Coinciding with the beginning of confinement due to the global expansion of the coronavirus, from El Viajero we proposed a game to appease our desire to travel. Two months later, we posed the same challenge with another round of equally captivating locations. Scenarios that we may now feel closer to, because there is less left to discover them. It is about guessing a series of destinations across the planet providing a series of clues, leaving the reader to unravel which site we are talking about. At the end of the report, a quiz with three possible answers reveals whether we can consider ourselves a seasoned globetrotter or we still have miles to go in our backpack.
Architectural avant-garde on the banks of the river
It is a bridge , a viewpoint , a museum and a work of art in itself. It is also an impressive engineering project that connects the two banks of the Randselva River, whose fresh water flow is born in the Rand fjord , 50 kilometers further north, in the heart of the Scandinavian Alps . This striking structure connects the river's edges via a 60-meter-long walkway that twists in the center, an avant-garde architectural pirouette that blends seamlessly with the area's tundra and forested hills. The turn is not only an ornamental element, it also allows this bridge to bridge the gap that separates both banks. Opened last September, this open space of 1,000 square meters will also house the temporary exhibitions of Kistefos , an open-air museum with works by contemporary artists such as the Japanese Yayoi Kusama and the British Marc Quinn .
A powerful vision at the foot of the volcano
The best time to visit it is first thing in the morning, when the mist covers the landscape. And the best perspective, with the Semeru volcano , the highest mountain on the Indonesian island of Java (3,676 meters), in the background. Located between Malang and Lumajang , access to this natural wonder is made by a path of just over an hour long that starts on the road that connects these two cities in East Java. It is more than recommended to wear non-slip footwear and waterproof clothing to protect yourself from the increasing humidity as we approach the rocky precipice , for which it is necessary to cross small streams and the mighty Glidih river until culminating in fragile bamboo stairs that descend to the waterfall. more than 120 meters high , the highest in all of Indonesia. The roar of the falling water has a strange relaxing effect that more than makes up for the effort to get there. A natural spectacle not suitable for children and the elderly or with reduced mobility.
The world's highest atrium with views of Beijing
Beijing closely follows Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, in the race to have the most efficient and innovative buildings on the planet. Opened in late 2019, this skyscraper has taken root in Lize, the new financial district of the Chinese capital . With a total of 172,000 square meters of surface and 45 floors high (plus four in the basement), it houses small and medium-sized companies seeking to expand their sights. At its feet, five new metro lines are being built , designed to make this neighborhood the new symbol of the strength of the Asian giant. One of those stations will connect directly to the building , which are actually two towers enclosed under a single casing as a cylindrical and glazed façade . Both sides rotate at a 45-degree angle as they level up, in homage to DNA's helix structure , until they are fused on the top floors. Communication between the two parties is carried out through four walkways, on floors 13, 24, 35 and 45.
The emerging space between these two halves results in the tallest atrium in the world (194 meters), which rotates through the building as the tower rises. According to the architecture studio responsible for the project, this atrium seeks to become a kind of public square or meeting place from which to capture the best views of the city due to its twisted and sculptural form . In the basement of this colossus, up to 2,680 parking spaces for bicycles have been enabled , the main means of transport in China, along with lockers and showers, as well as parking spaces for electric and hybrid cars.
Burst of color in the middle of the city
Art and sport go hand in hand in an original project that takes place in one of the most elegant neighborhoods in Europe. In the same area where elegant boulevards, opera houses and designer boutiques converge, a brightly colored basketball court stands out out of nowhere . Encased between sober cream-colored apartments and sloping ceilings, so present in the urban layout of this European capital, this recreational space was set up in 2009 by Nike and the clothing brand Pillage so that young people in the area had a place where to spread out and play. If blue, red and yellow predominated in its original design , when it had to be reformed in 2017, purple and orange were used, which is how it looks today. And, aware of its tourist attraction, its authors also decided to throw the white wall that delimited with the street and replace it with blue mesh panels so that passers-by could see what is happening on the pitch.
New life for a theater
The stage, the boxes, the stage sections, the moat and the stage machinery have been improved, and work has been done on the conservation of several works by the artist Roberto Lewis , author of the large fresco that decorates the ceiling. Declared world heritage and located in the old town of the country's capital, which acts as a hinge between Central and South America , it was designed in 1908 by the Italian-Panamanian architect Genaro Ruggieri . The dancers were the first to take the stage on October 3 to celebrate the start of a new stage after its restoration, valued at around 13 million euros.
