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• 2021 IN REVIEW

These are the best travel photos of 2021

Explore the world in 18 stunning images from our contributors.

Even with an unsteady return to travel, 2021 proved to be a time of renewed exploration. The photographs we published this year reflect an intimacy that comes from staying closer to home and looking deeper into the landscapes and cultural traditions all around us.

Our National Geographic contributors shared surprising glimpses of regions they know well, from the urban trails of San Francisco to the untamed lands of Patagonia to the watery wilds of Alaska. These images reveal the enduring essence of inspiring places.  

( Best of the World: Here are 25 incredible journeys for 2022 .)

The year ahead promises a grand return to travel, and we’re eager to hit the road. We hope these photographs reignite your desire to discover, spark your adventurous imagination, and set you off on your next journey, near or far.

Correction: The correct name of the Greek church is Agios Onoufrios. 

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The 50 best tourist attractions in the u.s..

See which American landmarks are worthy of your bucket list.

(Getty Images) |

From national parks to iconic symbols of freedom and democracy, these popular and highly regarded U.S. tourist attractions cannot be missed.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center: Huntsville, Alabama

Denali National Park and Preserve: Alaska

Grand Canyon National Park: Arizona

Hot Springs National Park: Arkansas

Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco, California

Pikes Peak: Cascade, Colorado

(Courtesy of Mystic Aquarium) |

Mystic Aquarium: Mystic, Connecticut

DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum: Fenwick Island, Delaware

(Courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort) |

Walt Disney World Resort: Orlando, Florida

(Courtesy of Coca Cola) |

World of Coca-Cola: Atlanta, Georgia

Road to Hana: Hana, Maui, Hawaii

(Courtesy of Idaho Tourism) |

Kirkham Hot Springs: Lowman, Idaho

Chicago River: Chicago, Illinois

Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Indianapolis, Indiana

The Field of Dreams: Dyersville, Iowa

(Courtesy of Oz Museum) |

Oz Museum: Wamego, Kansas

Kentucky Horse Park: Lexington, Kentucky

French Quarter: New Orleans, Louisiana

Acadia National Park: Bar Harbor, Maine

National Aquarium: Baltimore, Maryland

Freedom Trail: Boston, Massachusetts

Mackinac Island: Michigan

(Courtesy of Mall of America) |

Mall of America: Bloomington, Minnesota

(Courtesy of Elvis Presley Birthplace) |

Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum: Tupelo, Mississippi

Gateway Arch: St. Louis, Missouri

Glacier National Park: West Glacier, Montana

Chimney Rock National Historic Site: Bayard, Nebraska

Las Vegas Strip: Las Vegas, Nevada

Mount Washington Cog Railway: Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Cape May: New Jersey

White Sands National Park: Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico

Statue of Liberty: New York City, New York

Wright Brothers National Memorial: Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Theodore Roosevelt National Park: North Dakota

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Cleveland, Ohio

(Courtesy of First Americans Museum) |

First Americans Museum: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Mount Hood: Oregon

Liberty Bell: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Breakers: Newport, Rhode Island

Fort Sumter National Monument: Charleston, South Carolina

Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Keystone, South Dakota

(Courtesy of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum) |

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Nashville, Tennessee

The Alamo: San Antonio, Texas

Zion National Park: Utah

(Courtesy of Smugglers' Notch Resort) |

Smugglers' Notch Resort: Jeffersonville, Vermont

Colonial Williamsburg: Williamsburg, Virginia

Space Needle: Seattle, Washington

White House and the National Mall: Washington, D.C.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Lambeau Field: Green Bay, Wisconsin

Yellowstone National Park: Wyoming

You might also be interested in:

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Indian tourism, 94,607 india tourism stock photos and high-res pictures, browse 94,607 authentic india tourism stock photos, high-res images, and pictures, or explore additional indian culture or taj mahal stock images to find the right photo at the right size and resolution for your project..

France in Pictures: 25 Beautiful Places to Photograph

Written by Lisa Alexander Updated Nov 26, 2021

France delights photographers with an endless source of inspiration, from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to majestic castles in the Loire Valley and dreamy seaside scenes of the French Riviera. Splendid nature sites such as the French Alps rival the beauty of the country's glorious cathedrals and elegant cities, while charming pastoral villages pose for picture-perfect images.

