Travel Maritime Museum » travel http://samsonmuseum.org Sun, 15 Aug 2010 04:29:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Barcelona Museums – Great Places to Visit http://samsonmuseum.org/30/barcelona-museums-great-places-to-visit http://samsonmuseum.org/30/barcelona-museums-great-places-to-visit#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:33:57 +0000 admin http://samsonmuseum.org/?p=30 There's so much to see in Barcelona, from Gaudi's great buildings to the city's beaches, that it's all too easy to miss some of the world's finest cultural attractions. Barcelona may not have a museum as famous as Madrid's Prado or the Louvre in Paris, but there's an amazing variety of museums in the city. Be careful, however, which day you set aside for a little culture on your city break in Barcelona - most museums are closed on Mondays.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is one of Spain's great museums housing medieval, 19th and 20th century art from Catalonia. Housed in the impressive Palau Nacional at the foot of Montjuic, its Romanesque collection is reckoned to be the world's finest. There are several frescoes and Gothic works on the lives and deaths of saints - some are not for the fainthearted. It's also noted for its Modernista collection.

In the same area as the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is Caixa Forum. Originally a factory built in the Art-Nouveau style, it has become one of Barcelona's most lively cultural centres with exhibitions devoted to artists such as Dal, Rodin, Freud, Turner, Fragonard, Hogarth and Cartier-Bresson. It also hosts concerts, lectures and literary events.

The CosmoCaixa science museum lifted the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006 and is packed with fascinating displays for children and adults, all designed to make science interesting and comprehensible. There's fun to be had with interactive exhibits, particularly the Flooded Forest, an incredible recreation of a section of Amazonian rainforest, complete with frogs, turtles, snakes, fish and a steamy heat that is spookily realistic.

Artists who have lived and worked in Barcelona are now celebrated with their own museums, notably Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Antoni Tapies. The Museu Picasso is the number one Barcelona museum for his fans. Picasso arrived in Barcelona in 1894 when he was 14 and lived here until he was 23. He studied at the city's art college where his father was a tutor. The museum includes much of his early work housed in five medieval palaces in the Barri Gotic.

Take the funicular up Montjuic and you soon find yourself outside the Fundacio Joan Miro, a splendid purpose-built museum dedicated to the artist. Mir experimented with painting, sculpture, printing, ceramics, theatre and tapestry. Bemused visitors can learn about 'drippism' and the more sceptical may wonder in one gallery if some paintings are simply cracks in the wall. Do step outside where many of Miro's amusing sculptures are on view.

The Fundacio Antoni Tapies is in Eixample in a Domenech, a Montaner-designed building featuring a sculpture on the roof. Tapies was born in Barcelona in 1923 and is probably the greatest Spanish artist to emerge since the 1950s. Tpies started as a surrealist painter but soon become an abstract expressionist, working in a style known as "Arte Povera". In 1953 he began working in mixed media and was one of the first to create serious art in this way, adding clay and marble dust to his paint and incorporating waste paper, string, and rags in his works.

Keeping to contemporary art, the Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum (MACBA) can be found near the northern end of the Ramblas. MACBA focuses on art from 1945, with many temporary exhibitions. The huge, white building, designed by the American Richard Meier opened in 1995. While most museums in the city close on Mondays, MACBA is closed Tuesdays

There are several museums celebrating the history of the city and of Catalonia. The Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat is in the heart of the Barri Gotic. Its collection covers the city's history from Roman times in a beautiful old mansion with central courtyard, the casa Clariana-Padellas. There is a fascinating underground tour along Roman roads, houses, bathrooms, sewers and the old city walls. You can also trace the evolution of Barcelona through plans, sketches and models.

The nearby Capella de Santa Agata offers views of the Barri Gotic from the Torre del Rey Marti while the neighbouring Museu Frederic Mares, just behind the Cathedral, has a massive collection of medieval sculpture housed in an ancient palace with large courtyards and soaring ceilings.

We finish this brief tour down by the port with two intriguing exhibitions. The Maritime Museum is housed in the Drassanes, the medieval shipyards at the seaward end of the Ramblas. Barcelona was one of the great maritime powers trading across the whole Mediterranean basin. There is a copy of a 16th century Royal Galley, old maps, charts and even a virtual dive in a submarine.

In the newly renovated port area of Port Vell is the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya. This excellent museum is in a converted warehouse and it covers Catalan history. The imaginative exhibits include The Birth of a Nation; Our Sea; On the Edge of the Empire; A Steam-powered Nation; The Electric Years; and Defeat and Recovery.

Much of this will be new to visitors from outside Catalonia, so when you step back outside, you will fully appreciate why Barcelona is one of the great cities of Europe.

There's so much to see in Barcelona, from Gaudi's great buildings to the city's beaches, that it's all too easy to miss some of the world's finest cultural attractions. Barcelona may not have a museum as famous as Madrid's Prado or the Louvre in Paris, but there's an amazing variety of museums in the city. Be careful, however, which day you set aside for a little culture on your city break in Barcelona - most museums are closed on Mondays.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is one of Spain's great museums housing medieval, 19th and 20th century art from Catalonia. Housed in the impressive Palau Nacional at the foot of Montjuic, its Romanesque collection is reckoned to be the world's finest. There are several frescoes and Gothic works on the lives and deaths of saints - some are not for the fainthearted. It's also noted for its Modernista collection.

In the same area as the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is Caixa Forum. Originally a factory built in the Art-Nouveau style, it has become one of Barcelona's most lively cultural centres with exhibitions devoted to artists such as Dal, Rodin, Freud, Turner, Fragonard, Hogarth and Cartier-Bresson. It also hosts concerts, lectures and literary events.

The CosmoCaixa science museum lifted the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006 and is packed with fascinating displays for children and adults, all designed to make science interesting and comprehensible. There's fun to be had with interactive exhibits, particularly the Flooded Forest, an incredible recreation of a section of Amazonian rainforest, complete with frogs, turtles, snakes, fish and a steamy heat that is spookily realistic.

Artists who have lived and worked in Barcelona are now celebrated with their own museums, notably Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Antoni Tapies. The Museu Picasso is the number one Barcelona museum for his fans. Picasso arrived in Barcelona in 1894 when he was 14 and lived here until he was 23. He studied at the city's art college where his father was a tutor. The museum includes much of his early work housed in five medieval palaces in the Barri Gotic.

Take the funicular up Montjuic and you soon find yourself outside the Fundacio Joan Miro, a splendid purpose-built museum dedicated to the artist. Mir experimented with painting, sculpture, printing, ceramics, theatre and tapestry. Bemused visitors can learn about 'drippism' and the more sceptical may wonder in one gallery if some paintings are simply cracks in the wall. Do step outside where many of Miro's amusing sculptures are on view.

The Fundacio Antoni Tapies is in Eixample in a Domenech, a Montaner-designed building featuring a sculpture on the roof. Tapies was born in Barcelona in 1923 and is probably the greatest Spanish artist to emerge since the 1950s. Tpies started as a surrealist painter but soon become an abstract expressionist, working in a style known as "Arte Povera". In 1953 he began working in mixed media and was one of the first to create serious art in this way, adding clay and marble dust to his paint and incorporating waste paper, string, and rags in his works.

Keeping to contemporary art, the Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum (MACBA) can be found near the northern end of the Ramblas. MACBA focuses on art from 1945, with many temporary exhibitions. The huge, white building, designed by the American Richard Meier opened in 1995. While most museums in the city close on Mondays, MACBA is closed Tuesdays

There are several museums celebrating the history of the city and of Catalonia. The Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat is in the heart of the Barri Gotic. Its collection covers the city's history from Roman times in a beautiful old mansion with central courtyard, the casa Clariana-Padellas. There is a fascinating underground tour along Roman roads, houses, bathrooms, sewers and the old city walls. You can also trace the evolution of Barcelona through plans, sketches and models.

The nearby Capella de Santa Agata offers views of the Barri Gotic from the Torre del Rey Marti while the neighbouring Museu Frederic Mares, just behind the Cathedral, has a massive collection of medieval sculpture housed in an ancient palace with large courtyards and soaring ceilings.

We finish this brief tour down by the port with two intriguing exhibitions. The Maritime Museum is housed in the Drassanes, the medieval shipyards at the seaward end of the Ramblas. Barcelona was one of the great maritime powers trading across the whole Mediterranean basin. There is a copy of a 16th century Royal Galley, old maps, charts and even a virtual dive in a submarine.

