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Birmingham is a city located in the county of West Midlands in the country of England. It is the second most populated city in Britain. It covers an area of over one hundred square miles and has a population of over a million residents. Birmingham’s history can be trace back over fourteen hundred years ago to a seventh century hamlet at the edge of the Arden Forest. Over the last two centuries Birmingham has been transformed from a village to an industrialized city. This meteoric rise was caused by factors such as scientific advancement, investment in the cities infrastructure and an influx of foreign workers.

The twentieth century saw Birmingham become a major industrial center for the United Kingdom. Today the economy has shifted from a manufacturing center to a service center. An ever increasing segment of Birmingham’s economy is tourism. And this is due in part to the beautiful hotels, restaurants, musical destinations and historical attractions of the city.

One of the most popular historical attractions in the city is Aston Hall. Aston Hall is a mansion that was built in 1618 in the Jacobean architectural style. This mansion has had a rich history, almost since its inception.

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In 1643, this mansion was severely harmed by an attack launched by Parliamentary troops. Visitors today can still some of this original damage. There is a gaping hole in the wall where a cannoball went through. The mansion was originally built to serve as the residence of Sir Thomas Holte, and it remained in the Holte family until the early nineteenth century. It was then sold to a private company called Ashton Hall & Park Company to be used as a museum. Later it would be sold to the Birmingham Corporation. In 1927, the Birmingham Civic Society built English style gardens and fountains for the mansion. Today, Ashton Hall is a museum. It now houses artifacts which include furniture, textiles and paintings.

The next historical attraction in Birmingham is not a museum but a pub. Its called the Bartons Arms. It was erected in 1901 by the architectural team of Lister and James Lea. This building is beautifully adorned with wall to wall tile work and its key feature are its Snob Rooms. These were rooms where privileged drinkers could watch the blue collar workers drinking in an adjacent bar without being seen by them. Another popular attraction is the Public Library and Baths. The Public Library and Baths was built in 1891.

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The library portion was opened in 1895 and the bath portion was opened in 1907. A year later the pool started getting covered over during the winter and the space used for social activities. The main features of this building include baths, a committee room, caretakers flat, a boiler house and a filter room.

Another prominent attraction is the Birmingham Mint. This mint manufactured coins and was originally known as Ralph Heaton and Sons Mint. It was built in the nineteenth century when the Royal Mint started to subcontract private companies to produce coins and tokens. In 1853, the Birmingham Mint got its first contract to strike five hundred tons of copper coins for Britain when the Royal Mint was overwhelmed by its production quota. During the pinnacle of its production, Birmingham mint was striking over one hundred thousand coins each day.

Warwick Castle is a medieval castle located about twenty-five miles outside of Birmingham. Its situated on a cliff located over the River Avon. This castle was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror. From the late eleventh century on the castle belonged to the Earl of Warwick and was an extension of his power until it was seized by Henry II.

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Over the years the castle was used as a prison and held soldiers from the Battle of Poitiers. In the fifteenth century it was used to imprison King Edward IV. Over its long history the castle has been constantly rennovated and added on to with the addition of towers and other fortifacations. During the seventeenth century non-military additions to the castle included the transformation of the grounds into a garden. This castle was in use until the seventeenth century when Sir Fulke Greville took it over and turned it into a country home. Today, the castle is protected against any unauthorized renovations and is listed as a historic ancient monument.

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is both an art gallery and a concert hall. This building is located in the University of Birmingham and was opened in 1939. The collection of art contained here is nothing less than incredible. Its full of works from artist such as Rembrandt, Auguste Rodin, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet and Giovanni Bellini. Other artist included here are Aubrey Beardsley, Gainsborough, Rossetti, Reynolds and Gauguin. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts also contains an extensive collection of rare coins from the Roman and Byzantine Empires.

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Over fifteen thousand coins are located here. During the summer months this institution also has many festivals and concerts.

The Thinktank at Millennium Point is a science museum that has over two hundred hands on exhibits spread across four floors. This museum is divided into sections which include the Thinkahead, Planetarium, Thinknow and Kid’s City. The Thinkahead section focuses on future technology and features exhibits such as Nanotechnology, Emotive Robots, Artificial Intelligence and Micro air vehicles. The Planetarium is a digital planetarium that is broadcast on the ceiling via six cameras. In this section visitors can see beautiful views of the night sky. Thinknow features current technology and contains exhibits such as Wildlife and Medice. Kid’s City is a series of exhibits geared toward children. Its contains interactive games and also contains a restaurant and a cafe.

