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Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
The Bavarian Alps, a mountain range in southern Germany, are home to these enchanting 19th-century castles, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Neuschwanstein Castle, on the left of our homepage image, was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Building work began in 1869 on this Romanesque Revival palace with its fairy-tale-like architecture and breathtaking mountain backdrop. Across the valley, gazing out over Lake Alpsee, is the equally spectacular Hohenschwangau Castle, built by Ludwig II"s father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria. These two castles boast rich interiors with intricate artwork and historical artifacts. Both castles attract millions of visitors every year, offering a glimpse into the opulent past of Bavaria.Desktop Version
White dunes, blue lagoons
White dunes, blue lagoons
From the air, the mesmerizing tapestry of sandy dunes and lagoons you see here gives Lençóis Maranhenses National Park an otherworldly, desert-like appearance. Located in the sparsely populated northeast corner of Brazil, this park gets far too much annual rainfall—nearly 50 inches—to be considered a desert. In fact, heavy rain is part of what makes this place unique: Nearly 70% of its annual rainfall comes between January and May, filling the park"s nearly 40,000 lagoons to the brim with fresh rainwater. Why doesn"t the water sink into the sand? A layer of impermeable bedrock beneath the dunes prevents that from happening.Desktop Version
Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
This is just a glimpse of the elaborate light display at Nabana-no-Sato, a flower park located in the garden of Nagashima Spa Land in Kuwana, Japan. Millions of LED light bulbs are used here to illuminate the grounds and create shimmering pathways, tunnels, and patterns. Winter illuminations like this have grown in popularity at Japan’s parks, and they often stay up long after the holidays, providing a bright distraction from winter’s long nights.Desktop Version
Overlooking the Douro
Overlooking the Douro
Welcome to Porto, the second city of Portugal. Known on some English-language maps as Oporto (the Portuguese call it "o Porto" in conversation, meaning simply "the Port"), this attractive, ancient city is most famous today not for the port itself but for what"s shipped out of it.Desktop Version
Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Isla del Pescado is one of many ‘islands’ on the high Andean salt flat called Salar de Uyuni. This unusual landscape in Bolivia draws in many curious visitors who explore the plain’s 4,086 square miles. Isla del Pescado translates from Spanish to English as the Island of Fish, a reference to the isle’s appearance on the horizon when viewed from a distance. If the thick crust of salt on the Salar seems familiar, it may be because you’ve seen it recently on the big screen: Salar de Uyuni appeared as the planet Crait in the climax of the recent ‘Star Wars’ installment, ‘The Last Jedi.’Desktop Version
A bird of beauty
A bird of beauty
As its name suggests, the Mandarin duck comes from East Asia and is arguably one of the most beautiful ducks in the world. The ornate waterfowl became established in other regions following escapes from captivity, and a handful of small, isolated populations exist in the US. This fall, a Mandarin duck made headlines and blazed across social media when it appeared in New York City’s Central Park. The bird attracted crowds of onlookers hoping for a glimpse and a photo, while debates raged on how the bird may have ended up so far from its native territory. But Paul Sweet from the American Museum of Natural History"s Department of Ornithology explains on the Gothamist blog that ‘the black cable tie on its right tarsus clearly mark it as an escapee.’ Well done, lovely Mandarin!Desktop Version
Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
No, those aren’t really horns on the great horned owl, shown here blending in nicely with its surroundings in central Florida. The distinctive tufts of feathers on top of its head are known as ‘plumicorns.’ They have nothing to do with hearing—instead, they’re thought to be used to show expression and for camouflage. Feel free to impress your friends with this bit of trivia during the Great Backyard Bird Count, a four-day event in February that invites participants to help monitor bird populations.Desktop Version
Does it swim in slow motion too?
Does it swim in slow motion too?
