Zurich, Oslo, and Stockholm remain the 3 most expensive cities on the list, with the similar group of budget-traveler expenses costing on average of four times as much per day compared to the cheapest group.

The European Backpacker Index for 2012 enters its second year as the most accurate gauge of costs in tourist cities in Europe and around the world. The index price is based on costs of hostel beds, public transportation, attractions, food, and drink in each city.

“Prices have climbed at least slightly in most European cities during the past year,” says Roger Wade who runs the PriceofTravel.com website that compiles the Backpacker Index. “But Americans should be happy to know that a recent surge in the value of the US dollar has actually made most of Europe cheaper than it has been in a few years.”

The Backpacker Index covers over 100 global cities, and coming weeks will see updates of the Asia, South America, and North America lists for 2012.

Price of Travel launched in early 2010 as a resource to help travelers compare typical expenses of hotels, attractions, transportion, and food in each of over 110 cities to help make an accurate budget and find the best values around the world.

Very often, travelers who come from afar wish to make the most of their time and decide to visit more than a couple of counties and search for the most cost-effective transfer options. Several years ago, flying with a low-budget airline seemed a perfect choice; however, times have changed. Flying is no longer exactly cheap. Tourists who are willing to sacrifice a bit more of their time on transfers will value traveling by train.

While for decades, traveling by train was considered a typical students’ option, today, it seems a rather savvy way of exploring European countries. It is relatively fast and comfortable, yet passengers need to realize that even trains may become expensive, especially when booked last minute.

Planning ahead is a definite advantage and choosing a route to follow is the right start. Depending on the number of countries visitors plan to see, they may opt for a selection of passes. Global pass will allow one to travel around 21 countries. Regional passes are ideal for popular countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, France and Italy.

The EurailDrive Pass is valid for eight weeks and combines train as well as a two-day rental for each 4 to 10 days of train travel. The website Eurail.com features very useful information as well as booking options. Passengers taking high-speed trains ought to know these are the most luxurious and thus most expensive option and often require an additional charge.

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He added that it “may well be” that BAA had to buy more equipment to deal with conditions like those seen in recent days.

Philip Hammond, the U.K.Transport Secretary, promised an inquiry into how stranded passengers were treated at the airport over the weekend, as he acknowledged public “outrage” over the disruption.

Snow, ice and freezing cold weather was hitting road, rail and air networks across northern Europe for a third consecutive day Monday, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded, retailers facing lower sales and airlines and airports facing big bills for the disruption.

The U.K., France, Germany and the Netherlands are among the worst hit by the freezing weather, which is set to continue until Christmas, according to forecasters.

Paris was one of the worst hit cities. Airport operator Aeroports de Paris (ADP.FR) said no flights landed in Paris Monday morning due to falling snow. Conditions improved in the afternoon although delays were likely to persist.

The city’s public transport operator RATP said about 40 out of 50 bus lines were suspended.

Train operator SNCF said national lines were functioning, but there were delays because of speed restrictions due to the snow. Some local lines, particularly in Normandy, were shut down, it said.

Eurocontrol, the umbrella organization for air-traffic control across 38 countries, said Paris Orly, Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget had no flights Monday morning, while Frankfurt and Berlin Tegel in Germany suffered heavy delays.

Fraport AG (FRA.XE), the operator of Frankfurt airport, said about 300 flights were expected to be canceled out of the 1,300 flights scheduled Monday. About 900 of 2,700 scheduled flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday. Fraport had set up some 1,000 camp beds at the airport over the weekend so passengers could spend the night, and staff distributed snacks and drinks and employed clowns and entertainers to try and keep children occupied.

German railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG said its trains were running, though some had major delays due to the bad weather and speed limits. A spokesman said trains were extremely crowded, and passengers could get refunds for their tickets if they decided not to travel.

Many travellers, unable to take flights, have tried to continue their journeys by rail, and main routes between Hamburg and Munich, Berlin and the Ruhr area and between Cologne and Munich were particularly busy, the spokesman said.

