Travel Briefs

April 2013 issue | Appears on page 48

ZürichCard

The ZürichCard offers visitors to Zürich, Switzerland, unlimited second-class travel by tram, bus, rail, boat and cable car for 24 or 72 hours as well as discounts at museums, shops and restaurants. A 24-hour card costs CHF24 or €20 (near $26) and a 72-hour card, CHF48 or €40.

One thing the card offers is a 25% discount on a 90-minute guided rickshaw tour of the city that normally costs €98 for two passengers. Cardholders also get a 10% discount on a helicopter tour of the city...

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April 2013 issue | Appears on page 48

Hamburg story

Emigrants left Germany from Hamburg. The Beatles honed their skills there. Today, it’s home to 40 theaters, 60 museums, 160 art galleries and 259 libraries. It’s the country’s second-largest city, and historian Matthew Jefferies describes its past and present in “Hamburg: A Cultural History” (2011, Interlink, 256 pp., $15). Part guidebook, part history, the book dispels the image of Hamburg as just a “mercantile” city and celebrates its cosmopolitan nature.

April 2013 issue | Appears on page 50

Silk museum in China

In downtown Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, southeastern China, the China National Silk Museum (73-1 Jade Hill Rd., Hangzhou City; phone 0571 87 035 150) covers the development of the silk industry from ancient to modern times. Among exhibits (labeled in Chinese and English) are ancient weaving patterns, silk garments and toys. Open noon-5 p.m. Mon. and 9-5 Tues.-Sun. Admission is free.

April 2013 issue | Appears on page 63

Visit Mexico app

With the México Tourism Board’s free “VisitMexico” app, travelers can find information from Mexico’s six regions and 32 states, with in-depth content for 27 destinations. News, weather, maps, events, videos and activities are featured.

The app is available for Apple, Android and Blackberry platforms and can be used in English or Spanish. Download from the Apple App Store, Google Play (for Android users) or on BlackBerry App World.

April 2013 issue | Appears on page 68

Wagner’s 200th in Zürich

Performances and exhibitions are being held in Zürich, Switzerland, this year to commemorate Richard Wagner’s 200th birthday. From 1849 to 1858 the composer lived in the city, where he began composing the operas that became the famed “Ring” cycle.

The exhibition “Valkyries over Zürich,” at the Kunsthaus Zürich May 24-Aug. 18, will show photographs and set designs plus drawings of early Wagner stagings. There will also be performances of Wagner’s works in June and July, including “...

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April 2013 issue | Appears on page 68

Munch at 150

In 2013, Norway is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its most famous artist, Edvard Munch, with painting and photography exhibitions, commissioned works of music, tours of sites where Munch lived and more.

A short guided tour of the first house Munch bought, in Åsgårdstrand on the Oslo fjord, can be taken June 1-Aug. 31 for NOK50 (near $9).

The performance “Of Lifeblood” (NOK480, or $84), combining tableaux, original music and dance, will happen in and around Munch’s...

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April 2013 issue | Appears on page 68

‘David Bowie is…’

“David Bowie is…,” the first international retrospective of the more than 50-year career of musician, actor, artist and record producer David Bowie, will be on exhibit at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (Cromwell Rd., London, SW7 2RL, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 20 7907 7073), March 23-July 28, 2013.

Among 300-plus objects on exhibit will be Ziggy Stardust bodysuits, video excerpts from stage shows and handwritten musical scores and sketches. Advance booking advised. £15.50 (near $24)...

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April 2013 issue | Appears on page 68

Korean garden expo

A 3½-hour ride from Seoul, South Korea, via bullet train ($36 each way), the International Garden Exposition in Suncheon Bay runs until Oct. 20, 2013. It will include indoor gardens, urban gardens, herb gardens, forest paths and exhibits on ecology and wetland management.

Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 9-7 weekends. Tickets cost KRW15,000 (near $14) and can be purchased in advance (phone +82 61 749 2851 3 or online). The expo site is a 10-minute bus ride from the rail station.