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Author Alex

A travel fanatic, Alex is always on the lookout for his next exciting adventure. Over the years, this has seen him live and work in countries as varied as Brazil, Italy and Sudan, scale snowy peaks in Kyrgyzstan and play professional football in Zanzibar. When he's not traveling to far-flung destinations, he can be found writing about them from his hometown of Brussels – one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

The Best Time to Visit Dubrovnik for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Dubrovnik

The ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’, Croatia’s Dubrovnik is one of the most popular places to visit in all the Mediterranean thanks to its enchanting old town.

The Best Time to Visit Prague for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Prague

Known as the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’, Prague’s medieval old town really is a treat to amble about.

The Best Time to Visit Vienna for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Vienna

Delightfully known as the ‘City of Dreams’, Austria’s cultured capital Vienna is a lovely place to visit, full of amazing art, history, architecture and music.

The Best Time to Visit Athens for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Athens

While it is most known for its ancient ruins and archaeological sites, Greece’s capital Athens is also a modern, sprawling metropolis.

The Best Time to Visit Munich for Perfect Weather and Sightseeing

Best Time to Visit Munich

One of the most popular cities to visit in Germany, Bavaria’s capital Munich has a marvelous altstadt to explore and many great churches, palaces and museums to check out.

Skip Aruba: Why This Lesser-known Destination Is Perfect for Snorkelers and Nature Lovers Alike

Kralendijk

A true mecca for scuba divers and snorkelers, this sun-drenched Caribbean island is famed for its vibrant coral reefs and extraordinary marine life.

High Above the Mediterranean Sits Sicily’s Most Breathtaking Town

Taromina View

Often likened to the Saint-Tropez of Sicily, this glamorous hillside town is among the island’s most sought-after destinations.

The Italian Port That Doesn’t Act Like a Tourist Trap — Grit, Grandeur, and Some of the Best Pesto on Earth

Caruggi

Although it is usually overlooked in favor of other Italian cities, this Italian destination has more than enough to keep you occupied for a few days.

This Might Be the Most Sophisticated City in Italy Most Americans Have Never Heard Of

Things to do in Trieste, Italy

Fittingly nicknamed “Little Vienna by the Sea,” this elegant port city boasts a unique blend of cultures, cuisines, and architectural styles.

Most Travelers Visiting Germany Completely Overlook This Elegant City

Things to do in Stuttgart, Germany

Both the capital and largest city of Baden-Wurttemberg state, Stuttgart has much more to it than just Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

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Bardstown, Kentucky

Bourbon Made This Town Famous, but That’s Not What Makes It Special

George Peabody Library Baltimore Visitor Guide Most visitors don't expect to find one of the most striking interiors in America tucked behind a row of white columns in a quiet Baltimore neighborhood. You walk through the doors of the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon, turn a corner, and suddenly you're standing beneath a skylit atrium that climbs six stories above a polished marble floor. It stops you cold. The George Peabody Library Baltimore is that kind of place. It doesn't announce itself from the street. There's no flashy signage, no grand plaza. But step inside the stack room and you'll see why people call it a "cathedral of books." Over 300,000 volumes line the walls, and the space itself feels like something pulled from a 19th-century novel you half-remember reading. Johns Hopkins University runs the place as part of its Sheridan Libraries system. This isn’t a museum replica—it’s a working research collection. You can visit for free during public hours, which makes it one of the easiest cultural stops in Baltimore. Whether you’re chasing that perfect symmetrical shot up through the iron balconies or just want a quiet ten minutes surrounded by something genuinely beautiful, the library delivers without asking much of your time or your wallet. Cast-Iron Balconies And The Soaring Atrium The first thing that hits you is the scale. Five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies rise from the ground floor and climb 61 feet to a massive skylight that floods the room with natural light. The effect is vertical and dramatic, like standing inside a very elegant cage made of books and ironwork. Each balcony tier is lined with gold-and-black volumes shelved behind low railings, and the repeating geometric patterns of the iron railings create a visual rhythm that photographers obsess over. Point your camera straight up from the center of the floor and you'll get that iconic symmetrical shot that's all over travel feeds. The image almost looks digitally generated, but it's real, and it's been here since 1878. The marble floor adds to the atmosphere. Sound carries differently in here. Footsteps echo softly, and conversations drop to whispers without anyone being told. The reading room on the ground level sits just off the main atrium, offering a quieter space with wooden tables and the kind of warm, worn-in feeling that modern libraries rarely manage. The light keeps the space from feeling like a museum. On a clear afternoon, sunlight pours through the skylight and shifts across the iron railings and book spines, changing the room's character every hour. You could visit twice in the same day and walk away with completely different impressions. A Quick History Of The Landmark George Peabody, a financier who got his start in Baltimore before heading off to London, founded the Peabody Institute in 1857. He wanted to give something meaningful back to the city that launched his career—a free public library, a lecture series, a music conservatory, and an art gallery. The library building itself took its sweet time, finally opening up in 1878. Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind teamed up with Nathaniel H. Morison, the institute's first provost, to design the interior. Lind focused on that dramatic stack room—he wanted it to feel grand enough to match Peabody's vision but still practical for researchers. Local craftsmen made the decorative cast-iron balconies, and people immediately noticed the design. It stood out as one of the most distinctive library interiors on the East Coast. The collection changed hands a few times. In 1966, the City of Baltimore took over and ran things through the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Then, in 1982, Johns Hopkins University stepped in, and the library became part of the Sheridan Libraries system. These days, the focus is on 18th- and 19th-century works—architecture, religion, science, geography, literature—with gems from folks like Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman. George Peabody Library Baltimore

One of America’s Most Beautiful Interiors Is Hidden in Baltimore

Mount Vernon

It’s Hard to Believe an American President Once Called This Beautiful Estate Home

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Salar de Uyuni

25 Greatest Natural Wonders of the World

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