Soon after this Cardiff quickly became the place of choice for most national institutions, for example the University of Wales Registry Building, the Welsh National War Memorial and the National Museum of Wales. Over the last couple of decades the organisations involved in I.T. have seen incredible rates of expansion as well as, although to a lesser degree other areas of commerce and industry, especially in service industries. The tourism industry has also grown considerably and these days there are large numbers of establishments offering bed & breakfast in Cardiff.

Cardiff Visitor Attractions

Even though Cardiff has been a city for only one hundred years, surprisingly there has been a castle in existence in Cardiff for 2,000 years, give or take a few years. The Cardiff Castle currently standing is, more than likely, the most popular tourist attraction in the city which can be discovered in the very heart of the city centre. It is possible to take a guided tour exploring the castle’s interior, or, enjoy a stimulating stroll around and about the stunningly picturesque castle gardens. You will also find a newly opened Interpretation Centre at the castle which displays the differing development stages, of the castle, throughout time from the Roman period right up to the present day.

The city of Cardiff also has a respectable selection of modern visitor attractions including the highly interesting Techniquest, one of Great Britain’s most prestigious Science Discovery centres. At the centre you will find in excess of 100 hands on exhibits, designed to both fascinate and entertain all age groups. There’s also a hi-tech Science Theatre, a lab, a planetarium and a Discovery Room.

There are a great many more tourist attractions to see in Cardiff, so, if you and your family are currently deciding upon taking a vacation there it is vital that you book your rooms as early as possible because, unfortunately hotels in Cardiff tend to be surprisingly busy and are frequently fully booked well in advance. If you are travelling in a large group you may find that apartment accommodation in Cardiff turns out to be a cheap option by comparison with bed and breakfast accommodation.

If you are considering a Welsh vacation and you are currently looking for guest houses and Cardiff hotels then please consider taking a look at our listings of discounted hotels in Cardiff

Liverpool appears to have produced an impressive number of entertainers, with countless actresses, musicians, comedians and actors able to say that they were born there.

The most widely known entertainers to come from Liverpool are the Beatles: Paul McCartney, Richard Starkey, John Lennon and George Harrison. Strangely it took Liverpool a great many years to even begin to make the most of the tourism associated with the group but at present there are a number of fantastic visitor attractions for example Cavern Club, Beatles Story and Cavern Walks plus you can even go on a Magical Mystery Tour.

In the year 2004 a number of regions within the centre of the city of Liverpool was announced as a UNESCO World Heritage site collectively called Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City. There are not many UNESCO World Heritage sites in citieswithin Great Britain so Liverpool is immensely proud with this recognition of the historic port.

In 2008 the city of Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture and an amazing list of cultural events took place through the full year they held the title. These events, and accompanying press coverage, brought the city to the attention of many new visitors who might not have previously thought-about a vacation in Liverpool and ever since then tourism has remained high.

Other Liverpool Tourist Attractions

Today the city has a huge number of world renowned visitor attractions, a great blend of the new and the old. The new attractions include the earlier mentioned Cavern Walks, Cavern Club and Beatles Story but also including the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the International Museum of Slavery and the Tate Liverpool and the rest of the Albert Dock. Older attractions include the Walker Art Gallery, the World Museum Liverpool (& Planetarium) and St Georges Hall.

Obviously the above article is only a short introduction to the endless list of visitor attractions in the city. To meet the increasing number of tourists demands, bed and breakfast in Liverpool is becoming easier to find due to the opening of new hotels in Liverpool however, at times it is vitally important to book your rooms as early as possible.

If you are thinking about taking a vacation in Liverpool please take a look at our listings of Liverpool bed & breakfast

City of Caesar and imperial ruins; Rome is one of the European cities with a very powerful historical background.

Situated on the banks of the Tiber River, this city can be enjoyed as a tourist who has come in for a short trip or as a local, by immersing yourself into the ambience.

Although Rome can be enjoyed more if you are on a long vacation, however a short city break isn’t too bad either. All you need to do is to plan out properly so that you can make the most of your short stay there. You probably won’t be able to see everything; so choose what you want to do and plan accordingly.

If you like to dive into local cuisine, no matter where you go, Rome will have many delights for you. Try the fresh pasta, delicious pastries or the delectable gelato to your hearts content (forgetting the calorie count, if need be!)

Some of the main attractions of the city are: Pantheon, Foro Romano (Roman Forum), Trevi Fountain, Centro Storico and the Colosseum. Apart from these, another very important place that you must visit is the Vatican City. Yes, it is huge and fascinating and can easily take an entire weekend to explore fully. So, it’s better to have some time in hand.

Another advantage of visiting Rome is that most major attractions are open to public free of charge, while the pizzerias serve up the most delicious yet inexpensive fare you’ve ever had.

