The ambitious project, which combines the renovation of the existing building with the construction of a 260-metre tower, has been entrusted to Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron. The firm is known for landmarks such as London’s Tate Modern, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium, and for its approach of adapting existing structures rather than erasing them.

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“Rather than altering its identity, the project seeks to strengthen its relationship with the city and its public realm”, as the studio put it.

The building is centrally situated, sitting on Tirana’s main ceremonial axis, close to Mother Teresa Square, the University of Tirana, the Prime Minister’s Office, and other major state institutions.

The architects plan to preserve the identity of the original Palace of Congresses, designed by Albanian architect Klement Kolaneci and completed in 1986 during the final years of the country’s communist regime. The intervention on the historic building will remain deliberately restrained, focusing mainly on opening it up to the surrounding city and improving its connection with public space.

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A new “Palace Garden” will replace the building’s more formal surroundings, creating a more accessible urban gathering place. The new green space is expected to host public events and become a popular meeting point for residents and visitors.

Behind the existing structure, the new tower will rise above the capital, housing offices and a hotel. The building has been designed as a sculptural landmark and is described by Herzog & de Meuron as being “shaped by vernacular logic”. It boasts an angular, faceted form with a mesh-like façade and truncated upper floors, contrasting with the horizontal lines of the old congress hall below.

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The two structures will be connected through a new stylobate – the large, raised base at the foot of the tower built above the existing building – designed to link the historic palace with the new vertical extension while creating additional shared spaces.

The renovation will also include the Palace’s main wood-lined concert hall, which will accommodate around 2,100 people, alongside upgrades aimed at adapting the venue to contemporary cultural and public uses.

The project is the latest example of Albania’s rapidly evolving identity. Over the past decade, the Albanian capital has attracted international architects and experimented with bold urban projects, while also confronting the legacy of decades of isolation under Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship.

Rather than demolishing its difficult past, Albania has increasingly chosen to transform it. The former residence of dictator Enver Hoxha has become an art and cultural space, while the country’s infamous bunkers, once symbols of paranoia and isolation, have found new lives as museums, cafés and tourist attractions.

With the Palace of Congresses project, Tirana continues this balancing act between memory and reinvention, turning another relic of its past into part of its future.

L’article Tirana to modernize communist-era Palace of Congresses and build 260-meter skyscraper est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

But aside from being holiday relics, buildings genuinely affect how city residents feel, according to a 2025 study of more than 2,000 respondents. Seventy-five percent said buildings had at least some impact on their wellbeing, and 49% admitted to smiling when they walked past “interesting buildings”.

While the study did not establish a direct correlation between building height and smile size, it was enough to prompt Radical Storage, a global luggage storage network operating in over 500 cities worldwide, to conduct further research and develop an index of the world’s top skylines.

From Shenzhen to New York via Dubai, its new ranking might help travellers decide where to go next, or which skyline to frame next.

The ranking weighs five categories: total skyscrapers over 150 metres (30%), the average height of a city’s ten tallest buildings (25%), nighttime skyline visibility (25%), skyline density (15%) and award-winning skyscrapers (5%). Radical Storage scored the top 100 cities listed by the Skyscraper Center, which ranks urban areas according to their number of buildings over 150 metres, before narrowing the field down to a top ten.

“Together, these weighted factors assess the height, visibility, and design of each skyline to reveal those that offer the most memorable urban experience,” the Radical Storage team explained.

China emerges as the big winner, taking six of the ten spots, with Shenzhen claiming first place.

Bordering Hong Kong, Shenzhen and its 679 buildings over 150 metres have built their reputation on speed. The city’s skyline grew so quickly that the term “Shenzhen speed” was coined in the 1980s during the construction of the Guomao Building, when workers reportedly completed one floor every three days. The former fishing town has since transformed into a global technology hub, and the Ping An Finance Centre now stands at 599 metres.

The other Chinese cities in the top ten are Hong Kong (3^rd), Wuhan (yes, that Wuhan) in 5^th place, Guangzhou (6^th), Shanghai (7^th) and Chongqing (joint 9^th).

