CATEGORIES
PRODUCTS MAP
Germany
INTELIGENCE, RATIONALITY, LOGIC AND INNOVATION, ALL THESE ATTRIBUTES ARE COMMONLY USED TO DESCRIBE GERMANY. BUT PERHAPS the ATTRIBUTE that the germans MOST PRIDE THEMSELVES IN IS THE country’s WELL-KNOWN Affinity for QUALITY, WHICH HAS PLAYED A BIG ROLE FOR CITIZENS from all other COUNTRies. IT’S REALLY NICE TO SEE HOW the concept has been underwritten for the MANY SUCCESSFUL INVENTIONS and PROJECTS MADE WITH an INSANEly keen ATTENTION TO DETAIL withIN EVERY INDUSTRY nationwide AND THAT what remains THEir primary LEGACY on THE WORLD stage is TO “MAKE things sturdy,” just HOW IT SHOULD BE.
poland
bosna
croatia
albania
austria
hungary
czech
slovakia
portugal
netherland
belgium
romania
moldova
bosna
croatia
albania
austria
hungary
czech
slovakia
portugal
netherland
belgium
romania
moldova
bulgaria
macedonia
ukraine
latvia
lithuana
switzerland
germany
finland
france
spain
slovenia
greece
ireland
macedonia
ukraine
latvia
lithuana
switzerland
germany
finland
france
spain
slovenia
greece
ireland
United Kindom
denmark
sweden
estonia
norway
italy
montenegro
serbia
iceland
belarus
denmark
sweden
estonia
norway
italy
montenegro
serbia
iceland
belarus
Germany
INTELIGENCE, RATIONALITY, LOGIC AND INNOVATION, ALL THESE ATTRIBUTES ARE COMMONLY USED TO DESCRIBE GERMANY. BUT PERHAPS the ATTRIBUTE that the germans MOST PRIDE THEMSELVES IN IS THE country’s WELL-KNOWN Affinity for QUALITY, WHICH HAS PLAYED A BIG ROLE FOR CITIZENS from all other COUNTRies. IT’S REALLY NICE TO SEE HOW the concept has been underwritten for the MANY SUCCESSFUL INVENTIONS and PROJECTS MADE WITH an INSANEly keen ATTENTION TO DETAIL withIN EVERY INDUSTRY nationwide AND THAT what remains THEir primary LEGACY on THE WORLD stage is TO “MAKE things sturdy,” just HOW IT SHOULD BE.
Luxury
Enjoyment
Rarity
Luxury
Enjoyment
Rarity
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poland
POLES ARE KNOWN FOR BEING FRIENDLY, WELCOMING AND HOSPITABLE AND HOSPITALITY PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN POLISH CULTURE. OVER THE CENTURIES, POLES HAVE MADE NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE, INCLUDING THE ASTRONOMER NICOLAUS COPERNICUS WHO FORMULATED A HELIOCENTRIC MODEL OF THE UNIVERSE IN REJECTION OF A GEOCENTRIC ONE. ANOTHER FAMOUS POLE WAS JOHN PAUL II. HE WAS BORN IN THE SMALL TOWN OF WADOWICE AND BECAME THE FIRST NON-ITALIAN POPE IN 455 YEARS. THE BLACK MADONNA IS POLAND’S MOST IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS ICON. IT IS WHAT MADE THE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THERE’S SOMETHING MORE OUT THERE, WHICH IS WHY POLES’ WORK OUTPUT IS PROGRESSIVELY IMPROVING YEAR AFTER YEAR.
bosna
TURKISH INFLUENCE ON BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IS EVIDENT AS THE COUNTRY WAS OCCUPIED BY THE OTTOMANS FOR ALMOST 400 YEARS. THERE ARE THREE primary ethnic GROUPs in THE COUNTRY, NAMELY THE BOSNIANS, SERBS, AND CROATS. THERE IS A STRONG RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE IN THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE COUNTRY. AMONG ITS MANY ATTRACTIONS include MEDIEVAL TOMBSTONES THAT CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE BOSNIAN KINGDOM in the 12TH CENTURY. FAMILY TIES IN THE COUNTRY ARE IMPORTANT while FRIENDSHIPs AND NEIGHBOURHOOD NETWORKS ARE also very WELL DEVELOPED. HOSPITALITY, SPONTANEITY, AND THE GIFTS OF STORYTELLING AND HUMOUR are also highly valued. REGIONAL DANCES AND FOLK COSTUMES ARE POPULAR AND CAN BE FREQUENTLY SEEN DURING FESTIVALS. DANCERS ARE OFTEN LINKED TOGETHER BY HOLDING HANDS, HANDKERCHIEFS, OR A PIECE OF EACH OTHER’S CLOTHING AS A SIGN OF UNITY. THESE PERFORMANCES ARE ACCOMPANIED BY TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS LIKE FLUTES, DRUMS, LYRES, AND VIOLINS.
croatia
CROATIA IS UNIQUE, NOT JUST FOR ITS CRYSTAL CLEAR AND BLUE SEA, BUT ALSO FOR THE TREASURES THAT LIE IN THE DIVERSITY OF ITS RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE. CULTURE IS EVERYTHING FOR THE BALKANS. CROATIAN CULTURE GETS DRUMMED INTO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM AN EARLY AGE. THERE IS PLENTY TO LOVE IN THE CULTURE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE INTO RED-AND-WHITE CHECKERBOARDS. IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CROATIA, IT IS THE DISTINCT RED-AND-WHITE CHECKERBOARD DESIGN THAT IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE. WHETHER IT ADORNS THE JERSEYS OF NATIONAL SPORTS TEAMS, THE FACES OF SUPPORTERS OR PRACTICALLY EVERY FLAG IN THE COUNTRY, THERE IS NOTHING MORE CROATIAN THAN WHAT THE LOCAL PEOPLE CALL THE ŠAHOVNICA (CHESSBOARD). THE ŠAHOVNICA HAS BEEN THE SYMBOL OF CROATIA SINCE THE 10TH CENTURY AND SHOWS A STRONG SENSE OF NATIONAL PRIDE. SYMBOLISM PLAYS A LARGE PART IN MODERN DAY CROATIA, WITH INSPIRATION DRAWN FROM FOLK CULTURE AND HISTORY, MEDIEVAL ROOTS, RURAL TRADITIONS AND CATHOLICISM. VILLAGE CUSTOMS, NATIONAL COSTUME, FOLK DANCES, MUSIC AND SONGS HAVE BEEN POWERFUL TOOLS TO HELP PRESERVE THE HERITAGE OF THE LAND
albania
austria
THE HABSBURGS, AUSTRIA’S MOST FAMOUS RULING HOUSE, RULED EUROPE FOR ALMOST 800 YEARS. THEY WERE THE MOST POWERFUL RULING DYNASTY AND WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN SHAPING THE WORLD. BECAUSE THE PERIOD OF HABSBURG RULE WAS SO LONG, IT INFLUENCED THE CULTURE AND ARTS IN AUSTRIA. THE ERA IS STILL REPRESENTED TODAY BY THE MANY BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC BUILDINGS, CASTLES, AND PALACES. THE HABSBURG RULERS WERE GREAT PATRONS OF THE ARTS, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY AUSTRIA HAS SUCH A RICH HERITAGE OF MUSIC AND ART. VIENNA HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED THE MUSIC CAPITAL OF EUROPE AND IS HOME TO WORLD-CLASS MUSIC SCHOOLS. FAMOUS COMPOSERS SUCH AS JOHANN STRAUSS, JOSEPH HAYDEN, AND WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART ALL LEARNt, COMPOSED, TAUGHT, AND PLAYED IN VIENNA. THIS MEANS THAT VIENNA IS ALSO HOME TO SOME OF THE BEST VENUES ON THE PLANET, SUCH AS THE GOLDEN HALL, THE VIENNA STATE OPERA, AND THE MUSIKVEREIN, just TO NAME A FEW. CULTURED, CULTIVATED, HARD-WORKING, DISCIPLINED AND SOPHISTICATED, AUSTRIANS ARE AMONG THE WORLD’S MOST MODERN PEOPLE. AUSTRIA IS ALSO RECOGNIsED IN CONNECTION WITH EMPRESS SISI, WHOSE STORY IS WELL-KNOWN THROUGH MANY BOOKS AND FILMS. MOST OF THE TIME, THEY PAINT A ROMANTIC PICTURE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL EMPRESS.
