City Located in England, United Kingdom Population 7.3 million (1995) For almost 2,000 years, the River Thames has served as the life force of London, capital of the United Kingdom and one of the world's most famous cities. In AD 43 the Romans established the trading settlement of Londinium at a favorable crossing point on the river. The Romans remained until the 5th century, when the city came under Saxon control. London attained world prominence after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The imposing Tower of London symbolized the city's military might, while trade flourished and political influence was wielded by powerful guilds. The early 17th century saw enormous growth, but the deadly plague of 1664 and 1665 ravaged the population, and in the following year the Great Fire, which burned for four days, destroyed most of the city. During a period of rapid reconstruction, architect Sir Christopher Wren designed some of London's lasting landmarks, including Saint Paul's Cathedral. A public transportation system and other city services in the early 19th century eased many of the increasing urban problems of the burgeoning capital of the wealthy British empire. After coping with the devastating effects of bombing during World War II and the gradual dismantling of the empire, London today thrives as a vital modern metropolis. Its financial district, known as the City, occupies the ancient riverside site, while most of the royal monuments and government buildings are farther up the Thames in the borough of Westminster. Its theaters and museums, the enticing wares of Harrod's department store, and its gardens and expansive parks once the exclusive retreats of royalty give London an unequaled distinction. Recent restoration of decaying waterfront docks and extensive development of inner-city districts are breathing new life into the historic city on the Thames.

Point of interest Located in England, United Kingdom

Point of interest Located in England, United Kingdom The historic fortress known as the Tower of London was built on the remains of Roman fortifications on the north bank of the River Thames. The original tower, known as the White Tower or Keep, is flanked by four turrets and enclosed by two lines of fortifications. It was built about 1078 by Gundulf, bishop of Rochester. The inner fortifications, called the Ballium Wall, have 12 towers, including Bloody Tower, Record or Wakefield Tower, Devereux Tower, and Jewel Tower. The tower was used as a royal residence as well as for a prison until Elizabethan times. It is now largely a showplace and museum. It holds the crown jewels of England and is one of the country's greatest tourist attractions. A popular feature is the Yeomen of the Guard, known as Beefeaters, who still wear colorful uniforms of the Tudor period.

Guards at Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace is named after Buckingham House, built in 1703 and purchased in 1761 by King George III, who enlarged the house, transforming it into the vast and palatial building of today. Since 1837, when Queen Victoria moved in, the 600-room palace has been the official London residence of the British monarch. The palace forms the backdrop to the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony, one of London's most popular ceremonial events.

Country capital Located in Belgium

The city of Brussels long been known for the production of fine lace, called Brussels lace, and for tapestry weaving. Centrally situated in northern Europe, it is the capital of Belgium and of Noord-Brabant Province. With tree-shaded boulevards, splendid parks, imposing monuments, and beautiful buildings, Brussels is internationally important as the headquarters of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The 13th-century Saint Michel's Cathedral is famous for its stained-glass windows. Other important ecclesiastical buildings are Nôtre Dame de Finistére and Saint Jacques sur Coudenberg. Among the notable secular buildings are the 15th-century Hôtel de Ville, the royal palace, the 18th-century Palais de la Nation, the 19th-century Palais de Justice, and the Bourse. The cultural institutions include the École Royale Militaire (1834), the Royal Library, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Free University of Brussels (1834). Brussels is the hub of the Belgian railway system and is linked by canal to the sea and to the national network of inland waterways. Among the chief exports are nails, iron, marble, coal, candles, glass, and sugar. Imports include minerals, palm oil, and coffee. Other industries include printing, brewing, distilling, sugar refining, iron and brass casting, and the manufacture of textiles, electronic equipment, and furniture. The town developed from Gallic-Roman settlements in the marshes of the Senne Valley before the 7th century.

Flower Market in Brussels Shoppers flock to the colorful flower market on the Grand Place in the heart of Brussels. The Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), which dominates the area with its elaborate Gothic facade, is the only structure on the square that survived the bombardment of the city by Louis XIV, King of France.

Saint Michel's Cathedral, Brussels The Gothic cathedral Saint Michel's was built between the 13th and 15th centuries in the Belgian capital, Brussels, which emerged from both world wars with all of its medieval architecture intact. Farsighted 14th-century planners laid out a grid of diagonal streets, still in evidence today. As the unofficial capital of Europe, Brussels is headquarters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU).

Home of the European Community The Cité Berlaymont in the Belgian capital of Brussels is headquarters for the European Commission, which carries out the provisions of European Union (EU) treaties. In an effort to increase economic efficiency, EU member nations recently created a single, barrier-free market. Brussels is home base for many international organizations, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Benelux, a group representing the interests of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Royal Palaces

Atomium

Country capital Located in Netherlands

City Located in Germany Population 2,984,000 (1995

Cologne's location at the point where the Rhine crosses the route from Paris to northern Germany and also at the junction of many roads along the Rhine, has given the city great commercial importance. Known as Köln in German, the city is a railroad center and a major port. Products from the area include metal goods, motor vehicles, chemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, printed materials, chocolate, and a famous type of perfumed liquid, eau de cologne. Cologne was originally a town of the Ubii, a Germanic people. More than 90 percent of the city's structures were destroyed or damaged during World War IIbut Cologne was largely rebuilt and modernized by 1960. The city is noted for its university, founded in 1388, and for its churches. The Cologne Cathedral has twin spires, each 157 meters (515 feet) high, and one of the largest bells in the world, along with the shrine of the Magi. The oldest church in Cologne is Sankt Maria im Kapitol, consecrated in 1049. Among other notable buildings are a modern opera house, the old city hall, and the Gürzenich, built in the mid-15th century. Several important museums are in Cologne, which also has a zoo, an aquarium, and a botanical garden. The city is the site of an annual pre-Lenten festival and the birthplace of novelist Heinrich Böll.

