MUST SEE ACROSS
THE WORLD
Husavik, Iceland.
Geothermal Sea Baths
Overtourism is a tremendous problem for Iceland—its iconic Blue Lagoon packs in visitors by the busload. But roughly 300 miles north in Husavik, a port town along the country’s Arctic Coast Way, a lesser-known geothermal spa gives its guests plenty of room to breathe. Opened in August 2018, Geosea draws its mineral-rich seawaters from two nearby drill holes. It has multiple infinity-edged pools and a built-in waterfall, swim-up bar and bathtub-warm water averaging around 100°F. The spa operates year-round, staying open till midnight in summer and 10 p.m. in winter—a spectacular way to catch the northern lights when swimming after dark
Ronnede,Denmark
Camp Adventure
Camp Adventure in Denmark opened its 45-m-tall, hourglass-shaped tower in March, with a spiraling walkway that allows people to climb above the forest canopy for panoramic views of the surroundings. Located about one hour south of Copenhagen in the Gisselfeld Klosters Skove forest, the camp offers visitors other activities as well, including zip lines and a tree-climbing course that covers 18.5 acres. The adventure park has an ecological conscience too. On Sept. 14, Camp Adventure plans to host a televised fundraising event, aiming to earn enough money to plant 1 million trees.
Tokyo, Japan.
Mori Building Digital Art Museum
The world’s first museum solely dedicated to digital art has drawn huge crowds—it celebrated its 1 millionth visitor five months after opening in June 2018. Credit its Instagram-worthy immersive environment, which uses a combination of visual projections and physical installations to allow patrons to wade through virtual windblown fields of grass, explore a seemingly infinite crystal world and bounce between galaxies. The 107,000-sq.-ft. space was conceived by the Japanese art collective teamLab, which was founded in 2001 and includes animators, programmers, and mathematicians. The group’s mission, per its website, is to explore “a new relationship between humans and nature, and between oneself and the world through art.”
Anaheim, California. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland
Nearly seven years after the Walt Disney Co.’s acquisition of Lucasfilm comes Disneyland’s largest-ever single land expansion—and a shift of the California theme park’s nostalgic identity toward more futuristic experiences. At Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, guests don’t simply mingle with their favorite characters, they live among them while customizing their own droids at the Droid Depot (see photo) and visiting Oga’s Cantina, Disneyland’s first public watering hole serving alcoholic space brews and “blue milk.” The 14-acre land brings planet Batuu and its trading post to life, along with two groundbreaking attractions: a Millennium Falcon–themed flight simulator, open now, and the multifaceted cinematic journey of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening in early 2020
Tulum, Mexico.
SFER IK
SFER IK doesn’t look like an ordinary exhibition space—and that’s the point. The Tulum location’s nestlike structure was conceived as a place where avant-garde artists could gather and envision new ways to create, inspired by their unusual environs. Made of locally sourced wood and cement, the space’s ceilings and walls are trimmed with plants sprouting along circular apertures to the world outside. Its current exhibition includes a diaphanous purple cloak suspended from the ceiling—an allusion, in part, to elevated states of consciousness by artist Bianca Bondi. Entry is free, so long as visitors agree to walk the floors barefoot
Pitcairn Islands.
Mata Ki Te Rangi International Dark Sky Sanctuary
Despite their lack of hotels, the Pitcairn Islands may intrigue tourists with their new International Dark Sky Sanctuary title, which recognizes the island group’s sanctuary—named Mata Ki Te Rangi—as one of just 10 destinations worldwide that have the best conditions for galactic gazing. Travelers willing to book a homestay or private home and make the challenging trek to the remote islands will find government-protected dark skies.
Dakar, Senegal.
Museum of Black Civilizations
For decades, the most prominent homes for African art were within museums in Europe. That has changed, especially with the December opening of Senegal’s Museum of Black Civilizations, a repository for African art, culture and history. The $34 million project, some 50 years in the making, is designed to be a creative laboratory that will help shape the continent’s future sense of identity, according to museum director Hamady Bocoum. It also hopes to reclaim some of the continent’s lost past: the museum has room for some 18,000 artworks, but many of the galleries are not yet filled. Senegal has demanded the restitution of artworks stolen during colonial times, prompting some countries, like France, to lend pieces for the opening
Calgary, Canada.