hungary
HUNGARY’S violent history that spans over 2,000 YEARS HAS UNIFIED ITS PEOPLE AND INFLUENCED ITS CULTURE. DUE TO THEIR ANCIENT NOMADIC PAST, hungarians are A NATION OF HORSEMEN AND VISITORS OFTEN RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO GO horseback RIDING FROM THEIR NEW LOCAL FRIENDS. HERITAGE AND TRADITION ARE IMPORTANT TO HUNGARIANS, AND they ARE DISPLAYED IN THE COUNTRY’S NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS, FOLK MUSIC, and DANCE, as well as IN THEir STRONG FAMILY TIES that transcend GENERATIONS. HUNGARY’S 10 MILLION PEOPLE ARE VIBRANT and FRIENDLY, AND they VALUE FAMILY ABOVE ALL ELSE WITH multiple GENERATIONS often LIVING together UNDER ONE ROOF. GRANDPARENTS also HAVe A STRONG SAY IN how their GRANDCHILDREN are brought up. HOSPITALITY IS A MAJOR PART OF THEir CULTURE AND PERSONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR LIFE ARE ALL PART OF hungarians’ “GETTING-TO-KNOW-YOU” PROCESS. THE RICH CULTURE OF HUNGARY IS STRONG IN FOLK TRADITIONS AND HAS ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE STYLE INFLUENCED BY VARIOUS ETHNIC GROUPS, INCLUDING THE ROMA PEOPLE. MUSIC OF ALL KINDS, FROM CLASSICAL TO FOLK, IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE. HUNGARIAN FOLK COSTUMES ARE RICHLY EMBROIDERED WITH COLOURFUL THREADS. THEY ARE WORN FOR FESTIVALS, PARADES, AND HOLIDAYS. hungarian FOLK COSTUMES VARY IN STYLE AND PATTERNS from region to region. THE HERITAGE OF THIS FASCINATING COUNTRY IS ALSO REFLECTED IN ITS DISTINCT TRADITIONAL CUISINE, STRONG FRUIT BRANDIES, DANCE, POPULAR SPA TREATMENTS, AND such handiCRAFTs as CERAMICS AND EMBROIDERY.
czech
it’s a COUNTRY WELL-KNOWN for brewing ONE of THE BEST BEERs IN EUROPE, BUT IT doesn’t all END THERE. THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE AND FEEL, FROM THE FINEST BOHEMIAn CRYSTAL TO THE DANCING HOUSE, YOU Can GO AND discover ITS REAL TREASURES, WHICH ARE HIDDEN IN THE capital CITY of PRAGUE. it’s ONE OF THE FEW BIG CITIES IN EUROPE where ART maintains ITS OWN well-known STANDARdS. ATTENTION TO DETAIL can be found ALMOST EVERY WHERE, BUT SAVE YOURself some TIME AND VISIT only THE FINEST MASTERPIECES.
slovakia
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SLOVAK CULTURE IS REFLECTED IN ITS RICH FOLK TRADITION. FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS, WHICH INCLUDE WOOD CARVING, FABRIC WEAVING AND GLASS PAINTING, HAVE A LONG AND POPULAR TRADITION IN SLOVAKIA, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. THESE DEEPLY ROOTED FOLK TRADITIONS ARE A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF NATIONAL PRIDE AND IDENTITY. EXAMPLES OF FOLK ARCHITECTURE, SUCH AS WOODEN CHURCHES AND BRIGHTLY PAINTED HOUSES, ARE FOUND all THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY IN the EASTERN parts. SLOVAKIA IS LOADED WITH GOTHIC CHURCHES, MEDIEVAL TOWNS, FRIGHTENING TORTURE INVENTIONS, AS WELL AS MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS AND CASTLES. LEGEND AFTER LEGEND AROSE from these SURROUNDINGS, MANY OF WHICH WERE BASED ON HISTORICAL FIGURES like THose of ELIZABETH BáTHORY AND THE WHITE LADY OF LEVOČA. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SLOVAK MOUNTAINs, which also serve as a NATIONAL SYMBOL, are the HIGH TATRAS. thanks TO THE MANY options for OUTDOOR RECREATIONal activities, MANY slovaks ARE ALSO VERY ACTIVE, SPENDING WEEKENDS HIKING, ROCK CLIMBING OR SKIING. ANOTHER staple OF SLOVAKIA IS the FUJARA, which IS A LARGE FOLK SHEPHERD’S FLUTE FROM CENTRAL SLOVAKIA. IT IS TYPICALLY PLAYED while STANDING UP AND IS ESPECIALLY POPULAR DURING FOLK FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS IN DETVA AND VYCHODNA. THE INSTRUMENT IS SO UNIQUE THAT in 2005 IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE “UNESCO LIST OF the intangible cultural heritage of humanity” AS A MASTERPIECE OF ORAL traditionS.
