Germany - Baden-Württemberg - Heidenheim

In Heidenheim : the Knöpfleswäscherin, the "Romantic Corner", and the Elmar-Doc-Haus.

Sent by Tanja from Heidenheim, Germany.

Heidenheim an der Brenz, or just Heidenheim (German pronunciation: [ˈhaɪdn̩ˌhaɪm]; Swabian: Hoidna or Hoirna), is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located near the border with Bavaria, approximately 17 km south of Aalen and 33 km north of Ulm. Heidenheim is the largest town and the seat of the district of Heidenheim, and ranks third behind Aalen and Schwäbisch Gmünd in size among the towns in the region of East Württemberg. Heidenheim is the economic center for all the communities in Heidenheim district and is the headquarters of the Voith industrial company. The town's population in 2021 was just below the 50,000 mark. Heidenheim collaborates with the town of Nattheim in administrative matters.

The residents of Heidenheim and its surrounding area speak the distinct German dialect of Swabian.

Heidenheim is situated between Albuch and the Härtsfeld region in the northeast corner of the Swabian Alb where the valley of the Brenz meets the Stubental at the foot of Hellenstein Mountain. The source of the Brenz is located in Königsbronn and enters Heidenheim from the northwest. It runs through the boroughs of Aufhausen and Schnaitheim before it gets to Heidenheim (proper). From there it continues on to the south through the borough of Mergelstetten, before it leaves the city limits to head for Herbrechtingen (read more).

USA - California - Aquarium of the Pacific

Honda Blue Exhibit and popular animals at the Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California.

Sent by Kris from Washington, USA.

The Aquarium of the Pacific (formerly the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific) is a public aquarium on a 6-acre (24,000 m²) site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction. The location also has its own street, Aquarium Way.

The aquarium is visited by 1.6 million visitors a year and has a staff of approximately 1,800, including more than 1,500 volunteers and 300 employees. The aquarium is a 501(c)(3) non-profit aquarium and is a current member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The aquarium features a collection of over 12,000 animals in exhibits from 5,000 US gallons (19,000 L) to 350,000 US gallons (1,300,000 L) in capacity.

The Pacific Ocean is the focus of three major permanent galleries: Southern California/Baja Gallery, Northern Pacific Gallery, and Tropical Pacific Gallery. These exhibits introduce the inhabitants and seascapes, and include conservation messages specific to each region (read more).

Japan - Niigata Prefecture - Snow Festival

Snow Festival in Yuzawa, Niigata, Japan, where people are participating in a snow mikohi (portable shrine) event and are wearing traditional festival kimonos called happi.

Sent by Shimizu from Nagawa, Japan.

The Echigo Yuzawa Onsen Snow Festival is held on a local ski slope just as the ski season is coming to an end and boasts a beautiful fireworks display over snow for a heated celebration in the cold of winter. It offers chances for visitors to participate (reservation needed) with attractive events like the Torch Descent where skiers cruise down the slope in line holding torches and a snow mikoshi (portable shrine) parade on the slope as well.

The Yuzawa Kogen area including the Nunoba ski slope in which the festival is help sits at an elevation of 1,000m above sea level. The festival venue is a short walk from the Echigo Yuzawa Station with easy access to the famous hot spring section of town.

One of the highlights of this festival is the Snow Mikoshi. Visitors are able to join in on the carrying of this portable shrine. There is a limit to amount of participants so please sign up early. If you have never carried a shrine on a ski slope before this is the perfect opportunity for an experience you'll never forget (read more).

Japan - Ehime Prefecture - Dōgo Onsen

Footbath in the Dōgo area.

Sent by Ryoji from Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture in Japan.

Dōgo Onsen (道後温泉) is a hot spring in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Dōgo Onsen is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, with a history stretching back over 1000 years. The springs are mentioned in the Man'yōshū (written c. 759) and, according to legend, Prince Shōtoku (574–622) used to partake of the waters.

Dōgo Onsen was the favorite retreat of writer Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916) when he was working near Matsuyama as a teacher in what was at the time rural Shikoku. In Soseki's loosely autobiographical novel Botchan, the eponymous main character is a frequent visitor to the springs, the only place he likes in the area.

Dōgo Onsen is famous for the Dōgo Onsen public bathhouse, which was organized by Dōgo Yunomachi mayor Isaniwa Yukiya and built in 1894. Built on three levels for maximum capacity, the baths remain popular and are usually crowded at peak times, such as in the early evening before dinner.

