Your Top 5 Cultural Holiday Destinations

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culture-640x300In this week’s Video Fix, we decided on a special edition for our hungry readers.

Behold, our Travel Guide!

So, when you go travelling during your holidays, do you prefer to relax with a Mojito on the beach? Or would you rather embark on an adventure to mysterious ruins or old medieval buildings?

Here at TermCoord we decided to compile a slightly different list of the Top 5 Cultural Holiday Destinations. But be prepared, you won’t be relaxing at the beach, you will find yourself discovering the greatest of cultural heritages our beautiful world has to offer.

Watch this video before you take a look at our finely tuned list to get into mood for cultural sight-seeing.


The Top 10 Lost Cities You Have To Visit

http://youtu.be/jRdgKf6SAqo

 

 

Excited?

Here goes…

The Top 5 Cultural Holiday Destinations

5. Florence, Italy – Firenze, Italia
Let’s start with good old Europe: the Old World, the Known World, packed with history. The reason we decided to have Florence in our list is simple. This city has by several accounts been the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. With its majestic buildings and cathedrals, the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany surely is a worthy place to visit.

Established around 80 BC by the Romans, the city was originally a settlement for veteran soldiers. However, during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance prominent figures such as the Medici Family and Niccolò Machiavelli made their mark on the city. By the 16th century, Florence was among the largest cities in Europe, owing much of its successes to the prominent industry of banking.

Indeed, much of the city’s richness can be seen by Florentine art and architecture, which should be on your bucket list to visit once you travel here. Among its many churches and cathedrals, you will also find the works of some of the world’s greatest artists such as Michelangelo and Botticelli.

4. Machu Picchu, Peru
When we are talking about cultural heritages, we just had to include this on our list. This is the site of an ancient Inca city, high in the Andes of Peru. As one of the most famous symbols of the Incan Empire, a visit to South America should, nay must, include this.

As it is a very popular tourist site, it is a sound plan to book many months in advance to ensure you reach your destination in the best way. While there are many ways to climb the Andes, ranging from hiking to taking a train, and even for you adrenaline-junkies out there you can embark on a risky climbing trek up the mountain slope.

In the end, however, visiting this world heritage is a true feat regardless of your method of reaching it.

3. Argentina
While you are in South America, why not make your way south to the capital of Argentina, the birthplace of tango, and when you are here, why not turn the trip into a sight-seeing adventure of this great country? We would, and there are several reasons why.

Buenos Aires has a lot to offer; from its European heritage, it is much like any other city in Europe, however its romantic atmosphere with many cosy restaurants and an embellished nightlife, you are guaranteed not to be bored. Moreover, the city’s many parks and cafés make it an idyllic place to visit.

If you travel further south to El Calafate in Patagonia, make sure you won’t miss the Glaciers and the national park – you will have a sight to remember.

Up north you will find the Cerro de los Siete Colores (The Hill of Seven Colours). This geological landscape has been transformed by river and lake elevations over millions of years to produce a beautiful transfix of multiple colours.

2. Siem Reap, Cambodia
The reason for this site being on our list, is simply because it is a great place to stay at when you are visiting the temples of Cambodia. And then we are of course talking about the mysterious Angkor Wat. Over 400 square kilometres wide, this Archaeological Park contains the remains of the Khmer Empire. As a world heritage, it is one of the most impressive sights you can come across.

If you wish to extend the trip to other parts of Southeast Asia, you may go by several modes of transportation to neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam or Laos.

1. St. Petersburg, Russia
Russia’s cultural heart, and second largest city; this place has a lot of architectural gems to offer for hungry eyes.

Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703, this city served as the imperial capital of Russia. However, after the revolution, which started at the famous Palace Square, the central government bodies moved to Moscow. The city bore the name Leningrad during most of the 20th century.

The historic centre of the city has been declared a world heritage. Moreover, other worthy places to visit are the Winter Palace, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood. Yet, when considering St. Petersburg, there’s simply too many unique places to visit, such as the Heremitage – one of the world’s finest and biggest art galleries – and the Peterhof – the summer residence of Peter the Great. We can safely say that your visit to this city will be one of your most packed sight-seeing holidays in a decade!

 

So there you have it, the Top 5 Destinations! Which is on your list to visit, or have you already been to all of them? Let us know!

 

 

By Oscar Larsson
Student at University of Glasgow, School of Social & Political Sciences
Communication Trainee at TermCoord