This is a result from our Comenius Project "Friends around Europe". In this book you can see the five wonders of each country (Catalonia /Spain, Estonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland & Wales). They have been chosen by our families and pupils

1. Five Wonders
of My Country
Estonia * France * Hungary * Italy *
Poland * Spain (Catalonia) *
UK (Wales) *

3. Dear Readers,
T
his book is the final product of the Comenius partner-
ship project ”Friends around Europe” which is supported
by ”EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme”
We hope our ”5 Wonders” book gives you a short overview
of what every country values in their area and also awake the
curiosity from each educational community (pupils, families
and teachers) to search and learn more about them in order to
understand the range of European cultures.
We do appreciate all our teachers efforts who collected and
organised the wonder pages of their countries.
Catalonia
Pilar Sert
Maria Jesús Garcia
Silvia Repullo
Blanca Maldonado
Hungary
Éva Nagyné Cseterics
Józsefné Horváth
Katalin Erőssné Schneider
Márta Kauferné Vig
Estonia
Maarika Ruuse
Anu Jõgiaas
Aila Orrin
Sirje Jugaste
Aile Kilgi
Rasmus Toompere
Poland
Małgorzata Pachałko
Katarzina Wator
France
Pascale Guillien
Annie Lemière
Nathalie Boffy
Darie Ségura
Marie-Hélène Vuillemin
Wales
Gail Roberts
Emma Merrett
Rachel Dare
Italy
Giuliana Di Pasquale
Francesca Ciarcelluti
Mariavittoria Finizii
Concetta Ferrucci
Giorgia Blasiotti
Lorena Fagnani
Angela Proietti
Wehopethatyouwillenjoyreadingthisuniquebook,asmuch
as we enjoyed creating it.

5. CATALONIA
Area: 31.895 km2
Population: 7.565.603
Capital: Barcelona
Official language: Catalan / Spanish
La Diada: 11th
September
FLAG
COAT OF ARMS

6. FIVE WONDERS of CATALONIA (SPAIN)
1. LA SEU VELLA DE LLEIDA
2. EL TEMPLE DE LA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA ( ANTONI GAUDÍ)
3. ELS CASTELLERS
4. CARAGOLS, CALÇOTS I PA AMB “TOMATA”
5. PARC NACIONAL D’AIGÜESTORTES I ESTANY DE SANT MAURICI
1 2
3
4
5

7. CATALUNYA
WONDER 1. LA SEU VELLA DE LLEIDA
The Seu Vella old cathedral, also
known as “Lleida Castle”, is defi-
nitely the city’s most emblem-
atic monument.
This unique cathedral sits on top
of the hill overlooking the city
and affords magnificent views
of Lleida and the surrounding
countryside of Segrià county.
Construction of the cathedral
began in 1203, but the bell tow-
er was not completed until 1431.
The first master builder was Pere
de Coma.
According to historians, the
cathedral was built on top of
a former Muslim mosque. The
temple was the first building to
be completed and was conse-
crated for worship in 1278 and
dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It
has a Latin cross floor plan with
a nave and two aisles. The out-
standing features of the interior
include the stonework in the
naves, which show the influ-
ence of the artisans from Tus-
cany, Toulouse and Provence
who worked on the cathedral
throughout the 13th century,
as well as the remains of Gothic
mural paintings.
After the consecration of the
temple, work continued into the
14th century, when the cloister
was completed and construc-
tion work began on the bell
tower and lasted until 1431.
Xènia, 3 y Nil, 5 y

8. The bell tower
The oldest bells are from the
15th century: They are called Sil-
vestra, which rings on the hours,
and Mònica, which rings on the
quarter hours. The other five are
electric bells from the mid-20th
century that have an essentially
liturgical function. They are cal-
led Bàrbara, Puríssima, Crist, Ma-
rieta and Meuca.
The cloister
This 14th-century rectangular
cloisterisaunique,opencloister,
located on the west side of the
cathedral. It has a gallery with
five ogival arches and elegant
tracery windows that provide
breathtaking views of the city
and the countryside beyond.
The castle of la Suda
Last Caliph of Cordoba refuge,
venue of the Aragon’s Crown
origin or witness of the loyalty
oath of the catalan and arago-
nese nobles to Infante James
(later James I the Conqueror).
These are some of the histori-
cal facts that the Suda Castle or
King Castle has lived within the
walls during its existence.
Gabriela, 5y Marc, 5y

9. CATALUNYA
2. EL TEMPLE DE LA SAGRADA
FAMÍLIA (ANTONI GAUDÍ)
EXPIATORY CHURCH
The expiatory church of La Sa-
grada Família is a work on a
grand scale which was begun
on 19 March 1882 from a project
by the diocesan architect Fran-
cisco de Paula del Villar (1828-
1901). At the end of 1883 Gaudí
was commissioned to carry on
the works, a task which he did
not abandon until his death in
1926. Since then different archi-
tects have continued the work
after his original idea.
The building is in the centre of
Barcelona, and over the years
it has become one of the most
universal signs of identity of the
city and the country. It is visited
by millions of people every year
and many more study its archi-
tectural and religious content.
It has always been an expiatory
church, which means that since
the outset, 125 years ago now, it
has been built from donations.
Gaudí himself said: ”The expia-
tory church of La Sagrada Famí-
lia is made by the people and is
mirroredinthem.Itisaworkthat
is in the hands of God and the
will of the people.” The building
is still going on and could be fin-
ished some time in the first third
of the 21st century.
Marina, 7y Martí, 7yMaria, 7y

10. THE CHURCH TODAY
Whenworkbeganonthechurch,
in 1882, the architects, the brick-
layers and the labourers worked
in a very traditional way. When
Gaudí took over the direction
he was aware that the works
were complex and difficult and
tried to take advantage of all
the modern techniques availab-
le. And so, among other resour-
ces, he had railway tracks laid
with small wagons to transport
the materials, brought in cranes
to lift the weights and had the
workshops located on the site
to make the work easier.
Today, 130 years later, the buil-
ding of the church follows
Gaudí’s original idea and, just as
he himself did, the best techni-
ques are applied to make the
building work safer, more com-
fortable and faster. It is some
time now since the old wagons
gave way to powerful cranes,
the old manual tools have been
replaced by precise electric ma-
chines and the materials have
been improved to ensure excel-
lent quality in the building pro-
cess and the final result.
The present Church Technical
Office and the management
are charged with studying the
complexity of Gaudí’s original
project, doing the calculations
and the building plans and di-
recting the works as a whole.

11. CATALUNYA
3. ELS CASTELLERS
DESCRIPTION
Castells are human towers, a tradition that
stretches back two hundred years within Catalo-
nia. They began in Camp de Tarragona and later
spread to Penedès before reaching the height of
their popularity all over Catalonia in the 1980s. A
casteller is a person who takes part in the tradi-
tion. He or she is a member of a castellers orga-
nization which can include hundreds of people
working together to perfect these human tow-
ers with the use of nothing but human strength
and ingenuity. The towers vary in complexity and
can reach heights of ten people standing foot-to-
shoulder. Since 16 November, 2010, UNESCO has
included castells on its list of Masterpieces of the
Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
The castellers’ motto, taken from a Josep Anselm
Clavé poem from Els Xiquets de Valls, is: ”Força,
Equilibri, Valor i Seny” (Strength, Equilibrium, Va-
lor, and Wisdom).
· Força : In the past, castellers were massive
and strong.
· Equilibri : A skill necessary while one person
stands on another.
· Valor : A characteristic of all castellers, especi-
ally those on the tower
· Seny : A skill necessary from planning to exe-
cution.
The traditional costume of castellers is a shirt with
the emblem of the organization, white pants, a
sash, and a scarf. Children (aixecador i enxaneta)
wear a helmet for safety. It is recommended that
castellers don’t wear a watch, glasses, or other ac-
cessories that could be dangerous for oneself or
others.
Joel (6 years old)

