Alba Iulia, Romania

Alba Iulia,  The Fortress of Transylvania

By Bogdan Alexandru Suciu 

             Alba Iulia is a city full of wonder , the heart of Romania, the fortress of Transylvania. This city , without doubts , had the biggest and the most important role in the history of  Romania . From Alba Iulia the nation began to flourish.
Alba Iulia is located in a tourist area and it is very attractive to travelers, who are  received and welcomed with great hospitality on this land. The tourist potential of the area finds its reflection in a broad constellation of evidence of  a past millennia, expressed in chain monuments of architecture and art, in a variety of natural beauties.
  Alba municipality was in ancient times a human civilization hearth where specific Romanian folk customs and traditions exert a special attraction for tourists from home and abroad.
If you are new on this land  , there are a variety of  possibilities to develop. So here are some great attractions for the passionate tourists. One of the most interesting things to see is the exchange of guard ceremony that takes place on Saturdays and on Sundays at the Third Gate. The entire ceremony takes place as it used to be in the medieval period, when Alba Iulia was probably the most impressive fortress from the Eastern part of Europe.

During this ceremony , the riders with their horses  and the soldiers use to march and surround  the fortress to the delight of the public that come in large numbers.

Alba Iulia is full of other attractions for example The Orthodox Cathedral, known as Coronation Cathedral, is the artistic expression of our national unity achieved by the Act of 1918. The building has a shape like a Greek cross. The entrance to the church is through an open porch with large arches, supported on four columns with capitals.
Another very important historical monument located near the Orthodox Cathedral is The Roman Catholic Cathedral built in the thirteenth century. It is the most valuable monument of early Transylvanian medieval architecture, harmoniously combining the elements of the Gothic and Roman architecture.

Near the Roman Catholic Cathedral we can find the statue of Michael the Brave, one of the greatest rulers of Romania.  There are many other monuments , historical buildings , National Museums where you can find valuable objects from ancient times that have more than 2000 years of existence , the union Hall, the Old part of town and a very big fortress surrounded by channels , caves and caverns and if I will mention them all probably I will not finish today with the enumeration. Another thing that I would like to say and emphasize is that only the entire fortress has more than 10 tourist routes and during these routes you can ride horses and drive using the  medieval carriage.
In the end I would like to mention one more monument. Having a great importance for the Romanian culture the Library Bathyaneum is a major  historical objective for Alba Iulia. It is known worldwide for its collections of great value representing manuscripts and rare prints
So what are you waiting for? Do not waste your time ! Come and visit Alba Iulia, The Heart of Romania !

europe

Almada, Portugal

Almada

Almada is a Portuguese city with around 175 000 inhabitants, being one of the most populated cities of Portugal. It has a big shore at west for the Atlantic Ocean and at North for the Tagus River, so it provides the city with a great potential for sun and sea tourism as well as country tourism. Almada rose as a city due to the industrialization from 19th century until the 70’s of the 20th century, its location near to the river allowed naval industries to supply jobs to families and give them good life conditions, although the city was very rural and behind the trends presented by the modern cities in Europe.

When Portugal adhered to the CEE, with the subsequent investment, the city of Almada also started to develop by developing the academic facilities like the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of Monte da Caparica and the Superior Institute of Egas Moniz where the academic spirit is well represented by young and dynamic people that give energy to the city with good programs to integrate all the population and the traditional academic events, like traditional festivals every week. One of the biggest struggles in Almada in the social inequality presented in the city that causes some assimetries, in terms of income and also safety, insecure areas are mainly in the perifery of the city.

The beaches of Costa da Caparica are the biggest touristic attraction of Almada, sun and beach in the summer with temperatures over 35ºC and with sports like surf, kitesurf, windsurf and bodyboard and good restaurants with fresh fish and acessible prices, and pubs and discos where anyone can have a good time and with acessible prices too, in average 10 to 20 €. If you prefer other types of tourism, there’s always the monument of Cristo Rei, where you can visit the top of it and you’ll have a great view of Tagus River and the entire city of Lisbon. If you want cultural activities, Almada provides the tourists with a great offer, with two big libraries, the City Forum Romeu Correia and the Jose Saramago City Library, both equipped with Audiovisual rooms, lobby, bar, newspaper rooms and a room which purpose is to held conferences, seminars, meeting or even areas to children. Almada has some recognized names at cultural level, like the former footballer Luis Figo, or the music bands like Xutos e Pontapés and Da Weasel or even Sara Tavares and Melech Mechaya

Almada is full of parks and nature, the environment has been a huge bet on the local government, so we can say that Almada is a green city. The kind of transportation used in Almada is mainly subway or bus. People often use the train, but to cross the bridge to go to Lisbon, which is the capital and where the majority of people get a job opportunity. Almada has a big problem with unemployment due to this proximity to the capital, so only small businesses are available in this city and one of the biggest shopping centers in Europe, the Almada Forum, where tourist can do some shopping and consuming fast food if they desire, but it would be a waste, since due to the proximity to the river and ocean, Almada has tradition in good local resturants. The inhabitants of Almada are very friendly and will welcome tourists in a good way.