While Dōgo is largely engulfed in the suburban sprawl of modern-day Matsuyama, the area around Dōgo retains the feeling of a resort town, with guests from all over the country wandering the streets in yukata robes after their bath. Dōgo is easily accessible from central Matsuyama by tram and has regular bus services to and from the air and ferry ports (read more).

Japan - Tokyo - Tokyo Imperial Palace

Seimonbashi (West Gate Bridge) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan.

Sent by Daizo from Tokyo, Japan.

The Imperial Palace (皇居, Kōkyo; lit. 'Imperial Residence') is the main residence of the emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the Fukiage Palace (吹上御所, Fukiage gosho) where the emperor has his living quarters, the main palace (宮殿, Kyūden) where various ceremonies and receptions take place, some residences of the Imperial Family, an archive, museums and administrative offices.

The 1.15-square-kilometer (0.44 sq mi) palace grounds and gardens are built on the site of the old Edo Castle.

After the capitulation of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration, the inhabitants, including the Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu, were required to vacate the premises of the Edo Castle. Leaving the Kyoto Imperial Palace on November 26, 1868, the Emperor arrived at the Edo Castle, made it to his new residence and renamed it to Tōkei Castle (東京城, Tōkei-jō). At this time, Tōkyō had also been called Tōkei. He left for Kyōto again, and after coming back on May 9, 1869, it was renamed to Imperial Castle (皇城, Kōjō) (read more).

China - Jiangsu Province - Suzhou City Wall

Suzhou City Wall.

Sent by Gengxu from Dalian, China.

The Suzhou City Wall was the city wall that once surrounded Suzhou, a major city in southeastern Jiangsu Province in eastern China.

The state of Wu is recorded fortifying its capital of Wu (modern Suzhou) in 514 BC. The original city wall had only one entrance, the Pan Gate. Most of the current fortifications date to around 1662, when they were rebuilt under the early Qing dynasty to repair damage from the conquest of the Ming. Most of the wall was demolished in 1958.

Before its demolition, the city wall was 15,204 m (49,882 ft) long. Today, only 2,072 m (6,798 ft) remain (read more).

Italy - Veneto - Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene

Conegliano.

Aerial view.

Sent by Alessia from Conegliano, Italy.

The Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene in northeast Italy is an area characterised by distinctive hogback morphological system which provides a distinctive mountain character with scenic vistas, and an organically evolved and continuing landscape comprised of vineyards, forests, small villages and agriculture. For centuries, the harsh terrain has both shaped and been adapted by distinctive land use practices. They include the land and soil conservation techniques that comprise the viticultural practices using Glera grapes to produce the highest quality Prosecco wine. Since the 17th century, the use of the ciglioni – the patterned use of grassy terraces used to cultivate areas with steep slopes – has created a distinctive chequerboard pattern with rows parallel and vertical to the slopes. In the 19th century, the specific training of the vines known as bellussera, was developed by local farmers, contributing to the aesthetic characteristics of the landscape. The mosaic appearance of the landscape is a result of historical and ongoing environmental and land use practices. The plots dedicated to vineyards, established on ciglioni, coexist with forest patches, small woodlands, hedges, and rows of trees that serve as corridors connecting different habitats. In the hogbacks, small villages are scattered along the narrow valleys or perched on the crests.

The Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene is a viticulture landscape resulting from the interaction of nature and people over several centuries. The adaptation and transformation of the challenging terrain of the hogback geomorphology has required the development of specific land use practices, including: vineyard management by hand on steep slopes; the grassy terraces known as ciglioni, which follow the contours of the land, stabilising the soils and vineyards; and the bellussera training system which was developed in the area about 1880. As a result, the vineyards contribute to a distinctive ‘chequerboard’ appearance with perpendicular rows of high vines, interspersed with rural settlements, forests and small woods. Despite many changes, the history of sharecropping in this area is also reflected in the landscape patterns (read more).

Germany - Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Koloss von Prora

Rügen Island - Koloss von Prora (Colossus of Prora).

Sent by Theodore from Oldenburg, Germany.

The Colossus of Prora, commonly known as simply "Prora", is a building complex in the municipality of Binz on the island of Rügen, Germany. It was built by Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1939 as part of the Strength Through Joy (Kraft durch Freude or KdF) project. It consisted of eight identical buildings and was 4.5 km  (2

+3⁄4 mi) in length parallel to the beach, with the surviving structures stretching 3.0 km (1+7⁄8 mi).