12. A castell has discrete parts that have different
functions and modes of construction. These in-
clude:
· Pinya: the base of the castell. This is where
you find most of the organization lending sup-
port to the castell.
· Tronc: the visible part of the castell. forma-
da pels pisos compresos des dels baixos fins
al pis immediatament anterior al de dosos. It
includes the level standing on the pinya and
supporting the tower.
· Pom de dalt: the next three levels of the cas-
tell. These levels always have the same con-
struction.
· Folre: situated on top of the pinya. It has the
same form of the pinya and, like the pinya,
gives support to the castell.
· Manilles: the castellers situated above the
folre at the third level that help hold the fourth
level.
· Puntals: the castellers above the manilles.
La música de les gralles indica l’evolució del cas-
tell, tant a l’hora de carregar com de descarregar.
The accompanying music indicates the construc-
tion and deconstruction of the castell. The mu-
sical group includes grallers (pipe-players) and
drummers. By playing music, castellers in the pin-
ya are able to know how the castell is progress-
ing. The piece they play is called “toc de Castells”
and includes various distinct parts. They begin to
play depending on the castell being formed. En
les diades castelleres cada colla acostuma a aix-
ecar tres castells i un pilar de comiat. On castell-
eres holidays, each organization constructs three
castells and a “pilar de comiat.” The order of con-
struction depends on the day. There are times
where the order is determined by a draw (Diada
de San Fèlix, Concurs de castells); there are other
times where the local organization chooses its
own order and the rest of the organizations have
to draw; and there are times where the organiza-
tions choose the order themselves.
Aina , 6y
Blau, 6y
Mar , 6y

13. CATALUNYA
4. CARAGOLS, CALÇOTS I PA AMB
“TOMATA”
EL CARAGOL A CATALUNYA
There are many typical ways to prepare snails
(caragols) in Catalonia: as a stew ingredient, with
rice, or with other meats. The most common way
to prepare is a la llauna. Caragols a la llauna is a
simple dish in which snails are cooked in an over
on a pan. This is typically accompanied by a spicy
sauce or an aioli. This dish is especially represen-
tative of Lleida, where the Aplec de caragols, a
culinary snail festival, began in 1980.
In Catalonia, caragolades are very popular. They
arepartiesheldinafield,orsometimessomeone´s
house, where people eat a wide variety of cara-
gols and other foods, like at calçotades or boti-
farrades.
ELS CALÇOTS
The calçotada is the most traditional way to eat
spring onions (calçots). Catalans strongly asso-
ciatethemwithfestivalsandfriendlygatherings.In
Valls, where calçotades originated, people throw
them at the end of January. Since 1982, they have
become the most popular and world-renowned
version of this very Catalan festival. People usual-
ly throw calçotades when winter ends – the end
of march or the beginning of April, depending on
the weather.
A typical calçotada starts with a serving of bet-
ween ten and twenty calçots per person accom-
panied by a traditional sauce, normally romesco.
The calçots are served on tiles to keep them hot.
After finishing the calçots, people usually eat ot-
her grilled vegetables and grilled meats along
with red wine or cava.
Because calçots are served straight off the grill
and are dipped in sauce, you have to wear a bib
to keep your clothes from getting dirty!

14. EL PA AMB TOMATA
Pa amb tomàquet is a characteristically Catalan
dish. Some consider it to be the most emblema-
tic dish of Catalan cuisine. It consists of a slice of
bread rubbed with half a ripe tomato and seaso-
ned with olive oil and salt. Traditionally, peasants
ate it with a sardine on top as their meal. It is so-
metimes accompanied by pork sausage (botifar-
ra); fuet; ham; cheeses; anchovies or another pick-
led fish; or roasted vegetables.
Pa amb tomàquet has gained noteriety in Spain
as the most representative Catalan dish.

15. CATALUNYA
5. PARC NACIONAL
D’AIGÜESTORTES I ESTANY DE SANT
MAURICI
Is one of the fourteen Spanish
National Parks, the second in
the Pyrenees and the only one
in Catalonia. In the park, there
are over 300 glacial lakes.
This 14.119 hectare park has
an amazing amount of biolo-
gical diversity, encompassing
meadows, fields, temperate fo-
rests, coniferous forests, alpine
valleys, and rock formations.

16. Mariona, 8y
The name “aigüestortes” comes from the large, meandering streams that form the Sant Nicolau river,
a tributary of the Tor river and, ultimately, the Noguera Ribagorçana river.
In the park there is a wide variety of alpine fauna:
rainbow trout, Pyrenean newts, blue ducks, he-
rons, otters, and white quail, to name a few.
The most famous landscape in the park is at
“l’Estany de Sant Maurici,” a lake at the foot of the
twin summits “Els Enamorats.”
Fans of hiking and climbing can go on multi-day
treks along trails such as the Gran Recorregut
transpirinenc, GR-11, that crosses the park in its
entirety.
Nerea, 8y Laia, 8y David, 8y

17. ESTONIA
Area: 45 228 km2
Population: 1 340 415
Capital: Tallinn
Official language: Estonian
Independence Day: 24rd
February
FLAG
COAT OF ARMS

18. FIVE WONDERS of ESTONIA
1. The Song and Dance Festival and National Costumes
2. The Variety of Estonian Nature
3. Wonderful Winter
4. Rye-field with Cornflowers and Black bread
5. E – Estonia
1 2
3 4
5

19. ESTONIA
1. The Song and Dance
Festival and National
Costumes
Have you ever heard 18 000 voices singing
at once?
*Song Festival tradition in Estonia is 140
years old. Festival is an enormous open-
air choir concert held at the Tallinn Song
Festival Grounds with the participation of
hundreds of choirs and thousands of sing-
ers.
*In November 2003, UNESCO declared Es-
tonia’s Song and Dance Festival tradition
a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible
Heritage of Humanity.
*Around 8 000 dancers take part of the
Dance Festival.
Melliste Primary School`s choir
Not every choir in Estonia is able to perform
at the Song Festival. Due to the popular-
ity of the festival, there is stiff competition
among the choirs.
Melliste Primary School`s choir is small but
they were lucky to participate in the Festi-
val several times.
Kaidi, 9y Viktoria, 12y
Elise, 9y

20. Folk costume denoted national
belonging and social status,
and both everyday and festive
clothing constituted a compli-
cated system of signs, referring
to the wearer’s social status, age
and marital status.
Clothes were generally divided
into three parts: festive clothes,
visiting clothes for errands and
working clothes.
Clothes were basically made of
homespun woollen or linen fab-
ric: shirts and married women’s
head-wear were mostly made
from linen, while various outer
garments, gloves, stockings and
socks, were made from wool.
Most of the clothes remained
undyed: linen garments were
bleached white, woollen outer
garments were mainly sheep-
brown or black. The wool for
making skirts was dyed with
herbal dyes. The bedstraw root
was particularly widely used to
produce red colouring.
Liis-Aleksandra, 9y Liisbet, 9y
Sille, 9y
Mikk, 9y

21. Estonia might easily be called
the kingdom of bogs since ap-
proximately one quarter of the
country is covered with marsh-
es. Virgin forests, surrounded
by mostly untouched wetlands,
serve as home to many endan-
gered species. With practically
every step a lovely orchid is vis-
ible. With a little luck, an eagle
may be seen overhead. Vitamin
– rich red cranberries – some-
times known as northern lem-
ons – grow on the soft peat
moss beside plentiful marsh
trails. Near the edge of the bog,
cowberries, bilberries and blue-
berries are waiting to be tasted.
Bogs are a place of peace and
quiet, a pleasant escape from
the clamour of everyday life.
ESTONIA
2. Variety of Estonian
Nature
For nature lovers, the North Eu-
ropean country of Estonia is a
real dreamland. This is a place
where the land meets the sea,
bogs are interspersed with vir-
gin forests, fields and fish-rich
rivers and lakes. In the wood-
landswhichcoverhalfofEstonia,
wolves and bears are found in
the midst of other rarities. One
fact that most vividly speaks for
Estonia`s nature is that a quarter
of Estonia`s territory is designat-
ed as a nature reserve.

