Wikivoyage:Discover/2019

December 2019

 * One attraction in El Cerrito is the Metallica House, where the heavy metal band was housed during the mid-1980s.
 * The Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta was gifted to the city by the prince who built the Taj Mahal to thank the city for housing exiled Emperor Shah Jahan.
 * Torre del Homenaje (pictured) is the only remaining portion of the Moorish castle in Requena, built around the 10th century as a border fortification.
 * Suwabute Clams can only be found on the shores of Okuragahama in Hyuga; their shells are used to make go game stones.
 * The cuisines of all Nordic countries are quite similar, although each country does have its signature dishes.
 * In Israel buses must and trains can be paid by Rav Kav card (reader pictured) and it is highly advisable for any trip to Israel to get a Rav Kav ideally already when entering the country.
 * Artefacts worth pondering over in the Nanjing Museum include a jade burial suit and an arched door from the Ming era Porcelain Pagoda.
 * Flying to Ísafjörður, you are treated to a grand view of the fjords on the descent into the airport.
 * There are more historical temples (cluster of temples pictured) in Bishnupur than in any other place in West Bengal.
 * A sizable number of the world's largest, longest or highest natural wonders are located in South America.
 * Manteca has several murals designed to give visitors, newcomers and longtime residents alike an insight into the community's culture, history, and economy.
 * Coimbra is the seat of one of world's oldest universities with a UNESCO-listed campus (pictured).
 * First explored by Matthew Flinders in 1802, he named the Kangaroo Island in honour of the feast of kangaroo he and his crew enjoyed on the island.
 * Glienicke Bridge which spans the Havel River to connect the cities of Potsdam and Berlin near Klein Glienicke was used to exchange spies during the Cold War.
 * Even though most locals don't speak French, many of the street names, restaurant names and wine farms in Franschhoek (pictured) have French names.
 * The Bee Discovery Station of Clovermead Apiaries in Aylmer has Ontario's largest glass bee display hive.
 * Kourion outside Limassol is an archeological site which includes a well-preserved Greco-Roman theatre, The House of Achilles, The Altar of Apollo and spectacular views of the Curium Beach.
 * The forests of Stewart Island is a haven for bird-life (oyster catchers pictured), as there are fewer predators than on the New Zealand mainland.
 * The ceiling of Košice's State Theatre is decorated with paintings of scenes from Shakespeare's tragedies Othello, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and Midsummer Night's dream.
 * Located at the site where Patna is today, the ancient city of Patliputra, with a glorious period of history spanning a thousand years (500BC-400AD), saw the rise and fall of India's first major kingdoms.
 * The 17th-century streets and buildings of Diamantina (pictured) are witnesses to Brazil's diamond and gold digging ages, and its historic center has been listed as a World Heritage Site.
 * One of the U.S's biggest civic events, the Kentucky Derby Festival takes place for the two weeks prior to the first Saturday in May in Louisville.
 * Ise is primarily known for the eponymous Ise Shrine, arguably the holiest and most important Shinto site and the reputed home of the Emperor's Sacred Mirror.
 * Et'hem Bey Mosque in Tirana is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in Albania with very interesting decorations and artwork within it (pictured).
 * The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva comprises four floors of stunningly beautiful watches and clocks from the last centuries, both Patek Philippe and other brands.
 * Cursing is illegal on the island of Nevis.
 * The most popular food in Kathmandu could be the momo (pictured), a dumpling which has its roots in Tibet and China.
 * Tongatapu's flying foxes are considered to be sacred in Tonga; only the king is allowed to hunt them.
 * After weeks of fighting over control of Takamatsu Castle in Okayama, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was able to force a quick surrender by diverting a river to flood the castle.
 * The all-you-can-eat Nordic buffet/smörgåsbord (pictured) on Baltic Sea ferries should traditionally be eaten as seven servings; herring, other seafood, cold cuts, warm meat, sausage, cheese and dessert.
 * The rose window in St. John's Episcopal Church in Franklin is the second largest Tiffany window in the world and said to be among Tiffany's personal favorites.

