Showing Results 1-12 of 113 |  Sort by:     
Page 1 of 10  |  Go to page    Next» LAST»»
VPG-DVD-103 - TUSCANY Tuscany was named after the Etruskans, who were called 'Tusci' by the Romans. The kingdom was eventually divided into independent dukedoms and, from 1531, the Medici ruled, a family of businessmen and bankers. Capital of Tuscany is Florence, a city of art and joie de vivre and past home of important artists and sculptors such as Donatello, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, plus the writers Dante and Boccaccio, not to mention the scientist, Galileo Galilei. Lucca, one of Tuscany's most important historical towns, rises from the lower reaches of the Serchio river, on a former swamp. Dating from the Middle Ages, it is surrounded by a massive 4.2 kilometre long brick wall which helped the town retain its independence, and also protected it from the floodwaters of the Serchio. The precarious imperfection of The Leaning Tower Of Pisa is in stark contrast to the grandiose palaces and religious buildings of the Medici family and the natural contours of the hills and mountains of this European nirvana complete the connection between art and nature. Tuscany satisfies all the senses!
Vista Point Tuscany Italy
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m34s
Views: 29  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-181 - RODOS Rhodes is the largest island of the Dodekanissa, a group of Greek islands located in the south east of the Aegean just off the west coast of Turkey. Since antiquity its unique location has brought it both power and wealth. On the northernmost tip of the island is the fascinating metropolis of Chora Ródos whose harbour entrance was once adorned by the Seventh Wonder Of The World, the Colossus Of Rhodes. But the legendary lighthouse has long since gone and today excursion boats and yachts crowd the island's former trading harbour that has a rich and dramatic past. Byzantines, Arabs, The Knights Of The Order Of St. John, Ottomans and Italians, each one influenced the ever-changing history of the island that was first settled in 400 B.C. At the city's highest point is the huge palace of the Grand Master, the monumental junction of the Street Of The Knights and the command post of the Christian order. The Grand Master was the highest dignitary of the Order Of The Knights Of Malta, a lifetime office. The Street Of The Knights leads from the Grand Master Palace down the hill to the Hospital, a unique ensemble of Gothic medieval architecture set amid the Mediterranean. The main buildings of the various groups of knights were erected along the main street and it was here that the knights met and conferred according to their membership of various European regions. Rhodes is an island steeped in history as well as the calm lifestyle of the Mediterranean.
Vista Point RODOS Greece...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m23s
Views: 22  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-128 - PORTO Situated in the north of Portugal, Porto is a cultural capital of Europe and birthplace of the nation. The Torre Dos Clerigos is the symbol of the city and was built in the middle of the 18th century on a rock at the city's most elevated point. Two hundred and twenty five steps lead to a stunning view across the picturesque old harbour town and its carpet of red rooftops that nestle against the city's hills. Porto has one of the most beautiful markets in Europe that contains a large inner courtyard completely encircled by arcades. The narrow, deep river valley of the Douro is spanned by five bridges of which the most impressive is the Ponte Dom Louis. The Frenchman, Gustave Eiffel, constructed the gigantic two level bridge that connects Porto with its sister town, Vila Nova De Gaia. Five bridges connect the banks of the River Douro and two of them are monuments that date back to the Industrial Revolution. The river has always been the city's lifeline and a trading route to the whole world. The entire river valley was designated as a vine growing area because it is where the world famous port wine is grown. With all of its picturesque districts including its Baroque splendour and the palatial houses of its elite, Porto has well and truly survived the march of time.
