Travelsmartplanet

The Bridge of Sighs is named for the sighs of the prisoners who were interrogated and charged in the Doge’s Palace building and had to walk across the canal on this bridge to the New Prison. The white limestone decorated bridge is enclosed but has windows with stone bars; It passes over the Rio di Palazzo.

Tags: architecture, bridge, Bridge of Sighs, building, canal, CostSaver, decorated, Doge of Venice, Doge's Palace, Europe, History, Italy, landmark, limestone, New Prison, palace, prisoner, Rio di Palazzo, sights, sightseeng, stone, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, Venice, window

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Heading down the Boulevard des Capuchines toward the Opera de Paris is still one of those OMG moments. It is way grander than you imagined.

Tags: Académie d'Opéra, architect, architecture, awe struck, ballet, Boulevard des Capuchines, Charles Garnier, concert, CostSaver, des Capuchines, Europe, France, Garnier, Grand, landmark, music, opera, Opera de Paris, opera garnier, Opéra National de Paris, Palais Garnier, Paris, Paris Opera, performance, sights, sightseeing, symphony, theater, Theatre, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, vocal

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On a bateau mouche ride on the Seine you get a duck’s eye view of the city going under all those famous bridges, like this one, the Pont St-Michel. FYI there are 37 of them.

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Tags: architecture, Bateau Mouche, boat, boat ride, bridge, city view, CostSaver, duck's eye, Europe, famous bridges, France, historical, History, la seine, landmark, Paris, paris bridge, pont, seine, seine river, sights, sightseeing, the Seine, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, view

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First visit to the Eiffel Tower.

Tags: architecture, city, CostSaver, Eiffel, Eiffel tower, eiffel tower view, Europe, experience, famous, first visit, France, Gustave Eiffel, iconic, landmark, Paris, paris architecture, sights, sightseeing, symbol, torre eiffel, tour, tour eiffel, tourist, tower, Trafalgar, travel, view, viewing, visit

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The beauty of taking a Bateau Mouche ride on the Seine is the joy of going under so many famous bridges – and learning the history effortlessly as you go. This one is the Pont Alexandre III built between 1896 and 1900, the most ornate one and a Paris historical site. Four gilt-bronze statues of Fames watch over the Beaux-Arts style bridge. The exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses celebrate the Franco-Russian alliance enacted in 1892 by Tsar Alexander III. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. In the same political spirit, the Trinity Bridge in Saint Petersburg was designed by Gustave Eiffel, and the first stone was laid in August 1897 by French president Félix Faure .

Tags: Alexander III, alliance, amp, architecture, Art Nouveau, Bateau Mouche, Beaux Arts, boat, boat ride, bridge, bronze, built, cherub, city view, CostSaver, designed, enacted, Fames, famous bridge, Félix Faure, foundation, France, Franco-Russian, French, gilt, Gustave Eiffel, historical, historical site, History, la seine, landmark, nymph, ornate, Paris, paris bridge, political, pont, Pont Alexandre III, President, ride, Saint Petersburg, seine, seine river, sights, sightseeing, spirit, statue, stone, style, the Seine, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, Trinity Bridge, Tsar, Tsar Alexander III, urope, view, winged horse

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This monument on the side of the Opera de Paris is dedicated to its architect, Charles Garnier. We loved the idea of putting the seating plan front and center.

Tags: architect, Charles Garnier, CostSaver, dedicate, dedicated, Europe, France, Garnier, landmark, map, monument, Opera de Paris, Palais Garnier, Paris, plan, sculpture, seating, seating plan, sights, sightseeing, theater, Theatre, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger

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Here you can imagine dancing at a ball in a palace in Queen Victoria’s days. Her gown appears at the end of the video.
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Tags: ball, Britain, British, city, City Pass, costume, dancing, dress-up, England, Europe, gown, Great Britain, History, Kensington, Kensington Palace, London, London City Pass, monarchy, palace, queen, Queen Victoria, royal, royal family, royalty, sights, sightseeing, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, Travel blogger, UK, Victorian

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Leave time for outdoor wows at Swarovski Crystal World, Austria. The Mirror Pool surrounded by Crystal Clouds was gorgeous in itself – and then the music started…..

Tags: art, Austria, cloud, collection, CostSaver, crystal, crystal clouds, dancing, dancing water, Europe, Innsbruck, mirror, mirror pool, music, musical, pool, sights, sightseeing, sparkle, Swarovski, Swarovski Crystal, Swarovski Crystal World, swarovski Kristallwelten, Swarovski museum, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travelblogger, water, water show, Wattens

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Flying buttresses on the back of Notre Dame Cathedrale from the perspective on a Bateau Mouche.

Tags: architecture, Bateau Mouche, buttress, cathedral, Cathedrale, church, CostSaver, Europe, flying, France, la seine, landmark, Notre Dame, Notre Dame Cathedrale, Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, seine, seine river, sights, sightseeing, the Seine, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, view

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Aha, so that’s where the prince had Cinderella’s glass slipper made! (at Swarovksi)

Tags: art, Austria, Cinderella, cinderella slipper, collection, CostSaver, crystal, crystal collection, crystal slipper, Disney, disney magic, Disney moment, Europe, fairytale, glass slipper, Innsbruck, Prince, prince charming, Princess, royal, shoes, sights, sightseeing, slippers, sparkle, sparkly, Swarovski, Swarovski Crystal, Swarovski Crystal World, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travelblogger, Wattens