What does apocalypse look like? To see what Chernobyl looks like today, I visited the Chernobyl disaster zone in early 2020, nearly 34 years after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine exploded. The disaster forced tens of thousands to leave their homes, many more to perish from radiation exposure, and countless others to suffer from disease.
Traveling to tour the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is on a lot of travel bucket lists these days. That’s where the nuclear plant exploded in 1986. I had the chance to visit Kyiv and the Chernobyl area in Ukraine on a winter photography trip.
The Mauthausen Memorial in Austria offers a sobering look at Nazi terror during World War II. The former Mauthausen concentration camp, located not far from the Danube River, was one of the Nazi’s most notorious camps. It is estimated that of the 190,000 prisoners held at Mauthausen during the seven years the camp operated, at least 90,000 died.
Whether served hot in the winter or cold in summer, this Ukrainian-style ginger tea with lemon, mint and cloves is sure to make you smile. Subscriber Club members can download the ginger tea recipe as a PDF for free.
In the last days of World War II, the Battle of the Seelow Heights to the east of Berlin was a bloody massacre. The small Seelow Heights museum and memorial features exhibits, artifacts, and graves documenting the Battle of Berlin and the tens of thousands of lives lost in just three days.
Take a Berlin gasometer tour to experience what could arguably be one of the best views of the Berlin, sunrise to sunset. View a photo gallery and video of our gasometer tour to get a look at the adventure of a lifetime you could have. The 360-degree views of Berlin from the top of the gasometer are stunning, night or day.
Ostannya Barykada restaurant, also known as the Last Barricade restaurant, is a hidden secret worth discovering in Kyiv. It is not just a restaurant with historic décor and astounding, creative, all-Ukrainian food and drink. Think of Ostannya Barykada as a gastronomic space in a museum that gives a huge bear hug to the essence of Ukraine.
Berlin is endlessly fascinating and remains one of our favorite cities in the world to photograph and explore. We’ve included a few of our top Berlin photos in this Best Berlin Photos – Our favorite Berlin Instagram photos post. Scroll through to discover what to see on your Berlin visit.
Skiing in the famed Hahnenkamm downhill ski race on the Streif in Kitzbuhel, Austria is considered a lifetime accomplishment for professional skiers. Hiking the Streif is something anyone can do in the late spring, summer and early fall. We explain the ski race while showing you how to go about hiking the Streif yourself.
If you are planning a trip to Berlin, then visiting the Reichstag dome is an absolute must, not only for the Berlin views, but for the amazing history. The Reichstag dome and the Reichstag building along with the celebrated TV tower have become iconic symbols of Germany’s capital, Berlin.
When you visit Kitzbuhel, look beyond the glitz and tourists with furs and diamonds, and you’ll discover the Kitzbuhel locals love so much. The real Kitzbuhel has gorgeous, soaring peaks, great trails, and everything picturesque, quaint and historic like the best Alpine villages you dream about.
While we can’t promise falling snow, Christmas at the Tierpark in Berlin (also known as Christmas at the Zoo and Weihnachten im Tierpark) comes as close as you can get to a perfectly illuminated Christmas wonderland.
German Christmas market drinks, options and choices. Having a Gluhwein at a German Christmas market seems an easy choice: hot mulled red wine in mug. But do you want a shot with that? Or a different flavor? German Christmas market drinks have become big business. So many choices. We’ll help you decide and know how to ask for what you want.
There is something very magical about Christmas lights at the Christmas Garden Berlin. Add in equal parts of Christmas music and servings of hot glühwein (German spiced mulled wine), and you have the recipe for an enchanting evening at the Berlin Botanic Garten.
In 2019, Berlin is commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall with a fall of the Berlin Wall 30th anniversary celebration. We have the best Berlin Wall information links so you are ready.
When it comes to Christmas in Berlin, there are dozens of Christmas markets – so many that it can be difficult to choose the best Christmas markets in Berlin. Here are our top picks to experience among the best Berlin Christmas markets.
Our What to do in Bergen city guide will help you make the most of your upcoming visit. It is so very easy to fall in love with Bergen. Visit Bryggen a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Theta Museum, the Bergen Maritime Museum, Bergenhus Festning, and ride the Fløibanen funicular for starters.
Albania, more known for beaches than mountains, is a top destination for outdoor enthusiasts. We loved our hiking vacation in the mountains of Theth Albania. With Albania posed to join the European Union a hiking in Albania holiday should be on your list now.
Our Oslo city guide will help you make the most of your visit. Central Oslo is compact, cozy, walkable and enjoyable, especially with our Ultimate City Guide to Oslo. You’ll see Norway’s Resistance Museum, Akershus Fortress, The Viking Ship Museum, the Royal Palace, Vigeland Park and so much more.
The Festival of Lights in Berlin and Berlin Leuchtet (Berlin Illuminated) provide a delightful bright diversion for anyone visiting Berlin in October. The two light festivals illuminate hundreds of Berlin buildings, parks, monuments and facades with dancing lights, often moving to music.
You can’t choose your weather when you travel to Kitzbuhel or other mountain towns, but you can make the best of things by knowing rainy day options. Here are our tips for touring Kitzbuhel in the rain.
There are numerous fantastic hotel options in Kitzbuhel, Austria. However, if you are arriving by train, or looking for a hotel that will also provide amazing food for breakfast and dinner, consider booking your stay at the Q! Resort in Kitzbuhel.
Botanical Nights in the Botanical Garden Berlin make visiting a botanical garden something full of mystery, magic, intrigue, musicians, lightshows and fun. Plants, trees, greenhouses and ponds come alive during Berlin’s Botanical Nights. The cover photo for this story was awarded a Gold Medal by the North American Travel Journalists Association for travel photography.
Regensburg is Germany’s “best-preserved” with plenty do do and see. Things to do in Regensburg include wandering along medieval streets in Old Town (Altstadt), walk across the Steinerne Brücke (Stone Bridge) spanning the Danube, and see Roman walls, tour churches, towers and even a torture chamber.
Munich is more than Oktoberfest, and we’ll tell you what the city offers: Englischer Garten, Marienplatz city square, museums, architectural gems, amazing food, and even surfing. Our ultimate Munich city guide will inspire you.
Wondering what to do in Hamburg? Hamburg is now one of the must-see destinations in Europe, for good reason. Our Hamburg city guide will point the way to nightlife, the Elbphilharmonie, restaurants, and historic sites.
Wondering what to do in Budapest? Our Budapest City Guide will help you visit the Jewish Quarter, City Park and Heroes’ Square plus Castle Hill, Hospital in the Rock, Cave Church, an array of museums, and glorious buildings that crown the Budapest hillside.
Wondering what to do in Berlin? Berlin is cosmopolitan, worldly, quirky, exotic, bohemian, evolving, vibrant, alive. Watch a sunset from the TV Tower, visit the Reichstag, the Berliner Dom, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall Memorial, the East Side Gallery, or simply walk along the Spree.
No visit to Berlin should be without a closer look at history – specifically the horrific history of East Germany’s former secret police, the Stasi. These Stasi sights in Berlin should find a place on your to-do list.
As a part of the developing “Campus for Democracy” at the former headquarters of East Germany’s state security or Stasi in Berlin, an open-air exhibit details the fall of the Berlin Wall and the peaceful revolution Berlin that helped bring about German unity.
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