Germany’s Stunning Fairytale Castles Added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Built under the rule of Ludwig II, the grand palace complexes in Bavaria were among 26 new sites granted world heritage status
A Rare Renaissance Fresco That Could Be One of Fra Angelico’s Earliest Works Has Been Restored to Its Former Glory
Located in a secluded convent outside of Florence, the 600-year-old artwork was concealed behind layers of paint for most of its history
See Greece in All Its Gorgeous Glory
These 15 images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest remind us of the grandeur of Greece
The Louvre Is Asking Architects to Submit Their Design Ideas for an Ambitious $316 Million Expansion
The Paris museum has launched a competition to design a new entrance and underground exhibition spaces, including one dedicated to the “Mona Lisa”
The Architect Who Designed the Iconic Entrances to the Paris Métro Is Finally Getting the Attention He Deserves
When Hector Guimard’s subway designs were unveiled in the early 1900s, the public rejected his Art Nouveau style. Soon, a new museum devoted to his work will open in the city
The Vatican’s Newly Restored Raphael Rooms Spotlight the Great Artist Who Died Before Finishing His Final Project
As specialists cleaned and studied the rooms in the Apostolic Palace, they learned new information about the Renaissance painter’s experimental techniques
The 2,000-Year-Old ‘Perfume Garden’ in the Ancient City of Pompeii Has Been Restored to Its Former Glory
The small garden now features thousands of roses, violets, cherry trees and vines. Experts think a perfumer may have once used the plants to experiment with new scents
Paul Cézanne’s Hometown of Aix-en-Provence Is Finally Celebrating Its Most Famous Native Son
This summer, the artist’s historic home and studio are opening to the public alongside a massive retrospective exhibition at the museum that once refused his works
Tourists Are Stuffing Coins Into the Cracks of the Giant’s Causeway, Damaging the Iconic Site in Northern Ireland
Authorities are urging visitors to stop wedging pocket change between the basalt columns, which are cracking and crumbling as the coins expand
What Was Daily Life Like for the Women Who Lived in Ancient Pompeii 2,000 Years Ago?
A new exhibition is spotlighting the women who have long been sidelined in histories of the Roman Empire—from mothers and weavers to entrepreneurs and influential tavern owners
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Get Your Day Back on Track With These 22 Photos of Trains Around the World
Take to the rails with inspiring images of life on and around train lines
This German Town Carefully Reconstructed a 5,500-Year-Old Megalithic Monument
After years of excavation and study, archaeologists have restored the Küsterberg burial site to its original layout to celebrate the annual European Day of Megalithic Culture
10 Surprising Ways to Explore One of Europe’s Greenest Capital Cities: Zagreb, Croatia
Where nature and culture are woven together
Child Scratches Mark Rothko Painting Worth Millions While Visiting Dutch Art Museum
Artworks by the Latvian-American Abstract Expressionist have been damaged before, but repairs have added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars
The Fascinating, and Delicious, History of Malta
How centuries of cultural influence shaped Maltese cuisine
The ‘Mona Lisa’ Is Moving to a Room of Her Own at the Louvre
As part of a massive renovation, the Leonardo da Vinci portrait will get its own gallery space accessible from a separate entrance
Secret Passageways Recorded in Leonardo da Vinci’s Sketches Discovered Beneath a Medieval Castle in Milan
Using ground-penetrating radar and laser scanners, researchers identified subterranean structures just a few feet below the ground. The pathways may connect Sforza Castle to a nearby basilica
Why Is Santa From the North Pole? Here’s How the Legend Originated and Why Different Towns Lay Claim to It
Santa Claus is usually good news for tourism—and locales all over the world embrace their proximity to the Christmas figure
A New Subway System in Greece Is Decorated With the Artifacts Unearthed During Its Construction
An ancient marble thoroughfare and shards of classical pottery are on display in the city of Thessaloniki’s new underground “archaeo-stations”
Read the 132-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Found Hidden Inside the Walls of a Scottish Lighthouse
Engineers discovered the mysterious missive while working on repairs at Corsewall Lighthouse last month. Now, they plan to write their own note for future generations to find
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