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Boston is the capital and largest city of the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. The city is located on over eighty-nine square miles and has a population of over six hundred and nine thousand people. The city of Boston was established in September of 1630 by Puritanical colonist from England. During the eighteenth century, the British attempted to control the thirteen colonies through a more stringent system of taxation. This caused the residents of Boston to incite incidents leading the country up to the American Revolution. These incidents would include the Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, and the battles of Concord and Lexington. After the Revolutionary War, Boston would go on to become an important trade port. Exports of the city included tobacco, salt, fish, rum and rum based products.

During the War of 1812, the city experienced a significant drop in their trade activities, and as a result the city began retooling itself as a manufacturing center. The city quickly become known for its leather and garment manufacturing all throughout the country. A side effect of the increase in manufacturing capabilities was an influx of new immigrants into the city swelling the population.

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Boston’s manufacturing achievements would continue to rise until the early twentieth century when it suddenly dropped off. This prompted the city to initiate several renovation projects such as the improvement of the West End neighborhood, construction of Government Center, and the first Community Health Center to be built. With the addition of world class hospitals and famous universities that attracted new students to the area, the city once again experienced an economic boom during the 1970s.

Today, a huge chunk of the cities economic activity is due to its colleges and universities. These institutions add an extra four billion dollars to the economy of Boston. Boston’s education system includes fifty-one institutions of higher education. Some of the ones located in the city include Bay State College, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Berklee College of Music, Boston Architectural College, Boston Conservatory, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tourism is also a big part of Boston’s economy. It is estimated that visitors pump more than eight billion dollars into the cities economy.

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Their influx into the city is caused not only by the universities located here but also because of the many other attraction that this city has. One of the most prominent of its attractions is the Massachusetts State House. This building was located on Beacon Hill and overlooks Boston Commons. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch and features an elevated portico with Corinthian style columns. Originally, the bricks on this state house were painted white and it wasn’t until 1928 that the bricks were left unpainted. The red bricks provides a nice contrast to the white columns. The Massachusetts State House also has a large copper gilded dome topped with a pinecone and a lantern.

The Boston Common is the oldest park in the United States and was founded in 1634. This area was originally used as a military installation and public hangings were also conducted there. This park is styled in the English pastoral style and is dotted with many different monuments. Some of the monuments in this park are the Parkman Bandstand, The Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Flagstaff Hill, Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, The Brewer Fountain, The Frog Pond and the Central Burying Ground.

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The Central Burying Ground contains many bodies of American and British who died during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. A popular walking tour along the city’s historic landmarks called the Freedom Trail also starts here at the visitors center.

A great historical asset of the city of Boston is the Old State House. This building was originally built in 1713 to house the governmental offices of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. At the east end of this building, in the upstairs portion, was located the Council Chamber of the Royal Governor. The central portion of the second floor contained the Massachusetts Assembly. At the west end of the building was the Suffolk County Courts and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Outside this building is where the infamous Boston Massacre took place.

Another building in Boston with historical significance is the Trinity Church. This Romenesque style church was built in 1872 and was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson. This church is made of granite with red sandstone for the trim. This church was built to replace the Old Trinity Church which was destroyed in The Great Boston Fire in November of 1872.

In 1976, Boston erected the John Hancock Tower. This sixty story, seven hundred and ninety foot tower is the tallest building in Boston.

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Next to this building is the Old John Hancock Tower. This glass Art Deco building is topped with a beacon set on a pyramid shaped roof. The beacon changes color according to the cities weather condition. A solid red color stands for coming rain, blinking red warns of snow, solid blue means clear skies and flashing blue means cloudy.

One of the finest aquariums in the Northeastern United States is the New England Aquarium. This aquarium was founded in 1969 and features the largest salt water tank in the world. This three story building also has a penguin area, a jellyfish exhibit and a childrens area. Inside this aquarium is a restaurant named the Harbor View Cafe. At this restaurant visitors can get meals that are as simple as a burger and a hot dog, or a steaming bowl of clam chowder.

Boston is a city rich in history and culture. And this is evidenced by the many restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and hotels in the city. It is also evidenced by the many attractions that this city holds, like a jewel, for its visitors. Attractions not previously mentioned include Louisburg Square, Harvard Yard, Faneuil Hall, Copley Square, Christian Science Mother Church, Bunker Hill Monument, Paul Revere’s House, Rowes Wharf, South End, Quincy Market and the USS Constitution.

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Cape Town is the largest city in terms of size in South Africa with a land area of over nine hundred and forty seven miles. It is also the second largest city in the area with a population of over three and a half million people. Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa and is also the provincial capital. This city is situated at Table Bay and its original purpose was as a supply port for Dutch ships traveling to the Far East and India. In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established the city for the Dutch East India Company. During the early stages of Cape Town, growth was retarded by the lack of adequate labor, so slaves were imported from Indonesia and Madagascar. During its history, Cape Town became the pawn of factions fighting during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. In 1814, the city permanently became a possession of Britain and became the capital of the newly formed Cape Colony.

