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In this week’s roundup of travel stories, a man recreates his father’s round-the-world bicycle trip, a moldy wreck of a luxury yacht, and an ancient Roman city 10 times the size of Disneyland.
Jetavanaramaya is a huge monument in Sri Lanka built in the 4th century and was once one of the largest structures in the world.
This vast, ancient brick engineering marvel was born out of religious conflict and has survived centuries of earthquakes, neglect, and civil war.
However, despite being the largest brick structure ever built, it is little known outside Sri Lanka and has long been largely forgotten by history.
Read more about how Jetavanaramaya was lost and then rediscovered.
Turkey has another man-made wonder from an even older era.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ephesus is one of the best-preserved examples of a Roman port city in the world. The 1,600-acre property, 10 times the size of Disneyland, is home to many historic wonders.
Once a bustling metropolis and home to the likes of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra, it remains a popular destination, attracting 2.5 million tourists a year. Here are the highlights.
Finally, a European masterpiece that is still under construction. Barcelona’s unfinished church, the Sagrada Familia, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, is moving steadily toward completion 144 years after construction began in 1882. Pope Leo has been invited to preside over the inauguration of the central tower next summer. Watch the construction process here.
There’s nothing a little TLC can’t fix.
For CNN subscribers, we bring you the story of a Canadian couple who tried to buy a luxury yacht and ended up with a mold-covered shipwreck.
Despite the ship’s appearance, Janice and Blaine Carmena were immediately attracted to it. They knew they were the “right person” to take on the ship. Six years later, it’s their floating home.
American woman Amelia Butler bought a cheap house in the village of Latronico in Basilicata, Italy, without anyone seeing her.
As soon as she found the property in online listings, “I knew it was mine,” she told CNN. She bought a one-bedroom apartment based on the view of the valley from her window, without even seeing the property in person or visiting the village. Here are the results:
love and family
In 2024, Englishman Jamie Hargreaves arrives in Australia following the route his father took on a bicycle around the world in the 1980s. He rode the same brands of bikes, visited the same places and people, and recreated the photos frame by frame.
“I’ve been inspired by my father all my life,” Jamie told CNN. “It’s like a real connection with my father. The only thing that separated us was time.”
CNN subscribers have another story of connection. In fact, three of them connected.
It all started when a woman in Alabama received an email saying she was “going out and being surrounded by hot British men.” Life was never the same again.
This chance encounter between a group of young Brits and Americans led to three transatlantic love stories and three weddings. The expansion is as follows.
Why Japan’s ski resorts need more tourist rescues
This season, skiing and snowboarding accidents caused by foreign tourists are rapidly increasing in Japan. Rescue teams have warned they are operating in dangerous conditions and cannot guarantee everyone will be rescued. CNN’s Hanako Montgomery reports.
presidential speech. A tragic anniversary. The central figure of the cartel.
What do you remember about that week?
K-pop stars, on the edge, 2,000 visitors daily.
How a viral photo led to the closure of an Australian beauty spot.
Their dream of Italian citizenship suddenly disappeared.
However, there may still be a lifeline.
British pubs can be intimidating for visitors.
However, there are tricks to blending in.