So, go ahead and plan your city break in Rome and enjoy every moment while you are there.

Martin Elmer is the editor of Miniferie Rom. Here you can also read about Billig rejse til Rom.

Incredibly deep, Loch Ness is a extensive area of water located in the awe-inspiring Scottish Highlands not too far from Inverness (see below). Surrounded by the most pretty countryside, which features mysterious areas of ancient woodland, huge mountains blanketed in heather, the loch is much more well known for being the home of the world famous Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.

The monster of Loch Ness is first mentioned in history in the autobiography of Saint Columba by Saint Adamnan. The document states that the respected saint forced a monster back into the waters after the beast had been creating havoc with one of the party.

During the nineteen thirties a road was built running alongside the loch. After only a couple of years in 1934 stories relating to sightings of a huge monster began to be written in newspapers.

Inverness, frequently called the capital of the Highlands of Scotland, was ceremoniously granted city status in two thousand and one and at the moment is the only city in the region. Uniquely (in Britain) Inverness has no legal boundaries which can cause problems when estimating populations. The problems are exaggerated by the fact that the population is on the increase, the city has the highest growth rate of any city in Great Britain. One thing we know for certain is that Inverness has a very fairly population, in 2008 the city of Inverness came 5th in a survey taken, by the Telegraph, of 189 British cities for quality of life. So we can say that Inverness is a pretty alright city in which to stay for some time and this is most likely one of the factors which make the city incredibly popular with tourists. It is lucky then that there is a great deal of Inverness hotel accommodation with the majority being available to book online.

One important thing you should know is that the nearest airport to Inverness is, approximately, 7 miles east of the city at Dalcross. It is relatively easy to hail a cab or catch a bus to the small and busy airport which is fairly cheap. If you will be needing maps of Inverness then you will find them free at the tourist office, in the town center. While you are enjoying your Inverness vacation you should make a point to visit Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness Castle, the Mercat Cross and ‘stone of tubs’ especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is great fun.

If you are considering having a Scottish vacation based in Inverness and Loch Ness then you will find Inverness bed and breakfast online by by putting “Inverness hotel accommodation” or “Inverness bed and breakfast” into your favorite search engine (the inverted commas can help greatly).

If you are considering a Loch Ness & Inverness vacation please take a look at our listings of Inverness hotels and Inverness bed and breakfast

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in Glasgow in 1868. He worked as an architect from the age of 16 and in 1890 he was a winner of the Alexander Thomson Travelling Studentship which allowed him to take a tour of Italy. After he returned, in 1893, he gained his first big project, the Glasgow Herald Building.

In Glasgow you do not need to travel very far to find a Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece. His finest work can be seen in the building of the Glasgow School of Art. Many consider Hill House his second finest work and while this is in Helensburgh it is well worth the small amount of effort required to visit it. You may also wish to visit House for an Art Lover. Two other Mackintosh buildings are looked at below, Queens Cross Church and the Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is actually the Glasgow Herald Building mentioned above. It is Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, and features an ever changing programme of superb exhibitions and events. The Mackintosh Centre is found here and where you will find a wealth of information on the life and works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. From the Mackintosh Tower it is possible to get the finest views across the city of Glasgow, to get there you need to go to the third floor and then climb a helical staircase but it is well worth the effort I assure you. However, if you do not fancy expending that sort of energy you could always take the lift to the viewing platform on the sixth floor instead.

Queens Cross Church

Glasgow’s Queens Cross Church, though no longer an active church, is famous for being the only church ever designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh that was completed. Many people know it as the Mackintosh church and it first came into use in 1899 and was decommissioned in the 1970′s. It is now open to the public and home to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society.

If you have an interest in architecture and you are visiting Glasgow you should take the opportunity to visit some of the other amazing buildings in this fascinating city. Top of my list is the incredible medieval Glasgow Cathedral (the only one to survive the Scottish Reformation complete).

Want to find out more about Glasgow hotel accommodation? then visit Karl Fraser’s site which has the most comprehensive listings of Glasgow hotels.

Whether you choose to stay for just a single day or longer you will very quickly see that there is a huge amount of things to keep you busy in Perth and the surrounding region. Visitor attractions range from; historical attractions, restaurants, shopping and sport and leisure pursuits and various other entertainments. It was not that long ago that the town was an extremely busy port mainly dealing in the export of leather, bleached products, linen and whisky. In more modern times the tourism trade generates much needed wealth and much appreciated jobs for the younger locals who happily take up jobs in the many hotels in Perth and other similar enterprises.

One characteristic of the city of Perth that is incredibly difficult for any other city to surpass is the neighbouring countryside which is far greater than just incredible, words fail. Dotted around are countless fascinating places to visit including castles, fortified houses, country homes and historical buildings.