22. ThesymbolofnorthernEstoniaandperhapseven
of all Estonian nature is the high limestone coastal
bank with its beautiful waterfalls. The highest falls
in the bank are located in Valaste. From the vie-
wing platform here, scenic strata layers are also
visible. The slate bank isa n open window to the
earth`s 4,5 billion year old geological history.
Estonia is more densely covered in meteorite
craters than anywhere else in the world. One of
them, formed about 7 500 years ago, is the Kaali
field of meteorite craters in Saaremaa.
Estonia is bordered by the Baltic Sea on the north
and west. This expanse bulges with large and
small islands which number as many as 1 500. The
biggest islands are Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu and
Vormsi.
Although Estonia is one of the smallest countries
in Europe, abundant bird habitats and nesting
grounds are to be found in forests, marshes, wet-
lands, lakes, rivers, meadows, fields, rocky beach-
es, islets and costal pastures. Shallow coastal wa-
ter attracts hundreds of thousands of waterbirds
who nest in the Arctic.
In total, more than 370 bird species have been re-
gistered in Estonia. Two-hundred of them are nes-
ting birds and the reminder migratory , wintering
or coincideny visitors. The Estonian national bird
is the barn swallow.
There are 4 clear seasons in Estonia. The tempera-
tur range: in winter may sink to – 30C (February)
and in summer may rise to +30C (July)

23. We, the Estonians, are lucky – our winter is just
cold and snowy enough for offering many inter-
esting possibilities for relaxation and holidays.
In winter one can be engaged in many winter
sports. Estonian winters are as if made for vigor-
ous activities. One can take part in and enjoy dif-
ferent cultural events during the winter season,
go to Christmas markets in various towns and
be fascinated by the magic of the wintry nature
when making a winter trip.
There are no big mountains in Estonia, but the
winter still offers for sports lovers:
.* Skiing and snowboarding in hilly South Esto-
nia.
* Cross-country ski tracks – Did you know that Es-
tonia had won six Olympic medals in cross-coun-
try skiing?
* Lakes, rivers and even the sea covered with ice
are ideal for skating or it is popular to go ice fish-
ing when the weather is nice in winter.
* Sledging and snow tubing – children love it!
ESTONIA
3. Wonderful winter
Snow is such a wonderful material but people don`t notice it! Winter is the most peaceful season. In
fact, Estonians should be very happy because some countries haven`t winter at all! (Mikk, 9y)

24. Due to the fact that Estonia is a country with very
strong skiing traditions, it is quite common in Es-
tonia that children at a very young age know how
to use skis, sledges and even snowboards. There
are not very many countries in the world where
the children’s skiing is so customary.
The deepest snow ever in Estonia was measured
at Pagari in the Virumaa region in March 1924 .
The thickness of the snow cover was 97 cm then.
Snowstorms are very typical of Estonian winters.
Most of us still remember the 2010 December
snowstorm when due to the deep snow everyday
life and traffic was in chaos in several places in Es-
tonia and people were trapped in cars.
A monument to cold weather , the Frost Column,
has been erected on the outskirts of Jõgeva. It
shows Estonia’s all-time cold record and the cold
record of this century. This little town is known as
the coldest place in Estonia, the Estonian capital
of cold.
On Jan. 17, 1940 the weather station of Jõgeva
measured 43,5 degrees below zero in our coldest
place which marks the absolute cold record in Es-
tonia.
On a very cold winter day school is cancelled and
the Estonian children are allowed to stay at home
and have a cold wave holiday. It has happened
that the children have stayed at home even for a
week because of a very cold weather.
Kaidi, 9y
Märt, 9y

25. Cornfloweristhenationalflower
of Estonia . It was officially elect-
ed to be the national flower in
the year 1968. The fact that it
was very familiar to the people
and loved by them spoke great-
ly in its favour. Throughout the
times the residents of all the re-
gions of Estonia have known it
well. The reason for that is be-
cause it grows mainly in winter
crop fields. It may seem strange
but our national flower is in fact
a weed. As the weed growing
in winter rye and winter wheat
it delights children but is a nui-
sance to farmers. The children
use it together with daisies to
weave beautiful wreaths and
they bring home its lovely blos-
soms. Heads of the household,
however, can’t get rid of it, no
matter what they do.
*I like cornflowers because they
are beautiful and smell nicely. I
also like black bread because it is
sweet and tasty. I like them both.
Cornflower` field is so beautiful
like a blue sky and like the colours
oftheEstonianflag.Blackbreadis
so tasty like candy and it colour is
like the second colour of our flag.
Kätlin, 10y
ESTONIA
4. Rye-field with
cornflowers and black
bread
Kristjan, 12y
Black bread has been one of the most important food for Estonians from the old times up to now.

26. For the Estonians black (rye)
bread has been one of the most
important foodstuffs throug-
hout the centuries. Apart from
porridge all other food is con-
sidered secondary to bread and
not for nothing called „somet-
hing to go with bread“. Rye
bread was a common food,
people ate it a lot at every meal.
Country women usually baked
the bread once a week, on Sa-
turdays, and depending on the
size of the family, six to ten lo-
aves were baked at a time. Each
loaf weighed from two kilo-
grams to five kilograms.
Marko, 9y
Rye bread is a type of bread
made with various percentages
of flour from rye grain. It can be
light or dark in colour, depen-
ding on the type of flour used
and the addition of coloring
agents, and is typically denser
than bread made from wheat
flour. It is higher in fiber than
white bread and is often darker
in color and stronger in flavor.
Rye bread has notable health
benefits when compared to
white bread.
Food from the bread: bread
soup, bread stew, bread with
cranberry sauce, ground bread
with whipped cream, bread
and fruit pudding, rye bread
foam, ground bread-curd des-
sert, layered bread, bread kvass,
bread chips.
Honour the bread because bread is older than we are
*If you drop your bread, you have to pick it up
and give it a kiss.
*The first end cut from the loaf must be given
to young girls, then they will have nice round
breasts.
*It was believed that if you put bread on the table
upside down famine would come to the house-
hold. You should not wipe the floor when bread
is in the oven, or you shall wipe out good bread
luck.
*You shold not eat your bread with gloves on, or
the bread will lose its power.
*You can survive without meat, but not without
bread.

27. ’e-Estonia’ is one of the most ad-
vanced e-societies in the world
– an incredible success story
that grew out of a partnership
between a forward-thinking
government, a pro-active ICT
sector and a switched-on, tech-
savvy population.
ESTONIA
5. E-Estonia
Life in the Digital Society
e-Estonia means voting in elections from the
comfort of your own living room. Filing your in-
come tax return in just five minutes. Signing a
legally-binding contract over the Internet, from
anywhere in the world, via your mobile phone.
These are just a few of the services that Estonians
take advantage of on a regular basis.
Government. Transparency and efficiency at all
levels of government have been boosted by ad-
vanced e-services.
Business. Business has been made easy by fast
interaction, lower bureaucracy and access to criti-
cal information.
Citizens. Integrated e-solutions have created an
effective, convenient interface between citizens
and government agencies.
Healthcare. Doctors, patients, hospitals and the
government are all benefiting from the conven-
ience, access and savings that e-services have
brought.

