Porto Alegre, the capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, is a vibrant city known for its rich cultural heritage and stunning natural landscapes. Situated along the banks of the Guaíba River, the city boasts breathtaking sunsets and a lively waterfront area where locals and visitors gather to enjoy the scenery. Its strategic location has made it a key economic and cultural hub in southern Brazil.

The city is famous for its strong European influence, particularly from German and Italian immigrants who shaped its architecture, cuisine, and traditions. Porto Alegre is also known for its passionate love of football, with two major rival clubs, Grêmio and Internacional, dominating the local sports scene. The city’s culinary scene is equally remarkable, with traditional Brazilian barbecue, or “churrasco,” being a must-try for visitors.

In addition to its cultural richness, Porto Alegre is home to several important educational institutions and has been a center for intellectual and political movements in Brazil. The city has hosted international events such as the World Social Forum, reinforcing its reputation as a place of progressive thought and activism.

With a mix of modern urban life and natural beauty, Porto Alegre offers a unique experience for those looking to explore Brazil beyond its famous beaches and tourist hotspots. Whether enjoying a walk through the historic city center, experiencing the local music scene, or relaxing by the Guaíba River, visitors will find plenty to appreciate in this dynamic city.

It was built for the Exhibition held in Paris in 1937. Its architects were Boileau, Azema and Carlu, who planned the present building on the site of another previous structure, the Trocadero. Of the latter, built by Napoleon for his son, the King of Rome, only the plans by Percier and Fontaine remain.

Palais de Chaillot consists of two enormous pavilions which stretch out in two wings, united by a central terrace with statues of gilt bronze. From here a vast and splendid complex of terraces and stairways, embellished with fountains and jets of water, slopes down to the Seine.

The two pavilions, on the front of which are engraved verses by the poet Valery, today contain the Museum of the Navy, the Museum of Man and the Museum of French Monuments.

MUSEUM OF THE NAVY

This is one of the richest museums of its type in the world. It contains models of ships, original objects, souvenirs and works of art linked to the sea. Among these are the models of Columbus’ ship, the Santa Maria, and the ship La Belle Poule, which brought back to France the ashes of Napoleon from St Helena.

MUSEUM OF MAN

This contains important collections of anthropology and ethnology, illustrating the various human races and their ways of life. In the gallery of paleontology, there are some very famous prehistoric discoveries: the Venus of Lespugue, made from mammoth’s ivory, a cast of the Hottentot Venus and the Hoggar frescoes.

Particularly rich are the collections from the American continent, including Pre-Columbian, Maya, Aztec and Toltec art. From Asia there are Siberian, Mongolian, Chinese, Tibetan and Indochinese objects, besides evidence of the civilisations of Polynesia, the Easter Islands, Java and Malaysia.

MUSEUM OF THE FRENCH MONUMENTS

Born in 1880 from an idea of Viollet-le-Duc, it offers a vast artistic panorama from the Carolingian period on. The works are grouped according to regions, schools and periods, so that the visitor can study the evolution, characteristics and influence of each style.

In the sculpture section, the works include Romanesque, Gothic (statues from the cathedrals of Chartres, Amiens, Notre-Dame and Rheims), Renaissance (works by Jean Goujon and Germain Pilon) and modern (Rude, Pigalle, Houdon).

Also in the complex of the Palais de Chaillot is the Theatre de Chaillot, situated below the terrace, with a capacity of 3000 persons. In 1948 and in 1951 -1952 it was used for the third and fourth sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

In a grotto in the garden is the Aquarium, in which the life of most of the freshwater fishes from all over France can be observed. The gardens slope gently down to the Seine, which the Pont d’lena (1813) crosses here. Adorned with four equestrian groups at the ends, the bridge links Place de Varsovie to the other bank, dominated by the Eiffel Tower.

Die groesste Stadt der Insel ist Samos, ehemals Vathy. Es besitzt eine interessantes archeologisches Museum mit Funden von den Ausgrabungen des Heraion (Tempel der Goettin Hera) und der alten Stadt Samos. Die Staedte Pythagorion und Carlovassi ( zweitgroesste Stadt von Bedeutung ) sind einen Besuch wert. Die Insel hat viele interessante Doerfer in den Bergen und an der Kueste. Einmalig ist das Paleontologische Museum des Ortes Mytilini.

Die Insel liegt in der Ostägäis und ist der kleinasiatischen Küste vorgelagert. Im Südosten trennt die etwa 6 Kilometer lange und an der schmalsten Stelle nur 1,7 Kilometer breite Meerenge von Mykali

The Jardin des Plantes or Botanical Gardens, dates back to 1626, when Herouard and Guy de la Brosse, the doctors of Louis XIII, established the Royal Garden of Medicinal Herbs, opened to the public in 1650.