Gothic Cathedral: inside Cologne.

The Rhine, one of the principal rivers of Europe, has greatly influenced the history, culture, and economy of the continent from Roman days to the present. Draining an area of about 220,150 square kilometers (about 85,000 square miles), the Rhine rises in eastern Switzerland and courses 1,320 kilometers (820 miles) in a generally northwest direction through or adjoining Austria, Liechtenstein, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, to its mouth on the North Sea. Formed high in the Swiss Alps by the confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein rivers, the Rhine begins as a tumultuous alpine stream churning through deep gorges. Near Schaffhausen it plunges 23 meters (75 feet) over a spectacular waterfall, the Rheinfall. Although the river's flow is moderated somewhat as it passes through Lake Constance, the river remains a torrent westward to Basel, Switzerland. At Basel the river turns north and enters the Rhine Graben, a flat-floored rift valley lying between the Vosges on the west and the Black Forest on the east. Along its course from Bingen to Bonn, the river has cut the deep, steep-sided Rhine Gorge through the Rhineland Plateau. This picturesque gorge, with terraced vineyards and castle-lined cliffs, has often been called the "heroic Rhine," renowned in history and romantic literature. Downstream from Bonn, the Rhine crosses the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany. At the Netherlands frontier it divides into two parallel distributaries, the Lek and the Waal, as it crosses a wide, marshy plain and a great delta before entering the North Sea. These two main channels were closed off by the Delta Project, completed in 1986, which built sluices and alternate channels for the river's runoff. The main link from the Rhine to the North Sea is the New Waterway, which established Rotterdam as the leading port in continental Europe when it was constructed in 1872. Much of this delta area is at or below sea level, but diking has enabled it to become one of the most densely populated and important economic regions on the continent. Because of the huge volume of freight and the number of passengers carried on it, the Rhine is one of the most important commercial inland waterways in the world. The Rhine is navigable from its mouth to Basel, a distance of about 805 kilometers (about 500 miles). Modern technology now allows 24-hour navigation on the Rhine and the transport of heavier loads, including coal, iron ore, grain, and other commodities. The principal rivers of western Europe, including the Seine, Elbe, Ems, Rhône, and Saône, are linked to the Rhine by canals. In 1992 an important canal link to the Danube River was completed through the Main River, which opened up shipping between the North Sea and the Black Sea. This industrial and commercial wealth has also caused problems, however. In 1986, a massive chemical spill from a plant in Basel reversed ten years of progress aimed at reducing severe pollution in the river. Nearly 30 tons of toxic waste, including fungicides and mercury, entered the Rhine. The spill, called the greatest nonnuclear disaster in Europe in a decade, killed 500,000 fish and forced the closing of water systems in West Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Further calamity struck the Rhine in the mid-1990s, when record-setting floods swamped the region twice in the space of 13 months. Officials and scientists speculated that the flooding may have been partially a result of human factors such as deforestation, the straightening of the Rhine for commercial purposes, and the greenhouse effect.

City Located in Germany Population 660,800 (1992 estimate)

Narrow, elaborately decorated medieval buildings with steeply gabled roofs surround charming pedestrian squares in the old town, or Altstadt, of Frankfurt am Main. The old town, inhabited mainly by tradespeople and skilled artisans, retains many medieval characteristics and landmarks from the city's long and distinguished history. A cluster of Gothic houses, the Römer, was used as the town hall for nearly 500 years. The 13th-century Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew was the site of the elections of the Holy Roman Emperors and later, of the imperial coronations. The house where the German poet and writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent his youth is also in the area. The other half of Frankfurt am Main the new town, or Neustadtcontains the business quarter and the most important public buildings. The modern city, a port on the Main River, is a major manufacturing, financial, commercial, and transportation center, served by rail lines and the Rhine-Main Airport, the most important in Germany. Local industries produce machinery, motor vehicles, and electrical equipment as well as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, printed materials, and Germany's celebrated beer. International trade fairs, including the world's largest annual book fair, are held in the city. Frankfurt am Main is also noted for its outstanding museums and gardens. Frankfurt am Main was the original home of the Rothschilds, a family of prominent Jewish merchants and bankers who provided a strong foundation for the city's economic success. The significance of Frankfurt am Main as a financial center is still evident, for the city houses the leading German stock exchange and the Bundesbank, the country's central bank. In 1993 Frankfurt am Main was chosen as the site of the European Monetary Institute, the European Union body that is the forerunner of the European Central Bank. The city was the birthplace of Anne Frank, whose diary described her two-year ordeal hiding from the Nazis with her Jewish family in Amsterdam. Frankfurt am Main was badly damaged by bombing during World War II, but it has since been rebuilt.

Tour of castles along the Rhine River, the Romantic Road, and the castle of Heidelberg. Provides digitized images and brief descriptions.

city, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany, on thecanalized Neckar River where it emerges from the forested hills of Odenwald into the Rhine plain. First mentioned in 1196, it was the capital of the Rhenish Palatinate (Pfalz) and the residence of the electoral counts Palatine until 1720. It was devastated during the Thirty Years' War (1622) and almost completely destroyed by the French in 1689 and 1693, so that most of its important buildings are in the Baroque architectural style (which prevailed until the late 18th century) rather than Gothic medieval. It passed to Baden in 1802 and experienced considerable growth in the 20th century.