28. Pranglimine: first web-based mental aritmetic
game (www.miksike.ee)
Kert, 10y
Education. E-school has revolutionized the way
students, teachers and parents interact, creating
a generation that is both better-educated and
tech-savvy.
Public Safety. Estonia is safer thanks to systems
that give law enforcement officers the tools they
need to do their jobs more efficiently and effec-
tively.
Cyber Security. A unique partnership between
public and private IT sectors keeps Estonia one
step ahead of cyber security threats.
Utilities. Innovations in the utilities and intelli-
gent homes industries save energy and result in
a cleaner environment.
Welcome to e-school!
Ragne, 10y

29. FRANCE
Area: 552 000 km2
Population: 62 800 000
Capital: Paris
Official language: French
French national day: 14th
July
FLAG
NATIONAL EMBLEM

30. FIVE WONDERS of FRANCE
1. The Mont – Blanc
2. The Eiffel Tower
3. The Palace of Versailles
4. The Lascaux cave
5. The Millau viaduct
1 2
3 4
5

31. The massif of Mont Blanc is a mountain massif of the French-Italian Alps, where draws up itself
the Mont Blanc, the highest summit of Western Europe which peaks in 4 810,45 m.
He(It) is crossed by the tunnel of Mont Blanc, between Chamonix in the valley of Arve and Courmayeur
in the valley of Aoste in Italy.
FRANCE
1. Le Mont Blanc
The Mont Blanc rises in the heart of the massif of
Mont Blanc and establishes (constitutes) the peak
of the chain (channel) of the Alps.
It is also the highest summit of Western Europe,
what is worth to him (her) the nickname of: Roof
of Europe. The summit represented for several
centuries an objective for any sorts of adventur-
ers, since its First ascent in 1786.
Numerous frequented routes allow today to climb
it with a serious preparation. It is an object of fas-
cination in numerous cultural works.

32. The site of the massif of Mont Blanc is the object of a project of classification (ranking) on the list of
UNESCO world heritage as «unique (only) exceptional site to the world and as the cultural Mecca, the
place of birth and the symbol of the climbing.

33. FRANCE
2. THE EIFFEL TOWER
The Eiffel Tower, nicknamed «the
iron lady» is a iron lattice tower
located on the Champ de Mars in
Paris. Built in 1889 as the entrance
arch to the 1889 World’s Fair, it has
become both a global cultural icon
of France and one of the most rec-
ognizable structures in the world.
First drawing of the Eiffel Tower by
Maurice Koechlin, an engineer who
worked for the Eiffel Company.
1886: The project has been se-
lected for the «1889 Exposition
Universelle», a World’s Fair which
would celebrate the centennial of
the French Revolution.

34. Built duration : 2 years
Cost: 8 000 000 francs
Weight 10 100 tonnes.
Hight 324meters
125-metre-square base
Hight of the 1st floor 57m,
the 2nd floor 115m,
the 3rd floor 277m
The tallest man-made structure
in the world until 1930
18,038 pieces of puddle iron
and two and a half million ri-
vets.
Number of visitors:
236 445 812 guests
(on 31st December 2007)
1900:it has been used
for radio transmission
The original lifts
were completely scrapped
in 1982 after 97 years of service
and were replaced
Maintenance of the tower
includes applying 50 to 60 ton-
nes of paint every seven years
to protect it from rust
The tower has two restaurants ;
one is The Jules Verne
a gastronomical restaurant
Gustave Eiffel
Engineer -Architect-Builder and businessman
Born December 15, 1832 in Dijon
Died December 27, 1923 in Paris
He created his company and did many iron building
such as the railway station at Budapest. He become
passionated by the iron tower project pictured
by two partners.
He helped Bartholdi to realise the Statue of Liberty

35. FRANCE
3. Palace of Versailles
Château de Versailles
The Palace seen from the
Marble courtyard Apollo fountain
The “Château de Versailles”,
which has been on UNESCO’s
World Heritage , is one of the
most beautiful achievements
of 18th-century French art. The
site began as Louis XIII’s hunt-
ing lodge before his son Louis
XIV transformed and expanded
it, moving the court and gov-
ernment of France from Paris
to Versailles in 1682. Each of the
three French kings who lived
there until the French Revolu-
tion added improvements to
make it more beautiful.
Apollo fountain
Drawn by the 5 years old
Louis XIV The Sun King (1638-1715

36. ThePetitTrianonSheistheonlyqueento
have imposed her personal taste on Ver-
sailles. Louis XVI’s wife loved this place
where she could return to the pleasures
of simple, rural pursuits, away from the
pomp of Versailles
The famous “hall of mirrors “where the king put on his most ostenta-
tious display of royal power in order to impress visitors.
Louis XVI Last monarch of Versail-
les (1754-1793) guillotined during the
French revolution.
The queen Marie-Antoinette
The orangerie
King’s chamber

37. Lascaux is a cave in southwestern France famous
for its Paleolithic paintings,it’s located near the
village of Montignac, in the department of Dor-
dogne. It contains some of the best-known Up-
per Paleolithic art.
FRANCE
4. The cave of Lascaux
The cave was discovered on September 12, 1940
by four teenagers,The cave complex was opened
to the public in 1948.
The cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order
to preserve the art,because 1,200 visitors per day
had visibly damaged the paintings.
Lascaux II, a replica of two of the cave halls — the
Great Hall of the Bulls and the Painted Gallery —
was opened in 1983, 200 meters from the original
and can be visited.
The cave contains nearly 2,000 figures, animals
which were living at this time, human figures,
hunting success and abstract signs.

38. How paleolithic cave painters
were painting?
Most of the major images have
been painted onto the walls us-
ing mineral pigments, although
some designs have also been in-
cised into the stone.
Aurochs Horses Reindeer
Hunting scene Wild boar

39. The Millau Viaduct is a cable-
stayed road-bridge that spans
the valley of the river Tarn near
Millau in southern France. The
Millau viaduct is considered by
some to be the “Pont du Gard“
of the 21st century.
FRANCE
5. The Millau Viaduct
The” pont du Gard”
Designed by the French struc-
tural engineer Michel Virlogeux
and British architect Norman
Foster, it is the tallest bridge in
the world with one mast’s sum-
mit at 343.0 metres Choosing a
cable-stay bridge, making sev-
en towers, and using the white
colour preserve the view of the
lovely Tarn Valley and it looks
good. Fourteen years of prepa-
ration for this exceptional con-
struction.
The piers and cable-stays While
views of the Millau Viaduct tend
to focus on the towers, and the
cables--as well as the deck--the
bridge wouldn’t be possible
without the seven piers that
anchor it to the ground. The
metallic deck, which appears
very light despite its total mass
of around 36,000 tonnes , is
2,460 m long and 32 m wide.
The seven masts, each 87 m
high and weighing around 700
tonnes, are set on top of the
pylons. Between each of them,
eleven stays (metal cables) are
anchored, providing support for
the road deck. It is a stunning ar-
chitectural and design feat. And
it is beautiful to look at as well.

40. The bridge not only has a dra-
matic silhouette, but crucially, it
also makes the minimum inter-
vention in the landscape. Lit at
night, it traces a slender ribbon
of light across the valley.
The world’s tallest bridge
The P2 pier of the Viaduct is the
tallest structure in France, taller
than the Eiffel tower.
The bridge forms the last link of
the A75 motorway , from Cler-
mont-Ferrand to Béziers . The
A75, with the A10 and A71, pro-
vides a continuous high-speed
route south from Paris through
Clermont-Ferrand to the
Languedoc region and through
to Spain, considerably reducing
the cost of vehicle traffic travel-
ling along this route. Many tour-
ists heading to southern France
and Spain follow this route be-
cause it is direct and without
tolls except for the bridge it-
self.(€7.40)
Time line: 16 October 2001: work begins
14 December 2004: official inauguration
The bridge opened for traffic in late 2004, but that was 17 years
after the project began.

