In 1646, St. Mary’s Church, in the town of Battle, spent "2 shillings and 6 pence"—an average day’s wage for a skilled tradesman—on Guy Fawkes Night, marking the earliest record of such celebrations in Battle. Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night, is a traditional British celebration that takes place annually on November 5. The night marks...

Despite lying less than 15 kilometers (10 miles) north of Jelenia Góra, Poland's tallest stone and arch dam at Pilchowice gives the impression of being located in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps it's the narrow, winding forest roads that occasionally abandon pavement for cobblestones, or the abandoned train tracks that crisscross the road and the river...

Cijin Island in Kaohsiung is popular among daytrippers in Kaohsiung for its black sand beaches and the 19th-century lighthouse on its northern tip, which has become a minor tourist attraction. The island also boasts Taiwan's largest collection of shells at the Cijin Shell Gallery, a museum on the second floor of the island's tourist center overlooking...

The earliest version of Crawford Castle consisted of a motte and bailey, with a surrounding ditch. On the remains of the motte stand the ruins of a square enclosure surrounded by a curtain wall. Researchers believe there may have been round towers at each corner of the enclosure dating back to the 16th or early 17th centuries. A range of buildings...

The François Vase is one of the most notable pieces in the National Archaeological Museum of Florence's collection. Dated to circa 570-560 B.C., this Attic black-figure krater, the oldest of its kind known today, was discovered in an Etruscan necropolis in Chiusi in 1844 and sent to Florence for restoration. The pottery bears two inscriptions: "Ergotimos...

You’re kicked back in a camp chair, daydreaming about flapjacks and watching the breeze blow through the leaves, when you catch movement in your peripheral vision. You cautiously turn your head to see the prowler. It has feathers, and it’s looking right at you. Quick, what do you do? Start by resisting the urge to reach for your cell phone, says...