Ventures With Jen’s Post

MUST VISIT PLACES IN BAKU 😍 1. Old City : Explore the historic heart of Baku, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to ancient mosques, palaces, and winding streets filled with shops and cafes. 2. Flame Towers: These iconic skyscrapers dominate the Baku skyline and are a must-see for their unique design and LED light displays that create the illusion of flames. 3. Heydar Aliyev Center: Designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, this futuristic building is a cultural center that hosts exhibitions, concerts, and events showcasing Azerbaijani art and culture. 4. Baku Boulevard: Take a leisurely stroll along the Caspian Sea waterfront and enjoy the scenic views, parks, cafes, and entertainment options along this popular promenade. 5. Gobustan National Park: Just outside of Baku, this archaeological site features ancient rock carvings, mud volcanoes, and natural beauty that offers a glimpse into Azerbaijan's prehistoric past. 6. Absheron Penisula: The Absheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan offers a mix of historical sites and natural wonders like Yanar Dag, Ateshgah Fire Temple, Mardakan Castle, Gobustan Mud Volcanoes, and Gobustan National Park. Explore ancient rock carvings, mud volcanoes, and scenic views showcasing Azerbaijan's rich history and diverse landscapes. To secure your spot for the Azerbaijan trip, please type "Ticket" in the comments.

Discover the Venetian Castle in Akrotiri: A Must-Visit Historical Gem Read more at our new blog post: https://lnkd.in/dkyQn7ei

Can murals become tourist attractions? This notion maybe runs counter to graffiti and street art culture, where work is often temporary - painted over to make way for new work, or walls being removed completely. But murals can absolutely be viewed as modern day tourist attractions, providing our cities and communities with cultural wayfinding points that have to be seen and admired in real life. And more than that, murals express something about the politics, heritage and identity of the locations they are painted in. Our latest work in Sao Paulo has been listed by Google as a tourist attraction - which is maybe a bit optimistic given it’s barely a week old. But it shows how important murals are to the fabric of our cities …

  Dubrovnik City Walls: where every stone holds a story 📯✒️ When arriving to Dubrovnik, as you approach Old Town, the drive becomes a leisurely descent - even your thoughts seem to slow down. Nearing the walls feels like stepping into the beginning of a tale, a poetic anticipation of something extraordinary is about to unfold. One of Europe's most monumental fortifications stands before you: an amazing construction, spanned from the 13th to the 17th century. The walls form an irregular polygon, stretching for 1940 meters, encircling the city with fortresses, citadels, bastions, gunpowder magazines and countless smaller towers whose names are too numerous to recall. The first to greet you is the impressive round Minčeta Fortress, the most beautiful among them all commanding the City with its size and majestic crown, elegantly reminiscent of a fairy tale. Minčeta was named after the noble Menčetić family who donated their land for its construction. The tower was built in two phases. Initially square, but in the 15th century it acquired its rounded appearance through the design of the renowned European architect Michelozzo di Bartolomeo from Florence. The work was finalized by the famous Croatian master Juraj Dalmatinac, giving the tower the monumental shape it boasts today. The walls are a symbol and a visible reminder of the once small yet immensely powerful Dubrovnik Republic - a maritime force that sailed authoritatively across seas and oceans, a state known for its astute diplomacy and shrewd trade. It reached its zenith in the 15th and 16th centuries, being counted among the most developed states of the Western world. Aside from implementing high urban standards for a Renaissance city, such as sewage, fire services, nursing homes, orphanages, hospitals, pharmacies and introducing quarantine, Dubrovnik was also the first in Europe to abolish slavery at the beginning of the 15th century, long before others. Orphanage in the monastery of St. Clare from 1432 was one of the first such institutions in the world. In a word, Dubrovnik was exceptional. The Statute from 1272 reflects the city's personality and true identity with legal meticulousness - a legacy that has endured for centuries. #dubrovnik #croatiatravel #travel #beautifuldestinations

According to legend, at the beginning of the 8th century, the Archangel Michael appeared to the bishop Aubert in a dream and instructed him to build a sanctuary on the rocky, inhospitable island in his honour. Understandably, it took two more alleged apparitions before the great bishop was convinced to go along with such a project. Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies off France's north-western coast. Despite centuries of war between France and England over the Channel Sea, the Abbey has never been invaded. Being a tidal island was efficient natural protection, and its double-ended ramparts were an even more formidable defence. Two English cannons, called Les Michelettes, are proudly displayed in the town as a reminder of its invulnerability. During the 18th century, Napoleon I closed the abbey and converted it into a prison for those who opposed his religious regime (it was nicknamed “Bastille des Mers” (“Bastille of the Sea)”, in reference to the famous Parisian fort during the French Revolution). Although interesting, this certainly isn’t the most pleasant of Mont-Saint-Michel’s facts. The village features narrow, cobblestone streets, quaint shops, and centuries-old stone buildings. At the heart of the island, the Gothic-style Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel boasts intricately designed cloisters, towering spires, and panoramic views of the surrounding bay. Mont Saint-Michel has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its historical, architectural, and natural significance. It is one of France's most iconic landmarks and a popular destination for travellers seeking a glimpse of both history and the beauty of nature. Have you been to Mont-Saint-Michel, or anywhere on the coast of France? Would you like to? Please post a comment. Contact me for all your holiday / travel requirements. 😎 #travel #montstmichel #france #history