41. HUNGARY
Area: 93036 km2
Population: 9.982.000.000
Capital: Budapest
Official language: Hungarian
Hungarian national day: 15th
March
FLAG
COAT OF ARMS

42. FIVE WONDERS of HUNGARY
1. Bory Castle SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR
2. HORTOBÁGY / THE PUSZTA
3. VISEGRÁD AND DANUBE BEND
4. THERMAL WATERS
5. LAKE BALATON
1
2
3
4
5

43. Jenő Bory (Székesfehérvár No-
vember9,1879–Székesfehérvár,
December 20, 1959) was a Hun-
garian architect and sculptor.
He was largely responsible for
the building of the so called
Bory castle in Székesfehérvár
which is decorated by his and
his wife’s works.
He built this fantastic, castle-like
structure out of concrete with
his own hands for 41 years.
HUNGARY
1. BORY CASTLE - SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR
The romantic knight’s castle of
Jenő Bory stands on Old Hill
(Öreghegy) on the north-east-
ern outskirts of the city.
There is collection of over 500
creations found throughout
the rooms, courtyard and gar-
den that visitors will enjoy.

44. Júlia 6 y,
Noémi 4 y
Maximilián 3 y,
Levente, 3 y
Patrícia, 6 y
Viktória, 6 y
The castle is a symbol of eternal love and an exemplary marriage. The marble statues of Jenő Bory
preserve his timeless love for his lovely wife.

45. Hortobágy is the largest pro-
tected area, and the largest nat-
ural grassland in Central Europe
with cattle, sheep, oxen, horses,
tended by herdsmen, and it
provides habitat for various dif-
ferent species (342 bird species
have been registered to appear
in the puszta).
HUNGARY
2. HORTOBÁGY / THE PUSZTA
Viktória, 6y
The Hortobágy National
Park - The Puszta has been
inscribed on the World Herit-
age List by UNESCO on the 1st
of December in 1999 in the cat-
egory of cultural landscapes,
based on cultural criteria. Ac-
cording to its brief description
the Hortobágy is a vast area of
plains and wetlands that have
been used by humans for graz-
ing their domestic animals for
more than two millennia.

46. Amanda, 6y
„PULI”
This is an 800 km² national park
in Eastern Hungary, in the pusz-
ta, it is rich with folklore and cul-
tural history.
The mirage can be a spectacular sight on hot sum-
mer days, where you see something that is not in
fact there.

47. Visegrád is a small castle town in Pest county. It is situated north of Budapest on the right bank of
Danube in the Danube Bend. In the 14th century the medieval citadel became a royal residence and
was enlarged with a new curtain and palace buildings.
HUNGARY
3. VISEGRÁD AND DANUBE BEND
Viktor, 6y
At the end of the 15th
century
King Mattias Corvinus had inte-
rior part of the castle renovated
and used Visegrád as a country
residence.
Visegrád lost importance after
the partition of the Kingdom of
Hungary following the Battle of
Mohács in 1526.
Ákos, 5y

48. Csenge Sára, 6y
The DANUBE is the second long-
est river in Europe. The Danube
Bend is a curve of the Danube
in Hungary, close to the city of
Visegrád.
It is often considered is one of
the most beautiful portions of
the river.
Kornél, 6y

49. Hungary is extremely rich in
thermal waters, its thermal wa-
ter reserve is significant on a
world scale and on European
scale it is outstanding. Most of
the mineral and medicinal wa-
ters contain dissolved minerals,
providing medicinal and cura-
tive powers, and making them
suitable for bathing and drink-
ing cures.
HUNGARY
4. THERMAL WATERS
Auguszta, 5y
Medicinal waters can be found in almost all re-
gionsofHungary,andaboutthree-quartersofthe
wells are located in the Great Hungarian Plain.

50. Júlia, 6y
Among the 150 hot water spa baths of the country
there are 36 special medicinal baths in which the
water contains radioactivity, sulphurous acid, salt
bromine carbonate or iodine. Europe’s only cave-
spa is in Northeast Hungary, in Tapolca, while Hévíz
Lake, near Lake Balaton is the best-known hot water
(33 °C) medicinal-water lake in Europe.
Mira, 6y

51. HUNGARY
5. LAKE BALATON
Pető, 6y
Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the “Hungarian
Sea”.
Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is a largest lake in Central Eu-
rope, and one of its foremost tourist destinations.

52. Tiny group, 3 years
All members of the family will find something to do here, especially
bathing, swimming, sailing, or wine tasting. Balaton Uplands Na-
tional Park is located to north of Lake Balaton.
Major, 4y

53. ITALY
Area: 301 340 km²
Population: 60.8 million inhabitants
Capital: Rome
Official language: Italian
Indipendence day: April 25th
FLAG
COAT OF ARMS

54. FIVE WONDERS of ITALY
1. A breathtaking view from the seaside to the hills
2. Andrea Delitio’s frescoes in Atri cathedral
3. The ancient coins of Hatria
4. Casoli Pinta: a museum under the stars
5. A wonderful dish: homemade spaghetti “on guitar”
1 2
3 4
5

55. In the province of Teramo (Abruzzi region of Italy), the area stretching from the seaside, near the an-
cient tower of Cerrano (Pineto), up to the hillside erosions called “Calanchi” (Atri) can be regarded as
an area of excellence for the uniqueness of the landscape and the presence of two natural oasis: the
new sea park called “Tower of Cerrano” and the Nature Reserve “Calanchi of Atri”.
ITALY
1. A breathtaking view from the seaside to the hills
Lucrezia, 10y
The sea park “Tower of Cerrano” combines unpolluted nature with a wonderful monument, the Tower
of Cerrano.
The Tower of Cerrano was built in the 16th century by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V as a watch
tower to guard against attacks from the Turks. In the sea in front of the tower there are also the ruins
of an ancient harbour.
Giuseppe, 10y

56. Between the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso mountain, the hills around Atri are characterized by
marked erosion forms called Calanchi. In Italy, Calanchi are one of the most picturesque landscape of
the Adriatic region.
Theresia, 10y
These erosive forms are
preservedintheregion-
al WWF Reserve of Atri.
Calanchi are typical of
Atri, another example
of this form of erosion
is located around the
city of Siena. Calanchi
are natural erosions of
the clay soil. This phe-
nomenon affects the
sloping hillsides with
little vegetation.
The removal of the soil is mainly caused by concentrated flows of rainwater sliding along the slopes
of the hills. These flows take away the clay surface leaving the strongest part of the land, so Calanchi
appear as deep knife-edged grooves often arranged in parallel.
Emanuele, 10y

57. In the province of Teramo (Abruzzi region of Italy), the area stretching from the seaside, near the an-
cient tower of Cerrano (Pineto), up to the hillside erosions called “Calanchi” (Atri) can be regarded as
an area of excellence for the uniqueness of the landscape and the presence of two natural oasis: the
new sea park called “Tower of Cerrano” and the Nature Reserve “Calanchi of Atri”.
ITALY
2. Andrea Delitio’s frescoes in Atri cathedral
Matteo, 10y
The choir of the Cathedral
painted by Andrea Delitio
Saint Reparata, Atri Patron Saint
Petra, 5y

58. In the wonderful frescoes in the Atri Cathedral, the painter Andrea De Litio gives us an overview of the
Abruzzi landscape at his times. The frescoes represent Virgin Mary’s life, but the setting is from the XV
century. Some art critics thought that in the detail reproduced below the artist wanted to represent
the ancient harbour of Cerrano.
Simone, 5y
Particular: “The Escape to Egypt”

59. The coins of the old Atri (Hatria) are among the oldest in Italian history.
ITALY
3. The ancient coins of Hatria
“Asse”, depicting god Adranus’ head, while on the
back a dog crouched (weight gr. 430-350).
Alessando, 5y
“Semiasse”, depicting the face of a woman with a
protruding shell, while on the back Pegasus
(gr. 230-150).
Marta, 5y
“Triente”, depicting, on one hand, a profile of a
young man, while, on the other hand, a vessel (gr.
190-130).
Marta, 5y

