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Home , Alexander Tamanian, Baghramyan Avenue, Berat Castle, Coma Pedrosa, Dajt, Goshavank

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Albania

• National Historical Museum – , o The country's largest museum. It was opened on 28 October 1981 and is 27,000 square meters in size, while 18,000 square meters are available for expositions. The National Historical Museum includes the following pavilions: Pavilion of Antiquity, Pavilion of the , Pavilion of Renaissance, Pavilion of Independence, Pavilion of Iconography, Pavilion of the National Liberation Antifascist War, Pavilion of Communist Terror, and Pavilion of Mother Teresa. • Et'hem Bey Mosque – Tirana, Albania o The Et’hem Bey Mosque is located in the center of the Albanian capital Tirana. Construction was started in 1789 by Molla Bey and it was finished in 1823 by his son Ethem Pasha (Haxhi Ethem Bey), great- grandson of Sulejman Pasha. • Mount – Tirana, Albania o Its highest peak is at 1,613 m. In winter, the is often covered with snow, and it is a popular retreat to the local population of Tirana that rarely sees snow falls. Its slopes have forests of pines, oak and beech. Mountain was declared a National Park in 1966, and has since 2006 an expanded area of about 29,384 ha. It is under the jurisdiction and administration of Tirana Forest Service Department. • Square – Tirana, Albania o is the main plaza of Tirana, Albania named in 1968 after the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg. A can be found in the plaza. • Skanderbeg Monument – Skanderberg Square, Tirana, Albania o The monument in memory of Skanderbeg was erected in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana. This 11 metres monument was inaugurated in the 1968 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Skanderbeg. The monument to Skanderbeg is created by Odhise Paskali. • - Shkodër, Albania o It rises imposingly on a rocky hill, 130 metres above sea level, surrounded by the and rivers. Shkodër is the capital of the District of Shkodër, and is one of Albania's oldest and most historic towns, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. • Albanian Riviera - County of Vlorë, Albania o The area is a major nightlife, ecotourist, and elite retreat destination in Albania. It features traditional Mediterranean villages, ancient castles, Orthodox churches, secluded turquoise beaches, mountain passes, seaside canyons, coves, free flowing rivers, underwater fauna, caves, and orange, lemon, and olive groves. • National Park - Butrint, Ksamil, Albania o The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country containing different artifacts and structures which date from the Bronze Age up until the 19th century. A number of major monuments are still extant including the city walls, late-antique baptistery, great basilica, theatre and Venetian castles. In addition to archaeological remains the site is robed by natural woodland with a complex ecosystem which depends on the nearby freshwater Lake Butrint and Vivari Channel which drain the lake into the Ionian Sea. • Castle – Berat, Albania o A fortress overlooking the town of Berat, Albania. It dates mainly from the 13th century and contains many Byzantine churches in the area and Ottoman mosques. It is built on a rocky hill on the left bank of the river Osum and is accessible only from the south. It's situated at an altitude of 214 meters. • - Border of Albania and o Skadar Lake is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula with a surface area that seasonally fluctuates between 370 km2 to 530 km2. Skadar Lake itself is located on the western Balkan with approximately two- third (229 km2) of its surface belonging to Montenegro and about one- third (142 km2) to Albania. The lake’s water level also varies seasonally from 4.7 to 9.8 m above sea level. The lake extends in the NW-SE direction, and it is approximately 44 km long. • Gjirokastër Fortress - Gjirokaster, Albania o Gjirokastër Castle is situated at a height of 336 metres. The castle dominates the town and overlooks the strategically important route along the river valley. It is open to visitors and contains a military museum featuring captured artillery and memorabilia of the Communist resistance against German occupation, as well as a captured United States Air Force plane to commemorate the Communist regime's struggle against the "imperialist" western powers. • Durrës Archaeological Museum - Durrës, Albania o Established in 1951, is the largest archaeological museum in the country. The museum is located near the beach and north of the museum is the 6th-century Byzantine walls, constructed after the Visigoth invasion of 481. The 1997 rebellion in Albania saw the museum seriously damaged and looted. • Berat National Ethnographic Museum - Berat, Albania o Opened in 1979 and contains a diversity of everyday objects from throughout Berat's history. The museum contains original furniture and a number of household objects, wooden case, wall-closets, as well as chimneys and a well. Near the well is an olive press, wool press and many large ceramic dishes, revealing a glimpse of the historical domestic culture of Berat's citizens. The ground floor has a hall with a model of a medieval street with traditional shops on both sides and on the second floor is an , loom, village sitting