International Geographic

2022-05-23 15:10:27 Pragser Wildsee #Italy

 Pragser Wildsee is the emerald of the Alpine valleys.

A lake of stunning beauty, surrounded by picturesque Alpine nature in the province of Bolzano in Italy, almost on the border with Austria. 
This is the largest lake of the Dolomites, located at an altitude of almost one and a half kilometers with a maximum depth of 36 meters and an area of 31 hectares.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/+Pragser+Wildsee Open / Comment

2022-05-23 03:04:37 Switzerland , Pilatus Mountain

Mount Pilatus is a mountain range overlooking Lucerne in central Switzerland. It consists of several peaks, the highest of which (2128.5 m) is called Tomlishorn.

This is the most accessible and one of the most visited Alpine mountains in Switzerland.

The top of the mountain can be reached by rail, the world's steepest cog railway departing from Alpnachstad, operating from May to November or throughout the year with aerial panorama gondolas and aerial cable cars from Kriens.

The observation deck on Pilatus deserves special attention: it is from here that a beautiful panorama of the city of Lucerne and the picturesque mountain landscapes of Switzerland opens. Next to the site is the Pilatus Kulm Hotel, where you can have a snack in a self-service restaurant. Not far from the building of the complex there are several trails from which various mountain routes begin: some of them take several minutes, others – up to 4 hours.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Pilatus+Mountain Open / Comment

2022-05-22 15:12:32 Isola Bella #Italy

Isola Bella is one of the most famous Baroque palace and park ensembles in the world. It was admired by such different people as Stendhal and Dickens, Napoleon and Josephine stayed here. 

When Count Vitaliano VI Borromeo began in 1632 the construction of the palace and park complex, which later became famous, Isola Bella (ital. "Beautiful Island") was only a small rocky islet on Lago Maggiore, inhabited by fishermen. 

The palace was supposed to be a gift to the Count's wife Isabella, but the construction was delayed for decades: the southern facade of the palace was completed only in 1958.

The palace and gardens were originally conceived in a single composition: as a result, the island turned into a kind of ship with a manor house at the bow and a garden at the stern.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Isola+Bella Open / Comment

2022-05-22 11:10:43 Farmers in Cyprus set fire to hay and poured tons of milk on the road, demanding financial assistance and support near the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. Open / Comment

2022-05-22 03:11:32 Thailand , Ayutthaya

In ancient times, Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam (as Thailand was previously called), and today it is the center of one of the provinces.

The current and ancient capitals are separated by a distance of only a hundred kilometers.

From the ancient capital there are majestic ruins and temples made of unfired bricks, once created in the Khmer architectural style (this is how the royal palace and the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia were built).

The city is included in the UNESCO Heritage List.

The whole city is an open-air museum, smoothly fitting into the entourage of a modern city.

The main attraction is the Wat Mahathat Temple. This temple is curious for its main treasure, the Buddha's head in the roots of trees.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Ayutthaya Open / Comment

2022-05-21 15:29:30 Castle Stalker #Scotland

Stalker Castle is a gloomy, but fascinating, stone stronghold in the middle of Loch Lach.

The castle was founded in the XIV century, when there was still a clan system in Scotland. 

There is a version that the island on which the castle is located is of artificial origin. This is the so–called crannog island, built in the Stone Age.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Castle+Stalker Open / Comment

2022-05-21 03:04:50 Japan , Shikisai no Oka Flower Garden

There are a huge number of natural places in Japan where you want not only to visit, but also to live. One of such wonders of nature can be safely called the panoramic flower garden of Sikisai-no-Oka on the hills of the village of Biei, which offers breathtaking views of seven hectares of land abounding with 30 kinds of flowers against the backdrop of the majestic Daisetsuzan mountains. Its picturesque landscapes are very beautiful all year round and even in winter, when the territory of the hills is covered with a lot of snow. But still, in all its glory, the park will appear before you during the seasonal flowering period from April to November, when fantastically beautiful gentle hills are covered with waves of tulips, lavender, cosmea, poppies, sunflowers, purple sage and many other flowers, the aroma of which can stupefy anyone.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Shikisai-no-Oka Open / Comment

2022-05-20 15:17:55 Lake Natron #Tanzania

Lake Natron is one of the most serene, but frightening and incredible lakes in Africa.

It is not like the others: bright red, orange and sometimes green. Wide enough, but shallow. With its color, it warns us about the impending danger.

The peculiarity of the lake is a strong concentration of salt and alkali, which does not allow almost anyone to live except favorites. The water temperature often reaches 50 degrees Celsius, the depth does not reach 3 m. It is 22 km wide and 57 km long. 

Small flamingos have perfectly taken root in such conditions. They build their nests on salty islands, and the pungent smell and the ability of water to kill all living things and turn them into mummies scares off large predators. 

Thus, the lake saves these birds from extinction, and annually receives about 2,000,000 birds during the breeding season.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Lake+Natron Open / Comment

2022-05-20 03:06:15 Germany , Hohenzollern Castle 

Hohenzollern Castle at the top of 855 meters is one of the most recognizable and popular attractions in Germany. Located 50 km south of the city of Stuttgart, the capital of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, it has long been the family patrimony of the powerful Hohenzollern dynasty, which ruled the country from the XII century to 1918 inclusive.

The exterior of the Hohenzollern Castle impresses even the most experienced travelers with its beauty and grandeur. It is not for nothing that it is ranked among the brightest examples of the German architectural style, in which medieval and neo-Romantic elements are surprisingly harmoniously combined. Tourists who come here on an excursion get acquainted with the rich history of this castle with genuine interest, admiring the luxury and sophistication of its interior interiors.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Hohenzollern+castle Open / Comment

2022-05-19 15:21:03 Patagonia #Chile

Patagonia is a harsh wild land with narrow rivers and fjords, steep slopes and steep mountains, glacial valleys blown by cold winds. 

Here are such natural wonders as granite towers in the Torres del Paine National Park, Los Glaciares National Park with huge glaciers, colorful sedimentary rocks and stunning emerald lakes and rivers.

Patagonia is known to many mainly thanks to Jules Verne, who drove his heroes in search of Captain Grant into deserted snow-capped mountains with giant condors hovering above them.
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Patagonia+chile Open / Comment