Mechelen Vacation

Mechelen is accessible by car, coach, train, plane or boat. It is a city that provides fine vacationing opportunities year round, travelers can feel comfortable visiting the city any time of year. Peak tourist times are summer and autumn, so for travelers desiring fewer crowds while site seeing, the winter months are more suitable to visit Mechelen. When visiting Mechelen it is important to be prepared for all sorts of weather conditions, rain or shine, as the weather can change within an instant.

Places of interest
The Grote Market Square in Mechelen is situated right in the heart of the city, and much of its surrounding architecture are remnants from the medieval era. The St. Rumbold’s Cathedral, the Town Hall and the Tower are all from the fifteenth century, while the monument of Margaret of Austria is dated to the sixteenth century. A number of cafes are easily accessible in the Grote Market Square, and on Saturdays, travelers can enjoy a day of shopping in the outdoor market.

The St Rumbold's Tower and Cathedral in Mechelen is also a popular tourist spot. The Tower is an astounding 97 meters tall and site seers have the opportunity to walk up the tower’s 500+ steps to the top of the building. Once at the top of the St Rumbold's Tower, site seers will be spellbound by the breath taking view of Mechelen city. When travelers finally tire of exploring Mechelen, they can stop over at De Nekker Park for a relaxing getaway from the overwhelming site seeing opportunities all through Mechelen.

Travelers can relax at lakeside and watch others engage in myriad water sport offerings. Or, if they prefer, tourists can partake in some of the water sport offerings themselves scuba diving, wind surfing, and sailing can be enjoyed at De Nekker Park. A popular attraction in Mechelen is the Plankendael Park and Zoo at 582 Leuvensesteenweg. The Plankendael Park the Zoo is both a zoo and petting farm, offering children the opportunity to enjoy seeing and touching some of the animals on exhibit.

Further, when the children tire of viewing the animals, a playground is available for them to access and to work off some of that extra energy they keep bottled up inside. At the Plankendael Park, parents can also take their children on an adventure trail, and the cost of admission is more than reasonable admission for adults is 11 Euro for children ages 3 to 11, 7.3 Euro and children ages 3 and under get free entry into the park. The Plankendael Zoo is open every day, from 9 am to 5:00 pm.

Travelers looking to entertain their children will find excellent entertainment at the Toy Museum in Mechelen. Everything from antique toy trains, cars, teddy bears, and other toys dating from the sixteenth century can be viewed at the Toy Museum. In contrast, if travelers are looking for a more sophisticated exploration of culture, they may find the Tapestry Museum the perfect site to visit. Tapestry weavings are on display at the museum, and the city of Mechelen has been and remains famous for its tapestries, ever since the medieval era.

Food & Drink
The Gasthof Kwaadmechelen at Sluisstraat, 2 offers fine Belgian cuisine, and is open every day except Saturdays and Sundays. Public parking is available to travellers choosing to dine at the Gasthof Kwaadmechelen and the restaurant accepts both MasterCard and Visa. Alternatively, the Theatrium Mechelen at Onder den Toren, 9 provides both French and Belgian dining opportunities, is handicapped accessible offers meal pricing at an a la carte rate and also accepts a variety of credit cards for payment.

The Atlas, at 4 Nauwstraat offers universal cuisine to its guests, allowing them to find something to satiate their appetites. Wines and beers are available at most cafes, bistros and restaurants throughout Belgium and Belgium is especially famous for its variety of beer. Travelers can enjoy mussels, chips, Belgian waffles for breakfast and for dessert they can partake and indulge in the finest Belgian chocolate treats imaginable. Travellers may also choose to visit the Hanekeef, Mechelen’s oldest existing pub. Or, after a day enjoying the medieval harbour, tourists can stop in at any one of the numerous cafes strewn all around the Grote Market.