60. Marta, 5 y“Quadrante”, with a dolphin and a fish (gr.
120-70), that symbolize the power of Atri over
the sea throug the Cerrano Harbour.
“Sestante”, with a shoe and a chicken and two
eggs (gr. 70-35); Plinius several times praised
the beauty and fertility of Atri hens.
“Oncia”, with an anchor and a dot and the va-
lue of the money (gr. 57-16).
“Semioncia”, with two symbols, the first AS,
the second H (gr. 25-23).
Andrea and Marta, 5y

61. Casoli of Atri is a village where Art is… at home!
Casoli is a village in the Atri municipality, a small
village of about 1500 inhabitants, tenaciously at-
tached to their land, traditions and culture. Since
1996, the village has hosted an exhibition of mural
painting called “Casoli Pinta”, which has gathered
famous painters in the production of frescoes on
the outside walls of the houses, renewing the ap-
pearance of Casoli and transforming the small
village in an open air museum where Art is the
protagonist.
ITALY
4. Casoli Pinta: a museum under the stars
Vittoria, 5y
The volcano erupting hearts represents some past romantic memories, which cannot come back any-
more, if only by painting them.
Marica, 5y
Vulcano lancia cuori (Volcano throwing hearts) –Stefano Pizzi
The kites are pulled by a fantastic bird bringing messages of peace and happiness.
“Il Messaggero” (The Messenger) –Giancarlo Pozzi-

62. “La Vergine della pace” (The Virgin of
peace)
- Franco Petrosemolo-
There is a thin space between the hanging waterproof paintings and the walls of the house.
This painting was accomplished after 11th
September 2001, the Twin Towers attack.
The painter wants to represent a mes-
sage of hope with a baby in the centre
of the world holding an olive twig in his
hand. On the background there are the
Gran Sasso mountains.
This work of art represents the human
being who is looking for freedom, but
he always fight between the spiritual
and the material worlds.
It is a sign of the painter’s poetic world
to touch the people’s hearts.
“I Fratelli della costa” (the Brothers of the
coast) -Gioxe De Micheli –
“Una sola ala” (An only wing)
- Marilisa Pizzorno -

63. Spaghetti “on guitar” is
a tipycal dish of Teramo
province.Itismadewith
flour and eggs (1 egg
each 100 gr of flour).
It needs two tools to
make this kind of spa-
ghetti: a rolling pin and
an utensil called “gui-
tar” because it looks
like a real guitar.
ITALY
5. A wonderful dish: homemade spaghetti “on guitar”
Elisa, 5y
First of all you have to mix the
ingredients to make a dough,
then you have to press the
dough with the help of the roll-
ing pin making a big and thin
circle of pasta. Afterwards you
have to cut the circle of pasta in
slices and put each of them on
the “guitar”. With the rolling pin,
you press each slice on the “gui-
tar” and you will have spahetti.
Elisa, 5y

64. This typical dish is seasoned with tomato sauce, little meat balls and some parmisan cheese. To make
the little meat balls you need 300 gr of veal minced meat, a little bit of salt and one tea spoon of olive
oil. After mixing together all the ingredients, you make the little meat balls and you fry them up in hot
olive oil. When they are ready, you put them on the spaghetti already mixed with the tomato sauce.
Elisa, 5y

65. POLAND
Area: 312,685 km2
Population: 38 482 919
Capital: Warszawa / Warsaw
Official language: Polish
Independence Day: 11th
November
FLAG
COAT OF ARMS

66. FIVE WONDERS of POLAND
1. FRYDERYK CHOPIN
2. MAZURY
3. BALTIC AMBER
4. THE DRAGON OF WAWEL
5. WIELICZKA – THE SALT MINE
1 2
3 4 5

67. is one of the world’s most fa-
mous composers. He was
born on either 22nd February,
or 1st March (the date is not
completely certain) 1810 in
Żelazowa Wola, a village near
Warsaw.
Frycek (as his parents used to
call him) was a very talented
child. He inherited a musical
talent from his Polish mother
(who played the piano) and a
French father (who played the
flute and the violin).
In 1810, when Chopin was only
7 months old, his family moved
to Warsaw, where Fryderyk
lived, completed his music
education and composed a lot
of works before leaving Poland
in 1830, at the age of 20. It was
shortly before the outbreak of
the November Uprising.
POLAND
1. FRYDERYK CHOPIN
Chopin’s portraits painted by our pupils – Ala Cienkowska and Krzyś Kuleszka

68. When Chopin was in Paris, he met
a French writer – George Sand.
They fell in love with each other
and lived together in her house in
Nohant for 10 years.
It was George Sand, who used to
say that Chopin was more Polish
than Poland. His music was strong-
ly influenced by Polish traditions
and history and, while in France,
he missed his country very much
Unfortunately, Chopin suffered
from poor health and he died on
17th
October 1849, at the age of
39. He was buried at Père Lachaise
Cemetery, but he wished for his
heart to be in Poland. So his sister
fulfilled his wish and brought it
from France. It is now sealed with-
in a pillar of the Holy Cross Church
on Krakowskie Przedmieście in
Warsaw.
During his lifetime Chopin Com-
posed 59 mazurkas, 27 études, 27
preludes, 21 nocturnes, 20 waltz-
es, 18 polonaises, 5 rondos, 4 bal-
lades, 4 impromptus, 4 scherzi, 4
sets of variations, 3 écossaises, 3
piano sonatas and 2 concerti.
Chopin’s statue in the Royal Baths
(Łazienki) – a park in Warsaw

69. MASURIA(inPolish–MAZURY)isaregionsituated
in the north – east of Poland.
POLAND
2. MAZURY
Masuria and the Masurian Lake District are known
inPolishasKrainaTysiącaJezior,meaningtheland
of a thousand lakes. These lakes were ground out
of the land by glaciers during the Pleistocene
ice age, when ice covered northeastern Europe.
From that period originates the horn of a rein-
deer found in the vicinity of Giżycko By 10,000 BC
this ice started to melt. Great geological chang-
es took place and even in the last 500 years the
maps showing the lagoons and peninsulas on the
Baltic Sea have greatly altered in appearance. As
in other parts of northern Poland, such as from
Pomerania on the Oder River to the Vistula River,
this continuous stretch of lakes is popular among
tourists.

70. PUSZCZA PISKA
Puszcza Piska is a bird sanctuary on a European
scale, featuring eleven nature reserves. The most
valuable reserve is located at the Łuknajno Lake
near the town of Mikołajki – a Ramsar site desig-
nated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. It is the
home of the Mute Swan, native to temperate re-
gions of Europe and western Asia, Many species
of wild animals live in the forest, among them:
deer, elk, moose, wild boar, hare, fox and recently
reintroduced lynx. On wetlands, most saturated
with water, beaver lodges can be found. The sym-
bol of the Park is a white stork with nests scat-
tered over many local villages.
Masuria in the eyes of : Julia, 12y, ... Lena, 12y

71. The Baltic region is home to the
largest known deposit of AM-
BER, called BALTIC AMBER or
SUCCINITE, with about 80% of
the world’s known amber found
there It dates from 44 million
years ago.
POLAND
3. BALTIC AMBER
Amber – GOLD OF THE NORTH – is used by artists to create jewellery and objects of everyday use such
as the following:

