World Travel Guide Online

Roman ruins come in all sizes and shapes, from the majestic to the humble. Some stand barely untouched by the ages, while others are dilapidated remains of their former grand selves. But all provide a wondrous snapshot into Roman civilization: the gods they venerated, their architectural prowess, the entertainment that thrilled them, and the decorations and amenities in their homes.

And yet, it’s Rome, with its mega Coliseum, Forum and Pantheon, that’s seen as the epicenter of all ancient Roman antiquities. Sure, it was the capital of the Empire, but the Romans spread their wings across large swaths of Europe, southern Britain, North Africa and the Mid-East. These are 10 of the best places to check out what they left behind outside of Italy.

1. Merida, Spain

Ruins seem to materialize in the unlikeliest places in this former capital of the Roman province of Lusitania. The Temple of Diana appears behind the tourist information office, and the colorful Los Milagros Aqueduct with its seven standing columns rising not far from a set of railroad tracks.

Stroll along the nearby leafy landscaped expanse that fronts the Guadiana River and you’ll come upon a half-mile long Roman bridge, the longest such structure remaining in the world. This now pedestrian structure that attracts joggers and cyclists alike is within striking distance of its contemporary cousin that’s designed by star architect Santiago Calatrava. Another place to walk among history is along the periphery of the Roman Circus where charioteers once raced.

But anyone who thrills in the macabre should check out Los Columbarios funeral site. Aside from providing a wealth of information on Roman funeral ceremonies, it’s planted with an array of flora, such as cypress, that symbolically refers to death and the afterlife. For intimate insights into all things Roman, take a guided tour with Marco Mangut.

2. Leptis Magna, Libya

Your introduction to the extravagant architecture in this city that was once held in as high esteem as Rome is the grand Septimius Severus Arch. Named in honor of their native son emperor who presided over this Roman settlement — the largest in North Africa — during the height of its prosperity, the towering marble edifice is bedecked with elaborate historical and religious motifs.

Walking along the colonnaded street that Severus constructed, you’ll come to the expansive Hadrianic Baths where, thanks to hot and cold rooms, saunas, a swimming pool and marble latrines, the populace probably had plenty of opportunity to luxuriate. The Romans obviously loved their leisure aquatic centers: A long trek brings you to the Hunting Baths with its well-preserved colorful mosaics and frescoes for which it takes its name.

You can spend a good part of a day on the site, but don’t miss visiting Sabrantha, another well-preserved Roman site, that’s a few hours away. Libya Expeditions offers tours that cover both of these Roman sites.

3. Pula, Croatia

You could easily spend four or five hours in Pula where the immense amphitheater dating from the time of Augustus gets all the attention.

With an audio guide in hand, you can roam around the well-preserved arena, tiers, towers and subterranean galleries and visualize the gory entertainment that once captured spectators’ attention. (Present-day events include the decidedly more civilized Pula Film Festival.) The underground corridors that once held beasts and gladiators alike now display stone olive and grape presses and amphora.

A steep walk up to the town’s informal Archaeological Museum of Istria is worth it for its Roman glass exhibit, tombstones and sarcophagi. (Curiously, the latter two are displayed along the hallways.)

Another side of Roman life is evident on the largest island of Brijuni National Park, an idyllic setting that’s a short bus and ferry ride away. What must’ve been an elegant Roman villa is set on a prime piece of waterfront real estate complete with ruins of terraces, temples and even a fishpond.

4. Jerash, Jordan

Set in a placid valley at the base of the Gilead Mountains, Jerash contains such an extensive expanse of ruins that you’ll need to reserve a full day for your visit. And though it’s got a petite hippodrome, you’ll be able to watch daily reenactments of what spectators would’ve experienced thousands of years ago.

Gladiators fight wielding tridents and swords. Roman legionnaires decked out in brown togas reenact battles they might have seen as members of a Roman army. And charioteers race the traditional seven laps around the track.

Running under a mile straight to the city center, the Cardo Maximus — Cardo for short — is the colonnaded main boulevard that allows entrée to many monument ruins. (It itself remains paved with some original stones that are rutted from the many chariot wheels that once rolled across its surface.)

5. Caesarea, Israel

Now a national park, Caesarea was once a resplendent port city that King Herod named hoping to showcase his loyalty to Julia Caesar. Once Jerusalem fell, it became the country’s most prominent city and trade harbor.

The visitor’s center today shows a movie depicting the history of the magnificent city and allows you to ask questions of virtual historical figures. But on a warm, sunny day you have plenty of other choices, whether it’s inspecting the ruins of Herod’s palace, which may have also been used by Pontius Pilot; lunching along the harbor where some of the original stone breakwater remains; or snorkeling or scuba diving in the submerged port (now an underwater archaeological park). Depending on your skill and the route, you’ll spy a Herodian pavement or a late Roman shipwreck.

6. Aspendos, Turkey

Sweeping down from the hillside, the 2,000-year-old amphitheater has such fine acoustics that some people return year after year to hear Verdi’s Aida, a signature piece, and other works by both Turkish and international performers at the annual Aspendos Opera & Ballet Festival. Equally interesting to many is the stage building displaying ornamental motifs and a decorative relief of Dionysus, the patron god of wine and the theater.

