San Francisco was founded by the Spaniards and rose to prominence during the gold rush. In the city center there is Russian Hill, Russian Hills. It received this name back in the days of the Gold Rush, when the burial places of Russian merchants and sailors were discovered on the hill. The slopes of the hill are so steep that some streets climb it in tiers. Lombard Street in Russian Hills is considered the most winding street in the world.

The symbol of San Francisco and one of the symbols of the United States is the Golden Gate Bridge. It was once the longest suspension bridge in the world. But even giving the palm to others, he did not lose his magnificence. Automobile traffic on the bridge was launched on a personal signal from Roosevelt. When the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the bridge was celebrated in 1987, about 300,000 people passed through it in a day. The speed of traffic on the bridge is limited and is 72 km/h, as the dividing strip made of plastic posts is not able to keep the car from driving into the oncoming lane. This leads to serious accidents. The toll on the bridge is only charged one way. You can leave San Francisco on the bridge for free.

Unfortunately, the Golden Gate Bridge is notorious for its high suicide rate. It dumps, on average, 2 people per month. At a distance of 75 meters from the water, a person hits its surface at a speed of about 100 km / h, which is fatal. Only one person managed not to get seriously injured after jumping off the bridge, and there were 26 survivors in the entire history of the bridge.

San Francisco is a city of freedom. In the 60s, it was chosen by hippies who spent the famous "Summer of Love" in the city. And later it became the birthplace of the rainbow flag. According to some reports, about 15% of the population in the city belong to sexual minorities. This is not the case in any other city in the USA. In San Francisco, homosexuals are much more tolerant than in the provinces.

Located in San Francisco Bay is Alcatraz Island, which is home to one of the most famous prisons in the world. It has now been turned into a museum. The fort on the island was built during the Gold Rush to protect the city.

The first prison on Alcatraz was a military one. The attitude towards the prisoners was rather mild. During the day they were not in the cells, but worked, helping the inhabitants of the island with the housework, and even watched the children. The prisoners even had their own baseball team, but things changed when the military prison was replaced by a federal one. They were not sent to Alcatraz by court order. Convicts who regularly violated prison rules or tried to escape got here. Escape from Alcatraz was considered impossible. The conditions of detention were very strict, and the cold waters of San Francisco Bay roared around the island. However, it is possible that one successful escape did take place. In 1962, the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris tried to escape from prison. The escape was successful. The official version says that the fugitives failed to cross the bay. But their bodies were not found. In the MythBusters show, it was shown that the escape could well have been successful. Based on this story, the movie "Escape from Alcatraz" was made. Another famous prisoner was Al Capone.

These are just a few facts about the interesting and unusual city of San Francisco. There is no other like it in the US. And, probably, in order to understand America, you definitely need to include this city in your trip.

Interesting facts about San Marino

San Marino is one of the five smallest countries in the world. Its area consists of the capital of the same name, located at an altitude of about 700 meters on the slopes of Monte Titano, as well as a number of villages at the foot of the mountain. Smaller than San Marino, only the island states of the South Seas - Tuvalu And Nauru as well as city-states Monaco And Vatican.

Recently there was an unpleasant incident in the principality Andorra where a resident of San Marino was severely beaten. During the proceedings, diplomats were able to find out that these states have been at enmity for 75 years. Moreover, no one knows the causes of the war, they do not have common borders and even military equipment. The head of Andorra explained this by the fact that two insignificant states decided to become more significant for the rest of the world.

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Many people come to San Marino for shopping - after all, the prices for fashionable clothes and accessories here are 30 - 40% lower than in the neighboring Italy.

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The date of foundation of the country is considered to be 301, when, according to legend, the stonemason Marino settled near Mount Titano. He fled from the island of Rab (today it Croatia ), fleeing persecution for their Christian beliefs. Later, a monastery was created near his cell, and he himself was canonized during his lifetime.

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The San Marino constitution is the oldest in the world, it was adopted in 1600 and is still in use today.

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Getting to San Marino will not work either by train or by plane. In this dwarf state there is not a single railway station, just as there are no airports. All movements to San Marino are carried out exclusively by road.

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This country maintains its own calendar, where the starting point is the date of the founding of the Republic of San Marino, so here we are now in the 17th century.

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San Marino has about 220 kilometers of roads.