Central Library
Calgary is home to one of North America’s largest library systems, and the city now boasts an architectural masterpiece as the system’s central hub. The downtown complex, designed by the Norwegian firm Snohetta, is flooded with natural light and features several aesthetic odes to its native land: walls made of cedar from nearby British Columbia, a curved facade meant to evoke cloud arches formed by the region’s Chinook winds. Of course, the library also houses an extensive collection of books—over 450,000. But it’s embracing its role as a broader educational center as well, offering learning labs, residency programs and even a digital production studio built for podcasters and YouTubers.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
A former Japanese military base is now home to the largest performing-arts center in the world under a single roof. Opened in October 2018, the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts spans 25 acres in the south of Taiwan. The compound, designed by the Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, features a roof resembling a canopy inspired by the banyan trees commonly found in the region, which dips to the ground to form the base of an outdoor theater for up to 20,000. Inside, the four other performance venues have already seen world-class acts, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Hernani, Spain.
Chillida Leku
A 27-acre outdoor museum filled with late abstract sculptor Eduardo Chillida’s work is once again welcoming walk-ins. Chillida Leku’s Basque farmhouse and art-filled fields were established as a sculpture park in 2000 by Chillida and his wife. Financial difficulties led to a partial closure a decade later, but the site formally reopened in April. Now art aficionados can wander the grounds to witness the more than 40 pieces on display. Featuring the sculptor’s greatest works, Chillida Leku also has archival materials—public for the first time. “The museum itself is, without a doubt, my favorite piece,” says Luis Chillida, one of the artist’s sons. “It embodies his way of being and the way he worked.”
Helsinki, Finland.
​Helsinki Central Library Oodi
Finland is one of the world’s most literate countries, and in December it opened a 185,000-sq.-ft. landmark that speaks to this accomplishment: a library of the future. But what does the future entail? Robot librarians, it seems, and game rooms, recording studios, an immersive 3-D chamber with illuminated walls, a movie theater and multiple concert areas. And of course, it’s a great place to read: the top floor (dubbed “book heaven”) has floor-to-ceiling windows, set off by low, white aluminum bookshelves, and abundant seating. To emphasize the light and air, nine living trees stand tall over the shelves
Big Island, Hawaii.
Pohoiki in Isaac Hale Beach Park
Locals refer to last year’s eruptions at Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as “events”—a nod to the fact that while they were destructive, they weren’t devastating. Hawaiian tradition attributes volcanic activity to Pele, a deity often called the goddess of volcanoes and fire. When Pele destroys, she also creates—and last year she increased the size of the island by more than 1 sq. mi., including a new black-sand beach at Isaac Hale Beach Park. The park reopened in December after a nearly six-month closure. While the tides may wash away the black sand within a few years, for now the new beach is a monument to nature.
Hanoi, Vietnam.
VAC Library
Part library, part urban farm, part playground, this Farming Architects project in Hanoi is geared toward teaching kids about ecosystems and agriculture. The VAC Library’s climbable wooden structure contains both a small collection of books and a mini-ecosystem comprising a garden, a fish pond and a chicken coop—all connected through aquaponics. Waste from the koi pond is used as fertilizer to help vegetables grow, which cleanses the water and returns it to the pond. Chickens raised in cages within the structure provide eggs and waste that also help the plants flourish. Visitors can lounge and read the books stored in cubbies beneath the library’s solar panel-fitted roof, and children are welcome to clamber up its beams
San Simeon, California.
Hearst Castle
Few places better capture the opulence of early–20th century California than Hearst Castle, the 165-room former personal estate of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. The property, which will celebrate its centennial next year, has its own theater, billiard room, beauty salon and pair of dazzling swimming pools. The Neptune Pool, in particular, is the stuff of legend, with a Vermont marble basin and alcove as well as vast colonnades flanked by a quartet of Italian relief sculptures. In 2014, the pool was drained because it was leaking up to 5,000 gallons of water a day. It took four years and $10 million to repair the cracks, update the plumbing and restore the Art Deco sculptures. The pool was finally refilled in August 2018 and now even hosts the occasional pool party for members—with tickets at $950 a pop
Rimini, Italy.
Teatro Galli
In its earlier years, the Teatro Galli in Rimini on Italy’s eastern coast lent its stage to extravagant opera performances. But during World War II, the theater was all but destroyed by Allied bombing. Patchy postwar restoration projects meant the theater never had a chance to regain its former glory—until October 2018, when it reopened after eight years of construction and long-awaited finishing touches to performances by choirs, ballets and orchestras. A bonus: in the restoration process, archaeologists discovered Roman lodgings, mosaics and floors.
Dubai, UAE.
Quranic Park
At the world’s first Quran-inspired park, which opened in April, the gardens are based on stories from Islam’s sacred text: they feature plants mentioned in the Quran and the sunna—such as pomegranate and olive trees—as well as a lake split by a stone pathway, symbolizing the parting of the Red Sea. The park’s aim, per the city’s municipal government, is to bridge cultures and promote tolerance by offering visitors exposure to Islam in a family-friendly space.
New York City.
