Most beautiful places in the world

There are a great number of beautiful places in the world but here we are going to tell you about the most impressive attractions. We live in a world endowed with unprecedented beauty. Our Earth is full of spectacular views that are worth seeing at least once. Living our life in the big cities we dream of pristine natural beauty… Many of such great places have been created by nature itself. They inspire us and help to escape from the daily routine. Others and not less wonderful places have been built by people. If you don’t have the possibility to travel now, then hope that you will enjoy the possibility to take a virtual tour of some of the most beautiful places of our planet.

Let’s have a look at these wonderful places – this beauty cannot remain you indifferent. We have selected the most beautiful places in the world. Perhaps one day you will say: “I’ve been there …”

Contents

• Place to visit number 1. The Forbidden City
• Place to visit number 2: The Varanasi City
• Place to visit number 3: The Angel Falls
• Place to visit number 4: Haukadalur Valley
• Place to visit number 5: Skardu valley
• Place to visit number 6: the Grand Canyon in the US.
• Place to visit number 7: Uluru or Ayers Rock
• Place to visit number 8: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
• Place to visit number 9: El Tajin
• Place to visit number 10: Rice terraces in Banaue
• Video

Place to visit number 1. The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is the most extensive palace complex in the world, which is located in the center of Beijing. Twenty-four emperors of Chinese dynasties Ming and Qing ruled from here. The complex was built in the early XV century with the total area of about ??720 thousand meters. It is surrounded by a wall with the length of 3,400 meters and a height of 8 meters, as well as around the moat, which is called “Golden Water”. The palace complex has 9,999 rooms. The complex is divided into the Inner and Outer palaces.

The basic buildings of the Outer or Front Court where the emperor carried out his public functions were the rooms:

1. The Hall of Supreme Harmony
2. The Hall of Central Harmony
3. The Hall of Preserving Harmony

The Inner Palace housed the living quarters of the emperors, empresses, concubines, princes and princesses. The basic premise of this part of the Forbidden City: Heavenly Purity, the Unification and Peace, Earth tranquility. Here there are three of the imperial gardens:

1. Longevity,
2. Compassion and Tranquility,
3. Imperial Garden.

Numerous elements of the architecture of the Forbidden City have a deep philosophical and religious meaning.

Interesting: So, for example, yellow color always symbolizes the Emperor and his power; all the main rooms of palaces are grouped into three – the number that symbolizes the Heaven, and the number of tiers always indicates the status of the building. Now the Forbidden City is under the auspices of the Palace Museum and is open to visitors.

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Place to visit number 2: The Varanasi City

The city was named for its position between the tributaries of the Ganges – Varan and Asi – the main city of the region of the same name in the north-western India (Uttar Pradesh). This city means as much for Indians as the Vatican for Catholics, it is the most sacred Hindu city. It is known from the II millennium BC.

As the Aryan religious, philosophical and commercial center which is famous for the production of:

1. silk,
2. spices,
3. ivory,
4. manufacturing sculptures.

 

During the rule of Muslims, many temples were destroyed. Then Englishmen helped the city to renew its religious and commercial role. Many Indians, feeling the near death, come here because they believe that Shiva lived here and anyone who dies in Varanasi, would be close to God. Kilometers of steps frame the temples, palaces and other buildings and go down to the sacred river Ganges. Every year more than 1 million of pilgrims visit the city to bathe in its waters. In the city there are more than 1.5 thousand of Hindu temples including Bisheshvar and Aurengzeba Mosque. There are three universities with the largest Hindu University Benares. At the distance of 6 km from the town ruins of a monastery preserved where Buddha first read his sermon.

Interesting: It is believed that the city of Varanasi is the first city in the world, built by the Gods. According to Hindu historical chronicles, this place was the starting point of the creation of our Universe.

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Place to visit number 3: The Angel Falls

Would you like to see the highest waterfall in the world? Then you should know that it is situated in the tropical forests of Venezuela on Canaima National Park. Its total height is about 1 km, and the height of the continuous fall is over 800 meters. The waterfall has been named after James Angel, who was the American pilot.  The waterfall is located on Churun ??River, a tributary of the Kara which is translated from the Pemon language like “thunder” and the waterfall is called the «Kerepakupai-meru» by the local residents, which means “waterfall of the deepest place”.

The waterfall was discovered in the early XX century by the explorer Ernesto S?nchez La Cruz, but was not widely known before the flight of James Angel. First the Angel Falls was found in 1933. Four years later, Angel was flying past the waterfall with three passengers on board, including his wife. The plane was damaged and he had to put it on the peak of the mountain Auyan-tepui that is the top of this waterfall. The monoplane “Flamingo” has landed on the swampy land at the top of the waterfall and stayed there for 33 years until it was pulled out by the helicopter. Angel and his three companions were able to go down the waterfall and return to civilization in 11 days. In honor of this heroic event the waterfall was named after the pilot. Currently, the aircraft Angel is in the museum in Maracay, and on its top you can find its exact copy.