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The issue of postage stamps, along with tourism, is the most important source of cash receipts for the state budget, which finances the extensive social system of the republic.

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San Marino made President in 1861 USA – Abraham Lincoln as their first honorary citizen - and in 1959 they issued stamps bearing his image.

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More than a third of the country's citizens live abroad.

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The Republic of San Marino is surrounded on all sides by Italy.

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When Napoleon approached San Marino, he was so surprised at the existence of this small mountainous country that he immediately offered to sign a peace treaty and, in addition, wanted to give some of the surrounding lands as a gift. The Sanmarinians thought about it and, as a result, they signed a peace treaty, and decided to refuse the gift.

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Officially, one of the "microstates" of Europe, San Marino is the 3rd smallest country in Europe.

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Since 1362, the Constitution of the Republic of San Marino has been in force - the oldest of all the republics in the world that exist today.

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Low taxes make San Marino an attractive place to live, open banking institutions and business. But, it is possible to obtain citizenship of this country only after 15 years of legal marriage with a Sanmarinian or after 30 years of official residence in this country.

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Croatia can be seen with binoculars from Monte Titano.

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The inhabitants of San Marino are called samarinesi - sammarinesi (plural).

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During World War II, the people of San Marino provided shelter for more than 100,000 Italians and Jews, which outnumbered the local population at the time by 10 times.

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At the head of the state of San Marino are captains-regents. In spring and autumn, they are appointed for six months by the Grand General Council, which, in turn, is elected every 5 years by direct popular vote. As a rule, one of them belongs to one of the honorary aristocratic families, and the second is a representative of the countryside. In this case, both have an equal right of veto. These high positions are not paid. On April 1 and October 1, San Marino solemnly celebrates the inauguration of the new captain. The ceremony is held according to an old custom: during a costumed holiday, the new head of the country is given the key to the gate and the wax seal of San Marino.

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Contrary to popular belief, the citizens of San Marino are required to pay taxes regularly, so the ancient republic is by no means a tax haven, like Monaco or oceanic islands. There is no universal conscription in the country, the permanent self-defense forces, numbering 200 people, are formed from volunteers. However, in the event of a threat of war, every man in San Marino, aged 16 to 55, is obliged to stand up for his homeland. However, since 1862, San Marino has been under the military protection of Italy.

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There is no customs control at the entrance to San Marino. On the road leading into the country from the resort of Rimini, you can see a symbolic arch with the inscription "Welcome to the Land of Freedom."

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The country has no public debt, and even has a budget surplus.

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About 80% of the country's territory is covered with rocks.

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Introducing themselves, the inhabitants of San Marino are used to saying not only their name, but also their profession or position.

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San Marino has its own army, it has about a hundred people.

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Residents of San Marino have an annual income 40% higher than residents of Italy.

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Because of the fear of biased legal issues (after all, Sanmarinians know everything about each other), Italian lawyers are most often invited to the courts to resolve disputes.

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If San Marino is not the right place for those who want to hide from taxes, then for other fugitives the ancient republic can become a welcome refuge. The most famous of all those who sought salvation in San Marino is the fighter for the unity and independence of Italy - Giuseppe Garibaldi. After the first attempt to unify Italy in 1849 failed, Garibaldi hid from enemies in the territory of a dwarf state.

Tours in San Marino - special offers of the day

Airplanes do not fly there today, and even trains do not go ... What kind of place is this and why is it so inaccessible? We are talking about a tiny state on Mount Titano. It's called San Marino. You can get to this country only by road or using the funicular. About 30 thousand people live here. Like any mini-state, San Marino is a scattering of curious facts and interesting things. Here are just a few of them...

View of one of the castles, below is Italy

• The state was founded in 301 AD;


• San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe. Only the Vatican and Monaco are even smaller. And fifth in the world;


• The armed forces of San Marino are large and amount to 75-100 people;


• The San Marino constitution was adopted in 1600 and is one of the oldest;


• The economy of the mini-state is based on the banking sector, insurance, trade, services and construction. At the same time, about a quarter (!) of the country's annual budget comes from the sale of postage stamps;

View of the surroundings of Monte Titano

• Residents of San Marino are sure that they live in the 18th century. The reason for this is that they have their own calendar. And the chronology is from the moment the state was formed;


• There are two people at the head of the state at once. A real tandem :) But we will return to this;


• During World War II, the inhabitants of Monte Titano hosted more than 100,000 refugees, three times their current population;


• The total length of all roads in this country is 104 km. By the way, the MKAD alone is 109 km long.