London’s Heathrow, the world’s busiest international airport, was open Monday but airport operator BAA Ltd. said it would be operating a reduced schedule until 0600 GMT Wednesday and that further delays and cancellations were inevitable.

British Airways PLC (BAY.LN), which canceled hundreds of flights over the weekend, said only one of Heathrow’s two runways was operational as BAA continued to clear snow and ice.

“Based on current icy conditions and forecast of further bad weather, we expect this process to take some time. The airport is, therefore, likely to be operating at significantly reduced capacity for several days,” BA said.

The airline said it planned to operate as many long-haul flights as possible, but there would be some cancellations. It operated a small number of short-haul flights Monday morning, but canceled the remainder after midday.

“Customers who are travelling from Heathrow, whose travel is not essential, are encouraged to cancel their flight, in return for a full refund, or to consider changing their flight to another date over the next 12 months,” BA said.

All airlines were advising passengers to check their flights were still scheduled before setting off for the airport.

On its website, Eurocontrol described the situation at Heathrow as chaotic and air-traffic control authorities had been requested to work out a solution, including regulating the number of flights into the airport to 10 an hour.

Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond said the immediate focus was on maximizing the number of flights and that restrictions on night flights would be relaxed. However, he added: “Heathrow is likely to be operating at reduced capacity until Christmas.”

As bad weather disrupted travel for the second consecutive winter, Hammond said it was time to consider whether the U.K. was seeing a “step change” in weather that required adjustment. The government would be looking at whether it made sense to spend more on winter preparedness, he said.

Heathrow was at a standstill for much of the weekend as it struggled to clear snow and ice. Thousands of flights were canceled and passengers were left huddled under blankets in terminals. With more snow falling, the airport operator Monday closed Terminal One and Terminal Three buildings for new passengers until due to congestion.

London Stansted, also owned by BAA, said it was fully operational and was taking a couple of flights that would normally have landed at Heathrow. Some airlines operating from Stansted, including Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYA.DB), had laid on extra flights to help stranded passengers, a spokeswoman for the airport said.

Ryanair said it had laid on 20 extra flights Monday between Stansted and destinations including Dublin, Bremen in Germany and Salzburg in Austria.

The disruption was hitting the workings of government. A meeting between the U.K. government and banks to discuss bonuses and lending was postponed Monday because Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne was having trouble catching a flight back to London from New York due to bad weather, a government spokesman said.

Rail services and the road network also were suffering severe disruption. The U.K.’s Met Office had severe weather warnings in place over much of the country for more snow or icy roads.

Eurostar, which operates passenger trains between London and European cities including Paris and Brussels through the Channel Tunnel, said it was suffering delays and speed restrictions and it has a number of trains and crew out of position. It said it would operate a contingency timetable with some cancellations for a number of days and it wasn’t selling any more tickets for trains up to Christmas.

In the Netherlands, Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport was fully operational Monday, after canceling about 100 flights on Saturday and about 70 on Sunday due to the harsh weather conditions. However, a spokesperson said some flights were still likely to be canceled due to continuing problems in other countries, while the weather conditions in Amsterdam were causing delays to other flights.

Air France-KLM (AF.FR) said it expected only a “limited” number of cancellations on European flights leaving Schiphol, while almost all long-haul flights will take off.

During the weekend, up to 1,000 passengers got stranded at Schiphol. Passengers who couldn’t get a hotel from their airline were given camp beds by Schiphol, but the airport said only “dozens” had been used.

t must be a thankless task, operating the Twitter account for a major airport during a snowstorm – as the person behind @heathrowairport is discovering.

As thousands of increasingly irate passengers struggle to find information on flights and cancellations, they are often turning to the Heathrow Airport Twitter feed.

Unfortunately, it seems that the person behind the account has little more to go on than the frustrated passengers themselves, and is reduced to simply telling people to check with their airlines or visit heathrow.com.