1. Eiffel Tower

2. mont saint-michel, 3. versailles gardens, 4. château de chenonceau, 5. saint-tropez, 6. amiens cathedral, 7. mont blanc in the french alps, 8. château de chantilly, 9. riquewihr in the alsace region, 10. pont du gard, 11. honfleur, 12. saint-paul de vence, 13. place stanislas in nancy, 14. parc national des calanques, 15. flavigny-sur-ozerain, 16. rocamadour, 17. côte d'emeraude in brittany, 18. étretat on the normandy coast, 19. aix-en-provence, 20. île de porquerolles, 22. vieux port in marseilles, 23. abbaye notre-dame de sénanque, 24. monet's garden in giverny, 25. provins.

The most famous of Paris' tourist attractions , the Eiffel Tower is so monumental that it's difficult to capture by camera. One solution is to photograph from a distance.

Across the Seine River, the Jardins du Trocadéro provides a perfect vantage point, with its spacious esplanade and ornamental pools serving as a lovely foreground. From this angle at sunrise, the golden light creates an enchanting background for the Iron Lady.

Photographers should spend some time wandering around the Eiffel Tower to see it from different angles. Our guide to visiting the Eiffel Tower mentions unique features, such as the recently renovated garden next to the Eiffel Tower's esplanade.

Mont Saint-Michel creates a magical impression, especially at high tide when the island appears to rise from the sea, soaring towards the heavens. Pilgrims have marveled at the soul-inspiring sight of this Gothic monastery since the 11th century.

Our guide to visiting Mont Saint-Michel describes the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel's glorious medieval architecture and provides tips for crossing the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. Both the abbey and the bay are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

To get exceptional landscape photos, visitors can cross the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel by foot (following in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims). Accredited guides are available to help with the crossing. This experience allows you to take a picture of the entire island of Mont Saint-Michel, at low tide when the bay waters recede from the sandy basin.

Another excellent vantage point for photographing Mont Saint-Michel is from the Pointe du Grouin du Sud , located across the bay about a 45-minute drive from Mont Saint-Michel. From this distance, the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel takes up the foreground, and the island of Mont Saint-Michel appears in the distance emerging from the bay.

In the 17th century, renowned landscape designer André Le Nôtre created the gardens of the Château de Versailles in his trademark style of formality and restraint. Immaculately trimmed shrubbery, tidy rows of flower beds, ornamental pools, fountains, and statues make the gardens seem more like artwork than nature.

The Château de Chenonceau stands out from the hundreds of fairy-tale castles in the Loire Valley , because of its distinctive architecture and refined feminine style. A gallery of the castle extends across the River Cher, built on an arched bridge, which allows for serene images of the building reflected in the water.

The small fishing village of Saint-Tropez became a glamorous seaside resort in the 1950s. Yet the town has retained its historic Provençal character, seen in the pastel-painted houses and tree-shaded squares. Opportunities for stunning photos abound at the yacht-filled harbor, within La Ponche (the original village) and at dazzling beaches.

The 13th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Amiens is the largest Gothic cathedral in France. Besides the remarkable proportions, the Cathedral of Amiens is renowned for its lavishly embellished facade featuring hundreds of sculpted religious figures. An interesting photo of the cathedral would be a close-up that captures one small section of the facade.

The sight of Mont Blanc has a breathtaking effect. At an altitude of 4,810 meters, the peak of this legendary mountain in the French Alps is covered with snow year-round.

Intermediate-level trails on the Tour du Mont Blanc allow hikers to roam through magnificent landscapes and take advantage of amazing photo-ops along the way. This system of trails offers some of the best hiking in France .

Surrounded by lush parkland, the Château de Chantilly is a sumptuous castle that blends medieval and Renaissance architectural elements. The estate's formal gardens, ponds, canal, and woodlands offer many possibilities for capturing romantic images.

The Château de Chantilly is one of the top day trips from Paris . It takes about one hour to drive here from Paris or about two hours by train.

Vine-covered rolling hills envelope this quaint village in the Alsace plain. With half-timbered houses clustered around a high-steepled church, Riquewihr has the appearance of a storybook hamlet. Geranium-bedecked balconies and fountain-adorned public squares add to the charm.

