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Named for the marble walls and floors throughout the structure, the Marble Palace in Kolkata was built in 1835 by Raja Rajendro Mullick. Located in a particularly congested part of Kolkata, the lush gardens surrounding this Palladian Mansion are as much an attraction as the building itself.

While the Palace is designed in the Neoclassical style of architecture, it does feature the traditional Bengali open courtyards. Built as a personal residence, the descendents of the original owner still live in the mansion. Visitors must obtain advance permission to tour the Palace and the collection of sculpture, furniture, and art.

The personal collection exhibited throughout the Marble Palace includes work by European and Indian artists and is reported to hold the works of Rubens, Titian, Murillo, and Sir Joshua Reynolds. There are many pieces of Victorian furniture and a variety of sculptures and busts.

The Marble Palace Zoo features mainly birds, including toucans, peacocks, cranes and storks. It is located adjacent to the Palace. The gardens feature a carved marble fountain, a statue of Buddha, and a rock garden as well as the main law

Visitors to Kolkata will find many other sites of interest in the city, including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Indian Museum, the Victoria Memorial and Fort William. Accomodations include luxury five star Kolkata hotels as well as smaller, budget lodgings. As in most of India, the food is incredible and covers several regional cuisines and the shopping offers experiences ranging from traditional markets to modern boutiques.

Madrid is a popular tourist destination. Visitors come for the culture and art, the food and nightlife, the bullfights and the Spanish atmosphere. Still others come to view the incredible architecture that spans centuries of the city’s history and heritage. Catch a bullfight at Las Ventas (the largest bull ring in Spain), enjoy a world-class meal in one of the many fine dining restaurants, and relax in one of the five star Madrid hotels. Most importantly, make sure to appreciate the city’s stunning architecture.

One of the oldest buildings in Madrid is an authentic Egyptian temple. Built in the 4th century B.C., the Debod Temple was dedicated to the Egyptian gods Isis and Amon. In the 1960s, Spanish engineers assisted the Egyptian government in relocating many historical monuments that were endangered by the construction of the Aswan High Dam. In recognition of their work, Egypt donated the temple to Spain in 1968. The monument was relocated to Madrid in 1971.

Prime examples of Baroque architecture in Spain include the Royal Palace of Madrid as well as the Alcalá Gate and the Salón del Prado. In fact, many of the buildings and monuments of the Paseo del Prado are Baroque, though they are sometimes taken for neoclassical architecture. The integration of gardens with buildings is exemplified in two other Baroque structures: the Palace of Aranjuez and the Palace of la Granja de San Ildefonso. The latter is known as “the Spanish Versailles” due to the French infuence, but both also show evidence of the area’s occupation by the Moors.

In the 16th century, plans were begun for a new cathedral to be dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena. However, construction on the Catedral de la Almudena did not actually begin until 1879. Originally designed by architect Francisco de Cubas, the structure was began in the Gothic revival style. Construction was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War and did not resume until 1950. At that time, a neoclassical exterior was designed by Fernando Chueca Goitia, in an attempt to make the cathedral blend in with the nearby Palacio Real. The cathedral was completed in 1993 and consecrated by Pope John Paul II.

Recent architectural additions to the city include the downtown financial district, which was built after World War II, and the Madrid Barajas International Airport Terminal 4, which was completed in 2006 and one the 2006 Instructe Award for Commercial Structures. The Cuatro Torres Business Area contains the tallest skyscrapers in Spain, Torre de Cristal, Torre Caja Madrid, Torre Espacio, and Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso which were scheduled for completion this year.

Founded in 1624 as a Dutch trading post, New York has been the largest city in the United States since 1790. As a world center for finance, commerce, art, fashion, music, film, media, theater, and food, it is easy to see why it is the top tourist desintation in the United States. The 5th largest metropolitan area in the world, New York is the most densely populated city in the country and and boasts the most recognizable skyline in the world. Visitors can stay at one of many five star New York hotels or find any number of alternative accomodations to suit their personal taste and budget.

The city is located at the mouth of the Hudson River and is mostly an island. New York is a city of neighborhoods. Locals can tell a lot about each other just by knowing where they live. These neighborhoods form the five burroughs of the city: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Each has its own unique character and attractions.

New York is home to many of the world’s largest corporations as well as the New York Stock Exchange. The city’s diplomatic influence is extensive, as evidenced by the presence of the United Nations headquarters. Some of its more famous landmarks include the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park, Wall Street, and the World Trade Center Site which will be the home of the new Freedom Tower that is scheduled to be complete in 2013.

The twenty-four subway system offers easy access to all the city’s cultural and artistic offerings. New York is world famous for just about anything cultural. Broadway makes its home in the city, as do world-class venues for opera, ballet, music and other performing arts. There are countless museums and galleries making the city a leading art capital in the world. The city is also a center for film, television, fashion and food.