“Best advice is to check with your airline before you fly or view our online departures at heathrow.com”, they tell @jsn0. “Live flight information at Heathrow is available at heathrow.com or via your airline”, @rizzelrose is informed. “You can check our live flight schedules at heathrow.com or contact your airline at qantas.com”, hears Australia-bound @davery1979.

This less-than-innovative approach to using social media is not meeting with universal approval. One Twitterer points out that “the British Airways website isn’t working so I can’t check”, while @keith1906′s airline has told him to check with the airport, who are now telling him to check with the airline, in a circle that looks tough to break.

“Albania has the potential to build a new tourism sector for the 21st century and set an inspiring model for other countries,” said the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Sali Berisha, opening the seminar alongside UNWTO Secretary-General, Mr. Taleb Rifai.

In many regions, tourism creates significant opportunities for diversifying the local economy, bringing economic benefits to areas with limited options for alternative economic development. As such, tourism is increasingly recognized as a decisive tool in territorial development and reducing inequalities between regions, particularly in today’s challenging times.

“In the face of a prolonged period of high unemployment, tourism can create jobs, particularly in remote regions, and is by far one of the best development opportunities for those regions that are emerging, as is the case of Eastern Europe,” said Mr. Rifai. “This region can benefit immensely from further regional cooperation,” he added.

The seminar highlighted the importance of working across the regional, national, and international levels in the design and implementation of effective tourism strategies for regional development. Serving as a platform for discussing economic regional development through tourism in South Eastern Europe, the seminar was organized by UNWTO in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports of Albania and supported by the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

For walks with a four or five rating, The Wayfarers includes a complimentary, four-week pre-conditioning Fit for Trips program (a $169 value), customized by itinerary. A downloadable brochure is available. www.thewayfarers.com

Wayfarers’ walks span the globe with an emphasis on the UK and Europe, and roam alongside beautiful coastal areas, amidst striking mountainscapes, and through quaint villages. The Walks are crafted by The Wayfarers’ highly seasoned and knowledgeable leaders to include not only scenery but also an extensive cultural immersion that can only be had on foot. Accommodations and dining take advantage of the indigenous settings and include charming inns and manor houses, pubs and restaurants with an emphasis on intimacy and local tradition. Small group size is a Wayfarers trademark, with most walks averaging eight to 10 participants.

New Wayfarers’ Walks – 2011

England: Pentillie Castle

Johnny Depp fans will swoon during this seven-day walk, which passes through the coastal estate of Antony, the film set for Disney’s 2010 “Alice in Wonderland” Visitors will live like lords with a six-night stay at the historic Pentillie Castle, which sits on the banks of the Tamar River and borders the counties of Devon and Cornwall. Among the walk’s many fascinating features are a stop at historic Plymouth, notable as the departure point for the Pilgrim Fathers; a visit to one of Sir Francis Drake’s former homes; and wild walking in Dartmoor, home of the “Hound of the Baskervilles,” and famed ponies. Non-walking breaks will find guests enjoying croquet or boules on the 2000-acre estate’s magnificent grounds or wandering through the expansive American Gardens and parklands which date from 1809. Rating: 1.

Offered September 18-24, October 2-8. Priced $3,895; $695 Single Supplement.

Wales: Pembrokeshire Coast

Walkers will meander along Wales’ 186-mile Pembrokeshire coast path and dine with the Welsh Poet Laureate Gillian Clarke, learning even more about the local land and seascape. Photography- and poetry-inspiring backdrops along the coastal path include panoramic views from rugged cliff tops and expansive beaches. A visit to the national cathedral of Wales in St. Davids, a 5000-year-old New Stone Age cromlech, and Dylan Thomas’ boathouse on the Teifi Estuary round out the highlights of this seven-day walk, which features guest host Pamela Petro, author and artist. The Wayfarers will treat guests to an overnight stay between the September 18 Snowdonia walk and the September 25 Pembrokeshire Coast walk if both walks are booked. Rating: 3.