And Birmingham is a city that contains a lot more attractions, hotels and restaurants than can be listed here. Other attractions in the city include Nelson’s Statue, Jewellery Quarter, Cadbury World, The Mailbox, The Bullring, Aviation Experience, Tolkien Trail, National Exhibition Centre, Holy Trinity Church, Council House and Methodist Central Hall.

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Budapest is both the capital of Hungary, as well as being the countries biggest city. It is located on both banks of the Danube River and covers an area of over two hundred square miles. This city is considered the cultural, political and commercial hub of the country. It has a population of over three million people and has the highest concentration of Jews of any major city in all of Europe.

The educational needs of the city are serviced by a large number of universities, making it the educational capital of Hungary. Universities that can be found in Budapest include Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Eötvös Loránd University, Semmelweis University, Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science
Budapest Business School, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Károli Gáspár University of the Hungarian Reformed Church, Jewish Theological Seminary, Central European University, Andrássy Gyula German Language University of Budapest, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music.

The history of Budapest can be traced back to the nomadic Magya tribes.

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These tribes survived by looting and sacking small towns and villages in both Italy and Spain. This continued for many centuries, until the Magya tribes began getting attacked by the Bulgarians. This forced them to establish a permanent settlement on the Danube banks named Pest. While this move provided additional security to the Magya tribes it didn’t prevent their defeat by King Otto I in 955. Once Otto I defeated the Magya tribes he began their conversion to Christianity. The next pivotal turn in the history of the area came when King Bela IV established the Buda Castle. As a result of the castles erection a small community developed which would come to be known as Buda. A thriving trade existed between the towns of Buda and Pest, which lasted until 1873, when the two towns were combined and renamed Budapest. This marked a time of unprecedented growth for the fledgeling city which lasted until World War II. The period of time after World War II was very turbulent for the city of Budapest. A majority of the city had been damaged by the many battles between the Soviets and the Germans. Also, all the bridges had been destroyed by retreating German troops. In 1949, the city became a holding of the Communist People’s Republic.

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Today, Budapest is considered on the grandest cities in all of Europe. It is also home to many World Heritage sites and attracts over twenty million visitors each and every year.

One of the most famous landmarks in Budapest is the Széchenyi lánchíd or Chain Bridge. This was built during the nineteenth century to connect the towns of Buda and Pest which lie across the Danube River from one another. This bridge is over twelve hundred feet long and is over forty eight feet wide. Due to the demonstrations that were performed on the bridge during the 1980′s it has become one of Hungary’s most prized symbols of liberty. Budapest is also home to Buda Castle. This thirteenth century castle was originally built to serve as a fortification against the Mongol tribes which continually attacked the city. Between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries additional fortifications were added to the castle, as well as a palace. After the castle was damaged several times during World War II an extensive renovation project was launched in the 1950′s. This two hundred room castle is now not only an important historical landmark, but is also home to several museums.

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The two most prominent of these museums is the Budapest Historical Museum and the National Gallery.

Another fantastic historical site to visit in Budapest is the Parliament House. This building is over eight hundred feet long and three hundred feet wide. It has a dome that rises over two hundred feet and contains almost seven hundred rooms. The Parliament House was completed in 1902 and serves as one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city today.

The largest church in Hungary is St. Stephen’s Basilica. This church was constructed during the nineteenth century and is reminiscent of the classic Renaissance style. St. Stephen’s is composed of over fifty different types of marble and work from some of the best known sculptors and artist of the time were contributed to its decoration. Almost every evening during the summer months, organ concerts are performed here.

The most frequented attraction in Budapest is Heroes’ Square. This location is not just a favorite among tourist, but also many locals as well. This square was built in the nineteenth century to honor the contributions of Hungary’s leaders.

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Heroes’ Square is located at the entrance to Budapest’s city park known as Városliget and is adjacent to the Palace of Art and the Palace of Fine Arts. In the center of the square is the Millennium Monument. This monument was erected in honor of the one thousandth anniversary of the Magyar conquest. The monument is composed of statues of the famous kings and governors of Hungary. On top of the monument are the symbols of Glory and Knowledge, as well as the symbols of War and Peace. Rising above the Millennium Monument is the Millennial Column. This column rises over one hundred feet high and is topped by a statue of Archangel Gabriel. Directly in front of the column is the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldiers, known also as the Monument of National Heroes.

The city of Budapest has so many historical and cultural attractions that its almost impossible to list them all at once. Some of the other prominent ones include Central Market Hall, East Station, Fisherman’s Bastion,Gellért Hill, Gresham Palace, Vajdahunyad Castle and Vörösmarty Square. Budapest is also home to fine restaurants, hotels and shopping venues that will keep visitors busy for their entire stay. There is something in this city to satisfy almost everyone, especially for lovers of history, architecture and culture.