Probably not what you would expect, when skylines usually bring to mind cities like Dubai, which lands a healthy second place thanks to its 32 supertall towers, including the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at 829.8 metres. New York takes fourth place, with the most award-winning skyscrapers of any city on the list, 20 in total, headlined by the Empire State Building, star of everything from King Kong to Elf.

Hong Kong’s dense skyline has played a starring role in Godzilla vs. Kong and The Dark Knight, where Batman famously leaps from the Two International Finance Centre. Shanghai’s Bank of China Tower had its own Hollywood moment in Mission: Impossible III, while Tokyo, tied for ninth with Chongqing, has been a backdrop for Godzilla films since the very first one.

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Ultimately, however, a great skyline is not just about how high or densely a city can build, but how it stays in people’s minds and affects those living beneath it day after day. After all, cities that reach the highest into the clouds are not necessarily those topping global happiness rankings, and the true measure of a place probably goes far beyond its towers.

L’article Shenzhen tops ranking of the world’s best skylines in 2026 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Every year since 1977, the European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA), a competition organised by the European Museum Forum (EMF), select one museum within the continent that showcases excellence and innovation in its field. In 2025, the prize went to the Manchester Museum, and now a new winner has been chosen.

2026’s European Museum of the Year Award went to Den Gamle By, the Danish National Open-Air Museum of Urban History and Culture located in the city of Aarhus. At the museum, visitors get a taste of 400 years of history through interactive and immersive exhibitions Den Gamle By tends to focus on the lives of ordinary people, while educating visitors on a variety of topics including sustainability, equality, and empowerment.

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During the ceremony, the museum was praised for it ability to transform the open-air museum genre into a vibrant and influential platform for dialogue, reflection, and action.

“The museum positions itself as a dynamic agent of social change rather than merely a site of nostalgia. Through a variety of hands-on interactions, joyful reenactments, and community-driven storytelling, 400 years of the city’s history are brought into dialogue with the present, where important contemporary societal questions take centre stage,” the European Museum Forum said in a statement.

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According to the organisation, the museum excels through its carefully researched narratives. By addressing themes such as migration, identity, and social justice, authenticity is assured and simplified or romanticised representations of the past are challenged. Outreach initiatives, including collaborative urban gardening and biodiversity projects, create a dialogue with the community while educating people on pressing subject such as sustainability.

“It is a huge recognition to receive from the rest of Europe. The award is a tribute to over 100 years of development through a very special spirit in Den Gamle By with a team of dedicated employees who live and breathe every day to give guests the best possible experience,” Dean Gamle By director Julie Rokkjær Birch said about the award.

Other awarded museums

The European Museum of the Year Award is not the only prize to be awarded by the European Museum Forum. In 2026, five other institutions were given an award for their outstanding efforts within the museum industry.

– Young V&A (United Kingdom): Council of Europe Museum Prize

– Museum of Madness (Slovenia): Kenneth Hudson Award for Institutional Courage and Professional Integrity

– AlpenStadtMuseum in Sonthofen (Germany): Silletto Prize for Community Participation and Engagement

– Museum of the Rural Civilisation of Mendrisiotto (Switzerland): Portimão Museum Prize for Welcoming, Inclusion and Belonging

– Lahti Museum of Visual Arts Malva (Finland): Museum Prize for Environmental Sustainability

In 2027, the European Museum of the Year Awards will celebrate their 50^th edition during an award ceremony in Bern, Switzerland.

L’article Den Gamle By in Denmark becomes European Museum of the Year 2026 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Pont Neuf might well be one of Paris’ most famous monuments, although thanks to its central location, many tourists cross without even noticing. Despite its name, which means as much as ‘New Bridge’, it is actually the oldest bridge in Paris, dating back to the start of the 17^th century.

In order to celebrate the bridge and its powerful heritage, earlier in 2026, it became clear that a large-scale art installation by street artist JR, often referred to as the French Banksy, was in the making. The project, called La Caverne du Pont Neuf or the Pont Neuf Cavern, was meant to be an homage to the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. In 1985, the artistic duo used some 13 kilometres of rope and 12 tonnes of chains to wrap the bridge in a golden-like texture.