The next notable point in Cape Town history occurred during the 1948 elections. This was when the National Party won on the apartheid platform. This would later lead to the Group Areas Act which enable a race classification of public areas.

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Ethnically diverse neighborhoods were emptied of their residents or destroyed. One of the most famous of these neighborhoods was District Six. It was classified as a whites only district with all the residents getting purged and the housing demolished. Over sixty thousand residents were displaced in total. Apartheid was eventually abolished during the early years of the 1990′s resulting in universal suffrage elections.

Cape Town is not only the economic center of the Western Cape, but it is also the manufacturing center as well. This city is also the transportation hub of the Western Cape featuring the primary airport and harbor in the area. But, the biggest portion of this cities economy is its importance as a tourist destination. Tourism accounts for almost ten percent of the regions Gross Domestic Product and employs nine percent of the regions workforce.

One of the most popular attractions in Cape Town is the Table Mountain & Cableway. Table Mountains offers visitors a chance to see fantastic views of the city that can’t be found anywhere else. This mountain features many telescopes to help visitors get a closer look at the city and it also boast a restaurant where visitors can enjoy a leisurely meal.

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The mountain can be ascended by the cableway cable car, which has a revolving car that allows visitors a three hundred and sixty degree view as they climb the three thousand feet to the top.

A must see World Heritage site in the city is Robben Island. This island features the famous prison where South African president Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Today its no longer a prison but a tourist attraction where visitors can get spectacular views of the bay with Table Mountain in the distance. Entry to the island can be gained through the use of a ferry. Ferries leave at regular intervals throughout the day.

Another notable attraction in Cape Town is the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. This park sits on an area of five hundred and twenty-eight hectares and contains thirty-six hectares of gardens. These gardens contain a large variety of flora indigenous to the South Aftican region. These include cycads, proteas and fynbos interspersed with streams and ponds. There is also a large number of birds in the park and plenty of trails for pedestrians. Not far away is the Boulders Penguin Colony. Here visitors can get a chance to see a colony of African penguin within their natural habitat.

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The Castle of Good Hope is another popular attraction to visitors of Cape Town. This castle was built in 1679 and is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa. In 1682 a new gated entrance way was added to replace the previous one that had face out toward the sea. In 1684, a bell tower was added. Later in 1697 a bell was added. The bell was cast by Claude Frémy in Amsterdam and weighs over one hundred and fifty pounds. It was rung on the hour and also to summon residents during important announcements. Castle of Good Hope was named a national monument in 1936 and the building went through extensive renovations during the 1980′s.

The V & A Waterfront is a popular attraction among both residents and tourist alike. The waterfront has over two hundred and fifty shops which range from local craft stalls to major design boutiques. There are numerous restaurants, pubs and cafes where visitors can grab a meal or a drink. Also located here are attractions such as the SA Maritum Museum, Telkom Exploratorium and the Two Oceans Aquarium. The Two Oceans Aquarium features a touch pool and several display tanks which include the ever popular predators tank.

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The predator exhibit features over five hundred thousand gallons of water and includes many species of sharks, yellow fish and stingrays.

The World of Birds of Hout Bay is a bird and wildlife sanctuary featuring over three thousand birds in their natural environment. Visitors can amble through the various aviaries and personal first hand encounters with animals such as owls and guinea fowl, monkeys, cranes and even eagles. The World of Birds is also a breeding institution for endangered species and a hospital that cares for injured birds.

Other Cape Town attractions include the Cape Point & Table Mountain National Park, Rhodes Memorial and Cape Wine Lands. There are also Township Tours where visitors can be taken on tours of the locations surrounding Cape Town such as Langa, Khayelitsha and many others. Visitors can also take a trip to the areas many beaches. There are several beaches available which include Camps Bay, Clifton, Llandudno, Muizenberg, Fish Hoek Beach, Boulders Beach and Noordhoek . Cape Town also offers distinctive restaurants, pubs, hotels and resorts. There is something for everyone in this city, whether your a young child or a senior citizen. Few cities contain more natural beauty or magic than Cape Town.

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Salzburg is the capital of the state of Salzburg in Austria and is the fourth largest city in the country. This city is the birthplace of Mozart and is famous as the location of where the movie, The Sound of Music was filmed. Salzburg covers an area of twenty five square miles and is fourteen hundred feet above sea level. The population of the city exceeds one hundred and fifty thousand people. Salzburg is located on the Salzach River, just north of the Alps. Its ‘Old Town’ or Altstadt is filled with Baroque style churches and towers. Surrounding the city are two other mountains, the Mönchsberg and Kapuzinerberg. Salzbrg lies west of Vienna, east of Munich and northwest of Ljubljana.

