There are two characteristic hills in the Attica Basin: Lycabettus, the higher and steeper of the two, and the Acropolis, at an altitude of about 150 m. above sea level, on the slopes of which spring waters still flow. It is on account of these springs that the rock has been inhabited from the neolithic age on.

The first walls were built in about the 13th century BC, when the townships of Attica federated into a city-state under Theseus. Then the inhabitants, having already acquired some power and wealth, needed to have safe havens to which they could withdraw in the event of danger. Later generations called this wall "Cyclopean" because only the giant Cyclops, they believed, could have moved the huge boulders which can still be seen in trenches in front of the Propylaea and the temple of Athena Nike. The distinguished archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos used to say that this myth of the Cyclops may possibly have originated from the foreign masons brought in to build the wall, who may have had large round eyes.

When the Pelasgians arrived in Attica from Thessaly, they built a second, curved wall, outside the first, on the entrance side, indicating how turbulent those years were. In this way the entrance, always on the western side of the Rock, led through a narrow passageway between successive walls, under the massive bastion where the temple of Athena Nike now stands. The military architecture of the period created an impregnable citadel on the highest edge (akro) of the city (polis), which became known as an acropolis. On it, and close to the present site of the Erechtheion, the first kings chose to reside, having first arranged for a a secret passage to be hewn into the rock for emergencies.

After the kingdom was abolished in 682 BC, only shrines and altars remained on the rock, with one small exception: in the 6th century, Peisistratus, with the arrogance of a genuine dictator, lived high up on the acropolis with his sons, probably for security reasons. This was regarded by the public as a kind of sacrilege, and did not happen again. Besides, all the buildings were destroyed when the Persians conquered Attica, leaving only ashes behind them, just before the naval battle of Salamis in 480 BC and their final defeat at Plataia a year later.

The rebuilding of Athens began, the age of its greatest glory, as its leaders vied for the distinction of who would construct the most public buildings for posterity. It was Kimon who levelled the devastated temples and used the rubble to build ramparts on the rock, in which we can still see the enormous drums of earlier columns incorporated. At about the same point, parts of statues and votive sculptures were found, some of which are exhibited in the Acropolis Museum. All these were damaged during the Persian attack and buried in order to enlarge the plateau; this was necessary for the brilliant new temples which were to be built. From then on, the Acropolis was exclusively a place of worship, dedicated always to a female deity whom the Greeks called Athena, the Romans Minerva, the Byzantines Panaghia (all Holy Virgin) and the Franks Saint Mary of the Citadel. This expresses the same human emotions and hopes for the future; only the names changed as circumstances evolved.

The traveller Pausanias gave us a detailed description of the Acropolis as he saw it in the 2nd Century AD. Like any good tourist, he travelled throughout Greece, writing about whatever he saw and heard, leaving behind valuable texts for archaeological research. He made observant notes on buildings, building materials, votive offerings, altars and cult statues, adding myths and tales told by the various "interpreters" on the sacred sites, i.e. the guides of his period.

During the Middle Ages, many people visited the Parthenon, which by then had become a Christian church. But in the general indifference, nobody mentioned the buildings lying in ruins around it. Only Kyriakos from Ancona - a fanatic traveller, possibly a spy, but certainly a lover of antiquity-arriving in Athens in 1436, was dazzled by the beauty of the temple with its wonderful columns and unique carved marble. These were natural feelings, for he was an educated man who studied the ancient authors and bought codices wherever he found them: a forerunner of future dealers in smuggled antiquities. He, too, failed to mention any Frankish alterations to the Propylaea.

Kyriakos was the last Christian visitor to the Acropolis. Just a few years later, in 1456, Athens was conquered by the Ottoman Turks who did not permit any non- Muslim to climb up to the citadel, where the local aga and the Islamic notables lived. Houses were built of the ancient pieces of marble and the temple of Athena and the Panaghia became a mosque. There is just one description written in 1641 by the Turkish traveller Evliya Celebi, who journeyed throughout what was then the Ottoman Empire and with a journalist's observation mentioned anything that came into view, though often inaccurately.

A few years after Celebi's visit, the beautiful temple which was then being used as a powder magazine, exploded after being shelled by the Venetian Morosini, who intended to blow up the entire Acropolis, but stopped because of the expense and time which the operation would have entailed. Damaged, but at least saved, the Acropolis was once again inhabited by the Turks, who knocked down the Temple of Wingless Nike and incorporated the seats from the Roman Odeion into the ramparts. It survived the war of Independence, saw battles, changed hands at least twice more, and at long last was taken by the Greeks.

