About Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and is ranked as the seventh largest city of the United Kingdom. Edinburgh lies along the southeast part of Scotland near the North Sea. Edinburgh has a vast area of rugged hills and has a prevalence of medieval and even Georgian architecture that would include many tenements crafted out of stones. Because of this condition, the perspective of the city of Edinburgh is considered by many as the most picture perfect city in Europe.
Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Parliament and for a very long of time now, actually since 1437, the city remained as the capital of Scotland. In terms of education, Edinburgh has been known as the ‘Athens of the North’ and is one of the central players of ‘The Enlightenment’ that swept the European continent. The University of Edinburgh was part of the leading knowledge center during the period. Edinburgh is one of the few selected cities in the world whose central districts were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Total population of Edinburgh is 448,625.
The Edinburgh Festivals which are celebrated annually attract a lot of visitors to the city. These festivities start early August and would be celebrated for several weeks. These world famous festivals are the Edinburgh Fringe, which is said to be the biggest performing arts festival in Europe, the Edinburgh Comedy festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo Festival and to wind up the festivities, is the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Aside from these major events, they also have the Hogmanay street party held every December 31, Burns Night, celebrated every January 25 and the Beltane Fire festival that is held every end of April.
These festivals coupled with the sceneries of Edinburgh make it very attractive to tourist which would make Edinburgh second only to London when it comes to tourist visitations. The city of Edinburgh attracts more than a million tourists a year. Tourism actually, is now one of the major industries of Edinburgh. The city has over 60 art galleries and museums. Tourists enjoying the festivities are treated to a hearty meal at the many restaurants and pubs that can be found in many areas of Edinburgh. The well known Princess Street of Edinburgh is where tourist flocks to when they go for souvenir shopping. It would be very helpful then that for those who are thinking of a place to visit in Europe for vacation, to try Edinburgh as a holiday destination.