November 2019

 * A seemingly odd statue of Bulgaria's first Communist leader stands in a road intersection in Cotonou, Benin as a remnant of its abandoned Communist efforts.
 * The monkeys at Uluwatu on the Bukit Peninsula are adept at stealing visitors' sunglasses (pictured).
 * In Chinese cuisine, tofu comes in lots of different forms, many of which may be totally unrecognizable.
 * The impressive building of the KGB headquarters on the main street of Minsk has a façade that belies what's found within.
 * A former army base, converted to a large botanical garden in 1993, Jardín Etnobotánico in Oaxaca showcases the rich biodiversity of Oaxacan plant life (cacti pictured).
 * With eight of the top ten highest summits in the world and some of the most beautiful landscapes which are only reachable on foot, trekking in Nepal is one of the unique experiences of Asia.
 * The name of Arkansas is a French pronunciation of a Siouxan word meaning "land of downriver people", was prescribed by law in 1881 and it is still illegal to mispronounce the name.
 * The facade of the Town Hall (pictured) of 's-Hertogenbosch was built in the 17th century and reflects Dutch classicism.
 * Even bigger than the one on Jersey, the German Underground Hospital on Guernsey was built during the occupation against an Allied attack that never came.
 * Nazareth has for 2,000 years been closely identified with Christianity and has attracted hundreds of millions of pilgrims from around the world.
 * Sometimes called the "Country Music Capital of the World", Nashville features the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (exhibits pictured).
 * El Castillo was built shortly after a pirate attack in the 1670s to protect Lake Nicaragua and its ports, mainly Granada, from pirates.
 * At the far end of St Kilda pier is the St Kilda breakwater, which is home to native water rats and the popular little penguins.
 * Radcliffe Camera functions as a reading room for Oxford students and so is not generally accessible. The grand exterior (pictured), however, is well worth viewing.
 * The Lighthouse of Port Said was built in 1869 by Francois Coignet using reinforced concrete for the first time in the history.
 * Minneapolis is one of few cities to use multi-colored street signs. The colors indicate the priority of plowing during winter storms.
 * The Mass Rapid Transit system (system map pictured) of Taipei has been widely lauded as one of the most reliable and efficient systems in the world.
 * Dmitrov is surrounded by wetlands, and has a frog museum which celebrates the city by exhibiting all types of frog-related objects.
 * Lynchburg's name is derived from its founder, John Lynch, who, at the age of 17, began a ferry service across the James River to facilitate travel to and from New London.
 * The world-famous baroque gardens of Herrenhausen (pictured) in Hanover were created in the 17th century to copy the Versailles Garden in France.
 * One of the main central Salvador beaches is Porto de Barra. It was originally the site of the first settlement of European newcomers to Bahia.
 * Filipino is a modified version of Tagalog, the main language of the northern Philippines.
 * The Basilica of San Zeno (pictured) is dedicated to Verona's patron saint Zeno, a 4th-century North African keen fisherman who was ordained Bishop of Verona in 363.
 * In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, photography is officially illegal without an official permit, the last known price for which was US$60.
 * There isn't much to see in Setúbal, but a lot to admire in the surrounding areas.
 * Walt Disney World (Cinderella Castle pictured) is the flagship of Disney's worldwide theme park empire and by far the most popular theme park resort in the world.
 * Ranong occupies the Kra Isthmus which is the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula.
 * Middletown, Connecticut offers excellent resources for those with an artistic bent.
 * The Chaukundi Tombs (pictured) in Karachi are remarkable for the elaborate and exquisite stone carving, a style unique to the region of Sindh.
 * The Aranui Cave has a natural cave entrance and is the smallest and most delicate of Waitomo's three main caves.

October 2019

 * St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall is an impressive Romanesque building with alternating courses of sandstone: red from Kirkwall and yellow from Eday.
 * Akureyri (pictured) is a very picturesque town with its location by a scenic fjord, eclectic building styles and streets winding their way through gorges.
 * Baotou used to be an arid region inhabited by Mongolian herders and their sheep. Today, the metropolitan area has a population of over two million.
 * On the Adjarra Market outside Porto-Novo one can find unique types of tie-dyed fabric, amazing pottery, unusual musical instruments, various voodoo ornaments, and of course mainstream market items.
 * Today, Kreuzbergkirche in Bonn (pictured) serves as both a church and a German language and culture school, but is probably best known for the Heiliger Steige (holy staircase).
 * A tour of the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town will acquaint you with South Africa's modern history and political system.
 * The reddish grains of sand of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park come from the eroding Navajo sandstone, thus giving the dunes its name.
 * Nagasaki's most famous dish is champon (pictured), a hearty dish of noodles in a pork-based broth, filled with vegetables, bacon, shrimp, squid, and scallops.
 * Rugged and dry, pre-tourist development the Bukit Peninsula was a real backwater of Bali.
 * Colombia is famous for its coffee and Medellín is only a few hours from the coffee growing centers of the country.
 * Sochi (pictured) is often called the unofficial Summer Capital of Russia, or the Black Sea Pearl.
 * The HMS Birkenhead is an important historical wreck for both engineering and cultural reasons.
 * Indiana Dunes National Park is popular for its big sand dunes and plentiful beaches on Lake Michigan.
 * In the Thai border town of Mae Sai there's a large scorpion statue facing pointedly toward Myanmar (pictured).
 * The JadeWeserPort Infocenter in Wilhelmshaven is an exhibition on the port as well as modern container trade in general.
 * The Pajcha Museum in Salta has a collection of traditional art, textiles, icons and jewelry from all over South and Central America.
 * The Temple of Luxor was largely the work of Amenhotep III and Ramsses II the Great whose colossi and obelisk stand at the entrance (pictured).
 * Any malaria prophylaxis must be taken before, during, and (especially) after travelling to a malaria-risk zone.
 * The very distinctive Scouse accent of Liverpool has strong Irish and Welsh influences, and differs greatly even from that of the surrounding areas.
 * Hamamatsu is a uniquely international city in Japan, home to almost 16,000 Brazilians among others (samba dancing pictured).
 * Although some of Dublin's finest Georgian architecture was demolished in the mid-20th century, a remarkable amount remains.
 * Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the largest aquarium in the world with over a hundred thousand animals in 8 million gallons of water.
 * The Church on the Blood (pictured) in Yekaterinburg was built in 2003 at the site of the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.
 * Nagercoil is the southernmost city on the Indian mainland.
 * The churches of St Nicholas Bolnički and St Mary Bolnička in Ohrid were built in the 14th century with dormitories around them which were used as quarantine stations for visitors of the city.
 * In Gettysburg you can visit the preserved farm home (interior pictured) of former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
 * The main drawcard of the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville is the display of artefacts from the HMS Pandora, the ship that the British sent in pursuit of the HMS Bounty.
 * Prior to the British colonisation, Kumasi was the capital of the Ashanti Empire, one of the great civilisations of Africa.
 * South Georgia Island is the home of vast numbers of birds (pictured) and marine life, but its remote location and lack of access makes it a rare destination for tourists.
 * The Skiathos home of author Alexandros Papadiamantis, who wrote over 100 novels mostly based on island life, has been turned into a museum.
 * Onomichi has been called "Japan's hometown", a quiet port city of temples and literature along the Seto Inland Sea.