The Angel Falls is located in the wilderness where you can get only by air. You can buy the tour which includes:

1. a flight from Caracas or Ciudad Bolivar to Canaima (city serves as the entry point to the national park),
2. the subsequent tour of the water,
3. food and other things needed to visit the waterfall.

Interesting: You can also buy a ticket for the panoramic flight to the waterfall, but it may be that the waterfall itself is not visible because of the clouds. During the dry season (December to March) there is relatively little water. The whole trip will take you about one day.

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Place to visit number 4: Haukadalur Valley

The valley lies in the south of Iceland that is 100 km east of Reykjavik. Haukadalur  Valley is known for its geysers. Here you can see the largest geysers of Iceland:

1. Strokkur
2. Geysir

Geysir gave the name to this natural phenomenon. Geysir was the first man who discovered the geysers in the end of the 18th century.

Historical records show that in 1630 it erupted with such speed and force that the earth was shaking even at a considerable distance from the geyser.

At the end of the XIX century, on the contrary, the geyser was asleep for a long time until it was awakened by another earthquake.

Now Geyzir erupts only 4-5 times a day, while Strokkur is spewing columns of water vapor every 5-10 minutes.

Interesting: The height of the pillars of boiling water that Geysir spews can reach 60 meters (the height of eruption of Strokkur is three times lower). In addition, in the valley there are about 30 small geysers and hot springs, and the beautiful waterfall Gullfoss. Haukadalur Valley is changing all the time because of the high seismic activity in this part of the world, although it may be completely invisible for visitors.

The next place is for those who appreciate the peace and serenity of the ancient mountains

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Place to visit number 5: Skardu valley

Skardu Valley in Pakistan will be an ideal place to travel. The area is surrounded by the highest peaks, here there are four of the eight thousand.

If to be more exact, it is located in Gilgit-Baltistan. The valley is approximately 10 km wide and 40 km long. It is situated at the confluece of such rivers as:

1. River Shigar
2. River Indus.

Skardu Valley is surrounded by the great Karakoram Range.

It is considered to be a significant tourist location in Pakistan thanks to its nearby lakes and mountains.

Interesting: Being the central valley Skardu can be called an epitome of both serenity and wilderness. Climbers from the whole world come to see these towering mountains each year.

Our next place which is worth visiting at least once in your life is really one of the most beautiful places in the world!

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Place to visit number 6: the Grand Canyon in the US.

Grand Canyon is  definitely one of the most breathtaking attractions. It is one of the deepest canyons in the world. The landscape is really amazing because you can feel something extraterrestrial here. Steep cliffs of Colorado Valley constitute a complex landscape of the Canyon. There can be up to five million tourists every year. It is located on the Colorado Plateau in the US state of Arizona and is surrounded by the National Park of the same name. Its length is about 500 kilometers, it was literally “cut through” the Colorado River for thousands of years through the thickness of limestone and other rocks. The maximum distance to the other side is almost 30 kilometers! In 1979 Grand Canyon was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Besides the fact that Canyon attracts millions of tourists annualy, it is also an inexhaustible source of information for:

1. geologists,
2. archaeologists
3. biologists

It is believed to be really an unusual geological object because here the scientists are able to explore four geological eras of our planet as the Grand Canyon was formed during long 10 mln years . At the bottom of the gorge there is a river called Colorado, its flow rate is about 20 km per hour. Now at the bottom of the Canyon i granitic rocks are situated. Their destruction is very slow, so they are not washed away by the water flow. The river has a purple hue because of the the granite layer’s color.

It rolls down:

1. the river stones,
2. sand,
3. clay.

The special beauty and picturesque of the place lies in the fact that the canyon does not constitute a failure in the earth’s crust, inside it is filled with clusters of rocks that have various and strange forms.

Interesting: The surface temperature is quite familiar to the average tourist – not more than 15 ° C, but at the bottom of the canyon it can be up to 40 degrees on a hot day. Certainly, these differences  have affected the Grand Canyon’s both fauna and flora. There are cacti and other exotic plants growing in this heat at the bottom of the landscape which can remind you Mexico.

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Place to visit number 7: Uluru or Ayers Rock

Uluru is a 350-meter cliff which has an oval shape. Uluru (accent in the name should be put on the last syllable) is located in the heart of Australia. Its length is 3.5 km and width is about 3 km. The base of the cliffs indented with caves and caverns themselves are decorated with ancient rock paintings and stone carvings.

Once in the center of the continent there is a towering mountain range which is an island in the middle of the lake Amadies. The products of destruction of rocks were deposited at the bottom of the reservoir to form a rock. It resembles Uluru lying on the side of a giant elephant. From a distance, the monolith looks very smooth but close to the surface you can clearly see:

1. bumps,
2. cracks,
3. grooves.

The desert climate is characterized by variations in temperature: the night is cold and the midday heat reaches 40 degrees. The stone expands when heated and shrinks which causes its cracking when being cooled. The unique giant mountain is made of red sandstone and has some special properties that allow it to change color depending on the light during the day. At dawn, the black silhouette of mountains brightens, getting a dark purple hue. The sun rises higher and the Uluru flashes purple and red, then lights up in pink and by noon it becomes golden. Fantastic colors of the game go on all day long. It is a great thing to see!

