Travel Videos

A world of travel through a moving lens
Meet the Spoon Family – Leipzig, Germany

Meet the Spoon Family – Leipzig, Germany

Meet the Spoon Family — This classic neon sign was installed in 1973 at the former East German company headquarters of VEB Feinkost Leipzig, a food manufacturer of canned soups, vegetables and other items. After the Berlin Wall came down the sign fell into disrepair. It was declared a cultural monument in 1993.

Stasi Prison in Hohenschönhausen Berlin a house of terror

Stasi Prison in Hohenschönhausen Berlin a house of terror

The Stasi Prison in Hohenschönhausen is a memorial in Berlin to 44 years of terror and political persecution at the hands of the GDR. This prison was in a restricted military area in Soviet occupied East Berlin and was never marked on any East German map of East Berlin. The former prison of the Ministry of State Security (Stasi) is preserved as a memorial and is unlike any other memorial in Germany. It is a must-see destination.

Discover Black Dragon Pool Park in Lijiang

Discover Black Dragon Pool Park in Lijiang

The waters of the Black Dragon Pool in Lijiang come from a spring fed by Jade Dragon Snow Mountain that serves as a picturesque and often-photographed backdrop to the pool on clear days. Within the park are ancient monuments such as the Longshen Temple, the Deyue Pavilion, the Suocui Bridge and the Hanyue Stage.

What to see in Lijiang – a quick video tour

What to see in Lijiang – a quick video tour

Old town Lijiang is not unlike Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco in its tourist-trap draw; however, as you will see in this video, like Fisherman’s Wharf, if you look, you will find plenty of history and beauty amid the almost unimaginable concentration of shops and vendors. The maze of streets and canals of old town Lijiang invites you to get happily lost — and lost you will get. Hopefully, the sound of running water from the many canals will serve as a soothing backdrop to the press of tourism from mostly Chinese tourists. If you were wondering what to see in Lijiang, this video is a good place to start.

Experience tranquility inside the Yuantong Temple of Kunming

Experience tranquility inside the Yuantong Temple of Kunming

Take a tour of the Yuantong Temple, considered the most famous Buddhist temple in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Unlike other Buddhist temples into which you ascend, Yuantong is unique in that you enter into the temple grounds from above and descend from the city streets along a garden path and into the center, a large pond with wondrous stone bridges and surrounded by magnificent buildings.

Wandering in the Stone Forest of Yunnan China

Wandering in the Stone Forest of Yunnan China

Wander in the Stone Forest of Yunnan, China with us and marvel at the strange and wonderful limestone formations, many looking like petrified trees. Hidden and winding passages, spires, and more. Parts of the Stone Forest are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Armenian Blessing of the Grapes Ceremony 2016

Armenian Blessing of the Grapes Ceremony 2016

Armenian Blessing of the Grapes Ceremony at the Holy Trinity Church in Fresno, California in 2016. Armenians have blessed the grape harvest in mid-August since the Old Testament. Rich in religious symbolism, the blessing still happens around the globe at the start of the harvest.

Everyone Loves a Parade! Musikfest Bregenzerwald

Everyone Loves a Parade! Musikfest Bregenzerwald

Everyone loves a parade! This parade took place in July 2016 in Egg, Austria, and is part of a festival known as Musikfest Bregenzerwald. This festival takes place in a different village every year in Bregenzerwald and is organized by the village hosting the event. Each village in Bregenzerwald has its own musicians group and each marches in the parade.

Jewish cemetery at Schönhauser Allee is peaceful yet haunting

Jewish cemetery at Schönhauser Allee is peaceful yet haunting

The Jewish cemetery at Schönhauser Allee in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, is a beautiful, peaceful and yet haunting place to wander. It is well worth at least an hour. Keep in mind that men are asked to cover their heads, so if you do not have a hat, be sure to don a kippah as you will see Michael did in this video — available at the front entrance in a small basket.

Kanisfluh Sunrise in Bregenzerwald Austria

Kanisfluh Sunrise in Bregenzerwald Austria

On July 11, 2016, HITravelTales was part of the jury for the Scandinavian Outdoor Awards (ScandinavianOutdoorGroup.com) and was fortunate enough to be able to experience a spectacular sunrise from the summit of Kanisfluh in Bregenzerwald, Austria. Enjoy our hike with headlamps as the sun begins to crest the horizon and then the beauty of the area as the sun’s rays bring to life the color of this amazing place.

International Donaufest Fireworks In Ulm 2016

International Donaufest Fireworks In Ulm 2016

The International Donaufest (Danube) Festival has been held since 1998 and occurs every other year. Ulm city center and the banks of the Danube river are turned into a sort of international festival to celebrate the coming together of regions and countries along the Danube that rely on the river — Bavaria, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. The festival last 10 days and includes a massive fireworks display. HI Travel Tales was there this year to witness the fireworks extravaganza from the banks of the Danube.

Dragon Gate and Western Hills in Kunming

Dragon Gate and Western Hills in Kunming

HITravelTales.com team visits Dragon Gate and Western Hills Xishan Park just outside of Kunming, China. Not every must-see travel destination is so easy to get to. And that can make the journey even more of an adventure. Dragon Gate in the Western Hills (Xishan Forest Park) on the outskirts of Kunming, China, is one of those. The reasons we can list are many – green hills with forested walking paths, a breather from the sensory chaos of the city, temples and pavilions dating back to the 11th century, views of the region from about 8,200 feet (2,000 feet above the city itself), winding stone staircases, strolling monks, gardens, sculptures and also grottoes and tunnels carved out of the mountains rock face. Watch the video for a quick taste of all that is waiting for you here.

Table Mountain California full of wildflowers and waterfalls

Table Mountain California full of wildflowers and waterfalls

Located in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada, just 7 miles north of Oroville (approximately one hour drive north of Sacramento), the 3,315-acre Table Mountain preserve looks rather non-descript from afar. From Oroville, you can see the dark basalt (volcanic) cliffs and a hint of a flat plateau above, but little more. But get closer and you will experience spectacular wildflowers and amazing waterfalls.

Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida – Fort Jefferson 360 view

Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida – Fort Jefferson 360 view

Almost 70 miles west of Key West, Florida, lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. With the surrounding shoals and water, they make up the Dry Tortugas National Park, an area noted for bird and marine life and shipwrecks. Fort Jefferson, its central cultural feature, is one of the nation’s largest 1800s masonry fort. Video shot in 360 with a Kodak Pixpro SP360 camera.

Fasnacht Parade Geislingen

Fasnacht Parade Geislingen

Fasnacht Parade in Geislingen, Germany — Carnival associations spend the entire year continuing the traditions, working on costumes, and planning parades and events. You can only take part if you have lived there for a minimum number of years, and costumes and masks must conform to historical precedents. Some of the costumes are quite old and handed down generation to generation to continue the carnival celebrations and their history. There, we were street side at the carnival parade in a small town called Geislingen, where many clubs have their own traditions, including the “Feuerhexen” (fire witches).

Mauerpark Berlin is Fun and Funky

Mauerpark Berlin is Fun and Funky

Mauerpark Berlin is a must-visit scene on Sundays from Spring to Fall with a wonderfully quirky flea market as well as superb food, drinks and free music. The park was once the militarized “death strip” of the Berlin Wall (or Mauer) that divided East and West Germany.

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