September 2019

 * From Whitianga cruising boats depart for trips around the scenic Mercury Bay and Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve (Cathedral Cove pictured) with its abundant sea-life.
 * The village of Schengen is known because the Schengen Agreement, which abolished passport controls between some EU members, was signed here in 1985.
 * While JFK still has more terminals than most major airports, it is actually at its smallest terminal count in history.
 * Western European influence is abound in the Peterhof Palace (pictured), laid out on the orders of Peter the Great.
 * For unmarked goods, there is wide room for bargaining when shopping in China.
 * Unalaska is the westernmost point on the Alaska Marine Highway, and as such the westernmost point in the Americas reachable by scheduled land and sea transportation.
 * Islamic Cairo is not more or less Islamic than the rest of the city, but it's the area of the city which holds the most, the greatest and the most famous Islamic monuments (Citadel pictured).
 * Ireland, in fact, has two cultures: the historical Gaelic culture and the more recent English-speaking culture which largely replaced it.
 * Batumi Botanical Garden is a quiet spot, next to the Black Sea on a high cliff and both green and cool.
 * The Pyramid of the Sun (pictured) is the largest pyramid in the Teotihuacan structure with an excellent view of the surrounding mountains.
 * Even in a nation of obsessive gourmands Osaka is known as an excellent place to eat, exemplified by the Osakan maxim kuidaore, "eat yourself into ruin".
 * Unlike Vladivostok, Khabarovsk has never been closed to foreigners, and retains a distinct international feel, rare for the Russian provincial centers.
 * The restored battle frigate Jylland (pictured), nowadays resting its enormous keel solidly on concrete, within meters of the sea in Ebeltoft is the largest wooden ship in the world.
 * In Abu Simbel, it feels at least 10°C (20°F) colder than in Aswan due to lake Nasser and the wind coming from it.
 * Brownsea Island outside Poole is famous for its large population of red squirrels, and as the birthplace of the Scout Movement.
 * Arguably the best views (pictured)  of George Town and the Straits of Malacca can be found at the Penang Hill near Air Itam.
 * Today Indianapolis is known as the "Crossroads of America" due to its centrality in America's Interstate Highway System.
 * While it at first might sound like a dream job, travel writing is one of the most brutally competitive and poorly paid professions around.
 * For a Brazilian state capital with 300,000 inhabitants, Boa Vista (downtown pictured) is remarkably quiet.
 * Black and white sand beaches extend for miles around Puerto Viejo de Talamanca they are wide and often deserted, offering stretches ideal for walking and sunbathing.
 * In Rivera you may not even notice you're crossing the border from Uruguay into Brazil, which is marked by inconspicuous white border markers.
 * The co-cathedral of St Peter and St Paul (pictured) in Osijek is the tallest church in Croatia and has a spire of 90 m.
 * Although Campione d'Italia is Italian, it has considerable integration with Switzerland: the Swiss franc is used, the town uses the Swiss phone and mail systems, and firefighters and ambulances are also Swiss.
 * The Indian subcontinent and the rest of Asia are on different continental plates that are colliding; the Himalayas and related ranges are along the boundary of the plates and the force of the collision creates the world's highest mountains.
 * La Grande Poste (pictured) in Algiers is a masterpiece of neo-Moorish architecture built in 1910 by the French.
 * In Pápa you can visit the museum of blue-dyeing in the former blue-dyeing workshop of the Kluge family which once was one of the most significant in Central Europe.
 * The old town of Hoi An is arguably at its best at night, when the activity along the river front is lit by the soft light of silk lanterns.
 * The most notable of the residences in Sintra is Pena Palace (pictured); a romanticist castle on a mountain top, constructed out of a former Hieronymite monastery.
 * Most of the Torres Strait Islands are left to the more intrepid voyager or those with business with the indigenous communities.
 * Ashkelon is especially famous for its history as one of ancient Philistines' major cities and in the biblical story of Samson.

