Photographer Page

Berthold Steinhilber

These iron and bronze scabbards were found in Switzerland, the product of the Celtic civilization known as La Tène. Emerging in the fifth-century b.c., aspects of the La Tène culture spread to western Europe and are closely associated with modern notions of Celtic patterns and style.

Apollo’s Fountain is one of 55 water features at the Palace of Versailles, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

PELION PENINSULA: PAPA NERO A mountainous, forested spit of land jutting out between the Aegean Sea and the Pagasetic Gulf, the Pelion might be the Greeks’ best kept secret. For proof, head to Papa Nero, which has some of the widest, loveliest beaches in the Pelion, if not all of Greece.

CYCLADES: SYROS Sure, it doesn’t have the name-brand appeal of Cycladic neighbors like Mykonos and Santorini. But thanks to a large year-round population, Syros is lively and lived-in, and hosts an excellent film festival every summer. With Venetian-built mansions perched along the waterfront, Ermoupoli is one of the Greek islands’ most atmospheric and elegant ports. The best of the island’s beaches is at Kini, on the western shore, with a protected, crescent-shaped cove.

STOP 7: BAVARIAN TALES Grass, not glass, is the thing at the lawn-circled Erdhaus (Earth House), a playful retreat by the hill town of Viechtach. Check out the town’s two fortified castles, then settle in for the night with your very own hot tub, infrared sauna, and floating shower—all preparation for tomorrow’s flight of fancy, the one-of-a-kind Gläserne Scheune. A barn complex just five minutes away, it’s the work of 80-year-old Bavarian artist Rudolf Schmid, who designed walls of richly detailed glass panels to depict local forest legends. Just as arresting is the barn’s silo-shaped tower, which is crowned with the painted head of a mythical folk giant.

ST. ELMO, COLORADO Once a booming mining town and trading post along railroad routes running through central Colorado, St. Elmo was abandoned when the railroad shut down in 1922. Many of the buildings—including stores, houses, and the church—were left intact, filled with the belongings of their former residents. Travel tip: St. Elmo is in Gunnison National Forest. Numerous trails for hiking and off-road driving are easily accessible from the town.

Water flows through Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park.

The Emerald Lakes sparkle in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand.