Museum

The Soviet-era KGB, which was known as “Cheka” in Latvia, performed espionage and secret-police work in Eastern Bloc countries, including the Baltic States and East Germany. The KGB’s activities in Latvia are the focus of a permanent exhibition that opened in February 2015 in the former Latvian KGB Headquarters, the Corner House (Brivibas Street 61, Riga, Latvia; phone +371 27875692, www.liveriga.com/en/7166-the-corner-house). Visitors will see prison and dungeon cells, KGB offices and a memorial to victims of the KGB.

Originally built in Canada in 1958 to house Prime Minister John Deifenbaker and key members of the government in case of a nuclear attack, The Diefenbunker (3929 Carp Rd., Carp, Ontario; 613/839-0007, http://diefenbunker.ca) is now a museum dedicated to preserving Canada’s role in the Cold War.

The 100,000-square-foot bunker and museum offers guided and self-guided tours through its restored rooms, including the government situation center, the Bank of Canada vault, the Prime Minister’s quarters and medical facilities. The museum also has temporary art exhibits.

Crowds are becoming an increasing nuisance at top European attractions. There’s almost no way to experience places like the Sistine Chapel or the Palace of Versailles without a constant and raging commotion of tourists. 

My husband, Mike, and I began our May 17-June 2, 2015, trip to Europe with a visit to Warsaw, Poland, a city we had long wanted to visit because of its history in World War II and the Communist aftermath. 

Using the Internet and Rick Steves’ guidebook “Snapshot – Kraków, Warsaw and Gdansk” (2015, Avalon Travel Publishing — $13.99), we planned our 3-night stay at Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw (Koscielna 12, 00-218 Warsaw, Poland; phone +48 22 531 60 00, www.mamaison.com/warsaw-leregina-hotel.html), emailing the hotel.

In the Gévaudan region of southern France, Musée de la Bête du Gévaudan, or Museum of the Beast of the Gévaudan (Rue de la Tour de Anglais, 43170 Saugues, France; phone +33 4 71 77 64 22, www.musee-bete-gevaudan.com [in French only]), which opened in 1999, focuses on the 18th-century wild animal attacks that left up to 124 people dead.

Located in a hangar at the former Royal Air Force Ta’ Qali Airfield and showcasing the history of flight in Malta, the Malta Aviation Museum (Ta’ Qali ATD 4000, Malta G.C.; phone +356 2141 6095, www.maltaviationmuseum.com) exhibits a rebuilt Spitfire Mk IX; a Hawker Hurricane IIa; jet and propeller engines; a 1920s flight simulator; ground vehicles; uniforms, and much more.

Many of the great cities of the world warrant multiple visits to discover all of their hidden gems. London is no exception. 

Tracing 1,000 years of the Jewish community’s history in Poland, The Museum of the History of Polish Jews (6 Mordechaja Anielewicza St., 00-157 Warsaw, Poland; phone +48 22 471 03 01, www.jewishmuseum.org.pl/en) opened in Warsaw in October 2014. The core exhibit, eight galleries totaling more than 4,000 square feet, includes models and reconstructions, artifacts, paintings and interactive installations. 

In Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, the Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation (phone +1 242 356 0495, www.ammcbahamas.com) reopened in November 2014. 

Located at Bay and George streets, it had been closed since 2011 when a fire engulfed the museum’s 18th-century building. Ninety percent of the artifacts were saved from the fire, many of which are in the newly restored museum.