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Los Angeles is considered to be one of the world’s major centers of business, culture, media and fashion. It is also considered to be the entertainment capital of the world, thanks to Hollywood being located within its borders, and spawning most of the world’s movies, television shows and musical recordings. As a result, Los Angeles has the highest concentration of celebrities and professional musicians of any city in the world. The city sits upon almost five hundred square miles and has a population of over four million people. Los Angeles is a city brimming with a vital nightlife and some of the best restaurants and hotels in the world.

The area around Los Angeles was first settled by the Gabrielenos and Chumash Native American tribes. It was until the mid sixteenth century that Europeans began to explore the area. The first expedition, to what is now the site of Los Angeles, was led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who claimed the area in the name of Spain. However, he neglected to establish a permanent colony and instead opted to travel further down the coast.

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In fact, a permanent colony wouldn’t be established until 1781 when Spanish governor Felipe de Neve founded it with a rather long and elaborate name, El Pueblo de Nuestra Seńora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula. This name meant “The village of our lady, the queen of angels located on the river Porziuncola. In 1821, its control was reverted to Mexico following its independence from Spain. In 1848, control of Los Angeles was reverted to the United States, when it was purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1850 it was organized as a U.S city.

One of the most popular attraction for world wide travelers visiting Los Angeles is Hollywood. This is the entertainment and film industry of the world and can easily identified by the huge Hollywood sign that is situated on the hills overlooking the city. This sign is painted white and stands over fifty feet tall. This makes it one of the most easily recognizable landmark in the area, as it can be seen from many miles away. Also located in the area is the Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The courtyard of this theater is where hundreds of celebrities have placed their signatures and handprints in the cement. Along the front of this theater is the mile long Walk Of Fame.

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Here stars are placed in the sidewalk, and features the names of thousands of celebrities. Other interesting landmarks include the Capital Records Tower, Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum, Hollywood Wax Museum and the Kodak Theater.

Another popular attraction in the city is Universal Studios. This is one of the world’s largest film studio and theme park. A favorite of visitors here is the studio tour. This is where visitors can ride a tram that allows them to see various areas of the park and the studio. Visitors can see famous back lots where movies such as “Curse of the Mummies Tomb”, “Back To The Future” and “Jurassic Park” were filmed. Visitors can also see a set designed as a town of the wild west. Other attractions include rides where visitors can experience the real thrill of Hollywood special effects. These include rides such as “Water World”, “Jurassic Park” and “Back Draft”. Other interesting features of Universal Studios include theme restaurants, nightclubs and several movie cineplex shows.

Warner Brother Studio is another location where tourist can get a close up view of the movie industry.

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While Universal Studio is more geared toward providing a theme park experience to visitors, Warner Brothers Studios is more interested in providing guest with a behind the scenes experience of how movies are made. It features a two hour tour where visitors are offered a unique look at how movie sets are constructed and sneak peeks at the wardrobe and sound engineering departments. On occasion, this studio also allows visitors to sit in on the filming of certain movies and television shows. Other features of Warner Brothers Studios include a museum and an educational film chronicling the history of the studio.

For those visitors who are interested in trendy restaurants and very exclusive shopping venues should check out the Western Los Angeles communities of Beverly Hills and Bel Air. The most expensive shopping district in the world, Rodeo Drive is located here. Other notable boulevards in West L.A. include Sunset Strip (which is part of Sunset Boulevard). This boulevard features exciting nightclubs and rock venues such as the Whisky-a-Go-Go. Visitors can also take tours of the stars homes or buy one of the many maps detailing where the stars live.

A must see location for any visitor to Los Angeles is the Los Angeles Zoo.

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This huge facility boast over eleven hundred animal from all around the globe. Also featured here is an extensive botanical garden that has over eight hundred plant species. Other features of this zoo include natural exhibits, restaurants, shopping venues and special film presentations of all aspects of zoology. There is also a petting zoo where children can get up and close to certain animals such as goats, lizards and llamas.

Located in the center of Los Angeles is one of the oldest fossil sites in the world, La Brea Tar Pits. In these pits thousands of animals died and were perfectly preserved by the tar. These fossils can be seen at the Page Museum, which is located on the site.

Combining many different aspects of surrealism and art deco styles is the silver Walt Disney Concert Hall. This is definitely a unique and unusual building to visit and tours are given on a regular basis. Also located on site is the concert hall’s restaurant.

Los Angeles is also a city that offers some of the most splendid beaches in the world. These include the beach neighborhoods of Santa Monica and Malibu, where visitors can stroll the beaches or take a dip in the ocean. These neighborhoods also offer street performers, many shops and beach side cafes.

