Europe

While the Eisenstadt, Austria is fairly small, its population only about 12,000, it is full of interesting history. In addition to its past as a mining and ironwork town, Eisenstadt literally means “iron-city” in Austrian, the town was the seat of the noble family Esterházy during the Hapsburg Monarchy (from 1745-1918.) The family is largely responsible for the face of the city, as they lavished money on architectural projects throughout their reign- especially their castle Schloss Esterházy, now a historical site. Eisenstadt was also the home of noted Baroque composer Joseph Hayden, employed by the Esterházy family, and widely considered to be the father of the Symphony. This will be Eisenstadt’s fifth year of participation in the Games, they’re sending twelve people in their delegation to participate in Boys’ Soccer.

Graz is the second largest city in Austria, about two and a half hours outside of Vienna. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Austria largely due to it’s location, since it sits in a basin sheltered by the Alps, Graz gets more sunshine and is consistently warmer than Vienna. Graz is well known for its old-town, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, that features many well-preserved buildings from gothic to modern times. Despite all these qualities Graz is primarily known as a “student” town as the students of its six universities make up over 15 percent of the population. The city of Graz formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their thirtieth year of participation.

Many of the best winter athletes in the world flock to Innsbruck; this premier Winter Sports location has hosted the Olympic games not once, but twice, in 1964 and 1976. Innsbruck’s Bergiselschanze hill is also one of the hills featured in the Ski Jump World Cup tournament know as The Four Hills. The ski resorts of Innsbruck are famous because the glacial terrain and cool temperatures make skiing possible even in the summer months. The city also contains beautiful architecture dating back to Roman times. All this beauty adds up to a thriving trade in tourism. This will be Innsbruck’s fifth year of participation in the Games.

Coventry, England is most well known for its spectacular Cathedral, one of the most modern in the world. The cathedral was built after a World War II bombing destroyed the city’s historic cathedral. After the War, Coventry emerged, as one of the centers of automobile manufacturing in Great Britain- while the auto industry underwent a decline in the1970s Coventry is now home to the Coventry Transport Museum, which contains the largest collection of British made autos in the world. Coventry is also well known for one of its oldest, but nonetheless most unorthodox residents: Lady Godiva. The noblewoman was the wife of the lord who founded Coventry in 1043 CE, and legend has it that she rode through the streets naked to protest her husband’s taxes on the people of the town. Coventry is a former host city and this year will participate in their seventeenth International Children’s Games.

Ever look at a periodic table of the elements and wonder how some of them got there? Well Berkelium (atomic number 97) was developed at the University of California at Berkeley and Darmstadium (atomic number 110) was created at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (Society for Heavy Ion Research) in Darmstadt. The city has a long history in scientific research; its first polytechnic school was founded in 1877 and still exists today. Darmstadt is also central in the operations of the European Space Operations Centre, primarily developing spacecraft. The city of Darmstadt formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their thirty-third year of participation.

Gelting is a tiny town in Germany containing less than 2,000 people. Gelting is located in the Schleswig-Holstein region, the northernmost of Germany’s 16 states or Bundesländer; the region is bordered by the North Sea, the Black Sea and Denmark. The region is well known for the Wacken Open Air Festival, the largest Heavy Metal Festival in the world. The event started in 1990 as a small venue for local German bands and is now a three-day event hosting more than seventy bands on four stages. In San Francisco, Gelting will attend its second International Children’s Games. Their delegation includes eleven people and they are participating in Girls’ and Boys’ Track.

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Freiberg, Germany is situated in Germany’s Ore Mountains, so named for their rich deposits of silver, tin and other minerals. Historically a mining and metal working center Freiberg in home to the oldest university of metallurgy in the world the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (Freiberg University of Mining and Technology) established in 1765 CE. Though the mountains are still rich in minerals, silver and tin deposits declined soon after their discovery in the 15^th century forcing residents to develop new trades. The mountain towns soon became famous for their Christmas traditions and decorative wooden toys, the most famous of which is the Nutcracker Doll. This will be Freiberg’s ninth year of participation in the Games.