Offered September 25-October 1. Priced $3,795; $535 Single Supplement.

France: Alsace — Founders’ Walk

Visitors will wine and dine their way along the renowned Alsace Wine Trail, tasting the best of Franco-Germanic cuisine and spirits amidst fairy-tale scenery. Walkers will trek through forests near Obernai and the Vosges Mountains, peer at the Black Forest in Germany from atop a medieval fortress, and visit the most concentrated area of feudal castles in Europe on this seven-day walk. The June 5-11 departure is hosted by The Wayfarers’ Co-Founders Christopher Hague and Michael West. Rating: 3.

Offered June 5-11 (Founders’), September 4-10. Priced $3,895; $575 Single Supplement.

Italy: The Dolomites

Those looking for a more challenging course will enjoy this seven-day walk through the northern Italian Alps which ventures through pastures, trails and riverside pathways while affording views of 9840-feet high snow-capped peaks and the Dolomites’ unusual pink-hued rock steeples. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dolomites also takes walkers to lunch via cable car connection and an optional visit to an open-air World War I museum at Cinque Torri (Five Towers). The Wayfarers will treat guests to an overnight stay between the September 11 Dolomites Walk and the September 18 Venice and The Veneto Walk if both Walks are booked. Rating: 5.

Offered July 3-9, September 11-17. Priced $3,895; $535 Single Supplement.

Italy: Sicily- Agrigento, Marsala and the Isle of Mozia

Hosted by The Wayfarers’ Co-Founders Christopher Hague and Michael West, this walk tours Greek temple ruins in Segesta and Selinunte, explores the mountaintop town of Erice, and travels the remote coastal paths of the Zingaro Nature Reserve. Additional tour highlights include a visit to the famed Florio winery in Marsala, a privately chartered boat ride through Isola Grande, and lunch on Mozia, a former Phoenician colony. Rating: 3.

Offered October 2-8 (Founders’). Priced $3,995; $535 Single Supplement.

Also new this year, The Wayfarers offers a special Bella Sicilia Walk Package for those who book The Wayfarers’ two Sicily Walks (Agrigento, Marsala and the Isle of Mozia – Oct. 2-8 and Ragusa, Siracusa and Mt. Etna – Oct. 9-15). Reflecting a $490 discount, the package also includes ground transportation between the walks and a one-night hotel stay at Cefalu. The package for the two-week program is priced at $7,500, with a $995 Single Supplement.

Also new, back-to-back UK/Scotland, Scotland/North Ireland, Wales, and Italy walks include a free overnight stay between walks.

Refreshed Wayfarers’ Walks – 2011

Several favorite walks have also been updated with exciting new features for 2011. The Jane Austen Country walk now features a private dinner at Chawton House at the very table used for meals by Jane and her friends; walkers can now visit Londonderry during the Northern Ireland: Giant’s Causeway, The Glens of Antrim and Donegal walk; the itinerary for the Italy: Sicily- Ragusa, Siracusa and Mt Etna walk now includes Siracusa, Pantalica and Ortygia; and the beautiful New Mexico walk adds an additional day with two nights in magical Taos.

More information regarding the new 2011 walks and updated itinerary features can be found at www.thewayfarers.com

The Wayfarers

Named by National Geographic Traveler as purveyor of one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime,” and by National Geographic Adventure as one of the “Best Hiking Companies,” The Wayfarers offers an eco-sensitive “walking” holiday of both culture and fitness in 15 countries with 39 itineraries and 76 departure dates. Walks cover South Africa, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, France, New Zealand, Alaska, Maine and Southwest USA, and a barging/walk combination in Burgundy. Private group itineraries can be arranged for a minimum of eight people. Now in its 28th year, The Wayfarers offers exclusive entrées into homes and gardens otherwise closed to the public, graceful accommodations, outstanding cuisine, and meetings with local residents. Walks are from 6-13 days and are rated on a five-level challenge scale. The Wayfarers is also a member of Trusted Adventures, www.trustedadventures.com, dedicated to the highest standards of small-group travel and to giving back to the places visited. www.thewayfarers.com. 800-249-4620. Twitter: @Wayfarers Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thewayfarers

