Maria Lisella

it started when Manorhouses in the northern part of the country flung their doors open to host the public as overnight guests. Soon river cruise companies, looking to add new ships and new itineraries, began to ply the Douro River. Add in a few glasses of local wine, and a new focus on wellness, and you have a confluence of trends on the Douro River.

For sure, Norway is perceived as a safe destination, no small matter in volatile times, but that is not its main selling point: the real attraction here is nature – the fjords are unique, new cruises traverse the coastal and inland waterways, the culture is accessible, rail travel is fast, efficient and scenic and now Norway is a new star on the culinary tourism map with Michelin-starred restaurants in Oslo and Bergen.

Who doesn’t love at least one Muppet character even if you did not grow up with them? And who wouldn’t want the Muppets as next-door neighbors?

No less than eight Michelin stars sparkle above Baiersbronn tucked away in SouthWest Germany's Black Forest National Park. Three world-class starry-eyed Michelin chefs cook up a storm at this outpost of just 15,000 inhabitants just one hour from Stuttgart.

Each chef lords it over kitchens that produce epicurean treasures inside three hotels -- Hotel Traube Tonbach, Hotel Sackmann and the Hotel Bareiss -- that grandmothers founded during bad times in the Black Forest, and lucky for us, these women left a legacy of hospitality and fine food.

East Harlem’s walls are literally covered in wall murals but this tour focused on those concentrated in a small area -- 103rd Street to 107th Street and Second Avenue to Park Avenue. Technically considered graffiti, murals can also be banners of honor, inspiration and a canvas for the love artists share for the place.

The secret is out: Scotland’s top cities -- Edinburgh and Glasgow are wonderful. The Scottish Highlands are magical. Distillery experiences are better than ever. Golf is more accessible. It is a great destination for outdoors and adventure travel. It is also an incredible food destination as Edinburgh alone has five Michelin-starred restaurants with only a population of 500,000, say purveyors of Scottish travel products.

Things to do in New York, NY: New York City Guide b...

Known for its astonishing landscapes and deep blues, fabled islands, and archaeological sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum, Campania’s true treasure may be the land-locked area called Irpinia, located within the province of Avellino in Italy.

"Beauty is power...The greatest power of all," was among the first slogans Rubinstein used as early as 1904 for her advertising campaign that inspired the exhibition’s name, Helena Rubinstein: Beauty Is Power. She convinced turn-of-the-century women that “painted faces” were not just for actresses or tarts but would add to their sense of empowerment no matter what their social class might be.

Agents say London and Paris, which has been hit left and right with violent incidents, are among the most resilient of cities and American travelers know that.

Photo opportuni-
ties start with the ride from Taiwan’s Taoyuan Interna- tional Airport to the capital city of Taipei as the road is anked by verdant hills with bouquets of Tung owers spilling down like snow in May; marking the start of so many surprising delights from what the Portuguese called Ilha Formosa or beautiful island. It has since borne many other names, but Taiwan holds cultural sway.

Estonia may be one of the smaller countries in Europe, but the country’s medieval capital, Tallinn, happens to be one of the biggest ports in the Baltics.

During the Austro-Hungarian Empire, trendsetter Archduke Charles Stephen of the Hapsburg family made this his winter residence. Naturally, other royals followed.

Some arrived to cure respiratory ailments as the pure air is legendary; others because it was de rigueur. But they all left a precious legacy: spectacular hotels and villas.

When it comes to vacation time, let no four-legged family member be left behind. According to the U.S. Travel Association, 18 percent of U.S. adult leisure travelers usually take their pets with them when they travel.
“Newlyweds are delaying starting families, but are less hesitant to start with fur children,” says Melissa Halliburton, founder of www.bringfido.com, a pet-friendly hotel and dog directory that reports traffic to the site has quadrupled in the past two years.