Alte Oper in Germany

Alte Oper  in Germany

Alte Oper, or Old Opera, was an opera house and is today a concert venue, home to the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Designed by Richard Lucae in the Renaissance style, the opera house opened in 1880 and is known for its impressive architecture.

During World War II, a bomb was dropped on the city in 1944, destroying the Alte Oper. Years later, there were plans for new construction on the site, but the people of Frankfurt fought to have the Alte Oper reconstructed. The Alte Oper, using parts of its original façade, was rebuilt and opened its doors on August 28, 1981.

Though Frankfurt has a new opera house, the Alte Oper still operates as a venue for concerts, performances, and plays.

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Milford Sound is a fjord carved out by a glacier, which created a narrow inlet, lined by steep cliffs and waterfalls. Milford Sound’s natural wonder has drawn millions of tourists to take in its awe-inspiring beauty, making it New Zealand’s top tourist destination. Wildlife sightings can include dolphins, penguins, seals, and glow worms.

Visitors to this fjord often take a boat ride along the water, but alternatives include bus tours, canoe or kayak rides, and an underwater observatory to view sea creatures and black coral. To experience Milford Sound in a completely different way, visitors can take a plane or helicopter ride around the area, which allows for views of the glaciers and mountains. Hiking the Milford Track is another popular method of viewing Milford Sound, but the trek will take about four days.

Lake Superior (Great Lakes in North America)

Lake Superior (Great Lakes in North America) is the largest freshwater lake in the world

Part of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior is the largest of this major group of lakes and the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area (but not by volume). The lake is situated along the border between the United States and Canada, with borders in the Canadian province of Ontario and the US states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Lake Superior offers 2,726 miles (4,387 kilometers) of coastline, including the islands, lending it and the rest of the Great Lakes region the nickname “the third coast”.

There are several islands in Lake Superior, the largest of which is Isle Royale, which is part of Michigan. This island has its own lakes and even 400 of its own islands. Isle Royale is part of the National Parks Service. Additional islands in Lake Superior include Madeline Island in Wisconsin, Michipicoten Island in Ontario, and Grand Island in Michigan. Grand Island is home to a national recreation area in the Hiawatha National Forest.

Other popular places to visit around Lake Superior include the Sleeping Giant in Ontario, which are mesas on the Sibley Peninsula formed to look like a sleeping giant, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the first official National Lakeshore in the country, and the forested Pukaskwa National Park in Ontario.

The Lake Superior area offers a variety of recreational opportunities such as camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, hunting, canoeing, and kayaking, as well as observing wildlife including bears, moose, lynx, and grey wolves.

Aeolian Islands, Italy

Marina Corta in Lipari Island (Aeolian Islands)

Located in the Tyrrhenian Sea just north of the Italian island of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands are an archipelago formed by volcanic activity. The Aeolian Islands are part of Italy and commonly accessed via Sicily. There are seven main Aeolian Islands, which have a combined total of over 1,200 square kilometers (463 square miles) of land. There are also several smaller islets in the archipelago. The main islands in the archipelago are Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi, and Alicudi. Two active volcanoes are located in the Aeolian Islands: Stromboli and Vulcano.

The main island of the group is Lipari, which serves as a transportation hub and base for visitors to the islands. Vulcano is home to the volcano named Vulcano, and is a popular destination for beach vacations and mud baths. Stromboli, though most remote, is a popular spot to visit for its regularly active volcano. The other islands offer scenic nature and great views of the volcanoes.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA

The first national park in the world, Yellowstone is home to Old Faithful Geyser, as well as the majority of the world’s geysers. Yellowstone features well preserved natural beauty, including its mountains, subalpine forest, canyons, rivers, and lakes. Yellowstone Lake is in the Yellowstone Caldera, an active volcano that is the largest in North America. The volcanic activity in Yellowstone is responsible for the geothermal features like the famous geysers

 The park also contains a variety of wildlife, including the Yellowstone Park Bison Herd, who roam free around the park. Other wildlife found around the park includes elk, bears, wolves, moose, and bighorn sheep.

Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia

Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

The Petronas Twin Towers are dual skyscrapers with a postmodern design, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The design of Cesar Pelli is inspired by the Islamic symbol, Rub el Hizb – two overlapping squares, rotated to create an eight-pointed star. The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998-2004 (when they were surpassed by Taipei 101). There are 88 floors in each of the towers. The two towers are connected at the 41st and 42nd floors by the sky bridge – the highest two-story bridge in the world, which is 170 meters (558 feet) high, and 58 meters (190 feet) long.

The towers have a total of 78 elevators. The 29 main elevators are all double-decker – the bottom deck stops at odd-numbered floors, and the upper deck serves even-numbered floors. To reach an even numbered floor from the ground, passengers must take an escalator up one level from the ground floor.

Times Square in New York

Times Square in New York, USA 

One of the most iconic attractions in the world, Times Square has become a symbol of the bustling city and thriving culture of New York. Named for the newspaper The New York Timesafter it moved its headquarters to the square in 1904, Times Square is now a major entertainment center, home to television studios, businesses, and hundreds of bright flashing billboards.

Times Square is the most visited tourist attraction in the world, with about 40 million annual visitors. Every year since 1907, hundreds of thousands of people have gathered in Times Square on New Years Eve to watch the crystal ball drop at the strike of midnight, ushering in the new year. Today, millions of people flock to the square, and many more watch the celebrations on the annual New Year’s Eve television special.