Image via Wikipedia
Travel is important not only for entertainment and escape from the daily grind, but also for a full appreciation of the development of human culture. Anyone who wishes to study how humanity has gotten where it is, wonders and flaws alike, must travel to the various cultural centers that have occupied the stage of history at different times.
Most everyone wants to go to Europe (even Europeans), but how many stop to ask themselves why? What makes Europe such a destination is that it is the fertile ground out of which most of Western culture has sprung, and it is Western culture that has dominated most of global history. With the rise of Eastern powers and especially the ascendance of China, it is likely that, as the East shapes world events, people may soon regard Asia as an equally important travel destination and center of culture.
Image by seier+seier via Flickr
At the moment, though, if you ask most people where they’d like to go on international travel, you’ll likely hear places like England, France, Germany, Italy, and other European powers, each for a different historical reason (although the tourist may not realize it). England’s empire may now be fading, but for a long period of time it was the developed world’s foremost power, and the country most directly responsible for today’s foremost power, America. France is a artistic, architectural, culinary, and cultural hub whose influence persists today. Germany, like France, has its share of artistic genius, especially in music, and was also a major player in historical events. Italy is the home of two of the most influential institutions in the history of humankind: the Roman Empire, and the Catholic Church.