But then new dangers began to threaten the long- suffering rock and its vestiges of past glory. The rebuilding of the village of Athens, which became the capital of the newly constituted state solely because of its glorious past, was undertaken by various architects from Europe who came in the wake of the uninformed young King Otto, and cherished some strange ideas. One of their innovations was the blueprint for a grandiose palace on the Acropolis, in the style of the times; fortunately, it was never built. Equally fortunately, the proposal that the Kapnikarea Church be torn down, because it impeded the view of the sea from the newly built palace - the present day Parliament building- received no support.

But there were also many positive things happening on the Acropolis at that time: the excavation of the outer Propylaea (monumental entrance) with its ramp and steps, the recovery of the beautiful little temple of Athena Nike from the Turkish bastion, and the removal of the houses which the Ottomans had built on the Acropolis, some traces of which are still visible today. The Parthenon and the Erechtheion were restored using as many of their pieces as could be found. Many wonderful statues with elaborate coiffures and lively smiles, frozen in the passage of time, saw the light after being hidden for 23 centuries under the foundations of the temples. The sacred rock of Pallas Athena diffidently revealed its years, experiences and sufferings, like a magic, unbroken thread.

The City of San Francisco is the 14th most populous city in America founded in 1776 with population of 744,500 which is considered to on the densely populated cities in United States. The city's larger part of the San Francisco Bay Area has nearly 7.3 million people, with diverse and cosmopolitan population. San Francisco is located at the tip of the Peninsula, with Pacific Ocean on the west, San Francisco Bay on the east and The Golden Gate on the north. Today the city is considered to be one the most popular international destination for tourists, and there are many well-known landmarks to visit, like the Golden Gate Bridge, Cable Cars, Alcatraz Island, China Town and Coit Tower.

Based on archaeological evidences, the territory of San Francisco was inhabited around 3000BC. The Yelamu group of the Ohlone people lived in many small villages, when the Spanish exploration party arrived on November 1769. A major history of the city is the San Francisco earth quake on April 18, 1906 at 5:11am. Buildings and houses all across the city rattled, causing fire accidents which burnt the city for several days. Nearly three quarters of the city perished, which left nearly 400,000 people homeless. Most of the refugees took temporary shelters in places like beaches and Golden Gate Park, but many fled to East Bay permanently.

When speaking about the city's climate, San Francisco's climate is a characteristic of California's Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers. Apart from being surrounded by water on three sides, the city's climate is strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean's cold currents which tend to moderate temperature swings and produce amazing mild climate with slight seasonal temperature variations. Snowfall in San Francisco is very rare, where only ten incidences were recorded. During the combination of the city's high heat and cold ocean water, the western half of the city is covered by fog during early summer and spring.

The city has beautiful Ocean Beach which runs along the Pacific Ocean shoreline, but is not suitable for swimming as the waters off the coast are cold and have deadly rip currents. The city has amazing entertaining and performing arts center and museums. There are good public transport systems like the San Francisco Municipal Railway, trolley buses and cable car system. Bicycling is considered to be a popular mode of transportation in San Francisco with 40,000 residents commuting to work regularly by bicycle. If you love traveling or love to spend a wonderful time with your family, then you should be hitting to San Francisco.

Although visitors to the island undoubtedly enjoyed them, New Year celebrations in Majorca were considered a 'load of rubbish' by many of its residents. Record numbers of revelers joined the festivities in capital Palma, resulting in the dumping of millions of kilograms of rubbish in the streets, which residents claim have been left to rot.

The majority of the party nights' detritus was strewn all along the Paseo Maritimo seafront. Normally, this beautiful stretch of Palma is kept very tidy, despite the plethora of trendy cafes, bars, night clubs and restaurants along its length. But, the residents of Palma are extremely upset at the devastation, and threatening to demonstrate at the apparent lack of concern shown by their town council.

The Emaya, who are the municipal waste collection board of Palma, insist that they actually increased the collections this year and say that it was the overwhelming increase in the amount of rubbish deposited that caused the problems. To back up their claims Emaya pointed out that they collected 558,000 kilos of rubbish over the entire festive period; a sizeable increase on previous years.

But, unfortunately rather than take the rubbish directly to a landfill or some other waste recycling destination they chose to temporarily deposit it in the Plaza Olivar. The square is where local food markets have been held for centuries and the dumping there naturally angered residents and market traders alike. Other areas in the city also saw a significant increase in rubbish dumped on the streets.

Although the Emaya had provided extra facilities by increasing the number of bins all over the city in anticipation of the increase in rubbish from the revelers, the amount had been woefully underestimated.

