With comprehensive information on more than 1,000 sites with ancient stone monuments, “The Old Stones: A Field Guide to the Megalithic Sites of Britain and Ireland,” by Andy Burnham (400 pgs., $45), available in bookstores Sept. 25, 2018, contains historical facts, visitor info, maps and photos.
During the “Badu Gili” light show, First Nations (Aboriginal) art is projected onto the eastern, Bennelong sail of the Sydney Opera House each night, year-round, at sunset and again at 7 p.m winter-spring or 9 p.m. summer-fall. (In the Southern Hemisphere, winter is June-September.)
The show, which lasts about seven minutes, was introduced in July 2017, and the programmed art was completely revised for the first time on July 24, 2018.
Pluggerz Uni-Fit Travel earplugs have pressure-regulating filters that help relieve ears during flights while reducing noise. The silicon plugs fit almost any ear and are intended for repeat use. Child's size available.
Online at www.earplugstore.com and jet.com, each pair retails at $14.95. For info, visit pluggerz.com/en/consumers/travel.
Guests of lodges and camps in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania, are eligible to take hot-air balloon rides, introduced in June by Serengeti Balloon Safaris (Arusha, Tanzania; phone +255 27 254 8967, www.balloonsafaris.com).
Balloon safaris lasting roughly two hours are offered each day, June 20 to Oct. 31, with a 6:15 a.m. launch. The price of $575 per person includes transfers from/to your lodge or camp (pickup at 5), a bush breakfast and VAT. Anyone weighing 265 pounds or more will be charged for two places. Maximum, 12 people.
Describing 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that he has visited, David J. Patten’s “Planet Earth’s Legacy” (307 pgs., $59.95 on Amazon.com) contains historical details, current information and future outlooks on the sites. Travelers looking for new destinations may find inspiration in the author’s collection.
Closed for repairs and reconstruction since July 2011, the main building of Prague's National Museum (Václavské námeˇstí 68, Praha) is scheduled to partially reopen on Oct. 28, 2018, which marks two anniversaries: 200 years since the museum first opened (in another building) and the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia.
Opened in 1903 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, the Albula section of Switzerland's Rhaetian Railway includes 39 tunnels and 55 bridges and stretches between the towns of St. Moritz and Thusis. It's located inside Parc Ela, the country's largest nature reserve.
However, the portion of the track stretching between Preda and Bergün is where visitors will find the Albula Adventure Railway Trail, a scenic route for a 2½-hour hike. For more info, contact Switzerland Tourism (New York, NY; 800/794-7795, www.myswitzerland.com).
Nestled in Snowdonia National Park in Wales, Coed y Bleiddiau, a UK Landmark Trust cabin, is available to rent. Built in 1868 for a railway superintendent, the cabin has its own train platform on the Ffestiniog Railway (Harbour Station, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales, LL49 9NF, U.K.; phone +44 1766 516024, www.festrail.co.uk).
The narrow-gauge Ffestiniog Railway is served by a restored steam train that travels between the towns of Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog multiple times each day, from the end of March to the beginning of November.
Some of Sweden's crown jewels — two crowns and an orb — were stolen from Sträng näs Cathedral, outside of Stockholm, on July 31. The items were on display in an alarmed glass case in the cathedral, which is open to the public.
The crowns, dating to 1611, were part of the burial regalia of 17th-century king Charles IX and his wife, Kristina, and had been put on display in the cathedral when the bodies were moved in the 19th century.
Each November, the bobsled track in St. Moritz is built from scratch, and, until early March, guests can ride the course with two professionals.
The rider takes his place between the pilot at the front of the bobsled and the brakeman at the back. The course, the same route used in the very first Olympic bobsled event held in St. Moritz in 1928, is 1,722 meters long and takes about 75 seconds to finish. Riders travel up to 135 kilometers per hour (84 mph).