You’ll also want to take the time to walk the path adjacent to the theater that winds up to the acropolis. Not only are the views over the Koprucay River and the fertile Pamphylian plain superb, but a mélange of prominent ruins are also visible, including the agora or ancient marketplace and political gathering spot, a once elaborate fountain complex dedicated to the water nymphs (hence the name nymphaeum), and a basilica where the courts were located. Equinox Travel offers archeological tours that include Aspendos.

7. Baalbek, Lebanon

Once known as Heliopolis or City of the Sun, Baalbek has a standout complex of shrines, including two lofty and detailed temples.

The grand one dedicated to Juniper, the god of the sky, is constructed of some of the tallest columns in the world — they soar some 70 feet skyward. The interior sanctuary was once restricted to the priests who performed ritual sacrifices on the stone altar. The massive foundation blocks that weigh in at hundreds of tons remain shrouded in mystery. (It’s still unclear how these stones could’ve been moved.)

The smaller but better preserved Temple of Bacchus is really dedicated not to Dionysus (aka Bacchus) but to a different, much disputed deity: perhaps a solar god. Some believe that the curious carved images of poppies and grapes may indicate that wine and drugs played a role in ceremonies. Hence, the god of wine became identified with this temple.

Nowadays, both temples see theatrical, ballet, jazz and other performances during the annual Baalbeck International Festival.

8. Conimbriga, Portugal

A mere 10 miles from the university town of Coimbra that’s also Portugal’s former capital, you can find the most well-preserved Roman settlement in the country. (In fact, it was a finalist as one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders.)

To get the most out of your visit to Conimbriga where most of the information is in Portuguese, first buy a guidebook at the ticket office. Then roam along the 13-foot-wide limestone-block Roman road where the ruts left by ancient carts are still plainly visible.

The most striking thing about the ruins of the houses along the way is the evidence of their former courtyards with richly-hued mosaics displaying all manner of images — some mythological — and bold geometric patterns. The House of the Fountains, a former wealthy Roman residence, is aptly named for the hundreds of fountains that once gushed. (You can still see the functioning waterworks under the now glass-canopied site.)

Nearby, the remains of the House of Cantaber, a nobleman’s house that’s considered one of the largest Roman residences ever discovered in the West, provides evidence of some of the villa’s luxe features, including its baths and colonnaded garden.

9. El-Jem, Tunisia

You can’t miss the monumental amphitheater, one of the largest in the Roman Empire that towers over the modern-day city. But instead of rushing to this behemoth — it’s estimated to hold some 30,000 spectators — first pay a visit to the El Jem Museum that displays its impressive collection of artifacts in a reconstruction of a Roman villa.

The exhibits of goblets, sculptures (like Medusa’s head) and mosaics (such as the Nine Muses) ring a colonnaded courtyard. On this archeological site, the lavish House of Africa, an aristocrat’s villa, depicts a renowned mosaic of the goddess Africa, patron of fertility and wealth.

In the summer, you can join the thousands who come to listen to classical — both European and Arabic — music in the grand amphitheater during the month-long International Festival of Symphonic Music. However, it’s hardly the only amphitheater in town. (It’s actually the third built in El-Jem; the ruins of the other two lie near a railroad line.)

10. Arles, France

Sometimes referred to as the “Rome of France,” Arles, part of the Marseille-Provence region that will be European Cultural Capital 2013, is dotted with a good share of antiquities. No wonder, considering it’s sited on a trade route that once connected Italy and Spain. And long before Van Gogh fell in love with this evocative land, Emperor Constantine constructed a colossal palace, complete with extensive baths. Partial ruins of these, the Thermes de Constantine, still remain.

Once the social and political hub of this former Roman settlement, the cafe- and tree-lined Place du Forum is still the focal point of the city’s nightlife. A couple of columns from a 2nd century Roman temple are embedded in the exterior of the Grand Hotel Nord-Pinus that fronts this lively square.

But it’s Arles’ massive arch-ribboned amphitheater (Les Arenes) that’s the heart of any visit to this old city. Instead of the ubiquitous Roman blood sports, contemporary spectators can see traditional bullfights — obviously bloody in their own right — or the courses camarguaises where the bulls don’t meet their demise as the men (raseteurs) try to skillfully remove ribbons from the animal’s horns.

Source: bootsnall.com

While today’s modern cities certainly are graced by large
fortifications, since the first days of civilization walls have been built
around cities to protect citizens from outside invaders and attacks. In fact,
as early as the 8^th century BCE, the city of Jericho
in what is now the West Bank was protected by
a wall. For thousands of years following this time, when cities were often
ruled as city states and needed protection from their neighbors, walls and
fortifications were built to defend from potential aggressors.

In the Caribbean, walls
were built to fend off pirates. In Medieval Europe, they were used to protect
the city from Visigoths, Gauls, Franks or Huns. In China, walls were built to protect settlements
from Mongols and other warring factions.

While these walled cities served to protect the communities
they guarded from various threats, beyond their defensive utility, many walls
also had important symbolic functions – representing the status and
independence of the communities they embraced.

According to UNESCO, today there are more than 50 cities
around the world that have city walls which are still or almost complete. While
many city walls that once stood around cities have long been demolished in the
name of modernization, changing defense strategies and city growth, the walls
still stand in many old cities around the world.