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The installation was meant to open on 6 June and those who happened to pass by the Pont Neuf over the last few weeks undoubtedly noticed the preparation works. Measuring some 120 by 20 by 18 meters, using 8,900 square meters worth of printed polyester fabric, and consisting of 10 interconnected modules, it is no surprise that the piece of art wasn’t installed in a day.

However, on 3 June, disaster struck and part of the structure was damaged due to strong winds. Reparations had to be carried out and the Pont Neuf Cavern was finally able to open its doors to the public on Monday 15 June 2026 at 6:00 pm.

A visit of the Pont Neuf Cavern already starts on the outside. While JR designed the piece of art in Paris, the fabric used for the installation was made at Air Toiles Concept in Brittany. The French company based in Plougoumelen specialises in textile and inflatable structures and JR’s design even led them to buy new large-format printers and open a second workshop. After the Cavern closes, the fabric will be reused and/or recycled.

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However, the real interest of the Cavern lies inside. Contrary to Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1985, JR chose to immerse the Pont Neuf and its visitors in darkness. The fabric was designed and printed in such a way as to create the illusion of a stone, textured cave and that feeling is being underlined by an olfactory experience, created by expert Sarah Bouasse. By using geosmin and isoborneol, she created a smell reminiscent of dampness and of dry earth being hit by rain.

“You enter into the darkness and emerge into the light on the other side,” JR said about the Pont Neuf Cavern.

The sound installation put together by Thomas Bangalter, known as one half of the electronic duo Daft Punk, uses all kinds of  rumbles and echoes to elevate the illusion. Tourists and locals who want to make the most of their visit can use the augmented-reality experience developed by tech company Snap. Meanwhile, the traditional Pont Neuf cobbles underneath their feet create the perfect cavern-like flooring.

The free immersive experience Pont Neuf Cavern will be open 24/7 until 28 June 2026, with a maximum of 700 visitors allowed inside at once.

L’article Free Pont Neuf Cavern attraction by French Banksy opens in Paris est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Titled “Chinese and European Youth: Moving Forward Together”, the contest invites participants aged 15 to 35 from across the European Union to submit original cartoons or short videos exploring their experiences of China, Chinese culture, travel, or the relationship between China and Europe.

The initiative is organised by the Chinese Mission to the EU with artistic support from the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts (KoMASK). Organisers say the competition seeks to encourage young people to share stories, ideas and reflections through art and digital media while highlighting friendship and people-to-people exchanges between China and Europe.

Travel, culture and China-Europe relations at the heart of the competition

Participants are invited to create works inspired by themes such as “Experiencing Chinese Style”, “Visa-Free Travel to China” and “Youth Talking about China and Europe”.

Submissions may focus on Chinese culture, daily life, tourism experiences, study programmes, contemporary development, or broader reflections on the future of China-Europe relations.

According to the organisers, the competition aims to provide young Europeans with a platform to showcase their creativity while sharing personal perspectives on China and cross-cultural exchanges.

Selected works will be featured at major events organised by the Chinese Mission to the EU and may also be promoted through professional art institutions, media outlets and digital platforms.

Cartoons and short videos accepted

The contest is divided into two categories: cartoons and short videos.

Cartoon submissions may be hand-drawn or digitally created, with no restrictions on artistic style or technique. Both single-panel and multi-panel works are eligible.

For the video category, participants can submit vlogs, short films, micro-documentaries, music videos or other creative formats. Videos must not exceed five minutes in length and should be submitted in MP4 or MOV format.

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All entries must be original works and cannot have been previously submitted to other competitions or used for commercial purposes.

The organisers have also specified that works generated using artificial intelligence, including AI-assisted creations, are not eligible.

Trip to China among prizes on offer

The competition offers a range of prizes, including four first prizes, each of which includes a trip to China organised by the Chinese Mission to the EU.

If a winner is unable to take part in the visit, the prize will be replaced by a return flight ticket between Belgium and China.

Additional prizes include smartphones, smartwatches and a laptop computer for the winner of the Most Popular Online Entry Award.

All participants will receive a certificate of merit issued by the Chinese Mission to the EU and may be given priority consideration for future exchange programmes and visits to China organised by the Mission.

