Category: Travel

If you're searching for the ultimate serene and relaxing retreat, look no further. Norway is now home to the world's largest sauna-at least according the creators-and it's quite the hot property. (See what we did there?) The timber A-frame structure was built as a part of SALT, the country's arctic arts and music festival, which is held on the isolated island of Sandhornøya.

1. Paula Crown, Aspen Her drawings and sculptures refract topography into haunting geometries, so it's not surprising that the Chicago-based Crown escapes to the dramatic landscape of the Rockies to refresh and unwind. The alpine enclave abounds with summer arts festivals; farmers' markets offer peak peaches, corn, and tomatoes; and high-altitude sunshine beckons everyone outdoors.

Unsure how to polish your china? What is the proper way to introduce yourself to your boss? Butler extraordinaire Charles MacPherson answers those questions and many others through helpful tips and prose in his reference book, aptly-titled, "The Butler Speaks." MacPherson proves that proper etiquette can be achieved by anyone simply by "understanding other people and having consideration for their needs.

Last week, Art Fund announced the nominees for its 2015 Museum of the Year award, the most prestigious arts award in the United Kingdom. British museums dominated the shortlist, nabbing five of the six slots, but only one could take home the coveted title and the £100,000 prize ($156,131 in U.S. dollars).

What happens when nature and technology collide? You'll have to visit, Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens this October to find out. In its second year, Australia's MPavilion is bringing a high-tech forest to the lush park. Designed by Amanda Levete of AL_A Architects, the structure is meant to mimic a forest canopy.

"We're castaways from the modern world, an oasis with the best art, food and fashion," says Federico Pratesi of his adopted Florence. The current head of his family's famed linen company-founded in nearby Pistoia by his great-grandfather in 1906-Pratesi's not just waxing poetic. When the sun sets here, the symmetrical stone facades turn into walls of gold.

The go-to suit? Check. A pair of sensible, yet stylish shoes? Check. An outfit that can transition from day to night? Check. Frequent business travelers undoubtedly have packing down to a science. But after packing, unpacking, and repacking the same outfits over and over again, it's difficult to avoid travel fatigue.

VGS Chateau Potelle During high school in Nashville, I wrote the high school society column "Prep Pratter," for The Nashville Banner . My pen name was Polly Jr., and I was most definitely in the know about all worthy things happening in my small pond. I put down my pen at age 18, and have just now picked up my laptop these years later to contribute a regular column to the website of one of my favorite magazines , Veranda .

The Queen of England - she's just like us! Queen Elizabeth II recently ventured into the public sphere by hopping aboard an ordinary commuter train to make the trip from Norfolk - where she spent Christmas and New Years at her residence in Sandringham - back to London. Getty Images The Queen has more leeway than most when it comes to travel.

Update 04/27/2016: We're one step closer to living under the sea. Last year, Dubai-based real estate and property management company Kleindienst Group announced plans to build "The Heart Of Europe," an archipelago of more than 125 floating villas located 2.5 miles off the coast of Dubai, according to The Daily Mail .

Most of us can't afford to fly first-class, let alone buy our own jet. And even within that exclusive world, it's a big step up from your standard private jet to a personalized Boeing 747-8. Greenpoint Technologies, of Kirkland, recently fitted out the industry's first VIP 747-8 for a private, undisclosed client.

The Loire Valley in France is home to some of the world's most beautiful castles and impressive wine regions. And, it also plays host to the largest abbey in all of Europe - Fonteyraud Abbey. Fonteyraud itself dates back to the 12th century, and once housed thousands of nuns before Napoleon saved it from destruction, repurposing it as a penitentiary in 1804.

For some reason I have felt especially patriotic all summer. I wish I could credit this to the fact that it's an election year, but no, I think it's definitely due to the Olympics. I was a competitive ice skater from the time I was six years old until I was fourteen, when a car accident ended any hopes I had of winning an Olympic gold.

The Monadnock Building was completed in 1893 but has many of the modern qualities we value today, with heavy walls stripped of ornamentation. They didn't decorate every surface, instead relying on the mass of the building to express its beauty. 53 Jackson Blvd. Historians view the Reliance Building as the grandfather of the modern skyscraper.

After the British defeated him at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte was banished to the remote island of St. Helena, located off the coast of Africa, in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,200 miles from land. The tiny volcanic island, along with the rest of the Atlantic, was controlled by the British Empire.

If you've always dreamed of visiting Buckingham Palace but are a little too strapped for time, the Internet has just the solution for you. For the first time ever, the Queen's home will be opening its doors to visitors who'd like to experience the lavish wonder on a free virtual tour that can be accessed anywhere from a smartphone or computer.

There are a lot of things you can do in 18 hours. And, beginning February 1, 2016, flying from Dubai to Panama city will be one of them, Mashable reports. It will also be the longest flight path in the world, beating out Qantas' Dallas, Texas, to Sydney, Australia, flight that currently holds the world record at 17 in-air hours.

Airplane meals get a bad rap, and for good reason: between the dry air and today's security restrictions, it's difficult to prepare quality food on a plane, let alone taste it. But for the jet-setting elite, airplane dining is a first-class affair. According to FastCo.Design, the $13 billion dollar in-flight catering industry goes far beyond a menu of salted peanuts and stale bread when it comes to their wealthiest customers.

Crisply pressed linen sheets; sunlight streaming through gauzy sheers; and the impression you get, with the arrival of your breakfast tray, that you've died and gone to heaven-is there anything more sublime than a good night's sleep in a classic grand hotel? The best combine a sense of place with a Continental brand of service.

One of Manhattan's most iconic hotels, The St. Regis New York, debuts a new era of glamour after undergoing a dramatic renovation. The hotel unveiled the renovated and redesigned guestrooms, suites and public spaces recently, along with the new King Cole Bar & Salon. The coveted King Cole Bar, Manhattan's most storied meeting place and home to the original Bloody Mary, reveals not only its new interiors but also, through a partnership with Chef John DeLucie, an innovative new culinary direction