Stuttgart Porsche Museum

You don't have to be a Porschephile to enjoy the recently opened Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. From the outside the monochromatic steel structure of the museum is a masterpiece of 21st century architecture that reshaped the Porscheplatz with its extraordinary appearance. Inside, the Porsche-lovers can find it all: the iconic vehicles such as the 356, 550, 911, and 917 in different shapes, sizes, and colors.

The museum is located in Zuffenhausen, the Stuttgart suburb which is the birthplace of the sports cars bearing the Porsche logo. It stands next to the Porsche plant and the Porsche Center.

Massive pylons of Porsche Museum

Delugan Meissl, the Vienna-based architect, is a creator of that bold and dynamic building, supported on the massive pylons. Inside, the museum is finished in white, polished stainless steel and glazed glass. The construction lasted three years and was completed in December 2008.

Museum interior finished in white

Paying the €8 admission fee ($10) visitors may enter the world of Porsche where around 80 vehicles are presented (most of cars are in running condition). The exhibition is divided into two groups: the history of Porsche prior to 1948 and the history of Porsche after 1948.

Porsche 360 Cisitalia 1947

The broad collection of 911...

Porsche 911

Porsche 356

The venue was designed as a kind of "rolling museum" with rotating exhibits from a stock of 300 restored cars so Porsche fans may revisit the museum and see the new vehicles. Originally costs were set at €60 million but the actual costs hit €100 million.

Have a look inside Porsche

Most Amazing temples In The World

Numerous temples in the world are breathtakingly incredible constructions. Each has its own unique design and features that mirror particular religious beliefs and represent different forms of architectural styles.

See below the amazing images, presented here in no particular order, of some of the world's most incredible temples.

 

1. The Prambanan Temple. Indonesia

The Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple complex in Central Java in Indonesia and one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built around 10th century and dedicated to Shiva.

2. The Taj Mahal Temple. India

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, completed in 1653 by a Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his favorite (third) wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child.  

3. The Lotus Temple. India

The Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape, is a Bahá'í House of Worship and also a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986. The temple was opened to public worship in December 1986. Until 2002, it attracted more than 50 million visitors. It has been one of the most visited buildings in the world - the temple rivals the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal (in terms of the visitor numbers).

4. The Wat Rong Khu Temple. Thailand

The Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai is different from any other temple in Thailand as its ubosot (Pali: uposatha; consecrated assembly hall) is designed in white color with elements of white glass. Whiteness symbolizes Buddha’s purity and the Buddha’s wisdom is reflected in the white glass. The 2009 is the 12th year of construction and Wat Rong Khun. It has not been yet completed, but it has already become Chiang Rai’s greatest tourist attraction.

5. The Taktsang Temple. Bhutan

Taktsang Monastery, also called Tiger's Nest and situated north of Paro in Bhutan, sits on a nearly vertical cliff at the altitude of 3000m. It was built in 1692. The legend says that Guru Rinpoche, the second Buddha, flew onto the cliff on the back of a tigress. He used to meditate in a cave which now exists within the monastery walls.

6. The Akshardham Temple. India

Akshardham, located in Dheli, was officially opened on 6 November 2005. It is one of the biggest religious places of worship ever constructed. It combines several different architectural styles of Hindu temple architecture that can be found in northern India. The Akshardham monument, built without steel, is entirely composed of sandstone and marble. 

7. The Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Temple. Indonesia

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, or Pura Bratan, is a major water temple on Bali, Indonesia. The temple complex is located on the shores of Danau Bratan (Lake Bratan) in the mountains near Bedugul. It was built in 1633 by the Raja of Mengwi.

8.The Harmandir Sahib Temple. India

Harmandir Sahib, informally called the Golden Temple or the Temple of God (its name literally means House of God), is culturally the Sikhs' most significant place of worship. It is located in the city of Amritsar, which was established by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth guru of the Sikhs. The construction of the temple started in 1574 and was completed in 1604.

9. The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, in India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu. The temple occupies an area of 156 acres (6,31,000 m²) with a perimeter of 1,116m (10,710 feet) making it the largest temple in India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world.

10. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple. Canada

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a Hindu temple in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was opened on July 22, 2007 by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It is the first traditional stone temple in Canada and the largest such structure outside India. No structural steel was used in the construction.

European Sex Tourism Destinations

The red light districts listed here provide a window of opportunity for the inquisitive - or lusty - mind to peek into that often veiled aspect of human nature. Depending on your personal attitude you may view touring these place as a misery watching or pleasure cruise. Whatever your mindset just remember that this kind of business draws in the shadier creatures so be careful and watch your steps if you venture into one of the European sex centers listed below.

