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Cultural Travel

Voskehat, “the queen of Armenian grapes”

Armenia

History in a Glass: (Re)discovering Armenian Wine

With more than six thousand-year-old history of viniculture, Armenian wines are gaining popularity

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

Trending Today

Chinese Cops Are Temporarily Patrolling the Streets of Rome and Milan

A new experimental program put international police at Italy’s tourist hubs to help the influx of Chinese travelers

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

Europe

Traveling to the Danube? Here’s What You Should Read, Watch and Download

Know before you go

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

Swiss yodeling choir Jodlerclub Echo during a competition.

Switzerland

How to Yodel Like a Local

The Swiss tradition is much more than a simple yodel-ay-ee-oooo

Both genius and impresario, Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla reads in his remote Colorado Springs laboratory in 1899 next to a magnifying transmitter that generates millions of volts of electricity. While far too dangerous to sit near—the image is a double exposure—his gigantic Tesla coil created the first human-made lightning.

Nikola Tesla’s Struggle to Remain Relevant

An offbeat Belgrade museum reveals the many mysteries of the prolific, late-19th-century inventor

The Slovak Radio Building, an inverted pyramid completed in 1983, has been called “one of the ugliest buildings in the world.” Recording studios at the center are surrounded by outward-facing offices. Its heavy weight and rough texture seem to capture the grim, waning years of Communist Party rule.

Is Bratislava’s Communist-Era Architecture Worth Preserving?

For residents of Slovakia’s capital, Cold War structures recall a painful past

Smithsonian Best Small Towns 2016

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2016

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, our top picks this year are all towns close to America’s natural splendors

“The Danube River Project” explores the waterway using underwater equipment to show scenes—like this one of Budapest—partly above and partly below the surface.

Austria

How the Danube Became a Multinational Power Source

Spanning 1,770 miles from Germany’s Black Forest to the coast of Romania, the river takes its character from the people and places it passes

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: The Danube

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: The Danube

Travel the Danube from the Black Forest of Germany to the green teardrop-shaped island of St. Margaret in Budapest

The Swiss have a tradition for predicting spring: the Böögg.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, an Exploding Snowman Helps Predict Spring

Think Groundhog Day—but with fire

This 12,000-year-old city could soon be inundated thanks to a hydroelectric dam.

Trending Today

These Are Europe’s Eight Most Endangered Cultural Landmarks

Unless things change, these historic sites could disappear from the map forever

Reindeer races at the Sami Easter Festival.

In Northern Norway, Reindeer Racing and a “Joik” Singing Showdown Welcome in Spring

The Sami Easter Festival blends old and new traditions in Lappland’s northern reaches

A room decorated with animal art was designed to look like a forest.

Cool Finds

This Polish Museum Exhibit Was Completely Curated By Kids

“Anything Goes” took six months and 69 children to create

"Hurlyburly" is artist Orly Genger's latest site-specific art installation using woven lobster rope.

This Massive Installation in an Austin Park Is Made of Over a Million Feet of Recycled Lobster Rope

“Hurlyburly” is artist Orly Genger’s latest woven creation

In the late 19th century, Switzerland began making tourism posters to lure travelers to the country.

Switzerland

Top Destinations for the Cultural Traveler: Switzerland

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