room, kitchen and sitting room. • Lëkurësi Castle - Sarandë, Albania o A ruined castle in Lëkurës, southern Albania. The castle is located on a strategic hill point overlooking the town of Saranda, southeast of the town centre. From here one can control the whole town as well as the islands of Ksamil. • Drin o The Drin starts at the confluence of its two headwaters, the Crni Drim (Black Drim) in the city of Struga, and the Beli Drim (White Drim) in the city of Kukës in the Trektan area of eastern Albania. The Drin is extremely important for the Albanian economy, especially for its electricity production. Three dams are built over its cascades producing most of Albania's electricity. The Drin and its surrounding mountainous areas have a great variety of flora and fauna. Recently many fish species have been introduced such as the zander of northern Europe which is a predator of the native fish population. • - Tirana, Albania o The Qemal Stafa Stadium, named after Qemal Stafa a World War II hero, is a national stadium and the largest football stadium in Tirana, Albania. Construction started in 1939 and the stadium was inaugurated in 1946 for the Balkan Cup, which was won by the Albania national football team. The stadium has been used for football matches of the Albanian Superliga and the national team, athletic events, and the six Albanian Spartakiads. Although it was enlarged in 1974 to accommodate up to 35,000 spectators, in the 1990s it became an all- seater stadium, and its capacity was reduced to the current 19 700. • National Art Gallery of Albania – Tirana, Albania o The National Arts Gallery of Albania has a fund of over 4,000 works of art by Albanian and foreign authors, spanning seven centuries of Albanian cultural heritage. National Gallery of Art is a state institution under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports. • TID Tower – Tirana, Albania o The TID Tower is an under-construction high-rise in Tirana, Albania. The building is expected to be 85 metres tall. It consists of 25 floors. The design comes from Belgian architectural firm 51N4E, and construction started on 14 January 2007. At the beginning of May 2011 the building was almost topped out. • Lanë – Tirana, Albania o The main stream that crosses through Tirana, the capital of Albania. Its source is in the east of Tirana. Although once clean, it now carries sewage. Before there were many buildings around and on the banks of the river, but they were torn down and removed in a campaign by Tirana's then mayor Edi Rama. Now most of its banks have been planted with different kinds of trees and grass. No fish live there now due to the high pollution of its waters. The Lanë flows into the Tiranë River near Bërxullë. • Bratko Museum - Korçë, Albania o It contains a collection of mostly Asian art. • National Museum of Medieval Art - Korçë, Albania o It was established on April 24, 1980. The museum has over 7,000 art and cultural items, mainly icons and less stone, wooden, metal and textile works representing various moments in Albania iconography development. In the principal hall are many works from anonymous artists of the 13th-14th century and well-known ones such as Onufri, Onufer Qiprioti, Teacher Kostandini, Jeromak Shpataraku, David Selenica, the Zografi Brothers, etc. • Selman Stërmasi Stadium - Tirana, Albania o The stadium is located approximately 400 m from the west side of the Lana stream and of former exhibition site "Shqiperia Sot". It was built in 1956 and named Dinamo Stadium until 1991 when it was given its new name. The Football Association of Albania and KF Tirana decided posthumously name the stadium after the eminent KF Tirana player, coach and president, Selman Stërmasi. The stadium has recently ended a long phase of construction, which involved development of the main pitch, central seated area, facilities around the ground and general lineaments. • Gjirokastër Ethnographic Museum - Gjirokastër, Albania o The museum is erected on the site of communist dictator 's birth, and offers an insight into the traditional lifestyle in the town. • National Archaeological Museum – Tirana, Albania o Affiliated to Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Albania, the museum houses exhibits from prehistoric and historic times up to Middle Ages. It is also responsible for conducting many archaeological expeditions in the country and is the parent institution of several other museums in the country including the Durrës Archaeological Museum. It has a of some 7200 volumes. • Tiranë o The Tiranë is a river in western Albania, a source river of the Gjole. Its source is in the mountains northeast of Tirana, near the village Dajt. It flows along the northern outskirts of Tirana, and joins the Tërkuzë near Prezë, to form the Gjole. • Natural Sciences Museum of Albania - Tirana, Albania o Natural Sciences Museum of Albania is a natural science museum in Tirana, Albania. The museum is affiliated with the and has branches in zoology botany and geology. • Pogradec Castle – Pogradec, Albania o At its highest point, it stands 205 metres above . • White Spring o It is one of the greatest mysteries of the Isle of Avalon that two different healing springs, one touched red with iron, the other white with calcite, should rise within a few feet of each other from the caverns beneath Glastonbury Tor. Both have healing in their flow.