Vista Point PORTO Portugal
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m19s
Views: 27  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-174 - NAIROBI Nairobi is Kenya's busy, expensive yet dangerous capital city, but it is also both fascinating and modern. Nairobi is the country's most important and beautiful city and, with the finest temperate climate between Johannesburg and Cairo, is located at an altitude of almost seventeen hundred metres above sea level. The government district of City Square contains the Conference Centre and the Kanu Tower, the headquarters of government and the city's tallest building. Canon guard the main entrance to the National Museum that is situated on Museum Hill. A fascinating building that covers much of Kenya's culture and history. The museum provides an interesting insight into Pre-history as well as to various cultures and the country's flora and fauna. Directly in front of the city gates is the Nairobi National Park, the oldest of all Kenya's nature parks. Groups of ostriches can be seen bathing in the hot sand and a number of springboks stroll around elegantly between scattered rocks and trees that have been uprooted by elephants as zebra pasture close to the city's skyline. Nairobi is a metropolis in the 'Realm Of The Golden Sun' and is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
Vista Point NAIROBI Kenya
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m26s
Views: 21  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-189 - MANDALAY Mandalay, 'The City Of Art', is located within the centre of Myanmar, that was formerly known as Burma. It was founded in 1857 and up until the British conquered it in 1885 it was the capital of the kingdom of Burma. Two thousand four hundred years after the death of Buddha , King Mindon ordered the one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants of Amarapura to relocate here. The well preserved Shwe Inbin Monastery is one of the last examples of the traditional monasteries whose splendour once made Mandalay famous. The complex has all the architectural elements of a typical Burmese monastery but it is its beautiful wood carvings that are the most striking. To the north of the city is the two hundred and thirty six metre high Mandalay Mountain that dominates the plains below. The tree covered mountain is dominated by the towers of many temples and as Buddha once lived on this mountain it is considered to be extremely sacred and thus contains several pagodas and shrines. Amarapura, the 'Immortal City', is situated in the south. It was the first of the country's royal cities and today it is a small town in which its inhabitants earn their living from weaving. On the western hills are some of the most elegant and splendid monastery complexes such as the Umin Thonzeh Pagoda where forty five Buddha figures stand in a semi-circle, dignified and benign. Once known as the Centre Of The World and today the religious and financial centre of the region, Mandalay lies at the heart of Burmese culture.
Vista Point MANDALAY Myanmar
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 17  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-133 - MACAU After four hundred and sixty-six years, Portugal handed back the city of Macau to China. It is small and museum-like, a fine example of colonial Portugal on the South China Sea. The Fortaleza Do Monte is a typical Portuguese fortified complex strategically located on a hill above the old cathedral in the heart of the city. Its many old canon and mighty fortress walls are reminders of those times when invasion was a constant threat. The old centre of the city is the triangular Largo Do Senado, Senate Square. Its wonderful colonial buildings with their light-coloured facades were built at the end of the 19th century and completely renovated in the final decade of the 20th. Macau's largest Buddhist temple, Kun Iam Tong, dates back four hundred years to the Ming Dynasty when its original foundations were built. Beyond its main gate just off a busy street in the north of the city, is a peaceful oasis of silence and contemplation, a mystic place in which stone lions, golden Buddhas and all who visit are surrounded by serene, aromatic wisps of smoke. The beautiful Jardim Lou Lim Ioc Park is situated in the northern, less touristy business district of the city. It was designed in the 19th century by a wealthy Chinese trader, Lou Kau. This marvellous oasis is an idyllic setting with a lotus pond, rocks, grottos and waterfalls. Excursions are available on restored motorised junks that leave from the City's harbour several times a day. Taipa is the largest of the two islands that belong to Macau. The tangled and narrow alleys in the centre of Vila Taipa abound with rural character and Portuguese street signs are painted on azulejus. The island's shops and light-coloured houses would be equally at home in Portugal. Although the Macau of today has much contemporary flair it continues to enjoy a rich colonial inheritance that is well worth seeing.
Vista Point MACAU China
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m44s
Views: 26  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-134 - LOS ANGELES Los Angeles is synonymous with Hollywood, and Beverly Hills is its famous suburb with neat parks and blossoming flower beds. There's also the Sidewalk of Fame, Mann's Chinese Theatre and Rodeo Drive, the most exclusive shopping mile in the world. Everything in Hollywood is different, including a cemetery of the famous. Even in the funeral hall with its larger-than-life religious figures it is as though it is all part of a fantastic film set. Universal Studios is the largest and most active film and television studio in the world as well as a popular family day out being one of the most successful amusement parks in the USA and its many famous film sets are instantly recognisable. Since its opening in1955, Disneyland has become a worldwide phenomenon. The world's original and longest surviving theme park provides an enchanting mix of shows, attractions and well known cartoon characters and the journey through Toontown on its bumpy tramway is a stimulating experience for both young and old. At weekends, those who want to see but, above all, be seen, make for Venice Beach. The sandy beach is relaxing and its many pavements are popular with joggers and roller skaters alike. Even by Los Angeles standards, the performers on Muscle Beach are quite outrageous and while some body-builders lift thousands of kilos, others shamelessly display their supreme egos by strutting like conceited peacocks! Built in 1908, Santa Monica Pier is reminiscent of the hazy lazy seaside resorts of the 1920's. Extending into the water some 300 metres, the pier's amusement park is constantly bursting with life, with its big wheel, swings and richly- decorated carousel. Once the most celebrated residential area of the rich and famous, today Sunset Boulevard is a busy main traffic artery. At night, when brash neon signs shine out their colourful animated messages, this famous boulevard still possesses a unique atmosphere. Los Angeles is the enormous multicultural city on America's West Coast in which film stars, earthquakes and joie de vivre are essential to life itself!
