Travel Briefs

In Quito, Ecuador, the Quito Teleférico climbs 3,609 feet to the summit of Cruz Loma, a starting point for hiking the peaks of the Pichincha Volcano complex. 

The online printable map of the Leipzig Music Trail, which winds around five kilometers of downtown Leipzig, Germany, has been updated to include a selection of events in 2013/2014. 

The trail visits 23 places of interest where famous composers have lived and worked, passing such locations as the Leipzig Opera, the New Gewandhaus, the Bach Museum and the Schumann House. The map includes historical info for each stop.

North of Great Slave Lake in Alberta, Canada, travelers can view the aurora borealis from the comfort of a hot tub or even their own bed at Blachford Lake Lodge, with the 5-day/4-night “Aurora Escape” package from The Great Canadian Travel Company (Chicago, IL; 800/661-3830).

In Italy, a 7-night “Florence for Foodies” tour is offered by Tourcrafters (Libertyville, IL; 800/482-5995). This land-only package includes arrival transfer; 3-star hotel; buffet breakfasts; a food-tasting walking tour; hands-on cooking classes in English; dinner in a Florentine palace, and a full-day tour of Siena, medieval San Gimignano and the Chianti wine district.

At $915-$1,266 per person, double (depending on hotel), it’s available Nov. 1, 2013, through March 2014 (with some holiday blackout dates).

­In Christ­church, New Zealand, after the Cathedral in the Square was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquakes, the church decided to construct a Transitional Cathedral while deciding whether or not to rebuild the primary cathedral. 

Forced by budget restraints, the town of Buñol, Spain, will charge an entry fee for tourists wishing to take part in the annual “La Tomatina” tomato-throwing contest, held the last Wednesday of August. The fee is €10 (near $13.50). Local residents still can participate for free.

In downtown Hamburg, a new museum has been built in the former crypt of the famous St. Nikolai Church (last rebuilt in 1846), which was partially destroyed during World War II.

Opened on Sept. 1, 2013, the new permanent exhibition (presented in English and German) is divided into four themed sections: St. Nikolai Church’s history, Hamburg before and during the war, consequences of the city’s destruction, and memories of the war plus its impact.

Inside the one remaining spire of the church, there is a 76-meter-high observation deck reached by a glass-enclosed elevator.

For travelers to Korea, K-Shuttle (phone, in the US, 212/643-2005 or, in Korea, 1899 2508) offers hop-on/hop-off itineraries on routes that loop around 14 cities, starting in Seoul. Three routes are available: the southeast (three nights), the southwest (three nights) and the entire course (four nights). On board each is an English-speaking guide who offers a tour at each stop.

In Leicester, a Richard III Walking Trail features eight sites around the city center that had importance in the king’s last days. Richard (1452-1485) was the last king of the House of York. 

A map, with descriptions of each site, can be downloaded for free here or bought for 50p at the Leicester Visitor’s Center (51 Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, England, LE1 5AD, U.K.).

The “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” the statue that normally stands at the top of the main staircase in Paris’ Louvre Museum, has been removed from view for support reinforcement and a cleaning. Its return is expected in June 2014.