“We partnered with Fit for Trips to give our guests the opportunity to realize the full potential of their experience,” says Michael West, founder of The Wayfarers. “Although Wayfarers’ itineraries include plenty of ‘off-your-feet’ down-time, we want our walkers to be fully alert and engaged in the journey. Ascending ancient stairs, strolling uneven cobblestone paths, tiptoeing over river rocks, it’s all more inspiring when you aren’t distracted by sore muscles.”

Would-be walkers can book any of The Wayfarers’ 85 walks through 14 countries in 2010, including new Walks through England and Italy: Jane Austen Country, a six-day literary walk exploring the village lanes and footpaths of the Hampshire countryside; Suffolk Coast & Cambridge, a six-day program featuring visits to Orford, the 12th-century castle built by King Henry II, and Cambridge University; and Tuscany Gardens & Gourmet, a seven-day immersion in the fragrant farms, gardens and vineyards that anchor the region’s rich culinary tradition. All 2010 itineraries are priced at or below 2009 rates and, as always, Wayfarers’ Walks are all-inclusive and guaranteed in U.S. dollars. Walks are priced from US$2595* per person.

The Fit for Trips program features an easy-to-follow video-based fitness program designed to help walkers get ready for a walking vacation. Whether a traveler is just getting started or is a regular walker, the Fit for Trips program offers trip-specific conditioning tips for walkers of all levels. Developed by fitness trainer (and adventure travel enthusiast) Marcus Shapiro, Fit for Trips is the leading fitness company providing activity-specific resistance and endurance programs using a proven sports-conditioning model tested by pro athletes and trainers.

For more information or to book a Walk, visit www.thewayfarers.com or call 800- 249-4620.

To learn more about Fit for Trips, visit www.fitfortrips.com or www.thewayfarers.com/Fit-for-Trips.

The Wayfarers
Named by National Geographic Traveler as purveyor of one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime,” and by National Geographic Adventure as one of the “Best Hiking Companies,” The Wayfarers offers an eco-aware “walking” holiday of both culture and fitness in 14 countries with 85 Walks. Literary itineraries include the new Brontë and Jane Austen Walks in the UK and add an element of historical magic. Newest locations cover Alaska, Greece, Venice and the Veneto (Founder’s Walk), Northern Ireland, Slovakia and the Basque Country. Other popular walks are in Croatia, Amalfi Coast, Czech Republic, England, Scotland, Italy, France, New Zealand, Maine and Southwest USA.

A barging/Walk combination in Burgundy is also offered, and private group itineraries can be arranged. In its 27th year, The Wayfarers offers exclusive entrées into homes and gardens otherwise closed to the public, graceful accommodations, outstanding cuisine, and meetings with local residents.
Walks range from 5-12 days and are rated easy to challenging.

www.thewayfarers.com, 800- 249-4620.

European Waterways’ MD, Derek Banks, said: “Rick’s televised journey a few years ago was a great success. The picturesque area of Gascony between Agen and Toulouse will form part of Rosa’s new cruise route, and we are delighted that she is underway again.”

The new route from Agen to Montauban on the Canal des Deux Mers in Gascony features the best that Gascony has to offer, including private wine, Armagnac and foie gras tastings, delightful French countryside, and fascinating excursions.

After undergoing a complete refit to a high standard, Rosa will start cruising again in August, a perfect time to enjoy this picturesque region of France.

Rates for a cruise aboard Rosa are from €2,550 per person sharing a double cabin and €17,800 for an exclusive charter of the entire vessel for 8 passengers. This is all-inclusive (excl. travel).

For more details and prices, call +44 (0) 1784 482439 or visit www.gobarging.com .

