New York with Miss Piggy

Famous characters such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Pepe launched the campaign with New York Mayor Michael R Bloomberg. The Muppets will be used to present family-friendly sights and attractions. Visit www.NYCGo.com/family. – DPA

 

Treasures of the world

The Manarat Al Saadiyat arts and cultural centre in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the British Museum, is the location for an exhibition entitled “Treasures of the World’s Cultures”, which runs daily between 10am and 8pm until July 17 in the Abu Dhabi venue. The more than 250 exhibition objects explain the broad horizon of world heritage over the past 2 million years. Entrance to the exhibition is free and includes works from the Islamic tradition, Stone Age tools from East Africa, and Renaissance art. Visit www.ArtsAbuDhabi.ae.

 

Down and out in Rio

An American tourist was detained for several hours after trying to leave Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, without paying his hotel bill of more than $7,000 (Bt210,000) including $3,000 for caipirinhas - Brazil's national cocktail of sugarcane rum, lime, sugar and ice. Robert Scott, 63, from Murietta, California, was detained Wednesday night at Rio de Janeiro's International Airport. He claimed he could not pay the hotel bill because his credit card had been cloned. Scott’s relatives in the United States finally paid his bill after police contacted them and that he will be allowed to fly home a later night. – AP

 

On the tracks in Ecuador

The price of a ticket on the famous Devil’s Nose train journey through the Ecuadorian Andes has just increased due to the introduction of panorama carriages. In future, there will be two categories of tickets with the standard version costing approximately $26 and premium tickets costing $35. The tourist train between Cusco and Ollantaytambo has also reopened after closing due to heavy rains, the Ferrocarril Transandino company has announced.

 

Classic climbs on four wheels

The Swiss mountain village of Arosa is set to become the “Monaco of the mountains” this summer when lovingly preserved classic sports cars show their mettle at the annual hillclimb event between Lanwies and Arosa. An international field is expected for the four race days from August 30 to September 2, with a host of attractions on and off the 7.8-kilometre race track. The challenging stretch includes 76 turns and an altitude difference of 422 metres. Visit www.ArosaClassicCar.ch

 

Why Frederick was Great

A new three-hour sightseeing tour of Potsdam near Berlin allows visitors to follow in the footsteps of charismatic Prussian monarch King Frederick the Great. The tour takes in the park of Sanssouci mansion and the restored old quarter of the city. The guided tour runs from May 1 through to the end of October and kicks off at the main tourist information office in Brandenburg Street. After sampling the sights, visitors will be able to take in this year's new "Friederisiko" exhibition, which showcases Frederick's character and outlook on the world Visit www.potsdamtourismus.de.