portugal
ALThOUGH IT WAS INFLUENCED BY THE VARIOUS CIVILIsATIONS THAT CROSSED THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT DURING THE AGE OF EXPLORATION, PORTUGAL DEVELOPED ITS OWN CULTURE. PORTUGUESE CULTURE IS DIVERSE AND GIVES PORTUGAL ITS UNIQUE PERSONALITY; LIKE THE HISTORY, LOCAL TRADITIONS, CUISINE AND PEOPLE’S LOVE FOR the PERFORMING ARTs. DURING THE SUMMER months, THERE ARE MANY LOCAL FESTIVALS WHERE THE PORTUGUESE CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURE AND ENJOY such ACTIVITIES AS TRADITIONAL DANCE, MUSIC CONCERTS AND THE THEATRE, AMONGST MANY OTHER THINGS. PORTUGUESE ARE VERY EASY-GOING and WELCOMING, and THEY’RE GENERALLY KNOWN TO BE WILLING TO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HELP you. FROM EARLY IN THE MORNING UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT, THE PORTUGUESE CAN BE FOUND SIPPING COFFEE AT THEIR LOCAL CAFÉ. THEY Get together TO chat, READ THE PAPER, WATCH THE inevitable Tv, AND VISIT their NEIGHBOURS AT ALL HOURS of the day. TO THE PORTUGUESE, THEIR NATION IS A PLACE THEY TRULY LOVE. THOSE IN LISBON refuse to BELIEVE that THERE’S A CITY MORE LOVELY THAN THEIRS. THE CITY OF LISBON IS RICH IN ARCHITECTURE; ROMANESQUE, GOTHIC, BAROQUE, MODERN AND POSTMODERN buildings CAN BE FOUND ALL throughout THE CITY.
netherland
DUTCH CITIES ARE EXTREMELY COMPACT AND DENSELY POPULATED. a LOT OF ATTENTION IS paid TO the SENSE OF COMMUNITY BY CREATING PUBLIC PLACES like PARKS AND SQUARES WITH BENCHES AND PLAYGROUNDS. the DUTCH ARE KNOWN TO BE DISCIPLINED, CONSERVATIVE, and PRACTICAL, AND they PAY close ATTENTION TO THE SMALLEST DETAILS. THE NETHERLANDS HAS also HAD MANY WELL-KNOWN PAINTERS. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS DUTCH PAINTERs OF THE 20TH CENTURY WAS VINCENT VAN GOGH. IN JUST OVER A DECADE, HE CREATED ABOUT 2,100 WORKS of art, WHICH ARE CHARACTERISED BY BOLD COLOURS AND IMPULSIVE BRUSHWORK THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN ART. among HIS MOST SUCCESSFUL PAINTINGS INCLUDE “the STARRY NIGHT” AND his “SUNFLOWERs” series. VINCENT VAN GOGH IS considered one of the many RECOGNIsABLE FACES OF the NETHERLANDs, while OTHER staples OF the NETHERLANDS INCLUDE WINDMILLS, TULIPS, WOODen clogs, CHEESE AND CABARET SHOWS. CABARET HAS A LONG-STANDING NATIONAL TRADITION AND remains POPULAR even to this day. THE NETHERLANDS HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE FORM OF CABARET THAT IS AIMED MORE towards provoking thought ON SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THEMES than On making PEOPLE LAUGH. CABARET SHOWS CAN BE FOUND IN MOST CITIES AND are even aired ON SOME TELEVISION NETWORKS.
belgium
BELGIUM IS A RELATIVELY SMALL COUNTRY WITH THREE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: DUTCH, FRENCH AND GERMAN. the CAPITAL of belgium IS BRUSSELS, WHICH HOSTS THE OFFICIAL SEATS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND the EUROPEAN COUNCIL, AS WELL AS A SEAT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. BELGIUM’S INCREDIBLY RICH ARTISTIC TRADITION EXTENDS FROM ITS ARTWORKS TO ITS ARCHITECTURE, MUSIC, LITERATURE, AND TRADITIONALLY
romania
ROMANIA IS THE LAND OF WILD MOUNTAINS, monasteries AND count DRACULA. BRAN CASTLE, COMMONLY KNOWN AS ´DRACULA’S CASTLE,´ IS A NATIONAL MONUMENT AND LANDMARK IN ROMANIA. IT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE HOME OF THE TITular CHARACTER IN BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, WHO IS ASSOCIATED WITH VLAD THE IMPALER and VOIVODE OF WALLACHIA. LESS THAN HALF OF THE POPULATION OF ROMANIA LIVES IN THE COUNTRY. IN THE VILLAGES, PEOPLE DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO TRADITIONAL CRAFTS AND THERE IS A FRIENDLY AND HOSPITABLE ATMOSPHERE. IN SOME PLACES, CENTURIES OF FOLK CUSTOMS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS ARE STILL BEING OBSERVED. THESE INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, MARTISOR, IN WHICH WOMEN WEAR RED AND WHITE STRINGS ON THEIR CLOTHES to ANNOUNCe THE BEGINNING OF SPRING.
moldova
THE CULTURE OF MOLDOVA IS A COMBINATION OF ROMANIAN AND SOVIET CULTURE. the COUNTRY IS LOCATED BETWEEN UKRAINE AND ROMANIA AND EMERGED AS AN INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF the SOVIET UNION. TWO-THIRDS OF MOLDOVANS ARE OF ROMANIAN DESCENT. THE LANGUAGES ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL AND THE TWO COUNTRIES SHARE A COMMON CULTURAL HERITAGE. HOWEVER, MOLDOVA’S FOLK CULTURE IS EXTREMELY RICH, AND THE ANCIENT FOLK BALLAD, THE “MIORITA,” PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THEir TRADITIONAL CULTURE. MOST TRADITIONAL CULTURAL EVENTS RELATE TO AGRICULTURE, RELIGION, FOLKLORE, OR MYTHOLOGY AND ARE CELEBRATED WITH GREAT JOY AND BIG FEASTs. FOLK TRADITIONS, INCLUDING CERAMICS AND WEAVING, CONTINUE TO BE PRACTICED IN RURAL AREAS EVEN to this day.
bulgaria
BULGARIA IS AN ATMOSPHERIC COUNTRY WITH A LONG AND SOMETIMES DIFFICULT HISTORY THAT HAS PRODUCED A MODERN, VIBRANT CIVILIsATION THAT still RETAINS ITS MOST CHARMING ELEMENTS OF THE PAST, INCLUDING ANCIENT RITUALS AND FOLKLORE. AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF BULGARIAN FOLKLORE IS FIRE, which is USED TO BANISH EVIL SPIRITS AND ILLNESSES that ARE often PERSONIFIED AS WITCHES. THE INFLUENCE from DIFFERENT CULTURES AND THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH HAVE ALSO SHAPED THE NATION, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF its FESTIVALS AND FOOD. Up uNTIL WORLD WAR II, BULGARIA’S ECONOMY WAS LARGELY AGRICULTURAL. STATE SOCIALISM BROUGHT in RAPID INDUSTRIALIsATION AND THE COLLECTIVIsATION OF AGRICULTURE, which led TO A SIGNIFICANT urban POPULATION SHIFT inTO TOWNS AND CITIES. AFTER THE END OF COMMUNISM IN 1989, SOFIA, THE LARGEST city AND CAPITAL, WITNESSED THE CONSTRUCTION OF entirely new BUSINESS DISTRICTS AND NEIGHBOURHOODS, AS WELL AS MODERN SKYSCRAPERs, GLASS-FRONTED OFFICE BUILDINGS, and even upscale RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOURHOODS.