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Macau is a city that is situated on the western bank of the Pearl River Delta on the border of the Guangdong Province. It is was once a colony of Portugal, and as such is one of the few cities in China that is a special administrative region, the other one being the city of Hong Kong. In December of 1999 the city was officially handed over to the People’s Republic Of China.

Macau is considered to be one of the richest cities in the world. This is due to its thriving manufacturing industries which include electronics, toys and textiles. Another thing that adds to this cities economic prowess is its thriving tourist trade which brings in money from tourist visiting the various attractions and staying in the area’s hotels. The last thing that adds to this cities bottom line is its booming gambling industry. Macua makes more money from its casinos than the city of Las Vegas does.

One of the most popular attractions in Macau is the Ruins of St. Paul Church. The building was erected between the years 1602 and 1632.

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After its construction it suffered from three separate accidents that reduced it to the ruins that it is today. All that’s left of the original church is the front wall, which would later be named the Great Sanba Archway. The Great Sanba Archway stands eight-one feet high, is seventy feet wide and eight feet thick.

Another tourist attraction that is fairly popular is the Barra Temple, also known as the Zhongjue Buddhist Temple. This temple was built in dedication to Ma Zu, a fortune teller from the Fujian Province.

The St. Paul Monte Fortress was constructed in 1626 and is another must see sight that should be on the world travelers list. The gate of this fortress stands to the south and each side of this complex is about three hundred feet long. This fortification was originally built to be the residence of the Chief of Staff on City Defense and Superintendent of Macao. But, after 1740 it went through a number of changes in function. Its last incarnation was a weather station for the city of Macau. It has since been turned into a museum.

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Every visitor to Macau should make a stop at the Lian Fong Temple, otherwise known as the Guanzha Temple. This temple was built in the year 1592 under the Emperor Shenzong during the Ming Dynasty. This building has been used as everything from a temple to a place for city officials to live. In the rear of the building is a small garden complete with lotus pond. To the front of the temple is a square. In the center of the complex is Tianhou Hall.

Another temple on the list of tourist attractions is the Puji Buddhist Temple. This temple has a history that spans over four hundred years, all the way back to the Ming Dynasty. This temple consist of three courtyards. The first one is named Daxiong Grand Hall. The second courtyard is called Longevity Hall and the third Bodhisattva Hall. Each of the halls has very distinctive statues of Buddha on display.

A recent addition to Macau’s list of attractions is the Macau Wine Museum. This museum dedicated to wine is divided into three distinct sections.

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These include a section of the history of wine production, a wine exhibition section and a section dedicated to wine collecting. Visitors can try their hand at wine tasting during the tour offered here. The cellar of this museum houses over eleven hundred brands of wine, half of which are for sale to the public. The Macau Marine Museum is a museum dedicated to the rich sailing tradition of the city. It is composed of three main sections, the exhibition hall, a library and a tea house. The museum was erected in 1996. At the museum visitors can see exhibits chronicling the history of Chinese fishermen both in ancient and modern times. There is also a detailed history of the strong relationship and political ties between the people of Macau and Portugal.

Macau is also a city that is beginning to dip its toe into the area of car racing. It first started with the 40th annual Grand Prix was held within the city.

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The city has since constructed the Macau Great Prix Museum. Tourist can see exhibitions dedicated to the Grand Prix, as well as watch educational slide shows. There are also several formula cars for visitors to see.

If shopping is your thing than Macau has you covered there as well. Thanks to its great trade location and the influx of inexpensive items from the rest of Asia shoppers are almost guaranteed to find a great deal. And there are plenty of markets, shops and roadside vendors to choose from. Some of the more popular shopping locations include the Grand Canal Plaza, Red Market & Av. de Horta e Costa and the Rua Pedro Nolasco da Silva.

But, if the nightlife in Macau is your cup of tea, than you have many options available to you. If your looking for some of the most exciting gambling in the world then you can visit locations such as the Lisboa Casino, the Galaxy Waldo Casino, the Sands Macau and the Mandarin Oriental Casino. If the many pubs of Macau are your thing then you can choose from some of the best in the city such as the
Fishman’s Wharf.

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Dallas is the eighth largest city in the United States and the third largest in Texas. It is the economic center of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and is the fastest growing city in the country. Dallas covers an area of three hundred and eighty-five square miles and has a population of almost one and a half million residents. The city is listed by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network as a Beta World City. The economy of the city is based upon several areas which include computer technology, commerce, transportation, banking, energy and telecommunications. Dallas is home to more Fortune 500 than any other city except for Houston and New York City.

