Discovered in a field in southern Staffordshire, England, in July 2009, the Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. It comprises more than 1,500 individual items, most gold and some decorated with precious stones. Items include sword fittings, a helmet fragment and three Christian crosses.
Eighteen objects are now on display at the British Museum (free) in London. Visit www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk or www.britishmuseum.org.
Travel expert Rick Steves and Smithsonian media are collaborating on a special edition of Smithsonian magazine that will hit the newsstands May 4.
Focusing on Steves’ 20 favorite things to see and do in Europe, Smithsonian Presents: Travels with Rick Steves will be written by Steves and edited by the staff of Smithsonian. The website www.smithsonian.com will have companion material, such as videos and audio guides.
The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions has created a guide to Amsterdam optimized for mobile devices. For the iPhone and iPod Touch, there is the free Amsterdam Mobile Guide app, which contains the locations, descriptions and contact information for more than 200 attractions in the city, not to mention various itineraries and an interactive map with points of interest.
The app does not need a data connection to function; all information is stored in the application.
The English version of the Michelin “Green Guide” on Japan (2009, $24.99) includes an introduction, a section on planning a trip and listings of nearly 100 tourism spots, using the 3-star rating system on all.
Also available are the “Red Guide Kyoto & Osaka 2010” ($16.99) and the Michelin “Red Guide Toyko 2010” ($16.99), which, unlike other Michelin guides, award stars to all the hotels and restaurants featured.
Copenhagen X, a project of the Danish Architecture Center (Strandgade 27B, DK 1401 Copenhagen K, Denmark; phone +45 3257 1930, fax +45 3254 5010), offers free downloadable MP3 audio tours and printable maps of the city at www.cphx.dk.
The first, a two-hour tour, covers the recently revitalized inner harbor area. The second is a three-hour tour of new architecture in the city.
The London landmark St. Paul’s Cathedral (phone 020 7246 8357) turns 300 years old this year. Construction of the Anglican cathedral, designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren, began in 1675 and took 35 years.
Its restoration and cleaning of the stone interior has just been completed after four years at a cost of $64 million. One grimy slab of stone near the west entrance was left untouched. Open to sightseers 8:30-4, Monday-Saturday. £12.50 adult, £11.50 senior.
Experience Danish hospitality during a two- to three-hour visit, with dinner, in a home in Copenhagen or Arhus. The visit costs DK400 (near $80) per adult or DK200 for a child 8-15 years old and is free for children under eight.
The booking should be made at least one week ahead. Contact Dine with the Danes (phone +45 26 85 39 61).
Torquay, birthplace of Agatha Christie, will hold its Agatha Christie Week, Sept. 12-19, 2010, with talks about the writer, street performances, creative-writing workshops and screenings of film adaptations of her works.
A leaflet of events along the Agatha Christie Mile is available both as a PDF download and in print from the English Riviera Tourist Board (5 Vaughan Parade, Torquay, TQ2 5JG, U.K.).
Nara, the first capital of Japan, is celebrating its 1,300th anniversary in 2010 with a year of exhibits and events throughout Nara Prefecture.
Available only online from VisitBritain (phone +44 020 7482 1500), the Theatre Passport offers savings on ticket prices in London for the best-available seats at participating musicals and plays like “Chicago” and “The Woman in Black.”