Nowadays, Berlin has left all that behind, and is a world-class city that offers a great deal to the most demanding visitor. The population is multicultural and cosmopolitan, and the city is full of international eateries serving up not only German but also Vietnamese, Turkish and Russian cuisines amongst many others.

Berlin also features many acres of parkland in addition to its multitude of museums, theatres, art galleries and vibrant nightlife, so there really is, as the cliché goes, something for everyone here. 

Berlin is a modern city with a youthful and positive outlook, whilst at the same time refusing to ignore the old and troubling wartime memories that it has to live with. So as well as the socialising and fun of the Berlin Bike Tour and the day-trips to Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace you can take the more sombre Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Walking Tour.

To really get into the spirit of Berlin you could not do better than to visit Charlottenburg Palace, where you can take a tour of this magnificent Hohenzollern residence and listen to the Berlin Residence Orchestra playing exquisite baroque and other music.

One of the main sites in the city proper is the Roman theatre, but beyond that there is also the Roman Nymphaeum and the Temple of Herakles.  Umayyad Palace offers a unique view over Amman, as well as the Citadel, which is located in the centre of both the ancient and modern city, combining a unique blend of ancient ruins and modern buildings.

One of the most highly recommended things to do in this wonderful city is to experience the sunset while near the Citadel, and if you time it perfectly with the muezzin call while at the viewpoint, the panorama of the entire city stretching before you combined with the acoustics and the sight of the sun going down is one of those one in a million moments that you will not forget for many years.

Cruises mean experiencing diverse cultures and even whole civilisations in one holiday. And the big players in the game – like Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Thomson Cruises – have gone out of their way to attract the young, energetic and time-poor (those of us who have jobs to get back to) as well as the well-healed, retired and time-rich. The bigger vessels in their fleets offer fabulous attractions, including many of the following: ice skating, onboard water skiing, golf courses, water parks, rock-climbing walls and state-of-the-art gyms. But there are also smaller and more intimate ships to choose from too, a range which, when coupled with the excellent cruise deals available around the year, ensure that budgets won’t be broken.

Whether you’re seeking Mediterranean cruises, Caribbean cruises, Far East cruises or Baltic cruises, there’s a fabulous cruise out there with your name on it.

Northern Ireland shot into the headlines in the early 1920s when it separated from the Irish Free State to form a separate country. This came about because of the conflicts that were breaking out between many Roman Catholics in Ireland and the Protestants who were being persecuted for trying to spread their views that were contrary to the historical religion of the country.

The capital city of Northern Ireland is Belfast, which is the location of the country’s main airport, Belfast International Airport. Many tourists can fly direct into Belfast although some choose to fly to other parts of the Republic of Ireland and then use the M2 Motorway to get into the country.

The country has been subjected to many terrorism attacks that prove the religious conflicts are still ongoing and it is still hoped by some of the combined Irish population that one day the two countries will again unite.

The biggest industries in the country are fishing off the eastern coast and cigarette production, with distribution taking place to countries all over Europe. Northern Ireland also has a football team that is ranked among the top 100 in the world.

The country is also admired for the preservation of its landscape and coastal facilities, and this alone attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Flights to Dublin will be more thrilling with trips to the city’s best known theatres, the Gaiety, which hosts musical productions, the Abbey, which aims to advocate indigenous literary prowess and the Gate, which stages avant-garde productions.

The city also hosts the Dublin Theatre Festival, during which international plays are staged in larger venues for public enjoyment. Flights to Dublin offer the chance to experience the vast choice of cafes serving only the best coffees and teas from all over the world. These cafes also offer a mouth-watering selection of delicacies and cakes. They are the perfect place for tourists to unwind after enjoying action-packed activities in the city.

Dublin is also famous for its pubs, which are a central hub for musicians, literary artists and politicians. With almost 1,000 in the city, you should be sure to experience the Dubliners’ pub style.

The city is home to the three branches of the National Museum of Ireland, which are Archaeology, Decorative Arts and History.

Dublin holds festivals for locals and tourists that add to its cultural vigour and flair. There are the Dublin Culture Night, Darklight Festival and many others, which are all eagerly anticipated each year.

There is no doubt that Dublin transcends other cities and is highly deserving of its place as one of the most admired cities in the world. With its undeniable mark in diverse areas of culture, Dublin continues to attract art and culture enthusiasts from around the globe.

Being the hub of medical tourism, education, transportation, communications, education and investment, Amman continues to develop as a skyline city. Some of its major buildings include the Queen Alia International Airport, home of the international carrier, Royal Jordanian Airlines and the Housing Bank Commercial Building, as well as other high-rise residential developments.

