Scaling the Castle Walls in Edinburgh!

The world is a big place, and the pursuit of its exploration has been the great thread that links all travelers across the both the history of our world and the expansion of its global community which now spans the globe. At Legendary Journeys we wish to take that thread and make a tapestry of experiences that any adventurer will remember for the rest of their days. From places of worship at the most holy of sites, to the viewing of the most beautiful paintings depicting unimaginable beauty, we are dedicated to bringing people to the place their heart desires most.  Today we discuss Edinburgh, Scotland, one of the most beautiful cities in Great Britain!

Edinburgh Castle is a well-worn fortress which takes up a good deal of the skyline within the city due to its position on the Castle Rock. Researchers have traced the first settlements on the rock to the second century, although what kind of development these settlements had is unclear. The first time a royal castle at this site was in the 12th century, established during the reign of David I, and it was continually used as a royal residence until 1603. Research has shown that there have been at least 26 sieges on the castle in its long history, including conflicts in the Wars of Scottish Independence. It remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in Edinburgh to this day, with over 70% of visitors to the city stopping by this amazing castle. 

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions is a major tourist attraction in the Old Town portion of Edinburgh. It is located in the Royal Mile, next to the above discussed Edinburgh Castle, and was founded in 1835. The tower has six floors of hands-on exhibits, all open to the public, which makes it the oldest attraction built for the simple sake of viewing in the city, and one of the oldest in the entire country. The top floor, where the Camera Obscura is located, is used to project a so called virtual tour of the city for visitors. The museum is dedicated to optical illusions, light, and even includes a vortex tunnel! 

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the British monarch of Scotland. It has been used in the capacity of the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scots since the 16th century, and it also serves as a setting for official entertaining and state occasions. Queen Elizabeth spends a routine week every year in residence at the palace where she carries out a wide range of official ceremonies and engagements. The architecture of the palace is done in the Baroque style, and is noted as one of the most beautiful examples of the style in all of Scotland. The palace also features Roman Doric columns, which are carved with the Royal Arms of Scotland. 

Edinburgh is one of the prettiest cities in all of Europe, if not the world. There is a wealth of attractions to be found in the city, and there is certainly something for everyone who wishes to visit this great city! Legendary Journeys is proud to take you there as part of our Best of Britain & London Transatlantic! For all of the information on this great trip, please click here. 

Jazzing Up the Joint in New Orleans!

Traveling should be a really great experience, but it can often be a nerve-wracking ordeal to find the ideal locations to spend your precious time. At Legendary Journeys we make it our mission to relieve the stress of travel by providing you with an expansive amount of information about great places all around the world! From constructed marvels to amazing natural beauty, we have a lot of experience and knowledge to share. On tap today is the city of New Orleans, which has a lot of great history involving matters of faith and some truly awesome music! 

The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also known as the St. Louis Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States. The first church on the site was built in 1719 and the current building finished construction in 1789 and was raised to its cathedral status in 1793. In 1850 the cathedral was expanded a great deal and largely rebuilt, with little of its original structure remaining afterwards. It holds the distinction of being one of the few Roman Catholic churches in the country that also has a significant public square. The building as it is presently constructed has inspiration in the Renaissance as well as the Spanish Colonial architectural styles. The current Archbishop is Gregory Aymond. 

The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carre, is the oldest neighborhood of the city and its name in French means "Old Square." A majority of the buildings from the Quarter's past were built either in the late 18th century, when the Spanish controlled the city, or were built during the 19th century after the U.S. made Louisiana a state. The district has been labeled as a National Historic Landmark or the variety of buildings that have historical significance. Travelers from all over the world visit the Quarter visit it every year, making it an important economic hub for the city. When Katrina struck in 2005 the Quarter was by far the least effected, with most businesses being able to reopen within a month of the tremendous storm. 

Preservation Hall was established in 1961 and its purpose is to preserve and protect the music genre known as traditional New Orleans Jazz. Preservation Hall works as a record label as well as a music venue and continues its mission to this day, considered an important part of New Orleans music as well as culture. The current headquarters was originally a tavern that was built in 1803 and changed hands many times over the years before finally being selected as the site for the Hall. The legendary Louis Armstrong once said that at Preservation Hall is where people can find all of the greats, which resonates perfectly the feeling the people of New Orleans have for the Hall and for Jazz in general. 

New Orleans has a spirit that is all its own, with a vibrant atmosphere that makes it an amazing place to visit for any traveler at any time of the year! We have many fun trips that can take you to this city and others just as great all over the world! To take a look at our amazing deals, click here. 

Diving Into a Bunker to Discuss Dubrovnik!

Traveling should be a really great experience, but it can often be a nerve-wracking ordeal to find the ideal locations to spend your precious time. At Legendary Journeys we make it our mission to relieve the stress of travel by providing you with an expansive amount of information about great places all around the world! From constructed marvels to amazing natural beauty, we have a lot of experience and knowledge to share. The city we will be discussing today is Dubrovnik, Croatia, whose militaristic history has left a lot of interesting landmarks behind in its wake! 

The Walls of Dubrovnik are a very large series of stone walls which have acted as a defensive barricade for the city since its founding prior to the 7th century. They were built entirely with limestone. The walls have been heavily modified throughout the centuries and are considered to be one of the greatest fortifications of the Middle Ages, having never been breached even once during that time period. It is considered to be among the largest and most complete of its type in all of Europe and served to protect the freedom of the peaceful republic for over five centuries! The walls are reinforced with seventeen towers in total, five bulwarks, and the looming building which is known as St. John's Fortress. Further the walls were reinforced by smaller bastions such as Fort Bokar, which is the oldest preserved fort of its kind in all of Europe! There was a moat that encircled the walls of the outside section of the city, which protected the 120 cannons that defended the city very well! In a testament to how amazing these walls were built during the nineties when the city was bombarded by modern technology these older buildings help up remarkably well in comparison to the newer structures on the city's outskirts! The old city of Dubrovnik, which includes a fair portion of the walls, was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. 

Fort Lovrijenac, otherwise known as St. Lawrence Fortress, is a fortress and theater which can be found outside the western wall of the city. It got its fame for its plays as well as the importance it had in resisting Venetian rule, it looms large over both the entrance by sea and by land into the city. The Venetians wished to build a fort on this very location but were beaten to the punch by the locals who managed to build it in only three months! It is widely believed that if they had succeeded they would have held onto Dubrovnik as the locals would not have had a foothold for defense. Like the walls that surround the city, this fort is built from Limestone and is very well preserved to this day. 

Dubrovnik is proof that even peaceful societies can have structures built for war time. Because of these marvels of defensive genius it has withstood many sieges and known widespread peace in its time. Also, it makes the city very interesting! There is more to see in Dubrovnik than just the beautiful craftsmanship of its outer walls though, and we'll gladly take you there and many other great cities next year as part of a 20 day cruise! For all of the information on this great trip, click here.