Trees,
The longest-living organisms on Earth, beautify and protect our
environment by providing color, shelter, and shade. They renew our air
supply by soaking up carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
Each
spring, a peaceful street, located in the German city of Bonn,
transforms into an enchanting cherry blossom tunnel. Photographer Marcel
Bednarz captured this stunning sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom.
He explained to me that there are actually two streets in Bonn where
cherry trees are planted, but the one you see in the above picture is
called Heerstraße. As you may know, the average cherry blossom lasts
only between 7 and 10 days, depending on weather conditions.
9. Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho, Brasil
Number
nine goes to Brazil’s green tunnel from Porto Alegre, Rua Gonçalo de
Carvalho. According to a decree signed in 2006 by former mayor Joseph
Fogaça, this beautiful street is part of the country’s historical,
cultural, ecological and environmental heritage.
There are more than one hundred
towering Tipuana (Rosewood) trees along Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho. The
great shade trees stretch over three city blocks, which is a good thing
for the city’s overall health. Did you know that trees, properly planted
around buildings, can reduce air conditioning demands by up to 30%?
8. Autumn Tree Tunnel, USA
Photographed
in glorious autumn colors by Kevin McNeal, this tree tunnel is simply
astonishing! The picture was taken on the way up to Smuggler’s Notch, a
Vermont state park.
The eye-catching foliage starts
changing its color in the northern region, in response to many
environmental factors, and spreads south as the fall season advances.
7. Ginkgo Tree Tunnel, Japan
Gingko
biloba is a highly venerated tree in Japanese culture. Six ginkgo trees
survived the Hiroshima bombing, continuing to grow despite facing so
many challenges, and are still alive today. Therefore, the Japanese
regard the gingko as “the bearer of hope”. It is also known as “the
survivor” or “the living fossil.”
Around
65,000 ginkgoes grace Tokyo’s streets, gardens and parks today.
According to some people who visited Tokyo, the tunnel you see in the
above picture is located in the outer garden of Meiji Shrine.
6. Yew Tree Tunnel, UK
The
medieval Aberglasney House features one of the most beautiful gardens
in Wales, UK. They have been an inspiration to writers since 1470. The
Yew Tunnel is a popular tourist attraction in this area. Believe it or
not, it took nine years of pruning to restore this unique archway.
“Years of neglect had left it unsafe and with a perilous future, as the
once formally clipped structure had grown even higher than the top of
the Mansion itself. It is so nice to see it looking invigorated and
healthy again, I had every confidence that with careful restoration it
would help its future longevity, but I have to confess that it did look
drastic at the time,” declared Graham Rankin, one of Aberglasney’s
directors.
The Yew Tunnel is thought to have been planted by the Dyer family of Aberglasney, during the 18th century.
5. The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
Tucked
away in the county of Antrim, these beautiful beech trees are thought
to be around 300 years old. According to local records, James Stuart
planted the 150 beech trees in the 18th century, to impress guests as
they approached his splendid property, Gracehill House.
Legend tells that the spirit of a
maid, who lived in a neighboring mansion and died in mysterious
circumstances hundreds of years ago, haunts the country road. “Grey
Lady” silently floats along the road and quickly disappears as she
reaches the last beech tree.
4. Bamboo Path, Japan
The
Sagano Bamboo Forest is located in Arashiyama, a nationally-designated
historic site. The pathway you see in the above picture is 500m long,
and runs through one of Japan’s most beautiful bamboo forests. No wonder
the Agency for Cultural Affairs declared Arashiyama a “Place of Scenic
Beauty”. This forest is close to many famous temple and shrines,
including the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple.
The sound the wind makes, as it
blows through the tall bamboo trees, has been voted by the Japanese
authorities as one of 100 must-preserve sounds of Japan.
3. Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
The
Ukrainian Tunnel of Love is actually a two-mile sector of private
railway that serves a woodworking plant near Klevan, a small city
located in western Ukraine. I read somewhere that couples pass through
this romantic tunnel to make a wish. The myth goes that, if their love
is strong and pure, the wish will come true.
May all of your wishes come true, but watch out for the train! It runs three times a day through the leafy tunnel.
2. Jacarandas Walk, South Africa
Over
10 million trees keep South Africa’s largest city green. According to
several unofficial sources, Johannesburg is home to the world’s largest
man-made forest. There are at least 49 species of Jacaranda, most of
them native to South America (particularly in Uruguay, Brazil, Peru
& Argentina), and the Caribbean basin. The tropical trees were
imported to South Africa over one hundred years ago.
October is the month when the
flowers of thousands of Jacaranda trees are in full blossom. This
spectacular tree tunnel is located either in Johannesburg or Pretoria,
the Jacaranda City where 70,000+ Jacarandas add vivid splashes of
purple-blue to the urban landscape.
1. Wisteria Tunnel, Japan
As
soon as the cherry blossom season ends, the gorgeous Wisteria flowers,
that hang in grape-like clusters, take their turn on the Japanese floral
calendar. The Fuji Matsuri, or Wisteria Festival, is celebrated each
spring in Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Okazaki.
The Ashikaga Flower Park is one of the best places to admire different
varieties of wisteria, including double-petaled wisteria, giant wisteria
and yellow, white, light pink or purple variants of wisteria.
Source :- http://worldtoptenthings.blogspot.in/2013/03/world-ten-most-beautiful-tree-tunnels.html