Of the rubbish collected almost 15,000 items consisted of glass objects. The remainder was made up of plastic, cups, tins, plastic bags, and cardboard boxes that were all discarded along the normally picturesque seafront.

The rubbish generated during the New Year Celebrations didn't impact on all those who were guests in the hotels in Majorca, but residents of the island were extremely disturbed at the mess. As a result they now want New Year drinking in their streets to be stopped as they fear that the rubbish could be even worse at this year's celebrations.

The issue is now in the hands of the Palma council who plan to have discussions with residents and marina users, in order to come to a decision of what to do to prevent this happening to their beautiful city during the next New Year celebrations.

Situated close to Fife on the East coast of Scotland, St Andrews is famous for being the "home of golf".

The Royal and Ancient Golf club was founded in the town in 1754 and controls the game of golf everywhere except in America and Mexico.

There's a good chance that your visit to St Andrews will be to do with the links course, which often holds the annual Golf Open Championship, the longest established of golf's four major men's championships. Outside the time of the championship, you should be able to book a tee time and play the course yourself.

If you can't afford the fees to play on the most popular courses, don't panic. There are a total of 7 links courses in the St Andrews area, so you're sure to be able to find one that has an open slot and an affordable price.

Or you can just practice your shots at the local St Andrews Links golf driving range.

If you prefer a sport other than golf, St Andrews has plenty to offer as well:

You can keep fit at the East Sands Leisure Centre or take a swim in the pool or if you prefer to stay on dry land, they also have a number of pool tables.

Surfers will want to check out the surf on the nearby East Sands beach - the best surf is to be had in the winter months when the waves are bigger.

Kite flying is also a popular sport here. Most flyers will head towards the West Sands beach to indulge their hobby.

History fans can browse around the ruins of St Andrews cathedral. The cathedral was originally built starting in 1158. They fell into disuse at the time of the Reformation, during the mid 1500s but you can still get an idea of the scale of the building from the remains that are still standing on the original cathedral site.

These remains include St Rule's tower which is even older than the cathedral. If you have the energy and the weather is in your favour, make sure that you climb up the 156 steps of the tower so that you can admire the views of the town of St Andrews as well as its harbour, the North Sea and the Scottish countryside.

The other ruins to visit are those of St Andrews castle, which has been on the same site since the 12th century. There is a visitor centre to give you a flavour of what the castle used to be like in its prime.

St Andrews is also the site of Scotland's oldest university. The student population in the area ensures that there is plenty of life in the town if you want to venture outside your hotel.

One thing you should remember when you are visiting St Andrews is that if your visit coincides with a popular golf event, you will need to book your hotel accommodation in plenty of time to make sure that there is room for you to stay.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, and the third largest in the United Kingdom with a population of about 580,000 in the city proper and over 1.8 million if taking into account the surrounding towns of the Clydeside conurbation. Located at the west end of Scotland's Central Belt, Glasgow's historical importance as Scotland's main industrial centre has been challenged in recent decades by decline and change.

The city centre, on the north bank of the River Clyde, is based on a grid system of streets, similar to that of American cities like New York. The heart of the city is George Square, site of the elaborate Victorian Glasgow City Chambers, headquarters of Glasgow City Council and many of Glasgow's public statues.

In order to deal with its decline as an industrial powerhouse, the city reinvented itself as a centre for commerce, tourism, and culture, subsequently being awarded the European titles of City of Culture in 1990, City of Architecture and Design in 1999 and, most recently, the Capital of Sport in 2003. Glasgow is also set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

One of the major draws for tourists to the city is the prospect of shopping. Widely considered to offer the best shopping experience in Scotland and second only to London, it makes for a great destination for a shopping break.

The epicentre of Glasgow shopping is the so-called "Golden Z", made up of the largely pedestrianised thoroughfares of Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street. Virtually all of the big name retailers are represented here, with some of the stores being second only to their London counterparts in terms of size and range. The main shopping centres are Buchanan Galleries and the St. Enoch Centre, claimed to be the largest glass-enclosed structure in Europe, along with the up-market Princes Square Mall and the Italian Centre specialising in designer clothing, jewellery and audio equipment.

It is a veritable shopping experience that has made retail giants Selfridges and Harvey Nichols sit up and take notice, with both planning to open up stores in the city in the near future. In addition, the Council is putting pressure on more traditional shopping centres like the Barras in the East End, where you can get similar-looking clothes for a more sensible price, meaning the city can offer an excellent shopping experience, regardless of your budget.

China is a big country with lots of places to see and lots of things to do that a mere week will never be enough, even a month will not suffice. But still, so many tourists visit this wonderful country yearly, and yearly, that number is increasing. So, why do they keep coming back to China? Here are some reasons why.