COMFORT, SERVICE, AND VALUE

Barging along the waterways and canals of Europe has become increasingly popular among travelers who are seeking an alternative to the fast-paced chaos of the typical land tour, in which they can visit many popular attractions in as short a time as possible. A European Waterways cruise represents the ultimate in comfort, with guests drifting gently through the picturesque countryside, pampered along the way by a highly-attentive crew. Every vessel features a master chef, a multilingual crew, comfortable accommodation, gourmet meals, a wide selection of fine wines, an open bar, and excursions to some of the countryside’s most cultural and historical sites.
Website www.gobarging.com

Brought to you by Tourism-Review.com.

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1/ Sanctuary on Jasna Gora in Czestochowa
1/ Sanctuary on Jasna Gora in Czestochowa

Poland
4,980,000 visitors

The large baroque monastery of Jasna Góra dominates a hilltop in Częstochowa and is always bustling with pilgrims and worshippers. As pilgrims approach the monastery, the most striking sight is the 106-meter belltower, reconstructed in 1906. The focus of pilgrims to Jasna Góra is not the monastery, but the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is displayed in a altar in the Chapel of the Black Madonna. The Monastery is the third-largest Catholic pilgrimage site in the world as well as the national shrine of Poland and the center of Polish Catholicism. Every day, from early in the morning to late in the evening, a steady stream of pilgrims approaches the shrine via tree-lined main avenue.

2/ Peterhof (St Petersburg)
2/ Peterhof (St Petersburg)

Russia
4,915,000 visitors

Peterhof, sometimes called the “Russian Versailles” is a unique series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and since 2007 it also boasts the title of one of the seven Russian wonders. Located 29 km away from St Petersburg Petergof is a country-house of tsar Peter the Great. Today it is famous for its numerous fountains as well as Grand Palace.

3/ Peter and Paul Fortress
3/ Peter and Paul Fortress

Russia
3,789,000 visitors

The Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini’s designs from 1706 to 1740. The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which has a 123.2-metre bell-tower (the tallest in the downtown) and a gilded angel-topped cupola. Other structures inside the fortress include the still functioning mint building, Grand Ducal Mausoleum, the Trubetskoy and Alekseyevsky bastions with their grim prison cells, and the city museum. According to a centuries-old tradition, a cannon is fired each noon from the Naryshkin Bastion. Annual celebrations of the city day (May 27) are normally centered on the island where the city was born.

4/ Krkonose National Park
4/ Krkonose National Park

Czech Republic
3,370,000 visitors
Krkonose National Park lies in the Krkonose Mountains which is the highest range of the country. The park has also been listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site. Despite the small area, the Mountains are endowed with a rich flora. More than 1,250 species of vascular plants have been identified in the region. This amounts to almost half of the total original flora of the Czech Republic. The Mountains do not belong among the biggest European mountain ranges but in spite of that their natural scientific repute is in many aspects similar to that of the Alps or High Tatra. Visitors are surprised to see striking contrasts going up to one of the peaks of the mountain range. Over two hours hikers are able to walk through broadleaved forests in the foothills, over mountain spruce forests and dwarf pine stands up to tundra. Scandinavian tourists can be surprised by the similarity of the countryside of peatbogs on the ridges with distant Scandinavia.

5/ Isaakievskiy Sobor (St Peterburg)
5/ Isaakievskiy Sobor (St Peterburg)

Russia
3,301,000 visitors

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral or Isaakievskiy Sobor in Saint Petersburg is the largest cathedral (sobor) in the city and was the largest church in Russia when it was built (101.5 meters high). It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great who had been born on the feast day of that saint. Ostentatious, extravagant and excessive are words that could and probably should be used in describing features of this massive construction. Prior to the Revolution in 1917 it was noted that inside the Cathedral there were approximately 200 unsecured icons and paintings, plus hundreds of other decorative objects and items of religious paraphernalia, comprising several tons of silver or gold embellishment. But the Soviets emptied the building of all valuables and confiscated everything, before opening the building again as a Museum of Atheism. Today the Cathedral is still a museum, but since 1992 it has been holding religious services on special occasions.