August 2019

 * Purwokerto has a museum (pictured) dedicated to R.A. Wiriatmaja who pioneered the Indonesian banking system.
 * Cleveland's long history of industrial wealth has left it chock full of cultural riches as well as the beginnings of a "sustainable city" movement.
 * The Museum of Belize in Belize City is a former prison and now the national museum of Belize.
 * A famous landmark of Katowice is the Spodek Concert Hall (pictured), also nicknamed "the flying saucer".
 * Mahamrityunjaya temple outside Mandi is equally sacred to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.
 * The quintessential Wisconsin Friday night involves a supper club.
 * The recently refurbished Wakkanai Station (pictured) has a marker designating the northernmost point in Japan's railway network.
 * In the building housing Lviv's Post Museum, the first post office in Ukraine was opened in 1629.
 * Gaborone abounds with shopping malls, and pretty much every South African chain store has at least one branch somewhere in the city.
 * The cathedral Sanctuario de las Lajas (pictured) in Ipiales is spectacularly built on a bridge over the Guaitara river.
 * Approximately 60 species of palms are native to Australia; most are represented in the Palmetum in Townsville.
 * Built during the reign of Antonius Pius, 138-161AD, the impressive Roman theater in Amman could seat up to 6,000 people.
 * Once the most important ironworks in the world, the Völklingen Ironworks (pictured) in Saarbrücken is now closed but well-preserved and listed as a world heritage site.
 * The village of Dobbs Ferry offers gorgeous views of the Hudson River from various viewpoints downtown and up in the hills, including the edge of the New Jersey Palisades.
 * Although it is one of the eleven Frisian cities, Harlingen is perhaps the least Frisian of them all.
 * Its cutlery may be in kitchen drawers the world over, but Sheffield (its Cathedral pictured) hasn't necessarily reinvented itself in the way that other northern English cities have managed to do.
 * Cheyenne is infamous for seemingly having different types of weather over a few miles.
 * Pekanbaru has the reputation of being one of the cleanest big cities in Indonesia.
 * The greatest attraction of the area around Datong City is the 1,500-year-old Yúngāng Grottoes — these mountain-side caves and recesses are filled with 51,000 Buddhist statues (pictured).
 * 176 of the San Juan Islands are large enough to be named.
 * The best Eritrean souvenirs are traditional handicrafts made from leather, olivewood, clay and straw.
 * At the Saluting Battery in Valletta, a gun is fired (pictured)  twice a day.
 * Seafood is the order of the day on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; from upscale restaurants in Port Blair to local dhabas on Havelock, fish abounds.
 * The Tree of Hippocrates in Kos isn't the original tree under which Hippocrates of Kos taught his pupils the art of medicine, but may possibly be a descendant of it.
 * The oldest surviving blockhouse in Canada, Fort Edward (pictured) in Windsor (Nova Scotia) was built by the British in 1750.
 * Donegal has many beautiful golf courses, some beside these beaches, and Letterkenny is the ideal base for visiting golfers.
 * The Assembly Theatre in Burrillville is located next door to the beautiful Harrisville waterfall.
 * The biggest attraction of Córdoba is the Mezquita, a massive former mosque-turned-cathedral famed for its "forest" of columns (pictured) topped with Islamic-style red and white striped arches.
 * For the high season, tickets for the Inca Trail must be booked immediately when they become available, often six months in advance or more.
 * The Bahulara Temple outside Bankura is considered the finest example of brick rekha deul temple made in the style of Kalinga architecture ascribed to the Pala (medieval) period.
 * Also known as the "Bird's Nest" (鸟巢 Niǎocháo), the Chinese National Stadium (pictured) in Beijing is the world's largest steel structure.

July 2019

 * Chieti occupies the site of the Roman Teate Marrucinorum, the chief town of the Marrucini, of which ruins remain.
 * There are not many taxis in Brunei, because car ownership and usage are high.
 * Jonathan Dickinson State Park (pictured) on the Treasure Coast is a great place to see natural Florida's grasslands, woodlands, mangrove forest, and swamp.
 * Once a year Skanderborg comes to life as it hosts the second largest music festival of Denmark, "Danmarks Smukkeste Festival" or simply "SmukFest".
 * The Rason Special Economic area is in many ways a separate country from North Korea.
 * Jamestown (lighthouse pictured) is the oldest part of Accra and remains an active fishing center.
 * Brisbane is a "garden metropolis" famous for its leafy, open spaces and the pleasant pace of life that unfolds between the zig-zags of its iconic river.
 * Cotswold Water Park in Swindon is the United Kingdom's largest water park and has over 150 lakes which were formed by filling old gravel quarries.
 * Photography of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (pictured) in Hanoi is allowed only from outside.
 * Most Bulgarian dishes are oven baked, steamed, or in the form of stew.
 * One highlight of the Museum of Archaeology in Kütahya is a marble sarcophagus excavated at Aizanoi, with highly detailed carvings around it.
 * Reno markets itself as the "Biggest Little City in the World" (Reno Arch pictured).
 * Dubbed the African Camelot, the Fasil Ghebbi (Royal Enclosure) in Gondar contains several castles and palaces and other buildings including lions' cages (now vacant).
 * Although Emmen is not a particularly interesting destination for travellers, it's well known in the Netherlands for its biggest attraction: the zoo.
 * Haitian cuisine (dishes pictured) is a wonderful mix of French and African culinary traditions.
 * Apparently Australia's (or at least Victoria's) largest inland beach, Apex in Mildura is a great place to swim.
 * For 200 years, the natural hot springs surrounding present-day Hot Springs National Park have been used to treat illnesses and to relax.
 * The lakes in Plitvice Lakes National Park are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure (pictured) to green, grey or blue.
 * Despite its name, the "Jerusalem artichoke" has no connection to Jerusalem, and you won't find it used more widely here than elsewhere.
 * The history of Glacier National Park, British Columbia is closely tied to two primary Canadian transportation routes, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)and the Trans-Canada Highway.
 * The main attraction of Luxembourg's National Museum of Military History in Diekirch are its 1:1 scale dioramas (pictured).
 * Cyclones are a threat to travellers particularly near coastlines in the Southern United States, the Caribbean, Japan, and the Philippines.
 * Tønsberg is the oldest town in Norway.
 * Like many castles in Japan, Wakayama castle (pictured) is a partial reconstruction, as it suffered bomb damage during the war.
 * The Whangaroa district has some of New Zealand's most picturesque white sand beaches, which are ideal for swimming, snorkeling and surfing, along with just lazing around.
 * The old site of Song Kiln shows the scale of production and the exquisite craftsmanship of ceramic in ancient Chaozhou.
 * Jundiaí is one of the few places in the São Paulo state outside the São Paulo metro area where it is possible to arrive by train (platform pictured).
 * Muslibegovića House in Mostar is considered the most beautiful house from Ottoman period in the Balkans.
 * Aberdeen has a mediaeval layout like many cities in the UK, so for the first-time visitor, a map is helpful.
 * In Ohiopyle you can visit Fallingwater (pictured), a house perched atop a waterfall that is Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous structure and considered one of the finest works of architecture in the U.S.
 * The area around Coron is famous for its World War II wreck diving, and the site has been named in many lists of top dive spots in the world.

