36 Hours in Queenstown, New Zealand

The adventure capital of New Zealand, Queenstown, the South Island’s magnetic mountain resort, thrives on adrenaline. Site of the first commercial bungee-jumping operation — established in 1988 over the Kawarau River — Queenstown is the place to test your courage by jumping off, flying over or skimming above things. During the winter (June through September),…

From Bonn to Vienna, in Search of Beethoven, the Man

Even the most casual visitor to Vienna can’t help but be bombarded by the city’s Mozart-industrial complex. Mozart’s face peers out from the wrappers of ubiquitous chocolate-covered candies called Mozart Kugeln, grand cafes offer Mozart tortes, and souvenir shops sell Mozart key chains, stuffed Mozarts, and even Mozart rubber duckies. Hawkers outside major sights aren’t…

36 Hours in Basel

Basel is, perhaps, the only city in the world that’s best experienced at 4 a.m. on a Monday. On a particular Monday, that is: the one after Ash Wednesday, when nearly every local with a pulse turns up in the Old Town for a parade known as the Morgenstreich. Then, on the fourth chime of…