• The San Marino national football team has won only one victory in history. The Liechtenstein team was humiliated.

Modern street along the ancient fortress wall

Many interesting things can be found in the military history of San Marino. Yes, there was one! Here's to Once upon a time, the troops of the next Pope decided to capture a small but proud state. It was in 1543. They selected 500 people who were instructed to storm the mountain under the cover of darkness. All night these brave soldiers staggered along the ravines, but could not find a suitable way up. The battle did not take place.

Tower on top of a mountain

Old-timers say that when Napoleon was in these places, he was impressed by the view of San Marino and immediately offered to conclude a peace treaty. As a nice bonus, he offered some juicy lands outside Monte Titano. But the guys thought about it and refused the lands, signing only the paper of the French emperor.

Square and Statue of Liberty

Perhaps the last significant conflict in San Marino occurred in 1951, when resourceful residents decided to build a casino and a modern television and radio station on their mountain. The Italians categorically did not like this, and they even declared a blockade. It was useless to resist, and the San Marino highlanders abandoned their idea.

local ladies

The political structure of San Marino is also very curious. The heads of state are two captain-regents, appointed by the Grand General Council (local parliament of 60 people). Captains regents are elected for a period of 6 months (!), from April 1 to October 1 and from October 1 to April 1 of each year. They perform the functions of the head of state and exercise executive power. There are as many as 6 parties in the country.

Pigeons live in an old tower

A visit to this miniature state left only positive emotions for me. The Russian language is heard all around (well, where is it not heard now). Many Russians get a job here for the summer, as the number of tourists from distant Russia is quite decent. Most fly to the Italian resort of Rimini and come here to look at the curiosity: "No, well, look! The state is on the mountain!".

Colorful Emilia-Romagna

The mountain offers a beautiful view of the surrounding land. For those who love antiquity, there are very colorful medieval castles and a sea of ​​other museums. I managed to talk to several indigenous San Marinos, they smiled a lot and tried to understand where I came from. In the end, for some reason they decided that I was from Belarus. It was impossible to convince them.

A very strange flash mob. The guys lay on their backs and sometimes kicked their legs

Considering the size of the state and the number of tourist sites, there is nothing much to do here for more than two days. Fortunately, there is an airport and the sea nearby. As a nice bonus, after the photos, you can watch Time Lapse about this wonderful country. Video by Roberto Torsani.

This castle is not easy to take

Castle courtyard

View from the tower to the city

Hunting for a good shot

Atmosphere of the night city

Italy is not like a boot, but like a fairy tale :)

This guy says to you: "Thanks for reading the post!"

Here is the promised video

Interesting facts about San Francisco

Due to the fact that our Earth is round, the tops of the pillars of the Golden Gate Bridge are 4.5 centimeters further apart than at the surface of the earth.

More than 1,200 people have committed suicide (by throwing themselves into the water) from the Golden Gate Bridge over the entire period of its existence.

If you collect water from all the basins of the United States, then it can cover the entire territory of San Francisco with layers of water more than two meters high.

In 2004, traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge was paralyzed for 20 minutes when a deer ran across the bridge.

The largest Chinese community outside of China is located in San Francisco - over a hundred thousand people.

During the strongest earthquake in 1906, more than 56 million liters of wine were destroyed in San Francisco.

San Francisco is a city of opposites. The area with sexual minorities borders on the area where there are many temples.

Steve Jobs, founder and owner of Apple, was born in San Francisco.

Strong earthquakes destroyed the city twice, but the inhabitants rebuilt it again and continued to live here.

The tallest skyscraper in San Francisco is the Trans-American Pyramid.

You won't find a drunk in San Francisco, but you can smell marijuana at almost every intersection.

The famous Silicon Valley is located near San Francisco.

During the Crimean War of 1853-1856, Russia's only friendly country was the United States. When, after the defeat of the city of Sevastopol by the British and French troops, the winners held a banquet in San Francisco, not one of the invited Americans came there, and the banquet hall was destroyed by an indignant crowd.

San Francisco's public transportation system is the most developed on the West Coast of the United States. About 35% of the population use public transport.

One of the sister cities of San Francisco is the city of St. Petersburg.