Vista Point LOS ANGELES...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m26s
Views: 19  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-139 - LISBOA Lisbon is a white city located on Portugal's River Tejo and is flamboyantly beautiful and full of melancholy, and also lively and bursting with colourful joie de vivre. The Praca Dom Pedro is more commonly known as the Rossio. At the northern end of the square is a former palace that has been transformed into a national theatre. The main square was once the setting of bull fights and up until 1820 and the Spanish Inquisition so called heretics were burned at the stake. The medieval Sé Patriacal Cathedral stands defiantly on a hillside. Following the Christian conquest the city's bishops' church was built on the foundations of a former mosque to commemorate victory over the Moors. On the city's highest hill is the marvellous Castelo De Sao Jorge. Since times immemorial this fortified complex has stood guard above the mouth of the Tejo. Little remains of the former Moorish royal residence in which Vasco Da Gama´s journey to India was once celebrated. Electricos is the name of Lisbon's unique trams that travel noisily through the old town They are an indelible feature of the city and negotiate the city's twisting alleys like an ancient roller-coaster within streets so narrow that pedestrians are forced to seek refuge in the nearest doorway. On the banks of the Tejo on the outskirts of the Belem district is the Mosteiro Dos Jeronimos. This superb historical building with its snow-white façade and adornments and figures in playful Manuelistic style dominates the entire city. Lisbon continues to be Portugal's unchanged treasure right up to the present day.
Vista Point LISBON Portugal
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m18s
Views: 17  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-229 - LAPLAND Finnish Lapland is a region of around ninety four thousand square kilometres covered by forests and marshland, similar to Swedish Lapland. The local inhabitants live in harmony with nature and the six thousand five hundred Sami people have managed to preserve their unique landscape right up until the present day. Rovaniemi is a modern and lively main town in northern Finland and the gateway to Lapland. The famous Arktikum Museum provides a comprehensive insight into life in the Artic Circle. Two large rivers, the Ounasjoki and the Kemijoki, meet in Rovaniemi from were lumberjacks and gold prospectors once embarked upon their pioneering adventures. Today the city is a centre of tourism. Pajakyla is the home of Santa Claus and is open throughout the year. In the Arctic Circle eight kilometres north of the city is a special attraction that attracts six hundred thousand visitors each year: several tiny log cabins contain Santa's work rooms and a number of his helpers in traditional Lap costume offer a variety of colourful arts and crafts. In Lapland each season of the year has a special charm. The summer months are warm, in autumn the leaves shine out in golden yellow and in winter the landscape is covered with snow and ice. The hilly landscape of the large Pallas Ounastunturi National Park is located in the north west, close to the Swedish border and its treeless slopes make it one of the most popular winter ski resorts in Finland. Lapland is a land of countless myths and legends where remoteness, adventure and romance have managed to survive and where the power of nature is still very much alive.