The only buildings to escape razing in 1693 were the Holy Ghost Church (1400-36), the Marstall (1590; formerly the Royal Mews), and the Haus zum Ritter (1592). Other landmarks include the Alte (or Karl-Theodor) Brücke (bridge; 1786-88, rebuilt after 1945), the town hall (1701-03), and the Jesuit church (1712). By far the most interesting and imposing building is Heidelberg Castle. Although devastated by the French in 1689 and 1693 and then struck by lightning in 1764, this magnificent red sandstone structure, 330 ft (100 m) above the river, still dominates the city. Construction began in the 13th century, but the most notable work was done in the Renaissance period and includes the Otto-Heinrichsbau and the Friedrichsbau wings. In the cellar of the Friedrichsbau is the Heidelberg Tun (1751), an enormous wine cask with a capacity of 49,000 gallons (185,500 litres). The castle can be reached from the lower city by a cable railway, which continues to the summit of the Königsstuhl (massif).

Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), southwestern Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany. Freiburg is bordered by Switzerland to the south, France to the west, and the Regierungsbezirke of Karlsruhe to the north and Tübingen to the east. The district is coextensive with the southern portion of the larger historic region of Baden.

The title margrave of Baden originated in 1112. Baden was made a grand duchy in Napoleon's reorganization of Germany in 1806 and a Land of he German Reich under the constitution of 1919. Three post-World War II states of West Germany--Baden, Württemberg-Baden, and Württemberg-Hohenzollern--were merged in 1952 to form the present state of Baden-Württemberg. Southern Baden, roughly encompassing the current district of Freiburg, became the new Land's southwestern Regierungsbezirk of Südbaden. In 1973 an administrative reform altered the boundaries of Südbaden and changed its name to Freiburg, for the largest city and administrative seat of the district.

Schwäbische Alb) borders the Baar to the east. The highest peak in the Black Forest, Mount Feld (Feldberg), reaches 4,897 feet (1,493 m) in elevation in southwestern Freiburg and is surrounded by the beautiful glacial Lakes Titi (Titisee) and Schluch (Schluchsee). Farmers specialize in livestock production in the higher districts of the Black Forest, where mountain pastures above the tree line are used for summer grazing and permanent pastureland is found in valley basins. Harsh climatic conditions limit arable cultivation to hardy cereals. Fruit is grown in valleys cutting into the western scarpment, most commonly grapes, plums, and cherries used in kirsch, a famous Black Forest cherry brandy.

West of the Black Forest the mild climate and fertile loess soils of the Upper Rhine Plain's Ortenau and Breisgau regions favour intensive cultivation. Many farmers specialize in vegetable gardening and in crops such as tobacco, sugar beets, hops, and malting barley, in addition to vineyards and orchards. Offenburg is the principal city of the Ortenau wine and fruit-growing district and a publishing centre. Vineyards around the volcanic Kaiserstuhl massif and in the Markgräfler Land at the Black Forest's southwestern termination produce some of Germany's finest wines. The Dinkelberg and Hotzenwald border the Rhine River in southern Freiburg, and in the southeast the Hegau region with its volcanic cones extends to Lake Constance (Bodensee), Germany's largest lake. The economy of Konstanz, the chief town on the lake, is based on tourism, commerce, and electrical, textile, and metal-processing industries.

City Located in Switzerland Population 59,811 (1991 estimate) Also known as Lucerna Luzern.

Lucerne is the capital of Lucerne Canton, in central Switzerland. In addition to being a busy tourist center, the city has plants manufacturing chemicals, metal products, and textiles. Landmarks in the city include the Glacier Gardena result of the last Ice Age and the Lion of Lucerne, hewn in 1821 out of solid rock after a model by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. The sculpture is a monument to the Swiss Guard, who perished defending the Tuileries during the French Revolution. Lucerne grew up around a monastery built in the 8th century and has been an important trade center since that time. An original city gate, wall, and watchtowers enclose the narrow, cobbled streets of the old town.

Snow covered peak

Explore picturesque old town & shop for authentic Swiss watches

Capital City of Vaduz Vaduz is the capital city of the south-central European nation of Liechtenstein, a tiny constitutional monarchy ruled by a prince. Founded in the Middle Ages, the capital is located in an alpine valley on the western side of this landlocked country, which is surrounded by Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein's prince lives in a castle on a cliff above the main street of Vaduz, where many of the original buildings still stand.

Liechtenstein Village The nation of Liechtenstein is situated at the point at which the Western and Eastern Alps meet on the northeastern bank of the Rhine. Sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland, tiny Liechtenstein covers just 160 square kilometers (62 square miles) and contains no large cities. Beyond the flat Rhine plain, which covers about 40 percent of its land area, the country is mostly mountainous. Paul Trummer/The Image Bank

Liechtenstein: Classical Music This excerpt is from a piano trio composed by Josef Rheinberger (1839 to 1901) in 1878. Born in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, he was well known as a teacher and as a prolific composer, especially of works for organ. Rheinberger's early works incorporated influences from the folk music of the region. Rheinberger was conservative in his approach to composition, and his piano trio reflects the aesthetics and musical practice of the 19th century Romantic period in European art music. Piano Trio in A Major op. 112: Allegro, from Josef Rheinberger: Kammermusik (Cat.# CTH 2061) (c) and (p)1989 Thorofon. All rights reserved.

