Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Mecca is a city in the Makkah province of Saudi Arabia. Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants. In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the city which was by then an important trading center. Mecca has become one of the most cosmopolitan and diverse cities in the Muslim world, however, non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city. Mecca and Medina and its surrounding outskirts are the only two places where the Quran was composed. Over three million Muslims visit the city during the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah yearly. Visits outside this month are known as minor pilgrimages or Umrah, and while not compulsory are strongly encouraged. Take a look at the video below.

Watch the video

Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city. It lies on the bank of Neris river and has approxmately 560,000 inhabitants. Along with Linz, Austria, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture in 2009. Vilnius has always been a multinational city with Polish, Jewish, Russian and Belorussian minorities making a substantial share of its population. Watch the videos below and explore Vilnius.

Watch the videos

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is the capital city of Ireland. Its vibrancy, nightlife and tourist attractions are noteworthy, and it is the most popular entry point for international visitors to Ireland. As a city, it is disproportionately large for the size of the country (2006 pop. Greater Dublin Region 1.6 million); well over a quarter of the Republic's population lives in the metropolitan area. The centre is, however, relatively small and can be navigated by foot, with most of the population living in suburbs. Dublin has many fine and quite affluent suburbs. Seeing them is a good way to get a real feel for the city's culture and identity. A walk around some them on a nice day is well worth your time as many are home to some of Ireland's finest architecture(Victorian, Georgian, Modern etc).Some are easily navigated by foot from the city's centre and are dotted with many fine upmarket delicatessans and boutiques. Take a look at the two parts of the travel guide below.

Watch the videos

Targu Jiu, Romania

Targu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.It is a very old city and has had a strong tradition of mining, till reent times when most mines have been closed. It is the birth place of the famous sculpture Constantin Brancusi and some of his earliest works can be admired here. Take a look at the video below.

Watch the video

Suceava, Romania

Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565. In the past few years Suceava started to evolve more rapidly. The most important sights in the town date from the time as a princely capital. The Mirǎuti Church was founded in 1390 by Petru I of Moldavia, it is the oldest church in Suceava, and established the city as a see of the church. Take a look at the videos below.

Watch the videos

Leros, Greece

Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. Leros has an Airport at Partheni that connects daily the island with Athens. There are also ferry connections to and from Pireus and the other islands of the Dodecanese. The Catamaran Dodekanissos Express and the Hydrofoils (only during the summer) connect Leros with most of the Dodecanese islands. For those who want to visit Leros the alternative way to Ferry travel (8–10 hours) is to fly to Athens and then fly to Leros with domestic flight or fly direct to Kos and then to Leros by boat. Enjoy the beauty of Leros through the video below.

Watch the video

Alba Iulia, Romania

Alba Iulia is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River. Since the High Middle Ages, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania. Alba Iulia is historically important for Romanians, Hungarians and Transylvanian Saxons. The main historical area of Alba Iulia is the Upper Town region, developed by Charles VI of the Holy Roman Empire in honour of whom the Habsburgs renamed the city Karlsburg. The fortress, with seven bastions in a stellar shape, was constructed between 1716 and 1735, by two fortification architects of Swiss origin. The first one was Giovanni Morandi Visconti, who constructed two old Italian stile bastions, followed by Nicolaus Doxat de Demoret, nicknamed "Austrian Vauban". The two architects radically transformed (after 1720) the medieval fortress shaped by the former Roman Castrum into a seven-bastion baroque fortress, developing Menno van Coehorn's new Dutch system, of which the fortress of Alba Iulia is the best preserved example. Take a look at the video below.

Watch the video