I love tourist cards! They bring the world
right at my doorstep.
Kuan (Wide) Alley and Zhai (Narrow) Alley,
Chengdu, China
The history of Wide and Narrow Alley can be dated back to the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD). At that time, the area was a city within the Chengdu city called Mancheng City or Shaocheng City, where the court quartered troops. As time passed by, the city decayed and only the Wide Alley and Narrow Alley were left. In 2003, renovation work of the two alleys began, aiming to build a complex cultural and business street with the functions of tourism and recreation. On June 14, 2008, the newly renovated Wide and Narrow Alley were opened to the public, located in the current Qingyang District. Nowadays, Wide and Narrow Alley is a popular entertainment and nightlife block as well as a famous tourism site, with lots of restaurants, pubs, teahouses, and stores selling featured souvenirs.
Gran Canaria, Spain
The Cathedral of Santa Ana is a Roman Catholic church located in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. The structure is considered the most important monument of Canarian religious architecture.
Asturias, Spain
The Cathedral of San Salvador of Oviedo today displays an array of architectural styles,
from Pre-Romanesque, to Baroque, including Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance parts.
It began as a large Pre-Romanesque basilica in the present location of the Gothic cathedral,
built by order of King Alfonso II of Asturias, but nothing else is known about that first building.
Demre, Turkey
Myra was an ancient Greek, then Roman Greek, then Byzantine Greek, then Ottoman Greek town in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre in 2005, in the present-day Antalya Province of Turkey. In 1923 its Greek inhabitants had been required to leave by the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey, at which time its church was finally abandoned.
St. Nicholas Church is a museum and an ancient Byzantine Greek Church. It is notable for being the burial place of St. Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of the ancient city of Myra, an important religious figure for Eastern Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics and the historical inspiration for Santa Claus. The Church is on UNESCO's tentative list to become a World Heritage Site.
Karlovac, Croatia
The Dubovac Castle overlooks the Croatian city Karlovac. It's square tower was probably built during the 13th century. In the 15th century, the castle was rebuilt in a renaissance style. The castle had various owners—from Slavonian nobleman family Sudar to famous Croatian counts and dukes Frankopan and Zrinski. From 1671 until 1809, the Dubovac was owned by the Karlovac generals. In 1837, a new owner, Count Laval Nugent, rebuilt the castle in the spirit of romanticism. Dubovac was once again renovated in 1952 using references from the end of the 18th century.
The castle was used for several years as a hotel, and the damage done to the interior to accommodate rooms is now being repaired. There are museum exhibits and a large model of the countryside. Evidence indicates that the fortress was built on a hill constructed by the people in order to maximize defenses and views of the surrounding areas.