6/ Varna Sea Garden
6/ Varna Sea Garden

Bulgaria
3,150,000 visitors

The Sea Garden is the Bulgarian port city of Varna’s largest, oldest and best known public park, also said to be the largest landscaped park in the Balkans. Located along the city’s coast on the Black Sea, it is an important tourist attraction and a national monument of landscape architecture. An Alley of Cosmonauts was arranged here in the 1960s, with the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin planting the first plant. An Observatory and Planetarium were opened in 1968 on the site of an old open-air theatre and the Varna Zoo was inaugurated in 1961. A swan-shaped sundial was installed in front of the main entrance. The present open-air theatre, flanked by the Alpineum and the children’s amusement park, is the venue of the Varna International Ballet Competition. Recently, the Exotic Zoo terrarium was added, and plans for expansion of the Natural History Museum and the Aquarium were announced.

7/ The Tretyakov’s Gallery (Moscow)
7/ The Tretyakov’s Gallery (Moscow)

Russia
3,110,000 visitors

The State Tretyakov Gallery is an art gallery in Moscow, the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery’s history starts in 1856 when the Moscow merchant Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov acquired works by Russian artists of his day with the aim of creating a collection, which might later grow into a museum of national art. In 1892, Tretyakov presented his already famous collection to the Russian nation. The façade of the gallery building was designed by the painter Viktor Vasnetsov in a peculiar Russian fairy-tale style. It was built in 1902-04 to the south from the Moscow Kremlin. The collection contains more than 130,000 exhibits, ranging from Theotokos of Vladimir and Andrei Rublev’s Trinity to the monumental Composition VII by Wassily Kandinsky and the Black Square by Kazimir Malevich.

8/ Golden Ring of Russia
8/ Golden Ring of Russia

Russia
2,996,000 visitors

The Golden Ring is a ring of cities northeast of Moscow that formerly comprised the region known as Zalesye. These ancient towns, which also played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church, preserve the memory of the most important and significant events in Russian history. The towns have been called “open air museums” and feature unique monuments of Russian architecture of the 12th-18th centuries, including kremlins, monasteries, cathedrals, and churches. These towns are among the most picturesque in Russia and prominently feature Russia’s famous onion domes.

9/ The Old Town of Sozopol
9/ The Old Town of Sozopol

Bulgaria
2,690,000 visitors

Sozopol is one of the oldest towns on Bulgarian Thrace’s Black Sea coast. The first settlement on the site dates back to the Bronze Age. Undersea explorations in the region of the port reveal relics of dwellings, ceramic pottery, stone and bone tools from that era. Many anchors from the second and first millennium BC have been discovered in the town’s bay, a proof of active shipping since ancient times. Today the busiest times of the year are the summer months, ranging from May to September as tourists from around the world come to enjoy the weather, sandy beaches, history and culture, fusion cuisine (Bulgarian, Greek, Turkish), and atmosphere of the colourful resort. The increasing popularity of the town has led to it being dubbed the Bulgarian St. Tropez.

10/ Vitosha Natural Park
10/ Vitosha Natural Park

Bulgaria
2,675,000 visitors

Vitosha is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia and it is one of the tourists symbols of the capital and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain and the national park easily accessible. The territory of the mountain includes Vitosha national park, the oldest national park in the Balkans, that encompasses the best known and most frequently visited parts. Due to a great variability in elevation, a rich diversity of climates, flora and fauna can be found within the park. Research has revealed that on the comparatively small area of the mountain there are 1,500 species of higher plants, 500 species of fungi, 500 species of algae, 326 species of mosses, and 200 species of lichens. Among them 31 species are Balkan endemics and 52 species are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria.

Ranking by Euromonitor International, 2009

Brought to you by Tourism-Review.com, the tourism news provider for the travel trade community worldwide.
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The 7 Day Beauty of Central Europe: Budapest & Prague tour begins on April 19, 2010 and September 13, 2010 in Budapest. Ladies who book either tour by December 18, 2009 will save up to $200.

