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From: B-Haile (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Tue Nov 16 2010 - 04:21:00 EST
2010-nov-01 21:24:36
Lonely planet's 2011 list of "greatest comeback cities" has Asmara 4th on their top 10 ranking. According to Lonely Planet, these top 10 cities shown below were once "no-go destinations, turning tumultuous pasts into tourist drawcards."
In regards to Asmara, the travel giant describes it as: "Many who have glimpsed visually-arresting Asmara call it Africa's most beautiful city due to its innovative art deco architecture, built by Mussolini during his unsuccessful campaign to create a second Roman empire. For much of the last 50 years, however, Eritrea was embroiled in war with neighbouring Ethiopia, first for independence and then over territory. Tensions between the countries remain, but the Eritrean capital is no longer off-limits. Its treasure trove of beautiful buildings now beg for discovery, including Benito's old party headquarters and Fiat Tagliero, a futuristic fuel station shaped like a plane poised for take-off." - Madote
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/lebanon/beirut/travel-tips-and-articles/76179#
1. Berlin, Germany
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Stalinist-style buildings were slated by contemporaries even as they were erected in post-WWII Berlin; architecture on Karl-Marx-Allee was mockingly dubbed 'wedding-cake style'. No surprises that now communism is kaput, Soviet-era hallmarks have been preserved with a degree of tongue-in-cheek. Preservation wasn't easy: following the Fall many favoured obliterating communist architecture. Now if Soviet sights are your thing you can, besides visiting the Wall, catch live music at the old Träenenpalast ('hall of tears'; where families said farewells near the Wall), see a movie at communist cinema Kino International or experience the DDR Museum, where exhibits even allow you to get spied on by the Stasi.
Soon after pre-Fall film The Lives of Others was released in 2006, Ostel, self-styled 'Der DDR design hotel' opened its doors. Secure a stay in its communist-themed rooms.
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2. Ayacucho, Peru
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Now it's a colonial gem of the Andes rivalling Cuzco for majesty; 20 years ago it was the heart of the Shining Path terrorist movement that decimated the Peruvian highlands, with travellers steering well clear. The turnaround in Ayacucho has been monumental: paved roads only reached here in 1999. Since then tatty house facades have been spruced up and streets pedestrianised to get that idyllic, untouched-by-time feeling flowing again through the city. A cluster of chic-but-cheap hotels and restaurants have opened too, all in complete harmony with the buzzing colonial vibe.
Cream of the crop of charismatic colonial accommodation in Ayacucho is Hotel Santa Rosa. Check their Spanish-language website or call in (Lima 166, Ayacucho).
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3. Beirut, Lebanon
Rallying from devastation is typical of Beirut: a city set back by two major conflicts in the last 30 years. Still, incredibly, meze and macchiatos are served up from its relaxed restaurants and cafes in a downtown rebuilt to its former grandeur. Hamra, a hotbed of Lebanon's civil war, now has shops and clubs favoured by an international following of fashionistas and partygoers. Formerly on the front line, Beirut National Museum was torn apart by militia fighting: renovation has seen the museum regain its status as a world-famous cultural centre. Much like the city as a whole, actually.
At the heart of downtown, Etoile Suites has individually-designed rooms and a rooftop terrace.
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http://www.lonelyplanet.com/lebanon/beirut/travel-tips-and-articles/76179#
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