International Travel News

Travel Briefs

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 18

Neues Museum, Berlin

When the Neues Museum opens in Berlin on Oct. 16, 2009, after an 11-year, $255-million restoration, it will be the first time in 70 years that all five museums on Museum Island will be open to the public.

Originally opened in 1855, the Neues Museum (Bodestraße 3, 10178 Berlin, Germany; phone +49 [0] 30 20 90 55 44, www.egyptian-museum-berlin.com) has been closed since its aerial bombardment in World War II. New, modern wings have been combined with the partially destroyed building,...

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 19

Renoir in Paris

The later works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir will be on display in “Renoir in the 20th Century” at Paris’ National Galleries of the Grand Palais (3, ave. du Général-Eisenhower, 75008, Paris; phone 01 44 13 17 17, www.grandpalais.fr), Sept. 23, 2009-Jan. 4, 2010. €12 (near $17) adult, €9 senior/student.

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 19

‘Turner and the Masters’

The exhibit “Turner and the Masters” at the Tate Britain (Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG, U.K.; phone +44 20 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/britain/information) pairs some of JMW Turner’s greatest paintings with works by old masters such as Canaletto, Rembrandt and Rubens as well as contemporaries such as Constable and Bonington.

10-5 daily, Sept. 23, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010. Entry to the Tate is free but to the special exhibit, €12.50 adult or €10.50 senior.

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 19

Shroud of Turin in 2010

The Shroud of Turin, revered by many Christians as the cloth Jesus was wrapped in when placed in his tomb, will be on display at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, April 4-May 20, 2010 — the first time on public display in over 10 years. It was restored in 2002.

Tickets will be in demand for pilgrimage tours. Independent travelers can prebook beginning in December 2009 through Museo della Sindone (Via San Domenico 28, 10122, Turin, Italy; phone 011 436 5832, www....

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 19

Deilmann ends river trips

Peter Deilmann Cruises (Alexandria, VA) announced that after October 2009, due to insolvency in its river cruise division, it would no longer be operating river cruises in Europe and will sell its eight river vessels. However, it plans to continue operating ocean cruises on its 513-passenger Deutschland.

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 45

Zürich New Year's

Every New Year’s Eve in Zürich, 150,000 people attend an open-air festival with food stalls, bars and music. Fireworks at midnight. Contact Zürich Tourism (P.O. Box CH-8021 Zürich, Switzerland; www.zuerich.com).

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 62

iWalks in Dublin

Dublin, Ireland, walking tour audio guides by historian Pat Liddy can be downloaded free to iPods or MP3 players from the Dublin Tourism website (www.visitdublin.com/multimedia/dublinpodcasts/iwalk.aspx?id=275).

Each podcast lasts 26 to 44 minutes and is accompanied by a printable PDF booklet with details on each site plus a map of the route. Tours include “Croke Park Museum,” “Castles and Cathedrals,” “Temple Bar to the Docklands,” etc.

September 2009 issue | Appears on page 65

Brussels’ winter fun

From late November to the first week of January in Brussels, Belgium, the Winter Wonders festival features a skating rink (for 300 people plus another for kids), Ferris wheel, playground roundabouts, a brasserie and other booths along an illuminated 2-kilometer route through the streets. There are street artists, choirs, a sound-and-light show at the Grand’Place every evening till midnight and music on Saturday nights.

The attractions are open 12-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-10...