Riquewihr is one of the most picturesque villages in the Alsace region . This area in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains has many towns on the list of Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France).

The UNESCO-listed Pont du Gard in Provence reveals the legacy of Roman civilization in the region. A marvel of ancient engineering, this graceful arched aqueduct supplied water (over 2,000 years ago) to the nearby town of Nîmes , which is also full of ancient Roman monuments.

A highlight of the Normandy region , Honfleur has long seduced artists with its quaint old fishing harbor and typical Norman-style waterfront houses. Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin, and other Impressionist painters cherished the scenery of Honfleur, depicting the port and seascape in beautiful paintings.

Saint-Paul de Vence, a popular day trip from Nice , exemplifies a village perché (medieval hilltop village). Ramparts enclose a captivating maze of winding cobblestone streets, pedestrian staircases, and compactly built stone houses.

Photographers can snap shots from a distance, as well as close-up within the narrow alleyways and hidden squares of the town.

The UNESCO-listed Place Stanislas in Nancy is one of Europe's most impressive public squares, thanks to its unified collection of 18th-century classical French palaces. At corners of the square, Rococo gilded ironwork gates beckon photographers to capture close-ups of the ornate details.

Along the Mediterranean coast between the port town of Marseilles and the fishing village of Cassis, the Calanques National Park features striking white limestone coves filled with calm seawater. Sunlight renders the water a mesmerizing turquoise hue.

One of the most beautiful villages of France ( Plus Beaux Villages de France ), this walled medieval town in the Burgundy region is a delightful warren of winding cobblestone streets and pastel-shuttered houses. The town centers around a 13th-century Benedictine abbey (now a factory that produces anise-flavored candies).

Rocamadour is a breathtaking sight, with its medieval sanctuaries clinging to a sheer cliffside and aspiring towards heaven. In the 11th century, this Christian pilgrimage destination ranked third in importance after Jerusalem and Rome.

Because of its spectacular setting and cultural value, Rocamadour is one of the top tourist attractions in France . It is worth driving out of the way in the Limousin region to see this fascinating UNESCO-listed village.

Almost any location in Rocamadour allows for taking fabulous photos. The village also looks amazing when photographed from a distance.

A sublime stretch of coastline in the Brittany region , the Côte d'Emeraude extends south of Saint-Malo to the Cap Fréhel. The scenic route includes the stylish seaside resort of Dinard and the historic fishing village of Cancale.

Dramatic limestone cliffs plunge into the Atlantic Ocean at this spectacular spot on Normandy's Côte d'Albâtre . Monet, Courbet, and other Impressionist painters captured the natural beauty of Étretat in vivid brushstrokes.

The gushing fountains, colorful open-air markets, and bustling sidewalk cafés of Aix-en-Provence lend a lively quality to photographs. An especially photogenic spot is the outdoor market at the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville , which brims with vibrant flowers, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

A short ferry ride away from Toulon , this idyllic island offers the optimal elements for snapping gorgeous photos: bright sunshine, luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation, and pristine white-sand beaches with crystal-clear aquamarine waters.

With its stunning views of the French Riviera coastline, Eze is a photographer's dream. It is easy to take panoramic shots from this medieval hilltop town ( village perché ), especially from the vantage point of the Exotic Garden, which stands at 429 meters above the sea.

For a distinctive photo, just point the camera towards the sea in the westward direction. This angle will capture the Cap-Ferrat peninsula, an easily recognizable landscape feature that will give your image a unique sense of place.

Marseilles immerses visitors into bustling scenes of a working port city, complete with a large commercial harbor and a picturesque historic port. Filled with fishing boats and yachts, the atmospheric Vieux Port (Old Port) is the heart of Marseilles and a hub for seafood restaurants. Here, you can take photos of an authentic fish market or scenes of fishing boats docked in the sparkling waters.

The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque is a hidden gem of Cistercian architecture in the bucolic Haut-Vaucluse area of the Provence region.

Founded in the 12th century, the abbey is still a working monastery where monks are devoted to a life of simplicity, prayer, and labor. Monks tend to the farmland and garden of the property, including the production of olive oil and the gathering of lavender honey.