City Located in Austria Population 118,112 (1991) Innsbruck, the capital of Tirol, is at the junction of two important routes of commerce and travel: the Arlbergpass, connecting western and eastern Europe, and the Brenner Pass, linking Austria with Italy. An important center of commerce, the city is also a well-known skiing and mountain-climbing center. It was the site of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. In ancient times the Roman way station of Veldidena occupied the site of the suburb of Wilten. During the 15th century the castle of Fürstenburg, with its famous balcony covered by a gilded copper roof, was erected. Other historical structures include the Hofkirche, a Franciscan church dating from the 16th century and containing the monumental tomb of Maximilian I, German king and Holy Roman emperor; Innsbruck University, established in 1677; and the former imperial palace, which dates from the 17th and 18th centuries.

empty pockets." Napoleon gave the city to the kingdom of Bavaria in 1806,and during the War of Liberation (1809) four battles were fought around Berg Isel, a hill (2,461 ft [750 m]) immediately to the south, by Tirolian patriots led by Andreas Hofer against the Bavarians and the French. The old town has narrow streets lined with medieval houses and arcades. One of the most famous buildings is the Fürstenburg, with a balcony with a gilded copper supposedly built by Duke Frederick and refashioned by the emperor Maximilian c. 1500. Other notable landmarks include the Hofburg (1754-70, on the site of a 15th-century ducal residence) and the Franciscan, or Court, church (1553-63), containing the mausoleum dedicated to Maximilian I and the tombs of Hofer and other Tirolian heroes. The university was founded by Emperor Leopold I in 1677, and its great library was a gift of the empress Maria Theresa in 1745. There are four major museums: the Ferdinandeum, with prehistoric, industrial-art, and natural-history collections and a picture gallery; the Tirolean Folk Art Museum; the Museum of the Imperial Rifles; and parts of the collections of the archduke Ferdinand II, in the Castle Ambras. Innsbruck is one of the most popular tourist and health resorts and winter-sports centres in central Europe. The Olympic Winter Games were held there in 1964 and 1976. It is a rail and market centre and manufactures textiles (especially loden garments), shoes, beer, and musical instruments, and there is wood- and metalworking as well as food processing. Pop.

Outdoor Enthusiasts near Innsbruck Exhibiting the Austrian love of outdoor sports, three children on a sled head down a snowy slope near Innsbruck. Twice the site of the Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck is the capital of the Tirol region in the majestic eastern Alps. Skiers from around the world visit the Tirol’s many resorts in winter, and mountain climbers and fishing enthusiasts take over in summer.

City Located in Austria Population 143,978 (1991)

Salzburg, the capital of Salzburg, lies on the Salzach River near the border with Germany. At Salzburg the river passes between two lofty masses of rock, one of which, the Mönchsberg (523 meters/1,716 feet high), bears an 11th-century fort. Salzburg was the birthplace of Mozart, and it is a well-known resort and the site of internationally famous annual music and drama festivals. It is the seat of Salzburg University, founded in 1622, and the University of Music and Dramatic Art in Salzburg. A 17th-century cathedral in the Italian Renaissance style is in the city. Originally a Celtic settlement and later a Roman trading center called Juvavum, Salzburg was incorporated into Austria in 1814. Industries include tourism, the production of beer, and the manufacturing of metals, chemicals, and textiles.

Music Capital of Austria The Austrian city of Salzburg straddles both banks of the Salzach River, southwest of Vienna. The city boasts castles, churches, and other structures dating to the early 7th century, and it lies in the shadow of Hohensalzburg, a massive medieval fortress begun in 1077. The fortress, which housed the prince-archbishops who ruled Salzburg for more than 1,000 years, contains a chilling torture chamber and a medieval weapons collection, both of which are popular with tourists. Salzburg, also the birthplace of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, hosts the annual Salzburger Festspiele, an international classical music festival. George Haling/Photo Researchers, Inc.

Austria: Classical Music Great classical composers, such as Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, characterize Austrian music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Austrian cities of Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart, and Vienna served as focal points for the emergence of the European classical music style. In the late 18th century, Mozart composed 23 piano concertos which took this classical form to new heights. Wind instruments were given an expanded role in the orchestra giving the concertos, a richer instrumental tone color. Mozart was a brilliant pianist as well as composer. Most of the piano concertos were written for his own performances and called for a high level of virtuosity. This selection from his Piano Concerto in C Major illustrates his profound talent for orchestral composition and melodic inventiveness. Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K.467: Allegro vivace assai, performed by Jeno Janda, piano, and Concertus Hungaricus, from Mozart Piano Concertos K.466 & 467 (Cat.# 8.550434) (c) and (p)1990 HNH International. All rights reserved.

Country capital Located in Austria Population 2.1 million (1995)

Home with the Habsburgs The Michaelerplatz in Vienna curves up to the elaborate entrance of Hofburg, the royal palace of the powerful Habsburg dynasty that ruled the Austrian Empire for more than six centuries. Once the residence of Emperor Franz Josef and his court, the palace is now a museum showcasing the Austrian crown jewels.

Schönbrunn: A Dynasty's Legacy Situated outside of Vienna, the magnificent summer palace of the Habsburg dynasty is a stunning reminder of Austria's glorious past. For more than six centuries, the powerful Habsburgs ruled a vast empire that included Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bohemia. It was in the ornate baroque halls of Schönbrunn Palace, completed in 1711, that Mozart and other renowned artists entertained at court for an admiring Empress Maria Theresa.