June 2019

 * Located in the site of an old Northwest Bell manual switchboard, the Cle Elum Telephone Museum contains exhibits of telephone technology from 1901 to 1975.
 * Zorats Karer (pictured) near Sisian is Armenia's older and cruder answer to Stonehenge in England.
 * One attraction in Biratnagar is the Jute Mills, which is the oldest industrial endeavour in Nepal.
 * Although all of Greenland is known for being cold, different parts of Greenland have significantly different temperatures.
 * Musée National Boubou-Hama (pictured) in Niamey has many Hausa-styled pavilions displaying both traditional and modern Niger and is one of West Africa's best national museums.
 * Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland and is famous for its crystalware and intriguing medieval history.
 * An uninhabited unincorporated territory of the United States, Baker Island is one of the smallest U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
 * The main historical exhibits of the Maritime Museum in Malacca are hosted inside a replica of the Flora de la Mar (pictured), a 16th-Century Portuguese ship.
 * The weekly Hippie Fair in Belo Horizonte is one of the largest artisan fairs in Brazil and offers everything from crafts to jewelry, furniture to souvenirs, clothing to food.
 * Managua's location between the rival cities of León and Granada made it an ideal compromise site when the capital was relocated in the 1850s.
 * Founded in 1926 using Carl Zeiss technology, the Zeiss-Planetarium (pictured) in Jena is one of the oldest projection planetariums in the world.
 * Certain neighbourhoods of Quy Nhon have developed into bánh xèo (a kind of pancake) specialty areas, where restaurants or street-side vendors congregate in friendly competition with each other.
 * Ibiza and Formentera are also known as the Islas Pitiusas (from the Greek word "pitys" meaning pine tree) because of the abundance of pines that cover their landscapes.
 * Livingston, Montana retains much of its Old West history with 436 buildings on the National Historic Register (downtown pictured).
 * Old Dhaka has little of public transport infrastructure so cycle rickshaw is your best option.
 * Monterrey's most famous landmark is the saddle-shaped mountain Cerro de la Silla that dominates the local skyline.
 * Historically part of the Austrian Empire and divided by the Rhine river, the city of Laufenburg is nowadays partially in Germany, partially in Switzerland. (German part seen across Rhine pictured)
 * Famous for its temple ruins, Batujaya translates to "glorious stone(s)".
 * Dahlonega was the site of a major gold rush, claimed the first in the US by local citizens.
 * In Watford you can visit the Warner Bros Studios (pictured).
 * Munda Wanga Environmental Park in Lusaka was started in 1956 as private garden and has grown to be Zambia's premier environmental education facility.
 * The Magnificent Seven Houses in Port of Spain were built during colonial times and have very interesting histories.
 * Sulayman Mountain (pictured) looming over Osh is full of ancient sites of worship, some still in use, dating back several millennia and considered the most complete example of a Central Asian sacred mountain.
 * Cronulla is the only Sydney beach located on a train line and thus one of the most accessible of Sydney beaches.
 * The uniquely eclectic Saint-Christophe church in Charleroi has seen additions from just about every architectural style since it was built in 1667.
 * No visit to Zambia is complete without a stop at the Victoria Falls (pictured), one of the most stunning waterfalls in the world.
 * While less visited than the better known tourist attraction ruins like Chichen Itza, many people find the Copán Ruinas even more interesting.
 * Nablus olive soap has been very famous for centuries, and it is handmade in factories located in the Old City.
 * In Taganrog you can visit the birthhouse (pictured) of the Russian writer Anton Chekhov.
 * The Tibetan Plateau is the world's largest and, with average heights of over 4,000m, also the world's highest, plateau.

May 2019

 * Red Hook is the only place in New York where you can get a frontal view of the Statue of Liberty from land.
 * The largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, the Tasmanian Devil (pictured) it is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and ferocity when feeding.
 * Eureka Springs sprang up almost overnight around the area's numerous cold water springs, thought to have healing properties.
 * Hermansons trading house in Haparanda was built in 1832 and it is one of the best preserved buildings in Northern Sweden.
 * The journey from the gate to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro (pictured) is like travelling from the equator to Antarctica in a matter of days.
 * McMichael Canadian Art Gallery in Vaughan is renowned for its devotion to collecting and exhibiting only Canadian art.
 * Qufu is famous as the birthplace of Confucius.
 * Mainau is maintained as a garden island (flower statues pictured) and a model of excellent environmental practices.
 * Monumento aos Açorianos in Porto Alegre is a 17 m high monument in the memory of the people from the Azores, who were the first to settle there.
 * At the Miraikan Science Center in Odaiba, Tokyo new technologies like robots and space modules are presented and demonstrations and physical experiments for the inquiring mind are given.
 * If you are looking for the "real Alaska" Anchorage is not it, but you can see it from there (skyline with Chugach Mountains in background pictured).
 * One popular attraction in Arica is the Cathedral of San Marcos, designed by Gustave Eiffel like the tower in Paris.
 * Beautifully tended parks and historical sights make the alpine town of Bad Reichenhall one of the most precious jewels of Bavaria.
 * Many of Piran's restaurants are located along the waterfront (Prešernovo nabrežje, pictured), with open air seating and great views.
 * The UNESCO World Heritage Program aims to catalogue and preserve sites of outstanding importance, either cultural or natural, to the common heritage of humankind.
 * The primary appeal of snorkeling is the opportunity to observe underwater life in a natural setting without the complicated equipment and training required for scuba diving.
 * Acadia National Park is along the rugged, rocky coast (pictured) of "Downeast" Maine.
 * Located in undulating pine-covered hills, and home to several waterfalls, Shillong is also known as the Scotland of the East.
 * The Museum of Sonora in Hermosillo is housed in a very creepy castle-like old stone penitentiary built in 1897.
 * In Pécs you can see remains of early Christian monuments (tomb chapel pictured), from the Roman age when the city was known as Sopianae.
 * Zulu is a tonal language, so the meaning of some words depends on whether you use a high or low pitch.
 * The Nature Park Bulgarka is about at the geographical center of Bulgaria and contains one of the major passages through the Balkan Mountains, the Shipka passage.
 * The modern town of Jericho includes the ancient mound known as Tell es-Sultan (pictured), the accumulated remains of cities that have existed on the site for some 9,000 years, since the Neolithic period.
 * The Rocky Mountain states contain many of the greatest national parks in the U.S., Indigenous American communities, and a vivant Old West heritage.
 * On the Silk Road Gansu marked the end or beginning of China proper depending on whether you were traveling east towards Xi'an or west towards Central Asia and Europe.
 * Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion in Lucerne's Lion Monument (pictured) as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."
 * The Sanko Harvest wreck in Cape Le Grand National Park is the second largest diveable wreck in the world and the largest on the Australian coast.
 * A speciality of Trinidad and Tobago is Mauby, a beverage made with the bark of the mauby tree and spices, such as anise and cinnamon.
 * If you intend to photograph far-away objects – especially wildlife, for example going on safari or birdwatching – you will need a telephoto lens (pictured).
 * Throughout Düsseldorf you may encounter life-size figures of people standing on advertising columns, the so-called pillar saints.
 * With mountains visible in nearly every direction, Abbotsford is in one of the most geographically stunning regions of British Columbia.

