From crystalline karst lakes in Croatia to soaring sandstone columns in Greece, UNESCO has announced the addition of 18 new sites to its Global Geoparks network. The list of geographical areas with international geological significance now numbers 213 locations across 48 countries.
As the world faces ecological crises, geoparks are becoming increasingly precious. “A UNESCO Global Geopark uses its geological heritage, in connection with all other aspects of the area’s natural and cultural heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of key issues facing society, such as using our earth’s resources sustainably, mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing natural hazard-related risks,” the international organization writes. Geoparks are also valuable for their “bottom-up approach of combining conservation with sustainable development while involving local communities.”
The new geoparks are situated in Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Spain. There is also a transnational geopark spanning Belgium and the Netherlands. Here are some of the new designations in Europe and why eco-conscious and nature-loving travelers should plan a visit in 2024.
The Biokovo-Imotski Lakes geopark in central Dalmatia comprises two distinct geological formations. In the Biokovo mountain range, travelers can follow educational nature walks, dream over mountain viewpoints and explore plants in a botanical garden dedicated to the flora of this coastal zone.
Nearby, visitors will find the Red and Blue Lakes at the small town of Imotski. The Red Lake is found at the base of the deepest karst lake crater in Europe and gets its russet tint from the surrounding iron oxide-tinted cliffs. Blue Lake’s cobalt waters are instead fed by snowmelt and visitors can jump in for a bracing swim.
Meteora Pyli in the Thessaly region of mainland Greece is renowned for its soaring sandstone columns that reach heights of up to 300 meters. They serve as plinths for fresco-adorned Byzantine monasteries constructed between the 13th and 17th centuries.
The site has already had Unesco World Heritage status since 1988, but the new geopark designation also includes nearby geological treasures including the Tafoni formations of Kalambaka—famed for their honeycomb-like weathering patterns—and the fauna-rich biosphere of the Pindos Mountains, popular with hikers.
Impact Crater Lake-Lappajärvi lies in South Ostrobothnia in western Finland. Estimated to be around 78 million years old, it is one of Europe’s largest crater lakes formed by meteorite collision during an asteroid bombardment in the Late Cretaceous epoch. On Kärnänsaari island in the middle of the lake, you can find black impact melt
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The homeland of William Shakespeare, Stratford upon Avon is a historic market town in the English countryside of Warwickshire, known for its meandering river, rowing boats, half-timbered Tudor architecture, and world-renowned stage, The Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
The creations of Arizona-born Orlando Dugi, a member of the Diné Nation, are nothing if not dramatic: gowns glittering with delicate beadwork, silks embroidered with symbolic flora and fauna. Some have been exhibited at places like the Denver Art Museum and the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. While his imagination is fueled by his upbringing—days spent watching his grandmother sew and nights stargazing at his family's sheep ranch—Dugi also finds inspiration in Santa Fe, which he's called home since 2010. “All the tribal, colonial, and Spanish history—it's all here,” he says. “It's very small, but it's also pretty international.” New Mexico's capital city is set to draw a global audience as host of the inaugural Santa Fe Native Fashion Week, the first of its kind in the country, held from May 2 to 5, where Dugi will present highlights from his mens- and womenswear collections. When he's not designing, he enjoys connecting with Indigenous culture on the ancestral lands of the Tewa people—or kicking back with a margarita.
Actress Samantha Pauly is starring as Jordan Baker in the hot new Broadway musical “The Great Gatsby,” based on the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. The show opened April 25th.
Thinking about travel to Europe this summer? I’ll whisper this two-word, game-changing suggestion in your ear: Swiss Bliss. Switzerland is a spectacular vacation escape, promising plentiful pampering, playful diversions, culture (music festivals, art experiences, unique museums—from sports to science, film to food) and stellar gastronomy. Taste Chasselas wine; its white grapes are grown in the terraced Lavaux vineyards along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva, where vintners produce artisanal batches that are rarely exported, so 98 percent of their singular sips can only be savored within the country. Discover abundant natural beauty and peaceful hideaways. Hike Alpine mountains. Swim in glistening lakes. Picnic amid wildflower meadows. For high-speed outings, ample opportunities abound: boating, road cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, skydiving and white-water rafting. Transportation within this tidy nation, especially via its SBB trains, is smooth and swift, accessing scores of destinations. (For itinerary details and surprising delights: My Switzerland Tourism.) Internationally renowned for training extraordinary hoteliers, hospitality is a revered profession, which adds smiles to your stay. Choose from a wide variety of accommodations—campgrounds to chalets to castles. If your vacay preference tends toward one-of-a-kind, five-star hotels, this article shines on three favorites, which are among French entrepreneur and winemaker Michel Reybier’s impressive collection of wellness-promoting properties.
Next month, Nick Ozemba and Felicia Hung, the co-founders of the Brooklyn-based design studio In Common With, plan to open Quarters, a shop housed in a 19th-century TriBeCa loft. The 8,000-square-foot space is laid out like a well-appointed home: Guests enter through the library and can wander the great room, bedroom, dining room, kitchen, bar and lounge at their leisure. Everything within — furniture, lighting, art and even the pantry provisions — is available for purchase. Ozemba and Hung collaborated with several of their creative friends on the objects and décor that fill the space. They designed the tiling throughout with the New York City-based artist Shane Gabler, while a fresco depicting eels with earrings by the painter Claudio Bonuglia adorns a portion of the bar and lounge, which will open for evening service beginning this summer. The furniture on display is a mix of restored vintage pieces and new designs by Ozemba and Hung, some of which can be customized with imagery drawn up by various tattoo artists. “We’ll be able to sit down with people and play,” Ozemba says of the space’s potential to spur conversation and inspire new projects. “Retail shouldn’t be so serious. Take off your shoes and have a glass of wine.”
The European Commission has introduced a new visa “cascade” regime for Indian nationals applying for Schengen visas in India. This regime looks to offer longer-term, multi-entry Schengen visas, based on the applicant’s travel history.
Backroads, a longtime leader in adventure travel, has made its reputation by catering to changing traveler needs and shifting demographics. In 2024, that means focusing on the increasing number of multigenerational families eager to travel together.
The Greek government on Friday published a list of 198 “untrodden beaches” that it said are now off limits to bars, restaurants and large public gatherings in its latest attempt to contain development and address the backlash to the throngs of tourists that descend on the country’s coastlines each year.
In its 25th year of judging airports based on passenger surveys, the aviation ranking website Stytrax revealed on Thursday the world's best airports for 2024.