Russia - Nadym - Hotel Aysberg

Hotel Aysberg in Nadym in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia.

Sent by Natalya from Nadym, Russia.

Austria - Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape

Nationalpark Neusiedler See - Seewinkel, a part of Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sent by Claudia, a postcrosser from Vienna, Austria.

This is from UNESCO : The Fertö-Neusiedler Lake and its surroundings are an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement and land use representative of a culture. The present character of the landscape is the result of millennia-old land-use forms based on stockraising and viticulture to an extent not found in other European lake areas. The historic centre of the medieval free town of Rust constitutes an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement representative of the area. The town exhibits the special building mode of a society and culture within which the lifestyles of townspeople and farmers form a united whole. The Fertö-Neusiedler Lake has been the meeting place of different cultures for eight millennia, and this is graphically demonstrated by its varied landscape, the result of an evolutionary and symbiotic process of human interaction with the physical environment.

The lake lies between the Alps, 70 km distant, and the lowlands in the territory of two states, Austria and Hungary. The lake itself is in an advanced state of sedimentation, with extensive reed stands. It has existed for 500 years within an active water management regime. In the 19th century, canalization of Hanság shut the lake off from its freshwater marshland. Since 1912 completion of a circular dam ending at Hegykö to the south has prevented flooding.

Two broad periods may be discerned: from around 6000 BC until the establishment of the Hungarian state in the 11th century AD and from the 11th century until the present. The World Heritage site lies in a region that was Hungarian territory from the 10th century until the First World War. From the 7th century BC the lake shore was densely populated, initially by people of the early Iron Age Hallstatt culture and on through late prehistoric and Roman times. In the fields of almost every village around the Lake there are remains of Roman villas. The basis of the current network of towns and villages was formed in the 12th and 13th centuries, their markets flourishing from 1277 onwards, when they were relieved of many fiscal duties.

The mid-13th century Tatar invasion left this area unharmed, and it enjoyed uninterrupted development throughout medieval times until the Turkish conquest in the late 16th century. The economic basis throughout was the export of animals and wine. Rust in particular prospered on the wine trade. Its refortification in the early 16th century as a response to the then emerging Ottoman threat marked the beginning of a phase of construction in the area, first with fortifications and then, during the 17th-19th centuries, with the erection and adaptation of domestic buildings. The remarkable rural architecture of the villages surrounding the lake and several 18th-and 19th-century palaces add to the area's considerable cultural interest. The palace of the township of Nagycenk and the Fertöd Palace are included in detached areas of the core zone outside the buffer zone.

Széchenyi Palace, at the southern end of the lake, is a detached ensemble of buildings in the centre of a large park, initially built in the mid-18th century on the site of a former manor house. It acquired some of its present form and appearance around 1800. The Baroque palace garden was originated in the 17th century. In the late 18th century an English-style landscape garden was laid out.

Between 1769 and 1790 Josef Haydn's compositions were first heard in the Fertöd Esterházy Palace. It was the most important 18th-century palace of Hungary, built on the model of Versailles. The plan of the palace, garden and park was on geometrical lines which extended to the new village of Esterháza. There, outside the palace settlement, were public buildings, industrial premises and residential quarters. The palace itself is laid out around a square with rounded internal corners. To the south is an enormous French Baroque garden that has been changed several times, the present layout being essentially that of 1762.

Australia - Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens

Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens.
World Heritage Site, Melbourne, Australia.

Sent by Anita, a postcrosser from Australia.

This is from UNESCO : The Royal Exhibition Building and the surrounding Carlton Gardens, as the main extant survivors of a Palace of Industry and its setting, together reflect the global influence of the international exhibition movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement showcased technological innovation and change, which helped promote a rapid increase in industrialization and international trade through the exchange of knowledge and ideas.