Carcassonne,
France

Perched up on a hill, the walled old portion of this French medieval
walled city looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. You half expect
a giant, fire breathing dragon to appear from behind the ramparts that separate
the walled portion of the city from rest of modern day Carcassonne. Perched atop a hill and located
at a strategic location in southwestern France
on trade and migratory routes, Carcassonne
was fortified over centuries by Gauls, Romans, Visigoths Moors and Franks, who continued to build up
the walls of this city and which earned it a reputation of being an
impenetrable fortress.

One of the most popular attractions in France, this
unique walled city, which was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in
1997, draws more than 3 million visitors annually. Carcassonne is encircled by a huge double row
of fortified walls that run almost 2 miles long and which are punctuated by 56
imposing towers.

Is your interest piqued? Read more about Visiting
Carcassonne.

Xi’an, China

A country known for a famous wall spanning a great length of
the country, the Chinese did not only build walls to keep out their Mongol
neighbors to the North. While Xi’an is probably
best known for the famous terra cotta army that can be found just outside of
the city, Xi’an
is also surrounded by a large and impressive wall.

One of the oldest cities in China
and an important cultural and sometimes political capital, Xi’an
(which was historically known as Chang’an) is considered one of the four great
ancient capitals of China
and has served as the capital city for some of the most important Chinese
dynasties.

Located at the terminus of the Silk Road, Xi’an has long been situated in an important
strategic location over the course of its more than 3,000 years of history as a
city. While the traditional name of this city meant "perpetual peace" in
Chinese, the city was fortified and protected from outside attacks during the
Han dynasty when the original wall (measuring 25 km in length and is 12-16
meters thick) was built, enclosing a large part of the city. Following several
years of unrest across China,
the Sui Dynasty took control, placing their capital at Xi’an-building the palace, imperial city and
civilian area all within the 84 square kilometers inside the walls-making it
the largest city in the world at the time.

Campeche, Mexico

Located on the Yucatan
peninsula, Campeche was the first natural port
discovered by the Spaniards in Mexico.
The colonial settlement establish in the mid 16^th century was built
atop old Mayan ruins. One of the richest port cities in the America during the 16^th and 17^th
centuries, Campeche was a main target for
pirates that once trolled the Caribbean waters
in large numbers.

Because of frequent raids by pirates like the famous Francis
Drake and Henry Morgan, the walls surrounding Campeche were built the late 17^th
century in an effort to protect the city from pirates and buccaneers (though
not always successfully). A wall surrounding the city was built that measured
2,560 meters in length and formed an irregular hexagon with 8 defensive
bastions around the main parts of the city.

Today the city retains many of the old colonial Spanish city
walls and fortifications and the city was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage
site in 1999 for the preservation and quality of the architecture.

San Gimignano, Italy

Historically a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to
Rome and the Vatican, San Gimignano sits on the Road Francigena-the ancient road between Rome and Canterbury that
was an important Medieval Road and pilgrimage route. Because of its important
and strategic location along this route, the residents of San Gimignano enjoyed
great wealth and power and in 998 the suburbs were encircled with the first walled enclosure.

In a time when the cities and states of Italy
fought against one another, San Gimignano allied with nearby Florence and in 1207, the new town-walls (which today are
recognizable in the city center) were built incorporating the villages of S.Matteo and San Giovanni.
Three gates of these town-walls
still remain: the Arco Di Goro, Arco de Becci and of San Matteo.

Over the next few decades, the alliance
of San Gimignano with Florence
became stronger and during these years the city skyline of Saint
Gimignano was studded with numerous
towers-symbols and testimonies to the fortune of the families that
possessed them. Today the city is known throughout the world as. In the 13th century there 72 towers, but today only have 14 survived.

Today San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a
major tourist destination in Tuscany.

Taroudant,
Morocco

Nicknamed the "Grandmother of Marrakech," and surrounded by
high, red, earthy walls, Taroudant is a walled city located in the Sous Valley
in southern Morocco.
Situated on the road leading from Ouarzazte and Marrakech, Taroudant has long
been located at a strategic point along the Caravan route leading to and from
the Sahara desert to the Mediterranean coast
and capital city.

Unlike Marrakech, which also has walls enclosing parts of
the old city, almost all of Taroudant is located within the large, fortified
walls that surround the city. While the walls and famous mosque in Taroudant
were built during the city’s golden age during the Saadi Dynasty in the 16^th
century, Taroudant had flourished since the 11^th century thanks to
its producing gold and silver mines and was a major trading post in Africa.

Bruges, Belgium

Long situated at an important strategic location near on the
coastal region of Belgium,
fortifications around Bruges
were first built after Julius Cesar’s conquest of nearby Menapii during the
first century BCE . While the city changed hands of power several times
throughout the next centuries (from the Romans to the Franks to the Vikings),
the latest Viking invasions during the 9^th century prompted the
Count of Flanders to reinforce the first Roman fortifications protecting the
city.

After Bruges
received its city charter in the 12^th century, the city erected new
walls and canals around the city. After merchant fleets from Genoa
arrived in Bruges in 1277, Bruges
became the main link between northern European Flemish countries and the
Mediterranean, which flooded a huge amount of capital into the city-making Bruges an important
center of both trade and banking.

Over the following centuries, Bruges
became a key trading centre in north-west Europe,
exporting Flemish cloth all over the continent. The city expanded rapidly,
which necessitated the construction of a new circuit of walls in the early 14th
century. However, the first artillery defenses in Bruges were not built until the 16^th
century when a double line of earthwork bastions were built in place of the old
medieval walls.