switzerland
SWITZERLAND REMAINS A PLACE OF TRADITION AND RESPECT for family VALUES, RELIGION AND patriotism. THIS IS PARTICULARLY EVIDENT IN MORE RURAL AREAS, WHERE the ATTITUDES of the locals CAN SEEM a bit OLD-FASHIONED IN THE EYES OF A FOREIGNER. ON THE WHOLE, THERE IS A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONGst RESIDENTS, AND TIES TO SWISS HISTORY AND CULTURE ARE CELEBRATED. SWISS HISTORY LACKS THOSE “ALL-POWERFUL” RULERS WHO had grand-scale MONUMENTS built IN THEIR LIKENESS. ON THE OTHER Hand, THIS COUNTRY CAN LOOK BACK ON OVER 200 YEARS OF PEACEtime WITH A VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR CULTURAL TREASURES STILL PRESERVED. ENTIRE TOWNS AND VILLAGES HAVE RETAINED Many OF THEIR ORIGINAL SETTLEMENTs’ vibes and STRUCTURES. THE CITY OF BERN, ADOPTED BY UNESCO AS a “CULTURAL world HERITAGe site,” IS JUST ONE OF MANY EXAMPLES. THE SWISS VALUE CLEANLINESS, HONESTY, HARD WORK, AND MATERIAL POSSESSIONS. THEY ARE VERY PROUD OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND HAVE A LONG TRADITION OF FREEDOM. THEY VALUE SOBRIETY, TOLERANCE, PUNCTUALITY AND A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. THEY Also take great PRide in THEIR NEUTRALITY AND actively PROMOTe WORLD PEACE. THE SWISS HAVE A DEEP-ROOTED RESPECT FOR SAVING AND THE MATERIAL WEALTH IT BRINGS. FROM wristWATCHES TO CHOCOLATE, “SWISS-MADE” REMAINS A MArker OF QUALITY. and OTHER NATIONS ARE PREPARED TO PAY PREMIUM prices FOR SWISS GOODS THANKS TO SWITZERLAND’S REPUTATION FOR HIGH STANDARDS.
macedonia
MACEDONIA DEnotes BOTH A POWERFUL NATION from ANCIENT TIMES AS WELL AS ONE OF THE NEWEST FORMED COUNTRIES IN EUROPE. ITS NAME AND CULTURE HAVE SURVIVED AND EVOLVED THROUGH MORE THAN 2,500 YEARS OF CONQUERING FORCES AND CONTROL. THE RICH CULTURE OF MACEDONIA IS EVIDENCED by ITS WELL-PRESERVED CUSTOMS, EPIC POETRY, LEGENDS, COLOURFUL COSTUMES, WONDERFUL FOLKLORE AND MEMORABLE MUSIC, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED THE BEST IN THE BALKANS. FOLK MUSIC AND DANCe remain POPULAR, AND ROCK AND POP MUSIC ARE EVER-
ukraine
THE CULTURE OF UKRAINE IS UNIQUE AND DIVERSE, BUT OVER THE YEARS IT HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY ITS EASTERN AND WESTERN NEIGHBOURS, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN ITS ARCHITECTURE, MUSIC AND ART. FOLK CULTURE IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CULTURE. UKRAINIAN EMBROIDERY, WEAVING AND LACE-MAKING ARE USED IN TRADITIONAL FOLK COSTUMES AND
IN CELEBRATIONS. THE COUNTRY OF UKRAINE ISN’T THE RICHEST, BUT YOU WON’T FIND “POOR-MINDED” PEOPLE HERE, AS THEY TEND TO PRODUCE OUTSTANDING WORK.
latvia
latvian CULTURE is STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY LATVIAN FOLKLORE, BY THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY AND HOW ATTACHED THEY ARE TO THEIR HOMELAND. LATVIANS HAVE A RICH HERITAGE OF TRADITIONAL FOLKLORE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FOLK SONGS. IT WOULD BE UNUSUAL TO FIND A LATVIAN WHO HAS NOT SUNG IN A CHOIR AT LEAST ONCE IN their LIFETIME, THAT’S WHY THE COUNTRY IS LABELLED AS “THE SINGING NATION.” their FOLK SONGS ARE CONSIDERED to be NATIONAL TREASURES AND ARE EXPRESSED THROUGH such EVENTS AS THE LATVIAN NATIONWIDE SONG AND DANCE CELEBRATION THAT IS HELD ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS. IN RIGA, YOU‘ll BE ABLE TO FIND A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL THEATRES AS WELL AS AMATEUR DRAMA AND THEATRE GROUPS. latvia’s NATIONAL OPERA, PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CONCERT HALLS AND SEVERAL ART GALLERIES WILL GIVE YOU A TASTE OF THE CULTURAL LIFE NOT ONLY IN RIGA BUT in all of LATVIA. YOU WILL ALSO FIND MORE THAN 40 DIFFERENT MUSEUMS, LIKE THE POPULAR STATE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS.
lithuana
LITHUANIA IS INCREDIBLY RICH IN VARIOUS HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS. THERE ARE TWO HUNDRED PARKS, MORE THAN FIFTY RESERVES, AND TWO AND A HALF-THOUSAND LAKES IN THE COUNTRY. THE CAPITAL OF LITHUANIA HAS WELL-PRESERVED RELIGIOUS COMPLEXES. IN VILNIUS, IT’S WORTH VISITing ST. ANNE’s church, WHICH IS THE MOST VALUABLE MONUMENT. THE GOTHIC CHURCH IS FASCINATING; ITS FACADE SHOWS INCREDIBLE PATTERNS FORMED WITH SEVERAL TYPES OF BRICKS. THE INTERIOR FEATURES THREE ALTARS AND AN ANTIQUE ORGAN THAT SURVIVED. VILNIUS ALSO HAS A NATIONAL MUSEUM FOUNDED IN 1855. THE EXHIBITION HALLS FEATURE UNIQUE COLLECTIONS OF PAINTINGS, DISHES, COINS, AND OTHER HISTORICAL ARTEFACTS. LITHUANIANS LOVE TO GET OUT AND ENJOY THEMSELVES. THE SUMMER MONTHS ARE PACKED WITH AMAZING FESTIVALS THAT ARE OFTEN LINKED WITH FOLKLORE TRADITIONS. NATIONAL CULTURE AND IDENTITY ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO LITHUANIAN LOCALS.
