Rīga, Latvijas Republika

Riga (Latvian: Rīga) is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants (July 2011) Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltic Sea region.The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the river Daugava. Riga's territory covers 307.17 km² (118.60 sq mi) and lies between 1 and 10 metres (3.3 and 33 ft) above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain.

Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga's historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. The city will be the European Capital of Culture in 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden. The city hosted the 2006 NATO Summit, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 and the 2006 IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. It is home to the European Union's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). Riga is served by Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the Baltic states.

Riga is a member of Eurocities, the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) and Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU). Riga is considered a global city.

Etymology

One theory for the origin of the name Riga is that it is a corrupted borrowing from the Liv ringa meaning loop, referring to the ancient natural harbour formed by the tributary loop of the Daugava. The other is that Riga owes its name to this already-established role in commerce between East and West, as a borrowing of the Latvian rija, for threshing barn, the "j" becoming a "g" in German — notably, Riga is called Rie by English geographer Richard Hakluyt (1589), and German historian Dionysius Fabricius (1610) confirms the origin of Riga from rija. Another theory could be that Riga was named after Riege, the German name for the River Rīdzene, a tributary of the Daugava.

History

Founding

The river Daugava has been a trade route since antiquity, part of the Vikings' Dvina-Dnieper navigation route to Byzantium. A sheltered natural harbour 15 km (9.3 mi) upriver from the mouth of the Daugava — the site of today's Riga — has been recorded, as Duna Urbs, as early as the 2nd century. It was settled by the Livs, an ancient Finnic tribe.

Riga began to develop as a centre of Viking trade during the early Middle Ages. Riga's inhabitants occupied themselves mainly with fishing, animal husbandry, and trading, later developing crafts (in bone, wood, amber, and iron).

The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia testifies to Riga having long been a trading centre by the 12th century, referring to it as portus antiquus (ancient port), and describes dwellings and warehouses used to store mostly corn, flax, and hides. German traders began visiting Riga, establishing a nearby outpost in 1158.

Along with German traders also arrived the monk Meinhard of Segeberg to convert the pagans to Christianity. (Catholic and Orthodox Christianity had already arrived in Latvia more than a century earlier, and many Latvians baptised) Meinhard settled among the Livs, building a castle and church at Ikšķile, upstream from Riga, and established his bishopric there. The Livs, however, continued to practice paganism and Meinhard died in Ikšķile in 1196, having failed his mission. In 1198 the Bishop Bertold arrived with a contingent of crusaders and commenced a campaign of forced Christianization. Bertold was killed soon afterwards and his forces defeated.

The Church mobilised to avenge. Pope Innocent III issued a bull declaring a crusade against the Livonians. Bishop Albert was proclaimed Bishop of Livonia by his uncle Hartwig of Uthlede, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen and Hamburg in 1199. Albert landed in Riga in 1200 with 23 ships and 500 Westphalian crusaders. In 1201 he transferred the seat of the Livonian bishopric from Ikšķile to Riga, extorting agreement to do so from the elders of Riga by force.

Under Bishop Albert

1201 also marked the first arrival of German merchants in Novgorod, via the Dvina. To defend territory and trade, Albert established the Order of Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1202, open to nobles and merchants.

Christianization of the Livs continued. 1207 marked Albert's start on fortification of the town.  Emperor Philip's invested Albert with Livonia as a fief and principality of the Holy Roman Empire. To promote a permanent military presence, territorial ownership was divided between the Church and the Order, with the Church taking Riga and two thirds of all lands conquered and granting the Order a third. Until then, it had been customary for crusaders to serve for a year and then return home.

Albert had ensured Riga's commercial future by obtaining papal bulls which decreed that all German merchants had to carry on their Baltic trade through Riga. In 1211, Riga minted its first coinage, and Albert laid the cornerstone for the Riga Dom. Riga was not yet secure as an alliance of tribes failed to take Riga. In 1212, Albert led a campaign to compel Polotsk to grant German merchants free river passage. Polotsk conceded Kukenois (Koknese) and Jersika to Albert, also ending the Livs' tribute to Polotsk.

Riga's merchant citizenry chafed and sought greater autonomy from the Church. In 1221 they acquired the right to independently self-administer Riga and adopted a city constitution^.