April 2019

 * A 368 meter-high tower built of concrete and standing on three legs, the Riga TV Tower (pictured) is the tallest tower in the European Union.
 * Melbourne is known as the fashion capital of Australia with numerous malls and boutique-lined streets.
 * Buried cheese is a specialty of Yeghegnadzor.
 * The numerous magnificent ruins (Wat Phra Si Sanphet pictured) in Ayutthaya indicate that the city was one of Southeast Asia's (and probably the world's) most prosperous cities in the 17th century.
 * Conakry Botanical Garden is noted for its kapok trees.
 * The wooden roof of the 11th century Ancona cathedral is in the shape of an upside-down boat and its most obvious feature is the 12-sided cupola.
 * At the Witches' Market (pictured) in La Paz vendors sell things like llama fetuses and dried frogs for Aymara rituals, as well as soapstone figurines and aphrodisiac formulas.
 * The Alaska Marine Highway provides a connection to many island and island-like communities, including the Alaskan state capital Juneau which is accessible only by boat or plane despite being located on the mainland.
 * Founded in 1416 by a disciple of Tsong Khapa, the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa was the biggest and richest monastery in Tibet and its lamas helped to train each new young Dalai Lama.
 * Although looking centenary, Museu da Companhia Paulista (pictured) in Jundiaí was actually built in 1979 to pay homage to the railway history of the São Paulo state.
 * Kristiansand in Southern Norway is sometimes confused with Kristiansund in West Norway or Kristianstad in Sweden and is therefore sometimes called Kristiansand S, where S stands for South.
 * The most popular attraction in Chae Son National Park is the Chae Son hot spring where you can cook eggs in 15 minutes.
 * Lawrence, Kansas (pictured) has been the setting of many movies and is a growing cultural hub in Kansas.
 * The Atlantic ocean absorbs heat in summer and releases it in winter, granting Tenerife fairly constant temperatures throughout the year.
 * In Rzeszów you can visit a museum dedicated to popular animated films for children before bedtime.
 * On of the major sights in Kisangani is the Boyoma Falls with fishermen using conical traps to catch fish (pictured).
 * Waterloo is part of Canada's Technology Triangle, and many IT companies are either based or have branch offices here.
 * Formerly separate islands, Yeongjong and Yongyu have been joined together by Incheon's international airport, built between them on reclaimed land.
 * The Cromford Mill (pictured) was the world's first water-powered cotton spinning mill developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771.
 * At a length of 5,224 km, and stretching the whole mainland part of the country, the Ruta Nacional 40 is the longest national highway of Argentina and a popular travel itinerary.
 * Karlovy Vary, meaning "Charles' Bath", was named after Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who founded the city in 1370.
 * Todoroki ravine (pictured) in Setagaya, Tokyo is a natural canyon nestled in urban surroundings.
 * Wagga Wagga Art Gallery houses the Australian Print Collection and the Print Australia Archive and is home to the National Art Glass Collection, Australia's premier display of glass art.
 * Turkish has some vowel sounds that are not known in many other languages, and thus can be hard to learn.
 * The people of Guinea-Bissau love to drink warga, a sweet green tea (pictured).
 * El Jaguar Zoo & Disco in Puerto Maldonado is a zoo during daytime and a night club at night.
 * In the Gold Room of the Swedish History Museum in Östermalm, Stockholm, you'll find gold treasures from the Bronze Age to the 16th century.
 * The Qinghai–Tibet railway is the highest railway (view from train pictured) in the world, rising up to more than 5,000 meters (16,000 ft) above sea level.
 * South Bend's name is drawn from the fact that it's situated on the southernmost bend in the St. Joseph River.
 * The Elk Island National Park has higher densities of hoofed mammals per square kilometre than any other wild area in the world, except for the Serengeti Plains of Africa.

