Interesting Cities of the World to Visit - Part 1

If you are going to travel overseas on your vacation this year, here are some of the most enchanting and intriguing cities of the world to visit. By traveling to other countries we get to experience different cultures, lifestyles and cuisine. Take time to check out some of these wonderful places and go have a vacation of a life time.

Helsinki, Finland offers the visitor many options; most of the interesting places are located on the South Harbor. The city's symbol, sculptor Ville Vallgren's Havis Amanda Fountain has a mermaid which is very beautiful. There is the Presidential Palace with a guard stationed in front of it. Kaupungintalo, the city hall built in 1833provides a good opportunity for photographs. On the bank of the South Harbor is the Russian Orthodox Uspenskij Cathedral that has onion domes. One of the most magnificent squares in all of Northern Europe is the Senate Square. The statue of Czar Alexander I is the masterpiece of J.A. Ehrenstrom. On the east side of the square is the old senate building housing the seat of the Finish government. On the western side is the Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral. Don't leave without visiting the Suomenlinna Fortress which is build on six islands at the entrance to the harbor. The Swedes build the fortress in 1748 for protection against Peter the Great's invasion. In 1991 it became a World Heritage Site.

Zurich Switzerland is one of Europe's most picturesque cities and is located in the Swiss Alps on the shores of Lake Zurich. Zurich is considered a city of bankers and financiers with billions of dollars being transferred daily. A visit to the Old City on the Limmat River with it thoroughfare of stylish banking and shopping district is a must. Visit a Roman tombstone which is the earliest physical evidence of settlement of the city area. For a wonderful view, visit the Lindenhof, which is an ancient mound that contains the remains of a Roman trading post and other fortifications. A visit to the parade ground is to visit the most expensive property in Zurich. It once was a seventeenth century pig market, but now it lies in the center of Zurich's shopping district along the famous Bahnhofstrasse. The Bahnhofstrasse is about a mile long thoroughfare from the train station to Lake Zurich. Bring lots of money for everything is very expensive there.

Lima Peru was founded on Jan 18, 1535 by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Lima is a city of contrasts, the old and the new, poor areas right next to upper class residential areas. The thoroughly attractive downtown and fashionable suburbs includes San Isidro and Miraflores. The best hotels and the rich are found there. In 1991 it was named on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. The main square contains the city hall, the Peruvian Presidential Palace, Archbishops Palace and Cathedral is around the square.

Kolkata India formerly call Calcutta is the center of the high Indian arts and home to many of the nation's intellectuals. For a century Kolkata was the seat of British colonial rule in India but after 1911 when the capital was moved to New Delhi, it began to lose its importance. The people of Kolkata are proud that their city is the home to artists and saints. Poet Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 and Agnes Goxhe Bojaxhiu known as Mother Theresa was also a Nobel Peace Prize winner. If you like architectural marvels there are plenty for you to see. The Haora Bridge over the Hooghly River, is used by millions of people daily. There Hindu Temples are very interesting to visit. Time spend in the Maidan Park will be unforgettable. There you will meet many different people, in all walks of life. The architectural wonder Victoria Memorial, constructed of the best white marble is located on the park's south end. The largest Christian church, St Paul's Cathedral build in 1847 has a neo-Gothic design is located close to the Victoria Memorial. A visit to Kolkata you will see both the poor, dirty side of the city and the cultural and artistic side.

To see and know what life is like in other countries, one must travel and experience what each unique city has to offer its visitors. This is part one in a series of articles that will introduce you interesting places and cities that you will want to visit.