Kempten is a town in Southern Germany originally settled by the Celts. Archeologists consider Kempten one of the oldest urban settlements in Germany. In 747 CE, during Medieval times, two Irish monks founded Kempten Abbey which received enough support from Emperor Charlemagne to be one of the richest monasteries in the Frankish Empire and the abbot was granted the title of Duke. The town was ravaged by marauding tribes throughout the Middle Ages so many artifacts were destroyed and rebuilt in the Baroque style; including Saint Lorenz Basilica, one of the town’s main sights. This year, Kempten will attend its eleventh International Children’s Games.

Athens is the largest city in Greece and one of the oldest cities in the world. With a history that spans more than 3,000 years, Athens is home to some of the world’s most precious works of art and historical sites. The most famous archeological attraction is the Acropolis, which contains the iconic Parthenon- a temple built to honor the ancient city’s patron goddess Athena. Athena was considered the goddess of wisdom and because the city was dedicated to learning in the ancient times, scholars flourished there, including Plato, Socrates and Aristotle. Modern Athens, in addition to its tradition of honoring the arts and studies, also has a longstanding relationship with the Olympic Games. Athens hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896 and hosted the Summer Games in 2004. This will be Athens’ fifth year of participation in the International Children’s Games.

Patras is Greece’s third largest city and one of its major cultural capitals. Located on the Peloponnesian peninsula, with one suburb on the mainland Patras connects the two parts of Greece and is also the gateway to the western Mediterranean. Home to many ancient structures, the city has re-vamped the Roman Odeum Theatre to hold outdoor plays during mild weather. Patras is also home to a large winemaking and foodstuffs industry that includes Coca-Cola, the yogurt producer NOYNOY, and venerable Greek winery Achaia-Clauss. The city of Patras formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their eleventh year of participation.

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In 1834, after the Greek War of Independence, King Otto of Greece proclaimed that a city should be built on the site of the ancient city of Sparta. The city, pronounced Sparti in Modern Greek, was designed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Greece. Filled with tree-lined streets and parks Sparta is a fitting capital for a verdant region of Greece known as the Eurotas Valley where the majority of the country’s olives and citrus fruits are grown. The city of Sparta formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their sixteenth year of participation.

Kecskemét, Hungary (pronounced Kech-kem-it) is located in the middle of the country, between Hungary’s two major rivers: the Danube and the Tisza. Its central location, made Kecskemét a stop on ancient trading routes and it became well known circa 1368 CE as a market town. Today, Kecskemét is known as a center for agriculture and viticulture thanks to its warm, mild summers. It also contains some of the best examples of Hungarian Art Nouveau Architecture in its town square. This will be Kecskemét’s third year of participation in the Games, they are sending a delegation of twenty people and will participate in Girls’ Track and Boys’ Volleyball.

Many cities in Europe were founded by the Roman Empire in Ancient Times. Sopron, Hungary, a city near the Austrian Border, is one of these cities. In addition to its many beautiful buildings in the Baroque style, Sopron also contains a Roman forum. Today Sopron is one of Europe’s major wine-producing regions- one of the few in Hungary to produce both red and white grapes: Kékfrankos, a red variety used in Egri Bikavér or Bull's Blood wines and Traminer, a white grape primarily featured in the aromatic wine Gewürztraminer. The city of Sopron formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their seventeenth year of participation

Reykjavik is Iceland’s capital city and its only major metropolitan area; it is also the northernmost capital city in the world. Reykjavik is believed to be located on the site of Iceland’s oldest civilization, founded by Ingólfur Arnarson in 1874. Reykjavik is recognized a significant player in the global community and was listed as the “Greenest” city in the world by Grist’s Magazine. Reykjavik is also called the “nightlife capital of the north” with bars and clubs remaining open until six in the morning on weekends. The city of Reykjavik formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their eighth year of participation.

Every August the town of Tralee, Ireland is flooded with beautiful women, the ladies are contestants of the Rose of Tralee Festival: an annual contest to select a young woman who embodies the lyrics of the C. Mordaunt Spencer song “The Rose of Tralee.” The contest was created in the late 1950s to drive tourism to the Tralee region. Along with an involved history in the Irish rebellion, Tralee is also the site of Scotia’s Grave- an ancient stone structure covered with hieroglyphs said to mark the grave of the daughter of Neferhotep I, the Pharaoh of Egypt in 1800 BCE. This will be Tralee’s third year of participation in the Games.