That same year Albert was compelled to recognize Danish rule over lands they had conquered in Estonia and Livonia. Albert had sought the aid of King Valdemar of Denmark to protect Riga and Livonian lands against Liv insurrection when reinforcements could not reach Riga. The Danes landed in Livonia, built a fortress at Reval (Tallinn), and set about conquering Estonian and Livonian lands. The Germans attempted, but failed, to assassinate Valdemar. Albert was able to reach an accommodation a year later, however, and in 1222 Valdemar returned all Livonian lands and possessions to Albert's control.

Albert's difficulties with Riga's citizenry continued; with papal intervention, a settlement was reached in 1225 whereby they no longer had to pay tax to the Bishop of Riga, and Riga's citizens acquired the right to elect their magistrates and town councilors. In 1226, Albert consecrated the Dom Cathedral, built St. James's Church,and founding a parochial school at the Church of St. George.

In 1227, Albert conquered Oesel and the city of Riga concluded a treaty with the Principality of Smolensk giving Polotsk to Riga.

Albert died in January 1229.He failed his aspiration to be anointed archbishop but the German hegemony he established over the Baltics would last for seven centuries.

Hanseatic League

In 1282 Riga became a member of the Hanseatic League. The Hansa was instrumental in giving Riga economic and political stability, thus providing the city with a strong foundation which endured the political conflagrations that were to come, down to modern times.

Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Swedish and Russian Empires

As the influence of the Hansa waned, Riga became the object of foreign military, political, religious and economic aspirations. Riga accepted the Reformation in 1522, ending the power of the archbishops. In 1524, a venerated statue of the Virgin Mary in the Cathedral was denounced as a witch, and given a trial by water in the Daugava River. The statue floated, so it was denounced as a witch and burnt at Kubsberg.^[36] With the demise of the Livonian Order during the Livonian War, Riga for twenty years had the status of a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire before it came under the influence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by the Treaty of Drohiczyn, which ended the war for Riga in 1581. In 1621, during the Polish–Swedish War (1621–1625), Riga and the outlying fortress of Daugavgriva came under the rule of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, who intervened in the Thirty Years' War not only for political and economic gain but also in favour of German Lutheran Protestantism. During the Russo-Swedish War (1656–1658), Riga withstood a siege by Russian forces.

Riga remained the largest city in Sweden until 1710, a period during which the city retained a great deal of autonomous self-government. In that year, in the course of the Great Northern War, Russia under Tsar Peter the Great besieged Riga. Along with the other Livonian towns and gentry, Riga capitulated to Russia, but largely retained their privileges. Riga was made the capital of the Governorate of Riga (later: Livonia). Sweden's northern dominance had ended, and Russia's emergence as the strongest Northern power was formalised through the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. Peter the Great was a big fan of Riga. He married Latvian Martha Skavronskaya, after his death known as Empress Ekaterina I. Having received a palace as a gift from the municipality of Riga (although he insisted on paying), Peter used to visit Riga regularly. He helped to rebuild the tallest church in Riga (St.Peter's church) after it was burned down, and created a general plan for Riga's development, including planning many parks and boulevards, and planting some trees himself. Riga became an industrialised port city of the Russian empire, in which it remained until World War I. By 1900, Riga was the third largest city in Russia after Moscow and Saint Petersburg in terms of the number of industrial workers and number of theatres.

During these many centuries of war and changes of power in the Baltic, and despite demographic changes, the Baltic Germans in Riga had maintained a dominant position. By 1867 Riga's population was 42.9% German. Riga employed German as its official language of administration until the installation of Russian in 1891 as the official language in the Baltic provinces, as part of the policy of Russification of the non-Russian speaking territories of the Russian Empire, including Congress Poland, Finland and the Baltics, undertaken by Tsar Alexander III. More and more Latvians started moving to the city during the mid-19th century. The rise of a Latvian bourgeoisie made Riga a centre of the Latvian National Awakening with the founding of the Riga Latvian Association in 1868 and the organisation of the first national song festival in 1873. The nationalist movement of the Young Latvians was followed by the socialist New Current during the city's rapid industrialisation, culminating in the 1905 Revolution led by the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party.

Interwar period

The 20th century brought World War I and the impact of the Russian Revolution of 1917 to Riga. The German army marched into Riga on 3 September 1917. On 3 March 1918 the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, giving the Baltic countries to Germany. Because of the Armistice with Germany of 11 November 1918, Germany had to renounce that treaty, as did Russia, leaving Latvia and the other Baltic States in a position to claim independence. Latvia, with Riga as its capital city, thus declared its independence on November 18, 1918.

