Peter and Paul fortress on the Hare Island is a real stronghold and historical center of St. Petersburg

10 best Eastern European attractions

 (5) marks: 1

Despite the fact that the Eastern and Central European countries have significant advantages, Western tourists mention them in selecting an attractive tourist destination for the coming holidays, but not in the first place. Euromonitor International has published a list of 10 most attractive tourist destinations in Eastern Europe over the past year.
1. Jasna Góra Catholic monastery in Częstochowa, Poland. 4, 980,000 visitors annually.
Huge Jasna Góra Baroque monastery on a mountaintop in Częstochowa is always full of pilgrims and believers. The most attractive here is 106 m high tower, restored in 1906. But not even the monastery itself is often the cause of the pilgrimage. It was in this monastery, in the altar of the church of the Black Madonna is kept one of the most famous and revered shrines in Central Europe, the Częstochowa miraculous icon of the Mother of God, better known as the "Black Madonna". According to legend, the image of the Blessed Virgin, is one of ten assigned to the Apostle Luke. Today, an icon is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox and is the third world's largest place of pilgrimage for Christians, and of course the national shrine of Poland. Every day, especially in the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin (15 August) thousands and thousands of believers from all over the world come here to would bow to the miraculous "Black Madonna". Traditionally, the locals provide shelter to pilgrims.

2. Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg, Russia 3,789,000 visitors annually.
Peter and Paul fortress on the Hare Island is a real stronghold and historical center of St. Petersburg. Fortress was founded by Peter I on 16 (27) May 1703 and was originally called Zanht-Peter-Burh. The fortress consists of many famous historical buildings, grouped around the main center - the magnificent Peter and Paul Cathedral, the three-tiered tower of which, crowned with a golden needle spire and flying angel, is now a constant symbol of the city on the Neva. In addition to the Peter and Paul Cathedral the Museum of St. Petersburg's history also includes the Grand-ducal burial place, a complex of Saint-Petersburg Mint, Guardhouse, Shoes House, Engineering House, Bastion, the Treasury, the Coach, the Commandant's house, Kronverk, the Prosecutor’s house and the prison of the Trubetskoy bastion. There is a curious fact that there exists of a prototype of the Peter and Paul Fortress – the Novodvinsk fortress, which was also built by Peter a few years earlier on the Linski Island near Arkhangelsk.

To be continued

Date: 02/12/2009