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VPG-DVD-148 - VILLE DE QUÉBEC On behalf of the French crown, in 1608 Samuel De Champlain established a fur trading post from which originated Québec, a city that today looms over the Saint Laurence River like a majestic fortress. It is the birthplace of French culture in North America. With its small towers and green glimmering roofs the Chateau Frontenac majestically watches over the city. The castle like hotel was built and lavishly furnished in 1894 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and in 1943 was the rendezvous for the allies who met to prepare for the Normandy Landings. Québec's upper city is encircled by a four kilometre long fortified wall that was alternately built upon by the French and the English. In former times, various gates barred entry to the fortress but today they are wide open and welcome visitors into the well preserved old town. Designed by master builder Baillairgè in 1844, La Cathedrale Notre Dame De Québec was Canada's first Catholic cathedral. The Baroque dome of the basilica demonstrates the splendour of Catholic Church design while the altar captivates with its rich detail and paintings of the Holy Mother. The Funiculaire connects the upper city with the lower, the Quartier Petit Champlaine that was the country's first settlement. The train station looks like a mediaeval castle and its large hall seems to be the grand entrance chamber of a palace. The station's anterooms contain huge windows while its ceilings display colourful glass images. Canada's oldest city has successfully retained its deep and historic roots and has sensitively linked them to the needs of the modern world. Québec is truly a sparkling gem of French culture in North America.
Vista Point Town Of...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m22s
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VPG-DVD-212 - TAIPEI Taipei is a pulsating metropolis in the north of the South Asian island state of Taiwan, a land of gods, spirits and temples. With around three million inhabitants it is the largest city in Ilha Formosa, a beautiful island that is located a hundred and thirty kilometres from the Chinese mainland. The famous Grand Hotel is the most impressive building in Taipei and is in the typical Chinese palace design of the Ming Dynasty. The large interior hall of the fine building is supported by massive red pillars and it features a magnificent open staircase with marble banisters. The south western edge of the city was where wealthy trader, Lin An Tai, once had a huge residence. It is one of the most well preserved examples of a building in the style of a classical southern Chinese residence and designed according to the strict rules of Feng Shui and Chinese Geomancy. The Confucius Temple is a place of contemplation and a replica of the Temple Of Qu Fu, Qu Fu having been the home town of Confucius. A large wall surrounds both the temple and its inner courtyard. This silent place is one of five temples in Taiwan dedicated to the great Chinese philosopher who founded a religion that even today has many followers. Taipei is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, a modern Asian metropolis that is full of ancient traditions as well as futuristic flair.
Vista Point TAIPEI Taiwan
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m22s
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VPG-DVD-196 - SALZBURG The Austrian city of Salzburg is a city of bishops as well as being the birthplace of world famous classical composer, Amadeus Mozart. The cathedral is located in the heart of the city, a Baroque building situated on the same site as the city's first church and now surrounded by several squares. Even today the cultural picture of the city on the Salzach is dominated by more than a hundred churches, castles and palaces. Hohensalzburg is the largest fully-preserved medieval fortress in Middle Europe. It is located one hundred and nineteen metres above the city and covers over thirty thousand square metres. It is like a small medieval town within itself with several buildings, courtyards and squares. Bastions with mighty towers were built at strategic points and together with powerful gates they make the fortress near impregnable. It is believed that during a siege the famous Salzburg Bull tricked the city's attackers into believing that the population had a good stock of food! Medieval Salzburg became a 'German Rome', an Italian looking city of Early Baroque design. The Getreide-Gasse is the main street in the centre of the city and in former times was called, Trabe-Gasse, a name that demonstrates the fact that the people there were always in a hurry! The city is a work of art within itself, an historic treasure chest of timeless beauty, full of southern flair and joie de vivre. Salzburg is most definitely a Baroque gem located in the very heart of Europe.
Vista Point SALZBURG Austria
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m28s
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VPG-DVD-169 - PROVENCE Marseille is the most important city in Provence.and is situated on the south coast of France. From a distance, one of Marseille's main landmarks rises high above the harbour: the seafarers' church of Notre-Dame-De-La-Garde. With abundant internal furnishings, Byzantine arches, golden mosaics and numerous votives it is a splendid structure inspired by Byzantine Romanic design. The most impressive religious building in Marseille is a fortified monastery church that dates back to the 5th century, the mighty Abbaye Saint Victor. Deep down in the rock is an Early Christian crypt and a number of stone sarcophaguses that contain the remains of various holy martyrs that date back to the Roman persecution of the Christians. A boat trip from Cassis leads to one of the most beautiful coastal areas in Europe, Les Calanques, a unique nature reserve where shining white limestone cliffs plunge more than four hundred metres into the deep blue sea and extend for twenty kilometres. Sur Le Pont D'Avignon is a world famous French song that is familiar to both young and old alike. It is a song of dance on the bridge of the Pont Saint Bénézet but it is more likely that the people here once danced under the bridge, as that is the location of its bars! A place of radiant light and sweet aromas with villages that nestle in the rocks like eagles'nests and with cities that have an historic past. Provence is indeed a captivating land full of fascinating contrasts.