The complex was designed for the great international exhibitions of 1880 and 1888 in Melbourne. The building, designed by Joseph Reed, is constructed of brick and timber, steel and slate; it combines elements from the Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles. The property is typical of the international exhibition movement which saw over 50 expositions staged between 1851 and 1915 in venues including Paris, New York, Vienna, Calcutta, Kingston (Jamaica) and Santiago (Chile). All shared a common theme and aims: to chart material and moral progress through displays of industry from all nations.

The scale and grandeur of the building reflects the values and aspirations attached to industrialization and its international face. The Building boasts many of the important features that made the expositions so dramatic and effective, including a dome, a great hall, giant entry portals, versatile display areas, axial planning, and complementary gardens and viewing areas. Unlike many international exhibitions, the Building was conceived as a permanent structure that would have a future role in the cultural activities of the growing city of Melbourne.

Despite the great impact of the international exhibition movement worldwide and the impressive nature of the many buildings designed and built to hold these displays, few remain. Even fewer retain their authenticity in terms of original location and condition. The Royal Exhibition Building, in its original setting of the Carlton Gardens, is one of the rare survivors. It has added rarity as the only substantially intact example in the world of a Great Hall from a major international exhibition.

Carlton Gardens are in two parts: an axial garden layout in the southern part of the site and a northern garden that was landscaped after the close of the two great 19th century exhibitions. Bounded by Victoria, Rathdowne, Carlton and Nicholson Streets at the edge of Melbourne's city centre, the entire block remains intact as originally designated by the Victorian Parliament in 1878. During the 1880 and 1888 international exhibitions the southern portion of the garden became a pleasure garden, with many attractions. The South Carlton Gardens, as it is now known, continues to be used for parkland and exhibition purposes. The southern entrance to the building, on the city side, is the apex of the design. A level promenade was created along the front of the building, and a semi-circular space has as its centrepiece an ornate fountain. A ceremonial approach is provided by a 24 m wide avenue, and two other paths form a radiating axis from the fountain. In 1888 another fountain, the Westgarth Fountain, was added.

The aesthetic significance of the Carlton Gardens lies in its representation of the 19th-century Gardenesque style. This includes parterre garden beds, significant avenues including the southern carriage drive and Grande Allée, the path system, specimens and clusters of trees, two small lakes and three fountains. The formal ornamental palace garden, which was the context for the Great Hall of the Palace of Industry, is substantially intact.

Bulgaria - Folklore Traditions

Sent by Nadezhda, a postcrosser from Bulgaria.

Netherlands - Vinkeveen

An aerial view of Vinkeveen.

Sent by Nelleke, a postcrosser from Vinkeveen, Netherlands.

This is from Wikipedia : Vinkeveen is a town in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of De Ronde Venen, and lies about 18 km south of Amsterdam.

The neighbourhood of Vinkeveen, which covers the town of Vinkeveen and the neighbouring hamlet of Achterbos, has about 8400 inhabitants.

Vinkeveen used to be a separate municipality. It merged with Waverveen in 1841, to form the municipality Vinkeveen en Waverveen. In 1989 there was a reorganisation of local governments, and Vinkeveen became a part of De Ronde Venen.

Vinkeveen is mainly famous for the Vinkeveense Plassen, a lake area east of the village. They are an important recreational area, with facilities for swimming, diving and yachting. There is a marina on the north shore of the lakes.

Bicycles (9)

Leidsegracht, Amsterdam.

Sent by Marije from Netherlands.

Russia - St. Petersburg - Neva River

Neva River. View of the Spit of Vasiliyevsky Island from the Palace Embankment.

Sent by Dmitry, a postcrosser from St. Petersburg.

This is from Wikipedia : The Neva (Russian: Нева́, IPA: [nʲɪˈva]) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length (74 km), it is the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge (after the Volga and the Danube).

The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake Ladoga. It flows through the city Saint Petersburg, three smaller towns of Shlisselburg, Kirovsk and Otradnoye, and dozens of settlements. The river is navigable throughout and is part of the Volga–Baltic Waterway and White Sea – Baltic Canal. It is a site of numerous major historical events, including the Battle of the Neva in 1240 which gave Alexander Nevsky his name, the founding of Saint Petersburg in 1703, and the Siege of Leningrad by the German army during World War II.

