Travel Briefs

In 2016, the annual Fêtes de Genève (Geneva Festival) will occur Aug. 4-14 on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It will feature more than 100 food stalls plus carnival rides, open-air concerts and, on Aug. 13, a fireworks show on the lake. The festival culminates in a parade. 

Entry is free, but rides and concerts may each cost CHF5 to CHF15 (near $5-$15.65). For info, contact Geneva Tourism (Rue du Mont-Blanc 18, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; phone +41 22 909 70 00, www....

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After extensive renovation, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall (Church St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, CV37 6HB, U.K.; www.shakespearesschoolroom.org) was scheduled to open to the public on April 23 (believed to be the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death).

The Tudor-style building, now known as King Edward VI School, was built in 1420 and is still a working school. Guides will lead visitors through an interactive tour, with a focus on...

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The mansion of former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, Palatul Prima˘verii (50 Prima˘verii Blvd., Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania; phone +40 213 180 989 http://palatulprimaverii.ro [in Romanian only]), opened for public tours on March 12.

Sitting on a 3½-acre property in Bucharest, the 80-room mansion was designed by Ceaușescu and his wife in the 1960s. It houses a cinema, wine cellar and many luxury bathrooms and has a large garden.

Palatul Primăverii is open 10 a.m.-6...

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In Amsterdam, the Modern Contemporary Museum, or Moco Museum (Honthorststraat 20, 1071 DE Amsterdam, Netherlands; phone +31 203 701 997, www.mocomuseum.com), dedicated to modern art and artists, was set to open April 9, 2016. The two opening exhibits feature Andy Warhol (to July 3) and graffiti artist Banksy (to Sept. 4).

Located next to the Van Gogh Museum in the Museumplein, it’s open daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m. in summer and 10-6 in winter. A ticket costs €12.50 (near $14) and...

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A 1½-hour guided tour of Heidelberg University, Germany’s oldest university (founded in 1386), is offered by Heidelberg Marketing (phone +49 6221 58 44 444, www.heidelberg-marketing.de/en). Sites visited include the Library, the Peterskirche and the Karzer, a prison for students.

One tour takes place every Saturday, April-October, meeting at the Universitätplatz (University Square) at 3:30 p.m. Purchase a ticket for €9.50 (near $11) online or at a Tourist Information...

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The Likeways app, available for free on iTunes, suggests walking routes in major cities worldwide. A user inputs his starting location and where he would like to walk to plus the kinds of sites he would like to see along the way (museums, shops, restaurants, etc.). Likeways then creates two walking routes: the shortest one from the user’s location to his destination and a longer route that includes sites of interest.

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In Latvia, more than 1,000 bells are displayed in the Museum of Bells in the old stable house of the 15th-century Blankenfelde Manor (Jelgava district, Vilce parish, Blankenfelde, LV-3026, Latvia; phone +371 27810348, http://blankenfeldes muiza.lv/en).

From around the world, the bells vary in age, style and material — commemorative bells, figural bells, gongs and even bells recast from metal from Lenin monuments. Including a tour, a museum visit costs €3 adult or €2...

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Giving insights into the Aboriginal Koorie people’s history and way of life, a day tour in Melbourne, Australia, includes the Royal Botanic Gardens, to learn how flora was used by the Koorie; the restaurant Charcoal Lane, to learn about ingredients they used; Federation Square, a meeting place for the Kulin nation; the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the Melbourne Museum, and the Koorie Heritage Trust.

The tour runs 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each Wed. and Fri. (except Dec. 15...

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