The abbey is surrounded by fields of lavender, which bloom from July through early August. It's a joy to photograph the rows of vibrant purple blossoms that frame the abbey. The wooded hillside behind the abbey adds an additional element of contrast, ideal for creating a perfect photo.

Official site: https://www.senanque.fr

Photographing the garden of Claude Monet's House in Giverny gives travelers a chance to see the beautiful scenes that Monet rendered on canvas. Similar to painting, taking pictures requires an artistic point of view. The variety of landscapes and colorful blossoms at Monet's Garden provide plenty of inspiration.

Photographers can focus on famous spots in Claude Monet's garden, such as the water lily pond, or take close-ups of specific flowers that bloom throughout the seasons.

Springtime delights visitors to Giverny. The month of April brings vibrant tulips and delicate cherry blossoms, while May promises pink rhododendrons and purple delphiniums. In June, roses begin to bloom and continue through July when cheerful zinnias also burst onto the scene.

Formidable ancient ramparts surround this captivating medieval village, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . There are many opportunities to take great pictures within the labyrinth of cobblestone streets. The charming half-timbered houses and old stone buildings are easy to capture in photos.

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They de-nude-ed the landscape.

Another day, another instance of tourists disrespecting a landmark.

This time, foreign sightseers angered Namibian authorities after posing naked atop the legendary Big Daddy Dune in the Namib Desert, as seen in photos circulating on social media .

“It is very sickening and it really [creates] a bad image for Namibia,” Kenneth Nependa, vice-chairperson of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations, told the Namibian Sun, the BBC reported.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Namibian (@thenamibian)

He added that these antics risked attracting tourists who think that “anything goes” in the southern African nation.

Accompanying footage and video, snapped by an unknown source, shows the unnamed trio strutting about in their birthday suits atop the over 1,000-foot-tall sand mound, which is reportedly popular with families.

Visitors didn’t appreciate the tourists treating the scenic site like a nude beach and called on tourism officials to take action against the crass culprits.

Authorities haven’t yet publicly identified the sandy stripteasers, who allegedly left Namibia by the time authorities received the reports.

However, the nudists could be banned from entering the country’s parks, according to tourism ministers, who added that the “extremely shocking” act was public indecency and therefore punishable by local law.

In light of the indecent incident, officials are calling on visitors to report violators to authorities so they can deal with them accordingly.

“We appeal to that section of tourists to summon the conscience so that they do the right things,” declared Romeo Muyunda, a spokesperson for the ministry of environment, forestry and tourism.

However, many social media users disagreed that the incident was problematic.

“Why are they in trouble? They bothered no one,” an X user declared, according to the BBC, while another claimed that there is “nothing wrong with sunbathing.”

Big Daddy is one of the three largest dunes in Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft National Park and is a popular destination among sightseers looking to get a picturesque view from its crest.

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Venice launches world first tourist entrance fee in bid to fight overcrowding

VENICE, Italy — Ancient and beautiful, this city is sometimes referred to as an open air museum — and now visitors to Venice will have to pay an entry fee after the tourist hub on Thursday became the first in the world to introduce a charging system for day-trippers.

In a bid to thin out the crowds that throng to see the canals, bridges and striking architecture during vacation season, day-trippers will have to pay 5 euros ($5.35) to enter the lagoon city on 29 peak days, mostly on weekends, as part of a trial phase until July 14. 

Tourists who have booked at least one night at a hotel in the city will be exempt from the charge, as will residents, workers and students in the city. Visitors under age 14 will also be exempt. But like the day-trippers, they will also have to ensure they have registered online and received QR codes.  

Those without smartphones will have to go to the city’s Santa Lucia train station to buy tickets. 

Among the thousands of people lining up at the station for a ticket Thursday was Donna Porter-Mutchler, a tourist from Tennessee, who told NBC News she thought the charge was “a wonderful idea.”  

“Venice deserves to be taken care of,” she said. “I think it’s more than worth it. I come here often, and I’ll pay every time.” 

While there will be no limits on the number of people who can register, officials hope the fee will put people off on days it applies. 

“We are not looking to collect money, tax people or introduce a police state,” Simone Venturini, Venice’s tourism councilor, told NBC News. “We are being democratic about it, but the important message is: ‘Please, if you are a day-tripper, choose another day.’”

