Once an ominous dividing barricade at the heart of Berlin, the Berlin Wall has today been absorbed into thriving city life; yet it remains a monument to the past. In certain parts of the city the Berlin Wall has disappeared entirely; while in others visitors can still see the brick outline set into the pavement which traces the historic separation between the former East and West Berlin. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, certain parts of the concrete barricade were left standing. Today, they are painted over with various artists’ creations, embodying the German sentiment about both the Wall and the country. A visit to the “East Side Gallery" at Warschauer Strasse allows visitors to trace the fall of the Berlin Wall through artists' ...
Flamboyant candies, elegant lamps and ornate miniature statuettes are just some of the most fashionable and customary designs used in the world-renowned Murano blown glass. Murano is located just 3 km north of Venice and shares much the same composition of its neighbour—a lagoon of islands separated by canals and maneuvered by bridges and boats. The main difference between these two water worlds is the inferno that burns in Murano's glass-making heart. Murano blown glass is adored worldwide for its impeccable quality and craftsmanship. The tradition of glass-making in Venice dates back to the 9th century and grew in popularity as the city's major industry. Historically, Murano blown glass was a great source of pride for the city, and in order to maintain its status, ...
One of the most noteworthy features along the Vienna skyline is a grandiose Ferris wheel: the Wiener Riesenrad. As the tallest Ferris wheel in Vienna (212.4 ft.), the Wiener Riesenrad is a timeless testament to quality fun, and the impressive size and antiquity of the Wiener Riesenrad will capture the imagination of any traveller. Erected in 1897 for the golden jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I, the Riesenrad is one of the only surviving Ferris wheels of its time. The Riesenrad has shown impressive resilience over the years, withstanding a threat of demolition in 1916, a damaging fire in 1944, and the Second World War. The passenger cabins of the Wiener Riesenrad resemble old fashioned railway cars, and feature wooden floors, large windows and a ...
Standing tall in the heart of the City of Lights, the elegant stone edifice of the Sacre Coeur Basilica rivals only the Eiffel Tower in defining the Paris skyline. The dome top of the Sacre Coeur Basilica, which reaches over 200 meters high, is open to tourists and offers a view over all of Paris up to 30 miles away in every direction. As well as gaining an unrivalled view of the city, you can observe people from all walks of life that gather on the steps outside the Basilica and stream into the charming streets of Montmartre. A venerated pilgrimage site, Sacre Coeur Basilica welcomes thousands of tourists from all over France and around the world every year. Perched over Montmartre, the name signifies ...
The most famous twilight cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, was born during a time of cultural profusion in Paris. Situated in the historic Montmartre district, the Moulin Rouge resides among the seediest nightclubs in Paris—a diamond among gems. Although the Moulin Rouge may not be the seediest of its peer group, it is the oldest and the most kitsch. It recently celebrated its 120th birthday; and while the prices are steep (starting at €90), I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share in a 120-year-old Parisian tradition. The Can-Can was born at the Moulin Rouge, and during the performance cabaret dancers wear traditional "frou-frou" (a long dress with bunches of frills sewn to the inside of it). As time went on, the dancers realized how shorter ...
Forget the usual sunny and snowy sights of Stockholm. If you're in the Swedish capital, the smartest thing to check out is the home of the Nobel prizes: the Nobel Museum. Short films, original artifacts and interactive exhibits at the Nobel Museum all offer insight into the greatest minds of the last century. The Nobel Museum also offers a frequent rotation of mini-exhibitions on a particular winner or subject. At the Nobel Museum you can discover the story of Alfred Nobel, a native of Stockholm and the son of a wealthy industrialist, Nobel put his privileged education to good use by inventing dynamite! It was not an easy road to this discovery. Indeed, his brother died in one of their early experiments. A man of ...
Walking through the Vatican City, I anticipated my first up-close-and-personal view of St Peter's Basilica. Would it be just another church among the many churches in the world? As I approached St. Peter's Basilica, with my eyes drawn upwards, I was left absolutely breathless. It was love at first sight. Rome is known as the "monumental city," and after spending a few days there I can say with certainty that this is true. However, many of these monuments were commissioned solely for posterity; for an Emperor or Pope to outdo the one before him. This takes away from the history and the intrigue of these monuments, but St Peter's Basilica manages to step outside of this shadow and stand apart from them. St Peter's Basilica ...
Standing at a majestic 700 ft. tall, Ireland's Cliffs of Moher edge County Clare up to the Atlantic Ocean, creating the country's westernmost outpost. I first went there in 2003 when very little infrastructure surrounded the Cliffs of Moher and it was possible to creep belly-down across the limestone slats and peer over the edge. As one of Ireland's most well-known and heavily visited tourist attractions today, the Cliffs of Moher have been given a new lease on life with the building of a state-of-the-art visitor center that is cut into the side of one of the bluffs, and is totally environmentally friendly. The experience of standing on the bluffs overlooking the Cliffs of Moher is utterly astounding. The harsh Irish wind bats at your ...
Ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games, is one of the most important sites of antiquity in Greece. Nestled between the Alfios and Kladeos rivers, Ancient Olympia started out as a grove devoted to the Greek god Zeus in the 10th century BC. Today, the buildings are now weather-worn ruins beneath the cool refuge of the valley. The Olympic Games as we know them began in the 8th century BC and were organized by three rulers as a type of truce between their lands. Since that day, the Olympic Games have occurred every four years from 776 BC to AD 393 during the full moon after the summer harvest. At a time when Ancient Olympia was the centre of the Games, the rules about ...
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland to pay homage to the one million people that died there. Indeed, some believe that the visit is an essential rite of passage lest humanity ever overlook this most unforgettable moment in history. An official UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum is made up of two camps in which virtually every stone is untouched, and all areas are open to visitors. The first camp, Auschwitz I, is where you will find the famous 'Arbeit Macht Frei' (Work Makes Us Free) sign that prisoners walked under on their way to and from enforced labour at the camp. Here you can see the site of the execution yard where individual prisoners ...
