The Pergamonmuseum is one of the most important museums of ancient art and architecture in the world. The museum was built in 1909–30 by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann to house Berlin’s collection of antiquities as well as vast temples and palace rooms in their original size. These works of art, excavated by German archaeologists … Read more

After years of decline, the Kurfürstendamm, or Ku’damm for short, has once again become a fashionable hot spot. Breathtaking architecture, elegant boutiques and a lively scene with street artists around Breitscheidplatz have made this shopping boulevard Berlin’s most attractive and – at 3.8 km (2.5 miles) – also its longest avenue for strolling. Tourist information … Read more

An amazing feat of engineering, this giant observation wheel is the second highest in the world, and offers fascinating views over the whole of London. Towering over the Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament, it was built to celebrate the Millennium year, and has proved enormously popular. Its 32 enclosed capsules each hold 25 people … Read more

Affiliated with Tate Britain, London’s most exciting new gallery is housed within the old Bankside power station, on a prime riverside site opposite the City. Large enough for huge installations, its 88 galleries provide a light, airy space in which to display Tate’s collection of international modern art. This includes works by Dalí, Picasso, Matisse, … Read more

From Machu Picchu to New Zealand’s boiling mug pools, some of the world’s most amazing sights are best seen on foot… Fancy stepping off the beaten track? If you’re up for a real adventure, there’s a whole host of fantastic trekking opportunities all over the world. All you need is your passport and some careful … Read more

The most distinctive symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) was much maligned by critics when it rose on the city’s skyline in 1889 as part of the Universal Exhibition, but its graceful symmetry soon made it the star attraction. At 312 m (1,023 ft) high, it was the world’s tallest building until it … Read more

The heart of the country, both geographically and spiritually, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame (Our Lady) stands majestic on the Ile de la Cité. After Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone in 1163, an army of craftsmen toiled for 170 years to realize Bishop Maurice de Sully’s magnificent design. Almost destroyed during the Revolution, the … Read more

Famous Visitors to Notre-Dame Joan of Arc The French patriot Jeanne d’Arc (1412–31), who defended her country against the invading English, had a posthumous trial here in 1455, despite having been burnt at the stake 24 years earlier. At the re-trial she was found to be innocent of heresy. Joan of Arc François II and … Read more

The figure presiding over New York harbor, officially titled “Liberty Enlightening the World,” has been a harbinger of freedom for millions since her inauguration by President Grover Cleveland in 1886. The statue, a gift of friendship from the French to mark the U.S.’s 100th birthday in 1876, was designed by the French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, … Read more

Ellis Island is the symbol of America’s immigrant heritage. From 1892 to 1954, it was the arrival point for over 12 million people fleeing religious persecution, poverty, or unrest in their homelands. Their descendants, more than 100 million people, comprise almost 40 percent of today’s population. First and second class passengers were processed for immigration … Read more

Milestones in Immigration History 1624 First Dutch arrived in New Amsterdam, which thrived as a trading center, attracting settlers from many other nations. By 1643, the 500-strong population spoke 18 different languages. Arrivals to the island 1664 The dislike of Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant and unpopular tax demands by the Dutch West India Company meant … Read more

America’s most prestigious university – named in honor of its principal benefactor, John Harvard, in 1638 – has nurtured, tortured, and tickled some of the greatest minds of the past 350 years. It has hosted everything from global economic summits to kool-aid acid tests, and educated everyone from future US presidents to late-night talk show … Read more

Harvard Alumni John Adams (1735–1826) The nation’s second president, although nervous upon entering the illustrious college as a freshman, eventually became enthralled by his studies. John Adams Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945) Apparently more of a social butterfly than dedicated academic, F.D.R. played pranks, led the freshman football squad, and earned a C average at Harvard … Read more

Founded in 1900 and now one of the most prominent art museums in North America, the wide-ranging Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has over 68,000 works. The outstanding pieces of Canadian art, in particular paintings by the Group of Seven, are a national treasure. Along with superb Henry Moore plasters, bronzes, and other works, the … Read more

This medieval-style castle, completed in 1914 for a staggering $3.5 million, looms on a hill, overlooking downtown. Designed by famed Toronto architect E. J. Lennox , Casa Loma — Spanish for “house on the hill” — was the estate of prominent financier and industrialist Sir Henry Pellatt, who was forced by financial ruin to abandon … Read more

Unfolding languidly just to the east of the old town, this green, tranquil oasis provides a welcome respite from the city centre. Built in the late 1860s on the site of a former military fortress (ciutadella), the park was artfully designed to offer Barcelona’s citizens an experience of nature (shady corners, paths and greenhouses), recreation … Read more

Incorporating one of the most important medieval art collections in the world, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is housed in the majestic Palau Nacional, built in 1929. The high point of the museum is the Romanesque art section, consisting of the painted interiors of churches from the Pyrenees dating from the 11th and … Read more

Once known as Chinatown, this district was renamed when community leaders recognized that inhabitants from all over Asia had made that term obsolete. One of Seattle’s most historical districts, the ID is a striking example of how Asian cultures thrive and assimilate into Western society. Each ethnicity claims a particular quadrant, even while co-existing in … 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

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