73. WAWEL is a hill situated on the left bank of the
Vistula River (Wisła in Polish) in Cracow (or Kraków,
as we call it). The hill is the site of a group of his-
toric buildings, including the Wawel Castle and
the Wawel Cathedral (the Cathedral Basilica of St.
Stanisław and St. Wacław). The complex also com-
prises the Wawel Hill Fortifications. The remains of
other buildings, dating back to different historical
periods, have also been found on the site.
POLAND
4. WAWEL
One of the most popular Polish legends – the legend of the Dragon of Wawel (in Polish we call him
SMOK WAWELSKI) is also strictly connected with the place.
THE LEGEND OF THE DRAGON OF WAWEL
Onceuponatimetherelivedanevildragonwhich
wouldbeatapathofdestructionacrossthecoun-
tryside, killing the civilians, pillaging their homes
and devouring their livestock. The dragon espe-
cially enjoyed eating young maidens, and could
only be appeased if the townsfolk left a young
girl in front of its cave once a month.
King Krakus (the legendary founder of Kraków),
certainly wanted to put a stop to the dragon, but
his bravest knights fell to its fiery breath. With the
flow of time, every girl in the city was sacrificed
except one - the King’s daughter Wanda. In des-
peration, the King promised his beautiful daugh-
ter’s hand in marriage to anyone who could de-
feat the dragon.
Great warriors from near and far fought for the
prize and failed.
One day a poor cobbler’s apprentice named
DRATEWKA accepted the challenge. He stuffed a
lamb with sulphur and set it outside the dragon’s
cave. The dragon ate it and soon became incred-
ibly thirsty. He turned to the Vistula River for re-
lief and drank and drank. But no amount of wa-
ter could quench his aching stomach, and after
swelling up from drinking half the Vistula river,
he exploded.
Dratewka married the King’s daughter as prom-
ised, and they lived happily ever after.

74. Adrian, 7y
In Poland Smok Wawelski is very popular. Every
child knows his story, and when in Kraków, goes
to see his monument.
The sculpture of the dragon of Wawel was made
in 1970 and placed in front of the dragon’s den. It
is stylized, with six legs, and, to the amusement
of children, it noisily breathes fire every few min-
utes, thanks to a natural gas nozzle installed in
the sculpture’s mouth.
Currently the dragon breathes fire every 2 min-
utes, or when an SMS with the text ”SMOK” is sent
to the number 7168.
What is interesting is the fact that the street lead-
ing along the banks of the river towards the cas-
tle is called ULICA SMOCZA, which translates as
THE DRAGON STREET.
Iza, 12y

75. The WIELICZKA SALT MINE
(Polish: KOPALNIA SOLI WIELIC-
ZKA), located in the town of
Wieliczka in southern Poland,
lies within the Kraków metro-
politan area. The mine, built in
the 13th century, produced ta-
ble salt continuously until 2007,
as one of the world’s oldest salt
mines still in operation.
The Wieliczka salt mine reaches
adepthof327metersandisover
300 kilometers long. The rock
salt is naturally gray in various
shades, resembling unpolished
granite rather than the white or
crystalline look that many visi-
tors may expect.
The mine features an under-
ground lake; and the new exhib-
its on the history of salt mining,
as well as a 3.5 kilometers tour-
ing route that includes historic
statues and mythical figures
carved out of rock salt in distant
past. More recent sculptures
have been fashioned by con-
temporary artists.
The Wieliczka mine is often re-
ferred to as the Underground
Salt Cathedral of Poland. In 1978
it was placed on the original
UNESCO list of the World Herit-
age Sites.http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine
- cite_note-unesco.org-2 Even
the crystals of the chandeliers
are made from rock salt that has
been dissolved and reconstitut-
ed to achieve a clear, glass-like
appearance. It also houses a pri-
vate rehabilitation and wellness
complex.
POLAND
5. THE WIELICZKA SALT MINE
Patryk, 12y

76. One of the most famous legends
connected with the Wieliczka
salt mine is the legend of KINGA
– the daughter of king Bela IV of
Hungary.
The legend speaks of Bolesław,
Prince of Poland going to Hunga-
ry to ask for the hand of the royal
daughter, Kinga. The proposal
was accepted, and, King Bela,
wanting to show royal generos-
ity, decided to give Boleslaw , to-
gether with his daughter’s hand
in marriage, the most beautiful
jewels from the Hungarian treas-
ury.
However, all that Kinga desired
was one treasure: salt – which at
thetimewaspreciousandsought
after – so that she could give it
to her future subjects. Thus, her
father gave her the richest salt
mine in his kingdom, and Kinga
cast her engagement ring into its
shaft.
As soon as she arrived in Po-
land, she had prospectors look-
ing for salt. When it was found
in Wieliczka, the miners came to
the Queen with the first lump of
salt mined from the Polish mines.
Lo and behold, ensconced in it
was the engagement ring she
dropped into the Marmarosz
Sziget mine in Hungary!

77. WALES
Area: 20,779 km2
Population: 3.060.000
Capital: Cardiff
Official language: English / Welsh
St David’s Day 1st
March
FLAG
COAT OF ARMS

78. FIVE WONDERS of WALES
1. Buildings and Castles
2. Countryside and National parks
3. Rugby and Millenium Stadium
4. Welsh Language
5. Welsh Culture
1 2
3 4
5

79. Raglan Castle
Raglan, with its great multi-angular tow-
ers and Tudor-styling, is unlike any other
castle in Wales.
From a distance, Raglan seemed to have
a reddish cast, although on approaching
the gatehouse, the castle’s yellow sand-
stone becomes obvious.
The elaborately decorated polygonal
keep, as well as the double-drawbridge
arrangement of the keep, unique in Brit-
ain, demonstrate French influence.
In 1492, Elizabeth Herbert married Sir
Charles Somerset, a natural son of Henry
Beaufort, third duke of Somerset, and
it is to the Somerset family as earls of
Worcester that we owe the final architec-
tural touches of the castle.
WALES
1. Buildings and Castles of Wales
Wales had about 400 castles, of which over 100 are still standing, either as ruins or as restored build-
ings. The rest have returned to nature, and today consist of ditches, mounds and earthworks, often in
commanding positions.
Tintern Abbey
The Cistercian abbey of Tintern is one of
the greatest monastic ruins of Wales.
It was only the second Cistercian founda-
tion in Britain, and the first in Wales, and
was founded on 9 May 1131 by Walter de
Clare, lord of Chepstow.
It soon prospered, thanks to endow-
ments of land in Gwent and Glouces-
tershire, and buildings were added and
updated in every century until its disso-
lution in 1536.
However, it was never very large and im-
portant, and its history was relatively un-
eventful.
Its position well away from the Welsh
heartland meant that, unlike Margam,
Neath and Llanthony, it suffered little in
the periodic Welsh uprisings of the me-
dieval period.
Tintern Abbey. Imogen, 9y

80. Chepstow Castle
Chepstow is a Norman castle
perched high above the banks of
the river Wye in southeast Wales.
Construction began at Chepstow
in 1067, less than a year after Wil-
liam the Conqueror was crowned
King of England. While Edward
had his master castle buil-der in
the person of James of St. George,
the Conqueror, some 200 years
earlier, had his equal in the person
of his loyal Norman lord William
FitzOsbern.
FitzOsbern’s fortresses were the
vehicles from which the new king
consolidated control of his newly
conquered lands. Chepstow Castle
became the key launching point
for expeditions into Wales, expe-
ditions that eventually subdued
the rebellious population.
Caldicot Castle
Founded by the Normans, devel-
oped in royal hands as a strong-
hold in the Middle Ages and re-
stored as a Victorian family home,
the castle has a romantic and col-
ourful history.
Caldicot Castle was built on a site
that had long been recognized
for its strategic value. In fact, the
Romans actively made use of the
area in the early centuries AD,
when Caldicot stood on the Via
Julia roadway to Caerwent, the Ro-
man town of Venta Silurum (ruins
visible) just to the north. Caldicot’s
placement near the Bristol Chan-
nel allowed observation of the
comings and goings of ship traffic
and eased transport of supplies to
the site.
It’s useful location was recognized
by the Normans as early as 1086,
and they built a motte with two
baileys and a deep surrounding
ditch to control this portion of
south Wales.