Between World War I and World War II (1918–1940), Riga and Latvia shifted their focus from Russia to the countries of Western Europe. The United Kingdom and Germany replaced Russia as Latvia's major trade partners.

World War II and the Soviet Union

During World War II, Latvia was occupied first by the Soviet Union in June 1940 and then by Nazi Germany in 1941–1944. The Baltic Germans were forcibly repatriated to Germany. The city's Jewish community was forced into the Riga Ghetto and concentration camps were constructed in Kaiserwald and the city of Salaspils.

In October 1944 Latvia was once again occupied by the Red Army. As a result of the war Latvia lost approximately one-third of its population. Industrialization and growth of infrastructure led to many people from other parts of Soviet Union moving to Riga, and most of those people were not of Latvian ethnicity. In effect, as a Latvian city it never really had a majority Latvian population other than a short 20 year long period between wars.

Restoration of independence and onwards

The policy of economic reform, introduced in 1986 as Perestroika, led to dissolution of the Soviet Union and restoration of independent Latvia in 1991. Latvia formally joined the United Nations as an independent country on 17 September 1991. In 2004 Latvia joined both NATO and the European Union.

In 2004, the arrival of low-cost airlines resulted in cheaper flights from other European cities such as London and Berlin and consequently a substantial increase in numbers of tourists.

Madrid, Reino de España

Hősök tere, Budapest, Magyar Köztársaság

Hősök tere (meaning "Heroes' Square" in Hungarian) is one of the major squares of Budapest,Hungary, rich with historic and political connotations. It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue (with which it comprises part of an extensive World Heritage site), next to City Park.

The site

The polyethnic nature of Budapest. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919 the Millennium Monument was completely covered by red textile and at the basement of the obelisk a new statue was erected: Marx with a worker and a peasant. The statues of Hungarian historic national heroes were toppled. The Hungarian national symbols were banned in the name of internationalism

Hősök tere is surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left and Palace of Art (or more accurately Hall of Art) on the right. On the other side it faces Andrassy Avenue which has two buildings looking at the square — one is residential and the other one is the embassy of Serbia(former Yugoslavian embassy where Imre Nagy secured sanctuary in 1956).

The central site of the hero's square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millennium Memorial (also known as Millennium Monument or Millenary Monument) with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding figures of Hungarian history (see below). The construction of the memorial was started when the one thousandth anniversary was celebrated (in 1896), but it was finished only in 1900 and the square got its name then.

When the monument was originally constructed, Hungary was a part of the Austrian Empire and thus the last five spaces for statues on the left of the colonnade were reserved for members of the ruling Habsburg dynasty. From left to right these were:Ferdinand I (relief: Defense of the Castle at Eger); Leopold I (relief: Eugene of Savoy defeats the Turks at Zenta), Charles III,Maria Theresa (relief: The Hungarian Diet votes support "vitam et sanguinem") and Franz Joseph (relief: Franz Joseph crowned by Gyula Andrássy) The monument was damaged in World War II and when it was rebuilt the Habsburgs were replaced by the current figures.

On the 16th June 1989 a crowd of 250,000 gathered at the square for the historic reburial of Imre Nagy, who had been executed in June 1958.

It is also a station of the yellow M1 (Millennium Underground) line of the Budapest Metro.

There are also three other squares in Budapest entitled Hősök tere, in Soroksár, Békásmegyer and Rákosliget.

Behind the cenotaph but within the decorative chain is a flat bronze plate which marks the site of an artesian well whose drilling was completed in 1878 by Vilmos Zsigmondy. This well provides water for the Széchenyi Baths behind the monument and theDagály Baths in the Népfürdő utca. The well reached a depth of 971 meters and produces 831 liters of hot water per minute at 74 degrees Celsius

The Heroes' Square monument has a 90% duplicate in Shanghai Global Paradise, Shanghai. Since its opening in 1996, it has been mostly degraded and most statues removed. (See an article about the place and photos of the duplicate monument in a Hungarian article.)

Millennium Monument

At the front of the monument is a large stone cenotaph surrounded by an ornamental iron chain. The cenotaph is dedicated "To the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our national independence." While some guide books refer to this as a "tomb" it is not a burial place.