Poland - Polesie National Park

Polesie National Park.

Sent by Ada, a postcrosser from Poland.

This is from Wikipedia : Polesie National Park (Polish: Poleski Park Narodowy) is a National Park in Lublin Voivodeship, eastern Poland, in the Polish part of the historical region of Polesie. Created in 1990 over an area of 48.13 square kilometres, it covers a number of former peat-bog preserves: Durne Bagno, Jezioro Moszne, Jezioro Długie, Torfowisko Orłowskie. In 1994 its size was augmented by the addition of Bagno Bubnów, a swampy terrain adjacent to the park. Currently, the park occupies 97.62 km2 (37.69 sq mi), of which forests make up 47.8 km², and water and wastelands 20.9 km².

The idea of creating a National Park in the Polish part of Polesie first appeared in 1959. Over the following years a few preserves were organized here, and in 1982 the government announced the creation of Poleski Park Krajobrazowy (Polesie Landscape Park). Currently, even though Polesie’s infrastructure is quite well developed, it is rarely visited by tourists. In the village of Załucze Stare there is a cultural center with a museum.

The National Park and neighbouring areas form the West Polesie biosphere reserve, designated by UNESCO in 2002. This is adjacent to a similar reserve on the Ukrainian side of the border. The Park is also protected under the Ramsar convention as an important wetland site.

Finland - Finland Proper - Houtskär

A village church in Houtskär.

Sent by Maria, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Houtskär (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhuːtʃæːr]; Finnish: Houtskari [ˈhoutskɑri]) is a former municipality of Finland. On 1 January 2009, it was consolidated with Iniö, Korpo, Nagu and Pargas to form the new town of Väståboland.

It is located in the Archipelago Sea in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper region. The municipality had a population of 621 (as of 31 December 2008) and covered a land area of 119.93 square kilometres (46.31 sq mi). The population density was 5.18 inhabitants per square kilometre (13.4 /sq mi).

The municipality was bilingual with the majority (88 %) being Swedish and minority Finnish speakers.

In the 2004 municipal elections, the Swedish People's Party got 100% of the votes.

In Houtskär are three stores, a bank and mail, and the church of Santa Maria in Näsby center. At various times throughout the year organized dances, which is an old tradition that is kept alive by both older and younger participants, everyone dance different couplesdances from humppa to schottis, always to live music.

Houtskär consists of a group of bigger islands and a large number of smaller islands in the surrounding sea area. Communications to the mainland is by the ”Archipelago road” through Pargas, Nagu and Korpo, with three ferries considered part of the road network, the trip with the last one from Korpo to Houtskär lasting half an hour. The main islands are connected by bridges or cable ferries, the outer inhabited islands usually have daily connections with ship-like ferries.

Australia - Australian White Cocktail Parrot

Australian White Cocktail Parrot.

Sent by Adam, a postcrosser from Queensland, Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), also known as the Quarrion and the Weiro, is the smallest cockatoo endemic to Australia. They are prized as a household pet and companion parrot throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed. As a caged bird, cockatiels are second in popularity only to the Budgerigar.

The cockatiel is the only member of the genus Nymphicus. It was previously considered a crested parrot or small cockatoo; however, more recent molecular studies have assigned it to the Cockatoo subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (commonly known as Dark Cockatoos). It is, therefore, now classified as the smallest of the Cacatuidae (Cockatoo family). Cockatiels are native to the outback regions of inland Australia, and favour the Australian wetlands, scrublands, and bush lands.

European Union (EU)

Map of European Union.

Sent by Daerden, a postcrosser from Belgium.

This is from Wikipedia : The European Union (EU) i/ˌjʊərəˈpiːənˈjuːnjən/ is an economic and political union or confederation of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1958. In the intervening years the EU has grown in size by the accession of new member states, and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993. The latest amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009.