Its collections of plants were enriched by Louis XIV’s first doctor, Fagon, by the botanist Tournefort, by the three Jussieu brothers, who travelled the world in search of new plants, and above all by the great naturalist Buffon; the latter made the greatest contribution to the gardens, enlarging them as far as the Seine and building the galleries, the maze and the amphitheatre.

At the time of the Revolution, the gardens came to house the National Museum of Natural History. As a result of the work of many eminent scholars, this has become one of the richest and most varied museums in the world.

Visit to the gardens

After passing through the gate, we reach the Botanical garden, its vast flower beds divided by wide paths.

Here are the School of Botany, containing more than 10,000 species of plants, all methodically classified; the Winter Garden, with tropical plants; the Alpine Garden, with collections of plants from the polar regions, the Himalaya Mountains and the Alps. Museum of Natural History.

This is on the other side of the path on the left and contains various sections: Paleontology (fossils, prehistoric animals, casts of extinct species). Botany, Mineralogy (precious stones, minerals, meteorites) and the hunting collections of the Duke of Orleans. In the Zoology gallery are important skeletons, shells and stuffed animals.

Near Jardin des Plantes, on the other side of the Glasshouses (containing plants from South America, Australia, etc.), is the Maze, with its rare plants, including the cedar of Lebanon planted in 1734 by Bernard de Jussieu.

Also worth visiting is the Menagerie, with its wild animals and bird, including elephants, monkeys and so on. MOSQUE – Near the gardens, with its entrance in Place du Puits-de-l’Ermite, is the Mosque, an unusual corner of the Orient here in the middle of the ancient heart of Paris which cannot fail to attract the tourist’s attention.

The Mosque has an interesting courtyard in Hispano-Moorish style, a patio inspired by that of the Alhambra at Granada, and a prayer chamber adorned with precious carpets. ARENES DE LUTECE (Lutetia Arena) – Its entrance at no. 49 Rue Monge, this is the Roman arena of the ancient city.

The exact date of the construction of this Gallo-Roman monument is not known, though it was probably in the 2nd or 3rd century. It was destroyed by the barbarians in 280 and rediscovered only in 1869. At the beginning of this century, it was restored and opened as a park.

The arena had the functions of an amphitheatre, where circus games took place, and also of a theatre. The seating section was elliptical in form, with 36 rows of seats, many of which are now lost. The platform on which the stage was and the circular track around the amphitheatre are still visible. ST-NICOLAS-DU-CHARDONNET – Dedicated to St Nicholas, patron saint of the boatmen, it was built in the Baroque style between 1656 and 1709.

On the exterior, the side door, carved from wood after a design by Le Brun, is outstanding. Interior. In Jesuit style, it has three naves with chancel and ambulatory and contains many works of art. In the first chapel on the right, a work by Corot depicting the Baptism of Jesus; in the ambulatory, in the second chapel on the right, the funeral monument to the Solicitor General Jerome Bignon; in the second chapel to the left of the apse, the tomb of the painter Le Brun and his wife, by Coysevox.

Another work by Charles Le Brun, St Charles Borromeo, is above the altar.

House of Artists ( Dum umelcu ) – This grandiose construction, with its elegant architectural forms, stands majestically on the banks of the Vltava and overlooks the square named after Jan Palach, the martyr of the ” Prague Spring ” in 1968. It is also known as the Rudolfinum, as it was named in honour of Rudolph of Habsburg.

It was built in the second half of the 19th century by J. Zitek and J. Schulz. Once the seat of the Czechoslovak Parliament ( 1919 – 1939 ), it is considered to be one of the most outstanding examples of neo – Renaissance architecture in Prague. 

An allegory dedicated to Wagner adorns the main entrance, while the balustrade is decorated with statues of illustrious artists and musician. Of particular interest inside the building is the sumptuously decorated Dvorak Hall. Close to the river is the Statue of Josef Manes, by B. Kafka ( 1951 ). The nearby Manesuv most is also named after this Czech artist.

At the beginning of the avenue are the celebrated Horses of Marly, by Guillaume Coustou. From here to the Rond-Point of the Champs-Elysees, the avenue is flanked by a vast park.

As we walk along it, on the right is the Theatre des Ambassadeurs-Espace Pierre Cardin, on the left the Ledoyen restaurant from the time of Louis XVI. In Place Clemenceau is the bronze statue of this famous politician who led France to victory in 1918.

At this point the panoramic Avenue Churchill begins, with the Alexandre III Bridge and the Invalides in the background. On each side of the Avenue Churchill are the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, two imposing buildings with large colonnades, friezes and sculptural groups, erected for the World Fair held in Paris in 1900.