finland
THE CURIOUS COUNTRY MADE UP OF 1,000 LAKES, STEEL, FORESTS, NOKIA AND THE HOME OF SANTA CLAUS. THE CULTURE IN FINLAND IS LARGELY SHAPED BY ITS HISTORY. FOR YEARS, THE SWEDES AND RUSSIANS BATTLED OVER CONTROL OF THE LAND ALL WHILE INFLUENCING THE LANGUAGE AND CUSTOMS IN THE PROCESS. MANY FINNISH CUSTOMS ARE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH FORESTS, WHICH FINNS HAVE HISTORICALLY SEEN NOT AS DARK FOREBODING PLACES BUT RATHER AS PLACES THAT OFFER REFUGE AND SHELTER. OTHER CUSTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH TREES AND WOOD ARE ALIVE AND WELL IN FINLAND. BONFIRES ARE LIT AT THE MID-SUMMER MARK, DOORWAYS OF HOUSES ARE DECORATED WITH BIRCHES, AND LEAFY BIRCH WHISKS ARE STILL USED IN TRADITIONAL WOODEN SAUNAS. THE SAUNA REMAINS THE MOST PREVALENT TRADITION IN THE COUNTRY AND ONE OF FINLAND´S GREATEST CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD. IN FINLAND, THERE IS A PROVERB THAT GOES, “BUILD FIRST A SAUNA AND THEN A HOUSE.” STILL TO THIS DAY, THE SAUNA HAS NOT LOST ITS CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE FINNS. THEY WERE ABLE TO PRESERVE THEIR BATHING TRADITIONS, INCREASE THEIR OBSERVANCE, AND EXPORT THEM TO MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. TODAY IN FINLAND, THERE ARE ALMOST TWO MILLION SAUNAS. PRIVATE SAUNAS ARE USUALLY CONSTRUCTED FROM WOOD WHILE PUBLIC SAUNAS ARE MADE FROM STONE AND REFERRED TO AS BATHS. tHE SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS SEEN IN FINLAND FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY HAVE TEMPERED WITH THE NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE FINNS, MAKING THEM PERSISTENT, THOROUGH, CALM AND EASYGOING. DESIGN FORMS A MAJOR PART OF DAILY LIFE IN FINLAND. FINNISH DESIGN IS MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY OBJECT. IT IS A WAY OF LIVING. HERE, DESIGN IS WOVEN SEAMLESSLY INTO EVERYDAY LIFE AND SURROUNDS YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. THE AESTHETIC OF FINNISH DESIGN IS OFTEN CHARACTERISED BY FUNCTIONALITY, CLEAN LINES, AND DISCIPLINE. FUNCTIONALIST DESIGN REMAINS TIMELESS AND OFTEN BECOMES A CLASSIC.
france
since the turn of THE 21ST CENTURY, ART has been ONE OF THE MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF FRANCE. PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO ADMIRE FRANCE’S MUSEUMS, ART GALLERIES, STUNNING MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE AND ITS CULTURAL HERRITAGE IN GENERAL. IT WAS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY when FRANCE REEMERGED AS A WORLD LEADER in the visual arts, AND PARIS CAME TO BE SEEN AS the ART capital of the world. TODAY, ALONG WITH LONDON, MILAN AND NEW YORK CITY, paris IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE WORLDS FASHION CAPITALS AND THE CITY IS the HOME OR HEADQUARTERS of MANY PREMIER FASION HOUSES. in france, THE EXPRESSION “HAUTE COUTURE” IS A LEGALLY PROTECTED NAME, GUARANTEEING CERTAIN QUALITY STANDARdS. IF YOU were to ASK SOMEONE TO TELL YOU WHICH COUNTRY they believed to be the most ADVANCED IN the FASHION AND DESIGN INDUSTRIES, they would have JUST ONE COUNTRY TO CHOOSE FROM.
spain
THE CULTURE IN SPAIN IS VERY UNIQUE. THE SPANISH ARE WELCOMING AND PASSIONATE and TRADITIONALLY speaking, THE concept of “FAMILY” IN SPAIN HAS BEEN regarded as the pillar that holds their SOCIAL STRUCTURE together. ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF SPANISH LIFE IS INFLUENCED BY ITS ROMAN HERITAGE, MAKING SPAIN ONE OF THE MAJOR LATIN COUNTRIES OF EUROPE. THERE IS ENORMOUS PRIDE AND INTEREST IN THE HERITAGE OF SPANISH ART AND THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS ALL FORMS OF ART AND HUMANITIES, WHICH ARE REFLECTED IN THEIR MUSEUMS, UNIVERSITIES AND PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIES. SPANISH ART boasts A GREAT NUMBER OF INFLUENtial figures, including WELL-KNOWN IMPRESSIONIST PAINTERS like PABLO PICASSO, SALVADOR DALi, AND MANY more. the COUNTRY IS KNOWN FOR ITS EXOTIC BEACHES, ENDLESS SUNSHINE, AND its BULLIFIGHTING, AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES Spain so lively.
slovenia
SLOVENIA IS AN EXCITING and COLOURFUL COUNTRY BETWEEN THE ALPS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN. ALMOST EVERY SLOVENIAN IS, BY NATURE, A WRITER, PAINTER, COOK, DANCER, WINE-MAKER, MUSICIAN, DIRECTOR, ACTOR OR BLOGGER. THEY KNOW HOW TO CREATE ART OUT OF EVERYTHING THEY LOVE. EVEN THOUGH SLOVENIA IS ONE OF EUROPE’S SMALLEST COUNTRIES, IT POSSESSES some OUTSTANDING TRADITIONS THAT are COMPARABLE TO even THE MOST-DEVELOPED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. THEATRE AND CONCERTS ARE POPULAR here, and SLOVENIANS LOVE TO READ AND ARE PROUD OF THEIR CULTURE. ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF SLOVENIAN CULTURE ARE the DIVERSE CULTURAL EVENTS, WHICH ARE VERY WELL-ATTENDED. SLOVENIA ANNUALLY HOSTS MANY CULTURAL EVENTS THAT ENJOY INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION, THE MOST NOTABLE of which include THE LJUBLJANA BIENNIAL OF GRAPHIC ARTS. SLOVENIA also boasts ONE OF THE MOST STUNNING UNDERGROUND CAVES, INCLUDING THE WORLD-RENOWNED POSTOJNA CAVE, WHICH IS unsurprisingly THE MOST FAMOUS AND VISITED ATTRACTION IN SLOVENIA. THE CAVE WAS DISCOVERED IN the 17TH CENTURY AND IS MORE THAN 20KM LONG.