This pygmy three-toed sloth isn’t swimming for safety or fun. It’s most likely swimming to see if that sloth it spotted across the surf is available for a long-term relationship. Swimming—a rare sight—is the fastest way to get to a potential mate. These slow-moving vegetarians spend most of their days in the forest canopy of Isla Escudo de Veraguas, a small island off the coast of Panama. It’s the only place the rare creatures are found.Desktop Version
Manhattan
Manhattan
Ahhh, New York City. Well, Manhattan specifically, one of New York"s five boroughs. This aerial view is of lower Manhattan, what New Yorkers consider the heart of the city. That"s New Jersey sparkling across the Hudson River in the distance. And that"s the Brooklyn Bridge pictured at the bottom, linking the island of Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn.Desktop Version
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta
Glimmering in aquamarine tones, Lake Louise rests amid the Canadian Rockies in Alberta"s Banff National Park. The Indigenous Nakoda people refer to the lake as Ho-run-num-nay, meaning "lake of the little fishes." It was later renamed by settlers, inspired by Britain"s Princess Louise, whose husband was governor general of Canada between 1878 and 1883. The adjoining hamlet is also called Lake Louise and, at an elevation of almost 5,200 feet, is Canada"s highest community.Desktop Version
Belgium celebrates its independence
Belgium celebrates its independence
On July 21, Belgium celebrates its independence from the Netherlands and the anniversary of the establishment of the Kingdom of Belgium in 1831. The holiday brings us to the bank of the River Meuse across from the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Dinant, the best-known landmark in the Belgian town of Dinant in Namur province. For such a small city (population about 14,000), Dinant has a rich history. It"s the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, and has a museum dedicated to his life and instruments. The Charles de Gaulle Bridge, which crosses the Meuse, is lined with 28 saxophone sculptures, each one representing a different country in the European Union. Namur province is also the birthplace of Leffe beer, which was brewed by monks in the abbey of Leffe starting in 1240.Desktop Version
A day of service for Dr. King
A day of service for Dr. King
This statue is ‘Stone of Hope,’ part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial that opened in 2011 in West Potomac Park, Washington, DC. The title of the 30-foot granite sculpture comes from a line in King"s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech: ‘Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.’ Across the country today, volunteers will spend their day giving back in honor of Dr. King. His birthday was made a federal holiday in 1983, and in 1994 Congress designated the event as a national day of service, inviting citizens to observe the holiday by improving their communities.Desktop Version
A visit to Limerick on Limerick Day
A visit to Limerick on Limerick Day
Today is Limerick Day, and what better place to celebrate this unofficial holiday than in Limerick, Ireland. The connection between the historic city and the humorous, five-line verse is unclear. Several theories have been purported, none of them definitive. But the city of Limerick has embraced its namesake poetry style and in recent years the Limerick Writers" Centre has hosted an annual competition called Bring Your Limericks to Limerick.Desktop Version
In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
The lure of Route 66 isn’t extinct here in Holbrook, Arizona, where you can still spy giant concrete dinosaurs, kitschy truck stops, and teepee-shaped motel rooms that were constructed during the road’s heyday. Route 66 was established in the 1920s and within the next few decades, as millions of Americans acquired their first automobiles, it became a destination unto itself, even inspiring a hit song, ‘(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,’ by Bobby Troup. In 1985 the highway was decommissioned--it had been replaced by the new Interstate Highway System. But for the adventurous road-tripper, there’s still plenty of the old highway to explore.Desktop Version
A midsummer twilight s dream
A midsummer twilight s dream
The Russian language classifies light and dark shades of blue as separate colors—which comes in especially handy if you venture north to Saint Petersburg in midsummer. The seaport metropolis sits less than 500 miles outside the Arctic Circle, so at the height of summer, the twilit "blue hour" coveted by photographers lasts virtually all night long as the sun hovers just below the horizon. It"s a phenomenon also dubbed the "White Nights" and it usually lasts for around 80 days, starting in May and lasting until July.Desktop Version
Meandering through Patagonia
Meandering through Patagonia
Squiggling east from the Andes Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, the mighty Santa Cruz River in Argentina"s Patagonia region flows over some of South America"s sparsest terrain. Over the centuries, some of history"s most notable explorers have been drawn to the winding waterway: Ferdinand Magellan"s 1520 expedition discovered its coastal delta, and Charles Darwin (on the same voyage that took him to the Galápagos Islands) studied the area"s ecosystem during a grueling 1834 side trip up the river. Even now, very few settlements exist along the 240-mile course of the Santa Cruz, considered the last major free-flowing river in Patagonia.Desktop Version
