Things to Do in Niagara Falls & Around

One of the oldest towns in the Eastern Caribbean, Basseterre is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies, making it an excellent jumping off point for exploration in the area. Owing to centuries of French and British colonial rule, this small hub of a now sovereign state is a delightful combination of European history and culture and island living, tourism and opportunities for repose. 

Basseterre’s small, protected harbor is its most distinctive physical feature. The city itself is dived into two main areas, The Circus, which is geared towards tourists, and Independence Square, which contains the cathedral, courthouse and most of the older buildings. As the cultural and commercial center of the Federation, there are an assortment of iconic regional businesses, breweries, craft markets, museums, monuments, heritage sites, eateries and pubs. Points of interest include St. George's Anglican Church, which has endured fires, demolition, and hurricanes since 1670, the National Museum, Fort Thomas, and the Springfield Cemetery and Chapel.

With deliciously locally-crafted brews, Bauhaus Brew Labs seeks to produce the highest in quality craft lagers. With three distinctly flavored, German-inspired lagers and one IPA, the brewhouse additionally makes five seasonal varieties.  The Brew Labs take an interesting creative approach to making beer as inspired by the post WWI Bauhaus School of art and design in Germany. They continue the tradition of creativity and experimentation that was founded there, with an emphasis on flavor and love of beer. The company purports that life, work, and play should intersect, with this philosophy embedded into their process of making their beer.

The Brew Labs outdoor patio is dog-friendly and comfortable to relax on. The brewery invites beer enthusiasts to taste their imaginative interpretations of classic brews, and events often accompany tastings. The tasting room is inspired by the communal beer halls of Germany and is consistently regarded as one of the best in Minnesota.

There are many churches in Rome - and throughout the world - dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The largest one is the Basilica Papale (or Papal Basilica) of Santa Maria Maggiore near the Termini Train Station in central Rome.

As you might guess from the name, Santa Maria Maggiore is technically part of the Vatican - just as a foreign embassy might be. As part of Vatican City, the Basilica is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes all extraterritorial properties of the Holy See in Rome.

Although the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore has been expanded upon and redecorated over the centuries, it was originally built in the mid-5th century and much of the original structure is still in place. In the years after the papacy was moved back to Rome from Avignon, part of the church was used as the papal residence until renovations to the Vatican Palace was completed.

Some of the highlights of a visit to the basilica are its 5th century mosaics, a reliquary said to contain a piece of the crib that once held the baby Jesus, an ancient icon of the Virgin Mary, the tomb of Saint Jerome, and the tomb of the artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. There is a Sistine Chapel in the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, named for Pope Sixtus V (the one in Vatican City is named for Pope Sixtus IV).

Located in the High Estremadura region of central Portugal, Batalha is an attractive town with plenty of excellent shops and restaurants surrounding one of Portugal’s most sacred sites. The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória was commissioned by Portugal’s King João I to commemorate the country’s independence from Spain after the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385.

Some 200 years in its evolution, the Dominican monastery is UNESCO World Heritage-listed as it represents the very pinnacle of Portuguese Gothic and Manueline architecture; its chapter house in particular is an elaborate interweaving of pinnacles, gargoyles and rounded spires over two levels. The fine, lacy façade is studded with intricate stonework that resembles Indian temple carvings, and leads on to a surprisingly unembellished interior, with high Gothic vaulted roof over the nave and stained-glass windows through which sunlight dances on summer days. Around the main body of the church lie several chapels, the stark Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and two tranquil cloisters accessed from a doorway in the north wall in front of the choir.

Batalha monastery became the burial church of the Aviz dynasty Portuguese kings. The Capelo do Fundador to the right of the main entrance is the final resting place of King João I, his wife Queen Philippa of Lancaster and their third son, Prince Henry the Navigator, who expanded Portuguese trade routes into north Africa and died in 1460. A massive equestrian statue of military leader Nuno Álvares Pereira stands guard on the paved piazza outside the monastery; it was he who led his 6,500 troops to victory at Aljubarrota and ended medieval Spanish domination of Portugal.

Thought to be the first tourist hotel in all of the Caribbean, the opulent Bath Hotel was built on Nevis in 1787 to provide visitors easy access to the on-site volcanic hot springs. The mineral laden waters from the Bath Stream were believed to have healing properties, and the water temperature consistently stays around 107 degrees thanks to underground volcanic activity.

An unusual museum 30 feet (nine meters) beneath Fort Canning Hill, the secretive British military fort known as Battlebox once played an important role in Singapore’s history. Used by the Malaya Command to defend Singapore during World War II, the bunker was where Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival ultimately surrendered Singapore to the Japanese, marking the decline of the British Empire. Today, the cavernous space is filled with lifelike wax mannequins and antique photos and video clips that depict what it was like to live and strategize within the gray, 29-room labyrinth during the final days of the war.
 
The Basics