Smag31

Originally a peninsula, the islands were formed when the rushing waters of the Don River separated a spit from the mainland during a ferocious storm in 1858. There are more than a dozen islets and mid-sized islands in this urban archipelago, some of them connected by bridges, others accessible only by boat. A thriving residential … Read more

A 58-second elevator ride whisks you to the 114th story of the world’s tallest free-standing structure, the 181-story, 1,815.5-ft (553.5-m) communications tower built by Canadian National Railway in 1976. Breathtaking views from the glass-fronted elevator set the stage for even more dizzying sights from the Look Out, where on a clear day you can see … Read more

Nantes, France Best for: Creative endeavours Why go?: From April 20th-22nd, all eyes will be on Liverpool when French street theatre company Royal de Luxe will be bringing their Little Girl Giant to the city as part of commemorative celebrations for the sinking of Titanic.   The creative team, responsible for halting London traffic in … Read more

Let your sense of adventure fly this year with a holiday with a difference. Style picks out 10 bold holiday destinations for the intrepid explorer. Vietnam   Cua Dai Beach   Best for: Grown-up backpackers Why go?: Although long-haul travel may seem like an extravagance in cash-strapped times, day-to-day living in Vietnam is actually very … Read more

Moreover, Aria resort also has great art features. It was designed by well-known filmmaker Pelli Clarke Pelli and became one of the most modern resorts with elegant architecture. Glass and steel mix with flowers and other natural entities. Innate sunlight and the luxurious interior stretch from the lobby to the room, from the floor to … Read more

Verdant Boston Common has hosted auctions, cattle grazing, and public hangings over its 350-year history, in addition to festivals and the requisite frisbee tosses. The adjacent Public Garden, opened in 1839, was the USA’s first botanical garden. Its swan boats, weeping willows, and bridge are emblematic of Boston at its most enchanting. The French-style flowerbeds … Read more

Bostonians may bemoan its popularity with tourists, but this market complex deserves all the attention and accolades it has received since its revitalization in the mid-1970s. Once the pulsing center of Boston mercantile activity, the area fell into disrepair in the 1930s. Today, however, millions of visitors are testimony to its newfound vitality as a … Read more

Rockefeller Center Artworks American Progress Jose Maria Sert’s (1876–1945) mural depicts America’s development over 300 years by uniting two forces, brain and brawn. Sert’s Time mural adorns one of the ceilings. Wisdom The striking central figure of Wisdom by Lee Lawrie (1877– 1963) grasps a compass pointing to light and sound waves and is carved … Read more

A city within a city and a National Historic Landmark, this is the largest privately owned complex in the world. Begun in the 1930s, it was the first commercial project to integrate gardens, dining, and shopping with office space. Rockefeller Center is the hub of midtown New York, alive with activity day and night. The … Read more

July: London Olympics The best of British cyclists compete for their chance to shine in the 2012 London Olympics. The eyes of the world will be on the UK on July 27 for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, when Britain will show the world what it’s made of. The question is: … Read more

From partying in an American desert to celebrity spotting on the French Riviera, pack your bags for the best festivals the world offers. The key to being a perfect festival goer is meticulous forward planning. It’s not only about the tickets, but the best accommodation, the top spot with in-the-action view and, of course, knowing … Read more

This wonderful collection covers a variety of art forms from the 1848–1914 period, including a superb Impressionists section. Its setting, in a converted railway station, is equally impressive. Built in 1900, in time for the Paris Exposition, the station was in use until 1939, when it was closed and largely ignored, bar its use as … Read more

This is one of the most unexpectedly pleasing galleries in London. Unrelated to the neighbouring National Gallery, it opened in 1856. Well-known names can be put to some not-so-well-known faces, and there are some fascinating paintings from Tudor times to the present day. Royalty is depicted from Richard II (1367–1400) to Queen Elizabeth II, and … Read more

The National Gallery has around 2,300 pictures, from the early Renaissance to the Impressionists (1250–1900), forming one of the greatest collections in the world. Containing work by the most important painters of the main European schools, the collection was acquired by the government from John Julius Angerstein in 1824, and moved to the present building … Read more

Exhibitions in the Filmmuseum S-Bahn sign Café Josty sign Marlene Dietrich This exhibition of the film star’s estate includes costumes, touring luggage, photographs, letters and notes, posters and film clips. Metropolis This film, directed by Fritz Lang in 1927, has an alarming vision of a future world as its subject. Models and props from the … Read more

The eponymous John G. Shedd, president of Marshall Field’s department store, donated this Beaux Arts aquarium to Chicago in 1929. One of the city’s top attractions ever since, it houses some 25,500 marine animals representing 2,100 different species that include amphibians, fish, and aquatic mammals. The latter romp in the saltwater of the 1991-built glass-walled … Read more

As recently as 1995 Chicago’s Navy Pier was a drab slab of concrete projecting into Lake Michigan, formerly used as a military and freight terminal. But a huge effort to funnel locals and tourists onto the Pier has seen the installation of a variety of attractions on the waterfront – for kids as well as … Read more

With more than six million visitors, over five million litres of beer, 200,000 pairs of pork sausages, and 100 spit-roasted oxen – Munich’s Oktoberfest is the largest folk fair in the world. At the foot of the Bavaria statue, a huge field, the Theresienwiese (Wiesn for short), is transformed into a fairground with beer tents … Read more

Located in the heart of the city, this former residence of Bavarian kings and home of the Wittelsbach dynasty until 1918 was gradually transformed from a moated castle (1385) into an extensive complex with seven courtyards. Highlights include the largest secular Renaissance building (the Antiquarium), interiors from the 17th century and the Rococo period, and … Read more

This is the main drag that slices across Capitol Hill, one of Seattle’s edgier communities just up the hill from downtown. Block after block of hip stores and a wide variety of cafés and restaurants attract a thriving gay culture and gritty youth population. On warm nights, Broadway is about as urban as Seattle gets … Read more