Bresica, Italy helped develop the super cars of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Porsche and Mercedes Benz. From 1927 to 1957 Brescia hosted the Mille Miglia race, an open-road endurance race with a distance of one thousand Roman miles. The race was banned after a crash killed the driver and co-driver of the Ferrari team as well as eleven spectators in 1957. However, Brescia continues to be a cultural hub for classic car-heads. The race is honored now with the Mille Miglia Storica a parade for pre-1957 cars, which was featured in the 2007 documentary Mille Miglia - The Spirit of a Legend. This will be Brescia’s fifteenth year of participation in the Games.

Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania, and one of its most historically interesting. The city is the site of Kaunas Castle, a Medieval fortification built to withstand raids by the Teutonic Knights. The town was always a prosperous trade center and in 1441 Kaunas joined the Hanseatic League, a trade organization with a monopoly on the Black Sea. However, Kaunas’ wealth made it an appetizing target and it was attacked several times by the Russian Army throughout the 17^th and 18^th century and occupied by the Swedish Army in 1701. Today Kaunas continues to be one of Lithuania’s most profitable areas; it is the main industrial city- producing one-fourth of Lithuania’s total industrial output. Kaunas also houses many museums to commemorate the diverse facets of its history, including an art gallery in the best-preserved part of Kaunas Castle. In San Francisco, Kaunas City will attend its fifth International Children’s Games. The delegation includes twenty-one people, and they plan to participate in Girls’ Swimming and Girls’ and Boys’ Track

Luxembourg is the largest metropolitan community in the tiny country of Luxembourg; the city contains 76,420 of the country’s half-million people. The city of Luxembourg is situated at the intersection of the Pétrusse and Alzette rivers which, combined with its complex topography made Luxembourg city a valuable and secure military fort throughout history. Modern-day Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union and the seat of many of its important offices including The European Court of Justice, The European Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank. This will be Luxembourg’s tenth year of participation in the Games.

Monaco is the second-smallest independent nation in the world; the nation encompasses only the city of Monaco, an area of 485 acres. The city is the most expensive place on earth; and combined with its lack of income tax, it is very attractive to wealthy people from countries outside Monaco. The city hosts the Monaco Grand Prix, widely considered one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world, the demanding circuit takes six weeks to build within the city and contains elevation changes, tight corners and, always, a tunnel. Monaco is known within the USA as the adopted home of movie star Grace Kelly, who married Monaco’s Prince Rainier and became a princess. This will be Monaco’s fifteenth year of participation in the Games.

On the first Friday in April, local residents in Alkmaar Netherlands, as well as tourists from around the world, gather in the Waagplein Square to visit the Traditional Cheese Market. While the activities of the market, including the traditional hand-clap and weighing of the cheeses, are purely a reenactment of times gone by; it is possible to buy cheese at one of the many stalls in front of the Medieval Weighing House. The city also houses The Holland Cheese Museum, in conjunction with the market. Alkmaar is also the location of a Museum dedicated to The Beatles to commemorate the craftspeople in Alkmaar who made John Lennon’s first guitar. This will be Alkmaar’s fifteenth year of participation in the Games.

Joure is a small town in the Friesland region of the Netherlands. The quaint and beautiful town has 13,000 inhabitants and is the largest municipality in the region of Skarstelan. The town is renowned for its Frisian clocks, which were developed in the 18th Century. Joure used to be associated as an outskirt of the village of Westermeer but over time blossomed bigger and in 1950 Joure replaced Westermeer on the map. After that time, Joure began expanding from a small-scale village into a larger, more developed and populated town. This year, Joure will attend its eighth International Children’s Games.

Plock is a city located in the center of Poland in the Province of Mazovia. The city boasts its unique location on a high 50 meter slope on the Vistula River. Płock is also known as the capital of oil industry. Modern Płock, inhabited by almost 130 000 people, is famous for its hospitality and for its millennial history treasures that have always delighted tourists. These include: Cathedral Basilica dating back to the 12^th century, former duke's castle,, the oldest high school in Poland “Malachowianka” (operating continuously for 820 years), Mazovian Museum with the largest in Poland art collection from the turn of the 19^th century.

Płock has been awarded the Council of Europe Flag of Honor for its international activities. The city has ten sister cities: Darmstadt (Germany), Fort Wayne (USA), Forli (Italy), Mazeikiai (Lithuania), Novopolotsk (Belarus), Auxerre (France), Beltsy (Moldavia), Loznica (Serbia), Thurrock (Great Britain), and Mytyshi (Russia).