Namur Vacation

The city has a population of more than 100,000. The terrain is largely hilly and agricultural. You will find a lot of extensive granite, marble and limestone quarries here. Also found are glass and cutlery factories. A resort industry is steadily taking shape along the southern stretch of the Meuse. French is vastly spoken widely and mostly no one but a true Belgian may be able to discern the difference between the Belgian and French accents here. Namur is a beautiful locale replete with hotels and restaurants that promise to keep visitors mesmerized and natives proud.

Places of interest
The greatest monument and the proud landmark of Namur is the Citadel. The place echoes with historical significance. It served as a strategic fortress and was witness to many aggressions, sieges and numerous wars. The Citadel also underwent many reconstructions in the course of time. You cannot afford to miss out on this beautiful piece of history in Namur. The Citadel is open through out the day for visitors to partake in the rich past of the historic wonder.

The Meat Hall is another monument which can hold visitor interest. Built on the banks of the Sambre, it is one of the most significant archaeological museums of Wallonia. Constructed in the later half of the sixteenth century, the structure made of blue stones and brick is another irresistible attraction. Namur’s only belfry tower (bell tower) is the St. James tower built in the later half of the fourteenth century.

Situated on the Place des Armes, the tower overlooks the city and was used quite strategically in the olden times to look out for any kind of impending attack on the province. The St. Alban’s Cathedral with its Italian influence is another traffic stopper. Besides being a popular tourist center with an attractive landscape, Namur has a casino in the southern part of the left bank of the Meuse. Namur is also quite famous for the beer festival at Easter.

If you are visiting Namur in September, you can watch a peculiar Namurois custom called the Combat de l'Echasse d'Or (Fight for the Golden Stilt). Held annually on the third Sunday in September, you can witness two teams known as the Avresses and the Mélans, dressing up in traditional outfits while standing on stilts and performing a battle skit in one of the town’s main areas. The place is famous for churches and cathedrals, prominent among being them being the St. Albans Cathedral.

You can walk through the narrow streets of Namur and visit some of the interesting museums Namur has to offer. If you have less time, then you can visit Trésor d'Hugo d'Oignies at the Jue Billiart Street 17. You can witness some beautiful gold and silver artifacts and reliquaries belonging to the early 13th century. One should visit the historical places of interest including the demilitarized Citadel. Here you can visit the Guy Delforge Parfumerie. The workshop open to public participation shows you the step by step process involved in producing some of the best perfumes in the world.

Food and Drink
Namur is famous for food which has a mixture of German quantity and French quality. People in Belgium follow a strict etiquette when it comes to food and drinks. The local dishes in Namur are palatable to say the least. Meat and red wine are the favorites here and Burgundy sells like, well chilled beer. Flamiche is another favorite. The rich chest flamiche cooked over a wood fire is relished with a lot of interest here.

So much is the public love for flamiche that there is a flamiche festival which is held every September in Dinant, a town near Namur. The flamiche is complimented well with the drink amber ale. The flamiche amber ale combination is akin to the pizza wine combination that you have in the US. People in Namur also love their beer and there are some who like to have beer along with the flamiche instead of the amber ale.

The prominent beer names are Sara (bittersweet in taste) and Joseph (fruity to taste). Among meat, venison, Ardennes sausage, smoked ham, veal, pork and the famous Ardennes paté is favored. The health conscious folks of Wallonia and Namur are quite particular about their salads. In fact, the salade liégeoise, rich with warm bacon pieces and green beans, is predominantly indulged in throughout the region. The dessert consists of tarts topped with rhubarb or sugar.

Oostende Vacation

The city is protected from the North Sea by a series of large dikes built in the late 14th century. However, the city often fell victim to invading armies. Its importance as a harbour rose in the 18th and 19th centuries, and a railway link to Brussels was built in 1838. In 1846 it became a transit harbour to England, sending its first ferry boat to Dover. Hundreds of passengers travel between Oostende and England in a space of just two hours, which makes it a good weekend resort for British travelers.