Directly behind the cenotaph is a column topped by a statue of the archangel Gabriel. In his right hand the angel holds the Holy Crown of St. Stephen (Istvan), the first king of Hungary. In his left hand the angel holds a two barred apostolic cross, a symbol awarded to St. Stephen by the Pope in recognition of his efforts to convert Hungary to Christianity. In Hungarian it is referred to as the double cross or the apostolic double cross.

At the base of the column is a group of seven mounted figures representing the Magyar chieftains who led the Hungarian people into the Carpathian basin. In the front is Árpád, considered the founder of the Hungarian nation. Behind him are the chieftains Előd, Ond, Kond, Tas, Huba, and Töhötöm (Tétény). Little survives in the historical record about these individuals and both their costumes and their horses are considered to be more fanciful than historically accurate.

The back of the monument consists of two matched colonnades, each with seven statues representing great figures of Hungarian history. Topping the outer edge of the left colonnade is a statue of a man with a scythe and a woman sowing seed, representing Labor and Wealth. In the corresponding position on the right colonnade is a statue of a man holding a statue and a woman with a palm frond representing Knowledge and Glory. At the inner top edge of the left colonnade is a male figure driving a chariot using a snake as a whip representing War, while on the facing end of the right colonnade is a female figure in a chariot holding a palm frond representing Peace.

Budapest, Magyar Köztársaság

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2010, Budapest had 1,721,556 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 because of the mass suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter Area is home to 3,271,110 people. The city covers an area of 525 square kilometres (202.7 sq mi) within the city limits. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of west-bank Buda and Óbuda with east-bank Pest.

Historically, Aquincum, originally a Celtic settlement, was the direct ancestor of Budapest, becoming the Roman capital ofLower Pannonia. Magyars arrived in the territory in the 9th century. Their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241-42. The re-established town became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture in the 15th century. Following the Battle of Mohács and nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule, development of the region entered a new age of prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Budapest became a global city after the 1873 unification. It also became the second capital of Austria-Hungary, a great power that dissolved in 1918. Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Operation Panzerfaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest of 1945, and the Revolution of 1956.

Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its extensive World Heritage Site includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes' Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world. Other highlights include a total of 80 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building. The city attracts about 2.3 million tourists a year.

Considered a financial hub in Central Europe, the city ranked 3rd (out of 65 cities) on Mastercard's Emerging Markets Index, and ranked as the most livable Central/Eastern European city on EIU's quality of life index. It is also ranked as "Europe's 7th most idyllic place to live" by Forbes. It is the highest ranked Central/Eastern European city on Innovation Cities' Top 100 index.

Budapest is home to the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), and the first foreign office of the CIPA.

History

The first settlement on the territory of Budapest was built by Celts before 1 AD. It was later occupied by the Romans. The Roman settlement - Aquincum - became the main city of Lower Pannonia  in 106 AD. The Romans constructed roads, amphitheaters, baths and houses with heated floors in this fortified military camp.

The peace treaty of 829 added Pannonia to Bulgaria due to the victory of Bulgarian army of Omurtag over Holy Roman Empire of Louis the Pious. Budapest arose out of two Bulgarian military frontier fortresses Buda and Pest, situated on the two banks of Danube. Hungarians led by Árpád settled in the territory at the end of the 9th century, and a century later officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary. Research places the probable residence of the Árpáds as an early place of central power near what became Budapest. The Tatar invasion in the 13th century quickly proved that defence is difficult on a plain. King Béla IV of Hungary therefore ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns and set his own royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of Buda. In 1361 it became the capital of Hungary.

The cultural role of Buda was particularly significant during the reign of Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. The Italian Renaissance had a great influence on the city. His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second only in size to the Vatican Library. After the foundation of the first Hungarian university in Pécs in 1367, the second one was established in Óbuda in 1395. The first Hungarian book was printed in Buda in 1473. Buda had about 5,000 inhabitants around 1500.

The Ottomans pillaged Buda in 1526, besieged it in 1529, and finally occupied it in 1541. The Turkish occupation lasted for more than 140 years. The Turks constructed some fine bathing facilities here. Under Ottoman rule almost all Christians left the city and it became a truly Muslim town. By 1547 the number of Christians was around one thousand. In 1647 it had fallen to about seventy. The unoccupied western part of the country became part of the Habsburg Empire as Royal Hungary.