1. Great Wall of China

Whoever heard of anybody who visited China and never went to see the Great Wall of China? This is a very historical place and is visited by millions of tourists yearly. On your way up, you will also enjoy the wonderful scenery this place offers like the natural landscape of China.

2. Forbidden City

This is also called the Palace Museum. Although it was formerly closed to the public, now, the gates are open to anybody who wants to experience Chinese culture and history at its best. You can walk along its vast grounds and gardens and enjoy its many beautiful buildings as you marvel at the beauty and mystery that China has.

3.) Temple of Heaven

This is also a must-visit in China. Here, you will enjoy walking through its park and get to see locals doing tai chi or other forms of exercise like dancing. This is also a relaxing and peaceful place to visit.

4.) Summer Palace

No tour in China is the same if you did not visit the Summer Palace. This is a historical site, and you can see here so many ruins of palaces that were built during the Qing Dynasty. You can stroll along its gardens as well as explore the caves and other secret ruins.

5.) Beijing Zoo and Aquarium

The zoo is not that great, but what the zoo lacks, the aquarium more than makes up for it. The Beijing Aquarium is also recognized as one of the largest aquariums in the world with a myriad of marine animals. In the zoo, not only will you enjoy the animals kept there, but you can also walk through its gardens and admire its lakes and ponds.

6.) Beijing Botanical Gardens

For more of nature, visit the Botanical Gardens. Here, you will enjoy seeing the various plants and flowers of China as well as imported ones also. Enjoy its wide variety of flowers also like the tulips and the peonies.

7.) Hutongs

For more of China's culture and heritage, walk along Hutongs' old alleyways where you will get a firsthand experience of what old China was like. There are traditional siheyuan houses here as well as courtyard homes that used to belong by Chinese aristocrats. Visiting Hutongs will surely give anybody a culture high.

8.) Reed Flute Cave

Any nature lover will surely love visiting this majestic limestone cave. Here, be impressed with the stalagmite and stalactite formations. Enjoy the guided tour as the tour guide points out famous stalagmite and stalactite formations that represent animals and men.

9.) Ocean Aquarium

Ocean Aquarium is located in Guilin and is also a favorite tourist spot here in China. Like the Beijing Aquarium, it is also one of the biggest in the whole of Asia. This Aquarium is also home to many marine creatures.

10.) Kunming

In Kunming, you will get to see museums that house Chinese artifacts dating thousands of years ago. You can also visit Kunming's Botanical Gardens and enjoy the pleasant and relaxing scenery it gives to its visitors. If you want to visit more parks, then there is Cuihu Lake Park and Jindian Park for you to visit as well as the Western Mountain Forest Reserve and the Village of Ethnic Culure.

Peru host lively cultural traditions even before Claudio Pizarro learned to play soccer. Today, Peru echoes the historical traditions, the cultural heritage and the pristine environment that attracts people far and wide. Hop in into the Peruvian escape and see these things with your own eyes.

1.) Machu Picchu

Much have been said about this mystical place, but seeing it is a lot different from reading about it. Machu Picchu, along with its thousand and one mysteries, architectural wonder and structural distinctiveness makes the place worth the trip. Visit Machu Picchu and be enthralled by its enigmatic feel and be amazed by the ancient Incan architecture.

2.) Lake Titicaca

Located some 12580 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains and covering an area of 3305 m2, Lake Titicaca is the highest lake navigable to large vessels. Enjoy its bluish hue overshadowing the red-and-brown colors of the Peruvian plains. Find your way into Puno especially during festivals when visiting this site and admire the rich culture of its inhabitants.

3.) Inca Trail

Follow the trail of ancient Incan settlers and find yourself in a middle of lush forest, astounding mountain scenery and unknown Peruvian history. The four-day, 45-kilometer trek will lead you to the Sun Gate, the entrance to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Book early for the government only allows 500 people on the Incan trail everyday.

4.) Sacsayhuamán

While its purpose and the way it was constructed remains a puzzle to men of science, Sacsayhuamán never fails to command awe and respect from the people who visit the Incan ruins. Rocks gathered from places 35 kilometers away, some measuring 8.5m across, were hauled, chipped and fitted perfectly with each other to build this Incan fortress. Take a trip from Cusco and discover for yourself the mystery that revolves around this piece of Incan architecture.

5.) Trekking

Experience the thrill of nature, the warmth of Peruvian culture and the country's relaxing atmosphere by finding your way into several trekking sites in Peru. Climb the Andes Range, follow the Incan Trail and walk the path of pre-Columbian country Peru has to offer. The jaw-dropping sceneries compensates for the exhausting trek up.