History

Whether you like it or not, sex has been traded since time immemorial. How different peoples treat this "merchandise" tells a lot about them. Attitudes towards prostitution are heavily ingrained in every culture and as such are worth exploring. Some countries fight it, while others try to regulate the business by legalizing or at least turning a blind eye to it and allowing prostitution to exist in designated city areas, known as red light districts.

The origin of the name itself remains uncertain. According to Wikipedia the following roots are possible:

"[...]the red lanterns carried by railway workers (which were left outside brothels when the workers entered, so that they could be quickly located for any needed train movement) or the red paper lanterns (which were thought to be sensual) that were hung outside brothels in ancient China to identify them as such."

The color of sex. By Ripi

or going further back:

"[...] in the Biblical story of Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, aided the spies of Joshua and identified her house with a scarlet rope, which saved her household from the [ensuing] massacre."

Contrary to popular belief the existence of red light districts is no indication of humankind's descent into moral decay. The controversy they raise today stands in stark contrast to, for example, Medieval times when every major English town boasted a Gropecunt Lane. Below are some of the remains of that  (in)glorious past.

De Wallen, Amsterdam, Netherlands

You can see the Erotic Museum on the left.

The best known of all of them, De Wallen has long been a major tourist attraction in Amsterdam. Prostitutes of both sexes provide their services in a network of alleys housing some 300 one-room cabins. They solicit clients by displaying their wares from behind a glass window or door.

Taking photos is discouraged. Still... 

De Wallen is also home to marijuana selling coffee shops, Erotic Museum, sex shops, peep shows and sex theaters.

Oddly enough, the district is also where you find the oldest Amsterdam church, Oude Kerk. It now has to share the neighborhood with Belle - bronze statue of a sex worker.

Belle with Oude Kirke in background. 

If this sin city sounds enticing go there before it is too late: although prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, Amsterdam authorities have recently clamped down on the sex business following reports on organized crime involved in human trafficking and pimping.

Safety concerns : this is the most touristy of the red light districts, and police presence is strong; steer clear of the drug addicts and coke dealers and you will be fine.

Reeperbahn, Hamburg, Germany

By masck

The German equivalent of De Wallen is considered spicier by many visitors. Those who think Amsterdam too "lame and tame" find die sündige Meile (‘the sinful mile') of Hamburg much sinner: proof - Germany's only live sex act can be seen in the Safari cabaret.

At designated times of day street prostitution is legal on Davidstrasse, otherwise famous for its landmark police station. Also, there is less window shopping going on in Hamburg as prostitutes can display their bodies behind windows only in the gated Herbertstrasse, a street where minors and women are not welcome.

This section is reserved for adult males only.

Reeperbahn offers a whole range of more or less sinful entertainment: theaters, cabarets, sex shops, strip clubs, bars and nightclubs. Like in Amsterdam, an old 18th century church, Saint Joseph Kirche, stands a silent witness to the sexual extravaganza happening around.

In 2008 the Beatles Platz was opened to commemorate the Liverpool four who played in its clubs in the 1960s.

Safety concerns : police presence is high but watch out for pickpockets and large numbers of junkies. Also, if it becomes apparent you are just looking you may be hassled.

Soho, London, England

Have you been naughty? By

Listed here purely on account of its past glory. From mid 18th century up to the 1970s it was a real sex biz center, packed with street prostitutes and brothels. It was so notorious it lends its name to several similar areas around the world.

How is British sex shop different from, say, Dutch one? 

Today it has been reduced to a few striptease clubs better known for extorting money from unsuspecting clients than for the quality of their services. Illegal brothels still operate in the area but the area has now grown into a gay culture center.

The rainbow flag over Soho. 

Safety concerns : according to numerous reports you should give a wide berth to local clubs where you run the risk of being charged exorbitant amounts for drinks and unsolicited company of a hostess. So unless you're a martial arts expert capable of handling a couple of oversized bouncers do not let any sexy lady lure you inside. Drug dealing is a persistent problem.

Rue St. Denis and Pigalle, Paris, France

Not quite sure about this one... Experts advise to check the Adam's apple.

Fur clad sex worker of all possible ages and sex combinations may be encountered along Rue St. Denis and all kinds of sex paraphernalia may be bought at its sex shops. 

When you get tired of watching or patronizing the sex workers, ethnic eateriers will satisfy your hunger.

Famous Moulin Rouge. 

A more high-end, civilized and tourist friendly red light area is Pigalle (nicknamed Pig Alley by Allied soldiers looking for peaceful action during WWII), home of the famous Moulin Rouge and nearby Museum of Eroticism, open till 2 am. You may also disguise your visit to Pigalle as backtracking the steps of its former inhabitants: Van Gogh and Picasso.

