The Aletsch Glacier in the Swiss canton of Wallis is the best-known as well as the longest and biggest glacier in the entire Alps. Starting at a height of about 3800 meters in the Jungfrau-region of the Bernese Alps the glacier reaches over 22 kilometers towards the Massa river, which itself flows into the Rhône. The Aletsch Glacier as well as the adjacent Aletsch Forest make up the biggest part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.
The Bastei is one of the most famous tourist attractions of Saxon Switzerland. At a height of 305 metres above sea level the sandstone plateau offers a breath-taking view of the Elbe valley as well as the distant table hills. Each year about 1.5 million tourists enjoy the unique prospect of the Elbe and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains over the Bastei Bridge, which was build in 1851. Bizarre rock plateaus which stem all over in the adjacent forest lend the Bastei its unique appearance.
The Breitachklamm is the deepest gorge in Central Europe with a depth of 150 metres. Over 8000 years ago, during the glacial melt of the last ice age, the Breitach dug through the massive alpine rock. The 2.5-kilometer-long canyon was first made accessible at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Allgäu.
The Cordillera de Guanacaste is a mountain range in northern Costa Rica close to the Nicaraguan border. The range includes a considerable number of active and dormant stratovolcanoes. The most famous one is also one of the highest volcanoes of the range: the Arenal volcano. It last erupted in 1968, destroying two villages and covered the entire region with volcanic ash. Arenal is still active today, even though the danger of another fatal eruption is not considered very high in the foreseeable future.
Due to its location on the Celtic Sea, the Cornwall region in the southwest of England offers an unusually mild climate that also influences the local flora and fauna. The landscape features breath-taking cliffs that overlook picturesque bays and colourful gardens in which even subtropical flowers bloom in full splendour.
The “Eisriesenwelt” (the World of the Ice Giants) in the Tennen Mountains in the Austrian state of Salzburg is the largest ice cave in the world. On a distance of over 42 kilometers visitors are presented with a breath-taking natural spectacle that reaches deep into the mountain. Crystal clear ice palaces with monumental ice formations dominate the complex cave system. Even on hot summer days temperatures inside the cave are usually below freezing.
Ko Lanta is arguably the most beautiful island of Thailand. Situated in the southwest of the country it actually consists of two islands lined with turquoise-blue bathing bays. While the main island of Lanta Yai has numerous hotels and tourist attractions, the northern island of Lanta Noi has mostly been left untouched. This balance between thriving tourism and pristine nature makes Ko Lanta unique.
Eingebettet zwischen den steilen Hängen von Watzmann und Hagengebirge liegt versteckt im Nationalpark Berchtesgaden der Königssee. Seine atemberaubende Naturkulisse ist geprägt von den fast senkrecht abfallenden Hängen der umliegenden Gebirge. Durch die einzigartige Architektur des Geländes ist eine Erkundung des kristallblauen Wassers nur mit dem Boot möglich, Fuß- oder Radwege um den See gibt es nicht.
The impressive chalk cliffs are the iconic landmark of Rügen. The fascinating colour contrast between lush green forest, chalk-white limestone walls and turquoise-blue sea water has been attracting large numbers of tourists and inspired several well-known poets and painters over the years. One of the most famous among them was the romantic Caspar David Friedrich, who immortalized the play of colours in his painting “Kreidefelsen auf Rügen”.
Austria's highest waterfall is located in the High Tauern National Park: the Krimml Waterfalls. Over 380 meters the Krimmler Ache plunges over three cascades into the Salzach, which itself flows into the Inn. The natural spectacle can be best admired from the hiking trail Krimml Wasserweg, which each year leads large numbers of visitors into the iridescent drizzle of the roaring water.
Amid the Swiss Alpine landscape, the Lauterbrunnen Valley cuts through the Bernese Alps. The small villages of the trough valley are surrounded by steep, lush green cliffs, from which waterfalls plunge several hundred metres into the deep. This collection of springs and streams not only gave the iconic region its name, but it also inspired world-famous "The Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien for the elven home of Rivendell.
