 516.9 square kilometers (199.6 sq mi), with an agglomeration of 6,100.43 square kilometers. Warsaw is the 8th largest city in the European Union.Warsaw has given its name to the Warsaw Pact, Warsaw Convention, Treaty of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising.

Trondheim travel

Trondheim is a city and municipality in Sor-Trondelag county, Norway. The city of Trondheim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. The rural municipalities of Byneset, Leinstrand, Strinda, and Tiller were merged with Trondheim on 1 January 1964.

Stavanger travel

Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838. The rural municipalities of Hetland and Madla merged with Stavanger 1 January 1965.Stavanger is the 4th largest city in Norway, with a population of 120,798.(2008) and 185,913 (2007) in the conurbation, making the Stavanger-Sandnes city area the third largest in Norway. Stavanger is also the centre of the Stavanger metropolitian area which has a population of 285,895. The city is commonly referred to as the Petroleum Capital of Norway.

Skien travel

Skien is a city and municipality in the county of Telemark, Norway and administrative centre of Telemark County.Skien was established as a municipality 1 January 1838. The rural municipalities of Gjerpen and Solum were merged with Skien 1 January 1964.The conurbation of Skien and Porsgrunn is considered by Statistics Norway the seventh largest city in Norway straddling an area of three municipalities: Skien municipality (about 52% of the population), Porsgrunn (35%) and Bamble (11.5%). The area is home to more than 85,000 people. The town also has a large Somalian population.

Kristiansand travel

Kristiansand is a city and municipality, and the capital of the county of Vest-Agder, Norway and of the geographical region (landsdel) of Southern Norway the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway consisting of the two counties Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. Kristiansand municipality is the 5th largest in Norway with a population of 78,919 as of 1 January 2008. The Kristiansand urban area, entirely located in the municipality, had a population of 64,930 on 1 January 2006, and is thus the 8th largest urban area in Norway.

Haugesund travel

Haugesund is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a city and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skare was merged with Haugesund 1 January 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km². The population is 31,738, giving the municipality a population density of 459 people per km².

Halden travel

Halden is a town and municipality in Ostfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Halden. The town of Halden (named Fredrikshald until 1928) was established as a municipality 1 January 1838. The rural municipalities of Berg and Idd were merged with Halden on 1 January 1967.The small area of Tistedalen, 4 kilometres (2 mi) east of the city centre, belonged to the city as an exclave from 1686 until 1967 when the areas separating it from the city were merged into the municipality.

Fredrikstad travel

Fredrikstad is a city and municipality in Ostfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad.The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 1567 by King Frederik II, and established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. The rural municipality of Glemmen was merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1964. The rural municipalities of Borge, Onsoy, Krakeroy, and Rolvsoy were merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1994.

Bergen travel

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, with a population of 250,985 as of October 1, 2008. Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. The Bergen Economic Region, as defined by Statistics Norway, had a population of 373,224 as of January 1, 2007. Bergen is located in the county of Hordaland on the south-western coast of Norway. Its city centre is situated among a group of mountains known as "De syv fjell", although which mountains these are is a matter of definition. Bergen is an important cultural center in its region and was one of nine European cities honored with the title of European Capital of Culture in 2000.

Alesund travel

Alesund is a city and municipality in More og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmore region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Jugendstil architecture.Alesund was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. Borgund was merged with Alesund on 1 January 1968. Sula was separated from Alesund on 1 January 1977. Alesund received city rights in 1848. It is the administrative center of the municipality as well as the principal shipping city of the Sunnmore district. Alesund municipality has a population of 41,385 as of 2007, while the Alesund agglomeration has a population of 45,299.

Oslo travel

Oslo is the capital and largest city of Norway. It is also a municipality and a county of its own. It is the third largest Scandinavian city and urban area.The city of Oslo was established as a municipality on 3 January 1838. It was separated from the county of Akershus to become a county of its own in 1842. The rural municipality of Aker was merged with Oslo on 1 January 1948 (and simultaneously transferred from Akershus county to Oslo county). Furthermore, Oslo shares several important functions with Akershus county.

Utrecht travel

Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the North-Eastern end of the Randstad, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands, with a population of 296,305. The smaller Utrecht agglomeration including adjacent suburbs and annexated towns is home to some 640,000 registered inhabitants, while the larger region contains up to 820,000 inhabitants.