Safety concerns : beware of Soho style scams in the strip clubs.

Rue d'Aerchot (Aarschotstraat in Dutch), Brussels, Belgium

Business as usual. 

This street is known for being lined with brothels from beginning to end. Its location near the business and financial district of Brussels combined with the proximity of the European parliament guarantees it a long and prosperous future.

Take a pick. 

Who knows, if lucky you might get a glimpse of a MEP going into one of the Amsterdam style windowed rooms, catching a show or browsing through the merchandise in one of the sex shops.

Safety concerns: not as friendly as De Wallern, so do not visit alone at night and stay out of dark alleys.

Spectacular Mountain Railways in Europe

Constructed to conquer the Alps, link mountain resorts or transport coal, Europe's mountain railways are a great tourist attraction today. Our tour via the oldest and most spectacular mountain rail routes starts in Switzerland, which is undeniably the European leader in the railway industry. 

1. The Glacier Express. Switzerland.

Route: Zermatt - St. Moritz/Davos. Length: around 300 km

Glacier Express leads through the Swiss Alps. 

The Glacier Express will take you on a spectacular trip through the beautiful Alps. The railroad connects two Swiss resorts, Zermatt and St. Moritz (or Davos). The trip may seem a bit long as it lasts 7.30 hours, but it is never boring - it leads across 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels. The train goes really high - across Oberalp mountain pass it reaches the altitude of 2,033m.

Glacier Express leads through the aqueduct. 

Most of the amazing route between Chur and St. Moritz was declared a World Heritage Site in 2008.
For the timetable, route tickets and rail passes check www.glacierexpress.ch

2. Zugspitze Bahn. Germany.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Zugspitzplatt. Length 11.5 km 

Zugspitze Bahn in Germany. 

Zugspitze Bahn is the cogwheel train that leads to the glacier situated just beneath the German highest summit, Zugspitze (2962 m). Zugspitze railway line was built in 1930's and to date it is considered a masterpiece of engineering thought.

The view over German limestone mountains. 

The train passes the Eibsee lake where the visitors can admire the stunning view of the Alpine peaks of Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. It continues to Riffelriss where the train dives into the 2 km long tunnel and then reaches the altitude of 2,600 m.

For timetable and fares check: www.zugspitze.de

3. Semmering Bahn. Austria

Gloggnitz - Mürzzuschlag. Length 41 km

One of the Semmering Railway bridges, Austria.

The Austrian Semmering Bahn is considered to be Europe's oldest mountain railway - it was built in mid 19th century by around 20,000 workers. The railway leads through 14 tunnels, 16 viaducts, 100 stone bridges and 11 smaller iron bridges - all set up in spectacular mountain scenery.

Semmering railway leads through 100 stone bridges. 

According to UNESCO (that declared the railway a World Heritage site in 1998) the Semmmering Bahn is one of the greatest achievements of railway building in the earliest phase of railroad construction industry.

For timetable and fares check: www.semmeringbahn.at

4. Gornergrat Bahn. Switzerland.

Zermatt - Gornergrat. Length 9.4 km

Gornergrat Railway. 

As many as 29 Alpine peaks can be admired from Gornergrat Bahn - the highest open-air cogwheel railway in Europe. The train leaves Zermatt and while climbing Gornergrat it passes numerous bridges and tunnels. After around 40 minutes it reaches 3089 m altitude, just beneath the Gornergrat peak. The route is believed to be one of the most scenic mountain trips in the Alps.

Gornergrat Bahn. 

Last year, in 2008, the railway celebrated its 111 year anniversary. The construction of that historical line commenced in 1896, lasted two years and involved 2,400 workers. 

For timetable and fares check: www.gornergrat.ch

5. Chemin de fer de La Mure. France.

Saint-Georges-de-Commiers - La Mure. Length 30 km

Dam at lake Monteynard. 

If the French name of the railway appears to be too long, you can simply call it the Mure train. The railway was constructed between 1882 and 1886 and it was electrified in 1903.
The route leads thorough impressive mountain scenery dotted with viaducts, tunnels and a breathtaking dam at lake Monteynard (above).

La Mure train.

La Mure was designed to transport coal from the Matheysin Plateau to Grenoble. In mid-1970s the wave of railway closures hit France, but due to the oil crisis the authorities decided to keep the mining line for another 15 years. It had saved the railway that later became a great tourist attraction.

World's Most Impressive and Biggest Aquariums

The impression the world's most stunning aquariums leave can only be described as magical, beautiful, ravishing...Whether it is the largest aquarium in the world or an innovative acrylic cylinder, visiting these places will make you believe that you step into an underwater world.

