Places

The romantic beauty of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley has inspired many writers, artists and composers. Dramatic cliffs overlook the meandering river below; idyllic small towns with cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and Gothic churches appear around each river bend; hill

This year's Japanese inspired "Flower Carpet" adorned the Grand Place in Brussels from August 12 to 15. The event takes place every two years in the historical heart of Brussels, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautiful

Peillon is one of several "perched villages", just a few kilometers north of Nice and Monaco but at almost 400 meters altitude. It is a quaint pedestrian only village with narrow cobbled streets winding up and down through low vaulted

The historic village of Monsanto in Eastern Portugal is another example of thoughtful architecture that adapts to its natural surroundings rather than attempting to transform them. The village developed around enormous granite boulders, utilized for walls, floors, and even roofs.The

Icelandic turf houses were the product of a harsh environment. They offered superior insulation compared to stone and wood houses, and Iceland did have large amounts of turf that was suitable for construction, while other building material were difficult to

The serene Shirakawa-go and Gokayama regions, nestled in a remote mountain area of Japan, are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 200 years old. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses'

A trip to Bibury, England is like travel back in time. It is a typical Cotswold village with limestone cottages with steeply pitched roofs, beautiful nature, and a romantic, almost fairytale aura. The famous Arlington Row is a popular tourist

The Maison de Luxe Design Show House will be unveiled tonight at a VIP preview reception in the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, after which it will be open to the public for a limited time. Some of America's top

Hallstatt, Austria - crystal clear water, breathtaking mountain views, and alpine village charm. Parts of the region around Hallstatt are listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.