Although the buildings were planned as a holiday resort, construction was not completed, and they were not used for this purpose. Prora, as it was known, was however used largely by the Nazi Party for propaganda, with the supposed strength and power displayed in the construction effort of the complex likened by the party to that of themselves. After World War II, the complex found various military uses, first by the Soviet Army, then by the East German Volksarmee, and then by the German Bundeswehr. Today, it houses a large youth hostel, a hotel, and holiday apartments.

Prora lies on an extensive bay between the Sassnitz and Binz regions, known as the Prorer Wiek, on the narrow heath (the Prora) which separates the lagoon of the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden from the Baltic Sea. The buildings extended over a length of 4.5 kilometres (2+3⁄4 mi) and are roughly 150 metres (160 yd) from the beach. The coast offers a long flat sand beach which stretches from Binz to the ferry port. This beach was thus an ideal location for the establishment of a seaside resort (read more).

Germany - North Rhine-Westphalia - Düsseldorf - Media Harbour

The Gehry Buildings in the Media Harbour and the Rheinturm (Rhine Tower) in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Sent by Jürgen from Düsseldorf, Germany.

Neuer Zollhof or Der Neue Zollhof (The New Zollhof, named after a former customs facility), located at Neuer Zollhof 2-6, Unterbilk, is a prominent landmark of Düsseldorf-Hafen, part of the redeveloped port of Düsseldorf, Germany.

The building complex consisting of three separate buildings, was designed by Canadian-American architect Frank O. Gehry and completed in 1998. Floorplans and facades of all three buildings curve and lean, reason for them being likened to leaning towers. The tallest building is 14 stories high and just under 50 m tall. Each building has a different facade cladding - the outer two in white plaster and red brick respectively; the central building's stainless steel facade reflects material and shapes of its two neighbour buildings.

The buildings have a total gross floor area of 29,000 square metres. A previous architectural design competition for the site was won by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid during the early 1990s, however never commissioned.

The buildings are also popular with tourists who visit the region (read more).

Germany - Saxony-Anhalt - Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg

Images of a statue of Martin Luther and various buildings in Wittenberg, which is also known as "Lutherstadt" (Luther City).

Sent by Klaus from Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

The Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg, located in the State of Saxony-Anhalt in the centre of Germany, are associated with the lives of Martin Luther and his fellow-reformer Philipp Melanchthon. They include Melanchthon's house in Wittenberg, the houses in Eisleben where Luther was born (1483) and died (1546), his room in Wittenberg, the local church, and the castle church where, Luther posted his famous '95 Theses' on 31 October 1517, launching the Reformation and a new era in the religious and political history of the Western world.

As authentic settings of decisive events in the Reformation and the life of Martin Luther, the memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg have an outstanding significance for the political, cultural, and spiritual life of the Western world that extends far beyond German borders.

Criterion (iv): The Luther Memorials in Wittenberg and Eisleben are artistic monuments of high quality, with their furnishings conveying a vivid picture of a historic era of world and ecclesiastical importance.

Criterion (vi): The Luther Memorials in Wittenberg and Eisleben are of Outstanding Universal Value bearing unique testimony to the Protestant Reformation, one of the most significant events in the religious and political history of the world, and constitute exceptional examples of 19th-century historicism (read more).

USA - Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park (4) - Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho, too. Yellowstone features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs, and gushing geysers. Pictured here is the World Famous Grand Prismatic Spring which is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world.

Sent by Lily from California, USA.

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.

Grand Prismatic Spring was noted by geologists working in the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, and named by them for its striking coloration. Its colors match most of those seen in the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

The first records of the spring are from early European explorers and surveyors. In 1839, a group of four trappers from the American Fur Company crossed the Midway Geyser Basin and made note of a "boiling lake", most likely the Grand Prismatic Spring, with a diameter of 300 feet (90 m). In 1870 the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition visited the spring, noting a 50-foot (15 m) geyser nearby (later named Excelsior).

The bright, vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats of thermophilic bacteria around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The mats produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature gradient in the runoff. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green (read more).

Japan - Ōita Prefecture - Yufuin

Yufuin at daybreak.

Sent by Sakiko from Hyogo, Japan.

Yufuin (湯布院町, Yufuin-chō) was a town located in Ōita District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Yufuin is now a district (町) within the city of Yufu. Its elevation is approximately 400 meters above ground.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 11,342 and density of 88.77 persons per km². The total area was 127.77 km².

On October 1, 2005, Yufuin, along with the towns of Hasama and Shonai (all from Ōita District), was merged to create the city of Yufu. This controversial decision resulted in the recall of the mayor and a snap election in which he regained office.