Medias, Romania is known for its natural gas. The area around Medias is the largest natural gas field in Romania and Medias is a large supplier of methane gas. Medias is also the second largest industrial center in Romania with factories that produce, among other things, glass, blackboards, dishes and light bulbs. Historically the Medias area was inhabited by the Transylvanian Saxons and contains many excellent examples of medieval architecture especially the fortified churches. The city of Medias formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their tenth year of participation.

Podolsk is the largest city of the Moscow area located in 20 kilometers from Moscow. The population of the city is more than 200,000. The city was founded in 1781 under Ekaterina II's nominal decree. Now Podolsk is the largest industrial centre of the Moscow area and city of a hi-tech science. Podolsk was always noted for its rich sports traditions. Today in our city there are nine municipal sports establishments in which more than 5,000 people are engaged. Sports facilities of the city include: the Ice palace "Vityaz", the Palace of sports "Sports-service", a track and field athletics arena, 2 skiing lodges, 5 football fields, 3 stadiums, including a reconstructed stadium " Trud". In 2007 the sports base of the city was expanded due to the introduction of new sporting playing facilities.

In 2008 the city of Podolsk will take part in the International children's games for the first time.

Lanarkshire, Scotland is bursting with Scottish history: the town may have been the place where revolutionary hero William Wallace (subject of the movie Braveheart) married his wife and subsequently killed the English commander responsible for her death. 18^th century St. Nicholas Church is also located in Lanarkshire, which houses the oldest bell in the world. The town hosts the Lanark Lanimer festival, which includes equestrian games, a survey of the historic town boundaries, traditional tattoo exhibition, and the election of the Lanimer Queen. This year is Lanarkshire’s fifth International Children’s Games.

Celje is the third largest city in Slovenia, with more than 300,000 residents. Geographically located at the center of Slovenia, Celje’s mild climate, beautiful scenery, and convenient location make it a popular recreation and vacation spot for tourists throughout Europe. Tourists can view the regional museum in Celje Castle, which houses “small personal artifacts” from prehistoric through modern times, as well as numerous archeological sites including the Roman Road, Hercules’ Temple and an ancient Christian complex. Celje is a former host city for the International Children’s Games and will participate this year for the twenty-fifth time.

Mislinja, Slovenia is a small town near Maribor in northeastern Slovenia. The surrounding areas of Maribor feature extensive Winter Sport facilities including the Snow Stadium, a venue for international skiing competitions, and the challenging Adrenaline Park. Outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds will enjoy the beautiful scenery in this area, and tours offer opportunities to try skiing, ice climbing, free climbing, water rafting, hiking and many other chances to challenge yourself and appreciate Slovenia’s natural heritage. This will be the first year Mislinja will participate in the International Children’s Games.

Maribor is home to some really old grapes, the oldest grapevine in Europe grows is Maribor and is over four hundred years old. The vine is called stara trta (old vine) in Slovenian and every year Slovenians in traditional dress harvest and press the grapes to create wine. The wine is not available to buy, but is often given as gifts to foreign ministers and visiting dignitaries. Maribor also hosts Festival Lent, a multi-cultural event featuring outdoor musical, theatrical and dance performances in Maribor’s Lent waterfront district. This will be Maribor’s fourteenth year of participation in the Games.

Murska Sobota is the largest city in the Pomurje region in the northeastern part of Slovenia. In addition to its location in an extensive wine-growing region, Murska Sobota also has a well-preserved renaissance-era castle- the center of extensive park in the middle of the town. The ground floor of the castle houses a regional museum with art and artifacts from antiquity to the Middle Ages to modern times. The Pomurje region is also famous for its craftspeople, who still maintain ancient traditions in their work- especially the potters of Filovci who still produce beautiful work in the Prekmurje style. Murska Sobota hosted the International Children’s Games and will attend this year for the twenty-second time.

Ravne na Koroskem contains the Carinthian Museum, founded in 1953 by the National District of Maribor to preserve the history and traditions of the Meza Valley. The permanent collection is housed in Ravne Castle and contains numerous exhibits that display the development of the timber, iron, coal, mining and agricultural industries in the region. Ravne na Koroskem formerly hosted the International Children’s Games and this year will be their twenty-ninth year of participation.

