There are many types of cruises out there and there are many reasons to go on a cruise. If you’re planning one for your next holiday you might want to consider visiting one of the five most culturally significant places on earth. Not surprisingly they are all in port cities that can be reached by boat. Make a few of these ports of call on your next cruise.
The Louvre, Paris France: The Louvre was built in 1793 and is today one of the largest museums in the world and a national monument in France. It contains 35,000 objects from pre-history up until the 19th Century in its over 650,000 square ft area. Among the many priceless treasures here are Roman, Ptolemaic, Islamic, and Byzantine sculptures, carvings, and portraits. It is also the home of the Mona Lisa and masterpieces by Michelangelo, De Vinci, Raphael and others.
The Smithsonian, Washington DC: Like the Louvre in Paris, the Smithsonian is a vault of culture, art, and history that goes back thousands of years. The Smithsonian is actually a complex of nineteen museums and nine research facilities that stretch out across and under Washington DC. It is the archive for not only American history, but the histories of many of the ancient cultures that have been lost over the course of the centuries.
The Library at Alexandria, Bibliotheca Alexandrina: A modern re-creation of the original was dedicated in 2002 and is open today as one of the world’s largest sources of information and history of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Stories vary as to what exactly happened to the original with the most popular being the accidental burning of the library by Julius Caesar when he burnt his ships in the harbour. The new structure is built on the site of the old and incorporates modern technology that was not available back then, including a fire detection system.
Panathenaic Stadium, Athens: The site of the very first Olympic Games in 336 BC was also where they re-opened in 1896. The stadium was most recently used in 2004 as the finishing point of the 2004 Olympic marathon. In your search for cultural significance Athens should be a stop along the way. Make it a point to take in the stadium while you’re there.
Vatican City, Rome: The legacy of the Holy Roman Emperors is now housed in the smallest country on earth. Vatican City is not part of Italy; they are an independent nation and home of the Pope of the Catholic Church. As one of the most dominant cities in both modern and ancient times, Rome should be on your list.
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