See below a selection of several most striking aquariums in the world.

 

Oceanário de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal

www.oceanario.pt

Oceanarium in Lisbon by night. 

The Ocean has always played a huge role in Portugal, shaping its history and culture. Therefore the Lisbon's aquarium is fully dedicated to the ocean's ecosystem. The complex, opened in 1998, is a part of Parque das Nações (the Park of the Nations), the former location of Expo '98.

Sunfish in Lisbon's Oceanarium. 

The queen of this underwater kingdom is the sunfish (mola mola), the heaviest bony fish in the world (1,000 kg). The fish, though heavy, is of a very delicate nature and therefore it requires very unique and special care - the oceanarium in Lisbon is one of the few aquariums in the world that are able to house the mola mola.

Rays in Lisbon's aquarium.

AQWA. Perth. Australia

www.aqwa.com.au

Acrylic tunnel in Aqwa. 

Another place where you can experience the underwater realm with its abundant marine life is the Aqwa, the Aquarium of the Western Australia, featuring the Australia's largest aquarium complex. Shipwreck Coast, the main aquarium's tank, is 40 m long, 20 m wide and 4.5 m deep.

Aqwa's tunnel. 

Visitors may admire hundreds of different species of fish and other ocean creatures walking through a 98 meter long acrylic tunnel, which is a part of the main tank (it holds 3m litres of seawater). The AQWA's fish collection includes 8 different types of sharks.

Finding Nemo in Aqwa. 

L'Oceanogràfic. Valencia. Spain

www.cac.es

Main entrance to Valencia's aquarium.

The Aquarium in Valencia (L'Oceanogràfic) lies in the heart of the stunning futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. It is the largest open-air oceanographic park in Europe that takes up 110,000 square meters of space. Its main building was designed in the shape of a water lily by a prominent Spanish architect, Felix Candela.

Futuristic design of Valencia's aquarium.

L'Oceanogràfic is inhabited by 45,000 fish and sea animals that represent the ecosystems of the Mediterranean, Arctic and Antarctic zones as well as tropical seas, temperate seas and the Red Sea.

Jellyfish leaving the Earth in Valencia's aquarium. 

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Okinawa. Japan.

www.kaiyouhaku.com

Okinawa Aquarium. 

This is the second largest and one of the most enchanting aquariums in the world. Its main tank is so large that it deserved to be named Kuroshio Sea. It holds 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of water.

Whale shark in Okinawa's aquarium. 

The main aquarium is one of the three tanks in the world that can house the whale shark, the world's largest fish that can grow up to 12 m (40 ft). Here also the first successful birth of manta ray in captivity took place. The window of the main tank is the second largest acrylic panel in the world being 22.5 m wide, 8.2 m high and 600 mm thick.

Churaumi Aquarium. 

Watch the spectacular show featuring the Kuroshio Sea's marine residents:

The AquaDom. Berlin. Germany.

www.radissonblu.com

Acrylic cylinder in AquaDom. 

The AquaDom is the most unusual (in terms of design and innovation) of the world's aquariums. It is a 25 m tall acrylic glass aquarium of cylindrical shape. The built-in glass elevator takes visitors up on a tour through the aquarium filled with around 2,600 fish of 56 species.

AquaDom

This staggering construction is located in the Radisson SAS Hotel in Berlin, and it is the world's largest acrylic cylinder (diameter of around 11m). The project cost 12.8m euro.

Large acrylic cylinder.

Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre.

www.thedubaiaquarium.com

Dubai Mall Aquarium. 

This is a record-breaking aquarium featuring the largest acrylic panel, bigger than the one at Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa. The panel, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Largest Acrylic Panel", is 32.88 m wide, 8.3m high and 750mm thick.

Acrylic tunnel in Dubai's aquarium.

The aquarium features around 33,000 fishes and sea animals of 85 species. The complex is part of the Dubai Mall, a huge shopping and entertainment center, opened in November 2008.

Shark in Dubai's aquarium. 

The Georgia Aquarium. Atlanta. The USA.

www.georgiaaquarium.org

Georgia Aguarium's entrance. 

Around 100,000 animals of 500 different species are the residents of the largest aquarium in the world- Georgia Aquarium- that contains around 8.1 million gallons (31,000 cubic meters) of sea and fresh water.

Acrylic tunnel. Georgia Aquarium. 

Among the most important members of this huge marine residents are whale sharks - the Georgia Aquarium is the only aquarium outside Asia that keeps the whale sharks.

 

Georgia Aquarium.