Vista Point PROVENCE France
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m27s
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VPG-DVD-194 - PALERMO Once known as the stronghold of the Mafia, Palermo, the capital of Sicily, has gradually improved its image and the joie de vivre of its inhabitants has turned it into one of the most lively cities in Italy. The monumental Palermo Cathedral is located on the edge of the Piazza Cathedrale, throughout the centuries a place for rendezvous, celebrations and justice. Following the city's conquest by the Saracens an ancient cathedral on this site was transformed into a Friday mosque and was later used for Christian ceremonies. When in 1072 the Normans conquered the island they were so captivated by this 'paradise on earth' that they were careful to preserve it. They admired its oriental splendour and Arabian-Norman architecture but when the kings of Aragon attained power the golden age of Palermo came to an end. The Castello Della Zisa is the largest building of Arabian design in Palermo and in former times it was a residence situated within a regal park that was used for the royal sport of hawking. In a mountain area close to Palermo is the picturesque town of Monreale, a townscape that for more than eight hundred years has been dominated by a single building: Monreale Cathedral was built due to a struggle for power between the Bishop Of Palermo and the Norman King, William The Second. The Sicilian metropolis of Palermo has been both feared and loved but it most assuredly remains 'a flower within a golden shell'.
Vista Point PALERMO Italy
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m28s
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VPG-DVD-163 - MARSEILLE Marseille is the oldest city in France and its largest commercial harbour in the Mediterranean. It is believed that in 600 B.C. travellers from the Greek town of Phokis founded the autonomous town of 'Massalia'. In the Middle Ages the city's main harbour was used by the crusaders to embark on their journey to Jerusalem and it rivalled those of the maritime republics of Genoa, Pisa and Venice. One of Marseille's main landmarks rises high above the harbour, the seafarers' church of Notre-Dame-De-La-Garde. It towers above the city like a fortress and on its bell tower is a gilded ten metre high figure of the Virgin Mary. Several hundred yachts of all sizes crowd into the old harbour where there is often little room for the comings and goings of modern day sailors. It is difficult to imagine that once near-starving slaves were forced to use their last ounce of strength to row their master's galleys into the harbour. Modern harbour complexes require a great deal of space as is well demonstrated by Marseille's new harbour and after Rotterdam it is the second largest in Europe. Two mighty fortresses overlook the harbour: the northern Fort Saint-Jean is the oldest and was used by the Order Of The Knights Of Malta; the Fort Saint Nicolas stands guard over the southern side of the narrow harbour entrance and was built in the 17th century. The tiny island of Chateau D`If was made famous due to a novel by Alexander Dumas, The Count Of Monte Christo. A small museum features many items related to this classic novel and visitors can search for the hole in the wall through which Edmond Dantès is said to have entered the Abbé Faria. A boat trip from Cassis leads to one of the most beautiful coastal areas in Europe: Les Calanques a unique nature reserve. Shining white limestone cliffs plunge more than four hundred metres into the deep blue sea and extend for twenty kilometres. Marseille - France's wonderful gateway to Africa!
Vista Point MARSEILLE France
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m32s
Views: 27  | Comments: 0
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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: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
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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: 209 days ago
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Runtime: 1m27s
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VPG-DVD-186 - GOLFE DU MORBIHAN The Golfe Du Morbihan is situated on the south coast of Brittany and protects the region from the strong currents of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a fascinating coastal landscape with huge castles and extensive sand dunes. Influential and wealthy ship owners once settled here: they ran the East India Trading Company that earned high taxes for the French monarchy. The present day harbour makes it difficult to believe that it was once a busy centre of trade with the distant Orient but the town's well preserved buildings indicate its former wealth and ferryboats travel to the village on the opposite side of the Lorient that still boasts a splendid array of huge warehouses. The Megaliths Of Carnac are stone relics that are thousands of years old and date back to the middle of the Neolithic Period and although they have been analysed by scientists they are nonetheless full of mystique as four long avenues of mighty stone known as 'Alignments'extend across eight kilometres of scenic terrain. The enchanting medieval city of Auray is situated on a bend of the Rivière D`Auray that flows into the Golfe Du Morbihan. The city has earned its place in the history books of Brittany. Here, two families once fought to rule this land and a battle decided which one! The attractive charm of the Brittany landscape owes much of its allure to its picturesque old stone houses and idyllic bays. The Golfe Du Morbihan with its numerous islands both large and small is a French paradise set along the rugged Atlantic coast.
