Hotels that Put you at the Heart of Europe’s Top Christmas Markets
The holidays are just around the corner, and nothing gets you into the spirit of the season like a pre-Christmas trip to Europe, where so many of our favorite festive traditions originated. Europe’s Christmas markets, many of which have been around since the Middle Ages, are magical places to embrace the holiday spirit and celebrate in the month leading up to Christmas. Immerse yourself into the Christmas spirit by laying your head just wandering distance from the market, soaking in the ambiance...
Bye-bye Bunnies: Different Spring Traditions Around the World
Spring has sprung and cultures the world over celebrate the season of fresh color and new life. It’s not all about bunnies, lambs, chicks, eggs, chocolate and spring flowers. Here are just a few different traditions that inspire us to travel in the springtime: Climb a Mayan Pyramid on the Spring Equinox in MexicoSpring officially begins on the Spring Equinox, usually March 20, the astrological moment when the Sun is directly above the equator, making day and night the same length....
VIDEO: The Best Christmas Markets on a Viking Rhine River Cruise
A Christmas market river cruise in Europe may be the very best way to capture the magic of the season. Our Viking Christmas on the Rhine river cruise from Switzerland to the Netherlands took us to four countries, each with its own Christmas markets, traditions, flavors and specialities. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE with highlights of some of the best Christmas markets on a Viking Christmas on the Rhine river cruise! On our Viking “Longship,” we sailed from Basel, Switzerland, into a mediaeval...
6 Resorts Where You Can Celebrate Mexico's "Day of the Dead"
Til death do you party! Dia de los Muertos is a cherished Mexican holiday honoring the memories of loved ones who have passed away. Coming just a day after Halloween, and symbolized by an elegantly-dressed skeleton, Day of the Dead is often thought of as a similar celebration of the supernatural, but it is a uniquely Mexican holiday that’s more family than frightening. A number of cultures honor their deceased family members, and Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos has its own...
Christmas Markets, NYE, Ice World and Gala Balls: Why Visit Vienna in the Winter
Don’t wait til spring or summer to visit Austria’s capital. Some of its most unique experiences take place during the frosty months, where one-of-a-kind local events warm your heart and reveal a side of Vienna you can’t see any other time of the year. Viennese Christmas Markets:Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, is a magical time in Vienna, with the historic city center and shopping streets in their festive best. The city’s most beautiful squares, streets and parks are...
Oktoberfest on the Beach? Yes, You Can!
Every year, beer lovers look forward to the month that celebrates friendship over a stein of brew. The original Oktoberfest has returned full strength and has also inspired a world of imitators that look nothing like the beer tents and wooded hills of Germany’s Bavaria. Wherever you celebrate, it’s all about the “Gemutlichkeit.” Some call it fellowship, friendliness, or even good times. It’s the atmosphere surrounding you at Oktoberfest as you clink beer mugs with new and old friends. Munich – The...
Can’t-Miss Events this Fall that Celebrate Celestial Wonders
What’s the fastest-disappearing natural phenomenon? Dark skies. As cities expand, the night skies are flooded with light, dimming our views of the complex, mystical wonders of the heavens that inspired our ancestors. We are still fascinated by the night skies, and many of us take time on vacation to spend our evenings outdoors gazing up into the darkness and its mysteries. Luckily, there are places around the world preserving the darkness and celestial visions. Dark sky preserves are found in some of...
Get Up Close to an Epic Wonder of Nature at this Iceberg Festival
Many people cruise to Alaska in the hopes of sailing past mystical and mythical icebergs, but in one special place in the world, the icebergs come to you – so many icebergs, in fact, they decided to throw an annual party to welcome them! Every spring and summer, hundreds of icebergs float down Newfoundland’s ‘iceberg alley.’ ‘Iceberg Alley’Icebergs are travelers, and they journey hundreds, even thousands of miles to arrive at Newfoundland’s shores. About 90% of the icebergs you’ll see in...
Upgrades and Celebrations Mark the 50th Anniversary of Australia’s Architectural Icon: the Sydney Opera House
In 2023, the iconic Sydney Opera House celebrates a half-century of symbolizing not just a city, but a country and even a continent. It may even be the most famous building in the southern hemisphere. This icon of modern design evoking giant stylized, sail-shaped shells occupies Bennelong point projecting out into Sydney Harbour. It dominates the skyline and has gripped the world’s imagination ever since its debut in 1973. Completely unprecedented when it won the contest for a design for a performing...
How to Celebrate Year of the Rabbit in Hong Kong
Kung Hei Fat Choy! Millions of people around the world join in as many Asian countries celebrate the arrival of the Lunar or Chinese New Year, with colorful traditions designed to help ensure health, prosperity and good luck in the coming year. This Year of the Rabbit is ‘lucky’ indeed, as Hong Kong has just recently reopened for travel! Our friends at the Hong Kong Tourism Board have shared the most fortuitous ways to celebrate the arrival of the Year...