How to participate

The competition is open now and will accept submissions until 1 August 2026.

Participants must submit their entries by email to youthchinaeu@gmail.com. The subject line should follow the format: Chinese and European Youth: Moving Forward Together_Name of the Author_Title of the Work.

Each submission must be accompanied by a short description in Chinese, English or French, including the participant’s category (Amateur or Professional), name, title of the work, date and place of creation, a brief description of no more than 200 words, and any personal Instagram or TikTok accounts.

NOTICE
The cartoon and short video creative contest titled “Chinese and European Youth：Moving Forward Together,” under the host of the Chinese Mission to the EU and the artistic support from the Royal Society for Encouragement of the Fine Arts (KoMASK), is now in full swing. We… pic.twitter.com/XjIf06lKiT

— Mission of China to the EU (@ChinaEUMission) June 5, 2026

Organisers also encourage participants to share their entries on Instagram or TikTok using the hashtag #YouthChinaEU and to follow the official account of the Chinese Mission to the EU, @missionchinaeu.

The winners are expected to be announced in September 2026 following an evaluation by a panel of experts and professionals. Judging will take into account both artistic quality and online engagement, including audience interaction on social media.

Strengthening people-to-people exchanges

The launch comes at a time when China continues to promote cultural, educational and tourism exchanges with Europe, including through expanded visa facilitation measures and youth exchange programmes designed to encourage greater people-to-people connectivity between the two regions.

By encouraging young Europeans to share their experiences, perceptions and creative visions of China, the organisers hope to foster a deeper understanding between the two sides and highlight the role of youth in shaping the future of China-Europe relations.

L’article Young Europeans invited to win a trip to China through new creative contest est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Release date: 1 May, 2026

Nearly 20 years after the original film, the sequel reunites audiences with the high stakes of the fashion world. The story follows Miranda Priestly as she navigates a rapidly changing media landscape, while former assistant Emily Charlton has become a powerful luxury executive. Filmed primarily in New York City, with scenes also shot in Milan and Lake Como, the movie highlights some of the fashion world’s most glamorous destinations, from Manhattan’s designer districts to Italy’s iconic fashion capital and lakeside villas.

The Odyssey

Release date: 17 July, 2026

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem follows Odysseus’ long and dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. The production was filmed in several Mediterranean locations, including Greece and Italy, bringing ancient myths to life through dramatic coastlines, islands and historic landscapes. For travellers, the film offers a cinematic tour of destinations long associated with classical history.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Release date: 31 July, 2026

Spider-Man swings back onto the big screen this summer, taking fans into the bustling streets and towering skylines of New York that have always defined Peter Parker’s world. Following the events of the previous film, the newest chapter sees the young hero navigating challenges after his identity was removed from the timeline. For travellers, it’s a call to book that Big Apple trip and experience the city’s lively urban energy, with dynamic cityscapes and iconic architecture providing a striking backdrop.

Moana

Release date: 10 July, 2026

Disney’s live-action remake follows Moana, a young Polynesian girl, the daughter of a village chief, who was chosen by the ocean to restore a mystical relic to the goddess Te Fiti. In hopes of saving her people, she sets sail on a daring voyage in search of Maui, a legendary demigod, played by Dwayne Johnson. The story is based on Polynesian mythology, inspired by the cultures, traditions and landscapes of the Pacific Islands. The film showcases Hawaii’s tropical coastlines, volcanic scenery and ocean vistas that celebrate the region’s natural beauty and heritage.

The Bear (Season 5)

Release date: 25 June 2026

The award-winning drama continues to follow chef Carmy Berzatto and his team as they attempt to transform their Chicago restaurant into a world-class dining destination. Beyond the kitchen, the series offers an intimate look at Chicago’s neighbourhoods, architecture and renowned food scene, making the city itself one of the show’s biggest attractions.

House of the Dragon (Season 3)

Release date: 21 June 2026

Set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the fantasy drama chronicles the bloody Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. While the story unfolds in the fictional realm of Westeros, filming locations across Europe provide the dramatic castles, coastlines and rugged landscapes that have become a draw for fans seeking real-world fantasy destinations.

