Behind this imposing entrance you'll find the former "Queen of the Hanseatic League", today a UNESCO cultural heritage site. In 1987 the entire Old Town was distinguished with this status: a work of art comprising over 1,000 buildings ranging from Romanesque to modern styles that have been designated as protected historic monuments. They include the City Hall, Gothic brick churches, the Buddenbrook House, magnificent merchants' houses, the medieval Holy Ghost Hospital, and looming brick gabled h
Arecibo is a coastal municipality on the north coast of Puerto Rico, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the island’s northern karst region. It is known for a varied landscape of beaches, limestone hills, caves, sinkholes, forests, and rivers, including the Río Grande de Arecibo and Río Tanamá.
Vatnajökull National Park is one of Iceland’s largest protected areas, extending across a vast landscape of glaciers, volcanoes, lava fields, mountains, rivers, and glacial plains. At its center lies Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest ice cap, whose outlet glaciers spread into surrounding valleys and lowlands. The park stretches across southeast and central Iceland and includes several distinct regions, from Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón to the volcanic landscapes of Askja and Kverkfjöll.
Laguna Beach is a coastal city in Southern California, set between steep hills and the Pacific Ocean in Orange County. Its shoreline is marked by sandy coves, rocky headlands, sea caves, tide pools, and coastal cliffs, while the surrounding hills contain chaparral and protected open spaces. The city has a compact downtown with galleries, restaurants, shops, and small public spaces close to the water. Unlike much of the more heavily developed Orange County coast, Laguna Beach retains numerous und
Maroon Bells is a famous mountain landscape near Aspen, Colorado, centered on two distinctive bell-shaped peaks rising above the Maroon Creek Valley. Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak reach more than 14,000 feet, with their dark red mudstone slopes creating a strong contrast against the surrounding forests and alpine terrain.
Photo Credit: Photo by Mark Raptapolus on Unsplash
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Harbor seals
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Fan Tan Alley
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British influences are quite evident in Victoria, from afternoon tea times to elegant Victorian architecture. This capital of British Columbia on Vancouver Island provides ample outdoor recreation, with its public parks and access to both the ocean and wilderness. Cyclists will be right at home here, as Victoria boasts a seemingly endless number of bike paths for exploring. Additional must-do's here include tours of Craigdarroch Castle and Fisherman's Wharf Park, a floating pier where tourists can eat and watch seals. Another excellent option is the Royal BC Museum, a natural and human history complex holding 7 million objects.
Other Popular Destinations in British Columbia
Vancouver
This vibrant, diverse British Columbia seaport is one of the jewels of Canada. Surrounded by ocean and mountains alike, Vancouver offers breathtaking vistas, not to mention world-class outdoor activities, culinary delights, fine art, and cultural events.
Kamloops
Kamloops, located in the interior of British Columbia, sits at the meeting point of the North and South Thompson Rivers. The name comes from the Secwépemc word “Tk’emlúps,” meaning "where the rivers meet," and the area has been a gathering place for Indigenous communities for thousands of years. Today, visitors can explore this rich cultural heritage at the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park, where trails lead through archaeological sites and reconstructed pit houses.