In 1686, two years after the unsuccessful siege of Buda, a renewed campaign was started to enter the Hungarian capital. This time, the Holy League's army was twice as large, containing over 74,000 men, including German, Croat, Dutch, Hungarian, English, Spanish, Czech, Italian, French, Burgundian, Danish and Swedish soldiers, along with other Europeans as volunteers, artilleryman, and officers, the Christian forces reconquered Buda, and in the next few years, all of the former Hungarian lands, except areas near Timişoara (Temesvár), were taken from the Turks. In the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz these territorial changes were officially recognized, and in 1718 the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule.

The city was destroyed during the battle. Hungary was then incorporated into the Habsburg Empire.

The 19th century was dominated by the Hungarians' struggle for independence and modernization. The national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital in 1848 and was defeated a little more than a year later.

1867 was the year of Reconciliation that brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary.

This made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. It was this compromise which opened the second great phase of development in the history of Budapest, lasting until World War I. In 1873 Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. The dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. Budapest went from about 80% German-speaking in 1848 to about 80% Hungarian-speaking in 1880. The capital, Budapest, was 23% Jewish. Due to the prosperity and the large Jewish community of the city, Budapest was often called the "Jewish Mecca" World War I brought the Golden Age to an end. In 1918 Austria-Hungary lost the war and collapsed; Hungary declared itself an independent republic. In 1920 the Treaty of Trianon finalized the country's partition, as a result, Hungary lost over two-thirds of its territory, about two-thirds of its inhabitants under the treaty including 3.3 million out of 10 million ethnic Hungarians.

In 1944, towards the end of World War II, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids. From 24 December 1944 to 13 February 1945, the city was besieged during the Battle of Budapest. Budapest suffered major damage caused by the attacking Soviet troops and the defending German and Hungarian troops. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives during the conflict.

Between 20% and 40% of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through Nazi and Arrow Cross Party genocide during 1944 and early 1945. Despite this, modern day Budapest has the highest number of Jewish citizens per capita of any European city.

In 1949, Hungary was declared a communist People's Republic. The new Communist government considered the buildings like the Buda Castle symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed.

In 1956, peaceful demonstrations in Budapest led to the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution. The Leadership collapsed after mass demonstrations began on 23 October, but Soviet tanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt. Fighting continued until early November, leaving more than 3000 dead.

From the 1960s to the late 1980s Hungary was often satirically referred to as "the happiest barrack" within the Eastern bloc, and much of the wartime damage to the city was finally repaired. Work on Erzsébet Bridge, the last to be rebuilt, was finished in 1965. In the early 1970s,Budapest Metro's East-West M2 line was first opened, followed by the M3 line in 1982. In 1987, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Andrassy Avenue (including the Millennium Underground Railway, Hősök tere and Városliget) was added to the UNESCO list in 2002. In the 1980s the city's population reached 2.1 million. In recent times a significant decrease in population occurred mainly due to a massive movement to the neighbouring agglomeration in Pest county. In the last decades of the 20th century the political changes of 1989-90 concealed changes in civil society and along the streets of Budapest. The monuments of the dictatorship were taken down from public places, into Memento Park. In the first 20 years of the new democracy the development of the city was managed by Gábor Demszky.

Dvorac Trakošćan, Republika Hrvatska

Trakošćan (also spelled Trakostyan) is a castle located in northern Croatia (in the Varaždin County) that dates back to the13th century (first written mention is in 1334).

It has been meticulously maintained and is currently one of the best preserved historic buildings in the country.

History

The ban of Croatia Ivan Drašković (or Draskovich) (1550–1613) was from Trakošćan.

Trakošćan was built in the 13th century within Croatia's northwestern fortification system, as a rather small observation fortress for monitoring the road from Ptuj to Bednja Valley.

According to a legend, Trakošćan was named after another fortification (arx Thacorum) that was alleged to have stood in the same spot back in antiquity. Another source claims that it was named after the knights of Drachenstein who were in control of the region in early Middle Ages.

The toponym was first mentioned in written records in 1334. It is not known who its owners were in the first years of its existence. As of the end of the 14th century, it was owned by the Counts of Celje, who were in charge of the entire Zagorje County. The family soon became extinct, and Trakošćan shared the fate of their other burgs and estates that were divided and kept changing owners. In these divisions, Trakošćan was, as a whole, first owned by an army leader by the name of Jan Vitovac, then by Ivaniš Korvin, who gave it to his deputy warden Ivan Gyulay. The family kept the castle throughout three generations, and became extinct in 1566, after which the ownership was taken over by the state.

