Many cities would love to have an iconic structure that can even by identified by just its silhouette: the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sagrada Familia, the Empire State Building… the list could go on!
Another of these iconic buildings has sprung up in Stockholm. The Ericsson Globe is the largest spherical building in the world: 16,000 spectators, 110 metres in diameter and an internal height of 85 metres.

On top of this impressive building, the Swedes wanted to build an “eye” that would let locals and tourists appreciate the Stockholm skyline from 130 metres above street level. Thus was born the Skyview, consisting of gondolas that travel up two sets of rails on the outside of the Ericsson Globe all the way to the top.
The two gondolas can carry up to 16 people at the same time and in 20 minutes visitors will be able to see all 14 of the islands that comprise the Swedish capital.

By Eddy Lara Brito from DestinosActuales.com

Do you fancy visiting the Ericsson Globe? Book your flights here!

Let’s go on a road trip to discover what lies beyond big cities. We would like to suggest several routes so you can hire a car and go exploring.

Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is the name of the 10 kilometers long seacoast that goes from Punto Mesco to Punta di Montenero, including five villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, aligned in this order if you come from Genoa.

They are part of the Liguria region -with Genoa as the capital city- and not just five random villages. Along with Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, the setting was declared World Heritage site and it’s considered one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

These five traditional villages have some odd architectural characteristics. For instance, most of the houses were built on the steep rocks of the coast and are somehow suspended between the sea and the land.

These are little fishing villages, very well preserved over the years, protected against the massive urban growth and not altering the delicate ecological balance.

From Genoa you can reach Cinque Terre easily by train, taking the regional train that goes from Genoa to Pisa and across all these villages. This is the best option to get to Spezia province, because traffic to vehicles in the narrow cobbled streets of the Cinque Terre villages is limited.

Therefore, the best option is to walk within the routes that connect all the five fishing villages, to discover stunning landscapes, beaches, hills and pines forests. The most famous is the Blue Route, a 12 kilometers walk. Or, if you’re looking for something easier, get the Via dell'Amore, between Riomaggiore and Manarola, with a nice view over the Liguria coast.

At Cinque Terre you’ll enjoy a colorful mosaic in one of the most beautiful areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Also the gastronomy, with regional specialties and great fresh fish from the area or wines with their own designation of origin, like the delicious Sciacchetrà.

Riomaggiore by rdesai | Manarola by Mathias Ripp | Corniglia by sailko | Vernazza by AnticheSere | Monterrosso by Mauricio Pellegrinetti

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

Buildings that challenge gravity with their inclination always cause profound impact, though this peculiarity that makes them famous also can totally destroy them. Pisa has its Leaning Tower and Venice had the San Marcos inclined hasbell – rebuilt after collapsing the original construction in 1902 – Bologna has many inclined medieval towers, one of the most characteristic elements and icons of the city, who have defied earthquakes, bombings and, in general, neglect of man.

The history of these towers is very curious. The most conservative estimations counts about 100 towers crowding the medieval city of Bologna, some of them could even reach 100 meters high. These towers were built for the purpose of demonstrating family lineages’s power; the richer the family lineage, the higher was the tower. As time passes by, the towers were demolished or collapsed and the ones which still stand, were taken for other uses – prisons, homes or shops.

Among the most significant towers that still remain include the towers of Garisenda and Asinelli. Those towers are mentioned by Dante Alighieri, who lived in Bologna, in the Divine Comedy. You can visit Asinelli tower ascending its 500 steps. It has 97.6 meters in height and 3.2 meters inclination while Garisenda tower, which is on its side, is 48 meters high and a lower inclination.

Picture by Onanymous

Why not take a trip to Bologna? Have a look at our flights here!