The area where Salzburg is now located has remnants of human settlements dating all the way back to the Neolithic Age. These settlements were originated by the Celtic people. Around 15 BC, two different settlements were combined into one by the Roman Empire. The Romans named the city Juvavum and in 45 AD it became a municipum.

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For many years the city was an important trade hub for the Romans, but after the collapse of the Norican frontier, the city would begin a rapid rate of deterioration. It continued this downward spiral, until the seventh century when the city was nearly in ruins. The decline of the city was quickly reversed when Saint Rubert became bishop. He choose the river for his basilica and ordained priest from the city. He would then go on to rename the city Salzburg. A name which means ‘salt castle’. It was named this because of the many barges carrying salt down the Salzach River.

Salzburg’s main economy is tourism. This city is so popular with tourist, they often outnumber the residents by a ratio of two to one. And its no wonder. The city is beautiful with its magnificent Baroque buildings, hotels and restaurants. And its a city that is steeped in culture and history. In 1996, the entire city was named a World Heritage Site. A popular attraction in Salzburg is the Salzburg Cathedral.

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The Salzburg Cathedral is a seventeenth century Roman Catholic cathedral built in the Baroque architectural style. This church is four hundred and sixty-six feet long and one hundred and nine feet high at the dome.

Another popular attraction in the city is Hohensalzburg Castle. Hohensalzburg Castle is located on Festungsberg hill and construction began on it in the eleventh century. When it was started, the original design was just a bailey and a wooden wall. But, thanks to the Archbishops of the region the church was constantly expanded and added on to over the centuries. During 1462, Burkhard II would make expansive improvements to the castle by the addition of walls and towers. During the sixteenth century a group of townspeople tried to overthrow Prince Archbishop Cardinal Matthäus Lang by attacking Hohensalzburg Castle. The attack was quickly thwarted, however. The castle continued to be added to and gatehouses and gunpowder stores were added during the Thirty Years War.

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During the nineteenth century the castle changed jobs many times and was a depot, barracks and dungeon, before being abandoned as a fortification in 1861. The twentieth century brought even more rigorous renovations and features such as a cable car were added to it.

The Nonnberg Abbey is an eighth century abbey founded by Saint Rupert. During the tenth century the abbey went through a period of continuas rebuilding. This lasted until the fifteenth century when the abbey was just about completely destroyed. It was once again rebuilt and in the seventeenth century it was enlarged by the addition of three chapels. The last renovation on the abbey would take place during the nineteenth century when it was given a more Baroque flavor.

One of the most important tourist attractions in the city is St.Peter Cemetery. This cemetery has a catacomb and three chapels, Gertraunderkapelle, Maximuskapelle and Margarethenkapelle.

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Many famous people are buried here and they include Maria Anna von Berchtold zu Sonnenburg, Michael Haydn, Andreas Nesselthaler, Santino Solari, Wolfgang Hagenauer, Johann Lorenz Hagenauer and Richard Mayr. Other cemetaries in Salzburg include Salzburger Kommunalfriedhof, Sebastiansfriedhof, Jüdischer Friedhof Salzburg, Friedhof Maxglan, Friedhof Aigen, Friedhof Gnigl, Friedhof Leopoldskron, Friedhof Morzg, Friedhof Liefering,
Friedhof Mulln, Friedhof des Stiftes Nonnberg and Soldatenfriedhof im Nonntaler Donnenbergpark.

A prominent tourist attraction in the city is the Schloss Leopoldskron. This Rococo palace is located on the lake Leopoldskroner Weiher. This palace was commissioned in 1736 by Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg Count Leopold Anton Eleutherius von Firmian. It went through several owners until it was finally bought by Max Reinhardt in 1918. By that time it was already in a state of repair and Max Reinhardt brought in various artisans to renovate the palace to its former glory. The restoration took over twenty years to complete. Reinhardt would go on to move to the United States when World War II broke out.

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The property was seized by the Nazi’s. After the war the palace was returned to the Reinhardt estate.

Other attractions in the city of Salzburg include Franziskanerchurch, Mozart’s Birthplace and residence, University Church, Siegmundstor, Palace of Mirabell, Hellbrunn, Anif Castle, the Basilika Maria Plain on the Calvary Hill, Salzburger Freilichtmuseum, Schloss Klessheim Palace, the Berghof, the Salzkammergut and Getreidegasse.

The city is also home to many shops, restaurants and hotels where visitors can kick back and relax. Also the surrounding mountains offers visitors the chance for day hikes or picnics and also the chance to get a panoramic view of the entire city. After a visit here it will be crystal clear why this city is so popular with tourist. One of the best times to visit the city is during the summer months of July and August. This is when the Salzburg Festival is in full swing. This festival features food, music and drama and is a good way to get a taste of the immense culture and rich history of the city of Salzburg.