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The city of Florence is the capital city of Tuscany and is also its most populous city. The city is situated on the Arno River and covers an area of thirty-nine square miles. Florence has a population of over three hundred thousand residents. It was originally founded in 59 B.C. by Julius Caesar to be used as a retirement settlement for his most veteran soldiers. Which is why the city is built in the style of an army encampment. In the 1940′s Florence suffered from an extended German occupation. In 1944, as British and American forces pushed the Germans from the city, the retreating Nazi army decided to blow up many of the bridges along the Arno River. After the war, Florence started rebuilding the bridges, trying to use as much of the original materials as possible. This has resulted in many of the affected districts being rebuilt in a mixed style of modern and ancient designs.

The climate of Florence leans toward a Mediterranean climate. The summers tend to be humid and hot with sparse rainfall. The winters tend to be somewhat cool and damp.

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Since there is no prevailing winds, the temperatures of Florence during the summer months tend to be higher than other cities that are located on the coast.

Florence is a city that is known for its classic Renaissance style architecture and for its thriving tourist trade. As a matter of fact, tourism is one of the primary economic activities in the city. But, Florence has also become known for other industries as well. It is considered to be the center of fashion and it also has a thriving wine growing region.

One of the most popular landmarks in all of Florence is the Florence Cathedral. This church was built in the Gothic style during the fifteenth century. The outside of the church is laid with marble panels in shades of pink and green. This church, as is most of the area around it, is a World Heritage Site and attract a large number of tourist each and every year. This church is also the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence. The interior of this church is done in a very sparse Gothic style but it does have some very interesting works of art in it. These include the Dante and the Divine Comedy by Domenico di Michelino, and the Funerary Monument to Sir John Hawkwood by Paolo Uccello. Another popular church in Florence is the Basilica of Santa Croce.

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This is a Franciscan church that was built in the thirteenth century. This is considered to be one of the largest Franciscan churches in the world. It includes sixteen chapels that are decorated with various frescoes. The floorplan of the church is four hundred and forty five feet long with two aisles and the nave separated by columns that have eight sides. Artist that have work represented in the church include Benedetto da Maiano, Antonio Rossellino, Giorgio Vasari, Bernardo Rossellino, Santi di Tito, Domenico Veneziano, Andrea della Robbia, Henry Moore and Giotto.

Another great church is the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. This Dominican church was built during the thirteenth century. The main features of this church include the Gondi Chapel, Cappella Strozzi di Mantova, Della Pura Chapel, Rucellai Chapel, Bardi Chapel, Sacristy and the Spanish Chapel. Other churches and basilicas in Florence include San Lorenzo, Santo Spirito, Orsanmichele and the Tempio Maggiore Great Synagogue of Florence.

One of the great attractions of Florence is the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. This was founded by the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1563.

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It was the first drawing academy established in Europe and promotes the safeguard of Italian works of art. Another important landmark is the Piazza della Libertŕ. This is the triumphal arch of Florence that was erected in 1738. Its a popular location for ice skating during the winter. The Florence Baptistry is a basilica that was built during the twelveth century. This building has an octagonal shape and is composed of sandstone that is overlaid with marble. The outside of this church is also adorned with several statues.

Another important attraction in the city is the Piazza della Signoria. This is still considered to be a very important gathering location for both tourist and Florentines alike. Prominent features of the square include the Palazzo Vecchio, which is the town hall of Florence. Other features include the Loggia dei Lanzi, Tribunale della Mercanzia, Palazzo Uguccioni and the Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali. This square also contains many beautiful and historic statues. These include The Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati, “Hercules and Cacus” by Bandinelli, “The Rape of the Sabine Women” by Giambologna and “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Cellini. One of the largest churches in Florence is the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

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It is the burial place for all members of the Medici family. This church was consecrated in 393 and is considered to be a milestone in the history of Renaissance architecture.

Florence is also home to one of the most famous art museums in the Western world, the Uffizi Gallery. This gallery is located in Palazzo degli Uffizi and was built during the sixteenth century. This museum covers an area of sixty four thousand square feet and contains many important works of art. Some of the works collected here include The Ognissanti Madonna by Giotto, The Annunciation by Simone Martini, The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello, the works Diptych of Duke Federico da Montefeltro and Duchess Battista Sforza of Urbino by Piero della Francesca, the works of Primavera, The Birth of Venus, The Adoration of the Magi and others by Sandro Botticelli and The Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci. Artist such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt and Caravaggio are also represented by the works in their collection.

Florence is also known for its restaurants and fine hotels. The city also has many nice shopping districts where everything from the latest fashions to handmade crafts can be purchased.

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Hamburg is the sixth largest city in the European Union and is the second largest city in Germany after Berlin. It covers an area of two hundred and ninety-one square miles and a population that exceeds one and a half million people. The name of the city is derived from its first permanent settlement built on the area, a castle that was erected on order of Emperor Charlemagne in the ninth century. The castle was placed on a marsh between the Alster and Elbe rivers. This castle was named Hammaburg and was designed as a defence against Slavic invasions.