March 2019

 * The Blue Mountain range is shrouded almost perpetually by mists that give Jamaica's highest mountains their bluish color (pictured).
 * The Chloister of Paradise in Amalfi was built in the 13th century and is home to old mosaics and paintings, and 120 columns built in the Arabic style.
 * Roughly the size of India, and making up about 18% of Russia, Yakutia is the world's largest subnational governing body by area.
 * Taiping Lake Gardens (pictured) is a public gardens created out of abandoned surface tin mines.
 * Footwear is one of the most important aspects of wilderness backpacking.
 * The Moon Valley in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park has a moonlike landscape and glimmering rocks, with two large natural pools, suitable for swimming.
 * One traditional dish which you will most likely be offered during a stay in Vanuatu is lap lap (pictured), a root vegetable cake.
 * Teplice is known for its thermal spas, which are particularly popular with visitors from the Middle East.
 * Los Angeles' Chinatown is unlike those of many other cities in that it has a much more modern appearance.
 * The 200m-long Kaisergang (Imperial Corridor and Abbey Museum) of Melk Benedectine Abbey (pictured) is decorated with portraits of Austrian rulers.
 * Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara is where the famous Mexican hat dance (jarabe tapatío) was born.
 * Alappuzha is often called the Venice of the East due to the canals that connect it to Kerala's famous snaking backwaters.
 * The fjords (Lysefjorden pictured) increase Norway's coastline from a modest 3,000 km to 30,000 km. Islands add another 70,000 km – in total creating the most complex coastline in the world.
 * The Museum Kitchen in the National Museum of Nigeria in Lagos is a good place to try local Nigerian cuisine.
 * The area in and around Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is inhabited by the Tenggerese, one of the few significant Hindu communities left on the island of Java.
 * Fort Meigs (pictured) in Perrysburg, Ohio is the largest wooden walled fort in North America and played a key role in the war of 1812.
 * Mei Kedem in the Carmel Range is a walkable underground aqueduct dating to the Byzantine period, which was used to supply the city of Caesarea and with water still flowing.
 * Chiclayo and surroundings feature sights related to Lord of Sipan, the "King Tutankamon of the Americas", including one of the most spectacular tombs discovered in the Western Hemisphere.
 * The former Utrecht Main Post Office (indoor pictured) is a great example of Dutch Art Deco architecture.
 * Gujarat is a dazzlingly diverse state that shakes up the know-it-all Indophile, and reveals treasures hidden from the tourist hordes.
 * At Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro you can see tigers, lions, cougars and other big cats, all rescued from poor treatment and brought there.
 * Lightning Ridge (town and mines pictured) has many attractions related to opals and mining.
 * Squamish calls itself The Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada due to the variety of outdoor activities readily available in the area.
 * While alcohol isn't widely available or visibly consumed in Algeria, a selection of wine (not in big volume) and also beer is produced there.
 * Schifffahrtsmuseum Spitz (ship model pictured) is devoted to illustrating the history and development of maritime traffic on the Danube River.
 * The Yamaguchi Daijingu was built in the Muromachi Period as a branch shrine the of Ise Shrine, and like the latter it is rebuilt every 20 years.
 * Milwaukee was once the home to four of the world's largest breweries, making it the number one beer producing city in the world for many years.
 * Chom Ong Cave (inside pictured) outside Muang Xay gives the visitor a dazzling feeling of entering Tolkien's Mines of Moria.
 * The St. Patrick's day celebration in Savannah is considered by many to be the second largest party in the U.S.
 * The largest wine producing area in Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate is home to 6 of the 9 wine-producing districts in the country.
 * Punta del Este (pictured) is sometimes called the Monaco of South America.

February 2019

 * Ajman Fish Market is great place to see fishermen bring out the fresh catch and watch the middlemen auction them to the shopkeepers and you can buy fish and get it cooked right there.
 * In the early 1970s the first backpackers travelling on the back of a coconut boat arrived on Ko Samui, now the second most popular island destination in Thailand.
 * Geghard Monastery (pictured) in Garni is a world heritage listed, revered 11th century monastery, much of it carved out of the solid stone of the mountainside, in dramatic canyon setting.
 * Castello di Sasso Corbaro was built in only six months in 1479, 462 meters up the hill, as the highest fortification in Bellinzona.
 * The large, iconic thumbs-up sign right in front of the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park is too large for selfies, but there will probably be geek tourists around to take your picture.
 * Shiono-Misaki Southernmost Point Park in Kushimoto denotes the southernmost point of Honshu and serves as the festival grounds for the annual Fire Festival (pictured).
 * Today a museum and tourist attraction, the infamous Robben Island was used for imprisoning people since 1658.
 * Ljubljana has no world-famous attractions, which is just great: there's no need to hop from one place to another, taking photos and crossing off the items on your checklist.
 * Cité de Carcassonne (pictured) is a medieval fortress with over 3 km of walls with 52 towers and a history that exceeds two and a half thousand years.
 * Jiageng Park in Jimei is also called Kah Kee Park in memory of Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng), a rubber baron who made an enormous fortune in Malaya.
 * The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton includes an opportunity to row a three-passenger St. Lawrence Skiff.
 * In Oxley Wild Rivers National Park there are several spectacular waterfalls (Apsley Falls pictured).
 * Zamboanga City Hall was completed in 1907 by the Federal Government of the United States for the then American Governors.
 * Taxi-brousse, or interurban shared taxi, is the way most locals travel around Madagascar, and this mode of travel is a great way to meet and interact with locals and experience Madagascar as the Malagasy do.
 * The Moon Church (pictured) in Oradea is a church unique in Europe, with a type of astronomical clock depicting the phases of the moon.
 * The Bandstand in Mumbai's Western Suburbs is lined by expensive bungalows and flats, some of which belong to Bollywood movie stars.
 * Shetland is of great interest to the naturalist and anyone who is keen to see wild animals and birds in their native habitat.
 * Merzouga is a village on the edge of Erg Chebbi (pictured), a 50-km long and 5-km wide set of sand dunes that reach up to a height of 350 m.
 * Orquídeas Moxviquil in San Cristóbal de las Casas grows orchids and other plants rescued from nearby areas undergoing deforestation, and is dedicated to preserving and displaying all varieties of orchids native to the state of Chiapas.
 * Depoe Bay is famous as the smallest navigable harbor in the world, and as the "whale watching capital of the world."
 * The old aqueduct in Évora has houses built into the arches (pictured).
 * Alto Ribeira State Touristic Park is a prime destination for cave exploring, containing the Gruta da Casa da Pedra cave, with the largest cave mouth in the world.
 * In Kenting National Park you can see a sculpture representing the southernmost tip of Taiwan — famous with the locals for pictures and a great sunset spot.
 * The Dr. Pepper soft drink was invented in Waco in 1885 and the Dr. Pepper museum (delivery truck door pictured) houses the original bottling plant.
 * Once the feared base of pirates (corsairs), heavily fortified against Norman (or English) attacks, today's Saint-Malo is one of the top tourist draws in Brittany.
 * The Inner Mongolia Museum in Hohhot showcases local flora, fauna and history from the stone age until modern times, as well as minerals and mining, space exploration, and dinosaurs.
 * A few colonial-era rocket steamers (pictured) depart from Dhaka's Sadarghat river port to Barisal and Khulna several times per week.
 * Cerro Catedral outside San Carlos de Bariloche has the biggest ski centre in South America, with a skiable area of 2 km² (0.77 sq mi), over 100 km (62 miles) of ski runs, and a lift capacity of 22,200 skiers per hour.