 ROND-POINT of the Champs Elysees - This important intersection is at the end of the park zone of the Champs-Elysees; the square, about 150 yards wide, was designed by Le Notre. On the right is the headquarters of the newspaper Le Figaro, on the left that of Jours de France. This is the beginning of the wide street (its two footpaths some 25 yards wide and the roadway more than 30) along either side of which are the offices of airlines, banks and automobile showrooms. There are three large covered galleries, the Galerie Elysees-La Boetie at no. 54, the Galerie Arcades at no. 76 and the Galerie Point-Show at  no. 66

Here, legend relates, Dante came to pray at the time of his hypothetical trip to Paris, perhaps in 1307. The west door, dating from the 13th century, comes from the church of St-Pierre-aux-Boeufs, demolished in 1839. The windows and rose window above it are in the Flamboyant Gothic style of the 15th century, while the bell tower standing on the left is from the 13th century. Small sculpted cusps run along the sides and around the apse of the church.

Interior

It is 164 feet long, 112 feet wide and 56 feet high, with five aisles, no transept and a small chancel. The first three bays of the nave are the oldest, belonging to the 13th century, while the others date from the 1 5th and 16th centuries.

Above the arcades is the triforium gallery, the oldest in Paris. In the first bays, the pillars are adorned with capitals, unlike those of the following bays, which are in the Flamboyant Gothic style. The apse has five arcades which are higher than those in the chancel.

Admirable in the chancel is the splendid double ambulatory, erected between 1489 and 1494, with its multiple rib tracery radiating out from the top of the columns. The windows have beautiful stained glass from the end of the 15th century.

The stained-glass window in the facade illustrates the Tree of Jesse (early 16th century). ST-JULIEN-LE-PAUVRE – Although small, this church is extremely picturesque. It is one of the oldest churches in Paris, its construction dating back to the same period as that of Notre-Dame (from about 1165 to 1220). Since 1889 it has been a Catholic church of the Malachite rite.

The structure of the church was considerably modified in the 17th century, when two bays of the nave and the facade were demolished. Interior. It has three aisles, pillars with fine capitals carved with acanthus leaves, and three apses. RENE VIVIANI SQUARE – This small square planted with lime-trees stands in front of the church. Here, in 1683, a Robinia tree was planted: introduced from North American by the botanist Robin, from whom it took its name, the tree is now one of the oldest in Paris.

The view of the side of Notre-Dame from here is perhaps the finest in the city.

On the ground floor, on the other hand, most of the rooms are dedicated to the Revolution and the First Empire.

Among the museum’s most interesting relics are the bill of indictment of Louis XVI and the key of the Temple in which the royal family was imprisoned, the dressing table and chair used by Marie-Antoinette in the Tower of the Temple (on the table are perfume bottles and a miniature of the Dauphin which the queen made during her imprisonment), the shaving plate and razors of Louis, a game of tombola and an exercise book belonging to the Dauphin, a model of the guillotine, the page of the appeal which Robespierre was signing when he was arrested (the first two letters of his surname and his bloodstains can still be seen), the sword and epaulettes of La Fayette, and the Phrygian cap and pike belonging to Lefebvre.

ist eine der malerischen Inseln der Dodekanese. Sie ist huegelig, aber nicht sehr fruchtbar. Die Hauptbeschaeftigung ihrer Bewohner ist das Schwammtauchen. Man betrachtet sie als besten Taucher der Welt. Bevor ihre Boote in jedem Fruehling von der

Hauptstadt Pothia Oder Kalimnos aus Segel setzen fuer die Fahrt zur Kueste Nordafrikas, werden Festlichkeiten mit interessanten Volksbelustigungen abgehalten.

Reliquien aus prehistorischen Zeiten wurden in einer Hoehle auf dem Huegel Aghia Varvara entdeckt. Auf der Insel befinden sich auch Ueberreste aus der Mykenischen Periode. Und bei Telendos, einer kleinen Insel in Naehe von Kalymnos gibt es Ueberreste einer versunkenen alten Stadt.

The building which stands here today is the result of a faithful reconstruction of the original, destroyed in the second half of the 18th century.

This work was completed in the early 1950s by J. Fragner who gathered information about the original chapel from old iconographic sources, descriptions and prints of the earlier building, This had been built towards the end of the 14th century at the request of the citizens of Prague who wanted a church where they could celebrate Mass in their own language.

Instead the church authorities only gave their permission for the construction of a Gothic chapel, although this was capable of accommodating a congregation of 3000.

The Czech reformer Jan Hus preached from its pulpit in the first half of the 15th century, and even after his death the Bethlehem Chapel remained one of the strongholds of the Prague Hussite movement. In the first half of the 17th century the chapel belonged to the Bohemian Brotherhood, but after the Battle of the White Mountain ( 8th Nov 1620 ) it passed into the hands of the Jesuits.

In 1733 the Order was dissolved and not long afterwards the building was destroyed.       The interior contains wall paintings based on the Velislav Bible, the Jena Kodex, and the Richenthalsch Chronicles. Also on view are some passages from the J. Hus and J. ze Stribro treaties.