Located in a green valley beneath the spectacular Mount Yufu (由布岳, Yufudake), a short walk from the town centre is a mix of paddy fields, housing and upmarket ryokan, with a few temples. Mount Yufu, or Yufu-dake, can be hiked in about 90 minutes. Although still connected to its rural roots, Yufuin is a tourist town and a popular destination for coach tours, especially among Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Taiwanese tourists. There is the picturesque Lake Kinrin and rivers flow down and across the valley. Some hotels have outdoor baths called rotenburo with a view of Mount Yufu (read more).

The Bahamas - The Flamingo of Bahamas

The Flamingos Of The Bahamas.

Sent by Melony from The Bahamas.

One of the Caribbean’s greatest conservation success stories began in the early 1950s, when ornithologist Robert Porter Allen, Audubon’s first director of research, arrived in the Bahamas’ southernmost islands to discover only a scant hundred or so flamingos—one of the last breeding colonies of American Flamingo. Thanks to the efforts of Allen and others, the Bahamian government preserved roughly half of Great Inagua as a national park, and the island’s flamingo population now tops 80,000—outnumbering human residents by more than 80 to 1 (read more).

Malaysia - Negeri Sembilan - State Museum

Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

State Museum.

Sent by myself during my three-day visit in Negeri Sembilan.

Negeri Sembilan State Museum is located at the Crafts & Cultural Handicraft Complex and is located along Jalan Sungai Ujong, Seremban. If you are in this state capital and is keen to learn more about the history of this state as well as appreciate the many artifects here, plan to spend an hour or so here.

Students of Malaysia history will appreciate this museum as the building itself was built using the Minangkabau architecture.

The building known as Teratak Pepatih Building was previously used as a location for the National Al-Quran Recitation Competition. Due to its Minangkabau architecture, it was renovated and officially declared as the new location of the state museum on 14 July 1986 (read more). 

Malaysia - Negeri Sembilan - Cape Rachado Lighthouse

Cape Rachado Lighthouse (Rumah Api Tanjung Tuan)

It is believed to be the oldest lighthouse in Malaysia. Named by the Portuguese, meaning Broken Cape, the lighthouse in an exclave of the state of Melaka, adjecent to the town of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

The lighthouse was first built by the Portuguese in 15th century and later rebuilt by the Dutch. The present lighthouse was constructed in 1863, during Malacca's status as a British-ruled Straits Settlement, and remain active.

Sent by myself during my three-day visit in Negeri Sembilan. 

The Cape Rachado Lighthouse (Malay: Rumah Api Tanjung Tuan) is a lighthouse located at Cape Rachado (Malay: Tanjung Tuan), in Alor Gajah District, Malacca, Malaysia. The lighthouse is believed to be the oldest in the country, its history allegedly dating back to Portuguese rule of Malacca during the 16th century, although the present structure is a 19th-century construction.

The early history of the lighthouse remains largely unverified, with unofficial accounts by locals tracing the lighthouse's history back to a period following the conquest of Malacca by Portugal in 1511. The Portuguese government in Malacca vested interest in the construction of a lighthouse to guide its ships through the narrow Straits of Malacca, completing the first iteration of the structure on Cape Rachado (a name given by the Portuguese, meaning "Broken Cape") in the 16th century. Possession of the lighthouse was handed over to the Dutch VOC, alongside Malacca in entirety in 1641, and a second version of the building was claimed to have been built in 1817, during temporary rule by the British under William Farquhar, seven years before Malacca's total changeover to the British in 1824.

The present lighthouse was constructed in 1863, during Malacca's status as a British-ruled Straits Settlement, and remains active as of 2008. In 1990, a concrete tower was built by to the original lighthouse to house a MEASAT radar (read more).

Malaysia - Negeri Sembilan - Army Museum

Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

Army Museum (Muzium Tentera Darat).

Sent by myself during my three-day visit in Negeri Sembilan.

Approximately a 20-minute drive from Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson, The Army Museum, which is also known as Muzium Tentera Darat or Army Museum PD by area residents, is located in the district of Sirusa. Being the one and only military museum in Malaysia, the Army Museum in Port Dickson is a major attraction for locals and tourists alike.

The Army Museum Port Dickson is also considered one of the most modern museums in the country and it won the Merit Award in the category of ‘Best Tourist Attraction on National Identity (Heritage) 2005/2006’ by Tourism Malaysia.

Approximately 12.6 kilometres away from Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson, the Army Museum Port Dickson is managed by Malaysian Royal Armed Forces. It houses the nation’s military achievements, memorabilia, uniforms and weapons throughout decades of history (read more).