While these walls successfully prevented William of Orange
from reclaiming Bruges from the Spanish in the 17^th century, Bruges’
walls were penetrated by the French during the War of Spanish Succession in a
surprise attack (French troops pretending to be deserters succeeded in
capturing one of the gates and they let in the rest of the French forces).

Avila, Spain

The highest provincial capital in Spain
at 3665 feet above sea level, Avila
is built on the flat summit of a rocky hill, which rises abruptly in the midst
of a brown, arid, treeless table-land, which gave the city an important strategic
location with long range vantage points from the top of the hill. Avila sits high on the hill, with mountains creating the
dramatic backdrop for the impregnable stone walls that surround and mark the
city of Avila.

Avila
is best known for its medieval city walls, which were first constructed in the
late 11^th century over previous Roman and Muslim efforts. The walls
are punctuated with 88 towers and nine gateways, which are still in excellent
repair. In fact, the wall stretching 2.5 km in length is one of the world’s
best preserved medieval defense parameters. Between the 12^th and 14^th
centuries, the Gothic cathedral at Avila
was built into and integrated into the city’s defenses and has the appearance
of a fortress.

Lahore, Pakistan

Located near the Indian border and the Ravi
River, Lahore
is often called the cultural heart of Pakistan and is well known as being
at the center of Pakistani arts, film and academia. However, long before Lahore became the cultural center of Pakistan, it was important and
longstanding trade city.

Lahore
has had many names over its long history-including kacha kot, which means "mud
fort" and implies that the city was almost always surrounded by a wall of some
sort. Because of the often changing name, it is unsure when the fortifications
around the old city were first built, but it Lahore did experience several period in which
the mud fortifications were greatly expanded over the past several thousand
years.

Although many of the walls were destroyed and replaced by
gardens shortly after the British annexed the Punjab region in 1849, access to
the old walled city of Lahore is still gained by way of the 13 ancient gates (7
of which are still standing today).

While ancient walled cities like Avila
and Carcassonne have been restored and protected
over the years, the Punjab government is just
now trying to restore the Royal Trail, which stretches from the Akbari gate to
the Lahore Fort in an effort to gain status as a world heritage site.

York, England

Situated at the confluence of two major rivers in northern England and historically known as England’s "second city" and Capital of the
North, the city of York
has long been an important and strategic city since the Roman times. In fact,
the entire Roman Empire was governed from York
for two years and influential historical leaders like Constantine the Great and
others have been associated with the city over its long and tumultuous past.

The first stone fortifications at York were built under what is now the York
Minister and covered an area of 50 acres and housed more than 6,000 soldiers.
After the city was captured by the Vikings during the 9^th century
and used as a major river port and trade capital in northern Europe, William
the Conqueror immediately set to work at re-fortifying and protecting the
strategically located trade city.

William the Conqueror built two fortresses on mottes in the
city on either side of the river, which are still visible today. These walls
played an important role during the civil war in England
in 1644, when Parliamentarians besieged York
and many of the homes outside of the city’s protective walls were destroyed.

Baku, Azerbaijan

The capital and largest city in Azerbaijan
on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, Baku
has a long history of conquests, take overs by outsiders and major destruction
caused by wars. Baku first became important
strategically in the 12^th century when an earthquake destroyed the
former capital of Azerbaijan,
Shamakhy, and Baku
was named the new capital.

The historical core of Baku,
which is a fortress marked by the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower,
is thought to have been first constructed as early as the 7^th
century. During the medieval ages in Baku,
the fortress walls and towers were built larger and stronger.

After 1806, when Baku
was conquered by the Russian Empire, the city wall were repaired and the
fortifications around the city were strengthened. Two gates gave access to the
city, whose walls had dozens of cannons protecting the citizens and the port
was reopened for trade with the reinforced fortifications in place.

While the inner city of Baku
was deemed the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Azerbaijan in 2000, three years
later, UNESCO placed the old city on its list of "World Heritage in Danger"
citing damage from a November 2000 earthquake, poor conservation as well as
"dubious" restoration efforts.

Rhodes, Greece

Although the colossus of Rhodes (a giant bronze statue that
graced the city and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) is no
longer standing on this Greek island, the old medieval city in Rhodes is still classified as a UNESCO World Heritage and
remains a major draw fro millions of tourists every year. While Rhodes was important strategically as a trade port and
stop along Mediterranean sailing routes, it was not until later in the ancient
city’s history that the walls protecting the city were built and fortified.

In 1309 at the end of the Byzantine era, Rhodes became
occupied by the Knights of Hospitalier (who promptly renamed themselves the
Knights of Rhodes) and the city was rebuilt into a model of a European medieval
ideal.

The walls built during this era were successful in
protecting the city from attacks for hundreds of years, keeping the Egyptians
and others from taking over the city. However, despite the walls, Rhodes was
conquered by the growing Ottoman Empire in 1522 and the Knights of Rhodes and
their fellow Christians were forced to retreat to Sicily. For the next 4 centuries, the wall city
of Rhodes was
ruled by the Ottomans.

Today the old city of Rhodes
is not only a UNESCO World Heritage site, but is also known as one of the most
impressive historical sites in Greece.