Enola Holmes 3

Release date: 1 July 2026

Millie Bobby Brown returns as the young detective Enola Holmes in a new mystery that takes her beyond Britain. The third film reportedly features Malta as a key location, using the island nation’s historic streets, fortifications and Mediterranean harbours to create the backdrop for Enola’s latest adventure. The destination’s blend of history and seaside scenery adds a fresh dimension to the franchise.

Two Weeks in August

Release date: 23 May 2026

This BBC drama follows a group of relatives and friends whose seemingly perfect holiday on a Greek island slowly unravels as secrets emerge. The sun-soaked Aegean setting is central to the story, with whitewashed villages, crystal-clear waters and coastal vistas providing a striking contrast to the tensions developing among the characters.

People We Meet on Vacation

Release date: 9 January 2026

Based on Emily Henry’s bestselling novel, the romantic comedy follows best friends Poppy and Alex, who reunite for one final trip in an attempt to repair their fractured relationship. Travel is at the heart of the story, and the film was shot in destinations including Barcelona, New Orleans and Spain’s Costa Brava. The picturesque locations do more than frame the story — they shape the characters’ evolving relationship, turning every shared journey into a reminder that travel can change how people connect and grow.

For travellers, film locations serve as inspiration to explore destinations where atmosphere and scenery become part of the experience, encouraging trips shaped as much by place as by the stories unfolding on screen.

L’article Nine 2026 films and TV releases that will inspire your next summer trip est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Belgium’s Royal Palace has been one of the best-known landmarks in Brussels for a long time. Belgium being a monarchy, the building is still being used on a daily basis. Not only does it function as the monarch’s administrative residence and main workplace, but it is also where the representatives of political institutions, foreign guests, and other guests are welcomed.

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Moreover, the Royal Palace plays host to the services of the King’s Household: the King’s Cabinet, the General Secretariat, the Civil List, the Military Household, the Protocol, and the Queen’s Secretariat. Other members of the Royal Family, too, have an office at the Brussels Palace, and its reception rooms regularly function as the backdrop for meetings and roundtables, receptions, concerts, lunches, and other events.

Although most tourists only get to see the building from the outside, since 1965, the Royal Palace has had a tradition of opening its doors to the public. Traditionally speaking, visits take place after Belgium’s national holiday on 21 July and go on until September, as this is the period during which the monarch doesn’t use the Palace. However, since 2024, the Royal Palace has been undergoing thorough renovation works, meaning the public no longer has the chance to visit the premises once a year.

A fresh start

The works now being finished, the Royal Palace will once again be organising visits during the summer of 2026. Curious-minded people will get the chance to look inside from 3 July until 16 August 2026. Four temporary exhibits will be on show: ‘Louise d’Orléans, Becoming a Queen’ by the Royal Association for Dynasty and Cultural Heritage, ‘Music, Sound and Imagination’ by Belspo, ‘Selection of Dream Machines’ by MyMachine, and ‘The Royal Palace as a Memory Palace’ by Het Geheugenpaleis.

Of course, the visit also includes some of the Royal Palace’s historic rooms, as well as the gardens.

The Throne Room

Dating back to the reign of King Leopold II, this room is decorated in the centre by four low reliefs by Auguste Rodin. They represent the economic activities symbolising the Belgian provinces, with the exception of that of Brabant, which hosts the Palace on its territory. The Scheldt and the Meuse, symbols of Flanders and Wallonia, by Thomas Vinçotte, are above the doors.

The Large Gallery

Built under the reign of King Leopold II, this room has been used for hosting dinners and receptions down to the present day. The ceiling paintings by Charles-Léon Cardon (1850-1921) represent the different moments of the day – the artist was influenced by the master painters of the Louvres and the Chateau of Versailles.

Visitors are required to book their tickets beforehand through the Royal Palace’s website. For the first time, entrance to the Palace is no longer free of charge, as the Belgian Science Policy no longer covers the costs of the opening due to budget cuts. Adults pay €10 for their visit, while children under 13 can enter for free but should still book a time slot.

