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Smart News / Smart News Travel

Today, visitors can walk the grounds for free or enter three of the tombs for a small fee.

China Plans to Open Ming Dynasty Tombs to the Public by 2030

The sprawling burial complex on the outskirts of Beijing was built to hold the remains of 13 emperors

Travelers can get rewarded for participating in sustainable activities.

Copenhagen Is Rewarding Tourists for Good Behavior

A new initiative incentives activities like riding a bike, taking public transit and cleaning up litter

Denver's historic train depot dates back to 1881. Today, it's a thriving community hub.

See Inside Denver’s 143-Year-Old Train Station

The transit hub, which just got an $11 million makeover, is deeply connected to the city’s history

Pumpkin, which stands at 19.5 feet tall, is Kusama's tallest bronze gourd sculpture to date.

A Giant Polka-Dotted Pumpkin Takes Root in London’s Kensington Gardens

The bronze sculpture was created by famed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who often uses pumpkins in her work

A plastic tarp covering part of the cathedral's spire caught fire on July 11.

Fire Extinguished at Rouen Cathedral, a Frequent Subject of Monet’s Paintings

The 12th-century structure and the artworks inside it sustained no significant damage

Museum officials hope to pass along cheesemaking traditions to younger generations.

You Can Now Visit France’s First-Ever Cheese Museum

The Musée du Fromage in Paris hosts tastings and teaches visitors about traditional cheesemaking practices

Crickets, beetles and moths are just some of the insects recently approved for human consumption by the Singapore government.

Singapore Approves 16 Insect Species for Human Consumption

The move comes amid broader efforts to improve food security and diversify food sources

The blade, known as Durandal, was embedded in rock more than 30 feet above the ground.

Fabled Sword From Medieval French Folklore Disappears

Known as the “French Excalibur,” the blade is said to have hung from a rock face in the village of Rocamadour for 1,300 years

Mount Halla is located on Jeju Island, a population tourist destination south of the Korean peninsula.

Leftover Ramen Broth Is Causing Problems on South Korea’s Mount Halla

Visitors are dumping the salty liquid on the ground, and authorities are concerned about its impact on plants and animals

 A Kazakh tourist etched the letters "ALI" into a wall at Pompeii's House of Ceii.

Tourist Carves His Name Into Ancient House in Pompeii

The man damaged a wall in the House of Ceii, a dwelling celebrated for its beautiful frescoes

The "wombat walker" will "coax [the wombats] out of bed to get them moving" and "[motivate] them to complete their morning walks."

Tasmania Is Hiring for a ‘Wombat Walker’ and Other Odd Jobs

The Australian island state is trying to drum up tourism during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter

The annual parade was founded in Brooklyn's Coney Island in 1983.

At Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade, Thousands Channel Aquatic Weirdness

Crowds decked out as fantastical sea creatures flocked to Brooklyn’s amusement district for the summer kickoff event

Located in southern Italy, Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Parkour Group Damages Building in the Historic Italian City of Matera

Team Phat posted a video showing one of its members breaking a stone protruding from a wall

Officials still don't know where the six-foot-five structure came from.

Cool Finds

Mysterious Monolith Appears Outside of Las Vegas

The reflective metal structure was found on a hiking trail in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Archaeologists continue to excavate Herculaneum, a seaside resort town devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.

An Ancient Beach Buried by Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption Is Now Open to the Public

In the seaside resort town of Herculaneum, the beach is the final resting place of more than 330 residents who tried to flee

Located in Noblesville, Indiana, on the outskirts of Indianapolis, Nickel Plate Express offers both train rides and railbike tours.

Railbiking Is Catching On Across the Nation—Here’s Where to Try It Yourself

Sit back, relax and pedal your way along historic railroad tracks

Animal bones found at the site suggest it may have been used for ritual ceremonies.

Cool Finds

Discovery of 4,000-Year-Old Structure in Greece Stumps Archaeologists and Threatens Major Airport Construction

The mystifying Minoan structure, unearthed on a hilltop in Crete, is one of 35 newly announced archaeological finds in the area

Flamingos were nearly hunted to extinction for their feathers by the early 1900s. But, thanks in part to conservation and habitat restoration efforts, they're making a comeback in Florida. This flamingo was spotted in Miami Beach in 2018.

More Than a Century Ago, Flamingos Disappeared From Florida. Now, They’re Coming Home

Likely transported by Hurricane Idalia last August, more than 100 of the pink birds were counted in a February census in the Sunshine State, where they are considered a native species

The Milky Way is visible at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado.

These National Parks Are Hosting Astronomy Festivals in 2024

Get outside, ditch the light pollution and marvel at the cosmos on these protected public lands

From 1979 to 2020, severe turbulence in some locations increased by as much as 55 percent, according to a 2023 study.

Climate Change Is Making Airplane Turbulence More Common and Severe, Scientists Say

Following turbulence on a flight last week that led to one death and dozens of injuries, researchers, flight attendants and transportation officials alike are warning about links between warmer air and turbulence

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