6.) Manu National Park

A 25-minute plane from Cusco or one and a half day of bus and boat trip will take you to this pristine repository of Peruvian flora and fauna. Some 850 species of birds have been sighted apart from endangered species like the giant otter, jaguar, and giant armadillo that roams free within its border. Over 15000 species of plants and 250 species of trees has also been discovered in the park, making it the most diversified nature reserve in the world.

7.) Biking

Biking is a consistent part of the discovery of the Peruvian outdoor. A number of companies offer biking tours around the country, on all terrain and on all dates of the year. Be it the busy alleys, the driest desert or the most humid forest, cover Peruvian soil on this dependable gear.

8.) The Peruvian Sand

Cover the sand dunes of Peru in two ways. Rent and ride your board, find your way down the sand dunes and be the Lord of the Sand. Under the sand dunes, rent a ride to take you to your next sand dune.

9.) Cusco

Located some 3360 meters above see level, the Navel of the World, as it is fondly called, is the melting pot of indigenous Peru and the contemporary western world. Fall in love with Cusco's mountain air, its ancient architecture and its vibrant history. Explore Cusco's courtyards, museum, parks, alleys, and churches and find out why Machu Picchu trekkers find it difficult to leave this city.

10.) Piranha Fishing

Want some adrenalin rush while rowing your way in the Amazon minus the wet pants? Throw your conventional rod and reels and find the most comfortable stick you can find for this different kind of fishing trip. Fishing for piranhas is sure to get any adrenal gland pumping.

Austria is one of the countries in Europe having a rich and dramatic history, and its landscapes are dotted with historical landmarks such as medieval fortresses, castles, churches, etc. Moreover, Austria is also home to many great people from composers to military leaders, from poets to musicians. Because of this, you can indeed expect a fantastic vacation should you go and visit this place, so here are ten great places to go to in Austria:

1.) Hofburg Imperial Palace

The Hofburg Imperial Palace was built during the late 13th century and still stands today as a testament to the power and wealth of this mighty political family. In this palace, you will find the offices of the President of Austria, the countries international convention center, the famous Spanish Riding School and its Lipizzan stallions. There are also museums that are open to the public.

2.) Grossglockner Alpine Road

The Grossglockner alpine road is one of the most visited alpine roads in the continent. It ends in the highest mountain in Austria where its largest glacier is also located. In fact, since the mid 1930's, this famous road has been visited by over 50 million people eager to see its spectacular views.

3.) Carnutinum Archaeological Museum

Carnutinum was once the most important of Roman towns in the Alps. It was founded sometime during the 6th century AD and has seen about 5000 inhabitants under the Roman Empire. Today, this town houses the largest collection of Roman artifacts ranging from Roman jewelry, roman arms and coins, landmarks such as amphitheatres and baths as well as other religious objects from the Roman religion of Mithras worship.

4.) Eisriesenwelt Caves

The Eisriesenwelt caves showcase extraordinary rock and ice formations, majestic towers and columns and even an underground glacier and waterfall. It was discovered sometime during the late 1870's by Anton Posselt and since then has attracted thousands of tourists from all around the world. Today, it is considered as one of the largest ice cave in the world.

5.) Graz

The Graz is perhaps the most famous center for culture, architecture and art. In fact, it was been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the historical value of the place. Here, tourists will also get to experience the vibrant nightlife that Gratz is well known for.

6.) Salzburg

Salzburg is well known for its number of churches. In fact, it is also named as the Rome of the North because of this. Aside from this, Salzburg is also known for its old streets, festivals, the Mirabell Palace, the hohensalzburg Fortress and the Mozarteum.

7.) Innsbruck

Innsbruck is well known as a vacation destination in winter. This is because the place is situated between two imposing mountainsides ideal for winter sports such as snowboarding and skiing. Not only that, Innsbruck is also a popular tourist destination even in the summer months because it is ideal for mountaineering and ecotours.

8.) Vienna

Vienna is one of the greatest and most historic cities in Western Europe. It is birthplace of Austria's most famous rulers and some of the most famous composers of classical music. Vienna also boasts of such tourist destinations as St Stephen's Cathedral and Vienna Woods.

9.) The Museum of the Future

The Museum of the Future is called the Ars Electronica. This museum is also well known for its stunning collection of modern technology. As such, this has become a tourist spot.

10.) Hohe Tauern National Park

One of the last natural wilderness areas in Europe, this park is well known for its flora and fauna. Here you will see animals such as Mountain goats, ibex, chamois, a wide variety of birds, sheep, etc. You also get to enjoy nature at its finest with your loved ones.