White Rock

Located near the village of Belaya Skala, which stands for White Rock in Russian, in the Belogorsk District, this majestic vertical rocky wall towers over the valley of the Biyuk-Karasu River. Its summit is 325 m above sea level, and 100 m above the valley. The upper part of the rock is trenched with natural pillars, grottoes and rounded niches developed as a result of weathering. At the bottom of the rock, above the thickets of wild rose and hornbeam, you can see the products of weathering — rockslide debris, piles of boulders and erosion hollows.

Tag: Favourites tag
Date: March 9

Kurobe Gorge

Kurobe Gorge is Japan's deepest V-shaped gorge, located in Toyama Prefecture's Northern Alps. Famous for the Kurobe Gorge Railway trolley train, it features stunning scenery, over 40 tunnels, 20 bridges, and secluded hot springs like Kuronagi. Operations generally run from April to November, with peak autumn colors in late October to early November. It flows down 86km in length and 3,000m in elevation. The bright red Shin Yamabiko Bridge marks the entrance to the Kurobe Gorge. With a length of 166 meters, it is the longest bridge to span the Kurobe River. The area was designated the Chūbu-Sangaku National Park.

Tag: Favourites tag
Date: March 16

Belgian Coast

Thank you Pascale for this beautiful map of our coast.
Date: March 19

Vaduz Castle

Vaduz Castle is the iconic medieval fortress and official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. Perched on a steep hill 120 metres above the capital city of Vaduz, it serves as a primary symbol of the principality.

RR: 10 Countries RR (20)
Date: March 23

Polar Bears

Polar Bears from Canada. Thank you Victoria!
Date: March 8

Mantua

Mantua and Sabbioneta represent two aspects of Renaissance town planning: Mantua shows the renewal and extension of an existing city, while some 30 km away, Sabbioneta represents the implementation of the period’s theories about planning the ideal city. Typically, Mantua’s layout is irregular with regular parts showing different stages of its growth since the Roman period and includes many historical buildings, among them an 11th century rotunda and a Baroque theatre. Sabbioneta, created in the second half of the 16th century under the rule of Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna, can be described as a single-period city and has a right-angle grid layout. Both cities offer exceptional testimonies to the urban, architectural and artistic realizations of the Renaissance, linked through the visions and actions of the ruling Gonzaga family. The two towns are important for the value of their architecture and for their prominent role in the dissemination of Renaissance culture. The ideals of the Renaissance, fostered by the Gonzaga family, are present in the towns’ morphology and architecture.

Unesco: Mantua and Sabbioneta
Tag: Unesco offer tag
Date: Feb 23

On St. Isaac's Square

St. Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city and a masterpiece of Neoclassical architecture. Completed in 1858 after 40 years of construction, it currently functions primarily as a museum, though it still holds religious services on major ecclesiastical occasions. The massive central dome is gilded with over 100kg of gold leaf and dominates the city skyline. The inside is decorated with 14 kinds of marble, malachite, and lapis lazuli. It contains over 600 square meters of mosaics and 103 monumental paintingsn.Visitors can climb 262 steps to reach an observation deck offering 360-degree views of Saint Petersburg.

Unesco: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments
RR: 10 Countries RR (20)
Date: Feb 27

Saariselkä

Saariselkä is a resort village located in the municipality of Inari, Finnish Lapland. It serves as a major gateway to the Urho Kekkonen National Park and is renowned as the northernmost ski resort in Europe. Situated 250 km north of the Arctic Circle, it is a prime location for viewing the Northern Lights and experiencing the Midnight Sun.

Tag: Favorites tag
Date: March 18

Lake Wakatipu

Lake Wakatipu is a stunning glacial lake in the South Island of New Zealand, famous for its deep blue water and the dramatic mountain ranges that surround it. As the country's longest lake at approximately 80 km, it serves as the scenic backdrop for the world-renowned resort town of Queenstown. It is one of New Zealand's premier locations for viewing the Aurora Australis due to its high southern latitude and clear, dark skies.

Tag: Offer tag
Date: Feb 24

Beekse Bergen

Beekse Bergen is home to 11 African savanna elephants. Among the animals living in the Safaripark is Calimero, Europe's largest elephant, weighing as much as 7,000 pounds.

Thank you Maria!
Date: March 15 

Aalst

The central square of Aalst. Thank you Annick
Unesco: Belfries of Belgium and France
Date: March 8

What do you know about Mexico?

What do you know about Mexico, country of Marchiachi music, Tequila and Dia of los Muertos.
Tag: Favourites tag
Date: Jan 23