Toward the middle of the ninth century, Hamburg became the seat of the bishopric of the Roman Catholic Church. During the sixteenth century the city took up Lutheranism and shortly thereafter, Hamburg started receiving refugees from France and the Netherlands. Over the course of its history, Hamburg has been invaded and destroyed on several occasions. The first incident happened in 845 and involved a fleet of six hundred Viking ships which traveled the River Elbe and sacked the city. The next incident involved the burning of the city by Polish King Mieszko II in the thirteenth century.

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Another tragic event of Hamburg was the introduction of the Black Death in the city which resulted in almost two thirds of the inhabitents dying. The last destructive event in Hamburg was the fire that burned a quarter of the city in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Hamburg’s educational needs are serviced by the Ministry of Schools. The city has an extensive educational system which features two hundred and forty-five elementary schools, one hundred and ninety-five secondary schools, thirty-three libraries and seventeen universities. Popular universities in Hamburg include the University of Hamburg, Hamburg University of Technology and the HafenCity University. There are also several colleges which have not attained university status. These include Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, College of Fine Arts Hamburg, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, Northern Institute of Technology and University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Research institutions in Hamburg include the Archaeological Institute, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Heinrich Pette Institute for Experimental Virology and Immunology and Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg.

Today, Hamburg has a thriving economy and its Gross Domestic Product is the highest in all of Germany. The city also enjoys a high employment rate which is in excess of eighty-eight percent employment.

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Its high GDP is due in part to the Port of Hamburg which handles worldwide shipments of over one hundred and thirty-four tons of goods a year. Tourism is another factor that figures predominately into this city’s economy. Every year almost four million tourist visit the city and hotel bookings are in excess of seven million accommodations every year. The average tourist to Hamburg will stay for two days. This city has the fastest growing tourism sector in all of Germany.

The city of Hamburg contains over fifty museums and art galleries. One of the most prominent museums in the city is the Kunsthalle Hamburg. This museum was establish in 1869 and houses an extensive collection of modern art, Dutch art from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and nineteenth century German paintings. There is art from several different artists such as Max Liebermann, Caspar David Friedrich, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Adolf Menzel, Max Beckmann, Philipp Otto Runge and Lovis Corinth.

A museum in the city of Hamburg that is fun for the entire family is the Miniatur Wunderland. The Miniatur Wunderland is the largest model train museum in the entire world. The building covers and area of forty-three thousand square feet.

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The railway that’s located inside the building includes over thirty-six thousand square feet of track that spans five sections. These sections include Southern Germany, Hamburg, the German coast, the Americas and Switzerland. Other museums in the city of Hamburg include the Astronomiepark Hamburger Sternwarte and Schmidt-Museum, KL!CK Kindermuseum, Hamburg Dungeon and Spicy’s Gewürzmuseum.

Not to be missed during your trip to Hamburg is the Tierpark Hagenbeck or Hamburg Zoo. This zoo doesn’t use cages to enclose the animals but instead employ a series of moats. This is to ensure that the animals are in an environment that approximates their natural habitat as much as possible. This zoo was established in 1907 by Carl Hagenbeck Jr.

Hamburg is also home to a large number of theaters. One of the more prominent ones is the Deutsches Schauspielhaus. The Deutsches Schauspielhaus is situated in the St. Georg district of Hamburg and was established by Franziska Ellmenreich in 1901. Many prominent actors have performed here including Samuel Weiss, Marco Albrecht, Sebastian Fischer, Daniel Wahl, Felix Kramer, Andreas Tobias, Will Quadflieg, Francis Fulton-Smith and Monique Schwitter.

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Other theaters in Hamburg include the Altonaer Theater, English Theatre, Ernst-Deutsch-Theater, Hamburger Kammerspiele, Hansa Theater, Kampnagel-Fabrik, Komödie Winterhuder Fahrhaus, Neues Theater am Holstenwall, Thalia Theater, St. Pauli Theater and Schmidts Tivoli Theater.

Hamburg is a city that is well known for its fairly large collection of castles and ancient estates. One of the most prominent castles in the city is the Jenisch House. Jenisch House is a neoclassical country estate that was built in the nineteenth century. This mansion was built by Franz Forsmann and Karl Schinkel and is located in Jenisch Park. Jenisch Park covers an area of one hundred and ten acres. Located in this cube like building is the museum für Kunst und Kultur an der Elbe. Other castles located in Hamburg include Castle Bergedorf, Harburg Castle, Neuwerk lighthouse and Wellingsbuttel Manor.

Other prominent attractions in the city include BallinStadt Port, Dragon Sauna, Alter Elbtunnel, Landungsbruecken, Speicherstadt, Alster Lakes, Moenckebergstrasse Shopping, Hamburger Dom, Pulverfass Travesty Cabaret, Speicherstadtmuseum, Altonaer Rathaus and Alter Botanischer Garten. This city also host a wide range of bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes and caberets. There is a little bit of everything for the curious tourist in this beautiful city that is rich in history and culture. Its also a city that will keep visitors coming back again and again.