Die Lüneburger Heide ist eine einzigartige Naturlandschaft im Norden Deutschlands, die durch jahrhundertelange Beweidung und Rodung entstanden ist. Ursprünglich war die Region von dichten Wäldern bedeckt, doch durch menschlichen Einfluss verwandelte sie sich in weite Heideflächen. Heute umfasst das Gebiet etwa 7400 Quadratkilometer und ist besonders für seine lila blühenden Heidepflanzen im Spätsommer bekannt.
Over a thousand individual lakes form the Mecklenburg Lake Plateau (German: Mecklenburgische Seenplatte). The network of waters makes the region particularly popular with water sport-enthusiasts, while also being attractive for hiking or cycling. Numerous national parks, clear lakes and starry night skies promise everlasting memories.
Lago di Braies, known in German as the Pragser Wildsee, lies in the heart of the Braies Dolomites in South Tyrol and is therefore also called the pearl of the Dolomite lakes. It is the largest of these lakes and a popular destination, and it is the setting for numerous myths and legends of the region. At the southern end of the lake, where the imposing Seekofel towers above the water today, the gateway to the underworld is said to have stood.
Puente Nuevo is the main tourist attraction of the small town of Ronda in southern Spain. The massive bridge connects the old town with the younger El Mercadillo district over the approximately 120-meter-deep El Tajo canyon. In the 18th century the ashlar stones that form the bridge were cut in the in the very ravine which they bridge today. It took 40 years to build Puente Nuevo.
Der Reschensee ist vor allem für seinen aus dem Wasser ragenden Kirchturm bekannt – ein Wahrzeichen des versunkenen Dorfes Alt-Graun. Der künstlich angelegte See liegt auf etwa 1500 Metern Höhe nahe der Grenze zu Österreich und ist heute ein beliebtes Ziel für Wassersport, Radfahren und Wintertourismus.
The Scala dei Turchi is a monumental rock made of white marl stone in the south of Sicily. Its cliffs appear like a huge rock staircase and have become a tourist attraction.
The Schlögener Schlinge is an impressive natural wonder in Upper Austria. About halfway between Passau and Linz, the Danube, guided through hard granite stone of the Bohemian massif, makes a sharp turn that almost closes the river in a circle. The impressive meander can be viewed extraordinary well from the viewing platforms in the Schlögener area, which are connected by numerous cycling and hiking trails.
Teneriffa ist die größte der kanarischen Inseln und besticht zu jeder Jahreszeit mit einem milden Klima. Die spanische Vulkaninsel zeichnet sich durch ihre geografische Vielfalt aus: Während in der Mitte des Landes der Pico del Teide thront, mit 3718 Metern der höchste Berg Spaniens, kann man sich im Osten der Insel im grünen Orotavatal an der blühenden Flora ergötzen oder die gelben Goldmohnwiesen bei Arafo erkunden. Der Nordosten der Insel ist mit dem wild zerklüfteten und dicht bewaldeten Anagagebirge bedeckt, welches sich an der Küste steil aus dem Meer bis auf eine Höhe von etwa 1000 Metern erhebt.
The Teufelstisch ("devil's table") at Hinterweidenthal is one of the scenic landmarks of the Palatinate. At around 14 metres high, the mushroom rock is the largest of its kind in the Palatinate Forest and a popular climbing destination, though many also explore it on foot along the Hinterweidenthal Teufelstisch trail. The unique formation came about as erosion wore away the surrounding rock layers until only the hard stone remained that gives the Teufelstisch its astonishing shape today.
During the glacial melt of the last ice age the Gorges du Verdon was dug through the thick limestone in today's département Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The breath-taking gorge is also called the “Grand Canyon of Europe”, due to the iconic steep white rock cliffs that line the course of the Verdon river and which can rise up to heigts of 700 meters over the water.