Named The Queen of the Belgian sea side Resorts, Oostende boasts a long and sandy beach and is a popular beach resort for locals as well as visitors to Belgium, many of whom come to surf and sail. The old town and fishing harbour are popular attractions, and Oostende has much to offer in the way of shopping, eating and entertainment.

Places of interest
The twin towered church of St Peter & Saint Paul, close to the railway station, is a neo-gothic building built of sandstone in 1904-5. It houses the mausoleum of Queen Louise Marie, Belgium’s first Queen, who died in 1850 in Oostende. The "Fort Napoleon", north of the city centre, is the only Napoleonic fortress still intact in the whole of Europe. Built by Napoleon during the French occupation in 1810 and completed in 1812, it housed 260 soldiers.

In the Second World War it was used as a German barracks. Between Oostende and Middelkerke, near the beach, lies a large group of dunes known as the "Raversijde Domain", which is a natural nature reserve. Here also is the "Atlantikwall", a complex of tunnels and bunkers built by occupying German troops in the First and Second World Wars. Nearby is also an archaeological site of a medieval fishing village from 13th to 15th centuries.

For garden lovers, the Japanese Garden in the Koningspark is worth a visit and can be found opposite the swimming baths, near the sea wall. A walk along the splendidly clean and unspoilt beach, with a swim or paddle in the sea, is one of Oostende’s pleasantest activities, but there are plenty of further activities in the centre and close to Oostende. Oostende has several shopping centres, including the traffic free Kappellestraat, Adolf Buylstraat and Witte Nonnestraat.

Also, at the Alfons Pieterslaan and the Torhoutsesteenweg you can shop all year round. Market day in Oostende is on Thursdays on the Wapenplein, Groentemarkt and Mijnplein. For those interested in history and culture, Oostende has several museums and galleries to visit. The Museum of Local History holds collections from the Neolithic and Roman times, a maritime section and sections on the two world wars.

The Museum of Fine Arts holds works from the Belgian Masters, and at the Museum of Modern Art you can see a wide range of paintings, sculptures and objects from Belgium’s recent history. Other places are the Museum Sint Pieterstoren, the Museum of Religious Arts, the North Sea Aquarium and the Schooner Mercator which is a former Merchant Navy training ship now restored as a nautical museum. James Ensor House is where the famous impressionist painter lived.

One of the most popular places for families with children is the Maria Hendrika Park. Here you will find minigolf, rowing and pedal boats, playgrounds and woodland walks. Refreshments are available at the café. You can also take a horse drawn carriage tour around the city, where you will be shown the interesting sights of the city.

Food & Drink
Whatever kind of food or restaurant you are looking for you are likely to find it here. Oostende has plenty of restaurants, cafes, bars and taverns both within its lively city centre, and along the promenade. Wherever you go, you will find kiosks selling mussels, fresh fish restaurants, and the ice cream is not to be missed. There are several bars selling real ale, including the Café Botteltje and the Ostens Bierhuus.

Oostende also has a selection of English style pubs. One of the most popular restaurants in the city is the James Tavern in James Ensor Galerij 34, off Vlaanderenstraat. In its friendly atmosphere, you can sample a wide range of local cuisine, including their specialty, garnaalkroketten, or shrimp croquettes. Of course, Oostende’s best loved food is fresh fish, and you do not have to look too far to find a wide choice of places specializing in seafood.

One of the best fish restaurants is the Old Fisher on the Fisherman’s Wharf. This has a relaxed but elegant atmosphere where you can sample a wide range of local fresh fish dishes. Another fish restaurant is the David Dewaele, a family run restaurant serving French cuisine and fish fresh from the North Sea.

Austria More Than A Winter Destination

When I think of Austria, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Austrian Alps. Maybe just about everyone knows that Austria is one of the best places to go during the winter. It has countless winter resorts with amazing surroundings, perfect ski tracks suitable for all ages and difficulties and many more sport facilities in case you are not into skiing.

