International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin

The 28th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will start on December 1, 2011 and last to February 29, 2012. The ceremony will be officially launched on January 5, 2012. As it before the festival is held with many winter activities, such as alpine skiing, sledding, winter-swimming, ice sculpture competition, ice & snow carnival, ice lantern exhibition and firework display etc.

The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has been held since 1963, interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution until it was resumed in 1985. Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province, in northeastern China. It is nicknamed "Ice City" and aptly so for winter January temperatures that average minus 18 degrees Celsius, under the influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia.

In these stunning photographs the festival's amazing sculptures are seen illuminated from the inside after night has fallen - with visitors meandering in between the impressive works.

Those who attend the event can navigate the ice cities on foot or via the festival's horse and carriage rides. As well as walking around and marvelling in awe at the colourful creations, they can also zip down snowy slides or climb up the staircases of ice castles and investigate what's inside.
The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is one of the world's top ice festivals.

The best collections of ice artworks are exhibited in the following five main places:

• Harbin Ice and Snow World - came into being in 1999 and is one of the world's largest ice architecture parks. The inspiration for the ice and snow sculptures there usually is derived from traditional Chinese fairy tales or world famous architectures such as the Great Wall, the Egyptian Pyramids, etc.
• Ice Lantern Garden Party - ice lantern in broad sense refers to a series of plastic arts using ice and snow as raw material combining ice artworks with colored lights and splendid music. The specific patterns of ice lantern include ice and snow sculptures, ice flowers, ice architectures and so on.
  Sun Island Scenic Area - is the site of the Snow Sculpture Exposition displaying a wonderful snow world. It has the world's largest indoor ice and snow art museum and it opens to the public from November every year.
• Zhaolin Park - is a 'must see' during the Harbin Ice Festival because it has a traditional program that shows the most excellent ice lanterns. With water, lights and the natural ice from the Songhua River running through Harbin as the material, the ice lanterns are made by freezing water, piling up ice or snow, then carving, enchasing, decorating, etc.
• Yabuli International Ski Resort

Recommended Tours for Harbin Ice and Snow Festival Harbin:

• 3-Day Harbin Winter Tour
• 4-Day Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
• 5-Day Harbin Skiing Tour
• 5-Day Harbin Winter Adventure
• 6-Day Harbin Winter Vacations 

 

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First Academy of nightlife in the world, Belgrade

 

Dutchman Ralf van der Zajden (34) was sitting in a coffee shop and drinking coffee, and talked with people around like any other guest. But in fact, he was born 1500 miles away, in the Dutch city, Scheveningen, near The Hague.

The first time I came to Belgrade in the year 2004. Between the 2007th and 2010th I come on every three months, and in March last year I definitely came in and decided to live in Belgrade. I do not know how to explain why exactly, but the atmosphere makes you feel at home.

He started with iBikeBelgrade, where visitors learn about Belgrade in bicycle tours. But as winter is not exactly ideal for biking, Ralph figured out other ways to do the same job in a manner appropriate to the season. He founded the Academy of Belgrade nightlife! City has become the world's only metropolis that has that kind of "scientific institutions"!

Ralf's Academy teaches you where to eat the best barbecue or burek in the early morning hours, which and where is the best rakia, local branded famous drink...and when you are maximum relaxed and feel like dancing and singing on the table like everybody else around, he teach you how to distinguish the authentic of silicone beauty...

In fact, this is a serious project, and the Academy has three directions in which participants indicate:

1.Kafana Class (culture life in a bar)
2.spirit of Belgrade
3.Belgrade Underground  (secret of capital underground)

My intention is to show people why Belgrade is different and better than other European cities. He has some unique things that nowhere else could find.

More and more cheap flights to Belgrade, which suits us. This year Belgrade will be the best city to visit!

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Leverkusen, Germany

 

Leverkusen, city, North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), west-central Germany. It lies on the Rhine River at the mouth of the Wupper River, in the Dhünn valley, just north of Cologne.

Formed on 1.4.1930 by the union of the town of Wiesdorf, the communities of Schlebusch, Steinbüchel and Rheindorf, it is well served by highway and rail and is the headquarters of the pharmaceutical firm Bayer. In 1975 the regional reorganisation took place and by union with the district town of Opladen (with Lützenkirchen, Quettingen, Rheindorf, Alkenrath, Bürrig, Küppersteg, Manfort), the town of Bergisch Neukirchen and Hitdorf, a former part of Monheim. Other economic activities include metal plating and the manufacture of machinery and textiles. Morsbroich Castle houses a museum of modern art and is used for plays and concerts. There are numerous parks and open spaces. Pop. (2003 est.) 161,543.

Leverkusen is well connected with the airports of Desseldorf and Cologne. Thus it is very easy top reach the city and the good networks or railway and roads make it even easier.

By its twin towns it is connected with Oulu, Finnland (since 1968), Bracknell, England (since 1973/74), Ljubljana, Slowenien (since 1979), Nazareth Illit, Israel (since 1980), Chi-nandega, Nicaragua (since 1986), Schwedt, Federal Republic of Germany (since 1989), Villeneuve d’Ascq, Frankreich (since 2001), Ratibor/Racibórz, Polen (since 2002) and it is in loose contact with Wuxi, China. 

 If you are interested in art, history, architecture, botany, environmental questions or in the carnival, there are some interesting places:

The baroque Morsbroich Museum in Alkenrath, buiilt the 18th century on the ruins of a moted castle of the 13th century, where you find an international collection of modern art. Here numerous worthy exhibitions held on literature and art that attract considerable visitors.

The Colony Museum or the Museum of Industry is excellent places to get a taste of the culture and lifestyle of Leverkusen, Germany. 

Near by the Chapel St. Gezelin is situated with its healing water, as people believe.

The fabulous Water Tower allows tourists to enjoy the breathtaking view of the entire city from its heights. 

Once a year an European day is celebrated and all the different clubs of foreigners, living in town, present themselves, here concerts take place and here you find a nice restaurant.

The other must-see places in Leverkusen are Recovery House, a Museum of Industry in the Kuhlmannsche Sensenfabrik in Schlebusch, or the Villa Wuppermann, built in the 19th century in the style of an Swiss country house, a citizens meetingplace. The history of town is presented in the Villa Römer, former residential building of a factory owner, in Opladen.

The Stadium BayArena is a place that throbs with life and gets filled with football lovers from various parts of the world. 

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