UNESCO: International Jazz Day

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY 30 APRIL

Launch of International Jazz Day:
- Paris, France, 27 April 2012
- New Orleans, United States of America, 30 April 2012
- New York, United States of America, 30 April 2012

SPAIN: Pamplona, the fortress

The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe

PORTUGAL: Douro Valley

AMSTERDAM: The Portuguese Synagogue Complex

The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe Award

2012: The Year of the Maya

Celebrating Year of the Maya with tour of Latin America’s ruins

FRANCE: The Loire Valley

THE LOIRE VALLEY           

The Loire Valley is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and cherry fields which line the banks of the river. Notable for its historic towns, architecture and wines, the valley has been inhabited since the Middle Palaeolithic period. The valley includes historic towns such as Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Nantes, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours. In 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the Loire River valley to its list of World Heritage Sites.

European Capital of Culture 2012: Guimarães

Guimarães’ culture boost

VIENNA: Coffee Houses

Viennese coffee house culture listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage

Coffee houses are a veritable institution in the Austrian capital Vienna – and are now officially recognized as such after being added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. One of the city’s biggest and best-loved coffee houses is Café Landtmann, and the owner told us how his family balances preserving tradition and keeping up with the times.

CITY: Valletta

Valletta at just over a square kilometer of area still has a lot to offer. The whole city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. Its inner core is ringed by medieval fortifications and it has the Mediterranean’s two biggest natural harbors: Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. It was founded in 1566 by Jean Parisot de la Vallette of the Knights of St. John.

CITY: Riga

The capital of Latvia is Riga. It is the largest city in the Baltic region. It is home to 720 thousand people, that’s a third of the Latvian population. Almost half of them are ethnic Russians. Latvia joined the EU in 2004. It is home to the largest ensemble of art nouveau buildings worldwide.