Amman also has a handful of tourist sites, reflecting a history that dates back to the Stone Age. It also has a history of wars and invasions by Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians, which continued for hundreds of years. Fortresses and towers from those times can still be seen today and are preserved by the Amman government to further promote tourism in the country.

Air travel for UK and US tourists is not a problem, since a variety of airlines offer direct flights and other packages for passengers. UK tourists can fly to Amman via British Airways, Air France and Royal Jordanian, while US visitors can fly to the city by Delta, US Airways, Northwest Airlines or Royal Jordanian.

Travelling from the airport to the city centre takes around 45 minutes. There is an airport shuttle that takes you to and from the city along the Pyramids Road. Airport taxis operate according to flat fees, which are around US$5 plus an airport exit fee. You can also choose from buses, air-conditioned coaches or car rentals, which are available from Avis, Europcar, Budget and Hertz.

Antiquities and museums are the major tourist attractions in Cairo and the surrounding area. The Egyptian Museum houses antique coins, papyrus, amulets, household items, Tutankhamen’s treasures and monuments dating back to pre-dynasty and Middle Kingdom eras. The world-famous Tutankhamen Collection comprises jewellery, statues, sculptures and perfume. The museum also has a special hall housing 11 royal mummies.

The Pharaonic Village is a recreation of ancient Egypt. Dr. Hassan Ragab created this living museum with the goal of bringing the past civilisation to a contemporary audience, while showcasing endangered plants. The Pharaonic Village is surrounded by structures that recreate ancient architecture and civilisation, with actors dressed in ancient costumes portraying ancient life and culture.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) is the largest of its kind in Egypt. Located on the Giza Plateau, near Cairo, the structure is named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, owing to its size, impressive architectural detail, and the tremendous amount of labour spent on its construction.

Religious philosophy has had a changing face in Europe in recent years. Demographic studies have shown that while Christian belief and the belief in a god were once powerful philosophical bases in Europe, much has changed. Theism has given way to atheism as a new liberal secularism has taken root. Democracy, with its foundations in Ancient Greece, remains a prominent style of government, as is reflected in the European Union’s criterion that member states must have democratic governments. Communism, once the thorn in the side of much of Eastern Europe, has since crumbled to form a kind of social democracy, with liberalism, secularism, and humanism the new battle-cry.

Travelling eastward to continental Europe, we find the countries of France, Germany, Luxembourg, Russia, Turkey, Denmark, Italy, etc, all very different in many ways. While much of Europe speaks Indo-European languages, this category can be broken down into scores of related languages, ranging from Russian to Slavic, Italian to French, Germanic to Latin. Europeans speaking these languages do not share a common linguistic understanding.

In terms of government, while the European Union maintains its criterion of member states having to have a democratic government, this is not the case throughout all of Europe. While Western and Central European governments have democracies – such as Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands – this is not the case in Eastern Europe and Balkan countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, and Serbia.

Religion in Europe is also diverse in character. Russia contains a significant number of practising Russian Orthodox faithful; France has a growing number of Muslim adherents, owing to immigration from Islamic countries; Turkey is primarily a Sunni-Muslim country; and countries such as Austria and Poland have large numbers of practising Catholics. Religion in Europe is as diverse as it is throughout the whole of the rest of the world.

Europe’s cuisine, similarly, covers a diverse range of foods. While potatoes, bread, and eggs are staple fare in Russia, the Maltese love patizzi, the Italians eat pasta, the Hungarians eat goulash, and the Bulgarians eat a lot of yoghurt.

While it actually entails a culturally diverse grouping of foods, it is very distinguishable from, say, Asian cuisine or Middle-Eastern cuisine. Europe itself, as a continent of over 50 nations with peoples speaking scores of different languages and practising different religions, is a culturally diverse grouping of countries that differ greatly one from the other in many ways; they also share much in common.

European cuisine can be divided into four sub-groups: Western European – of which Belgian, French, German, and Swiss are a part; Central and Eastern European cuisines – including Hungarian, Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian; Northern European cuisines – of which Danish, Irish, and British, are a part; and Southern European cuisines – including Greek, Italian, and Spanish.

In general, beef or other red meats are a common food across Europe. Wheat-flour is a common base for starchy foods, as is the humble potato. In addition, dairy products are used in abundance in European countries. Apart from these similarities, European cuisine ranges in style, depending on the country, region, or nationality. In France, they prefer “nouvelle cuisine,” which entails brief cooking times for meat, fish, and green vegetables, as well as short, uncomplicated menus with dishes being presented in an artistic format. This is in contrast to the lavish banquets so common to France of yesteryear. In Hungary, they favour meat stews or goulash, as well as soups and pastries. In Denmark, traditional fare entails barley, potatoes, rye, and beetroot, while in Turkey, common foods would include kebabs and corn.