Florence For the artsy
The cradle of Renaissance, Florence! It's a city for all! You will leave this city inspired.
On one corner a woman strums the strings of a guitar, diagnolly across you find a man using the asphalt as his canvas, and a couple steps down you look up and witness Brunelleschi's dome and Giotto's Bell Tower, pieces of art that record moments of greatness. Whether you admire Michelangelo's sculpture of david or fall in awe with Botticelli's 'The Birth Of Venus,' it will dawn upon that all these master pieces are the result of a lot of small things done well everyday, and that you are capable of greatness too!
We recommend:
- The Uffizi Gallery houses the world's largest collection of Botticelli
- while the Galleria dell'Accademia is famous for its Michelangelo collection, where David takes pride of place
- Florence's artistic treasures are showcased everywhere, from piazzas and palaces, to churches and, of course, its museums. Perhaps the most striking landmark in Florence is Brunelleschi's dome on the city's cathedral
London For architectural buffs
London, also known as Londinium by the Romans, is a majestic place.
A mixture of Modern, Medieval, and Renaissance architecture. A city full of history. Many of the best-designed buildings in Europe and the world can be found in London. As well as well-known architectural landmarks like St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey, the city is home to a plethora of impeccably designed buildings and structures.
We recommend:
- St Pancras International. The St. Pancras train station first opened in 1868 and was followed by the completion of the east and west wings of the neighboring Midland Grand Hotel in 1873 and 1876, respectively. A masterful example of Victorian-era Gothic Revival architecture, the hotel was shut down in 1935 and fell into disrepair until renovations began in the 1990s. The site is now open for business in the form of the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel
- The Shard. Completed in 2012, Renzo Piano’s recognizable Shard building is home to a number of restaurants, offices, a hotel, and a viewing gallery. Inspired by the concept of a vertical city, the over 1,000-foot-tall structure is one of the tallest buildings in Europe
- House of Parliament/Big Ben. A trip to London would not be complete without a visit to one of London’s most famous landmarks—the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Weighing in at 13 tons, the clock tower’s bell was cast in 1858 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry