In the city of Donostia-San Sebastián, located in the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain

 The Basques are very likely the earliest inhabitants in all of Europe, even predating the Celts and the Romans.

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(on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20 km (12 mi.) from the France–Spain border) Officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The city is located in the north of the Basque Country, on the southeastern coast of the Bay of Biscay. San Sebastián has three beaches, Concha, Ondarreta, and Zurriola, and is surrounded by hilly areas: Urgull (adjacent to the old part of the city), Mount Ulia (extending east to Pasaia), Mount Adarra (south of the city) and Igeldo (overlooking Concha Bay from the west). San Sebastián lies at the mouth of the Urumea river.

+ Framed by golden beaches and lush hillsides, San Sebastián has undeniable allure, from its dining scene to its grand architecture and packed cultural calendar. A coastal city in Spain. San Sebastian is well known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta beaches that offer bay views of sunset and sunrise and popular restaurants. San Telmo Museum exhibits contemporary Basque culture, arts, and history with permanent and temporary exhibitions for visitors. Urgull is a hill on the ocean setting and displays military structures and promenades with outstanding bay and city views.

+ The layout of the modern city center was built up until 1914 (when the first phase finished) reflecting a Parisian Haussmannian style. The arcades of the Buen Pastor square were modelled upon those of the Rue de Rivoli, while the Maria Cristina Bridge was inspired by the Pont Alexandre III that crosses the Seine. The Estación del Norte train station standing directly across the bridge was inaugurated in 1864, after the arrival of the railway to San Sebastián. Its metallic roof was designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Donostia–San Sebastián, Spain, first mentioned in a document of 1014, was granted a charter of rights and privileges by Sancho VI (the Wise) of Navarre about 1160–90. It was formerly the summer residence of the Spanish royal court. The Old Town and harbor occupy an isthmus between the mainland and Mount Urgull, on whose summit stands the 16th-century Mota Castle. The well-planned modern town extends across both banks of the Urumea and to the fine beaches on La Concha bay, site of the famous regattas that take place on the Feast of St. Sebastian (January 20). In the Old Town are the Gothic church of San Vicente, the Baroque church of Santa María, and the former convent of San Telmo , now a museum with a Basque ethnographic section. The new town has the notable neo-Gothic cathedral of El Buen Pastor (“The Good Shepherd”).

+ Aside from tourism, the chief sources of income are the manufacture of cement, chemicals and metallurgical products. The service sector and tourism now dominate the city’s economy. La Concha beaches attract thousands of visitors annually, as do annual international jazz and film festivals.

In the city of Bologna, historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, in northern Italy

 "Bologna is celebrated for producing popes, painters, and sausage."

-- Lord Byron
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(in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy) The city of Bologna, capital of the Emilia- Romagna region in northern Italy, is north of Florence, between the Reno and Savena rivers. It lies at the northern foot of the Apennines, on the ancient Via Aemilia. Originally the Etruscan Felsina, it was occupied by the Gallic Boii in the 4th century BCE and became a Roman colony and municipium (Bononia) around 190 BCE. It was subject to the Greek exarchate of Ravenna (in the 6th century) and then passed to the papacy. It was occupied by the Visigoths, Huns, Goths, and Lombards after the barbarian invasions. Following a feudal period, Bologna became a free commune when the emperor recognized its rights in the early 12th century. The conflict between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines (two parties in medieval Italian politics) led to the city’s domination by a series of signori (lords) -- the Pepoli, Visconti, Bentivoglio -- before it was incorporated into the Papal States by Pope Julius II in 1506. Thereafter it enjoyed more than three centuries of peace and prosperity. (Papal rule was interrupted only by a brief period of French control before Bologna was united to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.)