Café Culture in Vienna Sidewalk cafés line a pedestrians-only street in central Vienna's Graben district. Cafés and coffeehouses are an Austrian tradition, and it is customary to take an afternoon break for a strong cup of coffee, which is typically topped with whipped cream. The coffee ritual is incomplete without a delicious pastry or a slice of chocolate cake such as the popular Sachertorte.

Vienna's Venerable Riding School Founded in the 16th century by Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, the Austrian capital city, still trains horses and riders today. The white Lipizzaner breed of horses used at the school dates from 1580. Their ancestry includes Spanish(style), Arabian, and Berber breeds. Prized for their distinctive appearance and responsiveness to training, the Lipizzaners undergo a rigorous rehearsal schedule four mornings each week.

Prominently situated in the centre of Vienna is St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom), one of the chief Gothic buildings of Europe. It incorporates remnants of the original 12th-century Romanesque structure, which was destroyed by fire. Reconstruction began in the early 14th century and continued for a century and a half. The northern tower, never completed, was topped off with a Renaissance dome between 1556 and 1587. The cathedral was again burned and partly destroyed in World War II but has since been restored. The 20-ton bell, made from captured Turkish cannons in 1711, was recast and rehung with much ceremony.

Rococo-style 1,440-room summer palace of the Habsburgs in Vienna. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach's first design for the building, meant to rival France's Palace of Versailles, was done in 1690. A second, somewhat less ornate, plan, however, dating from 1695-96 was adopted, and the palace was finished by 1711.

It was first modified in 1737 by Johann's son Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach and again in 1744 by Nikolaus Pacassi. The formal gardens were originally laid out c. 1705-06 by Jean-Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey and from 1765 were redesigned by Ferdinand von Hohenberg. Schönbrunn Tiergarten, perhaps the oldest zoo in Europe, was founded within the grounds in 1752. The entire park complex, open to the public since 1918, covers more than 2 sq km (3/4 sq mi).

On the eastern side of the Innere Stadt lies the City Park, rich in monuments. The Innere Stadt and its immediate neighbourhood are still, unlike the older parts of most European cities, the fashionable quarter, containing the government offices, the principal hotels, embassies and legations, and many other fine buildings. The Schönbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Habsburgs, with its splendid rooms decorated in Rococo style and its great formal park, lies to

Schönbrunn: A Dynasty's Legacy Situated outside of Vienna, the magnificent summer palace of the Habsburg dynasty is a stunning reminder of Austria's glorious past. For more than six centuries, the powerful Habsburgs ruled a vast empire that included Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bohemia. It was in the ornate baroque halls of Schönbrunn Palace, completed in 1711, that Mozart and other renowned artists entertained at court for an admiring Empress Maria Theresa.

City Located in Austria Population 237,810 (1991) Also known as Gratz

City Located in Italy Population 309,422 (1991) Number of islands 120 Also known as Venetia Venezia

Gondolas Glide Through Venice Venice was built on islands inside a lagoon. It is famous for its canals, along which gondolas still provide an excellent way of getting around the city. Venice's main street is the Grand Canal, which is lined by beautiful buildings that reflect the city's long history. Yet not everything about Venice and its canals is picturesque. The city still suffers from flooding, and industrial and urban waste have polluted the waters of the canals, at times leaving them foul-smelling, especially in the summer.

Venice's Many Boats Travel by boat is part of the attraction of romantic Venice. Automobiles are not allowed in the center of the city, but many kinds of water transport are available. In addition to the gondolas that are prime symbols of Venice, there are water taxis and buses. Firefighters and police officers go where they are needed by boat. Ornately decorated vessels such as this one are used for special festivals and celebrations.

Architectural Wealth in Venice Venice's palaces, towers, domes, residences, and commercial structures were designed in a remarkable variety of architectural styles, including Italian, Arabic, Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist, and Baroque. Called La Serenissima, meaning "Most Serene One," Venice has always been a conscious creation of Venetians, who have worked hard to preserve their artistic and architectural heritage.

Historic Symbol of Venetian Wealth and Art Saint Mark's Basilica stands at one end of Venice's Piazza San Marco. Built in the 9th century to enshrine the body of Saint Mark, it was destroyed by fire in 976 and restored in the 11th century. Five domes top the building, which has a marble façade. Elaborate mosaics decorate the exterior and interior. Of Venice's many important structures, Saint Mark's best represents the city's historic wealth and glory.

Marco found his way paved by the pioneering efforts of his ancestors and especially of his father, Niccolò, and his uncle Maffeo. The family had traded with the Middle East for a long time, apparently reaching a position of considerable wealth and prestige. Although it is not quite clear if the family was actually of the nobility, the point lost much of its typically medieval relevance in a city of republican and mercantile traditions such as Venice.

Florence (Italy ) - cradle of the renaissance. Capital of Italy from 1865 – 1871.

City Located in Italy Population 778,000 (1995) Also known as Firenze Florentia Florenz.

Bridges of Florence Ponte Vecchio is by far the best known of the eight bridges spanning the Arno River in historic Florence, birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Built in 1345, the bridge is the only one in the city that escaped destruction by the retreating German army in 1944, and it has survived many floods, including a major one in 1966. The shops that line both sides of Ponte Vecchio have been there since it was built. The Arno River changes at Florence from a narrow, swift-running channel into a slow coast stream. Elsewhere it ranges from a trickle to a torrent, depending on precipitation.