Vista Point LAPLAND Finland
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m27s
Views: 25  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-115 - KRETA Crete is an island of light, the 'cradle of Zeus', with sun-drenched coastlines, picturesque villages and majestic mountains. No wonder that even the gods felt comfortable in this wonderful region of Greece. Heraklion is the capital of the largest and most southerly Greek islands, on which a highly developed culture has existed for 4000 years. The Venetians built massive fortresses to defend the island against the Turks The Gortys Ruins are reminders of the moving history of an old town that was prosperous in the 5th century B.C. when Gortys became the most powerful town of the Messara Plain and throughout the olive groves between the hills can be found the scattered remnants of its past cultural riches. With its beautiful sandy beaches, Matala is a popular coastal resort to which many come simply to experience the glorious sunsets in addition to the rich archaeological discoveries of the Phaistos Palace. Agia Galini is a quiet fishing village that, during the summer months, is a lively bathing resort on Crete's south coast. However, it has managed to maintain its original atmosphere with fishing boats in the harbour and crystal clear water lapping the shoreline, plus the allure of its tavernas and restaurants. The precipitous rocky coastline of Agia Roumeli is also the starting point of the Samaria Gorge that is regarded as the largest in Europe. Eighteen kilometres long and in places up to a hundred and fifty kilometres wide, the gorge stretches from the Libyan Sea right up to the heights of Lefka Ori. Picturesque harbours, ancient treasures, lost legends and Greek hospitality: who could possibly ask for more?
Vista Point KRETA Greece...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 30  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-125 - JOHANNESBURG Johannesburg is the commercial centre of South Africa. Since gold was first discovered, everything has revolved around money and from the 50th floor of Africa's tallest building, The Carlton Towers, there is an all-engulfing view of the city's narrow streets and jungle of concrete and glass. The African Museum is a contemporary building and one of South Africa's most exquisite landmarks, it contains a large variety of geological exhibits and detailed accounts of the city's past surface mining that gave rise to the country's massive gold rush. The resistance to apartheid is also illustrated, as well as that of the history of Africa's native inhabitants who journeyed from present day Botswana to the south of the country. Gold Reef City is a large historical theme park that features the Johannesburg of pioneering times and focuses on the clothing, houses and entertainments of the country's golden years. On display are some of the old mining wagons that the workers used to transport the precious rock from the unforgiving mines and there's also a chance to see the liquid gold as it is turned into bullion and processed as gold coins. In contrast to Johannesburg, Pretoria grew at a calmer pace and has developed from a Boer farming municipality into South Africa's administrative capital. Located on a hill is the Vortrekker Monument that is a reminder of the Boers' Great Trek and, in 1830, the crucial battle in which they defeated the Zulus. Sun City is a magnificent fantasy world full of African ambience and the Sun City Hotel is the casino that made Sol Kerzner the richest man in South Africa, whereas the futuristic Cascades Hotel derived its name from its wonderful setting of waterfalls, pools and lush plant life. Johannesburg and this whole region of South Africa is THE sunshiny place to be!
Vista Point JOHANNESBURG...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m34s
Views: 21  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
VPG-DVD-211 - GRAZ Graz is the capital of Austria's federal state of Styria and in 2003 was designated as Europe's Capital City Of Culture. Indeed, due to its geographical location, for many centuries Graz has been a melting pot of culture. The Schlossberg Mountain towers above the city and in 1894 a rack railway was introduced in order to overcome the severity of its 60 per cent gradient. The Romans and Celts once used the mountain as a place of ritual ceremony and today small pathways and pavilions make the mountain more accessible. In the 12th century a medieval castle was built on the plateau and in 1531 it was transformed into a mighty fortress that served as a defense against the Turks. With nearly 32,000 exhibits that date from the 15th to the 19th centuries the Zeughaus contains the largest collection of historic weaponry in the world. The often-extended Grazer Burg was once the residence of the Hapsburgs. One of its towers contains a unique double spiral Gothic staircase constructed of sandstone that shines out magnificently in a wonderful array of colour. The entire complex, along with each of its numerous building styles and adjoining park, is now the seat of Styria's provincial government. Located on a hill to the north east there is another fine example of Baroque architecture, the Maria Trost Basilica. In the 17th century those who sought help and consolation climbed two hundred and fifteen steps to a Gothic Madonna who was thought to possess miraculous powers. Within the interior of the church and its colourful wall and ceiling mounted frescos, there are also various scenes of battle. Graz is a city in which the artistic and architectural styles of the German-speaking nations, the Balkans and the Mediterranean are united. It is a remarkable city of age old traditions, mediaeval flair and contemporary life.
Vista Point GRAZ Austria
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 16  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
Page 1 of 10  |  Go to page    Next» LAST»»