Sections of the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, northern India, will undergo a mud-pack treatment in an effort to reverse pollution damage that is yellowing the white marble building. Authorities began discussing this in June, with no starting date set yet.

Affected portions of the Taj Mahal will be covered in lime-rich clay overnight. The clay will be removed with soft nylon brushes and distilled water, hopefully taking stains and grime along with it. The process will be done one...

In Florence, Italy, cracks in the feet of Michelangelo’s statue of David threaten its survival. The 17-foot-tall figure on a 6-foot base, which had stood in Florence’s Piazzo della Signoria since 1504, was moved into a domed room at the Galleria dell’Accademia in 1873. (A replica still stands in the piazzo.)

The cracks, first noticed during a restoration of the statue in 2004, have been blamed on a number of factors, including the quality of the marble, the positioning of the legs and...

For cultural attractions situated around Amsterdam’s Museumplein, through 2014, a ticket package grants purchasers entry into the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum and a concert at the Royal Concertgebouw (even for sold-out concerts), all for €90 (near $123).

Buy Museumplein tickets at 5-star hotels in the city, including Hotel De L’Europe (Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-14; phone +31 20 531 1777), the Conservatorium Hotel (Van Baerlestraat 27; phone +31 20 570 0000) and the...