One Post At A Time Spent a few days with Alice in Venice Italy. Nothing short of incredible in every sense. On my way here, I did some reading on the history of Venice. The ancient Venitians built this city in the middle of low-lying swampy islands as a retreat from invaders on the mainland. The amazing story is that they built this city by pounding in wooden posts deep into the mud side by side - over 10 to a square meter - and then cutting the tops off to create a level wooden platform. On top of this they put stone and payment and then built palaces and cathedrals that would last 1,500 years! It shows what can be achieved by small efforts concentrated in a single direction day after day. It shows what can be done with unimpressive starts… low, swampy islands in a shallow ocean lagoon. It shows what can done with limited resources… oak and alder wooden posts. Big lessons for each of lives. Keep building. Keep focused. Keep on building a palace.

Step into the enchanting realm of Dalmatia with Rewind as we go on a captivating journey through its historic cities. In our recent blog, we uncover the hidden gems and timeless wonders of Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, and Šibenik, inviting you to explore the rich tapestry of this storied region. https://lnkd.in/d8fj6nby

Discover 10 interesting facts about Romania, known for its medieval castles, Transylvania, diverse landscapes, and rich cultural heritage.

Noon Gate is the main gate and is located in the South of the Imperial City, reserved only for the king and his entourage to enter and exit the Imperial Palace, or to welcome envoys. Previously, this location was Nam Khuyet Dai, built at the beginning of King Gia Long's reign. In the 14th year of Minh Mang (1833), when the Nguyen Dynasty reorganized the entire architectural plan of the Imperial City, Nam Khuyet Dai was demolished to build a more majestic and larger Noon Gate. The South direction, according to the concept of Eastern feng shui geography, is the "Ty - Ngo" direction. In fact, the direction of Noon Gate as well as the entire Hue Citadel - is the "Can - Ton" direction (Northwest - Southeast), but it is still considered the Ngo direction (South). According to the Book of Changes, the South is the direction reserved for kings to “rule the world, turn toward the light to rule the country”. After more than 200 years with the effects of time, harsh weather and even the smoke of war, Noon Gate still exists and stands firm until today to become a symbol of Hue. To briefly describe the architecture of Noon Gate, Hue folk songs have the following verse: “Noon Gate has five doors and nine floors, One golden floor, eight green floors Three straight doors, two surrounding doors What is the point of being a woman in the Imperial City.” Noon Gate architecture is divided into two main parts: the platform system below and the Ngu Phung floor above. Although the nature and construction materials are very different, these two components are designed in harmony with each other, becoming a unified whole. Platform system. The platform has a perpendicular U-shape, the base is 57.77m long, the side is 27.6m long. The platform is built of bricks and stones combined with bronze beams, nearly 5m high, occupying an area of more than 1,560 m2 (including the inside of the U). The platform has 5 entrances, the middle entrance has a signboard with 2 Chinese characters "Noon Gate" carved in bronze. The middle entrance is only for the king, the two sides are Ta Giap Gate and Huu Giap Gate for civil and military officials in the Royal procession. The two outermost entrances on the two wings of the U are Ta Dich Gate and Huu Dich Gate for the soldiers and elephants and horses accompanying them. Ngu Phung Tower. Ngu Phung Tower is the part of the tower located above the platform of the gate. In addition to the main platform, the tower is also elevated by a 1.15m high foundation system that runs throughout the U-shaped platform. The Ngu Phung Tower is designed with two floors, the frame structure is completely made of ironwood, including 100 pillars, symbolizing the common people of the world. The roofs of the lower floors are connected to each other, running around to cover the back porch. The roofs of the upper floors are divided into 9 roof sets, light and graceful.

Tickets for Day-Trippers to Venice: Pros and Cons “Venice is the first major city in the world to enact such a scheme. The €5 (£4.30) charge, which comes into force today, is aimed at protecting the Unesco world heritage site from the effects of excessive tourism by deterring day trippers and, according to the mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, making the city “livable” again. But several residents’ committees and associations have planned protests for Thursday, arguing that the fee will do nothing to resolve the issue. “I can tell you that almost the entire city is against it,” claimed Matteo Secchi, who leads Venessia.com, a residents’ activist group. “You can’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it into a theme park. This is a bad image for Venice … I mean, are we joking?” Once the heart of a powerful maritime republic, Venice’s main island has lost more than 120,000 residents since the early 1950s, driven away by a number of issues but predominantly a focus on mass tourism that has caused the population to be dwarfed by the thousands of visitors who crowd its squares, bridges and narrow walkways at the busiest times of the year.” https://lnkd.in/dVXTthM5 Venice access fee: what is it and how much does it cost? https://lnkd.in/dphrJhvJ FROM our groups, “Art Museums and Art Galleries: News, Reviews and Collections” ( https://lnkd.in/dweM6GQ ) and “Arts, Cultural Heritage and History of Ideas: Antiquity to the 18th Century” (https://lnkd.in/d66CSxM ). Welcome to join! Please, write the basic info on your LI profile if interested to join the group(s). #Venice #tourism #visitors #news #rules #ticket-entrance #pros&cons