Travel Briefs

Just outside the Latvian town of Valmiera, near the entrance to Gauja National Park, the Barefoot Nature Trail is a 4,500-foot-long trail on which visitors can experience walking on many different surfaces, like glass spheres, pinecones, chestnuts and sand. Elements of the trail also test balance. 

Entry costs one lat (near $2). The path is located at the SPA Center & Hotel (J. Dalin¸a Street 2, Valmiera; phone +371 27879242), where a path map can be purchased. Footbaths (two lats...

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For the 25th anniversary of Magellan’s (888/450-7715), the travel product store is offering a 25-dollar gift card to any customer who submits an idea for a product that the company adds to its lineup.

Offering an exploration of the town of Confucius’ birth, the Shangri-La Hotel Qufu (3 Chunqiu Rd., Qufu, Shandong, 273100, China; phone 86 537 505 8888) has a 2-night “Family Cultural Journey” package that includes a guided tour to the Confucius Research Institute and Nichan Mountain, location of the cave in which Confucius is reputed to have been born.

The package costs CNY2,200 ($353) per person, double, and CNY3,400 (near $546), single.

The hotel in the Wes Anderson film “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is almost identical to the Corinthia Hotel Budapest (Erzsébet körút 43-49, Budapest, H-1073, Hungary; phone +36 1 479 4000), which opened in 1896 and was renovated and partly rebuilt in 2002. 

Through 2014, the hotel offers a 3-night “Behind the Scenes” luxury package for €842 (near $1,154) for two guests that includes a screening of the film, a night in an Executive room, breakfast, a walking tour to Budapest’s most famous...

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In southeastern England, a collection of rare trees and shrubs from exotic locations can be found at Borde Hill (Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, RH16 1XP, U.K.; phone 01444 450326). In 2014, open daily 10-6, March 22-Nov. 3.

On July 6 at Borde Hill, West Sussex Jaguar will host an exhibition of classic and modern Jaguars. Sundays in August, visitors picnic and listen to live jaz. Expect a haunted house, treasure hunt, crafts and face painting, Oct. 24-Nov. 2. Events are included...

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A panoramic, site-specific painting depicting the siege of Istanbul by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II can be found in the museum Panorama 1453 (Topkapı Cultural Park, Istanbul, Turkey; phone 0212 415 14 53, www.panoramikmuze.com [in Turkish only]).

Including images of 10,000 individuals, the painting covers the entire interior of a dome 131 feet in diameter and depicts the siege as it might have appeared on May 29, 1453, from the museum’s location. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Museum entry...

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An “Ennis Walking Trails” app from the town of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland — which was granted a municipal charter in 1613 — shows a map with five walking routes along the town’s Heritage Trails and offers audio info on a total of 13 points of interest. Routes vary from a half mile to two miles and take from 35 to 80 minutes to walk. The app is free on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

For women and children, Parasol™ (New York, NY; 866/981-6381) offers sun-protective clothing made of natural materials. The product line includes hats, shirts, shorts, dresses and swimwear, with costs ranging from $65 (children’s swimwear) to $285 (women’s dresses). The beachwear can be found in major department stores or purchased directly.