Rotterdam travel

Rotterdam city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland, situated in the west of the Netherlands. The municipality is the 2nd-largest in the country, with a population of 584,046 on 1 January 2007 and comprises the southern part of the Randstad, the 6th-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of 6.7 million inhabitants.The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe. From 1962 to 2004, it was the world's busiest port; then it was superseded by Shanghai. Rotterdam is situated on the banks of the river Nieuwe Maas, one of the channels in the delta formed by the Rhine and Meuse rivers. The name Rotterdam derives from a dam in the Rotte river.

Nijmegen travel

Nijmegen is a municipality and a city in the east of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is considered to be the oldest city in the Netherlands and celebrated its 2000th year of existence in 2005.The first mention of Nijmegen in history is in the 1st century BC, when the Romans built a military camp on the place where Nijmegen was to appear; the location had great strategic value because of the surrounding hills, which gave a good view over the Waal and Rhine valley.

Maastricht travel

Maastricht is a city and a municipality in the Dutch province of Limburg, of which it is the capital. The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse river (Dutch: Maas) in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, near the Belgian and German borders. Maastricht has nearly 120,000 inhabitants. Its name is derived from Latin Trajectum ad Mosam or Mosae Trajectum, meaning "Mosa-crossing", and refers to the bridge over the Meuse river built by the Romans during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

Leiden travel

Leiden is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands and has 118,000 inhabitants. It forms a single urban area with Oegstgeest, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Valkenburg, Rijnsburg and Katwijk, with 254,000 inhabitants. It is located on the Old Rhine, close to the cities of The Hague and Haarlem. The recreational area of the Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) lies just to the northeast of Leiden.

The Hague travel

The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with a population of 475,904 (as of January 1, 2008) (population of agglomeration: 600,000) and an area of approximately 100 km². It is located in the west of the country, in the province of South Holland, of which it is also the provincial capital. The Hague is, like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, part of the conglomerate metropolitan area Randstad, with a population of 6,659,300 inhabitants.

Groningen travel

Groningen is the capital city of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. With a population of 181,819, it is by far the largest city in the north of the Netherlands. Groningen is a university city, where usually more than 45,000 students live.

Delft travel

Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands. It is located in between Rotterdam and The Hague. Delft is primarily known for its typically Dutch town centre (with canals); also for the painter Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery (Delftware), the Delft University of Technology, and its association with the Royal Family.

Amsterdam travel

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The city, which had a population of 747,290 on 1 January 2008, comprises the northern part of the Randstad, the 6th-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of around 6.7 million.Its name is derived from Amstel dam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel where the Dam Square is today. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade.

Zabljak travel

Zabljak is a town in northern Montenegro. The town of Zabljak has a population of 1,937. Zabljak is the seat of the Montenegrin municipality with the same name (population 4,204 in 2003). The town is in the centre of Durmitor mountain region, at an altitude of 1456m, which makes it the highest situated town on the Balkans.

Bijelo Polje travel

Bijelo Polje is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 15,883 (2003 census).Bijelo Polje is the center of the municipality of the same name (population of 50,284), which is part of geographical region of Sandzak. It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro. Bijelo Polje means literally "White Field" in Montenegrin.

Berane travel

Berane is a town in north-eastern Montenegro. It has a population of 11,776 (2003 census).Berane is the centre of the municipality of the same name (population of 35,068) and one of the centres of Polimlje area, named after Lim River, on which Berane is situated. It is a part of historical region Sanjak of Novi Pazar.

Kolasin travel

Kolasin is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 2,989. Kolasin is the centre of Kolasin municipality and unofficial centre of Moraca region, named after Moraca River. Kolasin, fortress - settlement, was raised by the Turks in the middle of the 17 th century in the namesake village in Niksic district. The village of Kolasin was first mentioned in the Sultan‘s Decree in 1565, by which the deceased Grand Duke Milos was replaced by his son Todor. The Turkish town was named after the former village of Kolasin.

Danilovgrad travel

Danilovgrad is a town in central Montenegro. It has a population of 5,208 (2003 census).Danilovgrad is located in the fertile valley of the Zeta River, sometimes called also the Bjelopavlici plain, after the name of the local clan. It is a centre of the municipality of the same name, which has a population of 16,523.

Niksic travel

Niksic is located in Niksic plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of Niksic municipality (Population of 75,282), which is the largest municipality in Montenegro by area. Niksic is the second largest city in Montenegro, after Podgorica, and is an important industrial, cultural, and educational center.

Cetinje travel

Cetinje It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro with the official residence of the President of Montenegro. It had a population of 15,137 as of 2003.It is located in the southern Montenegro municipality of the same name (population 18,482 in 2003). The city nestles on a small karst plain surrounded by limestone mountains, including Mt. Lovcen, the Black Mountain from which Montenegro gets its name
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