King Maximilian gave the estate to Juraj Drašković (1525–1587) for services rendered, first personally, and then as family heritage. This was how, in 1584, the Drašković family finally came into possession of Trakošćan.

In the second half of the 18th century, when the building of manors was flourishing in Hrvatsko Zagorje, Trakošćan was abandoned. Neglected, it fell quickly into dilapidation. It was only towards the middle of the 19th century that the family became interested once again in its estate, in the Romanticist spirit of return to nature and family traditions. In this spirit, the deputy marshal Juraj V. Drašković turned the castle into a residential manor-house, while the surrounding park was turned into Romanticist pleasure grounds. The generations that followed were staying at the castle from time to time all the way until 1944 when they were forced to emigrate to Austria. Soon after that, the castle became nationalized.

The Museum with collections on permanent display was established in 1953. The castle is today owned by the Republic of Croatia.

The castle itself reveals different phases of building. For several centuries, it used to be a fortification, so that the reconstructions undertaken during that period were functional rather than aesthetic. The facility's essential core is a Romanesque fortification consisting of a housing unit, a small fortified yard, and a massive high tower. The fortification's good location and its observation tower made it safe and easy to defend.

Rapid development of firearms and increasingly threatening Turkish attacks made additional construction and further fortifying urgently necessary. The Drašković family's second generation, Ivan II and Petar, added the western tower, which may be seen from the coat-of-arms and the accompanying inscription.

On the Great Genealogical Tree, the oldest visual presentation from 1668, the facility had three floors, and its basic dimensions could already be discerned. Over the next period, several defense facilities were added around it. At the time, it also had the highest number of inhabitants, as may be seen from the Small Genealogical Tree dating back to 1755. It was in this same century that the outbuildings were erected at the foothills of Trakošćan, and a stone bridge built over the river Bednja.

In the 19th century Trakošćan acquired its present appearance. In the 1840-1862 period, during one among the first restoration undertakings in the country, the castle was reconstructed in Neo-Gothic style. This not only altered its exterior, but also finally brought to an end its five centuries long fortification purpose. The reconstruction also included the appearance of Romanticist pleasure grounds by Juraj V. Drašković, after the model of English parks. When the dam was built, the valley turned into a large lake. The uniqueness of style characterizing the facility equally includes the interior and its surrounding landscape.

After the reconstruction, the castle was still inhabited by several generations of the Drašković family that did some additional constructions and adaptations. It was at the time that the northern tower appeared over the entrance, a large shingle cap added to the top of the tower (removed in 1961), and a southwestern vaulted terrace added.

The end of World War II found Trakošćan in a neglected and dilapidated condition, which is why protective architectural and interior decoration works were immediately undertaken. Over the past few years, the castle has once again been undergoing more thorough reconstruction.

Torino, Repubblica Italiana

Тури́н (итал. Torino, пьем. Turin) — город на северо-западе Италии, административный центр региона Пьемонт и провинции Турин. Четвёртый после Рима, Милана и Неаполя город Италии по количеству жителей, насчитывает 910 тыс. чел. (2008). Расположен при впадении реки Дора-Рипария в реку По, на Паданской равнине у подножия Западных Альп, на подступах к Альпийским перевалам.

Покровителем города считается Св. Иоанн Креститель (итал. San Giovanni Battista). Праздник города 24 июня.

Во времена Римской империи военный лагерь Castra Taurinorum (основанный около 28 г. до н. э.) был переименован в честь императора Августа в колонию Augusta Taurinorum.

В 940-е годы Турин стал резиденцией маркграфов Ардинуичи, правивших феодом, известным как Туринская марка. С XI века — совместное владение графов Савойских и местных князей-епископов.

В 1563 году Эммануил Филиберт сделал Турин столицей могущественной Савойской династии. Он возвёл новые дворцовые резиденции и возобновил Туринский университет, учреждённый в 1404 году, но впоследствии распущенный.

Одним из центральных событий Войны за испанское наследство была 117-дневная осада Турина французами (1706). Победив французов, савойские правители приняли королевский титул и поручили Филиппо Юварра вывести город на уровень других королевских столиц Европы.