While there are no turnstiles at the city’s entrance points to make sure people have passes, inspectors will make random checks and issue fines of 50 to 300 euros to anyone who has failed to register.

Prominent signs across the city and a TV and newspaper advertising campaign have been launched in Italy and some other countries to let people know about it. And with the help of artificial intelligence , Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has also recorded a video message in several languages to inform tourists about the charge.  

Officials in the city estimate an average of 50,000 people a day visit Venice, an influx that almost matches the resident population, some of whom are unhappy about the new charge.  

“Venice has turned into Disneyland, where tourists are catered more than residents, and charging $5 is not going to stop anyone,” Federica Toninello of the Social Assembly for Housing and the Solidarity Network for Housing in Venice said Thursday. “It’s just propaganda.”

Others, like tourist guide Luisella Romeo, said they were concerned about the use of personal data collected by the new system. “That’s an invasion of privacy. Those details will remain in the system for five years and could be given to third parties, public and private,” she said. 

But officials in the city, which narrowly escaped being placed on UNESCO’s “World Heritage in Danger” list last year, in part because the United Nations body decided that it was not addressing concerns that its delicate ecosystem risked being overwhelmed by mass tourism, have insisted that something needed to be done. 

Three years ago, large cruise ships were banned from sailing into the Venetian lagoon , and the city has also announced limits on the sizes of tourist groups.

While the charge in Venice is still in its experimental stage, other popular Italian tourism destinations, like Lake Como, which has struggled with overcrowding for years, are watching closely.

Only time will tell whether it ends up dead in the water.  

Claudio Lavanga is Rome-based foreign correspondent for NBC News.

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Watch CBS News

Group caught on camera pulling bear cubs from tree to take pictures with them

By Emily Mae Czachor

April 18, 2024 / 1:54 PM EDT / CBS News

A group of people was recorded pulling two bear cubs from a tree in North Carolina on Tuesday afternoon, apparently to take pictures with the animals and leaving one orphaned and potentially injured in the process.  In an unsettling video taken by onlooker Rachel Staudt, the group of around five people is seen approaching a tree lining the fence of an apartment complex in Asheville, where the two small cubs are perched on branches. 

At first, the cubs are partially obscured by the foliage. But, as the group gets closer to the tree, a few of the individuals reach directly through the leaves to grab hold of the bears and begin to tug until each animal loses its grip on the branch to which it was clinging. Someone manages to yank one of the cubs away sooner than the other. That person ends up holding the cub as if it were a small child, petting it with one hand, posing and smiling while another member of the group appears to snap a picture. 

Later, one of the two cubs seems to temporarily free itself and dart out from the area around the tree where the group has gathered. The cub runs over to the fence, stands up on its back legs, briefly changes direction and tries again before another individual comes up behind it and seemingly gestures to catch it.

Ashley Hobbs, a special projects biologist at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, responded after receiving a report that several people were pulling cubs from a tree to take selfies, she told CBS News in a statement. The agency's enforcement division has opened an investigation into the incident. 

Hobbs arrived to find the group of people still around, with only one of the two cubs present and sitting in a retention pond on the apartment complex property. It was lethargic, limping and had a low body temperature, she said. The other cub was no longer on the premises.

"I confronted the offending people while at the apartment complex and explained the danger of approaching and handling wildlife," Hobbs said in the statement, noting specifically that attempting to handle bear cubs can pose serious threats to both the humans and animals involved.

"There's always a chance that the mother is nearby and may attempt to defend her cubs," she said. "It also endangers the bear cubs. Handling a bear cub poses a risk of injuring that cub and increases the chance it will become separated from its mother."

Wildlife experts, including Hobbs, say the importance of leaving be any wild animal instead of interfering. Even in situations where a bear cub or another animal seems to be orphaned or hurt, "leave the animal alone and contact your state wildlife agency for assistance," Hobbs said.

The cub was transported to the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge Center, a rehabilitation facility in nearby Candler, where, Hobbs said, it is now recovering well. She told CBS News that the cub will remain in the facility's care until it is old enough to be released into the wild. Bear cubs cannot survive on their own, so the refuge center will wait until the cub is a subadult — a range of ages between 4 and 6 years old where bears become independent of their mothers despite not yet being technically mature.

• North Carolina

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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