The Shed
The Shed’s retractable outer shell has been likened to a “bubble-clad airplane hangar.” But when the arts center opened in April, some New Yorkers saw it as something else entirely: an olive branch. The Shed is a nonprofit situated amid Hudson Yards, a $25 billion development that has become a symbol of wealth inequality in a city where rising rents can price out low-income residents. In August, after Hudson Yards developer and Shed board member Stephen Ross hosted a Trump campaign fundraiser that provoked controversy, the nonprofit released a statement underscoring its independence, saying, “At the Shed, we believe that access to art is a right, not a privilege.” Notably, while nearby apartments list for millions, tickets to the Shed’s events start at $10 and its Open Call exhibitions, of works by local artists, are free.
Egypt.
Red Sea Mountain Trail
Plunging gorges and craggy mountain-sides are not all that separate mainland Egypt’s first long-distance hiking trail from the beach resorts in the nearby vacation town of Hurghada. Inspired by the success of a sister trail on the Sinai Peninsula, which opened in 2015, the new route is a community tourism initiative managed by the local Maaza tribe and dedicated to preserving Bedouin heritage and empowering nearby communities. Over the 10 days or so it takes to walk the trail’s 105 miles, hikers are accompanied by Bedouin cameleers who provide traditional food and insight into their culture. An extension is already in the works.
HongKong.
Xiqu Centre
With the opening of Xiqu Centre in January, traditional Chinese theater has a new world-class architectural home. On the $346 million structure’s facade, woven-metal panels resemble stage curtains pulled back. Inside, the space’s 1,073-seat theater hovers 90 ft. above a ground-floor plaza, which provides space for exhibitions and workshops to preserve the centuries-old form of theater art that some worry could become lost with time. Xiqu Centre is the first performance venue to open as part of Hong Kong’s sprawling West Kowloon Cultural District, an international-grade arts hub the city is building on reclaimed land overlooking the iconic Victoria Harbor
Washington, D.C.
Newseum
Some places you see because they’re new, others you visit before they’re gone. The Newseum is one of the latter. After 11 years and millions of visitors at its Pennsylvania Avenue location, the museum dedicated to celebrating the First Amendment announced in January that it was closing its doors by the end of the year. The Newseum will eventually relocate to a more financially sustainable location—one that seems likely to be less prominent than its current address. Until then, wander the hall of Pulitzer Prize–winning photographs, see pieces of the Berlin Wall, and stand atop the Hank Greenspun terrace for panoramic views of the Capitol building and the capital city while you still can.
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Dundee, Scotland.
V&A Dundee
The famed Victoria & Albert design museum has opened its first ever location outside of London in an unexpected place: Dundee, a quiet city on the coast of Scotland. It’s the cornerstone of a more than $1 billion plan to revitalize the city, a onetime industrial powerhouse now struggling with high unemployment. Renowned architect Kengo Kuma designed the modern building, which sits on the Dundee waterfront, to mimic Scotland’s iconic cliffs. The free museum—the first in Scotland for design—opened in September 2018 and tells the story of the country’s design history, with highlights including Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Oak Room. It welcomed its 500,000th visitor in March.
Nashville, Tennessee.
SoundWaves
The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, located a short walk from the Grand Ole Opry, already boasted nearly 3,000 rooms and nine acres of indoor gardens, but in December it added what purports to be the nation’s first “upscale” water park. Aside from the thrills—indoor surfing, a tower with multiple water slides, a pool with a rock-climbing wall—there are plenty of places to relax too. Look for adults-only pools and lounging areas, private cabana rentals, living walls of plants and a glass roof atop the tall atrium, ensuring guests can sunbathe year-round.
Jamestown,
New York.
National Comedy Center
At the National Comedy Center, the history of American comedy is on display: the museum’s artifacts include Joan Rivers’ stand-up notes, the Seinfeld “puffy shirt” and a George Carlin archive. In March, Congress designated the space the official cultural institution for comedy in the U.S
Doha, Qatar.
The National Museum of Qatar
In the Persian Gulf, a desert rose forms when sand adheres to the crystals created by the slow evaporation of salt basins. The resulting clusters look like interlocking discs and inspired Jean Nouvel’s design of the National Museum of Qatar, which sprawls along the waterfront of the capital, Doha. The destination museum opened in March and uses immersive video screens and dioramas to take visitors on a mile-long journey through the peninsula’s history, from geology to pearl diving to Bedouin life and finally back to geology—namely, to the discovery of the oil and gas that enriched the kingdom and paved the way for groundbreaking structures like this one
Gujarat, India.