About the Author

BootsnAll staff writer Julie Blakley first became intrigued by walled cities after a visit to Carcassonne with her family as a kid. When she’s not plotting her next adventure and working on crossing all the walled cities of the world off her "places to go list," she’s busy writing the France Travel Guide.

Photo Credits: Carcassonne, Xi’an, Campeche, San Gimignano, Taroudant, Bruges, Avila, Lahore, York, Baku, Rhodes

Source: bootsnall.com

Many European cities have the bad reputation of being expensive to visit. And when you plan to see as much as you can during your vacation, the entrance fees really add up. Thankfully, there are also lovely places which can be visited for free. These can vary from a stroll down a popular street, to spending time in a park or visiting incredible historical places like churches.

1 – St. Peter’s Basillica, Vatican City

St. Peter’s Basillica is one of the greatest Roman Catholic churches in the entire world. It is also has the largest interior, capable of holding 60,000 people. Catholic tradition holds that the tomb of Saint Peter, one of the Apostles of Jesus, is under the altar of the basillica. Despite popular misconception, St. Peter’s Basillica is not a cathedral (as it is not the seat of a bishop).

There was an old Constantinian basillica on this site since the 4th century and the present building was completed in 1626. It is associated with Michelangelo (the first chapel on the north aisle contains the famous Pietà) and with papacy. There are over 100 tombs within the Basillica, many located beneath the building (including 91 popes).

2 -The Pantheon, Rome, Italy

The Pantheon is the best-preserved Roman building in Rome and was built as a temple to all Gods in Ancient Rome. The current build is actually a reconstruction of the first temple which existed here. Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used a Roman Catholic church (and yes, masses are still held here on important Catholic holidays).

One of the most interesting features of the build is the central opening, called the Great Eye. When the Pantheon was used as a temple the fire inside the temple would create smoke which escaped through the opening. Today it is the only light source in the building.

3 – British Museum, London, UK

The British Museum is one of the most important museums in the entire world. The collections comprise over 7 million items, depicting the human history from its beginning to the present days. Among the key highlights you will be able to see: the list of the kings of Egypt from the Temple of Ramesses II, the Rosetta Stone, fragment of the beard of the Great Sphinx, Mummy of ‘Ginger’ (3300 BC), mummy of Cleopatra from Thebes and much more.

The museum opened in 1759 and has always been free to visit (except for the special exhibitions which usually require a fee to be paid).

Also free in London: Changing of the guards, Museum of London and many more

4 – Schonbrunn Gardens, Vienna, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria. For decades it has been a very popular tourist destination for those visiting Vienna. Only the Gardens can be visited for free and they are worth some hours of your time.

The gates open at 6 a.m (or 6:30 a.m. during winter) and close between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., depending on the season. If you arrive by metro you’ll probably enter the grounds via the Zoo gate while if you come by tram, you can enter the grounds via the main gate.

The Privy Garden is located between the palace and the Gloriette (on top of the hill). In between those, there’s Neptune Fountain. The western parts of the grounds have been turned into an English Garden. On both sides of the Privy Garden there are 32 sculptures. Generally speaking, unless you enter a building, the maze, the Zoo or climb up to see the views from the Gloriette, you don’t need to pay anything.

It’s pretty much impossible to see all the parts of the Gardens during one day. It gets very hot during summer so make sure to bring enough water (you have to enter to Zoo to get to the mini-shops, so that’s not exactly a good idea) and good walking shoes. It’s pretty easy to climb the hill to the Gloriette and the views are magnificent, even if you don’t go up on the viewing deck.

Also free in Vienna: St. Stephan’s Cathedral, Hofburg Gardens, walk on the Ring Street

5 – Gellért Hill Cave, Budapest, Hungary

Gellért Hill Cave is also known as Saint Ivan’s Cave, from the hermit who lived here and was believed to have cured the sick by using the natural water from the muddy lake located next to the cave. The entrance in the cave is located 75 feet above the Danube River, on Gellért Hill (right opposite the Gellért Hotel & Baths).

Between 1926 and 1951, the cave served as chapel and monastery, while during the World War II it was a field hospital. When the Soviet Army captured Budapest, the entrance to the cave was sealed and it wasn’t until 1992 that the cave was open again for the monks and the public.

The church can be visited for free but it’s advisable to show up right after the mass (while the organist still plays religious songs).

Also free in Budapest: guided tours of The Parliament (free for EU citizens only), a walk on Margaritsziget (an island)

6 – War Museum, Athens, Greece

Inaugurated in 1975, the museum depicts the history of warfare over thousands of years. You can admire weapons from every era, starting with stone axes and ending with fighter plane.

The primitive weapons and the Bronze Age ones are among the most interesting. If you are interested in the Greek War of Independence, you can learn about the weapons used. Children will most likely enjoy climbing in the cockpit of a fighter plane.

Also free in Athens: Changing of the guards in front of the Parliament, Railway Museum, Museum of Popular Musical Instruments, The Hellenic Children’s Museum, Municipal Gallery of Athens

7 – Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

Paris is filled with incredible places to visit and Notre Dame is one of those iconic landmarks we all have learned about at some point during our school years.

The beautiful Gothic Cathedral is located on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité. It was the first building in the world to use the flying buttress, although it was not originally designed to use them. The construction began in 1163 and was completed in 1345.

