Conde Nast Traveller magazine has selected seven must-see wonders in 2017. These are cultural landmarks and events that leave visitors awestruck by their scale and grandeur.
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| Sagrada Familia Cathedral (Barcelona, Spain):With its twisted columns resembling tree trunks and a roof shaped like foliage, Gaudí's masterpiece draws inspiration from nature. This nearly 100-year-old structure features a biomimetic design, a style that is becoming increasingly important in the modern world. |
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| The wildebeest migration (Kenya and Tanzania):The annual migration through the Serengeti and Maasai Mara regions is one of the most spectacular wildlife events on the planet. Over 1.5 million animals travel back and forth along a 1,600-kilometer route, chasing the rains in search of lush green pastures. This migration is vital to the grasslands, enriching the soil and providing food for predators. Without it, the entire ecosystem would collapse. |
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| Aurora Borealis (Arctic Circle):The brilliant bands of light across the Milky Way resemble dancing waves in the sky. The aurora borealis comes in many colors, from pale green to blue and red. This fascinating phenomenon is formed by charged particles from the solar wind interacting with the Earth's upper atmosphere. According to Norwegian mythology, the aurora borealis guides fallen warriors to Valhalla. |
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| Large Hadron Collider (Switzerland)The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the largest and most complex machine in human history, built by 100,000 people over many years – the same amount of time it took to build the Giza pyramids. Inside, subatomic particles are fired at 99.9999991% the speed of light through a tunnel colder than outer space, colliding and creating explosions 100,000 times hotter than the sun's core. This machine helps us understand the origins of the universe. |
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| Amazon Rainforest:This is the most important ecosystem on Earth. This vast forest contains 10% of all species in the world, provides 20% of the world's oxygen, and stores one-fifth of the Earth's freshwater. Approximately 25% of the raw materials used in pharmaceuticals are found here. Humans know more about the ocean floor than about the Amazon rainforest. Many areas of the forest remain unexplored. |
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| Bristlecone Pine Forest (California, USA)These pine trees are among the oldest living things on Earth. They date back to a time before the pyramids were built or the alphabet was invented. The oldest of them is nearly 5,000 years old, with uniquely twisted branches. |
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| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) Street Festival:This is the biggest party on the planet, with five days of dancing, drinking, and drumming. Magnificent parades wind through the streets, creating a vibrant and colorful atmosphere. The magic of the festival is that it lifts us above the mundane aspects of everyday life. |
According to Zing