Vista Point GOLFE DU...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m28s
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VPG-DVD-136 - CUBA Basking in the Caribbean sun, the island of Cuba lies between sun and socialism, rumba and revolution. Havana is the capital. In 1553, the Spanish conquerors designated Havana's harbour as a collection point for ships loaded with gold and silver from the new Spanish colonies and named the settlement, San Cristobal De La Habana. La Bodeguita Del Medio was once Hemmingway`s local and nowhere else is the 'Mojito' mixed better. Whether it be the Teatro Marti, the Old Tobacco Factory, the famous Bacardi House, or the Floridita Bar, everywhere there is a feeling of nostalgia. When the Daiquiri is served, one almost expects Fidel Castro to be sitting at the next table. Pinar Del Rio is a small but busy town in which the Red Star and portraits of Che Guevara are on display for all to see. In the old town, colourful houses with beautiful pillared corridors demonstrate the former wealth of the country's independent tobacco growers. A visit to a tobacco factory is a must. Cuba's cigars are world famous. Together with sugar, tobacco is the country's most important export. The oldest geological formation in Cuba are the Mogotes, well-weathered limestone peaks that, supported by pillars, once covered a large complex of caves. On seven manmade islands in the centre of the Cienaga De Zapata National Park, is the Indian village of Guama. This swampy nature reserve with its dense mangrove forest vegetation is an ideal sanctuary for many rare water birds. Legend has it that the Siboney Indians sunk all their possessions in the Laguna Del Tesoro to protect their gold from the Spaniards. No Cuban town has changed as little in two hundred years than that of Trinidad. In the 18th century, the city experienced great wealth and recognition due to the cultivation of sugar cane and the luxurious palaces and villas of the sugar barons still leave their mark on the city. Rich green tropical forests, tobacco country at the foot of mysterious mountain caves, humid tropical swamps, history, cigars and rum. Cuba is a colourful cocktail.
Vista Point CUBA
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m29s
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VPG-DVD-155 - CAPE TOWN Located on the southern edge of Africa and lying at the foot of Table Mountain, the metropolis of Cape Town is certainly one of the world's most beautiful cities, an exciting combination of Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. In the park-lined Government Avenue and Queen Victoria Street there's a wonderful collection of well-restored Victorian houses and the Anglican St.Georges Cathedral is where Archbishop Desmond Tutu protested against Apartheid. Part of the historic harbour is the Victoria And Alfred Waterfront. In 1860, Prince Alfred ordered construction of a new harbour basin, followed by the Victoria Basin that contained two watchtowers. Today, the whole of the old port is an internationally-styled entertainment and shopping complex. The two large water tanks in the harbour's Two Ocean Aquarium contain around 3,000 examples of sea life from the Indian and Atlantic oceans. In the adjoining South African Maritime Museum there are examples of the city's historic ships, its fishing industry and details on the construction of its outstanding harbour. Robben Island is situated 11 km. off the coast and in the 16th century the Dutch used it as a prison. During apartheid, political prisoners were incarcerated there, the prison's most famous inmate having been Nelson Mandela who spent 18 years of his 28 year sentence on the island. After the closure of the prison, in 1997 the South African government opened both the island and its former prison to the public. Thus the face of Robben Island changed from being a place of terror and suppression to one of pilgrimage, a symbol of resistance and also a major tourist attraction! The Cape Of Good Hope is the southernmost tip of Africa and since1936 this section of the Cape Peninsula has been a nature reserve. Cape Town and its environs are completely different to the normal expectations of Africa. No desolate bush land reaching to the horizon and no life-threatening wild animals. But it's certainly another remarkable and beautiful dimension to South Africa's magnificent Garden Of Eden!
Vista Point CAPE TOWN...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
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Runtime: 1m34s
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VPG-DVD-193 - BRETAGNE Brittany in the rugged west of France features picturesque old towns, castles and fortresses plus austere medieval cathedrals. Nostalgia and romantic harbour villages still exist here and it is also a land of menhirs and fishermen. Rennes is the capital of the region and it is here that our journey through Brittany begins. It is a small town in which both medieval and classical buildings stand side by side. In 1720 a disastrous fire that raged for seven days destroyed a number of historic houses. Several crooked, partly renovated frame-work houses are situated in the alleys of the old town, their carved windows and oriels create a medieval atmosphere. Thirty two kilometres south is Vitré, a picture postcard town with a city wall, narrow lanes and a castle. English troops besieged the town for many years until the lords of the castle finally paid a large ransom for their freedom. Le Mont Saint Michel with its historic buildings is located on an eighty metre high granite mound and is like something from a fairytale. Powerful fortifications surround the small town and the abbey at the top of the rock. Due to its unique location and architectural splendour this picturesque village is often referred to as the Wonder Of The Occident. Dinan is a small enchanting French town on the banks of the Rance is one of the most beautiful and well preserved mediaeval towns in Brittany. The western part of France has many faces and Brittany truly is a land of myths, castles, fishing villages and historic old towns.
Vista Point BRETAGNE France
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 209 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m19s
Views: 14  | Comments: 0
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