Shortly after 3:30am, an earthquake lasting 30 seconds struck Italy. The quake was a magnitude of 6.2, and has resulted in 100 confirmed deaths, as well as 1,500 people injured. Important Renaissance era and Baroque buildings in the area were also heavily damaged. The quake’s epicentre was a medieval town called L’Aquila, which had allegedly been dealing with increasing tremors for the past three months. Read more…
Tourism to Italy dropped 25 per cent in 2008 from the previous year. The tourism industry is the country’s most important business, affecting many other industries: restaurateurs and tour bus operators both complain of empty seats. The country claims that fewer visitors are coming from Europe, Russia and Japan; however the most missed tourists are from the United States. Read more…
Presumably, before you travel you have some sort of plan of which attractions you’d like to see. And presumably, your list is very similar to everyone else who will be visiting that same location. Here is a list of the nine most disappointing attractions in Europe; they might be disappointing because of over-hype or too many tourists:
Castles inevitably have a rich history, and are therefore a great interest to travelers. Here is a list of some of Europe’s most important and beautiful castles:
Check out a few more of Austria’s castles in WatchMojo’s travel profile:
Fair Verona is where we lay our scene. February 14th is an important day in this Italian city, for it is the setting for history’s most enduring love story - Romeo and Juliet. Here are a few romantic things to see and do when visiting Verona for Valentine’s:
Verona in love - a series of romantic events in the city, including ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tours and restaurants offering candle-lit dinners.
Verona Arena - an ancient Roman amphitheatre.
Relais Il Sogno di Giulietta - luxury boutique hotel located near Juliet’s balcony.
Giardino Giusti - a romantic Renaissance garden.
Osteria tour - restaurants perfect for a lazy lunch.
Shop till you drop - shop Gucci, Roberto Cavalli and the funky Fiorucci boutique - to name just a few!
Wine tasting - vineyards around the city produce some of the country’s best wines.
Sunset strolls - Verona’s historic city centre is beautifully preserved, and there are many great sunset views.
Romantic dinner - try one of the city’s many Michelin-starred restaurants, or the 150-year-old Locanda Castelvecchio.
Party time - try Studio 90 (vicolo del Giasto 90) that has a dance club downstairs.
Venice is underwater again today, after tides yesterday caused the worst flood the city has seen in twenty years. Travellers and locals waded through the city wearing high boots. Strong southerly winds have been causing the Adriatic Sea to flood the lagoon city. Read more…
Until the end of November, Alitalia will be cutting 100 flights a day because of strikes by pilots and flight attendants. The end of the month is when the deal for the sale of the airline is expected to close. Read more…
The annual World Brand Index results were released. Compiled by international consulting firm FutureBrand, this study “ranks countries as brands and assesses opportunities, insights and findings related to nation branding.” Here are this year’s rankings:
You’re on vacation and you want to go somewhere special. It’s hard to say what makes a bar sexy, but good music, good drinks and good-looking people probably have a lot to do with it. Fortunately for you, here is a list of some of the world’s sexiest bars. Use it at your own risk… (*Wink*):
Le Ti St. Barth, St. Barths
Denis Simachëv, Moscow
Bellini Bar, Hôtel du Cap Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
Nublu, New York City
Buzz Beach Bar, Ölüdeniz, Turkey
Moon Bar, Banyan Tree Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
Nuth Lounge, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Dino’s Beach Bar, Tofo, Mozambique
Giardino d’Inverno, Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan, Italy
Shalvata, Tel Aviv
With All Hallow’s Eve fast approaching, you may be in the mood to creep yourself out. If that is the case, here is a list of the creepiest places in the world. Boo!
1. Mummy Museum, Guanajuato, Mexico
2. St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, Ireland
3. Catacombs of Paris, France
4. Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague, Czech Republic
5. San Bernardino Ossuary, Milan, Italy
6. Bhangarh, India
7. Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Oaxaca, Mexico
8. Sedlec Ossuary, near Kunta Hora, Czech Republic
9. Feng-Du “Ghost City,” China
10. Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France
11. Bran Castle (aka Dracula’s Castle), Romania
12. Fremantle Prison, Australia
13. Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland
14. Rose Great Hall House, Montego Bay, Jamaica
15. La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
16. Manchac Swamp, Louisiana, United States
17. Haunted Well of Himeji Castle, Japan
18. Ballygally Castle, Ireland
19. Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, Australia
20. Capuchin Crypt, Rome, Italy
21. Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England
22. The Chase Vault at Christ Church, Barbados
23. The Hellfire Tunnels and Caves, West Wycombe, England
24. Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa
25. Old Changi Hospital, Singapore
26. Salem, Massachusetts, United States
27. Ossuary in Hallstatt, Austria
28. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, United States
29. Valley of the Kings, Egypt
30. New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
31. Bell Witch Cave, Tennessee, United States
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