greece
GREECE IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE CRADLE OF WESTERN CIVILISATION and THE BIRTHPLACE OF DEMOCRACY, POLITICAL SCIENCE AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES. THE ANCIENT GREEKS were also PIONEERs IN MANY OTHER FIELDS, INCLUDING BIOLOGY, GEOMETRY, HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS. THEY INTRODUCED IMPORTANT LITERARY FORMS SUCH AS TRAGEDY, COMEDY, EPIC POETRY AND LYRIC POETRY. THE CENTRAL WORKS OF ANCIENT GREEK LITERATURE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE the ILIAD AND the ODYSSEY, written BY LEGENDARY AUTHOR HOMER. the COUNTRY IS ALSO RECOGNIsED WORLDWIDE FOR MANY OTHER INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE AND THEIR ACTIONS THROUGH the ages, particularly the PHILOSOPHERS SOPHOCLES, PLATO, ARISTOTLE AND MANY OTHERS. GREEK PHILOSOPHY AS AN INDEPENDENT CULTURAL GENRE BEGAN AROUND 600 BCE, AND ITS WISDOM STILL PERSISTs in OUR TIMES. IN THEIR PURSUIT OF ORDER AND PROPORTION, THE GREEKS CREATED AN IDEALised convention OF BEAUTY THAT STRONGLY INFLUENCED WESTERN ART. THE PYTHAGOREAN SCHOOL SAW A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN MATHEMATICS AND BEAUTY. IN PARTICULAR, THEY NOTED THAT OBJECTS PROPORTIONED ACCORDING TO THE GOLDEN RATIO appeared MORE ATTRACTIVE. ANOTHER UNDENIABLE PART OF GREEK HISTORY IS MYTHOLOGY, WHICH WAS A PART OF THE RELIGION IN ANCIENT GREECE. GREEK MYTHOLOGY WAS A collection OF STORIES ABOUT THE GODS, GODDESSES, HEROES AND RITUALS OF the ANCIENT GREEKS. the MOST POPULAR figures from GREEK MYTHOLOGY INCLUDED GODS LIKE ZEUS, POSEIDON, and APOLLO AND GODDESSES LIKE APHRODITE, HERA, and ATHENA. these DAYS, THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE SUPPORTS ALL THE ARTS IN TERMS OF PRODUCTION, EDUCATION, PUBLICITY AND NATIONAL CENTRES. THERE ARE PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL THEATRES, FOLKLORE INSTITUTES, ORCHESTRAS, CONSERVATORIES, DANCE CENTRES, ART WORKSHOPS, AND LITERARY GROUPS.
ireland
THE CULTURE OF IRELAND INCLUDES ITS TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS AS WELL AS ITS FOLKLORE, MUSIC, LANGUAGE, ART AND FOOD. THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF HISTORY, IRISH CULTURE HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY SCOTTISH, ENGLISH, AND ANGLO-NORMAN CULTURES. LEGENDS, FOLK TALES AND BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL BEINGS SUCH AS LEPRECHAUNS REMAIN TRADITIONAL AS WELL AS THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW, WHICH ORIGINATED IN IRISH MYTHOLOGY. THE LUCKY THREE-LEAF SHAMROCK IS A MUCH-LOVED SYMBOL AND WAS USED AS A SYMBOL OF THE HOLY TRINITY FROM CHRISTIANITY BY SAINT PATRICK, IRELAND’S PATRON SAINT. THE NATION´S PATRON IS CELEBRATED ON SAINT PATRICK´S DAY, WHICH IS HELD ON 17 MARCH. IRISH DANCE, GYPSY MUSIC, GREAT LITERATURE AND LINKS TO TRAGIC, ROMANTIC, ARTHURIAN LEGENDS SUCH AS TRISTAN AND ISOLDE ALL FORM A PART OF IRELAND’S RICH AND COLOURFUL CULTURAL HERITAGE. IRISH AUTHORS ARE AMONG THE BEST IN THE WORLD RANGING FROM JAMES JOYCE, AUTHOR OF ULYSSES, TO OSCAR WILDE, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PLAYWRIGHTS OF ALL TIME. MODERN-DAY CULTURE IN IRELAND IS DIVIDED BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN POPULATIONS, CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS, ENGLISH SPEAKERS AND GAELIC SPEAKERS. THE GAELIC COMMUNITY HAS SUPPLIED SCOTLAND WITH MANY OF THE COUNTRY’S NATIONAL ICONS, INCLUDING THE KILT, TARTAN, BAGPIPES, HIGHLAND GAMES AND WHISKY.
Inited Kingdom
BRITISH ARCHITECTURE IS UNIQUE AND BOASTS ITS OWN STYLES AND FORMS. THE COUNTRY’S ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURE DEPICTS SPECIFIC TRAITS FROM DIFFERENT PERIODS OF HISTORY, FROM THE ROMAN CONQUEST IN THE 5TH CENTURY TO THE DARK AGES AND THE RENAISSANCE, WHOSE IMPACT IS STILL PRESENT IN BRITISH ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE. THIS INCLUDES CASTLES, MONUMENTS AND OTHER ARCHITECTURAL BUILDINGS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE NOW BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO TOURISTIC ATTRACTIONS. TRACES OF BRITISH DEVELOPMENT TAKE US BACK TO THE PRE-HISTORIC PERIODS. THE STONEHENGE, BUILT AROUND 2600 BCe, IS CLEARLY THE OLDEST BRITISH WORK OF ART WE KNOW TO THIS DAY. ART IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BRITISH HISTORY AND CULTURE. MANY BRITISH ARTISTS CREATED IRREPLACEABLE WORKS OF ART THAT INFLUENCED MANY ARTISTS ALL AROUND THE GLOBE, SUCH AS SHAKESPEARE, WHO IS WIDELY REGARDED AS THE GREATEST DRAMATIST OF ALL TIME WITH HIS WORKS HAMLET, OTHELLO, AND MACBETH, JUST TO NAME A FEW. THE BRITISH ARE SAID TO BE RESERVED IN MANNERS, DRESS AND SPEECH. A COUNTRY FAMOUS FOR IT’S POLITENESS, SELF-DISCIPLINE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, FOR THEIR SENSE OF HUMOR.