Just like visiting any other Roman Catholic or Orthodox cathedral, make sure to dress accordingly (or how they put it on the official web site “show a respectful attitude, through both their behaviour and their clothing”).

Also free in Paris: The Louvre Gardens , Sacre Coeur

8 – The Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany

Once the barrier dividing West and East Berlin, the Berlin Wall is an important part of the German history. The wall fell on November 9, 1989 after a series of protests. Right after the fall, the government opened ten new border crossings and visa-free travel was allowed starting on December 23, 1989. In the summer of 1990 the official dismantling of the Wall began.

Today, only some sections of the walls exist as memorials, and nearly all of the original wall is gone. The longest remaining stretch is the East Side Gallery, which is now considered an open-air museum. There are also sections of the wall along with their histories located in the busy Alexanderplatz area (pictured above).

Also free in Berlin: Reichstag

9 – Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

The Charles Bridge is one of the most beautiful places and best-known attractions in Prague. And best of all, it’s free. The stone Gothic bridge started its life in 1352. There are towers on each end of the bridge but only one can be climbed. The bridge is lined with 30 statues (most of them are replicas of the originals). Touching the status of St. John of Nepomuk is believed to bring luck.

The pedestrian bridge is almost always full so if you want to avoid the crowds, plan to walk on the bridge either early in the morning or late at night.

Also free in Prague: the Prague Astronomical Clock

10 – Red Square, Moscow, Russia

The most famous square in Moscow and possibly the most famous in the entire Europe is, without a doubt, the Red Square. During the Soviet era, the square was used to hold all the parades, and soviet rulers even wanted to demolish the famous St. Basil’s Cathedral only to have more room for their displays of power. Nowadays, the square is a preferred place to organize concerts.

Today the Kremlin and the Red Square are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The buildings located in the square are: Lenin’s Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum, Kremlin towers, the Iberian Gate and Chapel and St. Basil’s Cathedral.

Also free in Moscow: Alexander Gardens

11 – Vigeland Sculpture Park, Oslo, Norway

Part of Oslo’s Frogner Park, Vigeland Park features 212 bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland. Among the interesting art pieces, one can admire the fountain – originally designed to be placed in front of the Parliament -, the Monolith and the eight statues of children playing (in the area called Children’s Playground).

The park is also known for the lovely picnic area and the possibility to sunbath.

12 – La Rambla, Barcelona, Spain

The most famous street in Barcelona is, without a doubt, La Rambla. During summer it’s awfully crowded with both locals and tourists but it represents a lovely way to do some people watching and window shopping. The middle part of the street is pedestrian only and at any time during the tourist season it comes to life due to the live performances and the flower market. There are interesting buildings on both sides of the street and if you want to relax, go to Placa Reial, just off La Rambla. And for a colorful and exotic meal, check out La Boqueria, the iconic street market filled with pretty much anything you might want to buy or eat.

A city with a distinct architectural style has a certain draw to travelers. Great architecture is both artistic and scientific, both beautiful and practical. Even more, architecture gives us cultural clues about a city’s past, present and future.

Important architectural advancements such as the invention of the dome, of concrete, and of the skyscraper itself not only advanced the technology of construction, but also challenged architects to compete amongst themselves to produce more efficient and creative structures.

We’ve selected a handful of cities that have developed a reputation for notable architecture styles and histories, but it’s impossible to give enough attention to all architectural masterpieces. Here are seven great cities for architecture buffs, and a few highlights not to miss in each one.

Barcelona, Spain

Any visitor to Barcelona cannot miss the spectacular work and influence of architect Antoni Gaudi. With its bright colors, tiled mosaic patterns, and nature-inspired forms, Gaudi’s architecture was dramatically different than that of his contemporaries.

Gaudi not only designed breathtaking work, but also is the architect who best captured Modernisme, or the Catalan modernism movement in Barcelona. This movement sought to elevate the status of Catalan thought, art, literature and philosophy to the same level of European ideas and art.

In Gaudi’s work, this meant predominance of curves over straight lines, heavy decoration and detail, shapes and asymmetry, and experimentation with new materials like iron, stained glass, and stone. Other influential Modernist architects include Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who designed buildings later designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who designed Els Quatre Gats, a center for Modernisme in Barcelona.

La Sagrada Família

Gaudi’s masterpiece is still under construction today, and won’t be completed for some time. Gaudi frequently altered his plans as the church was first being constructed, and his final vision for it is not known.

Different architects have provided their insight, but often their opinions differ. Even amidst a sea of cranes and the din of construction, La Sagrada Família is the most visited monument in Barcelona.

Park Güell

This park stands above the city and contains a series of curving walkways and paths. At the top, curved stone benches adorned with colorful mosaics offer a perfect resting place to sit and take in a view of the city.

Park Güell is a perfect example of Gaudi’s ordered chaos. Every aspect of the park over-stimulates, but it still exudes calm.

Casa Batlló

Gaudi remodeled this private home from the inside out.

From the arched roof to curved windows that gave the structure its nickname “House of Bones,” this building contains almost no straight lines. Every room boasts magnificent coloring and tiling.

Beijing, China

In Beijing, the slew of construction for the 2008 Summer Olympics gave shape to an emerging national identity. China wanted to prove it had more to offer the world than its ancient culture and architecture. And so the world watched as Bejing built Western-inspired buildings that went above and beyond the limitations of Chinese architecture.

