More than 1,600 years ago, close to the southeastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, laborers were hard at work building a palace for a fledgling kingdom. They finished the foundation layer of the massive western rampart and then paused before beginning the next construction phase, a stone wall. The foundation, made from packed shells and…
History
If you live in a housing complex with dozens of units, take heart. An apartment building in St. Petersburg, Russia, (population five million) houses 18,000 people. We're all for efficiency, but we have to wonder about the logistics of managing a place like this. Parking? Elevators? As some people have noted, how would the wifi…
Just look at that. Landscapes don’t get more dramatic than the towering rock formations of Guilin, southern China’s most astonishing natural phenomena. And in the shadows of those giant alien mountains you’ll find something much smaller but almost as dazzling – a hotel. And not just any old hotel: a true design marvel loaded with…
Our affiliate friends easyJet is launching an initiative to inspire younger generations to get thinking about sustainable air travel by designing a zero-emission passenger plane The airline is partnering with world-leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus, zero-emission technology start-up Wright Electric, and world-renowned designer Frank Stephenson, known for his recent innovative work on designs for electric flying…
"I last found myself here, inadvertently, in March 2020. My planned journey from the Saudi tourism hub of Al Ula to the Yemeni island of Socotra collapsed when the flight to Cairo was cancelled as frontiers slammed shut. Rather than taking that as an early sign of an impending travel shutdown and seeking the fastest…
No, not just a door- an 11th century door. And not just a 11th century door but one with ironwork that represents Ragnarok- the Norse Doomsday. In a Christian Church? Well there's a cross at the top so that makes it alright. Savvy? And you can visit. England is always an eye-opening place. …
When people think of Colombia, it is usually of marvelous places such as Bogota, or Cartegena or Medellín - all genuinely wonderful destinations that you must put on your list.
But, there is a relatively unknown part of Columbia that goes beyond into an almost magical realm: Chiribiquete. Chiribiquete National Natural Park is the largest national…
Location, location, location. It's all about the location and your neighbours. It can make all the difference in the world. For example, this quaint home in the coastal village of Plougrescant in Brittany, France, dates all the way back to 1861 and was sandwiched - in an incroyable manner- betwixt two huge rocks to help…
If you're a history afficianado, you'll probably know lots about your chosen area of focus. Some of us focus on cities, whereas others focus on historic individuals or campaigns. No matter your preference, history is fascinating, especially as you learn more and put the pieces together. History makes us who we are. The video, below,…
This is a different kind of cold war. Russian Fort Elizabeth is a National Historic Landmark and is administered as the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park just southeast of present-day Waimea on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi. It is located at the site of the former Fort Elizabety, the last remaining Russian…
New York is, of course, a marvel. Like so many other super-cities around the world, you never really run out of things to do, even if you live there. And, as always, there is constant change. But, what is equally as interesting is the "hidden" places that can fascinate. One such "hidden" place is actually…
To many, Russia is an alluring, slightly foreboding dream destination. Perhaps too many films make the wrong impression of the country, but the pull to visit there is strong, and for good reason. One romantic option for travel in Russia is possibility of riding the historic and pricey Trans-Siberian Express from Venice to Moscow -…
If you visit our site, you will know how much we like and promote India. It is a massive, crowded, bewildering, lovely and intoxicating place. The people are uniformly kind and helpful and funny. The sites are breathtaking. The cities are a swirl of activity. If you haven't been, please do so. And, know that…
To many of us, this may come as a surprise, especially in this day and age of corporate efficiency.
For decades, KLM Airlines have been creating miniature ceramic collectibles of Amsterdam canal houses, and they share them with loyal customers. Each house is a miniature replica of an existing house, almost all of them in the…
We here at Matouring love the UK. One aspect of the land is the sheer amount and breadth of its history. (We have plenty of articles here on our site which you can peruse and enjoy. But, just because its history stretches back thousands of years doesn't mean that it's mired in the past. Hardly. …
At one point it seemed like the whole world was backpacking and trekking this tropical paradise in South Asia. Never one to miss out, we went to see for ourselves to bring you this guide to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is roughly the same size as Ireland and sits to the south-east of India. The island…
Nuclear power - is there anything that is more confusing and even divisive than that? On one hand, it has the promise to literally power our homes and factories, and with the possibility of doing it cleanly. But, on the other hand, despite decades of opposition by the people, the threat of nuclear arms still…
We all (I assume) live on this lump that we call earth. It is very old. We use it every day. We usually don't pay much attention to it, although it is becoming increasingly and scarily apparent that we should. Earth is mostly made of rock. But what exactly is rock and what can we…
In the 1800s, Niagara Falls was considered the be-all and end-all of North America's pure promise and unending resources. Being able to visit was considered the trip of a lifetime. The William Birch Rankine Power Station was Canada's first major power station on the mighty river. Built in 1905 using horse-and-carriage labor, it pumped out…
When you think of Spain, you likely think of endless stretches of weeks of sun. Vamos a la playa. Hot, hot hot. That's mostly true, but Spain is full of surprises. If you can fathom this, there is a town that actually rains more - considerably more - than the UK. The name of the…