In the newly renovated port area of Port Vell is the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya. This excellent museum is in a converted warehouse and it covers Catalan history. The imaginative exhibits include The Birth of a Nation; Our Sea; On the Edge of the Empire; A Steam-powered Nation; The Electric Years; and Defeat and Recovery.

Much of this will be new to visitors from outside Catalonia, so when you step back outside, you will fully appreciate why Barcelona is one of the great cities of Europe.

]]> http://samsonmuseum.org/30/barcelona-museums-great-places-to-visit/feed 240 Qatar National Museum http://samsonmuseum.org/27/qatar-national-museum http://samsonmuseum.org/27/qatar-national-museum#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:26:48 +0000 admin http://samsonmuseum.org/?p=27 The Qatar National Museum is the biggest and most significant museum in the city of Doha. It is well known for its extensive collection of artefacts and relics on the religion of Islam. Due to the museums undying efforts in preserving and presenting these important artefacts, it was awarded the Aga Khan award for restoration of Islamic architecture in Qatar. The museum is housed in a building that once used to be a palace. The Qatar National Museum is also a one stop shop for those who wish to explore the countrys geological history. Following the major renovation project that took place recently, the museum is equipped to offer all its visitors both local and foreign with some valuable and in depth information on each of its artefacts. Positioned towards the eastern part of the Doha Corniche, this exceptional museum also houses a maritime museum and a small lagoon. The museum houses some interesting displays on the architecture styles of Qatar, medals and awards given to the nation by foreign leaders, descriptions on flora and fauna, a special section on oil and gas, a section on Bedouin tribesmen and much more. The unique section on Bedouin tribesmen features their social behaviour, lifestyle and customs while the marine section reveals some important facts on the regions fishing wealth. The model lagoon is the ideal place to delve in to the countrys age old profession which is the Pearling Industry. The museum is open for public viewing throughout the week and is open daily from 8 am to 12 noon and 4pm to 7pm. To understand and explore the historical background of Qatar and the entire region, travellers should head to the Qatar National Museum. This expedition would be made much easier by staying at a nearby well appointed Doha Hotel such as Millennium Hotel Doha.

]]> http://samsonmuseum.org/27/qatar-national-museum/feed 17 Tale of Sea at Aberdeen Maritime Museum http://samsonmuseum.org/6/tale-of-sea-at-aberdeen-maritime-museum http://samsonmuseum.org/6/tale-of-sea-at-aberdeen-maritime-museum#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:05:51 +0000 admin http://samsonmuseum.org/?p=6 Aberdeen Maritime Museum, hailed as one of the award winning museums in the Scotland is located on the historic Shiprow and incorporating Provost Rosss House which is built in 1593. The main theme of the museum is the relationship between the city and the sea over the ages to the present day. The museum houses one of the rare and valuable collections of artifacts which cover the shipbuilding process, fishing and port history, North Sea Oil Industry and a collection of fast sailing ships.

The viewpoint over the busy harbor from the Aberdeen Maritime Museum is a breathtaking one and the fascinating story about the citys long association with the city is a mind opener. The museum also offers special school visits regarding the topics such as Victorians at sea, oil, transport, fishing and the story of the city of Aberdeen. The young visitors can enlighten their mind by answering a range of quiz sheets and participating in small games and activities. Wide variety of events and workshops regarding maritime sciences are also conducted by Aberdeen Maritime Museum throughout the year.

The museum shop is also a busy and popular place in the complex due to its wide range of souvenirs and gifts for all ages. The collection of books and videos are another important asset for the more knowledge thirsty travelers. Leading Light Caf which is named after a nearby navigational tower, caters mouth watering delicacies, snacks, home baked goods and meals for its customers.

Aberdeen Maritime Museum also provides its venue for the pre booked events and state of the art multi media equipment and modern architectural space is an added advantage for the organizers. The Museum is opened in week days except for Mondays and admission is totally free.

If you are planning to visit these spectacular attractions, stay at an Aberdeen Hotel of Millenium UK, the supreme hospitality service providers in Aberdeen and feel the modern comforts and heavenly luxuries.

]]> http://samsonmuseum.org/6/tale-of-sea-at-aberdeen-maritime-museum/feed 0