Travel Offers - Cultural Holidays

Europe offers many cultural attractions. The continent has important archaeological areas, a very rich historical and ethnical background, beautiful cities and small centers. This melting-pot of people, languages and nations furthermore gives the tourist a great variety of folkloristic, gastronomic and linguistic experiences. Southern Europe is by many considered as the birthplace of European civilization, especially Greece and Rome where many remains from these great civilizations still can be found. Italy and France are the origins of the European Renaissance and there are many beautiful cities like Florence and Sienna in Italy with structures from this period, as well as numerous museums and galleries spread all over Europe. Most of Spain was occupied by the Moors for almost 400 years (from around year 1000 to 1400) and there are many traces in Spain from this period, most famous is the Alhambra in Granada one of the worlds greatest Muslim constructions.

The North American continent is filled with history and culture. The major areas of the continent are; the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, all offer hundreds of cultural experiences. Central America and Mexico have lots of remains from the Mayas, Aztecs and other ancient Indian civilizations. Also the influence from the Spanish colonizers is very prominent. The Caribbean has a strong African heritage from the time of slavery. The United States has fingerprints from almost every part of the world and it has amazing cities with some of the Worlds best museums and art galleries. Add to this the theatre, opera and ballet culture there is in the United States.

South America has a mix of cultures: ruins of ancient civilizations (Machu Picchu and other Inca cities); the Moais in Easter Island share the continent with world-class metropolises (Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rosario, Santiago de Chile, and Rio de Janeiro) outstanding modern architecture (Brasilia); European architecture (Buenos Aires); the oldest rock paintings in the Americas at the Serra da Capivara; strong African heritage in Salvador, Rio and Montevideo; Eastern culture (Sao Paulo's enormous Japanese community) all mingled with the fingerprints of the Spanish and Portuguese colonizers.

Africa was the birthplace of the human species between 8 million and 5 million years ago. Today, the vast majority of its inhabitants are of indigenous origin. People across the continent are remarkably diverse by just about any measure: They speak a vast number of different languages, practice hundreds of distinct religions, live in a variety of types of dwellings, and engage in a wide range of economic activities. The most famous civilization in Africa is that of ancient Egypt. Reminders of this culture can be found from the southern city of Abu Simbel to Luxor and all the way north to Alexandria and Cairo. The Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving construction of the original Seven Wonders of the World. Pyramids can also be found in Sudan, dating from the Nubian-Kushite Kingdom that broke away from Egypt. In West Africa, structures from the great ancient Mali Empire can be found in Timbuktu and Djenne. In Ethiopia, there can be found many ruins from the ancient Axumite Kingdom.

Asia, and especially the Far East, is a treasure hole of temples, shrines, palaces and ancient archaeological sites, including the vast temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, The Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, China, the Great Wall of China, the great monasteries of Lhasa, Tibet, and the Taj Mahal in India. Asia is also home to religions and philosophies different to what is found elsewhere, for instance Hinduism, Buddhism and the Jaen Religion. Asia has in recent years developed into advanced technology societies, and at the same time you can find tribes and small communities for instance in Borneo and New Guiney where people more or less live as they have done for thousands of years. For many Westerners traveling to Asia for the first time the cultural diversities can be overwhelming.

Turkey and the Middle East is an archaeological paradise littered with ruins and monuments from countless past civilizations. There are too many to name, among these the hidden city of Petra in the Jordan desert.

Australia's Aboriginal culture probably represents the oldest surviving culture in the world. With the use of stone tool technology and painting with red ochre pigment dating back over 60,000 years rocks were engraved and became one of the few art forms to survive. Designs were painted on the walls of rock shelters. The Aborigines probably came to Australia as modern human beings 60,000 to 80,000 years ago, making the Aborigines the oldest continuous population outside Africa. Over time the ancient peoples expanded and developed over 200 distinct languages and differing cultures. Also modern Australia has plenty of cultural experiences to offer its visitors including the Opera House in Sydney.