InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

Although the Swedish capital of Stockholm is a fairly small city, its cultural activities abound. The Old Town, Gamla Stan, is roughly 750 years old and full of historic sites and museums. The newer section of the city, Södermalm, is full of youthful vigor and nightlife extraordinaire. Here are some Stockholm activities that are sure not to be missed.

Skansen
Founded in 1891, Skansen is a park-like open air museum featuring life in Sweden across the ages. You’ll find live folk dances and music, period costumes, zoos, and original 18th century farm houses.

Centralbadet
Health clubs and spas have always been popular in Scandinavia, and Stockholm is home to one of the best. Centralbadet, a relaxing haven for over 100 years, provides spa treatments, swimming pools, saunas, yoga sessions, and gym equipment. Spend an hour or spend a day!

Sosta
Enjoy a quick mid-day fika, or coffee break, at Sosta. An Italian-style espresso bar, Sosta is a great place to pick up a pastry and a quick pick-me-up in traditional Swedish fashion.

F12 Restaurant
A meal at F12 is an experience all unto itself. Chefs Paul Svensson and Danyel Couet are the masterminds behind a menu that quite literally mixes the old with the new. Mix and match your own meal by choosing from two separate menus: Tradition and Innovation.

Visit Guatemala City’s myriad of museums, featuring everything from ancient artifacts to contemporary art. Here are two of our favorites.

Museo Popol Vuh
Make a stop at Museo Popol Vuh for some of the best examples of ancient Colonial-era relics.

Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno
Guatemala City’s National Museum of Modern Art has a strong showing of Central American modern paintings, sculpture. It features a permanent collection and a selection of revolving exhibits.

Bourbon Street
Stroll along world-famous Bourbon Street and experience the nightlife, jazz clubs, burlesque clubs and restaurants that make it New Orleans’ wildest street. Bourbon Street, of course, is much more active in the evening.

Café du Monde
This original French Market café serves cafe au lait and beignets, the powdered sugar-covered French doughnuts. Avoid the crush of the weekend mornings by stopping by after dinner.

Central Grocery
Central Grocery is an authentic Italian grocery in the French Quarter famous for making the original, New Orleans muffaletta. Try to go before or after lunch, but patience is a must!

Frenchmen Street
Frenchmen Street has a wonderfully artistic and bohemian street atmosphere and is where locals go for live music. Weekend nights are best.

A bustling natural harbour, Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour boasts a myriad of things to do and see, from a brisk stroll to day cruises, from breathtaking city views to a nightly light show.

Avenue of the Stars
Modelled after Hollywood’s famous walk of fame, the Avenue of the Stars is a place to learn, or remember, Hong Kong’s vibrant movie industry. It’s also a great place to enjoy the outdoors and snap a few photos.

Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is by far the best view of both the city and the harbour. Enjoy a long dinner or a quick lunch in one of its many restaurants, peruse its unique boutiques, ride the tram, or just enjoy the vistas.

Sunset Cruise
Although there are cruises that sail throughout the day, the most interesting is the Sunset cruise. You’ll see the gorgeous sunset against the backdrop of the skyline…and will be treated to on-board cocktails.

Symphony of Lights
Every night, the skyline takes a dazzling turn. The Guinness Book of World Records calls this the largest laser and light show in the world, with buildings lit up on both sides of the bay. The best place to catch the show is from the piazza of Victoria Tower, located on Victoria Peak.

Pressed for time? Miami still has a number of exciting things to do that don’t consume your whole day, or even a few hours. Here are a few tips of things to do in Miami in under an hour.

Biscayne Bay
Take a tour Biscayne Bay and the famous waterfront homes of the rich and famous.

Little Havana
Visit a local cigar shop in Little Havana and take your pick of fine Cuban cigars or sip on a cafecito.

Bayside Marketplace
Walk to Bayside Marketplace and enjoy a shopping extravaganza as well as the local bars along the bay.

Here are a few interesting “did-you-knows” about the local lore in Bucharest.

Architecture
During the years between the two world wars, Bucharest was known as ‘Little Paris.’ The city was built by French architects in the school of Baron Hausmann, the father of modern Paris.

Greetings!
Say ‘salut’ for hello, and ‘multsumesk’ for thank you

Famous Romanians
Henri Coanda, a Romanian engineer, was the inventor of the turbo jet engine. And don’t forget Brancusi, one of the world’s greatest sculptors.

Language
Most young people speak some English, older people are more likely to speak French. With their Latin roots, Romanians are very friendly and will always do their best to help you.

Palace of Parliament
The Palace of the Parliament formerly known as the House of The People” is the second-largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. With 3,100 spaces and rooms, and over one million cubic metres of marble, it took 20,000 construction workers and 400 architects working 24 hours a day to build the Palace.

Religion
Most of the population is Orthodox Christian with a strong faith in God. So don’t be surprised to see people making the sign of the cross as they walk past a church. When visiting a church, wear modest clothing.

The lucky visitors to Amsterdam will find most of the city’s architectural sights in close proximity, which is good for a leisurely bike ride or stroll. You’ll discover an eclectic mix of styles, from Classicism to Deco.

Felix Meritis
Finished in 1787 under the supervision of architect Jacob Otten Husly, the Felix Meritis has been occupied for many different uses. The building was initially opened as a sort of gathering place for artists and their patrons, but its history has also been as the headquarters of the Communist Party of the Netherlands.

Its impressive facade shows the style of the early Neo-Classical phase: a reversion to the simple forms that had almost disappeared during the fanciful Baroque period.

The Amsterdam School
It would be wrong to talk about Amsterdam’s architecture and not mention The Amsterdam School. Acting as somewhat of a predecessor to the ideals of Germany’s Bauhaus, this style had a pretty socialist theme, with housing for the middle and working classes being the focal point.
You’ll recognize this style by the modernism of the forms themselves, the rounded edges of the buildings and some non-essential elements like sculptures and turrets.

De Gooyer Windmill
Ah, the Dutch windmills: functional and quite nice to look at. You have to see at least one. The De Gooyer Windmill was first built in 1725, but was pulled apart and put back together, piece by piece, in 1814. The best part is that its now used as cafe! Stop by for a bite and the view.

The Amstel Hotel
Finishing construction in 1867, architect Cornelius Outshoorn is credited as the architect for this beaming “palace on the river.” The river being the Amstel, and the hotel eventually becoming— you guessed it— our own InterContinental Amsterdam Amstel Hotel. The style Mr. Outshoorn used is one that was also used for the famous Louvre: French Renaissance.