The (Nordic) pleasure of reading
It is a must for lovers of design and reading. At the same time, it is the last great contribution to a public library system that feels like a national pride in this Nordic country where each of its five and a half million inhabitants read an average of 47 books a year (in Spain they're 10). Inaugurated in December 2010, this imposing glass and steel structure with a wooden façade overlooking the Töölön Bay blends perfectly into the style of Kluuvi , the urban center of a capital where the architectural legacy of Alvar Aalto (1898- lives side by side). 1976) with the organic and curvilinear forms of art noveau , whose greatest exponent is the Central Station.
With free access and with an area of 16,000 square meters , the "freest building in Scandinavia", as defined by its authors, the ALA architecture studio, consists of three floors, the last one dedicated to reading its more than 100,000 volumes . The residents of the city participated from the beginning in an active way in the design and functionality of the space through a participatory consultation. As a result, a citizen can reserve a room to display their paintings or ceramics, and dogs can enter the cafeteria and the entire ground floor.
The first capital of African culture
This 2020 has been named as the first capital of African culture. And there is no shortage of reasons, as it treasures a rich architectural heritage of palaces, mosques and museums such as that of Yves Saint Laurent - here the French designer took refuge from fame and his ashes were scattered in the Majorelle garden , whose splendor he himself recovered in the sixties — or the only North African art gallery dedicated to women. Crossroads between the Maghreb , the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa , this city of adobe buildings offers its most authentic face in its millennial souk , which spreads through the intricate alleys of the medina , declared a world heritage site in 1985 and where one You can find almost everything while indulging in the subtle art of haggling . Another constant here is the mix of smells and flavors like cinnamon, argan oil (known for its benefits for skin and hair), jasmine, and anise, mint, and lemon seeds. That collage soaks up the senses at sunset in one of the most iconic squares in the Arab world , also a world heritage and full of street food stalls, snake charmers, pythonises that read the lines of the hand and improvised musicians with various instruments.
In the footsteps of Stephen King and Henry David Thoreau
It is the northernmost state in the United States and is almost the same size as the sum of the other five territories that make up New England. With 85,000 kilometers to explore, its lush pine and spruce forests and lakes retain the same pristine appearance of a century and a half ago, when naturalist Henry David Thoreau and his guides from the Indian Penobscot tribe traveled through these lands. Another character who has put this destination on the map for decades is Stephen King . The master of mystery and terror, an icon of American letters, has his residence in the city of Bangor and many of his novels - It, Animal Cemetery and The Mystery of Salem's Lot, among others - take place between the sea and the Wild, at times inhospitable, landscape of this border territory with Canada, which also inspired painters such as Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth.
The region celebrates its bicentennial this year, with events in cities and towns across the State. In addition to its powerful nature, in recent years it has gained strength as a culinary destination - it is famous for its craft breweries and bakeries. And, in addition, it is a perfect territory for outdoor activities, either for its steep peaks, on the rough waters of its rivers or its bays dotted with islands, which can be ridden paddling with a kayak or aboard classic sailboats. In photos taken regularly by satellites from space, this area of the East Coast of the United States appears as a huge bushy black dot. Like an island of uninterrupted forest.
Beaches, white villages and a renewed gastronomy
Chosen by the traveling publisher Lonely Planet as one of the most promising destinations in 2020, in this region of contrasts you will find centuries-old wineries , impressive white villages , long white sand beaches with optimal conditions for surfing, and historic cities where to take the pulse of its renewed gastronomy with four Michelin-starred restaurants: Aponiente, Alevante, Lú Cocina and Alma y Mantúa. At its tables, and at the other restaurants that dot its coasts, you can try Almadraba tuna, an ancient fishing art with Phoenician echoes.
A corner of tranquility on the banks of the Adriatic
Tourists often overlook this destination due to the brilliance and beauty radiating from the neighboring Istrian peninsula and the Dalmatian coast . But the tranquility of this bay, crouched in a bend in the Adriatic Sea, will be tested this year, since one of its main cities, the third in population of this Mediterranean country, has been chosen, along with the Irish Galway, as the European capital of culture 2020 . It is also the gateway to the tiny gulf islands — Rab , Losinj , Cres, and Krk — with its historic walled cities, replete with examples of Venetian architecture. In the interior of this region awaits a natural park covered with beech, false chestnut and 40 types of orchids. A territory where sheep, golden eagles, brown bears, wild boars and roe deer coexist. On clear days, we can see from its highest peak, the Vojak (1401 meters) the Italian Alps and the bay of Trieste.
Guess where we are (volume II)
Find inspiration for your next trips on our Facebook and Twitter and Instragram or subscribe here to El Viajero Newsletter.