Andorra

• Església de Sant Esteve - la Vella, Andorra o Església de Sant Esteve is a church located on Plaça del Príncep Benlloch in , Andorra. It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built in the 11th- 12th century and then restored in the 20th century. • Vallnord - , Andorra o It encompasses the linked sectors of Pal and (the sectors were linked by a cable car, opened in 2005, from the top of the Arinsal sector) and the -Arcalis sector some kilometres away. • Lake - Andorra La Vella, Andorra o The lake water is deep blue and is drained by a drainage basin formed by the mountain ranges, which are snow-covered. The valley formed by the rivers draining the catchment provides an enchanting view with green meadows and rich forest of pine trees nearer to the lake periphery. The water source to the lake is from the East Valira and Madriu rivers. The stored water in the reservoir is utilized for generating hydroelectric power at the power station located near village. There is a cable car rope way from Encamp to the lake area, which is a 6.2 kilometres line. • Sant Joan de Caselles Church - , Andorra o Església de Sant Joan de Caselles is a church located in Canillo, Andorra. It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built in the 11-12th century. • Our Lady of - Meritxell, Andorra o The original statue dated from the late 12th century. However, the chapel in which it was housed burned down on September 8 and 9, 1972, and the statue was destroyed. A replica can be found in the new Meritxell Chapel, designed in 1976 by Ricardo Bofill. • Església de Sant Climent de Pal - Pal, Andorra o It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built in the 11th or 12th century and then again in the 17th or 18th century. • Coma Pedrosa o Coma Pedrosa is the highest mountain in the principality of Andorra. It is popular with mountain climbers, its ascent being technically straightforward, although strenuous. Several mountain lakes and tarns are found on the slopes, notably Estanys de Baiau, which lies on the western slopes, across the Spanish border. • Església de Sant Miquel d'Engolasters - Engolasters, Andorra o A heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built originally in the 11-12th century. • Església de Sant Romà de – Les Bons, Encamp Parish, Andorra o Església de Sant Romà de les Bons is a church located in Les Bons, Encamp Parish, Andorra. It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built in 1164. • Església de Sant Martí de la Cortinada - La Cortinada, Andorra o A heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built originally in the 11th-12th century and rebuilt in the 17th century. • Pic de Médécourbe - Western tripoint boundary of Andorra, and . o It is 2,914 metres (9,560 ft) tall. It overlooks Étang de Soulcem, a large artificial lake used for hydroelectricity, and the icdessosV valley. • Santa Coloma d'Andorra o It houses a historic church that was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site on 22 February 1999 in the Cultural category. • Casa de la Vall - Andorra la Vella, Andorra. o It is the headquarters of the General Council of Andorra. It lies just to the southwest of the Andorra National Library. It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. • Casa d'Areny-Plandolit - Ordino, Andorra. o It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built in 1633. • National Automobile Museum - Reno, Nevada o Displays historic automobiles from the late 19th century and from throughout the 20th. Most of the vehicles displayed are from the collection of the late casino owner William F. Harrah, and so the museum is sometimes referred to as The Harrah Collection.

Armenia

• – Kotayk, o While the main chapel was built in 1215, the complex was founded in the 4th century by at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave. The monastery had thus been originally named Ayrivank, meaning "the Monastery of the Cave". The name commonly used for the monastery today, Geghard, meaning "the Monastery of the Spear", originates from the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, allegedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude, called here Thaddeus, and stored amongst many other relics. Now it is displayed in the Echmiadzin treasury. • The Institute of Ancient – , Armenia o Commonly referred to as the is a repository of ancient manuscripts, research institute and museum. It holds one of the world's richest depositories of medieval manuscripts and books which span a broad range of subjects, including history, philosophy, medicine, literature, art history and cosmography in Armenian and many other languages. • The – Ararat, Armenia o An Armenian Apostolic Church monastery, near the border with , about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Artashat, . The monastery was host to a theological seminary and was the residence of Armenian Catholicos. • The - Syunik, Armenia o A 9th-century monastery located on a large basalt plateau. The term "Tatev" usually refers to the monastery. The monastic ensemble stands on the edge of a deep gorge of the Vorotan River. Tatev is known as the bishopric seat of Syunik and played a significant role in the history of the region as a center of economic, political, spiritual and cultural activity. • Republic Square, Yerevan - , Yerevan, Armenia o The square was designed by architect within the 1924 main plan of Yerevan city. The construction of the square started in 1926. The first phase of the construction was completed in 1929.It was further developed until 1952 and finally completed in 1958. • Etchmiadzin - , Armenia o The mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to most scholars, it was the first cathedral (but not the first church) built in ancient Armenia, and is considered the oldest cathedral in the world. The original church was built in the early fourth century—between 301 and 303 according to tradition—by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III. • – Yerevan, Armenia o A large andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcano in northwest Armenia. It is the highest point in Armenia, located in the province of Aragatsotn, northwest from Yerevan. On its slopes are the Byurakan Observatory and the medieval Amberd Fortress. The observatory is a historically significant facility responsible for a number of important photographic surveys. • The History Museum of Armenia - Republic Square, Yerevan, Armenia o A museum in Armenia that specializes in the fields fo Archaeology, Numismatics and Ethnography. It is regarded as Armenia's national museum. • The - Yerevan, Armenia o A tribute to Soviet Armenian director and artist Sergei Parajanov and is one of the most popular museums in Yerevan. It represents Parajanov's diverse artistic and literary heritage. • – Gegharkunik, Armenia o Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After the artificial draining of , which started in the era of Joseph Stalin, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula. At the southern shore of this newly created peninsula, a guesthouse of the Armenian Writers' Union was built. The eastern shore is occupied by the Armenian president's summer residence, while the monastery's still active seminary moved to newly constructed buildings at the northern shore of the peninsula. • Monastery - Haghpat, Armenia o The monastery was founded by Queen Khosrovanuysh, wife of the Bagratid king Ashot III, probably in 976. The location of was chosen so that it overlooks the Debed River in northern Armenia's Lori region. It was built, not on a peak, but halfway up a hillside on a site chosen to afford protection and oncealmentc from prying eyes and also in response to a kind of monastic humility. It is built on a verdant promontory located in the middle of a mountain cirque, which is often wreathed in clouds. A peak on the opposite side of the river is over 2,500 meters high. • – Vagharshapat, Armavir, Armenia o A 7th-century centrally planned aisled tetraconch type Armenian cathedral built by the order of Catholicos Nerses the Builder from 643- 652. Now in ruins, it is located at the edge of the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin) in of Armenia. • Monastery - Lori, Armenia o An Armenian monastery founded in the 10th century. The name Sanahin literally translates from Armenian as "this one is older than that one", presumably representing a claim to having an older monastery than the neighbouring Haghpat Monastery. The two villages and their are similar in many ways, and lie in plain view of each other on a dissected plateau formation, separated by a deep "crack" formed by a small river flowing into the Debed river. • Amberd – Aragatsotn, Armenia o A 7th-century fortress located 2,300 meters above sea level. The name translates to "fortress in the clouds" in Armenian. It is also the name incorrectly attributed to Vahramashen Church, the 11th-century Armenian Church near the castle. The village of Byurakan is located 6.4 kilometres from the site of Amberd. • Saint Hripsimé Church - Armavir, Armenia o One of the oldest surviving churches in Armenia. The church was erected by Catholicos Komitas atop the original mausoleum built by Catholicos Sahak the Great in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsimé to whom the church was dedicated. The structure was completed in 618 AD. It is known for its fine Armenian- style of the classical period, which has influenced many other Armenian churches since. This church together with other nearby sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. • – Tavush, Armenia o A 12th- or 13th-century Armenian monastery located in the village of Gosh in the of Armenia. Today the monastery is not a functioning religious complex, although it remains a popular tourist destination and has recently undergone some light restoration. The impressive monastery which has remained in relatively good condition also houses one of the world's finest examples of akhachkar. • Lovers' Park - Yerevan, Armenia o A public park located on . It occupies an area of 2.5 hectares in the central Kentron district of the city. The park was entirely renovated between 2005 and 2008 and reopened in November 2008 by the efforts of benefactor Albert Boghossian, head of Boghossian Foundation. • Hayravank – Gegharkunik, Armenia o A 9th-12th century Armenian monastery. The monastic complex consists of a church, chapel, and . Surrounding the monastery are numerous and gravestones that are part of a small cemetery. To the northwest a short distance from the site, are the remains of Bronze Age through medieval fortification walls and foundations of a settlement. A polished black vessel of the Early Bronze Age was discovered during archaeological excavations in the area. Weapons of metal and stone, tools, clay idols, numerous vessels, fireplaces and two tombs, all from the Iron Age were discovered in the vicinity as well. • The Blue Mosque - Yerevan, Armenia o During the Soviet era, because of atheist policy, the Mosque stopped its services and became the Museum of Yerevan. After the independence of Armenia, with the support from Iranian government, the premises again started acting as a Mosque. • The National Gallery of Armenia - Yerevan, Armenia o The largest in the Republic of Armenia. Located on Yerevan's Republic Square, the museum has one of the most prominent locations in the Armenian capital. The NPGA houses significant collections of Russian and Western European art, and the world's largest collection of . NGA's Chief Director Paravon Mirzoyan told Armenia Now news site that the museum has 65,000 visitors in 2005. • Victory Park - Yerevan, Armenia o A city park located in -Zeytun district of Yerevan, capital of Armenia. • The Holy Mother of God Katoghike Church – Yerevan, Armenia o A small medieval church in central Yerevan, the Armenian capital. • The Church of Saint Gayane – Vagharshapat, Armenia o A 7th-century Armenian Church in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), the religious center of Armenia. It is located within walking distance from