+ Fusing haughty elegance with down-to-earth grit in one colonnaded medieval grid, Bologna is now a city of two intriguing halves. One side is a hard-working, high-tech city located in the super-rich Po valley where suave opera-goers waltz out of regal theaters and into some of the nation's finest restaurants. The other is a bolshie, politically edgy city that hosts the world's oldest university and is famous for its graffiti-embellished piazzas filled with mildly inebriated students swapping Gothic fashion tips.

+ The driving sectors of the regional economy are: agriculture (vegetables, cereals -- the famous DOP potato from Budrio), breeding (pigs and cattle) and small and medium industry in the food, mechanical, ceramic and electronics.
Bologna is also of paramount importance as a road and rail center through which must pass most traffic between central and southern Italy and the north. Until World War I the city was chiefly dependent upon agriculture based on the surrounding fertile plain. Although still an important agricultural market and food-processing center -- the city is cited as the source of the popular tomato-based meat sauce for pasta known as Bolognese.

+ Bologna is quite famous for having the oldest university in the Western world. Aside from being known to have a vibrant student population, it is also famed for its exquisite food, traditional brick terracotta-roofed architecture, and porticos, theater, and nightlife. Santuario di Madonna di San Luca, Torri degli Asinelli e Garisenda, Piazza Maggiore, and Quadrilatero are also notable.(If you are not fluent in Italian, do not worry because English is widely spoken especially by the local student population.)

In the city of Melk is best known for the Baroque Benedictine monastery named Melk Abbey, Lower Austria

 Melk is a town that offers a rich experience for travelers of all interests and seasons.

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(in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, next to the Wachau valley along the Danube River) The city of Melk is best known as the site of a Baroque Benedictine monastery named Melk Abbey. Melk was first mentioned as Medilica in 831 in a donation of Louis the German (the name is from a Slavic word for "border." The area around Melk was given to Leopold I, Margrave of Austria, in the year 976 to serve as a buffer between the Magyars to the east and Bavaria to the west. In 996 mention was first made of an area known as Ostarrîchi, which is the origin of the word Österreich (German for Austria). The bluff that holds the current monastery held a Babenberger castle until the site was given to Benedictine monks from nearby Lambach by Leopold II, in 1089. Melk received market rights in 1227 and became a municipality in 1898.

+ Here you can marvel at the impressive Melk Abbey, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture that dominates the skyline and houses a museum, a library, and a church. You can also explore the quaint streets and squares of Melk, where you can find cozy cafes, shops, and cultural events. For a taste of nature and history, you can visit the nearby Schloss Schallaburg, a Renaissance castle with a museum and a garden, or take a cruise along the Danube River and enjoy the views of the vineyards, castles, and villages.

+ The Forsthaus, which accommodates the city archives and the tourist information office, is the starting point of most tours. Beside the Forsthaus the Zaglauergasse meets with the Wiener Straße. After several meters, the Wiener Straße opens to the affectionately restored Rathausplatz, which got its name from the Rathaus (Town Hall) built in 1575. The facade of the Town Hall was redesigned 150 years ago and the highly elaborate entrance door, made of wood and copper, is the Town Hall's most outstanding feature. To its left is the former Lebzelterhaus, which dates back to 1657 and is now a pharmacy. The Kolomanbrunnen market fountain, which is a gift from the abbey to the city, is in the center of the Rathausplatz. On the top of the fountain the statue of St. Koloman can be seen.

+ The hidden Haus am Stein ("house at the rock") is the oldest building of Melk, built during the 15th century. Its facade is covered by a protected ancient vine. At the arm of the Danube river, parts of the former city walls and the Round Tower can be recognized. Following the Nibelungenlände and passing the Salzhof, visitors reach the Schiffsmeisterhaus (ship master's house) with its high water level marks on the facade. (The Danube reached 15.8 meters above the usual water level in 1501. The Haus auf dem Stein ('house on the rock') was built less than 50 years after this high water disaster.

+ The church court is dominated by the Gothic Pfarrkirche (parish church). About five kilometers (3.1 mi.) south of the city is the renowned Renaissance castle Schallaburg.