World Ice hockey Championships Slovakia 29th April - 15th May 2011

created at 14.12.2010

Slovakia will host the 2011 World Ice hockey championships in Bratislava at the Ondre Nepela arena and in Kosice at the Steel arena in April next year. This major international Championship which will take place between 16 qualifying teams is expected to attract 350,000 ice hockey fans from around the globe to this ice hockey crazy country and be a major fillip to Slovakia’s tourist industry.

Apart from the Slovak team countries as far apart as Canada the USA, Czech Republic and Russia will be competing in this the most important event in the global ice hockey calendar .more www.slovakia-hockey.com/worldchampionships

Hungarian Organisations undertake numerous mitigation activities to protect Danube

created at 20.10.2010

On the 4th of October 2010, due to the levee breach of the sludge reservoir of the Hungarian Aluminium Ltd. (MAL Ltd.) - located in Hungary around 150 km south-west of Budapest in the surrounding area of Ajka town - the spilled red sludge caused significant environmental damage. The highly alkaline sludge entered from the reservoir into the Torna creek through which the pollution reached the Marcal River.

Red mud is a by-product of the bauxite refining process; a refinery produces about the same amount of red mud as it does aluminium. About 40%-45% of the waste is iron-oxide, which gives it the red colour. The mud also contains other elements such as titanium, aluminium, and soda in addition to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and chromium. The soda is the cause of the elevated pH which is typically in the 12-13 range. The heavy metals level are not higher than the heavy metal concentration commonly observed in the ground. Red mud is not considered as “hazardous waste” in the European Waste Catalogue of the European Commission. There are two major threats stemming from the spill of the red mud into the environment – the acute effect of the elevated pH and acute and/or chronic effects by heavy metals.

The Hungarian organizations of the mitigating activities carried out the localization and neutralization of the pollutants in the river Marcal:

Water quality monitoring points were selected in the Torna creek, Marcal river, Rába river, Mosoni-Duna Danube branch and Danube river where the water quality parameters are monitored continuously.
The feeding sites of the applied dispersed materials were fixed. Supply of the needed additive materials is continuous.
The potentially dangerous pollutants were localized by sedimentation in low flow areas with the help of construction 6 underwater dikes and operation of the Marcal barrage.
Disaster was avoided downstream of the Marcal river, the pollutants were retained. The continuous operation of the established neutralization system is ensured. In order to control potential further pollution, the operation of the implemented system will be continued while the potential danger of pollution exists.
Stabilization of the dam of the sludge reservoir and collection of pollutant material close to the site of accident are current activities. Hungary started planning the remediation of the damaged areas

- ICPDR (International Protection of the Danube River)

18.000 foreign Tourists for Romania with river cruises.

created at 28.09.2010

This year, the number of foreign tourists debarking in Constanta port from cruise ships will exceed 18,000, increasing by 20% compared to the last year, stated the port of Constanta.
49 cruise ships reached Constanta port until now with 15,000 foreign tourists. 12 other ships are expected until the end of the year, bringing 3,000 tourists.

Most tourists come from USA, Germany and Nordic European countries. Half of the tourists from the ships either choose a trip to Danube Delta or Murfatlar wineries or a seaside tour, while the other half choose to visit on their own account to the city. On average, a foreign tourist will spend approximately EUR 100 per every day the ship stays.

source: Romanian Hospitality Newsletter - No. 141 - 27.09.2010

Hotspot Belgrade: Top 10 Destinations!

created at 18.08.2010

In the first half of the year, Belgrade was the most visited destination in Serbia, since it was visited by more than a quarter of the total number of tourists. Anyone visiting it is suggested by the Tourist Organization of Belgrade to have a walking city sightseeing, or from a bus, minibus, tramway or from the air.

Like any other worldwide metropolis, Belgrade also has got its TOP 10 Destinations, consisting of:

Belgrade Fortress – Kalemegdan
Republic Square
Skadarlija
the Saint Sava Church
Royal Courts
Zemun – Gardos,
Ada Ciganlija
Topcider Park
Avala
Vinca. 

There is an increasing number of local and international tourists interested in the nature holiday, hiking, biking and bird watching. In accordance with the environment tourism European development trends, the Public Company National Park Derdap, Donji Milanovac created hiking on the health paths and produced the ?erdap Adventure map. Derdap is completed by the fact that the  Pan European Bicycle Route Euro Velo 6, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea, passes just here and more and more biker tourists from Europe enjoy the beauties of the Danube bank, meet the tradition through the Golubac Fortress, archaeological locality Lepenski Vir and Fetislam Fortress, but also the modern spirit of the settlements located on the edge.

For further Infos please contact the National Tourism Organisation of Belgrade here.

National Tourism Organisation of Serbia
Cika-Ljubina 8, 11103 Beograd, Serbia
PAK 104308
PO BOX 90

Exhibition about Berthold Furtmeyr in Regensburg

created at 12.08.2010

A lovely exhibition about one of the most outstanding book illustrators - Berthold Furtmeyr - takes place in Regensburg!

He was one of the most prominent illuminators of his time. Today, his outstanding illustrations are regarded as treasures in many European libraries. During the second half of the 15th century his work was in great demand by such noble patrons as the Duke of Bavaria or the Archbishop of Salzburg.

Opening hours

29th November 2010 to 13th February 2011
10.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. (also on Sundays and
holidays); Closed on the 24th and 25th of
December 2010.

Homepage www.regensburg.de/furtmeyr
E-Mail: kulturreferat@regensburg.de