The distinctiveness of Italian art emerges as soon as one studies the architecture. Twelfth-century buildings such as Laon, Chartres, or Saint-Denis, which appear to have been so important in the north, had virtually no imitators in Italy. Indeed, buildings with Romanesque

Country capital Located in Italy Population 2.9 million (1995) Also known as Roma

Country Located in Europe Area 0.44 square kilometers 0.17 square miles

Center of Roman Catholicism To hundreds of millions of Roman Catholics throughout the world, the Vatican City, or Holy See, is the spiritual and governmental center of their faith. This tiny city-state takes up only 0.44 square kilometers (0.17 square miles) on a hill surrounded by the city of Rome. It is a destination for religious pilgrims and art lovers.

Grand Basilica of the Vatican The central church of Roman Catholicism, Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City (Holy See) stands on the site where Saint Peter is believed to have been buried. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries to replace an earlier church, it is the largest house of worship in the world, with space to accommodate 50,000 people. Its original overall outline was that of a Greek cross, but it is now shaped like a Latin cross. Saint Peter's has been used for papal ceremonies since 1870.

Vatican City Vatican City, or Holy See, is the home of the pope and the world headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. Although it is surrounded by Rome, Vatican City is an independent state, the smallest in the world. Inside the Vatican are some of the treasures of Western civilization, including the Sistine Chapel, with its magnificent ceiling painted by Michelangelo over a period of four years, and the Pinacoteca, which houses some of the great paintings by the masters of the Renaissance.

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel The painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City is one of the world's best-known works of art. From 1508 to 1512 the Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo covered the ceiling with The Creation of Adam, an elaborate work featuring eight scenes from the Bible's Old Testament. From 1534 to 1541 Michelangelo added another painting, The Last Judgment, on the wall above the chapel's altar. Recent efforts to clean and restore the paintings provoked debate among art experts, some of whom believe that the apparent signs of aging and dirt removed were actually intended by the artist to emphasize shadowing.

Saint Peter's Basilica (¹ÅÂÞÂí)³¤·½ÐλáÌÃ, ³¤·½Ðλù¶½½ÌÌÃ

The interior of St. Peter's is filled with many masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque art, among the most famous of which are Michelangelo's "Pietà," the baldachin over the main altar by Bernini, the statue of St. Longinus in the crossing, the tomb of Urban VIII, and the bronze cathedra of St. Peter in the apse.

Until 1989 St. Peter's was the largest church in Christendom. In that year its size was exceeded by that of the newly built basilica in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire.

City Located in Italy Population 86,600 (1990 estimate)

City Located in Italy Population 101,500 (1990 estimate) Pisa, the capital of Provincia di Pisa, is a rail and road junction and a tourist and industrial center. Important manufactured products include textiles, machinery, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and glass. Among the educational institutions are the University of Pisa (1343), a teachers college, an engineering school, a veterinary institute, and an agricultural school. The principal landmarks of Pisa are grouped in the area of the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square). These include the cathedral, a great white marble edifice in the Romanesque style (begun 1063); the baptistery (begun 1153), a circular building in the Romanesque style crowned with a great dome; and the bell tower (campanile), known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Construction began in 1174 but was suspended when the builders became aware that the shallow foundation would be inadequate in the soft soil. The structure was nevertheless completed by the second half of the 14th century. The Leaning Tower is cylindrical in shape, with eight arcaded stories, and leans about 10° (5 meters/16.5 feet) from the vertical. The tower had to be closed to visitors beginning in 1990 because of concerns that it was structurally unstable. Work to make the tower's foundation more secure was undertaken in 1992.

Country Located in Europe Area 1.9 square kilometers 0.73 square miles

Gambling in Monaco Formal attire and an air of sober concentration are de rigueur in the ornate gambling salons of Monaco's Monte Carlo Casino. Ruled for centuries by the Grimaldi family, the tiny kingdom struck it rich in 1861 when it opened its first casinos. These soon attracted wealthy European aristocrats, and revenues were so plentiful that citizens of Monaco no longer had to pay taxes.

Harbor of the Rich Today, the harbor of Monaco is dotted with yachts owned by some of the richest people in the world. In the past, however, the harbor had more serious uses. About 2,500 years ago the harbor, along with the high promontory that borders it, formed a natural fortress that attracted settlers. Because of its strategic value, the harbor of Monaco was a prize sought after by many Mediterranean powers, including the Romans, the Genoese, the Spanish, and the French.

France is located in west central Europe. The nation includes several overseas departments, territorial collectivities, and overseas territories. Overseas departments are French Guiana in South America; Martinique and Guadeloupe, which are both in the Caribbean Sea; and Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Territorial collectivities are Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, located just south of Newfoundland, and Mayotte, between Comoros and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Overseas territories are New Caledonia, French Polynesia, the French Southern and Antarctic Islands, and Wallis and Futuna Islands. France also has several uninhabited possessions. The area of France, including the island of Corsica but not including overseas administrative units, is 551,500 square kilometers (212,935 square miles), about half the area of Bolivia. The English Channel, the Strait of Dover, and the North Sea lie to the north of France. Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany border France on the north and northeast. Germany, Switzerland, and Italy are to the east, and Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea are to the southeast. Andorra and Spain are to the south. The Bay of Biscay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, lies to the west. Several nations have made various claims on French territory. Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles each claim Île Tromelin. Madagascar also claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Îles Glorieuses, and Juan de Nova Island. Comoros claims Mayotte, Suriname claims part of French Guiana, and Mexico claims Clipperton Island. France has a maritime boundary dispute with Canada over Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. France claims a part of Antarctica known as the Adélie Coast.