После завершения Рисорджименто (1861) Турин на протяжении четырёх лет оставался столицей объединённой Италии. В это время здесь реализовывались крупнейшие на юге Европы строительные проекты. В 1902 году Турин принимал Всемирную выставку, а в 2006 году — зимние Олимпийские игры.

Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Кильский канал (нем. Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) — канал в Германии, соединяющий Балтийское и Северное моря, проходит от Кильской бухты, у города Киль (пригородный район Хольтенау) до устья реки Эльба, у города Брунсбюттель.

Протяженность — около 98 км, ширина — более 100 м, глубина — 11 м. Канал оканчивается парой шлюзов с каждой стороны, один из шлюзов предназначен для маломерного флота.

Канал был введён в эксплуатацию 20 июня 1895 года, строительство продолжалось 8 лет. Является одним из самых загруженных судоходных путей Европы.

Lübeck, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Лю́бек (нем. Lübeck) — город на севере Германии (юго-восток федеральной земли Шлезвиг-Гольштейн). Порт на Балтийском море вблизи устья реки Траве. В истории известен как крупнейший центр Ганзейского союза; основные достопримечательности включены в список объектов Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО в Германии.

Город расположен на Северо-Германской низменности, вблизи от устья судоходной реки Траве, которая впадает в районе Травемюнде в Балтийское море. Старая часть города лежит на холме и окружена водами Траве и Вакениц. Данный ландшафт представляет собой холмистую местность и обусловлен ледниковым периодом. Выгодное географическое положение благоприятствовало развитию города как балтийского порта и явилось причиной его стремительного подъёма ещё в период Средневековья.

Город основан в XII веке на месте небольшого поселения славян-ободритов Буку, расположенного на лесистом заболоченном полуострове в междуречьи Траве и Вакенитца, носящем то же название, что и полуостров.

Шестью километрами ниже по течению реки Траве, в месте впадения в неё речки Швартау, на маленьком узком полуострове с 7-8 веков н. э. располагался славянский торговый поселок и небольшая княжеская крепость Любице («любимая»), ставшая к концу 11 в. резиденцией ободридской династии Наконидов. Во время славянской междоусобицы слявяне-язычники уничтожили правившую в Любице христианскую княжескую династию Наконидов, а Любице разорили и сожгли. Остатки горожан перебрались в Буку, под защиту остатков небольшого датско-славянского княжеского замка, и вместе с немецкими переселенцами-колонистами из района Рейна основали «новый» Любек. Полузабытое Любице, в конце XIX века вновь открытое археологами, историки нарекли «Старый Любек» (нем. Alt Lübeck).

Поток немцев-переселенцев с Юга — из Рурской области быстро прибывал и уже через несколько лет после основания новый Любек имел крепостные стены, улицы и кварталы домов, пристани, церкви, городское самоуправление и даже городские законы. Сюда, под защиту немецкой княжеской династии Вельфов, в стены новопостроенного Собора Св. Николая вместе со своим клиром перебрался глава епархии епископ Ольденбургский.

В 1226 г. сенат Любека выкупил у императора Священной Римской империи статус вольного имперского города. В середине 14-ого столетия Любек входил в состав немецкого Ганзейского союза, в состав которого входило до 200 городов. Последнее собрание ганзейских городов было проведено в Любеке в 1630 г. в традиционной форме. Впоследствии приставку «Hansestadt» (город Ганзейского союза) сохранили только Гамбург, Любек и Бремен. Последняя неудачная попытка, нацеленная на возрождение Ганзейского союза, была проведена в 1669 г.

После окончания Наполеоновских войн Любек остается (наряду с Бременом, Гамбургом и Франкфуртом-на-Майне ) одним из четырех сохранившихся германских «вольных городов». Именно в таком качестве Любек в 1815 году вошел в состав вновь образованного Германского союза, а затем, в 1871 году — в состав Германской империи. Статус самостоятельного государственного образования сохранялся за Любеком и в период Веймарской республики.

В 1937 году вольный статус Любека был аннулирован, город включен в состав прусской провинции Шлезвиг-Гольштейн. Город остается в составе Шлезвиг-Гольштейна и после приобретения в 1949 году этой провинцией статуса федеральной земли ФРГ.

Исторический центр Любека (Старый город) с его памятниками культуры является объектом Всемирного наследия и находится под защитой ЮНЕСКО.

