Travel tips

Jul 12, 2011, 2:06 GMT

Take an interactive-museum stroll through Bristol's rich history

Bristol, England (dpa) - A new museum in Bristol is now helping visitors learn a lot more about the city's history. The 'M Shed' is located in a 1950s-era warehouse at the historical harbour, the Bristol Tourism Office reports. Among other items, the museum feature photographs, films and maps. With the use of interactive elements, visitors may make their own contribution to the development of the exhibition. The museum is free of charge.

New jogging tour of Stuttgart

Stuttgart (dpa) - Stuttgart, home of the luxury carmaker Daimler-Benz, can now also be toured by another mode - jogging. From July through September, visitors can take city tours, with a choice of two jogging routes. The shorter one, 3.5 kilometres long, takes place on Thursdays starting at 7 am and going through the downtown area, including such highlights as the Staatstheater, the new state art gallery and the palace square. The second tour, twice as long, starts 6 pm on Tuesdays and proceeds through the palace gardens to Rosenstein Palace and then back to the city centre. In both cases the meeting point is the Tourist Information office in the Koenigstrasse street. Reservations are not needed. (www.stuttgart-tourist.de)

Quito's new airport to be opened in late 2012

Quito (dpa) - Vacationers flying into Ecuador will be welcomed at a new airport in Quito starting towards the end of 2012. The new facility is located 25 kilometres east of the capital, and at an altitude of 2,400 metres lies clearly lower than the current airport, the Quito tourism authority reports. Thanks to a longer runway large airplanes with higher weight loads will be able to take off from the airport. The airport is designed to handle 4 million passengers per year and is to be completed in further building phases by the year 2030.

Brisbane aboriginal art and culture on display

Brisbane (dpa) - Exhibitions, dance events and readings will help visitors to Brisbane become better acquainted with the traditions of the Torres Strait aborigines. Through till October 23, museums and theatres will be dedicated to the aborigines who chiefly live in Australia's Queensland province, the Brisbane tourism office reports. The Gallery of Modern Art is staging the biggest-ever exhibition of contemporary art, with some 200 works, created by the Torres Strait inhabitants. (www.TSI.org.au)

A maze of maize to conquer on Dutch island of Texel

Copenhagen (dpa) - Vacationers to the Netherlands' North Sea island of Texel will face a new challenge this summer - a labyrinth in a huge corn field. Some two hectares in size, hikers and bicyclists can explore the maze of maize, the Dutch Tourism Office reports. So that the two groups don't get in each other's way, there are separate paths. Foot-bridges make it possible for the hikers to safely cross over above the bike paths. The labyrinth was designed by Englishman Adrian Fisher, who began making the maize labyrinths on Texel in 2003. The maize labyrinth will be open until around the end of August. (www.labyrint-texel.nl)

Play - or learn - the guitar in German lake resort

Millstatt, Germany (dpa) - Fans of the guitar and the various styles of music played on it should come to the German lake resort town of Millstaetter See. From August 3 to 7, a festival featuring everything from baroque to jazz to flamenco guitar music will take place there. Those who would like to try it themselves can take part in workshops ranging from 10 euros (discount) to 18 euros (14-17.50 dollars) per day. Evening concert tickets range from 36 to 60 euros. (www.laguitaraesencial.com)

Haus Liechtenstein exhibits its private art collection

Evian, France (dpa) - Haus Liechtenstein is presenting artworks from its private collection this summer at the Palais Lumiere in the French seaside resort of Evian. More than 90 paintings and sculptures by artists of the Baroque, Classical and Biedermeier periods are on display till October 2, the Evian tourism office reports. Among the works are ones by masters such as Rubens, Rembrandt, and Van Dyck. (www.eviantourism.com)

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