Travel

Hike through the Pyrenees amid sheep, vultures and foggy valleys

Hike through the Pyrenees amid sheep, vultures and foggy valleysSainte-Engrace, France  - You had better not be prone to dizziness, if you cross the Himalayan-style suspension bridge at Holzarte in the French Pyrenees. Under your feet yawns a gorge some 150 metres deep, clearly visible in gaps between the slats. And the bridge sways more violently the closer you come to the middle.

Italian carpenters built the structure in the 1920s, when villages in the Pyrenees were isolated. Today, it serves as a starting point for hikes in Basque country and the former French province of Bearn.

Finnish national epos Kalevala continues to inspire artists

Finnish national epos Kalevala continues to inspire artists Helsinki  - The Kalevala epos has long been an integral part of Finnish-language culture, and a source of inspiration for numerous artists as well as dramas, operas and symphonies.

Proof of that is evident at the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki where over 200 works by some 60 artists are being exhibited.

The exhibition runs through August 9 and marks the 160th anniversary of the publication of the Kalevala by Finnish folklorist and literary scholar Elias Lonnrot, who collected Finnish and Karelian folklore.

More and more people opt for peace and quiet over fun and games

More and more people opt for peace and quiet over fun and gamesKiel, Germany  - Some holidaymakers want a maximum of fun; they down sangria from 10-litre buckets and party till dawn. But a growing number want the opposite: leisure instead of loud music, relaxation instead of rambunctiousness, and self-discovery instead of swilling.

Australia's dream job down to final 16

Australia's dream job down to final 16Sydney  - There are two men for every woman among those shortlisted for the dream job of caretaker on a paradise island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The 15 candidates that organizer Tourism Queensland named Friday will be summoned for interviews next month on Hamilton Island along with Taiwan's Clare Wang.

The Taipei interpreter qualified as the wildcard entry by getting the most votes in a field of 49.

Rome's Castel Sant'Angelo - a former papal fortress

Castel Sant' Angelo, RomeRome - On the right bank of the river Tiber in Rome stands Castel Sant'Angelo, an ominous and apparently inaccessible castle that was once a refuge of popes.

"It is one of our top attractions and no one should miss a visit," says art student Beatrice Bulzoni, who gives private, guided tours of the castle.

The Roman emperor, Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138, built the castle as his own mausoleum.

"A total of seven emperors were laid to rest here," tour guide Toni tells a group of visitors.

Kep hastens Cambodia's coastal tourism revival

Kep hastens Cambodia's coastal tourism revivalKep, Cambodia  - In Cambodia, where a decade-long tourism boom has been driven almost entirely by safe and easy access to the ancient Angkor Wat temples, the rebirth of a seaside resort town is helping to lure visitors to country's long-neglected coastline.

The sleepy town of Kep on the south-east coast has been earmarked as Cambodia's first boutique tourism destination, but for now it bares few of the characteristics of the countless backpacker Meccas and resorts scattered throughout South-East Asia.

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