Category Archives: Travel

Travel Guides: The 15 Most Visited Places In Germany

DW Travel (April 1, 2023) – Planning a trip to Germany and wondering which sights should be on your bucket list? We’ve had a look at the visitor numbers for 2022 for you…and here are the most visited places in Germany:

  • 1. Cologne Cathedral
  • 2. Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
  • 3. Museum Island Berlin
  • 4. Topography of Terror Berlin
  • 5. Zollverein Coal Mine Essen
  • 6. Humboldt Forum Berlin
  • 7. Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg
  • 8. St. Michaelis Hamburg
  • 9. Deutsches Museum Munich
  • 10. Frauenkirche Dresden
  • 11. Fernsehturm Berlin
  • 12. Berlin Wall Memorial
  • 13. Natural History Museum Berlin
  • 14. Heidelberg Castle
  • 15. Neuschwanstein Castle

Tours: Hassan II Mosque In Casablanca, Morocco (4K)

Travel HDefinition (April 1, 2023) – The Hassan II Mosque or Grande Mosquée Hassan II in Casablanca is the largest mosque in Morocco. It is also the 7th largest mosque in the world.

Video timeline: 0:00 Minaret & Outside 0:50 Prayer hall 4:39 Minaret & Outside

This mosque was completed in 1993 and was named after the previous king of Morocco, King Hassan II (1929-1999). As the largest mosque in Morocco, it has the capacity to allow 105,000 worshippers to gather together for prayer. Among those, 25,000 people can gather inside the interior of the mosque, while the remaining 80,000 can gather in the mosque’s outer courtyard. 

The mosque’s 210m high minaret and was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau. There is a laser installed at the top of the minaret which directs its light towards Mecca.

Bicycle Tours: Barichara To Medellín In Colombia

Brompton Traveler (April 1, 2023) – A 300-mile bicycle tour of Columbia from Barichara to Medellín.

Colombia, officially Republic of Colombia, Spanish República de Colombiacountry of northwestern South America. Its 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of coast to the north are bathed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and its 800 miles (1,300 km) of coast to the west are washed by the Pacific Ocean.

The country is bordered by Panama, which divides the two bodies of water, on the northwest, by  Venezuela  and  Brazil on the east, and by Peru and Ecuador on the south. It is more than twice the size of France and includes the San Andrés y Providencia  archipelago, located off the Nicaraguan coast in the Caribbean, some 400 miles (650 km) northwest of the Colombian mainland. The population is largely concentrated in the mountainous interior, where Bogotá, the national capital, is situated on a high plateau in the northern Andes Mountains.

The only American nation that is named for Christopher Columbus, the “discoverer” of the New World, Colombia presents a remarkable study in contrasts, in both its geography and its society. The lofty snow-tipped peaks of the country’s interior cordilleras tower high above equatorial forests and savannas where surviving  indigenous  groups still follow the lifeways and traditions of their ancestors. In the cooler mountains, at intermediate elevations, modern cities are juxtaposed with traditional rural landscapes where mestizo farmers cultivate their small plots of coffee, corn (maize), and other crops. The more accessible Atlantic lowlands, dominated by large livestock haciendas and a tri-ethnic population, have a distinctively different character.

Travel Guide: The Top 12 Places To Visit In Vietnam

touropia (March 31, 2023) – A long, narrow country squeezed in between the South East Asian Sea and the Laos and Cambodia borders, Vietnam is a land of striking landscapes.

Ranging from the lush rice terraces and forested mountains in the north to the picturesque valleys of the Central Highlands and the fertile delta and beautiful beaches of the south. Included in the mix are booming cities, colonial towns, traditional villages and otherworldly islands. Here’s a look at the best places to visit in Vietnam

  • 1. Ha Long Bay
  • 2. Hanoi
  • 3. Hoi An
  • 4. Hue
  • 5. Sapa
  • 6. Nha Trang
  • 7. Mekong Delta
  • 8. Ho Chi Minh City
  • 9. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
  • 10. Phu Quoc
  • 11. My Son
  • 12. Dalat

CULTURE: FRANCE-AMÉRIQUE MAGAZINE – APRIL 2023 Issue

couv-cover-france-amerique-magazine-avril-april-2023
Opens profile photo

France-Amérique Magazine – April 2023 – Ahead of Earth Day, April 22, we profiled five Gallic startups based in the United States and helping biodiversity, fighting against food waste, and curbing global warming. We also sat down with Tristan Grimbert, the French CEO of EDF Renewables North America, one of the leaders on the green energy market in the United States and Canada. Also in this issue, read about the 15-Minute City, a model born in Paris and advocating for livable, sustainable urban centers; discover our profile of Gérard Araud, the former ambassador of France to the U.S. and a sharp observer of international relations; and read our interview with William Christie, the American conductor who has done more than anyone else for the revival of French baroque music.