Is a tiny town on Slovenia’s Austrian Border, it offers many opportunities to experience one of the best ways to stay in Slovenia- on a Tourist Farm. The Tourist Farm program offers over 200 locations all over Slovenia. Travelers stay with a host family who help them experience authentic regional food, wine and culture- including regional festivals such as grape gathering. Tourists also get an opportunity to connect with the people of Slovenia and allow the people of Slovenia to share their unique culture with the world. In San Francisco, Sentilij will attend their sixth International Children’s Games.

Slovenj Gradec is a city that honors the past. The Old-City is a mashup of several architectural elements, from the remains of the Medieval walled city to the restored Rotenturn Mansion. The city also honors Slovenian and European History with numerous events and exhibitions throughout the year. The city was honored with the title Peace Messenger City in 1989. Slovenj Gradec is a former host city and will attend their thirteenth International Children’s Games in San Francisco.

Velenje is home to one of the most interesting museums in Europe. Ever wonder what the life of a coal-miner is like? In Velenje you can find out at the Coal-mining Museum of Slovenia. Visitors can take the 120 year-old lift down 524 feet into the coal mine and learn about the formation, discovery and mining of coal- both historically and in modern times. Visitors are then provided a Slovenian “coal-miners lunch” and take a ride on the underground transport line. After the underground portion of the tour, visitors are invited to view artifacts and paraphernalia in the aboveground museum exhibit. Velenje is a former host city and will attend their fourteenth International Children’s Games this year.

Halmstad is a small city on the southwestern coast of Sweden. The city was granted its first charter in 1307 and celebrated its 700^th anniversary in 2007. Halmstad has always been a border city and a site of fierce competition between the Swedes and the Danes, when the townsfolk famously defended the, then Danish, city from marauding Swedes in 1563 King Christian IV of Denmark awarded the city its distinctive three-crowned-crosses coat of arms. Today Halmstad is known as a vacation center with lovely beaches, it is also a popular location for children’s summer camps. In San Francisco, Halmstad will participate its third International Children’s Games.

Lausanne, Switzerland is seated on the shores of Lake Geneva, between the two extensive wine regions of La Cote and Lavaux. Set on the slope of a Swiss plateau, Lausanne’s elevation provides a picturesque view of the lake. The International Olympic Committee, which organizes the biannual Olympic Games, is located in Lausanne. The beautiful city has been home to many famous residents including Coco Channel, Peter Carl Fabergé-known as the creator of the famous Fabergé eggs, and Ingvar Feodor Kamprad- the founder of IKEA. The city of Lausanne formerly hosted the International Children’s Games; this will be their twenty-seventh year of participation.

Apparently famous people like chocolate. Or at least that is the case in the Lake Geneva city of Vevey, Switzerland. The town has not only been home to celebrities such as: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Graham Greene, Fyodor Dostoevsky, James Mason, and Charlie Chaplin- it is also the world headquarters of chocolate giant Nestlé. The company is best known in the United States for its chocolate products (like Nestlé Quik chocolate drink,) but the original company, started in 1860’s by Henri Nestlé, sold a food for babies who could not tolerate their mother’s milk. This will be Vevey’s ninth year of participation in the Games.

Montreux rocks! This small city on Lake Geneva was home to the celebrated Mountain Studios, the studio recorded the works of legendary rock artists such as Queen, AC/DC, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin- in fact the ground-breaking drum song by Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham “Bonzo’s Montreux” was named after the town. While the studio has relocated, the town still has a strong relationship with the music world; the town hosts an internationally recognized Jazz Festival, as well as the annual Freddie Mercury Memorial Day Festival. And if the town didn’t have enough rock cred: The iconic song “Smoke on the Water” tells the story of the 1971 burning of the Montreux Casino by a Frank Zappa fan. This will be Montreux’s fourth year of participation in the Games.

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Uzhgorod, Ukraine is named for the Uzh River that bisects the city, separating the old and new parts. The city is the capital of the Transcarpathian Region of the Ukraine, so most of the outposts of culture and higher learning are located in Uzhgorod- including Uzhgorod University, The Transcarpathian Ukrainian Drama Theatre, and The Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture. The city is a scientific center, with main industries in machine engineering and metalwork. Uzhgorod is a former host city and will participate in its sixteenth International Children’s Games this year.