The EU operates through a system of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmental negotiated decisions by the member states. Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area (which includes EU and non-EU states) passport controls have been abolished. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. A monetary union, the eurozone, was established in 1999 and, as of January 2012, is composed of 17 member states. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy the EU has developed a limited role in external relations and defence. Permanent diplomatic missions have been established around the world and the EU is represented at the United Nations, the WTO, the G8 and the G-20.

With a combined population of over 500 million inhabitants, or 7.3% of the world population, the EU generated a nominal GDP of 16,242 billion US dollars in 2010, which represents an estimated 20% of global GDP when measured in terms of purchasing power parity.

Poland - Gydnia

Greetings From Gydnia.

Sent by Barbara, a postcrosser from Gydnia, Poland.

This is from Wikipedia : Gdynia (Kashubian: Gdiniô, German: Gdingen, Gotenhafen during World War II) is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.

Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto), with a population of over a million people.

Slovenia - Triglav National Park - Edelweiss

Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum).

Sent by Leonardo, a postcrosser from Slovenia.

USA - Texas - Guadalupe Mountains National Park

GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
A permanent stream makes McKittrick Canyon an oasis for wildlife in the heart of the Guadalupe Mountains.

Sent by C.T., a postcrosser from California, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet (2,667 m) in elevation. It also contains El Capitan, long used as a landmark by people traveling along the old route later followed by the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. Visitors can see the ruins of an old stagecoach station near the Pine Springs Visitor Center. Camping is available nearby at the Pine Springs Campground. The restored Frijole Ranch House is now a small museum of local ranching history and is the trailhead for Smith Spring. The park covers 135 square miles (350 km2) and is in the same mountain range as Carlsbad Caverns National Park which is located about 25 miles (40 km) to the north in New Mexico. Numerous well-established trails exist in the park for hiking and horse-riding. The Guadalupe Peak Trail offers perhaps the most outstanding views in the park. Climbing over 3,000 feet (910 m) to the summit of Guadalupe Peak, the trail winds through pinyon pine and Douglas-fir forests and offers spectacular views of El Capitan and the vast Chihuahuan Desert.

The park also contains McKittrick Canyon. During the Fall, McKittrick comes alive with a blaze of color from the turning Bigtooth Maples, in stark contrast with the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. A trail in the canyon leads to a stone cabin built in the early 1930s, formerly the vacation home of Wallace Pratt, a petroleum geologist who donated the land in order to establish the park.

USA - Utah - Mormon Temple

SALT LAKE CITY
UTAH
The six spired Mormon Temple, seen here at night, is the center piece of downtown Salt Lake City. The 10-acre plot on which it rests also includes the Tabernacle and the Assembly Hall.

Sent by Didier, a postcrosser from France.

This is from Wikipedia : The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois.

The Salt Lake Temple is the centerpiece of the 10-acre (4.0 ha) Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like other LDS temples it is considered sacred by the church and its members and a temple recommend is required to enter, so there are no public tours. The church permitted Life to publish the first public photographs of the building's interior in 1938. The temple grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction. Due to its location at LDS Church headquarters and its historical significance, it is patronized much by Latter-day Saints from many parts of the world.

The Salt Lake Temple is also the location of the weekly meetings of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As such, there are special meeting rooms in the Salt Lake Temple for these purposes, including the Holy of Holies, which are not present in other temples.

The official name of the Salt Lake Temple is also unique. In the early 2000s, as the building of LDS temples accelerated dramatically, the Church announced a formal naming convention for all existing and future temples. For temples located in the United States and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city or town in which the temple is located, followed by the name of the applicable state or province (with no comma). For temples outside of the U.S. and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city name (as above) followed by the name of the country. However, for reasons on which the Church did not elaborate (possibly due to the historical significance and worldwide prominence of the temple), the Salt Lake Temple was granted an exception to the new rule and thus avoided being renamed the Salt Lake City Utah Temple.

Some think the Temple is intended to evoke the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem. It is oriented towards Jerusalem and the large basin used as a baptismal font is mounted on the backs of twelve oxen as was the brazen sea in Solomon's Temple. However this is only conjecture. At east end of the building, the height of the center pinnacle is 210 feet, or 120 cubits, making this Temple 20 cubits taller than the Temple of Solomon.