Statue of Unity
The world’s tallest statue, which was unveiled last fall, stands at 597 ft. on an island in the Narmada River. It towers over the Sardar Sarovar Dam in the western Indian state of Gujarat, offering visitors the chance to see views of nearby mountain ranges from its chest. The tourist attraction pays homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who became India’s first Deputy Prime Minister in 1947. Although Patel is touted as a symbol of national unity, he has more recently been claimed as an icon of right-wing Hindu nationalists—meaning that to some critics, the record-breaking statue is a monument to the country’s political divisions, as well as to Patel.
The Caucasus.
Transcaucasian Trail
For decades, fraught geopolitics and poorly marked trails gave all but the most intrepid hikers pause about the Caucasus Mountains, an area known for its jaw-dropping geography. But the Transcaucasian Trail, a volunteer-based initiative aiming to link Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan via an 1,800-mile network of paths, is making the region more accessible. Its latest bushwhacked additions: a 50-mile stretch that runs through Dilijan National Park, the Armenian nature reserve prized for its crystalline lakes and 10th century monasteries, and a 77-mile track in Svaneti, a Georgian region known for its glaciated peaks and UNESCO-protected guard towers.
Tevfikiye, Turkey.
Troy Museum
Dedicated to the place made famous by Homer’s Iliad, the Troy Museum—situated amid the city’s ruins—brings an ancient legend to life. Among the collections are 24 pieces of “Troy Gold” jewelry, dating back to 2400 B.C.E., that were returned in 2012 by the Penn Museum in the U.S. in a landmark agreement between the two countries, as well as pottery and marble works from the era of the Trojan War. The cubelike museum, which opened in October 2018, was designed by Istanbul-based architecture studio Yalin Mimarlik to look like an excavated artifact—not unlike those that might be found at the archeological site nearby, viewable from the terrace at the top of the building. The museum brings a new buzz to the location of the storied siege.
Susch, Switzerland.
Muzeum Susch
When Polish entrepreneur Grazyna Kulczyk established an international center for art, she forwent an up-and-coming cosmopolitan locale for a rural village in a Swiss alpine valley. Muzeum Susch inhabits a 12th century monastery and brewery, with gallery spaces burrowed into the mountains behind it. The museum’s inaugural exhibition, “A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women,” opened in January with the aim of exploring “the notion of the feminine in its diverse facets.” The museum will also host a think tank dedicated to analyzing the role of women in the arts and sciences.
Toronto, Canada.
​Canada's Wonderland
In the world of roller coasters, it’s all about offering a thrill like no other. And that’s exactly what Canada’s Wonderland is doing with its new Yukon Striker ride. At 245 ft. tall (including underground portions) with a top speed of 80 m.p.h., the Yukon Striker has claimed the title as the world’s tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster—a model that features a 90-degree drop. This coaster plunges into an underwater tunnel, does a 360-degree loop and has floorless cars that leave riders hanging in the open air as they career along its 3,625 ft. of track for 3½ minutes of unbridled thrills.
Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia.
Kachi Lodge
Until we start sending commercial flights to the moon, the Kachi Lodge on Bolivia’s Uyuni Salt Flats might be the most otherworldly vacation you can take. Opened in May at the foot of a volcano, Kachi (a two-night stay starts at $1,980 per person) is the first permanent accommodation of its kind on the world’s largest salt flat, and its cluster of geodesic domes resembles an isolated space station. During the day, guests can take one giant leap on Uyuni’s bright white expanse of salt—an estimated 10 billion metric tons of it—which was left behind as an ancient lake dried up. At night, they can stargaze through transparent cutouts in the domes’ walls, uninterrupted by light pollution thanks to the remote, high-altitude location—Kachi Lodge is more than 35 miles from the nearest town and 11,800 ft. above sea level.
Yosemite, California.
​AutoCamp
If your ideal camping trip skews more Troop Beverly Hills than Into the Wild,the glamping experience of AutoCamp may be for you. With locations in sunny California—including Santa Barbara, the Russian River and, most recently, Yosemite—AutoCamp’s campsites have boutique-hotel comforts, parceled into luxe Airstream trailers, cabins and tents. There are shuttle services and guided hikes for those who want to get in touch with nature, but those who don’t want to hit the trails can enjoy the site’s amenities like fire pits, heated pools, sundecks and live music.
Lindesnes, Norway.
Under
From land, Europe’s first underwater restaurant resembles a large slab of rock peeking out from the surf. But once guests descend to the dining room, located 5 m below sea level, they’re treated to panoramic views of sea life—think spiny dogfish and vibrantly finned wrasses—while they feast on dishes from Under’s ever-changing tasting menu, curated by Danish chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard. (It’s sourced mainly from local ingredients, such as brown crab and clams.) The whole experience, says co-founder Stig Ubostad, is designed to give patrons “a sense of awe.” Assuming, of course, that they can get a reservation, which is typically made up to six months in advance.