Aerial view of a heart-shaped field in Trittau, Germany
Aerial view of a heart-shaped field in Trittau, Germany
Happy Valentine’s Day—perhaps unintentionally—from the pastoral fields of Trittau. The small town is less than an hour’s drive east from the industrial port city of Hamburg. An aerial photograph of farm fields here revealed this spot plowed in the shape of a heart. How are you celebrating, or perhaps avoiding, today’s holiday?Desktop Version
It’s showtime for a precious crop
It’s showtime for a precious crop
Nestled in California"s verdant Central Valley, this almond orchard is in full bloom. If we zoomed in closer, we might see billions of honey bees hard at work moving pollen from one blossom to another, doing their vital work to pollinate the trees so they can produce their valuable crop. Almond orchards are a thriving $6 billion business here in the valley. California produces around 80% of the world"s almonds and booming demand means production has more than doubled in the past few years, despite threats from drought and wildfires.Desktop Version
Santorini through the clouds
Santorini through the clouds
With its romantic sunsets, dazzling ocean views, and whitewashed buildings clinging to rocky clifftops, the Greek island of Santorini (aka Thera or Thira) is the very picture of an idyll in the Aegean. But this tranquil scene belies the island"s explosive geologic history, for this is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. The Minoan eruption, about 3,600 years ago, caused the center of the Thera volcano to collapse into the ocean, leaving Santorini a jagged, crescent-shaped moon atop the sea.Desktop Version
Struck by Southwestern beauty
Struck by Southwestern beauty
It"s okay if this stormy shot stirs your spirit with holy awe: They call this wind-carved edifice Church Rock for a reason. Surrounded by an enchanting Southwestern landscape, it"s a sight that almost invites you to get lost out here—and if you look at a map of these parts, you"ll see that"s not too hard.Desktop Version
Celebrating the International Day of Forests
Celebrating the International Day of Forests
The March 21 observance highlights the important role that trees and their forest ecosystems play in creating a healthy environment. Here at the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in California, giant coastal redwoods—plus a variety of other trees, shrubs, bushes, flowers, ferns, mosses, and lichens—provide a haven for many creatures, even the small and slimy. This is banana slug territory, and visitors are likely to encounter the bright yellow banana slug—the largest slug in North America—as they journey through the park.Desktop Version
In the belly of Fat Bear Week
In the belly of Fat Bear Week
In Alaska"s Katmai National Park and Preserve, the "fattening" is under way. Brown bears like our homepage friend are bulking up for the long winter, gathering at Brooks Falls to feast on migrating salmon. The base of the falls is a prime fishing spot because it creates a temporary barrier to salmon jumping upstream. This makes the fish relatively easy pickings for hungry bears, who can catch up to 30 salmon a day.Desktop Version
An enduring vision
An enduring vision
Of all the camera-wielding luminaries who"ve snapped this eastward view of Yosemite Valley, few can hold a "candela" to Ansel Adams, born this day in 1902. The legendary photographer of Western landscapes was given his first camera here in Yosemite as a boy. The national park was his favorite place in the world, and he returned every year for the rest of his life.Desktop Version
Welcome to the Ring of Fire
Welcome to the Ring of Fire
Today we"re visiting the pair of volcanoes known as Tolbachik—the flat-topped Plosky (Flat) Tolbachik on the left of our image, and the majestic Ostry (Sharp) Tolbachik on the right, which soars 12,080 feet above the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. These are just two of roughly 300 volcanoes scattered through the region; 29 of them, including the Tolbachik complex, are still active. In fact, there is so much volcanic activity here that UNESCO calls the peninsula "one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world," and has designated it a World Heritage site.Desktop Version
Take me to the river
Take me to the river
Today we"re recognizing World Rivers Day—a conservation event that branched off in 2005 from its source, BC Rivers Day, founded near this British Columbia river"s banks 40 years ago today. The Fraser River flows through a showcase of this Canadian province"s diverse landscape: It originates in the Rocky Mountains, carves steep valleys through central BC, and irrigates rich farmlands outside Vancouver before spilling into the sea just south of the city. The river flows gently in this stretch, as seen from the span of the Port Mann Bridge east of Vancouver, with the Golden Ears mountains in the background. Thanks to preservation efforts, the Fraser"s main stem remains completely undammed, with its drainage basin covering 25% of BC"s land area.Desktop Version