Now, Beijing is home to a collection of both traditional and contemporary buildings.

The traditional style reflects Chinese beliefs and ethics of symmetry. These buildings give attention to decorative details, are built outward (not upward), and major construction materials include timber columns, beams and brackets.

The buildings Beijing built for the Olympics completely challenge the city’s own style of architecture. Beijing’s new construction is tall and asymmetric. Instead of creating an image of calm and focusing attention inward, both the exteriors and interiors of Beijing’s new construction aim to grab attention and awe viewers.

Great Wall of China

The expansive wall is more than 2,000 years old and extends almost 9,000 kilometers (5,500 miles).

Over centuries, different dynasties reinforced and extended the wall that protected the country from multiple invasions. The wall is a symbol of China’s rich history, and is a must-see for visitors to Beijing.

Forbidden City

Although Beijing’s Forbidden City is now overrun with tourists and vendors selling kitschy souvenirs, it is still an important monument to traditional Chinese architecture and culture. For centuries, this was the home of Chinese emperors and their governments.

Almost every aspect of the Forbidden City’s construction – from the colors to the number of statues to the symmetry – was intentional, which represents how important symbolism was to Chinese architecture.

CCTV Headquarters

To complete construction on the new headquarters of China Central Television, architects had two engineering hurdles to jump.

The skyscraper stands in a seismic region. And two L-shaped towers leaning at 90-degree angles form the top and bottom of the building.

With 51 floors, it’s short for a skyscraper, but impressive because of its precarious-looking construction and asymmetry.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is located on both the continents of Europe and Asia. Most citizens practice Islam, but the city also claims strong Christian and Jewish communities. Istanbul is thus known as a cultural melting pot, and the city’s architecture certainly lives up to that reputation.

Visitors to Istanbul will find more than 2,000 mosques, 100 churches and 20 synagogues. Over time, Istanbul has served as a capital for Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires, and is now Turkey’s capital. Each period built a new architectural layer on top of the old, and many of these monuments remain intact.

The Ancient Romans and Greeks left their aqueducts and the Walls of Constantine. The Byzantines and Genoese left their domed churched with arches. The Ottoman Empire left its castles, palaces and mosques. And the European Baroque styles and Art Nouveau palaces and mansions that followed add more to the eclectic landscape of Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia

This museum was once a church and then a mosque. Hagia Sophia, also known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, is most known for its unique dome.

Thanks to the dome’s umbrella shape, its weight rests on the pendentives between the 40 windows along its base. Light shines through the windows from all directions, which gives the impression that the dome is hovering. This pendentive dome was a Byzantine invention.

Blue Mosque

Six minarets towering over the skyline of Istanbul make it easy to locate the Blue Mosque. On closer inspection, visitors can also observe a series of cascading domes on the building’s exterior.

Inside, the walls and ceiling are lined with more than 20,000 handmade blue ceramic tiles, which give the mosque its name. The massive mosque can hold up to 10,000 people, and was built to out-do Istanbul’s most famous church at the time, Hagia Sophia.

Column of Constantine

When Constantine the Great declared the city the capital of the Roman Empire in 330, he built this commemorative column.

The original was 50 meters tall, had a statue of Constantine dressed as Apollo at top, and was said to contain several Christian relics.

Natural disasters have weathered the column and a fire in 1779 left black scorch marks on its sides. Today the column stands 35 meters tall and is a symbol of the Roman empire in Istanbul.

Chicago, USA

Unlike many cities on this list, Chicago is not a city with a long-established architectural history. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city’s buildings, and the Chicago that stands today was built afterward. This city makes the list because the skyscraper was born here.

Architect William Le Baron Jenney is generally credited with the first skyscraper, a ten-story building that stood in downtown Chicago. Unlike the brick and stone buildings of the time, this one was built with cast iron, wrought iron and steel. The so-called skeleton construction was a system of beams and columns that allowed for a multi-story framework and invited the development of safer elevators, central heating systems, and further developments in steel construction.

With these advancements, competition between Chicago architects led to taller and taller skyscrapers. In addition, Louis Sullivan’s Chicago School of Architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School of Architecture were born here – just two styles that have given Chicago an even bigger name in the world of architecture.

One of the most convenient ways to learn and see the most about the city’s architecture is to take a Chicago boat and architecture tour. Several companies operate these tours along the Chicago river.

Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower

Willis Tower dominates the Chicago skyline as the tallest and most iconic building in the city. Sears, Roebuck & Co., financed the skyscraper’s construction and built it to house their employees.

The renamed Willis Tower now houses various offices and businesses and its skydeck ledge on the 103rd floor is a popular tourist destination. The ledge is actually an enclosed glass box that extend 4.3 feet from the building so that visitors can see 1,353 feet straight down.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the art and architecture of the 20th century, and it’s worth the short trip to the suburbs to see where he lived and worked for the first 20 years of his career.

It was in his Prairie-style studio that he designed 125 structures, including such famous buildings as the Robie House, the Larkin Building and Unity Temple.

Cloud Gate

One of the most popular attractions for both locals and tourists in Chicago is the Cloud Gate, which reflects 80% of the city’s skyline on its surface. This interactive sculpture is essentially a giant stainless steal bean that acts as a mirror.

