Europe

Take a Tour of France’s “Bestiary of Machines”

Enter Les Machines de l'île’s Mechanical Animal Theme Park

Atlas of Eating

When Happy Hour Was "Green Hour" in Paris

When the clock struck five, 19th-century Parisians turned to absinthe

The manuscript notebook is comprised of astronomical observations with tables of viewing data, describing transit witnessed by King George III and others, 3 June 1769, with notes signed by Stephen Demainbray, astronomer.

The Royal Archives Reveals the Hidden Genius Behind George III’s “Madness”

Historians are salivating at the opportunity to gain new insights into the massively misunderstood monarch

Atlas of Eating

On the Dangers of Erotic Truffles

A 19th-century investigation into the power of the aphrodisiac

British double-agent Guy Burgess was one member of the Cambridge Five ring of spies.

The Student and the Spy: How One Man’s Life Was Changed by the Cambridge Five

An unlikely friendship with Guy Burgess, the infamous British double-agent, brought unexpected joy to Stanley Weiss

Santa opens the Christmas season at Santa's Village in Rovaniemi, Finland.

Where Does Santa Live? The North Pole Isn't Always the Answer

Santa Claus is usually good news for tourism—but more than one place lays claim to his legend

Secrets of the Tower of London

Before it was a popular tourist attraction, the Tower of London was, well, just about everything else

Water drained from the tunnel will feed new aquaculture farms nearby.

Beneath a Mountain in Switzerland Lies the World’s Longest Shortcut

The massive structure, running 35.4 miles through the Alps, begins full operations this December

Today’s chefs are incorporating new ideas to prepare the creamy yellow-white sauce of the bakailaoa pil-pilean that is the hallmark of the Basque dish.

Here’s an Ingeniously Simple Method for Making Bakailaoa Pil-pilean, the Traditional Basque Meal

Digesting the lessons that the Basque chefs taught at this summer’s Folklife Festival

Wolfgang Neubauer (at Carnuntum’s center) estimates the population at 50,000.

Austria

The Discovery of a Roman Gladiator School Brings the Famed Fighters Back to Life

Located in Austria, the archaeological site is providing rich new details about the lives and deaths of the arena combatants

The Fantastic Mr. Dahl

The British author’s world—antic, subversive, wildly inventive and monstrously humane—returns to the screen in Steven Spielberg’s <i>The BFG</i>

Burger King sauna

This Burger King Has a Spa Now

Finnish designer Teuvo Loman adds a 15-person sauna to a Burger King storefront

You Can Now Spend the Night in the Eiffel Tower

Be the first to spend the night in the night at this Parisian landmark

In the tranquility of old Vienna, Stefan Zweig writes, one could never “dream how dangerous man can be.” This 1901 photograph shows a city market.

Austria

The Unhurried World of Pre-War Vienna

Author Stefan Zweig, who inspired Wes Anderson's <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel</i>, recalls Austria at the dawn of the 20th century

At Sky Hill, guests learn how to throw pottery and make sweet-scented hay by gathering grass into small heaps that will dry in the sun. Marius and Cornelia bought the land in 2006 and have used it to teach travelers of all ages about organic farming and construction.

Europe

Try Your Hand at Organic Farming in Southwest Romania

By hosting travelers, local farmers hope to reverse the impact of big industry

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: The Danube

The Hollywood Bombshell Who Invented an Indispensable War Technology

In 1942, Hedy Lamarr received a patent for frequency hopping, but was told to devote her efforts elsewhere

Among century-old oaks and poplars are the ruins of a Dominican convent where Margaret took the vows of a nun. She refused to marry a neighboring king, instead devoting herself to God.

The Appalling and Beguiling History of Budapest's Margaret Island

A Hungarian-born writer recalls a princess' defiance of her father, Nazi atrocities, and the island's role as sanctuary

Is Europe Returning to Pre Cold War Divisions?

Author Robert D. Kaplan notes the beginnings of a complex map, caused by Russian revisionism, the refugee crisis and a structural economic crisis in the EU

Austria

These Black and White Images Reveal a Vienna Most Travelers Don’t See

Photographer Carl Yurttas captures the city's many moods

Austria

Nine Unique Gifts to Buy in Vienna

From specialty fruit preserves to Habsburg figurines, Austria's capital has it all

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