“French Classical Music Owes a Lot to American Universities”

American harpsichordist and conductor William Christie has arguably done more than anyone else for the global revival of French baroque music. He now lives in France, but on April 25-26, he will bring his ensemble Les Arts Florissants to Carnegie Hall.

Table of contents

FROM THE NEWSDESK

France Rethinks, Once Again, Its Relationship with Africa. By Anthony Bulger

COME ON OUT

French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick

EDITORIAL

Wokeness Dividing the (French) People. By Guy Sorman

INTERVIEW

Julie Taymor: “The Lion King Makes People Laugh from Paris to New York.” By Guy Sorman

THE OBSERVER

Why the 15-Minute City May Be Your Next Home. By Anthony Bulger

BUSINESS

Five French Entrepreneurs Caring for the Planet. By Benoît Georges

360° Travel: Lake Hibara In Fukushima, Japan (12K)

AirPano VR (March 31, 2023) – Lake Hibara is a lake located in Yama District, FukushimaJapan. It is a part of the Bandai-Asahi National Park and is the largest of the lakes in the Bandai-kōgen plateau.

A mesotrophic lake, Lake Hibara was formed as a result of the July 15, 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai. The resulting debris avalanche created a natural dam that then filled with water, submerging Hibara Village.The remains of Hibara Village still lie at the bottom of the lake.

Hikes: Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

URBAN ROAMER (March 30, 2023) – Virtual Walking Tour on Top of Table Mountain Plateau in Cape Town, South Africa. The summit area is huge and full of stunning panoramic views around the Coastline of Camps Bay, Clifton and Sea Point.

Video timeline: 00:00​ View to City Bowl of Cape Town 00:28 Devil’s Peak View 03:15 Other side of the plateau 05:00 Twelve Apostles View 07:40 Restaurant Area on Mountain Top 08:30 Beautiful Bird – What’s the name? 08:53 Camps Bay Beach View 09:20 Lion’s Head | Clifton Beach and Sea Point View 10:30 Waiting Line to go down at cableway station 11:51 Cape Town Cityscape & Table Bay View

Also the City Bowl with its vibrant city centre and business area and even Robben island are visible from the highest point in Cape Town.

Views: A Walking Tour Of Strasbourg, France (4K)

The Traveler (March 29, 2023 Upload) – Strasbourg, German Strassburg, city, capital of Bas-Rhin  départementGrand Est région, eastern France. It lies west of the Rhine River on the Franco-German frontier.

The city was originally a Celtic village, and under the Romans it became a garrison town called Argentoratum. It was captured in the 5th century by the Franks, who called it Strateburgum, from which the present name is derived. In 842 Charles II (the Bald), king of the West Franks, and Louis II (the German), king of the East Franks, took an oath of alliance there, the Serment de Strasbourg, a text of which is the oldest written document in Old French. After a struggle for power between its citizens and the bishops in the Middle Ages, Strasbourg became a free city within the Holy Roman Empire.

Future Of Camping: 2025 ‘Grounded Aerodynamic Pop-Up Towable Camper’

Grounded Aerodynamic Towable – The unique aerodynamic expanding design offers the best of both worlds, blending low-profile aerodynamic efficiency with expanding mechanical engineering to provide you with a large, luxurious space. The hydraulic system allows for a quick and easy transition between towing and livable modes, making setup and teardown a breeze.

  • Roof contracts into aero mode when towing
  • Expands to 6.5 foot standing height when camped out
  • Remotely controllable electronics & appliances
  • 1500 watts of solar to charge up
  • Queen-sized bed
  • Bench seating with pull-out table
  • Kitchen with fridge/freezer, sink, and induction stove
  • Dry-flush toilet
  • Expected to ship in early 2025

The interior is insulated while the rooftop 1,500W solar panels power the remotely controlled electronics and appliances. Based on a modular layout, the travel trailer can be customized to suit each occupant’s requirement, fitting piece by piece according to need.

The Grounded RV’s futuristic towable is expected to ship in 2025 with a weather-resistant exterior and modern aesthetics to leave most RV makers thinking. With all the fancy antics, the interesting concept puts durability, comfort, and sustainability at the forefront, which has left the outdoorsy in me excited.

Read a review at YankoDesign.com