For the tired skier or just for everyone who would like to relax and have fun, there are many suitable places to do it from big swimming pools to hot bath tubs and restaurants with specialties from around the world. But if you think that Austria is only for the winter think again. If you prefer taking a holiday especially for skiing, you can do so even in the summer with the help of the gorgeous Austrian glaciers.

One of the most famous glaciers is the one in the Stubai Valley the Stubai Glacier. It is visible even from the road and can be a remarkable view even for non-skiers.

Other perfect places for skiing in the summer are the Kaprun Glacier and Pasterze Glacier, which unfortunately is decreasing in size in the last years. And if you are keen on the big things than the largest glacier in Austria is for you the Hintertux glacier.

In Austria there are also magnificent hiking trails, revealing a huge part of the country beauties. A beautiful place is Zell am See with its Hohe Tauern mountain range, the Zeller Lake and its belonging marked trails, suitable for both beginners and experts.

There is also available biking, sailing and more. I am not going to give more examples of hiking trails because they are numerous in almost every resort in Austria and they surely bring the atmosphere of the amazing nature there. If you are a nature lover I can recommend here only a small fraction of the many nature reserves in Austria. One of them is located just north of the city Innsbruck the Karwendel nature reserve.

The Karwendel mountain range is part of the Alps and can reveal many breath taking types of scenery. Another one is the Pürgschachener Moor Nature Reserve which is in Styria, near Irdning or Ennstal and offers wonderful moments in fresh air. One can also visit the National Park Nockberge part of the oldest mountain regions in Austria.

10 Great Places To Go To When You Visit Austria

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, sohere are ten great places to go to in Austria.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Low Cost Airlines in India

Jet Airways was started by Naresh Goyal, the owner of Jetair Private Limited, and the airline commenced its commercial operations in 1993, offering 24 daily flights to 12 destinations in India nation. A true success story, Jet Airways has enjoyed spectacular growth by offering services of international standards at economical rate, and is presently the dominant force in the Indian Aviation Sector, operating over 330 daily flights to 56 domestic and international destinations across the planet.

Jet Airways Based out of Mumbai, it is the market leader in terms of sheer passenger volumes, offering many conveniently timed full service flights that provide passengers with quality in flight services and reliability. Though a full service airline, Jet Airways often provides economical and discounted fares, especially on booking through the internet.

The Jet Airways’ vast network of destinations in India, include flights to Chennai, Port Blair, Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Guwahati, Patna, Chandigarh, Raipur, Diu, New Delhi, Goa, Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Porbandar, Rajkot, Vadodara, Jammu, Leh, Srinagar, Udaipur, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Agartala, Lucknow, Varanasi, Bagdogra, as well as flights to Bangalore, Mangalore, Cochin, Kozhikode, Thiruvanthapuram, Bhopal, Indore, Khajuraho, Aurangabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Imphal, Amritsar, Jodhpur, and Kolkata.

Jet Airways also has a growing network of international destinations, such as Bangkok, Kathmandu, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Colombo, Brussels & New York.

The airline is fast becoming a competitor with international airlines, offering economical and frequent flights to India, as well as the top destinations across the world.

Earlier known as Royal Airways, Spicejet Airlines began its services in May 2005, and has fast become one of the best low cost carriers in India, and has even been voted as the "Best Low Cost Airline" in South Asia and Central Asia by Skytrax. Spicejet Airlines dramatically entered the aviation scene offering Rs. 99 fares for the first 9000 seats available, in the first 99 days.

It then followed this up with Rs 999 promotional fare for select sectors across the nation. With such clear vision and a variety marketing strategies, Spicejet Airlines is one of the most popular low cost carriers in the trade, and offers over 100 flights to 18 destinations in India.

It has also attracted global attention, with foreign investors keenly looking on. Presently, Spicejet Airlines has a vast network of low cost flights across the country, serving the following destinations across India Ahmedabad, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Srinagar, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam.