Schonbrunn Palace Vienna Austria
As one of the more popular tourist attractions of Vienna (over 3,800,000 tourists visited it in 2017), its sprawling gardens offer a healthy competition to the brilliantly manicured gardens in Chateau Versailles near Paris.
Ellora Caves Maharashtra India
It is one of the largest megalithic rock-cut Hindu temples in India. To excavate this temple, the artists removed 3 Million Cubic Feet of basalt. This rubble weighed a whopping 200,000 Tonnes. - Ellora Caves Maharashtra India - Travelure ©
Royal Observatory Greenwich London
Let’s travel to that landmark where our planet comes full circle. And, East meets West. Beyond establishing the relative location of places on our planet, it provides the basis of relative time across the globe. I talk of the Prime Meridian. - Royal Observatory Greenwich London - Travelure ©
Sydney Opera House Australia
Local authorities held a worldwide competition. They invited designs for National Opera House at Bennelong Point. The competition attracted over 200 entries. Swedish architect Jørn Utzon's winning entry broke the mould. It embraced an expressionist style to create a modern-day icon. - Sydney Opera House Australia - Travelure ©
Architectural Marvel Markthal Rotterdam
For starters, besides housing 228 apartments, it also houses 4600 sq. mt. of retail space, 1600 sq. mt. of HORECA (hotels, restaurants, and cafes), and a 4-storeyed underground parking that can accommodate over 1200 cars. - Architectural Marvel Markthal Rotterdam
Gaziantep Turkey – A UNESCO Gastronomy Creative City
In one room, over a dozen traditional chefs were at work. They were creating sheets of white flour, thinner than muslin. The room had a haze of flour. The rolling pins were a yard and a half long. These sheets were being sheared off the pins in delicate layers. And all this, happening on a table over 25 feet long! - Gaziantep Turkey - A UNESCO Gastronomy Creative City - Travelure ©
Oculus Transportation Hub NYC
There is a placard at the Oculus. It states the skylight of the Oculus will open every year on September 11 to allow the sun to fill the entire space.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Paris France
Once on the roof, I figured why they called it Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris). It almost seems to be watching over the city of Paris. I also realised the gargoyles were ornamental decorations for rain spouts. - Notre-Dame Cathedral Paris France - Travelure ©
Long Glacier Langjokull Iceland
Soon, we were in the middle of never-ending whiteness. The glacier had begun. The flat white expanse mesmerised us. The snaking tarred road we drove on seemed to be a fine black line. Drawn by an artist on a huge blank canvas. - Long Glacier Langjökull Iceland - Travelure ©
Auschwitz – Homage to the WW-II Holocaust Victims
‘The plunder of human beings was complete. They chose the healthy ones for a slow death through overwork, exhaustion, and starvation; while the others were straightaway shot, or gassed.’ - Auschwitz - Homage to the WW-II Holocaust Victims - Travelure ©
Charles Bridge Prague Czech Republic
On this graceful epochal edifice of the Bridge Tower, it was a pity to see the terrible repair work. Despite regal decorations, the refurbishing seemed more an overhaul that a careful restoration. Still, UNESCO rightly lumped the bridge with the Old Town Centre of Prague to inscribe it on its World Heritage Sites List in 1992. - Charles Bridge Prague Czech Republic - Travelure ©
Varanasi – The Grand Dame of India
For Hindus, Varanasi is a teleport to heaven. The belief is when you travel from here, you carry no baggage of Karma. You also achieve Moksha or freedom from the cycle of life and death. Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats are the portkeys. From here, the cremated rise to the heavens to join their ancestors... Varanasi - The Grand Dame of India - Travelure ©
Humayun Tomb New Delhi India
If Humayun Tomb were a man, he would be a 449-year old trendsetter. Affluent, disciplined, able-bodied, mature, suave, big-hearted, and attractive. Let us see why. - Humayun Tomb New Delhi India - Travelure ©
St Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow, Russia
When it was being built, red bricks were a new construction material. The masons were so fascinated with bricks that they kept the brickwork exposed wherever they could. They essentially used bricks as a decorative material.
Shore Temple — Pallava Marvel, UNESCO Legacy
The symbolism of how a kingdom shows its domination hasn't changed over the millennia. Ancient Egypt demonstrated their domination by building pyramids; the Qin Dynasty in China did so by building the Great Wall; and the Pallava kings from South India, by building Shore Temple. - Shore Temple Mahabalipuram Tamilnadu
UNESCO Heritage Site Ayutthaya Thailand
Ayutthaya today is a historical park. What remains of this former capital tells a tale of glory and gore. While there, spare a thought for the fact it is a site of mass murder, rape, and enslavement of Siamese people. - UNESCO Heritage Site Ayutthaya Thailand - Travelure ©
Windmills of Kinderdijk Netherlands
After a particularly devastating flood that killed thousands in 1421 CE, the survivors discovered a crying child in a crib that was kept afloat by a cat that had been jumping around the crib to keep the balance. This led to the christening of the village as Kinderdijk or Children’s Dyke... Windmills of Kinderdijk - Our Planet's Landmarks Series #18
Sun Temple Konark Odisha India
The first structure that greeted me had hidden all that lay beyond. Two gigantic lions with exquisite carving flanked a wide stone stairway. As I climbed, I found what must have been a large hallway with massive pillars. This must be the performance area, I thought to myself... Sun Temple Konark Odisha India - Travelure ©
Chateau de Versailles Near Paris France
As we entered the palace, the first significant chamber we saw was the Royal Chapel. Corinthian columns, gold accents, and an intricate ceiling mural gave it grandeur... Château de Versailles Near Paris France - Travelure ©
Cellular Jail Port Blair Andamans India
The jail was named 'Cellular Jail' since it did not have any dormitory, only solitary confinement cells - 693 of them. This was a deliberate move by the British. They did not want the freedom fighters to interact and plan their moves to gain freedom -
The Taj Mahal Agra India
A water channel with fountains that opens out into an enormous reflecting pool, leads you from Darwaza-i-rauza to the Taj. This pool does what humans couldn’t - duplicate the beauty of Taj in its reflection. - The Taj Mahal Agra India - Travelure ©
Hohensalzburg Fortress Salzburg Austria
As I boarded an OBB train from Vienna, a few scenes from The Sound of Music replayed in my mind. The baroque city centre, the invincible-looking Hohensalzburg Fortress, and the meandering River Salzach. And of course, the cemetery crypt where von Trapps hid before their escape. - Hohensalzburg Fortress Salzburg Austria - Travelure ©
Proboscis Monkeys in Sabah Borneo
The joyous exclamations of successful captures punctuated the combined clickety-clack of our cameras. But the light was fading fast. The monkeys were slowing down... - Proboscis Monkeys in Sabah Borneo - Travelure ©
Historic Areas of Istanbul Turkey
Straddling two continents, and between two seas, Istanbul enjoys a unique position. A European and an Asian side. A natural strait - Bosphorus - separates the two. Earlier going by the names Byzantium and Constantinople, it is home to over 15 million people. - Historic Areas of Istanbul - Travelure ©