denmark
DENMARK SHARES STRONG CULTURAL AND HISTORIC TIES WITH ITS SCANDINAVIAN NEIGHBOURS, SWEDEN AND NORWAY. DENMARK IS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. DANES ENJOY A HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING AND THE COUNTRY RANKS HIGHLY IN EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, PROTECTION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES, PROSPERITY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. IT ALSO RANKS AMONG COUNTRIES WITH THE LOWEST PERCEIVED LEVELS OF CORRUPTION IN THE WORLD. WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN DENMARK, YOU WILL PROBABLY NOTICE THE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE, E.G. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR BIKES AND THINGS GENERALLY SEEM TO RUN SMOOTHLY. A BLEND OF STATELY OLD BUILDINGS AND MODERN SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE SPEAKS OF A CITY THAT TREASURES THE OLD BUT LOVES EXPERIMENTING WITH THE NEW. FOLKLORE IN DENMARK HAS BEEN HANDED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION THROUGH STORYTELLING, AND IT PLAYS A LARGE PART IN DENMARK’S CULTURE AND HERITAGE. DANISH FOLKLORE INCLUDES MANY REFERENCES TO ELVES, GOBLINS, AND OTHER NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS. IN TRADITIONAL DANISH FOLKLORE, ELVES WERE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN LIVING IN HILLS AND UNDERNEATH ROCKS. TIME AND TIME AGAIN, INTERNATIONAL SURVEYS CELEBRATE DENMARK AS THE “HAPPIEST’ COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.” DANES ENJOY A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH LIFE. THEY ALSO ENJOY A GREAT WORK-LIFE BALANCE, A GOOD SENSE OF FINANCIAL SECURITY, AND THE FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIFE GOALS.
sweden
WHETHER IT BE FURNITURE BY IKEA, FASHION BY H&M OR MUSIC BY SPOTIFY, THESE SWEDISH BRANDS ALL HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON: THEY’RE BASED ON THE SAME DEMOCRATIC VALUES OF FUNCTIONAL EVERYDAY DESIGN, AND ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY TO ALL. SWEDES CAN SOMETIMES SEEM A BIT RESERVED AT FIRST, BUT PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY VERY FRIENDLY AND ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP. A WELL-KNOWN NATIONAL CHARACTERISTIC IS THEIR LOVE FOR NATURE. SWEDES HOLD NATURE IN HIGH ESTEEM, WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUESARE SO IMPORTANT HERE. IN SWEDEN, ONLY ONE PER CENT OF SOLID WASTE GETS SENT TO LANDFILLS. ANOTHER DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF SWEDES IS THEIR STYLE, WHICH IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS MINIMALIST. AFTER WORLD WAR II, SWEDISH DESIGN STARTED TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT WITH ITS CLEAN, SIMPLE LINES AND STRONG EMPHASIS ON FUNCTIONALITY. SWEDISH ARTISTS HAVE LONG HELD STRONG REPUTATIONS BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND ABROAD WITH THEIR POWERFUL VOICES EARNING THEM WELL-DESERVED SPOTS IN HISTORY. THE CAPITAL CITY AS WELL AS THE MOST POPULOUS URBAN AREA IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES IS STOCKHOLM. STOCKHOLM , LIKE MUCH OF SWEDEN, IS A MIXTURE OF GRAND-SCALE BUILDINGS REFLECTING THE PAST AND MINIMALIST ARCHITECTURE.
estonia
ESTONIA HAS A RICH AND DRAMATIC HISTORY. estonians have only enjoyed independence for A FEW DECADES BUT THEY ARE EMBRACING THEIR NATIONAL IDENTITY AS WELL AS THE VALUES OF MODERN-DAY LIFE. ESTONIANS ARE VERY PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAVE AND they LOVE TO BOAST about THEIR NATURal landscapes, ARCHITECTURE, ART AND FOOD. NOWADAYS, ESTONIA IS FREE AND INDEPENDENT. IT IS ONE OF THE FASTEST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND has also introduced an array of WONDERFUL INNOVATIONS. FOR INSTANCE, the estonians have THE SECOND-BEST PUBLIC WI-FI IN THE WORLD AND THEY WERE the FIRST TO IMPLEMENT ONLINE VOTING. ESTONIA also HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST KNOWN REPERTOIRES OF FOLK SONGS IN THE WORLD. THEir folk sonGs DEMONSTRATE THE POETIC AND AGE-OLD BEAUTY OF THE ESTONIAN LANGUAGE AND ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY DANCES. THE TALLINN SONG FESTIVAL IS THE ULTIMATE PLACE TO HEAR ESTONIAN FOLK CHOIRS BUT it IS HELD ONLY ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS. the capital city of TALLIN HAS NOT LOST ITS TRADITIONAL CHARM DESPITE MODERNIsATION.
norway
MUCH OF NORWAY’S CULTURE CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE VIKINGS, A GROUP OF SCANDINAVIAN SEAFARING PIRATES, TRADERS, AND PIONEERS THAT SETTLED IN NORTHERN EUROPE IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY. MANY STORIES OF THE VIKINGS’ CONQUESTS ARE STILL ALIVE TODAY AS FOLKLORE. IN FACT, ONE VIKING STORY ABOUT THE CURSE OF ANDVARI’S RING SERVED AS THE INSPIRATION FOR J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY. ALTHOUGH NORWAY IS IN MANY WAYS VERY MODERN, IT HAS STILL MAINTAINED MANY OF ITS TRADITIONS. STORYTELLING IN WHICH TROLLS PLAY A PROMINENT ROLE ARE STILL VERY COMMON. ON FESTIVE OCCASIONS, FOLK COSTUMES ARE WORN AND FOLK SINGING IS PERFORMED. THE NATIONAL COSTUME, THE BUNAD, IS CHARACTERISED BY WOOL SKIRTS OR DRESSES FOR WOMEN, COLOURFUL ACCESSORIES, AND HEAVY EMBROIDERY AND JEWELLERY. NORWEGIANS HAD TWO BUNADER, ONE FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND ONE FOR EVERYDAY WEAR. THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THEIR HISTORY, NORWEGIANS HAVE ALWAYS IDENTIFIED WITH RURAL CULTURE. THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE OUTDOORS AND EVEN THEIR MAJOR CITIES HAVE EASY ACCESS TO THE SURROUNDING FORESTS AND FJORDS, MAKING IT EASY TO ESCAPE FROM URBAN LIFE AND HEAD OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS. MORE MODERN EXPRESSIONS OF NORWEGIAN CULTURE INCLUDE JANTE LAW AND CONSTITUTION DAY. JANTE LAW IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF MODERN NORWEGIAN CULTURE AND IT EMPHASISES HUMILITY, EQUALITY, RESPECT, AND SIMPLICITY, ALL OF WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE FEATURES THAT NORWEGIANS ARE WELL KNOWN FOR. IN JANTE LAW, WEALTH IS NOT FLAUNTED, PEOPLE DON’T CRITICISE EACH OTHER AND DEMOCRACY IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE KEY TO LEADING A PEACEFUL LIFE.