City Located in France Population 345,674 (1990) Also known as Nizza

Nice, the capital of Département des Alpes-Maritimes, sits on the Mediterranean Sea at the foot of the Alpes Maritimes. The chief resort of the French Riviera, Nice is built around a bay, and its old and new parts are separated by a small stream, the Paillon. Embankments and promenades, including the Promenade des Anglais, line the sea frontage. The city and bay are protected from severe climatic changes by the mountains on the north. Nice has an active commercial port and a variety of manufacturing industries. It also is a cultural center, with a university and several museums, including museums devoted to works of the 20th-century artists Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall. Nice is the site of Roman ruins and of the 17th-century monastery of Cimiez. Probably founded by the Greeks as Nicaea about the 5th century BC, Nice became a well-known trading colony in the ancient world.

Day 15

City Located in France Population 1,311,000 (1995) Also known as Lyons

Lyon, the capital of Rhône, lies at the confluence of the navigable Rhône and the Saône rivers. It is the third largest city in France and the focus of a metropolitan area second only to Paris in size and economic importance. Diversified manufactured goods include machinery, motor vehicles, electrical equipment, chemicals, and textiles. Large petroleum refineries are in nearby Saint-Fons and Feyzin. The University of Lyon now consists of three separate campuses: the University Claude-Bernard, or Lyon I; University of Lyon II; and University Jean Moulin, or Lyon III. Special points of interest in Lyon include two Roman amphitheaters; the cathedral, which dates from the 12th to the 14th century; the narrow streets and Renaissance mansions of Old Lyon on the eastern bank of the Rhône; and the Textile Museum. The city contains the oldest stock exchange in France and several noted restaurants, and it is the site of annual trade fairs. Lyon was founded in 43 BC as the Roman colony of Lugdunum and was the major city of ancient Gaul by the 2nd century AD.

Country capital Located in France Population 9.5 million (1995)

Known as the City of Light, Paris has been extolled for centuries as one of the great cities of the world. Its location on the Seine River, at a strategic crossroads of land and river routes, has been the key to its expansion since the Parisii tribe first settled here in the 3rd century BC. Under the Romans, the town grew outward from its original site, and in the 6th century AD it became the capital of the Frankish kingdom. Having consolidated its political and cultural power late in the 10th century, Paris became the capital of France. Its position as the nation's premier city has remained undisputed ever since, despite periods of war, revolution, and foreign occupation. Over the years, Paris grew rapidly and without restraint. In the middle of the 19th century, Baron Georges Haussmann created the familiar grand boulevards that characterize Paris today. Paris is an alluring city boasting many monumental landmarks, such as the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower. Its beautiful gardens, world-class cuisine, high fashion, sidewalk cafés, and intellectual endeavors are well known. The city's cultural life is centered on the Left Bank of the Seine, while business and commerce dominate the Right Bank. During the presidency of General Charles de Gaulle, an extensive preservation program restored much of historic Paris to its original splendor. But Paris is also a vast urban agglomeration with modern highways and buildings, including the famous steel-and-glass Pompidou Center and the impressive Montparnasse Tower. An express underground railroad links the suburbs and outlying areas to the city, and its métro system is regarded as one of the finest in the world.

French MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, OFFICIAL NAME GREAT LOUVRE, French GRANDLOUVRE, national museum and art gallery of France, housed in part of a large palace in Paris that was built on the right-bank site of the 12th-century fortress of Philip Augustus. In 1546 Francis I, who was a great art collector, had this old castle razed and began to build on its site another royal residence, the Louvre, which was added to by almost every subsequent French monarch. Under Francis I, only a small portion of the present Louvre was completed, under the architect Pierre Lescot. This original section is today the southwestern part of the Cour Carrée. In the 17th century, major additions were made to the building complex by Louis XIII and Louis XIV.Cardinal de Richelieu, the chief minister of Louis XIII, acquired great works of art for the king. Louis XIV and his minister, Cardinal Mazarin, acquired outstanding art collections, including that of Charles I of England. A committee consisting of the architects Claude Perrault and Louis Le Vau and the decorator and painter Charles Le Brun planned that part of the Louvre which is known as the Colonnade.

works of art. In 1793 the revolutionary government opened to the public the Musée Central des Arts in the Grande Galerie. Under Napoleon the Cour Carrée and a wing on the north along the rue de Rivoli were begun. In the 19th century two major wings, their galleries and pavilions extending west, were completed, and Napoleon III was responsible for the exhibition that opened them. The completed Louvre was a vast complex of buildings forming two main quadrilaterals and enclosing two large courtyards.

The Louvre building complex underwent a major remodeling in the 1980s and '90s in order to make the old museum more accessible and accommodating to its visitors. To this end, a vast underground complex of offices, shops, exhibition spaces, storage areas, and parking areas, as well as an auditorium, a tourist bus depot, and a cafeteria, was constructed underneath the Louvre's central courtyards of the Cour Napoléon and the Cour du Carrousel. The ground-level entrance to this complex was situated in the centre of the Cour Napoléon and was crowned by a controversial steel-and-glass pyramid designed by the American architect I.M. Pei. The underground complex of support facilities and public amenities was opened in 1989. In 1993, on the museum's 200th anniversary, the rebuilt Richelieu wing, formerly occupied by France's Ministry of Finance, was opened; for the first time, the entire Louvre was devoted to museum purposes. The new wing, also designed by Pei, had more than 230,000 square feet (21,368 square m) of exhibition space, housing collections of European painting, decorative arts, and Islamic arts. Three glass-roofed interior courtyards display French sculpture and ancient Assyrian artworks.