The location of the Temple is in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by. Very nearby, a shallow stream, City Creek, splits and flows both to the west and to the south, flowing into the deeper Jordan River, which flows northward into the large Great Salt Lake. There is a wall around the 10 acre Temple site. The surrounding wall became the first permanent structure on what has become known as Temple Square. The wall is a uniform 15 feet high but varies in appearance because of the southwest slope of the site.

Malta - Return Home

Malta
Another day over - back home with the fruits of a hard day's work.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Malta.

Romania - Bucharest - The Kretzulescu Palace - Enescu House

Romania - Bucharest - The Kretzulescu Palace - Enescu House.

Sent by Raluca, a WiP partner from Romania.

This is from Wikipedia : Creţulescu Palace (Palatul Creţulescu in Romanian, alternative spelling "Kretzulescu") is a historic building near the Cişmigiu Gardens on the Ştirbei Vodă street nr. 39 in Bucharest, Romania. It has been built for the Creţulescu family at the beginning of the 20th century, by Romanian architect Petre Antonescu (1873-1965).

Since 1972, it houses the headquarters of UNESCO's European Centre for Higher Education UNESCO-CEPES (known as CEPES after its French name, Centre Europeén pour l'enseignement supérieur).

Germany - Lübeck - Burgtor Gate

Burgtor Gate in Lübeck.

Sent by Annika, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Burgtor, built 1444 in late Gothic style, was the northern city gate of Hanseatic Lübeck, now in Germany. It is one of two towered gates remaining from the medieval fortifications, the other being the more famous Holstentor.

The Baroque helmet-like roof was added in 1685.

USA - North Carolina - State Bird & State Flower

The Cardinal and Dogwood Blossom provide a colorful complementary contrast as the official bird and flower of this marvelous friendly state.

Sent by John from Tennessee, USA.

USA - Washington D.C. - Washington Cathedral

WASHINGTON D.C., USA.
The Washington Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenue.

Sent by Cindy, a WiP partner from Maryland, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in the United States, and the fourth-tallest structure in Washington, D.C. The cathedral is the seat of both the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori as of 2011; and the Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, John Bryson Chane as of 2011. In 2009, nearly 400,000 visitors toured the structure. The congregation numbers 800.

The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, under the first seven Bishops of Washington, erected the cathedral under a charter passed by the United States Congress on January 6, 1893. Construction began on September 29, 1907, when the foundation stone was laid in the presence of President Theodore Roosevelt and a crowd of more than 20,000, and ended 83 years later when the last finial was placed in the presence of President George H. W. Bush in 1990. Decorative work, such as carvings and statuary, is ongoing as of 2011. The foundation operates and funds the cathedral. In 2011, the cathedral was the recipient of $700,000 in federal funds as part of the Save America's Treasures program.

The cathedral stands at Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues in the northwest quadrant of Washington. It is an associate member of the Washington Theological Consortium. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2007, it was ranked third on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.

Germany - Frankfurt (2)

Greetings From Frankfurt.

Sent by Dr. Desiree, a postcrosser from Frankfurt, Germany.

South Korea - Changdeokgung Palace

Donhwamun Gate, Changdeokgung Palace.

Sent by Sonyo from South Korea.

This is from UNESCO : Changdeokgung Palace had a great influence on the development of Korean architecture, garden and landscape planning, and related arts, for many centuries. It reflects sophisticated architectural values, harmonized with beautiful surroundings. The palace compound is an outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design, exceptional for the way in which the buildings are integrated into and harmonized with the natural setting, adapting to the topography and retaining indigenous tree cover.

In the early years of the Joseon dynasty in Korea, the capital moved many times between Gaeseong and Hanyang (present-day Seoul). In 1405 the King Taejong (1400-18), moved the capital back to Hanyang. Considering the existing Gyeongbokgung Palace to be inauspicious, he ordered a new palace to be built, which he named Changdeokgung (Palace of Illustrious Virtue). This palace occupies an irregular rectangle of 57.9 ha, north of Seoul at the foot of Mount Eungbongsan, the main geomantic guardian mountain.