Only a little west of Perth you will find the medieval Huntingtower Castle. Situated in breathtaking Huntingtower has undergone numerous minor alterations and redevelopments over the centuries. Huntingtower began as 2 clearly separate towers but built pretty closely together.

Round about three miles away, from the town of Perth, one will discover the 16C Elcho Castle, which features the most glorious views over the River Tay. Elcho Castle can be dated back to 1570 when it’s building was commissioned by the Wemyss family who owned it until the year nineteen twenty nine. The Castle is now in the hands of Historic Scotland.

One of the most visited places of interest, not a great distance away from Perth, is one of the finest historical Scottish country homes, Scone Palace. Here one can learn about the very interesting history of Scone Palace, the place where at one time, the kings of Scotland were crowned including, Robert The Bruce who was crowned here in 1306.

Other than the visitor attractions mentioned earlier Perth has many many more, which makes it an awesome town for a family vacation. Attractions and places, worth a visit, to be found in Perth and the surrounding area include the following; Perth Ice Rink, Perthshire Visitor Centre, Kinnoull Hill, the Glenturret Distillery and the Famous Grouse Experience.

If you are thinking about a weekend break in captivating Perth in Scotland please visit my site where you will find an unrivalled list of hotel accommodation Perth.

If you are looking at taking a Perth vacation please take a look at our listings of Perth hotels and bed and breakfast in Perth

Stranraer is a town located in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, the town is widely known for being where it is possible to sail to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unfortunately overwhelmingly tourists do not get to investigate some of the local attractions in the surrounding countryside and the town itself. This is a bit of an enigma, if you get to the port, and reserve yourself a room in a Stranraer bed and breakfast, a day earlier you can visit a few of the tourist attractions before embarking to the city of Belfast.

There are a number of things to see and do in Stranraer including the medieval tower house of the Castle of St John situated in the centre of Stranraer. The castle was erected at the very beginning of the 16th century as a home for Ninian Adair of Kilhurst (the Laird of Wigtownshire). The castle was renovated, in the years 1988/89, by Wigtown District Council who made it available for public viewing in nineteen ninety.

Another attraction near to the town is the gardens at Castle Kennedy. The castle is the centrepiece of the garden which are situated on a hill between two lochs (unfortunately access to the ruins is no longer allowed. The landscaped gardens consist of 75 acres. You can buy plants from a store which has reared them from seed gathered in the garden.

A further lovely tourist attraction worth seeing is Glenluce Abbey, less than 10 miles from Stranraer. Although it is in ruins (actually the most ruined of a trio of Cistercian monasteries situated in the south western region of Scotland) it also has a spectacular fifteenth century Chapter House. Other places worth visiting include, the Mull of Galloway, the Machars, Portpatrick and Port Logan.

If you are looking at taking a Stranraer vacation please take a look at our listings of Stranraer hotels and Stranraer bed and breakfast

City Breaks In Bristol, England and Some Facts You Should Know

Bristol has a rich and varied history, making it an ideal city for a weekend city break. In the past Bristol City was included amongst the top three medieval towns after London. Bristol was one of the busiest trading ports in the country of England, and in the 14th century, the port handled a considerable amount of the trade with the country of Ireland. In 1373 Bristol was constituted an English county, and during this time Bristol developed into the hub of manufacturing and shipbuilding. It is Bristol’s richly diverse cultural history that helps make it one of the most exciting of the English cities of this present time. Fortunately, folk wishing to spend time in Bristol will find that there is a large amount of bed and breakfast in Bristol available online, making it incredibly easy to make reservations.

The city of Bristol has a diverse arts scene and the city breeding an interesting selection of immensely talented and well known artists over time. Did you know that Wallace & Grommit were first brought to life in Bristol, and that Cary Grant also came from the city. The well known modern artist called Banksy created his most well known works of art in and around Bristol. The City Museum & Art Gallery is a entry free visitor attraction well worth a visit which shows a fascinating collection of excellent ancient artifacts, archaeology, art works, natural history and an ever changing selection of exhibitions and events. For a truly unique arts centre experience you should visit Spike Island. The arts centre concentrates on the exhibition and production of contemporary visual arts, which include various aspects of working with moving images, printmaking, multimedia projects, painting and more. If you would much prefer a more traditional art gallery, then The Royal West of England Academy should be the ideal answer. The Royal West of England Academy was Bristol’s very first art gallery and has in excess of one thousand two hundred works of art dating from the 19th century to the present day.

You will discover that there are a reasonable number of visitor attractions in the city of Bristol. One of the many places to visit is Bristol Zoo which houses over 450 different types of creature. Bristol Zoo is proudly involved in the conservation of endangered insects, mammals and amphibians. from around the world.