Split, Republika Hrvatska

Cплит (хорв. Split, итал. Spalato) — город в Хорватии с более чем 1700-летней историей. Самый крупный город Далмации и второй по величине город страны после столицы — Загреба. Центр известного курортного региона, находится в центральной части побережья Адриатики между городами Задар и Дубровник.

Город расположен на полуострове Марьян между заливом Каштела и Сплитским каналом у подножия Мосорских гор (высочайшая вершина — Мосор, 1330 метров). Современный Сплит — динамично развивающийся город. Население занято в туристическом сервисе, торговле, пищевой промышленности, рыболовстве и рыбопереработке, виноделии, производстве удобрений, судостроении, добыче и обработке известняка. Значительное число горожан работает в портах, пассажирском и грузовом.

Основная достопримечательность города — дворец Диоклетиана (305 н. э.). В 1979 центральная историческая часть Сплита внесена в список мирового наследия Юнеско.

Москва, Россия

Кра́сная пло́щадь — главная и наиболее известная площадь Москвы, расположена в Китай-городе, у северо-восточной стены Кремля, между Кремлёвским проездом, проездом Воскресенские ворота, Никольской улицей, Ильинкой, Варваркой и Кремлёвской набережной. К западу от неё находится Московский Кремль, к востоку — ГУМ, к северу — Исторический музей и Собор Казанской иконы Божией Матери, к югу — Покровский собор (храм Василия Блаженного).

Общая площадь Красной Площади составляет 23.100 м², длина — 695 метров, ширина — 70 метров.

На площади расположены Лобное место, памятник Минину и Пожарскому, Мавзолей В. И. Ленина (Мавзолей), рядом с которым Некрополь у Кремлёвской стены, где захоронены деятели (в основном политические и военные) Советского государства (кроме того, в 1920-30-e годы там хоронили также иностранных коммунистов).

Доступ на площадь открыт, кроме времени работы Мавзолея. С 2001 года по площади запрещено ездить на велосипедах.

Собор Покрова, что на Рву, также называемый Собор Василия Блаженного — православный храм, расположенный на Красной площади Китай-города в Москве. Широко известный памятник русской архитектуры. До XVII века обычно назывался Троицким, так как первоначальный деревянный храм был посвящён Святой Троице; был также известен как «иерусалимский», что связано как с посвящением одного из приделов, так и с совершавшимся в Вербное воскресенье крестным ходом к нему из Успенского собора с «шествием на осляти» Патриарха. Покровский собор был построен в 1555—61 годах по приказу Ивана Грозного в память о взятии Казани и победе над Казанским ханством.

Памятник работы Зураба Церетели был воздвигнут по заказу Правительства Москвы на стрелке острова Москва-реки и Обводного канала в 1997 году.

Gdańsk, Rzeczpospolita Polska

Republika Slovenija

Любля́на (словен. Ljubljana , нем. Laibach, итал. Lubiana) — столица и самый большой город Словении. На гербе Любляны изображён символ города — зелёный Люблянский змей. Город расположен на реке Любляница, примерно за 10 км до её впадения в Саву. Государственным языком является словенский, многие жители владеют немецким и английским. Большинство верующих — католики. Первое письменное упоминание Любляны относится к 1144 году. В 1260 году впервые указан как город на реке Любляница.

Существует много версий происхождения названия города . По мнению одних исследователей, его следует искать в словенском слове люблена, по мнению других — в латинском слове aluviana, по мнению третьих — в немецком слове Laibach.

Блед (словен. Bled, нем. Veldes) — город в северо-западной части Словении, близ границ с Италией и Австрией. Блед расположен на берегах Бледского озера, в Юлийских Альпах к востоку от национального парка Триглав. Город Блед — популярное туристическое направление.

Бледский замок впервые упомянут под своим немецким названием Фельдес в 1004 году, когда он был пожалован императором Генрихом II Альбуину, епископу Бриксена.

Блед — один из крупнейших бальнеологических и горнолыжных курортов страны. Популярность Бледа, как курорта, зародилась ещё в XIX веке. Гостям города предлагаются также возможности для активного отдыха (гольф, конные и велосипедные прогулки, горный туризм). Зимой работает множество горнолыжных трасс.

Бледский замок — замок, построенный на вершине 130-метровой отвесной скалы над озером. Впервые упомянут в 1004 году, с тех пор многократно перестроен и расширен.

Бледское озеро — живописное горное озеро с чистейшей водой. Посреди озера остров, на котором находится часовня Успения.