A Bureau of Palace Construction was set up to create the complex, consisting of a number of official and residential buildings, carried out to traditional design principles. These included the palace in front, the market behind, three gates and three courts (administrative court, royal residence court and official audience court). The compound was divided into two parts: the main palace buildings and the Biwon (royal secret garden). The main buildings (throne hall, hall of government affairs, and royal residences) were completed in 1405, and other major elements were added in the succeeding seven years.

The compound was extended to the north-west in 1462. In 1592, during the Japanese invasion of Korea, the palace was burned down, along with many of the important structures in Hanyang. The ruler, Seonjo, began reconstruction in 1607, and this work was completed in 1610, when it again became the seat of government and the royal residence, a role that it was to play for 258 years. It underwent some vicissitudes during that period, but reconstruction was always faithful to the original design.

The main gate (Donhwamun) is a two-storey structure, built in 1406 and reconstructed in 1607 after destruction by fire. The first of the three functional sectors of the palace (administrative court) is entered through the impressive single-storey Injeongmun gate, in the same style as Donhwamun. It gives access to a courtyard whose dominant feature is the majestic throne hall (Injeongjeon). It was destroyed twice by fire, in 1592 and 1803. Set on a double terrace, it is a two-storey structure supported on four huge columns. The elaborate throne in the main hall is placed on a dais beneath a carved ceiling screen. The roof ridge is decorated with carvings of guardian animals, such as eagles and dragons. The main stairway leading to the hall is ornamented with statues of mythical guardian animals. To the east of the Injeongjeon Hall is the simple blue-tiled Seonjeongjeon Hall, used by the king for everyday business. Next to it is the Huigyeongdang Hall, another modest building, which contained the king's bedchamber and sleeping quarters for his staff.

The Daejojeon Hall nearby was for the use of the queen. The garden was landscaped with a series of terraces planted with lawns, flowering trees, flowers, a lotus pool, and pavilions set against a wooded background. There are over 26,000 specimens of 100 indigenous trees in the garden. To these should be added 23,000 planted specimens of 15 imported species, including yew, stone pine, white pine, gingko and Chinese junipers.

Cezch Republic - Moravian Karst

Moravský Kras or Moravian Karst.
1. Kateřinská Cave
2. Sloupsko-šošůvské Cave
3. Výpustek Caves
4. Punkva Caves
5. Balcarka Cave

Sent by Petr, a postcrosser from Czech Republic.

This is from Wikipedia : The Moravian Karst (Czech: Moravský kras) is a karst landscape and protected nature reserve to the north of Brno in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, located near the town of Blansko. It encompasses a number of notable geological features, including roughly 1100 caverns and gorges and covers an area of roughly 92 km². Currently, four of the cave systems (Punkva Caves, Balcarka Cave, Kateřinská Cave, and Sloupsko-šošůvské Cave) are open for public tours and exploration.

This region is also home to one of the most important single geological features in the Czech Republic, the Macocha Abyss, a gorge 138 m deep, which was formed when the ceiling of an underground cave chamber collapsed. Macocha Abyss is also the place where the Punkva River begins to run underground through the Punkvení cave system, and two small pools of water are visible at the surface.

The Moravian Karst is a popular tourist attraction in the local area, and large numbers of tourists visit in the summer months. In addition to caverns, the nature preserve also contains well-marked bicycle trails and hiking paths to explore.

Canada - British Columbia - Traditional Costumes of Native Villagers

NATIVE HERITAGE CENTRE, DUNCAN, VANCOUVER ISLAND
Colourful traditional costumes are worn on ceremonial occasions by our Native Villagers.

Sent by Debra, a postcrosser from Canada.

Estonia - National Symbols

Estonian National Symbols
Cornflower - Limestone - Barn Swallow

Sent by ukaks, a postcrosser from Estonia.