Before the city of Dallas was founded it was inhabited by a Native American tribe called the Caddo. During the fifteenth century, it was claimed by Spain and eventually by the French. However, the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 placed the city within the possessions of Spain by maked the Red River the boundary line of New Spain. It would remain under Spanish control until Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1821 and the territory became part of Coahuila y Tejas. In 1836, the Republic of Texas ceded from Mexico and became an independent country.

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Three years later, the area og Dallas was surveyed by John Neely Bryan, who was looking for a good location to establish a trading post to service the needs of pioneers and Native Americans. After surveying the area, John Neely Bryan went back to his home in Arkansas. When he came back in 1841, he found that half of his customer base was gone. He then decided against the construction of a trading post and instead established a settlement. Three years later, J. P. Dumas surveyed the area and laid out a half mile section of streets which were named Dallas after the 11th Vice President of the United States, George M. Dallas.

In 1856, the Sixth Texas Legislature granted Dallas a town charter and Samuel Pryor was elected as mayor. By 1860, the town’s population reached almost seven hundred residents and had an ethnically diverse population which included African American, German, Belgians, Swiss and French residents. Also during that year, the railroad had established several lines through the city. July of that year saw a fire break out in the city, an event which caused the destruction of most of the buildings in Dallas’ business district.

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It was presumed that the fire was started by slaves and as a result three slaves were lynched and other slaves residing in the city were whipped. The next year, Dallas voted in favor of secession from the Union, but the city saw very little action during the war. After the Civil War, Dallas struggled during the Reconstruction period. In June of 1865, Texan slaves were liberated and many chose Dallas as their home. As a result, some of the white population became fearful and by 1868, the Klu Klux Klan appeared in the city. In 1871, Dallas legally became a city.

Thanks in part to the building of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad line and the Texas and Pacific Railway Line, Dallas became a bustling center of commerce in the 1870s. With trains passing through the city, the population of Dallas doubled in less than one year. Buildings and business began to be built at a rapid pace and Dallas became the hub for raw materials such as cotton and grain. It was also during this time that the city experienced a shift as a farming center to an industrial city. By the year 1880, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad had made it to the city of Dallas and eight years later the first zoo in the state was established in the city.

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Industrialization of the city continued at a swift pace, and by the turn of the century it was the leader of industries such as the book, liquor and drug industry. Eventually, the city became a center for fashion retailing, the insurance industry and the banking industry.

While the rest of the country was languishing during the first year of the Great Depression, construction and business was flourishing in Dallas. This was due in part to oil being struck in the city in 1930 which started the Texas oil boom. Dallas would go on to become the financial center for the Texas and Oklahoma oil industries. The bubble burst in 1931 however, and overproduction in the city negatively affected its economy. At this time, more than eighteen thousand people in Dallas became unemployed. Production in the city would pick up again during World War II. During the war, Dallas was the manufacturing center for the military and produced military trucks and jeeps.

Today, Dallas is a popular tourist attraction with many sights and attractions to offer to visitors. A popular attraction in the city is the Dallas World Aquarium. The Dallas World Aquarium is home to several types marine animals which include fish, coral, jellyfish and sea anemones. There are also giant catfish, manatees and arapaima.

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The Dallas World Aquarium also houses a zoo which includes animals such as frogs, monkeys, bats and snakes. The aquarium features a twenty-two thousand gallon underwater tunnel, two gift shops and a restaurant. Another attraction in the city of Dallas is the Frontiers of Flight Museum. The Frontiers of Flight Museum was founded in 1988 and features a collection of aviation history artifacts and vehicles. Exhibits include two hundred World War II aircraft models and a World War I Sopwith Pup bi-plane.

Other attractions in the city include Zero Gravity Thrill Amusement Park, The Sixth Floor Museum, Reunion Tower Lookout, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Valley House Gallery, Dallas Theater Center, Nasher Sculpture Center, Medieval Times, Pioneer Plaza, Dallas Holocaust Museum, Old Red Courthouse, John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, Keller’s Drive-in, Crow Collection of Asian Art, African American Museum, Museum of Nature & Science, White Rock Lake Park, Majestic Theater, Texas School Book Depository, Meadows Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Art, The Women’s Museum, Highland Park Village, Dunn and Brown Contemporary, Millermore Mansion, Dallas Zoo, Dallas Farmer’s Market and Magnolia Theatre. Dallas also has a wonderful collection of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and fine hotels.