Oak Bluffs’ charming gingerbread cottages are one of Martha’s Vineyard’s most beloved attractions. Constructed in the mid-1800s by a group of Methodists who had long held tent camp meetings in the area, the cottages feature vibrant paint, delicate filigree, and flourishes such as hearts. Visitors can take a walking tour that showcases the cottages, visit…
In the 14th century, a group of Augustinian hermits built a monastery on a secluded island in the middle of a lake in Croatia. In the mid-1400s, a group of Franciscan monks expanded the monastery in the wake of fleeing a Turkish invasion in Bosnia. Visovac Monastery—which is located in Krka National Park—is a peaceful…
Near the end of the Gilded Age, the proprietor of the upscale Waldorf Astoria hotel began to build a lavish European-inspired castle on Heart Island in Alexandria Bay, New York. Boldt Castle—which was dotted with hearts—was designed to be a loving tribute to George C. Boldt’s wife Louise. When Louise died unexpectedly in 1904, George…
A rocky expanse in County Clare, Ireland, known as the Burren, is home to a stately 5,000-year-old tomb that served as an active burial site for over 600 years. In the mid-1980s, an archaeologist named Ann Lynch excavated the striking stone structure that has captivated locals and travelers for centuries. In recent years, Poulnabrone Dolmen—as…
In the 16th century, the Tremayne family began cultivating a lush garden at Heligan Estate in Cornwall that blossomed into one of the most celebrated green spaces in all of England. Prior to the outbreak of World War I, Heligan Estate employed 22 gardeners who tended to a pineapple pit, tropical flowers and ferns, and…
In the 19th century, British surveyor Charles Kettle superimposed an orderly grid that had worked well on relatively flat terrain on a towering hillside in New Zealand. Thanks to Kettle’s misguided efforts, a residential street in Dunedin known as Baldwin Street has a 19-degree slope. Guinness World Records determined that Baldwin Street’s nearly 35-degree gradient…
New York-based physician Esteban Martin Martin always had great enthusiasm for the life and travels of explorer Christopher Columbus. Though Christopher Columbus was Italian, Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella funded Columbus’s expeditions to the New World. Esteban Martin Martin was convinced that not enough people appreciated Spain’s contributions to the legacy of Christopher…
A tumultuous volcanic eruption nearly 4,000 years ago ensured that the scenic Greek island of Santorini is steeped in rich history. Some historians believe that a Bronze Age settlement, now known as Akrotiri, which was blanketed in volcanic ash, is the lost city of Atlantis that the philosopher Plato spoke of in his famous Dialogues….
