The Sitka Sound Science Center is a part-tourist destination, part-research hub. The diverse natural life perpetuated by the rainforest and ocean ecosystems of the Inside Passage are studied and cared for by biologists and eager volunteers. A small entrance fee gains you a tour of the research facilities and Science Center grounds, exhibits on Southeast Alaskan wildlife, and touch tanks...

The original structure of St. Michael’s Cathedral was built in the mid-1800s, when Sitka and the rest of Alaska were under Russian control. Though destroyed in a fire in 1966, the new structure has been built to replicate the original church, allowing the iconic copper domes and Russian architecture to live on and beautify the city center. Tours of the...

The attacks on Albania’s religious communities (Sunni and Bektashi Muslims, Catholic and Orthodox Christians) by the Communist regime led to the destruction and desecration of many places of worship, meaning that the small mosque in the south-eastern corner of Skanderbeg Square is a particularly precious jewel. Built in the eighteenth century, its painted walls both internal and external feature trees, waterfalls and cityscapes which are rare...

Tradita describes itself as a hotel, a restaurant and a museum… Curious about what that would look like? Think also what that would taste like. Or what it would be like to sleep in such a place… The Tradita concept is the brainchild of its owner, the slightly mad Gjon Duke Gilaj who is usually wearing national costume and is...

You might not expect a Communist-themed cafe to be either so vibrant or so friendly, but Komiteti is a celebration of the best of daily life under the regime. Waiters in Communist era uniforms will be happy to explain any of the clutter of exhibits and framed memorabilia which cover walls and every surface. The cafe also has a wonderful...

As you approach Kruja and look up at the town perched high on an escarpment you’ll understand immediately why the Albania hero of resistance against the Ottomans built his castle here. The castle can still be explored, together with the ‘Historical Museum’ designed in mock-castle style by Enver Hoxha’s daughter. There is also an interesting Ethnological Museum. But a more...

If you want to experience rural Albanian life there are very few opportunities as picturesque as the traditional stone house kulla in the village of Shulbater. The Gjini family’s home is just one in traditional style across the little hilltop of this village set in rolling terrain. The accommodation is basic but you’ll sleep in a room decorated with stone...

A visit to Albania’s National Gallery is a must not only for those interested in art, but also those who want to understand the country’s history, and in particular the Communist regime which dominated the second half of the twentieth century. As well as rotating exhibitions of local and international artists, the gallery has a permanent collection of all-Albanian art....

The spectacular Socialist Realist mosaic across the front of the National Historical Museum is its most dramatic feature. Inside there are exhibits of a pre-historical, historical and ethnographic nature. There are special exhibitions on the world’s most famous Albanian, Mother Theresa, on the Second World War, and on the ‘Communist Terror’. Very little signage is in English which makes a...

This Ottoman-era house is a rare chance to experience Tirana’s history as almost all the city’s pre-independence buildings have been knocked down or are well hidden in private hands. The heritage theme extends even to tablecloths woven in the traditional way, and the restaurant serves both local and international dishes. Try the Tirana speciality dish ‘fergese’ and/ or one of...

Blood feuds are not an entirely historical part of Albanian life as there are still families ‘in blood’ with one another, and the ancient ‘Kanun’ law which requires revenge killings is still invoked. The impact of this can be well appreciated by a visit to this historical stone tower where families in blood could be protected. It was necessary for...

The Creator of the Statue of Liberty Everyone knows Lady Liberty who stands in America’s New York Harbor, but most folks don’t know a lot about the man who created her. The house where Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was born in 1834 is now a museum. Spend an hour or two ambling through the home’s exhibits which include an entire floor dedicated to...

The National Car Museum or Car City (Cité de l’Automobile) in Mulhouse features more than 500 vehicles, all in working order.  The cars are from a collection assembled by  Fritz Schlumpf, a Swiss industrialist who spent most of his life in Alsace. He devoted an extraordinary amount of money and energy collecting and repairing antique cars.  Some of the most...

Chocolate lovers must make time for this museum, lab, shop, and tearoom. The museum has interactive exhibits devoted to the well-loved Marquise de Sévigné brand, in addition to displays about the history of cocoa in general, and the process of producing chocolate from beans. Visitors also may visit the laboratory where chocolate is made. Museum admission isn’t necessary to enjoy...

This museum gets less attention than the city’s car and train museums, but it is well worth a visit, and there is no entrance fee. It’s located in the charming Villa Steinbach, built by a manufacturer of art canvas in the 18th century on land previously occupied by the Order of Teutonic Knights. In the 19th century, George Steinbach, a...

Monet and Picasso fans will want to spend an hour or so in this museum, which sits on a beautifully landscaped bank of the River Îll. Serious art lovers should expect to linger 2-3 hours, or more. The building itself is quite stunning. It opened in 1998, and is a striking work of glass, light, and space. The permanent collection...

Mulhouse is known as the birthplace of textile printing in Alsace. The industry began in 1746, when four city residents opened the first shop, and the city became the world-wide leader of textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. The museum is as much a unique art exhibit as a historical museum. Plan to get lost in...

Cité du Train in Mulhouse is the largest railway museum in Europe with more than 1,000 cars,locomotives, and other train memorabilia. It also is very probably the best. The museum first opened in 1964 and reopened in January 2016 after a complete renovation. The expanded exhibition space holds a huge collection of French railway history. The Train Trail takes you on a...

Located in the original building where Anne Frank, her family, and four other individuals hid from the Nazis from 1942 to 1944, guests to the Anne Frank House can see not only the hiding space but also Anne’s famous diary. The museum was opened to the public in 1960 after the Anne Frank Foundation purchased the house in 1957. A...

It might seem a little weird to include a public library in a travel guide but Amsterdam’s Central Library (Dutch: Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam) is anything but average. At 28,000 square metres, this is Europe’s largest public library. The building, full of modern architecture and located on Oosterdokseilnad, opened in July 2007 and around 2.5 million users and visitors visit yearly....