West Entrance to the Louvre The brilliant colors and formal symmetry of the Tuileries Garden provide a grand approach to the west entrance of the Musée du Louvre. A vast palace that has been continuously enlarged since its initial construction in 1546, the Louvre houses priceless art, including Leonardo da Vinci's famed Mona Lisa.

in full ARC DE TRIOMPHE DE L'ÉTOILE, the largest triumphal arch in the world, and one of the best-known commemorative monuments of Paris, France. The arch stands at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly the Place de l'Étoile), which is the western terminus of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. The arch is 164 feet (50 m) high and 148 feet (45 m) wide. It was initiated by Napoleon Bonaparte and was designed by J.-F.-T. Chalgrin. Construction of the arch began in 1806, though work was not completed until 1836. Decorative relief sculptures

celebrating Napoleon's victorious military campaigns were executed on the arch by François Rude, Jean-Pierre Cortot, and Antoine Etex. Beneath the arch lies France's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Arc de Triomphe One of the most remarkable landmarks in Paris is the colossal Arc de Triomphe. This great stone arch rises 50 meters (164 feet) at the western end of the city's famous boulevard, the Avenue des Champs Élysées (Elysian Fields). Construction on the arch began in 1806 and was finally completed 30 years later. Built by Napoleon to celebrate his military successes, it is inscribed with the names of 386 of his generals and 96 of his victories. After World War I, France buried its unknown soldier beneath the arch.

he work of Jacques-Ange Gabriel, director of the Academy of Architecture from 1735, is a successful compromise between the new rationalism of the 18th century and the French classical tradition of the 17th century. In 1757 he began the Place de la Concorde in Paris, with its twin palaces (Hôtel de Crillon and the Admiralty) that boast columnar facades inspired by Perrault's great east front of the Louvre (begun 1667). Despite his many major public works, Gabriel is probably best known for his enchanting Petit Trianon, built at Versailles in 1761-64 for Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour. Classically restrained and elegant, this subtle cubic composition achieves a timeless gravity that seems beyond the compass of stylistic terms such as Baroque or Neoclassical.

Eiffel Tower: Symbol of Paris Reaching 320 meters (1,050 feet) to pierce the sky, the grand iron latticework of the Eiffel Tower has become synonymous with the city of Paris. This landmark tower, designed by engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel for the Centennial Exposition of 1889, offers a spectacular view of the entire City of Light.

City Located in France Population 91,029 (1990)

Versailles, the capital of France's Yvelines Département, is primarily a residential community and is noted as the site of the palace and gardens of Louis XIV. The core of the palace is the small château built between 1624 and 1626 for Louis XIII and later enlarged. Construction of the main edifice began in 1661. During the 1680s the great north and south wings were added. The front of the palace faces a large court containing statues of famous Frenchmen. Numerous galleries, salons, and royal apartments, all lavishly decorated and fitted with ornate furnishings, occupy the interior. The gardens, featuring many fountains and the famous Orangery, are laid out in broad avenues lined with trees, shrubbery, and groups of sculpture. North of the gardens are the Grand and Petit Trianons, or royal villas. The palace, designated a national museum in 1837, was the site of many historic events. After World War I, in 1919, the Versailles Treaty was signed in its Hall of Mirrors.

Palace of Versailles Versailles is situated on a plateau just 16 kilometers (about 10 miles) southwest of Paris. The city was designed around its renowned royal château, which stands on the original site of a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII in 1623. Louis XIV, the Sun King, transformed the lodge into a spectacular 1,300-room residence surrounded by a 100-hectare (247-acre) park and formal gardens.

Notre-Dame lies at the eastern end of the Île de la Cité and was built on the ruins of two earlier churches, which were themselves predated by a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. The cathedral was initiated by Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris, who about 1160 conceived the idea of converting into a single building, on a larger scale, the ruins of the two earlier basilicas. The foundation stone was laid by Pope Alexander III in 1163, and the high altar was consecrated in 1189. The choir, the western facade, and the nave were completed by 1250, and porches, chapels, and other embellishments were added over the next 100 years.

Notre Dame Reflected in the waters of the Seine, storm clouds gather over the monumental towers and portals of Notre Dame Cathedral. Construction of this famous Gothic structure began in 1163 and continued well into the next century. Although it was severely vandalized during the French Revolution, the restored landmark is today the centerpiece of historic Paris.

Bastille Day in Paris In celebration of Bastille Day on 14 July, French troops march down the Avenue des Champs Élysées past crowds of cheering spectators. The holiday commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille (a prison) and the start of the French Revolution. In many French towns, the celebration begins on the night before with music and dancing in the streets. Formal balls and spectacular fireworks displays top off the festivities in Paris.

Fashionable Paris Fashionable shops such as these on the Avenue des Champs Élysées abound in Paris, the acknowledged shopping center of France. Paris has long been known for luxury products such as perfume, jewelry, and fine clothing. Haute couture, or high fashion, is a major industry in France, and Parisian designers are world-renowned trendsetters in women's clothing and accessories.

River Dividing Paris The Seine flows through Paris from east to west, dividing the city into the Right Bank on the north and the Left Bank on the south. The Right Bank supports small industries, fashionable shops, and office buildings, while the Left Bank is a celebrated gathering place for artists and college students. A river of historical and economic importance, the Seine carries a huge volume of barge traffic. The river is 776 kilometers (482 miles) long and eventually empties into the English Channel at Le Havre.