Treasures of the World Series
The Geiranger Fjord  

Norway, its majestic landscape, its tourism and its history.

Norway has a landscape that is without parallel.
In the eyes of many, it is paradise. 
Of all Norway’s fjords, Geiranger is the most famous.
The little town of Geiranger is the oldest tourist destination in Norway.  Most visitors arrive in Geiranger by boat.
Wilhelm the Second, the last German monarch loved Norway.
In 1904, when the town of Aalesund burnt down, Wilhelm rapidly sent provisions and he made a donation to Geiranger itself when, in 1907, an avalanche swept away a farmhouse. 
Farms are tourist attractions in Norway. Recently the queen of Norway spent a night at Knivsflaa farm. In her entry in the guest book, she describes the surrounding nature as “majestic”.

Treasures of the World Series
Merv: Ruined City of the Silk Road

Merv, a ruined city on the Silk road in Turkmenistan.

The Karakum is the fourth biggest desert in the world, and the caravans that travelled the Silk Road had to cross it.
But awaiting them in the middle of the desert like an island, like a holy promise, was the fabulous city of Merv, in present-day Turkmenistan. 
In the Middle Ages, the city of Merv was one of the most important cities of Islam: the royal capital of the Seljuk Empire and a vibrant commercial centre with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. 
The Sultan Dam made life in Merv possible. 
In the days of the Silk Road, camels, horses, silk, gold jewellery and spices were traded in Merv.
The oasis was famous for its cotton plantations and orchards, while the taste of its melons was legendary.