Noted April M. Merenda, President and Co-Founder, “Budapest and Prague offer history, architecture, spectacular panoramas, cuisine, and shopping to rival any city in Europe. Ladies will enjoy tours of both cities, visit castles, indulge in a thermal spa at one of Budapest’s famous mineral baths, go on a Danube dinner cruise, take a Hungarian cooking class at Gundel Restaurant, sample Bohemian cuisine, shop along the fashionable Vaci Utca and much more as they discover the enchanting Central European cities in Gutsy style.”

BUDAPEST & PRAGUE TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
Small Groups
A cooking class at Gundel Restaurant
Enjoy a thermal spa in Budapest
Go on an illuminated cruise on the Danube
Tour Bratislava, Slovakia with an expert local guide
Visit the Mucha Museum in Prague
Visit Lobkovicz Castle and its galleries
Enjoy tea and cake at Prague’s Municipal House
Take a carriage ride around Prague
All on tour tipping, local fees, sightseeing, porterage and much more included
Guaranteed share accommodations
The 7-Day Beauty of Central Europe: Budapest & Prague trip begins in Budapest on April 19, 2010 and September 13, 2010. The trip is priced from $2,199 per person, for bookings made by December 18, 2009; bookings made after December 18, 2009, are from $2,399 per person; single supplement is $559.

Prices are based on double occupancy, exclusive of air. For additional information and reservations, click here.

ABOUT GUTSY WOMEN TRAVEL
Gutsy Women Travel offers a fabulous array of domestic and international tours designed specifically by women for women and their unique interests. From Egypt to Ecuador and Provence to Peru, women from all walks of life come together to enjoy an incredibly distinctive travel experience that is exclusively Gutsy Women Travel. A newly launched series of Limited Edition tours offer singular experiences of Northern California, Alaska, the Galapagos, Montreal and Quebec just to name a few. It’s about broadening horizons, feeding an inner desire to travel, and creating new friendships with other gutsy women! There’s never been a better time to be bold, be adventurous, be spontaneous, and just, be gutsy! It’s Your Life…Live IT!TM

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Ávila, Spain
Ávila is located in Castile-Leon in Spain. The walls of Ávila are the most preserved medieval walls in Spain. They were built in 11th century. It is advisable to make a one day trip from Madrid to visit this city, since Ávila is not a tourist destination by itself.

Girona, Spain
Girona is another walled city in Catalonia in Spain that is worth seeing. Although all the walls of Girona were systematically destroyed and rebuilt in 19th century this city lures visitors for its medieval atmosphere. The wall walk is opened daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; another walk is outside the town walls where you can enjoy a very nice view of the old city from there. The path is lined with cypress and flowers and it is a nice place for romantic walks. Girona was founded by Romans and became a medieval hub where Christians, Jews and Arabs converged and so an architecturally interesting city emerged.

Carcassonne, France
Carcassone has 46,500 inhabitants and is located 808 km south of Paris. Its walls come from the 6th, 7th, 8th century and you can be sure you can’t find better preserved walls coming from that period anywhere in the world. The landscape around Carcassonne is littered with romantic castle ruins. So there is much to see also outside the city.

Lucca, Italy
Lucca’s walls were built in the 16th century. In 19th century trees were planted on the walls, so you can now walk or cycle on the 5 km long oval ramparts.

Rhodes, Greece
Medieval city of Rhodes is surrounded by walls with 7 gates and a moat. There is also a castle in the city. In 1309 the Knights of Saint John found a haven in the city of Rhodes, when they were booted from the Holy Land.

York, England
The walls of York are 3.4 km long and are the longest best-preserved town walls in England. The walls have 5 main gateways and 45 towers. The famous York ginnels – fifty little thoroughfares within the city walls – are also to be found here. You can use these medieval shortcuts to explore the city as if you were running from trouble in the big streets.

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