L’article Brussels Royal Palace reopens following two-year renovation est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Created in the early 1830s as part of his renowned Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series, the woodblock print is one of the most recognisable works of Japanese art in the world.

This year’s floral composition will cover about 1,300 square metres in Brussels’ UNESCO-listed Grand-Place.

Japanese contemporary artist Hiro Sugiyama will participate in the creation of the carpet alongside his Tokyo-based artistic collective Enlightenment, which blends pop culture with contemporary Japanese aesthetics. Sugiyama explained that their reinterpretation of Hokusai’s famous wave aims to “connect past and future, Japanese culture and contemporary art”.

Japan’s ambassador to Belgium, Takeshi Osuga, highlighted the symbolic role that flowers play in both Japan and Belgium.

“The love of flowers is a universal language. In both Japan and Belgium, flowers hold a special place in our cultural and social lives,” he said.

It is the second collaboration between Belgium and Japan for the Flower Carpet. In 2016, the Grand-Place was transformed into a giant, Japanese-inspired landscape featuring traditional motifs, birds, koi fish, and the beauty of nature, in celebration of 150 years of friendship between the two countries.

Alongside the Grand-Place installation, Brussels will unveil a second floral carpet for the first time. Located at the Brussels Stock Exchange, this one will pay tribute to hops and Belgium’s brewing heritage.

The tradition of the Flower Carpet dates back to 1971, when the first floral display was created on the Grand-Place by landscape architect Etienne Stautemas. Since 1986, the event has been held every two years. Historic photographs from the first edition show smaller floral compositions than today’s monumental creations, which have grown progressively in scale and complexity over the decades.

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For decades, the carpets were primarily made using begonias, Stautemas’ favourite flower and a former symbol of Belgian horticultural expertise. However, the number of begonia growers in Belgium has declined sharply, with only a handful remaining today.

This year, organisers will instead rely largely on dahlias, offering a wider palette of colours and textures. Before construction begins, a full-scale design is traced onto a giant canvas spread across the cobblestones of the Grand-Place, whose guild houses and Gothic Town Hall largely date from the reconstruction of the square following the Great Fire of 1695.

Each flower is carefully inserted into rolls of turf, which are watered throughout the event, particularly during periods of extreme summer heat. The grass beneath can grow by up to five centimetres while the installation is on display.

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Visitors will be able to stroll around the Grand-Place throughout the busy 15 August holiday weekend. While the carpet can be admired from ground level, the best panoramic view is traditionally from the balcony of Brussels Town Hall. A live webcam will also broadcast both the construction process and the final result.

Every evening from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., sound and light shows will illuminate the square.

Tickets for access to the Town Hall balcony are available online. Visitors will be admitted from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on 13 August and from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on the following days.

L’article Brussels Flower Carpet to honour Japan with Hokusai-inspired wave est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Inaugurated on 1926, having been commissioned by King William I of the Netherlands, to commemorate the location on the battlefield of Waterloo where a musket ball hit the shoulder of his elder son, the then Prince of Orange, the Lion’s Mound is a cone-shaped hill, 46-metres in height, scaled by 226 steps and topped by a statue of a Medici-style lion, with its paw upon a ball.

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It has become a symbol for the end of the Napoleonic Wars, when the French Imperial Army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two allied forces of the Seventh Coalition, one of which was led by the British Duke of Wellington. Visible from the road, the Mound is uncontroversial and is driven past by thousands of cars a day, but at the time of its creation, it was criticised by Victor Hugo, who said the man-made hill meant the “real relief” of the landscape “had been taken away, and history, disconcerted, no longer finds her bearings there. It has been disfigured for the sake of glorifying it.”

Two hundred years and five months of renovation work later, costing the Belgian federal government €650,000, with funding contributed by the National Lottery, the restored lion was unveiled on Friday 22 May at a ceremony attended by Federal Minister responsible for State Property Management Vanessa Matz, responsible for State Property Management, Vanessa Matz, and Walloon minister for Heritage, Valérie Lescresnier.

The works involved repairs to the long staircase to the top, including its steps, balustrade, and handrail. Stone and cast-iron elements were refurbished, as well as the statue of the lion itself.

