Kornells

The city of Alcobaça is known for its important landmark in Portugal - the abbey of Santa Maria de Alcobaça, founded in the 12th century. Nowadays, it is not only the most important historical monument, but also the largest church in Portugal.

The abbey building consists of 5 cloisters, a library, 7 bedrooms and an impressive kitchen. The decoration of the facade of the temple is a mixture of several styles for the reason that the building was completed in different eras. So, for example, the door and the main round window of the monastery, decorated in the Gothic style, are parts of the original church, while the baroque bell towers and statues of saints were erected only in the 17-18 centuries.

Those wishing to go back several centuries have something to see in Portugal: this is the Alto Douro Valley, a popular wine-growing area in the upper reaches of the Douro River, near the city of Porto. Known for producing quality wine, the region does not use any modern technology or cutting-edge technology. Here, manual labor still flourishes as a way to reproduce all winemaking processes.

The Alto Douro region has long been known for producing wine of exceptional taste and quality for over 2,000 years. Local climatic conditions have such weather features that allow you to collect generous harvests of grapes of various varieties.

The seaside country of Portugal has been closely connected with the sea throughout its history, so if you are interested in the sights of Portugal associated with the sea, you have something to visit in Portugal. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is home to one of the largest aquariums in the world. Every year, more than a million visitors come to observe the life of marine inhabitants through the panoramic glass.

The advantage of the Lisbon Oceanarium is that it was created not just for the entertainment of the general public, but also for general educational purposes. For example, in the building of the Oceanarium there are departments of marine biology and oceanography.

Sintra is a suburb of the Portuguese capital, the most important in terms of attractions in Portugal. Not far from Sintra, in the mountains, there is an unusual castle-palace of Pena. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that initially an empty monastery was taken as its basis, which was erected here back in the distant 12th century in honor of the Mother of God. Over time, the temple fell into disrepair.

The inconspicuous and abandoned chapel, lost in the mountains, was remembered only in the 16th century, when King Manuel I, being very religious, turned his gaze to this temple and to the rather vast empty lands around it. From that moment, the reconstruction of the sanctuary began - it was rebuilt from stone and stood for about 2 more centuries.

The times of great geographical discoveries brought a lot of memorable events and historical monuments to world history, and thanks to this, modern tourists will definitely find something to see in Portugal. So, for example, the Portuguese capital of Lisbon is fraught with a unique monument of Portuguese architecture - the Torri de Belen tower, which has become the most important landmark of Portugal. Initially, this building was erected in honor of the world-famous expedition of Vasco da Gama, who opened the trade route to India. The tower played the role of a beacon showing the way for long-distance sailors. Its construction lasted 6 years, from 1515 to 1521.

A true favorite among the medieval castles of Portugal can be considered the castle of Obidos, located on a hill, offering a wonderful view of the surroundings of the city of the same name: vineyards, windmills, bright terracotta roofs of the surrounding houses.

The castle itself attracts many tourists with its battlements, preserved from the Middle Ages to the present day in surprisingly good condition. In the form in which we see the castle now, it was built in the 13th century

On the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, a small country is located, which today has become one of the most visited in Europe. This is Portugal - a country of numerous fairs, festivals, sacredly preserving the centuries-old traditions and culture of its people. Here in the countryside you can still see women carrying shopping baskets on their heads, here is still the best coffee in Europe, and it is served exclusively in cups.

The beginning of December is a magical pre-Christmas period, and in every European city it is famous for something special. One of the best options for what to do in Lyon in winter is to guess the dates and go to the festival of light on December 8, which transforms the city for several days, turning it into a center of mass entertainment and high art. At this time, local cathedrals, monuments, squares and fountains, as if by magic, are transformed into colorful pictures, illuminated by hundreds of various lights from lanterns and searchlights.

Among the most picturesque places in Lyon is the Golden Head Park, located north of the historic center. This is a huge territory of 117 hectares with well-groomed alleys, shady paths, beautiful meadows and fragrant flower beds. There is also a large lake where you can swim in a boat, and a zoo, and stables, and various opportunities for outdoor activities - a velodrome, mini-golf, a boule playground. The purpose of creating this park in the middle of the 19th century was to create a landscape complex reminiscent of the famous Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

The Mini World Lyon amusement park opened in 2016 at the Silk Square entertainment center in Vaulx-en-Velin in the suburbs of Lyon. Mini World Lyon is a miniature park in HO 1:87 scale, built entirely indoors with an area of ​​4500 square meters. Here you can see: animated scenes from life, moving vehicles, copies of world famous sights, models of famous world capitals. This largest amusement park in France is suitable for all ages

One of the most beautiful architectural structures in Lyon is the Palais des Exchanges, a magnificent building that combines elements of classicism and baroque, a real embodiment of the financial power of Lyon in the 19th century. This beautiful building with balconies, colonnade and decorative elements of carved stone is hard to miss when passing Places Terreau and Bellecour. The history of the Palace began in 1853, when the municipality decided to build a building that would house not only the stock exchange, but also an art museum, shops and ateliers.

Speaking allegorically, the soul of the hospitable Lyon can be called the Lyon Opera. Her friendly team today includes ballet and opera troupes, an opera choir and a symphony orchestra. The modern theater bears the name of the architect who designed the building - Jacques Nouvel. The opera house was first opened in the middle of the 18th century, but by the beginning of the next century it could not accommodate the growing public, and in 1831 a new theater grew up on the site of the old building, the opening of which was marked by the production of The White Lady