In the XIX century Mount Uluru was first seen by Ernest Giles. He noticed the rock from the shores of the Amadies lake but he couldn’t reach it. A year later, English explorer William Gosse climbed at the top of this miraculous mountain. He called the boulder “Ayers Rock” in honor of the Secretary of State of South Australia Henry Ayers. The name “Uluru” was given to the rock centuries ago by local Aborigines. This word does not mean anything. Archaeologists believe that the Aborigines inhabited outlying areas of Uluru another 10 thousand years ago. Due to the caves and water, Uluru has been a refuge for ancient tribes for hundreds of years.

The tourists started to visit this place only in the middle of the last century, after the construction of a highway through the area.

Interesting: Since 1985 Uluru officially has belonged to the Anangu tribe, however, the giant stone was leased to the government for 99 years and was used as the National Park. The annual fee for the lease is 75 thousand dollars plus 20% from each admission ticket’s price. Natives are interested in the development of tourism in accordance with the agreement they do not prevent the visiting top of Uluru which leads them to the sacred path.

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Place to visit number 8: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

In Los Angeles there are a lot of famous landmarks which are annually visited by many tourists. You will definitely remember an excursion to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, which is considered to be the hallmark of the city.

The most important dates for the theater were:

1. Its opening was in 1927. Since then, the theater building has been repeatedly restored.
2. In 1968 it was recognized as a historical and cultural landmark.

Premieres of different films still attract the attention of the audience like many years ago. It is located on the famous Hollywood Boulevard.

The idea of ??building it was owned by impresario Sid Graumann who had already built the Chinese theater under the name “Millions of dollars” and the Egyptian Theatre by that moment.  It was initially decided that the room should be spacious, so that more viewers were able to see the new picture. The building construction plan was designed by architect Raymond Kennedy and Los Angeles City Hall has allocated land for construction.

The complex consists of the attractions of the theater and a small patio in front of it, which is surrounded by curved walls and turrets which are decorated with copper domes. If you want to visit this famous landmark, take a tour of Los Angeles here. Believe me it is really worth coming here! In the courtyard of the theater there are fountains in the shape of a lotus. The height of the building reaches 27 meters. At its entrance there are two columns of coral that support bronze roof. Once in the building, you will surely be surprised how luxurious its interior is and especially the auditorium. The theater is still functioning, so you have the opportunity to go there to watch the premiere of some movie!

One of the most popular attractions which is located near the theater is the Walk of Fame which you should definitely visit if you are going to spend your holiday in Los Angeles. This alley is a small playground which is located in front of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre where the cement imprinted the hands and feet of many famous figures of the cinema. The history of the Walk of Fame is quite interesting.

 Interesing:  The idea for the Walk of Fame came very spontaneously – once silent film star Norma Tolmadzh accidentally stepped on the wet cement in front of the Chinese Theatre. Since then it has become a tradition and today’s Walk of Fame has the imprints of such movie stars as Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood, Johnny Depp, Will Smiit, Cher, Al Pacino and many others.

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Place to visit number 9: El Tajin

This is an ancient archaeological site which is situated in Veracruz (state in Mexico). “Tajin” has the meaning of the “ Town (or place) of Thunder” on the Totonac language.

Some important historical facts that you must know if you go there:

1. The city of El Tajin was built in the I century AD.
2. The best period of El Tajin can be called the IX-XIII centuries.
3. The city suffered many attacks from other peoples who were living in the same region during fifteen centuries. The Spanish conquistadores captured and destroyed much of El Tajin that was an important center in the north-east of Central America in the XVI century.

The city has the so-called “ceremonial center” where you can see a number of pyramidal temples. The most well-known is «Pyramid with niches” which has terraces 6 and 18 meters in height. It has been built of stone blocks that had been very carefully cut forming a series of 365 niches (this number is equal to the number of days in a year). On the east side of the Pyramid there is a staircase which leads to the top.

Interesting: “Pyramid with niches” is considered to be a real masterpiece of ancient Mexican and American architecture. It has symbolic significance.

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Place to visit number 10: Rice terraces in Banaue

Rice terraces in Banaue appeared more than 2 thousand years ago when the tribe called Ifugao terraced rice fields near Banaue (the small town on the island of Luzon, the Philippines) which is situated 250 km from the capital city of Manila.

How do terraces look like:

1. They are located at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters.
2. They occupy more than 10 thousand square kilometers.

They look really great! Terraces extend in length by 22 kilometers and follow the contours of the mountain slopes of the Philippine Cordilleras everywhere, preserving the natural landscape of great beauty. The inhabitants still grow rice there on the same terraces and use the same method as it was used by their ancestors thousands of years ago.

Interesting: Lately, in the mountains around Banaue gold has been found. However, local people didn’t allow developing the gold-bearing layers and preferred to follow their old traditions of growing rice.

Our Earth is an amazing and beautiful placewith so many picturesque things to see that it is impossible to list all of them. Some routes are very popular because they do not leave anyone indifferent.
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