italy
ITALY HAS BEEN a CRUCIAL CENTRE for DISCOVERY IN both ART AND CULTURE. ROME alone, AS the political and religious capital of WESTERN CIVILIsATION, CONTAINS BOTH THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND CHRISTIANITY, EARNING THE NAME “THE ETERNAL CITY” BY POETS AND WRITERS. IT’S CLEAR THAT WE OWE MORE TO ITALY THAN JUST VESPAS, PIZZA AND PASTA, AS THE COUNTRY HAS SOME OF THE MOST STUNNING ARCHITECTURE EVER BUILT, FROM THE COLOSSEUM TO THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA. THERE IS NOT ONE TYPE OF ART that ITALY IS NOT FAMOUS FOR. MOST ITALIAN PEOPLE TEND TO BE PASSIONATE AND OBEy FAMILY VALUES, WHICH HELPED foster a FEW OF THE WORLD’s MOST FAMOUS BRANDS. if you had to choose just ONE EMOTION that drives the country forward, it would be THEir PASSION.
serbia
DESPITE CENTURIES OF CONFLICT WITH THEIR NEIGHBOURS, THE SERBIAN PEOPLE ARE WARM AND WELCOMING. SERBIA NOW has MORE THAN 30 ART GALLERIES, 140 MUSEUMS, AND A UNIQUE BRAnd OF dark HUMOUR THAT HAS HELPED THE COUNTRY’S PEOPLE GET THROUGH THE MANY UPS AND DOWNS. the CAPITAL CITY of BELGRADE IS HOME TO THE OLD ROYAL PALACE OF YUGOSLAVIA, AS WELL AS many Contemporary GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. BELGRADE ALSO BOASTS CENTURIES-OLD CHURCHES, MOSQUES, AND SEVERAL NATIONAL MUSEUMS. DUE IN PART TO ITS ADVANTAGEOUS LOCATION AT THE JUNCTION OF TWO RIVERS, THE CITY HAS A HISTORY OF POSSESSION BY VARIOUS FOREIGN POWERS. MANY OF THE CITY’S OLDER buildings WERE DAMAGED DURING WORLD WAR II. while SOME of them WERE LATER RESTORED, THE RECENT CIVIL WAR HAS once AGAIN DEVASTATED THE CITY. ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY IS SERBIA’S MOST DOMINANT RELIGION AND Every ORTHODOX FAMILY SETS ASIDE ONE SPECIAL DAY TO CELEBRATE THEIR OWN PATRON SAINT. IN SERBIAN SOCIETY, FAMILY AND a MUTUAL SUPPORT system AMONG family MEMBERS IS HIGHLY VALUED. IT IS COMMON TO FIND SEVERAL GENERATIONS LIVING UNDER THE SAME ROOF. THE SERBIAN PROVERB, “FAR FROM THE EYES, FAR FROM THE HEART,” REFLECTS THE TENDENCY AMONG SERBIANS TO STAY IN CLOSE CONTACT with THEIR FAMILY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN FAMILY TIES.
iceland
ICELAND IS A COUNTRY OF STARK CONTRASTS. A PLACE WHERE FIRE AND ICE CO-EXIST AND WHERE DARK WINTERS ARE OFFSET BY THE SUMMER’S MIDNIGHT SUN. IT’S A COUNTRY WITH A RICH AND VIBRANT CULTURE. CONSIDERING HOW ICELAND HAS A POPULATION OF ONLY 320,000 PEOPLE, THE SHEER NUMBER OF MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES IN THE COUNTRY IS ASTOUNDING. EVEN IN SMALL TOWNS AND FISHING VILLAGES, YOU’LL ENCOUNTER A PUBLIC PLACE DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE NATIONAL HERITAGE OR THAT DISPLAYS THE WORKS OF LOCAL ARTISTS. FROM AN AVANT-GARDE NIGHTLIFE TO SUSTAINABLE GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS, ICELAND HAS NEVER COME UP SHORT WHEN IT COMES TO INNOVATION. ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS FIND INSPIRATION AND INNOVATION IN ICELAND’S SPECTACULAR SURROUNDINGS, WHICH IS EVIDENT FROM THE UNIQUE WORKS OF VISUAL ART, FROM PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES TO JEWELLERY AND GLASS WORK. A TYPICAL TRAIT OF CONTEMPORARY ICELANDIC DESIGN IS ITS PIONEERING SPIRIT USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS IN A UNIQUE AND PLAYFUL STYLE. USING THE COUNTRY’S FEW NATURAL RESOURCES AS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTS RESULTS IN A WHOLE RANGE OF DESIGNS UNIQUE TO ICELAND. POTTERY MADE FROM VOLCANIC LAVA AND LIGHTS MADE FROM DRIED FISH STAND ALONGSIDE ALUMINIUM STOOLS AND BELTS CREATED FROM SALMON LEATHER. THE BEST TIME TO SOAK UP ICELAND’S EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED DESIGN TALENT IS DURING THE DESIGN FESTIVAL IN REYKJAVÍK HELD IN MARCH.
belarus
BELARUS ENJOYS A RICH CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC HERITAGE THAT DATES BACK MANY CENTURIES, TAKING IN SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT SCHOOLS OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE AND PRODUCING MANY UNIQUE MUSICAL AND LITERARY WORKS. A BIG ACHIEVEMENT IN BELARUSIAN CULTURE IS THE PRESERVATION OF THEIR CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE – FOLKLORE, WHICH PERFECTLY CONVEYS THE NATURE OF THE BELARUSIAN PEOPLE. IT CONTAINS SONGS, GAMES, DANCES, FAIRYTALES, LEGENDS, RIDDLES, PROVERBS AND ANCESTRAL SAYINGS. THEY ARE GUARDED BY THE POPULATION, PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION AND PRESERVED IN BOOKS, MOVIES, AND FESTIVITIES. NOW ALL SURVIVING MASTERPIECES ARE OFFICIALLY PROTECTED BY THE STATE AND SHOWCASED FOR ALL TO ENJOY IN BOTH MUSEUM COLLECTIONS AND LIBRARIES. THE BELARUSIAN NATIONAL DRESS IS CALLED VYSHYVANKA AND IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN ENJOYING A REVIVAL OF SORTS AS IT ONCE AGAIN RISES IN POPULARITY. IT HAS NOW REACHED AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL AND HAS BECOME WELL-KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC. BELARUSIAN ANCESTORS DIDN’T WEAR THESE BEAUTIFULLY EMBROIDERED CLOTHES EVERY DAY; IT WAS ONLY MEANT FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. SUCH CLOTHES WERE RESERVED FOR WEDDINGS AND OTHER FESTIVE EVENTS AS A SPECIAL FORM OF DRESSING-UP. RED TALISMANS WERE PLACED AS AN ORNAMENT ON THE EDGE OF THE GARMENTS TO FORM PATTERNS, WHICH THE PEOPLE BELIEVE PROTECT THEM FROM ALL THINGS BAD.
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