If horses are your thing then a trip to Horseworld would be perfect for you for you and your family. A visit to Horseworld enables you to meet rescued donkeys, horses and ponies. If you want to Horseworld allow you to indulge in the hand feeding of the animals. Another 2 visitor attractions which you might also find interesting are Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park and the Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, which both supply all of the essentials you will require for an excellent day out for your family.

If my article has interested you to such a degree that you and your family are currently thinking about taking a break in the city of Bristol it is crucial that you book your accommodation at the earliest opportunity because, unfortunately Bristol hotel accommodation tend to be amazingly busy and are commonly fully booked months in advance. If you are travelling in a group you might find that Bristol serviced apartments are a cheap alternative than paying for your whole family to stay in one of the many Bristol hotels, guest houses or other accommodation.

If you are looking at taking a Bristol vacation please take a look at our listings of Bristol hotels and Bristol bed and breakfast

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Nottingham is in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England, UK. As well as the legend of Robin Hood, the city is also strongly associated with the industry especially during the Industrial Revolution when it gained an excellent worldwide reputation.

The Lace Market

At one time the center of the worldwide lace industry, at the peak of the British Empire, the Lace Market in Nottingham is, today, a protected heritage area. The area is home to many incredible examples of industrial architecture of the Nineteenth Century. The Lace Market was not like a normal market, as such, instead of having stalls and their stall holders, the market was more a number of salesrooms and warehouses displaying and selling lace. Following the decline in the lace industry the area became derelict but, today, the vast majority of the old warehouses have been renovated for residential use and other purposes for example photographic studios and the likes. The Lace Market, Nottingham is a popular visitor attraction.

Shire Hall

Not a great distance from the Lace Market can be found the Galleries of Justice in Shire Hall. The Hall is a Georgian civic building featuring Neoclassical pilasters, columns and dome. The facade has, if you examine it closely, a spelling mistake Goal instead of Gaol. The Hall has two superbly preserved Victorian courtrooms plus old cells, a women’s prison, bath house, a prisoner’s exercise yard and an Edwardian police station.

The City of Nottingham is a superb place to take a short city break. You will find lots to see and do around the city and an incredible number of tourist attractions which are readily accessible. Nearby places to visit include; Newstead Abbey, Hardwick Hall and Wollaton Hall.

As is common in all bed and breakfast in England, Nottingham accommodation is commonly of superb quality at a reasonable rate and many people choose to stay in Nottingham for only part of their vacation and then somewhere else for the remaining nights.

If you are considering an Nottingham vacation please take a look at our listings of bed and breakfast in nottingham

Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Are you looking for a city with a very liberal minded look at hashish and sex? Then Amsterdam is the place for you. In the so-called coffeeshops you can buy hash and around the corner in the Red Light District you find women in all nationalities and sizes.

But Amsterdam is much more than that. You can also see great art by Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Or visit the Anne Frank House ” known from the Anne Frank’s Diary.

Barcelona, Spain. The capital of Spain is Madrid ” but the most interesting city is without doubt Barcelona. The city has everything: great food, interesting sights and a very fine nightlife. And then there is FC Barcelona ” the famous football club with the amazing stadium Camp Nou.

On a visit to Barcelona you also have to see Sagrada Famlia ” the unfinished cathedral by Antoni Gaud. Finish your day by a stroll down the La Ramla to the great harbor area, and eat tapas in Barceloneta.

Budapest, Hungary. The Danube (known from the famous The Blue Danube waltz by Johan Strauss) divides Budapest in two: the hilly Buda on the left and the flat Pest on the right. The sightseeing should be focused on the Castle Hill in Buda and the central part of Pest, where the greatest sights are found.

Must see sights are the Royal Palace and the National Gallery. The large parks on Margaret Island are a pleasant place to relax and wander in the afternoon. The best shops are found in Vci Street and in Westend City Center ” the largest shopping centre in Central Europe.

Prague, the Czech Republic. Even though prices have gone up since the end of the Cold War, Prague is still the place for a cheap vacation. Here you can find both very reasonably priced accommodation and restaurants.

In Prague there are also many great sights. You can start your visit by the amazing Astronomical Clock in the old part of the city (called Star Mesto). Then you can pass the Vltava River on the Charles Bridge (remember to look at the painters and souvenir sellers) to left side of Prague. On the hills you can visit the biggest ancient castle in the world, the Prague Castle. If you have more time, also visit the Kafka Museum, the Jewish Museum and the Josefov ” the historical Jewish ghetto.

Morten Elm is writing about storbyrejser (city breaks). Read more about miniferie i Budapest, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Prague there.