81. Snowdonia National Park
Situated on the west
coast of Wales cover-
ing 823 square miles
ofdiverselandscapes,
Snowdonia National
Park is a living work-
ing area, home to
over 26,000 people.
As well as being the largest National Park
in Wales, Snowdonia boasts the highest
mountain in England and Wales, and the
largest natural lake in Wales, as well as a
wealth of picturesque villages like Betws
y Coed and Beddgelert. Snowdonia is
an area steeped in culture and local his-
tory, where more than half its population
speak Welsh.
WALES
2. Countryside
Wales has a total area of 20,779 km2
(8,023 sq mi). Wales has over 1,200 km (750 mi) of coastline, and
is largely mountainous, with its highest peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr
Wyddfa), its highest summit. Wales is made up of three National Parks.
Pembrokeshire National Park
The Pembrokeshire
Coast was designat-
ed a National Park in
1952. The Pembroke-
shire Coast National
Park Authority be-
came a separate au-
thority in April 1996.
There are 14 National Parks in total in
Britain and the Pembrokeshire Coast was
the first predominantly coastal National
Park, recognising the special qualities of
the coastline in this part of West Wales.
The National Park is 612 square kilome-
tres in area and stretches from St. Dog-
maels on the Ceredigion border in the
north to Amroth in the south. It includes
the Cleddau Waterway, an estuary and
river system that flows from the Preseli
Hills in the north of Pembrokeshire to the
coast beyond Milford Haven.

82. Mountains and rivers in Wales . Charlie, 7y
Brecon Beacons National Park
It stretches from Llandeilo in the west to Hay-on-Wye in the northeast and Ponty-
pool in the southeast, covering 519 square miles.

83. The Millennium Stadium (Welsh:
Stadiwm y Mileniwm) is the na-
tional stadium of Wales, located
in the capital, Cardiff.
It is the home of the Wales na-
tional rugby union team and
also frequently stages games
of the Wales national football
team, but is also host to many
other large scale events, such as
the Super Special Stage of Wales
Rally Great Britain, Speedway
Grand Prix of Great Britain, box-
ing and many music concerts,
including Tina Turner, Madonna,
The Rolling Stones, U2, Stere-
ophonics, Paul McCartney, and
the Tsunami Relief concert.
It was built to host the 1999
Rugby World Cup.
WALES
3. The Millenium Stadium – Wales Rugby
Aerial view of the Millenium Stadium. Gabe, 9y

84. Watching a rugby match. Jai, 8y
The stadium opened in June
1999, and the first major event
to be held was an international
rugby union match on 26 June
1999, when Wales beat South
Africa in a friendly by 29–19, be-
fore a test crowd of 29,000. With
total seating capacity of 74,500,
it is the third largest stadium in
the Six Nations Championship
behind the Stade de France and
Twickenham, which is the larg-
est. It is also the second largest
stadium in the world with a fully
retractable roof and was the
second stadium in Europe to
have this feature.
As well as international rugby
union and association football,
the Millennium Stadium has
hosted a variety of sports, in-
cluding, rugby league (includ-
ing the Challenge Cup final on
3 occasions between 2003 and
2005, and Welsh Rugby League
internationals), speedway, box-
ing, the Wales Rally Great Britain
stage of the World Rally Cham-
pionship, Monster Jam and in-
door cricket. The indoor cricket
match was between The Brits
and a Rest of the World team
for the Pertemps Power Cricket
Cup, and took place on 4 and 5
October 2002.

85. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of
Wales. The title – taken from the first words of
the song – means ”Old Land of My Fathers”, usu-
ally rendered in English as simply ”Land of My Fa-
thers”.
The words were written by Evan James and the
tune composed by his son, James James, both
residents of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January
1856. The earliest written copy survives and is
part of the collections of the National Library of
Wales.
WALES
4. Welsh Language
Hen Wlad fy Nhadau
(Land of my Fathers)
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion enwogion o fri
Ei gwrol ryfelwr, gwlad garwyr tra mad
Tros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.
Gwlad Gwlad,
Pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad,
Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau
O bydded i’r hen iaith barhau.

86. Kate, 8y
Origins
Glan Rhondda (Banks of the Rhondda), as it was
known when it was composed, was first per-
formed in the vestry of the original Capel Tabor,
Maesteg, (which later became a working men’s
club), in either January or February 1856, by Eliza-
beth John from Pontypridd, and it soon became
popular in the locality.
James James, the composer, was a harpist who
played his instrument in the public house he ran,
for the purpose of dancing. The song was origi-
nally intended to be performed in 6/8 time, but
had to be slowed down to its present rhythm
when it began to be sung by large crowds.
The popularity of the song increased after the
Llangollen Eisteddfod of 1858. Thomas Llewelyn
of Aberdare won a competition for an unpub-
lished collection of Welsh airs with a collection
that included Glan Rhondda. The adjudicator of
the competition, ”Owain Alaw” (John Owen, 1821-
1883) asked for permission to include Glan Rhon-
dda in his publication, Gems of Welsh melody
(1860–64). This volume gave Glan Rhondda its
more famous title, Hen wlad fy nhadau, and was
sold in large quantities and ensured the popular-
ity of the anthem across the whole of Wales.

87. Wales has a distinctive culture including its own
language, customs, holidays and music.
Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of
the red Welsh Dragon, but other national em-
blems include the leek and daffodil.
The Welsh words for leeks (cennin) and daffodils
(cennin Pedr, lit. ”(Saint) Peter’s Leeks”) are close-
ly related and it is likely that one of the symbols
came to be used due to a misunderstanding for
the other one, though it is less clear which came
first.
WALES
5. Culture
Patron Saint
The patron saint of Wales is Saint David, Dewi Sant
in Welsh. St. David’s Day is celebrated on
1. March.
Music
Wales is often referred to as ”the land of song”
and is notable for its harpists, male choirs, and
solo artists. The principal Welsh festival of music
and poetry is the annual National Eisteddfod. The
Llangollen International Eisteddfod echoes the
National Eisteddfod but provides an opportunity
for the singers and musicians of the world to per-
form. Traditional music and dance in Wales is sup-
ported by a myriad of societies. The Welsh Folk
Song Society has published a number of collec-
tions of songs and tunes.
Traditional instruments of Wales include telyn
deires (triple harp), fiddle, crwth, pibgorn (horn-
pipe) and other instruments. The Cerdd Dant So-
ciety promotes its specific singing art primarily
through an annual one-day festival.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs
in Wales and internationally. The Welsh National
Opera is based at the Wales Millennium Centre in
Cardiff Bay, while the National Youth Orchestra of
Wales was the first of its type in the world.

88. Halle, 7y
Cuisine
Wales is traditionally seen as an agrarian country
and the traditional cuisines of Wales represent
this heritage. Indeed, traditional foods tend to be
simple, utilising readily-available ingredients and
those cuts of meat that were not readily saleable.
Baking is also a large part of the country’s culi-
nary culture and these dishes (such as Bara Brith
[speckled bread]) tend to be fruitcakes that will
keep for many days and were often served as a
workman’s tea.
Traditional recipes such as cawl (a meat-based
stew), Welsh rarebit, laver bread, brithyll aber-
meurig (Abermeurig trout) and Penclawdd cock-
les tend to be regional, reflecting the foods avail-
able in that region.
Traditional Welsh costume
The Traditional Welsh costume is a costume once
worn by rural women in Wales.
It is likely that the Welsh costume began as a rural
costume (with regional variations in Wales) and
became recognized as a traditional costume by
the wives and daughters of the better off farm-
ers who wore it for special occasions and when
going to market to sell their produce. From the
1880s, when the traditional costume had gone
out of general use, selected elements of it be-
came adopted as a National Costume.
From then on it was worn by women at events
such as Royal visits, by choirs, at church and chap-
el, for photographs and occasionally at eisteddfo-
dau. It was first worn by girls as a celebration on
Saint David’s Day just before the First World War.
The costume is now recognised as the national
dress of Wales.

90. Friends Around Europe
2011—2013