January 2019

 * Castlemaine boasts a proud automotive history, and is the self-proclaimed 'Hot Rod Capital' of Victoria.
 * The world's largest Coca-Cola can (pictured), constructed from an old water tower, can be seen in Portage la Prairie.
 * Despite being less developed, Myanmar is expensive compared to other Southeast Asian countries.
 * Legend has it that Harry's New York Bar in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris was the birthplace of the Bloody Mary invented by Fernand "Pete" Petiot, an American bartender
 * Pope Alexander IV was buried in Viterbo Cathedral (pictured) but his tomb was unaccountably destroyed during 16th century renovations.
 * The first Europeans to settle in Puerto Madryn were Welsh arriving in 1865, and they named the city for Baron Madryn of Wales.
 * The City Of Sadness Restaurant in Jiufen was featured in a film with the same name, which won the Golden Lion award at the 1989 Venice Film Festival.
 * Also North Pole in New York has a Santa and Christmas theme park with entertainment, rides and shops (pictured).
 * From the summit of Isle of Man's highest mountain Snaefell, it's said that visitors can see 6 Kingdoms — Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and Heaven.
 * Housed in an old fort built in the early 20th century, Al Wakrah Museum (pictured) displays artifacts of marine life and local history.
 * Unlike most of France, Hauts-de-France is better known for its beer than wine.
 * Avarua is the main village on the northern side of Rarotonga and has most of the population and services — people tend to refer to it as the town.
 * The Pidjiguiti port (pictured) in Bissau was the site of the Pidjiguiti massacre on 3 August 1959, which became the beginning of the active resistance against the Portuguese colonial power.
 * While Tibetan spelling in the written language is fairly standard throughout the ages and regions, pronunciation is very diverse and there are many, often mutually incomprehensible, dialects.
 * The Cyclades are the Greece of the travel posters: bare rocky islands adorned with brilliantly white cubistic villages soaring on hills above the wine-dark sea, and fringed with terrific beaches.
 * Penguin was named after the little penguins that used to wander around its beaches, and many things there (Big Penguin statue pictured), including bins, are shaped like penguins.
 * Nagpur can be considered the centre of India as the zero milestone of India is located in the city.
 * Chaozhou considers itself the "Ceramic Capital of China" and you will notice that there are a lot of ceramics for sale, often at very inexpensive prices.
 * The two and a half mile boardwalk (pictured) is the central focus of Ocean City's attractions — lined up with shops and restaurants of every kind, movie theaters, amusement rides, miniature golf courses, and a water park like no other.
 * Kelimutu near Ende is a holy mountain with three crater lakes, filled with water of different colors.
 * A popular attraction in Awasa are hippos — they can be seen from the shore of Lake Awasa, or from a boat.
 * Stratford-upon-Avon is best known as the home town of the great English playwright and poet, William Shakespeare (Shakespeare's birthplace pictured).
 * Loveland, Colorado was founded in 1877 along the Colorado Central Railroad and was named after the company's president, William A.H. Loveland.
 * A volcano is regarded as active if it has erupted within the last 10,000 years — less than a second in geological time.
 * St. Mark's Church (pictured) in Zagreb is known for its colourful roof tiles depicting the coat of arms of Croatia and Zagreb.
 * The Beilin Museum in Xian has a remarkable collection of 4000 inscribed stone tablets, covering scripture, poetry, classic Chinese texts, triumphs of rulers, family history, and practical affairs such as instructions to rebuild a school.
 * Ponta do Seixas in João Pessoa is the easternmost mainland point in the Americas — there is a monument to mark the spot, as well as an odd lighthouse designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and it has a sweeping view of the Atlantic.
 * Famed as the oldest temple in the world, and dated to 9000 BCE, Göbekli Tepe (ruins pictured) outside Urfa pre-dates farming and settlements.
 * The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg commemorates Atlantic Canada's fishing tradition, and exhibits include ships, an aquarium featuring native species, and a working boat building shop.
 * The geographical center of New York City is in Queens.