Things to Do in Washington Dc

Art enthusiasts visiting St. Petersburg will already have the State Russian Museum at the top of their itinerary and the prestigious gallery doesn’t disappoint, with an incredible 400,000 exhibits dating back as early as the 10th century. This is the world’s largest and finest museum of Russian Art, as well as Russia’s first state-owned art museum, and walking its halls is like taking a journey through the country’s art history.

The Swedish National Museum (also referred to as the National Museum of Fine Arts) is the national gallery of Sweden, located in central Stockholm. The benefactors, King Gustav III and Carl Gustaf Tessin, amassed an impressive art collection for the museum that is available for your viewing today. The gallery is home to about art spanning the Middle Ages to 1900, and  the museum features an important 18th century Dutch and Flemmish collection, including Rembrandt, Ruben, and Frans Hals the Elder. In addition you can also admire a lovely collection of porcelain objects, paintings, sculptures, and modern art. The art library for the public and the academic community.

The original museum, called the Royal Museum, was founded in 1792. The current building was then built, inspired by North Italian Renaissance architecture, by architect Friedrich August Stüler in 1866.

With its crenellated turrets, ornate gables and fortifications, Schloss Stolzenfels exudes the sentimental beauty for which the Romantic Rhine is famed. Originally built in the 13th century to impose illegal river tolls, it had all the necessary features: a drawbridge, a keep, an impressive gateway and a chapel.

A Prussian king rebuilt the castle, ruined by the French, as his summer residence in 1823. Today, the rooms largely remain as the king left them. There is an impressive exhibit of armor and weaponry.

The towering spire of Stone Church—a cathedral that’s known by many names to locals—can be seen from almost anywhere in Nha Trang. Despite how it’s humbly known, this stunning stone structure is one of the most striking architectural wonders in this Vietnamese city and a nod to European influence in this land that’s otherwise filled with Hindu and Buddhist temples.

Take a drive to the northeastern tip of the bay on Grand Cayman to find an idyllic spot where a spit of sand stretches into the blue Caribbean, with shallow water all around that is a popular gathering place for pillow cushion sea stars. These plump starfish look like stuffed animals, though they are very much alive and grazing along the seafloor. 

The dramatic Stone Gate (Kamenita Vrata) marks the eastern entrance to Zagreb’s medieval Gornji Grad (Upper Town) and is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, providing a useful navigation point for visitors passing between the Upper and Lower towns. The stone-carved arch is more than just a gateway though – local legend has transformed it into a shrine and the adjourning chapel flickers with candles, lit daily by local worshippers in honor of the Virgin Mary.

The origins of the Stone Gate date back to as early as 1266 and today the restored archway forms a key part of the ruins of the ancient city walls. The story goes that the original gate featured a painting of Mary holding baby Jesus and after a devastating fire swept through the capital in 1731, the artwork miraculously survived, appearing to locals like the image of the Virgin Mary was emerging from the ashes. Today the painting is the centerpiece of the chapel built in its honor, protected by an ornate iron grille, and forming the basis of the country’s largest shrine.

Reopened at the end of 2012 after a major revamp, the Stedelijk Museum is home to one of the Netherlands' most celebrated collections of modern and contemporary art. Walking through the halls whisks travelers on a journey through the world's most innovative art movements, from iconic Andy Warhol prints and memorable impressionist works by Matisse and Cezanne to extraordinary Rodin sculptures.