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Comprising nine parts, the 4.45-metre-high lion received work to improve its assembly and stability after drone and borescope inspections showed failings. The lion also received a “time capsule,” containing technical documents describing the work undertaken, a tool, a lottery ball, and a newspaper, as well as an admission ticket for the historic visitor attraction.

Various events are lined up to mark the battle’s 200^th anniversary throughout the year. These will include a free “Iconic Lion” exhibition of photos, which is set to run until 31 December and features artistic interpretations and historic imagery tracing the 40-meter-high monument’s evolution. In addition, a weekend of celebrations with concerts will take place on 15 and 16 August, and a show themed “200 years of history” is programmed for 12 September.

L’article Lion of Waterloo now renovated for 200th battle anniversary est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Known for its distinctive improvisational style and unique fusion of Eastern musical traditions with Western jazz, Azerbaijani jazz covers a broad range of styles, including traditional, post-bop and fusion. It often blends seamlessly with traditional Azeri music.

The best-known form of Azerbaijani jazz is jazz mugham, a sultry combination of Mugham and traditional American jazz.

A Brussels audience this week was treated to a taste of this unique musical heritage during a special concert dedicated entirely to Azerbaijani jazz at Flagey.

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The concert, held on Monday, was organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Belgium and took place at one of Brussels’ most renowned cultural venues, itself known for a rich jazz tradition.

The event featured distinguished Azerbaijani jazz musicians Rain Sultanov, Shahin Novrasli, Nicat Pashazade and Hasan Bilalov, who performed selected works from Azerbaijan’s musical repertoire.

In his opening remarks, Mammad Zulfugarov, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy, described Azerbaijani jazz as “an integral part of the country’s rich musical heritage”.

He stressed the importance of such cultural initiatives in promoting Azerbaijan’s culture and traditions internationally.

Belgian musician, jazz artist and composer Quentin Dujardin praised the Azerbaijani jazz school for its “distinctive style”.

From Soviet prohibition to ethno-jazz

Jazz became hugely popular in Azerbaijan in the 1920s, with pianist Tofig Guliyev and conductor Niyazi creating the country’s first jazz orchestra in the 1930s. However, after the Second World War, the genre was banned across the Soviet Union, forcing many musicians underground.

During this period of prohibition, pianist and composer Vagif Mustafazadeh began incorporating mugham elements into jazz from his apartment in Baku’s old city, creating an entirely new subgenre. Mustafazadeh is today considered the founder of Azerbaijani jazz, also known as jazz mugham. Although he was unable to freely perform his music internationally at the time, his legacy endured and evolved into what is now known as ethno-jazz.

“Just like jazz, mugham is multifaceted, inexhaustible, based on improvisation and possessing different forms. In Baku, a new and already local subgenre of jazz organically and subtly merged into one, wisely and philosophically revealing to us the intricacies of jazz improvisation in mugham stops,” Rain Sultanov wrote about the emergence of ethno-jazz.

A flourishing jazz scene in modern Azerbaijan

Following the end of the Soviet-era prohibition, jazz resurfaced and flourished once again in Azerbaijan.

In 1969, the first jazz festival was held in Baku. Since the 2000s, the country has seen a growing number of jazz and music festivals held annually. The Baku Jazz Centre was also created to support the development of jazz culture in Azerbaijan.

The Baku International Jazz Festival, organised every year since 2005, celebrates jazz music while encouraging and supporting young emerging musicians.

Recalling his participation in the Baku Jazz Festival, Quentin Dujardin also shared positive impressions of Azerbaijan’s vibrant jazz scene, talented musicians and the festival’s high level of organisation.

The concert in Brussels was warmly received by the audience and widely appreciated as a valuable contribution to promoting Azerbaijani musical heritage and jazz culture in Belgium.

The event was attended by diplomats, Belgian and European Union officials, representatives of cultural and artistic circles, members of the music community and representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora.

Louis Armstrong once famously said: “If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.” In Azerbaijan, it seems people do not simply listen to jazz, they feel it.

L’article Azerbaijan brings its unique jazz fusion to Brussels est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.