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European Travel

An aerial view of the Grande Colonnade rendered redesign

‘Mona Lisa’ Is Moving to a New Home. The Louvre Just Announced the Architects Who Will Design Her Private Suite

Visitors will be able to view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece without touring the rest of the Louvre, and visitor traffic at the museum will be able to grow by three million people annually

Gustave Eiffel at the Eiffel Tower in 1889

A Dizzying Spiral Staircase With a Single Guardrail Once Led to the Top of the Eiffel Tower. Now, You Can Buy 14 of the Original Steps

The 1,062 steps connecting the tower’s second and third levels were installed in 1889. Fragments from the 137-year-old staircase can be found at several French museums

Herders have used cowbells as tracking devices for livestock for thousands of years, a practice that continues today.

See 15 Sensational Scenes of Switzerland, Europe’s Alpine Wonderland That’s Beautiful No Matter the Season

These dramatic images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest capture the splendor of the European nation home to castles, alpine huts, snow-capped mountains and much more

Outside the Colosseum's southern wall, newly constructed marble slabs indicate where tall columns once supported two arcades.

At the Colosseum, New Marble Slabs Mark Where Towering Columns Stood Thousands of Years Ago

Crowds once mingled below two tall arcades supported by 164-foot-tall columns. But due to earthquakes and unstable foundations, these architectural elements collapsed long ago

The Last Judgment is located behind the Sistine Chapel's altar.

The Sweat of Tourists Has Covered Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Fresco in a White Film. Now, the ‘Last Judgment’ Is Getting a Much-Needed Cleaning

Patches of calcium lactate have dulled the colors of the famous 16th-century mural, which hasn’t been cleaned since 1994. Experts will carefully restore the artwork to its former glory

The Citadel of Dinant, a clifftop fortress more than 500 years old, looms above colorful buildings lining the Meuse River.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Behold Belgium’s Beauty in These 15 Scenic Photographs

See for yourself why the country is called the ‘heart of Europe’

Pastis is an anise-flavored aperitif that was invented in 1932 in Marseille, France.

Coastal Cities of Europe

Get a Taste of Coastal Europe Through These Seven Spirits

From aquavit to pastis, these libations have notes of flavor and history

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There's More to That

The Tragedy of the Alps’ Disappearing Glaciers for Those Who Live, Visit and Ski There

Warming temperatures are wreaking havoc at elevation, upending the Winter Olympics and the tourism industry and imperiling communities

The village of Funes in northern Italy is a popular spot for tourists.

Hundreds of Tourists Flock to This Instagram-Famous Italian Church Every Day. Locals Are Pushing Back Against Visitors Who Seek the Perfect Photo ‘at All Costs’

Beginning in May, travelers visiting Santa Maddalena in the Dolomite Mountains will need to navigate road barriers and parking fees

Aarhus, Denmark, which refers to itself as the world’s smallest big city, boasts some of the most charming neighborhoods in Europe. These two beautifully symmetrical homes capture that charm perfectly.

Coastal Cities of Europe

These 15 Delightful Photos of Denmark Will Have You Booking Your Flights to Scandinavia This Weekend

A beautiful coastal land, there’s much to see in this northern European nation

The mural will be on view for a brief five-week period during the Winter Olympics before closing again for 18 months of restoration.

This Magnificent Mural by Leonardo da Vinci Will Go on Display for a Brief Window During the Winter Olympics in Milan

Guided tours will take visitors onto scaffolding to view the rare artwork inside Sforza Castle, which is currently undergoing restorations

Inside Idiom, which uses mirrors to provide the illusion of infinite length

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You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

Officials are managing an influx of tourists coming to see “Idiom,” a seemingly infinite tunnel of books by the artist Matej Krén, at the Municipal Library

The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) owns about half of Switzerland’s 320 huts, including the Almageller Hut on the southern side of Weissmies Mountain above the village of Saas-Almagell.

The Race Is On to Save the Alps’ Famous Huts and Trails as Melting Permafrost Threatens to Destroy Them

Hiking will always be a part of life in the Alps, but climate change has made navigating high-alpine routes more complicated

Barcelona

Coastal Cities of Europe

Coastal Cities of Europe

Explore the history, culture and natural wonders of the continent’s most celebrated ports

Built between 180 and 193 C.E., the column depicts the battles of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, with more than 2,000 highly detailed figures spiraling around the shaft.

Archaeologists Are Using Lasers to Clean Decades of Grime Off a Towering 1,800-Year-Old Marble Column in Rome

Standing 154 feet tall, the column of Marcus Aurelius is located in the Piazza Colonna and intricately decorated with gruesome scenes of warfare

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These Five Photos of Germany’s Natural Wonders Will Inspire Your Wanderlust

From protected biospheres and shimmering lakes to towering peaks and tranquil shores, adventure awaits for those who seek it in Germany

An exterior view of the famous window and balcony that robbers entered in October

Louvre Robbers Escaped With Less Than a Minute to Spare Due to Major Security Fumbles

An investigation ordered by France’s culture ministry highlighted a number of security failures that made October’s brazen heist possible

Tourists take pictures of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa during the Louvre's reopening following a daylight jewel heist in October.

Weeks After a Brazen Heist, the Louvre Increases Ticket Prices for Non-E.U. Visitors by 45 Percent

Officials say the fee hike will help fund a much-needed overhaul of the museum’s security systems and infrastructure

Hyper-realistic reconstructions of Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy foreground, Selam background) by Élisabeth Daynès in the National Museum’s “People and Their Ancestors” exhibition, Prague

Meeting Lucy: How a World-First European Exhibition Brought Visitors Face to Face With the Fossil That ‘Shrinks Time’

Two Australopithecus fossils named Lucy and Selam made a rare trip out of Ethiopia for a 60-day display at the National Museum in Prague

Made with more than 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, artist Dale Chihuly created Fiori di Como, this colorful ceiling of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. 

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These 15 Gorgeous Photographs Capture the Beautiful Art of Blown and Stained Glass

From cathedrals to train stations to museums, these masterful displays showcase the remarkable talent that goes into creating the fragile art form

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