Spectators can see their images distort as they walk all around the sculpture or underneath its 9-foot arch. The best viewing time is at night, when the lights from Chicago skyscrapers illuminate the bean’s surface.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Although Chicago gave birth to the skyscraper, in recent years Dubai has been the city to master constructing these tall and extravagant buildings.

Dubai’s economy was initially built on oil, but its oil reserves have already been significantly depleted and only account for a small percentage of the economy. So the government recently decided to reinvent its image as a major international hub of commerce.

A wide-scale real estate boom followed, which completely changed the city’s landscape in a short period of time. Dubai now houses some of the tallest and most contemporary and ambitious architecture in the world.

More construction is in the works despite rumors that it lacks sufficient financing. New construction is so prevalent in Dubai that reports claim the city houses between 15 and 25 percent of all the world’s cranes.

Burj Al Arab

This luxury hotel is the only self-proclaimed seven-star hotel in the world. The building exterior is meant to represent Dubai’s transformation and resembles a sail.

The hotel actually rests on an artificial island 280 meters from the shore and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. As you would guess, rooms here aren’t cheap. Suites start at $2,000 per night and can cost as much as $28,000.

Burj Khalifa

As of 2010, this skyscraper is the tallest man-made building ever built. The $150 billion building has 160 floors and stands at 828 meters (2,717 feet) high.

That’s 52 floors more than Chicago’s Willis Tower and 320 meters taller than Tawain’s Taipei 101, which was formerly the world’s tallest building.

The Burj Khalifa also boasts the world’s highest mosque, the world’s highest swimming pool, and it is the tallest free-standing structure in the world.

The World

This archipelago of 300 man-made islands was constructed with sand dredged from the sea. Fresh water, utilities and power are routed underwater to the islands.

The islands are meant to look like a map of the Earth and can be seen from space. Private buyers can purchase individual islands for $15 – $50 million.

Athens, Greece

Athens is a city for travelers who are drawn to architecture with clues about the culture and lifestyle of people of the past. The Ancient Greeks were political, religious, and proud. They built many monuments to celebrate victories, to give honor to the deities, and to stroke their own egos.

Greek architecture is often associated with temples and columns. The Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders designed by Ancient Greek architects have proved to be timeless and are apparent in many of the buildings that still stand in Athens today. The friezes and sculptures housed in Athens temples provide insight into the lives and worship practices of the Athenians of yesteryear. They depict battles, processions, important statesmen, and deities.

Parthenon

This temple to the Greek goddess Athena was finished in 432 BC and is the most important surviving structure remaining from Ancient Greece. It still stands even after 2,500 years of weathering, war, and vandalism.

The Parthenon is an art history teacher’s dream, complete with columns of both the Doric and Ionic order, metopes depicting various battles, pedimental sculptures, and a frieze.

Temple of Athena Nike

Although this temple is the smallest on the hill, it is the first to greet visitors to the Acropolis of Athens. The height-to-diameter ratio of its columns is unusual; it is 7:1, whereas most Ionic buildings are 9:1 or 10:1.

The Temple of Athena Nike was built with marble and was a place to worship gods and goddesses of war. Fragments of the original frieze are housed in the Acropolis Museum and copies rest in their place inside the temple.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Only the ruins of this once grandiose temple remain, but it still represents the power and pride of past Athenian rulers. Various rulers sought to finish the temple to their own governments and themselves, but death and war prevented its completion.

The temple was finally dedicated in 132 AD, several centuries after constructions first began. But it was badly damaged and pillaged shortly after, and was never fully restored.

Rome, Italy

The Romans made alterations to Greek and Etruscan architecture to create a new style that was practical and creative. You can still see much of this style in the Italian capital of Rome.

For example, the Romans used arches, concrete and bricks to build the aqueducts that supplied water to their densely populated city. Visitors to Rome can also observe numerous domes, which the city’s architects used to fortify ceilings and expand the interior space of buildings, as best seen in the Pantheon.

The Romans revolutionized construction with the introduction of concrete as a primary building material. They found it was cheaper and stronger than the previously popular marble. And of course, it was the Romans who perfected the amphitheater.

These multi-purpose structures display the complexity of Roman architecture because they combine many of their advances at once. And, like much of Roman construction, the amphitheaters were not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.

Pantheon

The Pantheon that stands today is not the original, but it is still an architectural marvel of its time and is the best-preserved building in Rome. This was the first temple to combine concrete construction with the classical Greek columns.

In addition, the giant 142-foot dome was the largest in existence until 1960. The dome is still impressive. The distance from the top of the dome to the floor is equal to its diameter.

Colosseum

The Colosseum is a remarkable monument because of its practical and efficient architecture. It could seat up to 50,000 people and had about 80 entrances so many people could enter and leave at once. The Colosseum was equipped for a variety of performances such as battle reenactments, theater, executions and mock sea battles.

The structure has been damaged by earthquakes and robbers, but its remains still represent the architectural prowess of the Romans.

Aqueducts

The Romans built 11 aqueducts to bring bathing and drinking water to their densely populated city. Tunnels and several tiers of arches helped direct the flow of water for long distances and over rocky terrain.

Roman architects dedicated an enormous amount of planning to the construction of each aqueduct to determine the length, size and grade needed.

What’s your favorite architecture-rich city? What great building did we leave off the list? Share your thoughts in the comments section at the end of this article.