Louvre shuts down amid unplanned staff strike
The Louvre Museum, a global icon and the world’s most-visited cultural institution, abruptly closed its doors June 16 after staff walked out in protest, citing overwhelming crowds, chronic understaffing, and deteriorating working conditions. The spontaneous strike erupted during a routine internal meeting, leaving thousands of confused visitors stranded beneath the iconic glass pyramid. Though the Louvre has weathered wars, terrorist threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic, full closures remain rare and almost never without warning. The sudden walkout aligns with a broader wave of anti-tourism unrest sweeping Europe, with recent protests in cities like Venice and Barcelona against the pressures of overtourism on public services and local life. While President Emmanuel Macron has announced a long-term plan to address the museum’s structural issues, staff argue that these promises offer little relief for the immediate crisis. The great personal enrichment that comes from absorbing other people’s cultures around the world has no doubt led a huge number of individuals to be more tolerant, open-minded, and adventurous. The fact that such trips are so accessible is also something to be celebrated. But when it goes too far, real problems start to occur. Click through this gallery to find out what happens when cities actually suffer from “overtourism.”
2025-04-08T11:15:57Z
European cuisines for food enthusiasts, ranked
There’s so many reasons we love to travel. In addition to seeing new sights and giving us a break from work, holidays give us the exciting chance to try new food. Cuisine is the gateway into a country’s culture and history. Spanish paella has ancient roots, and teaches us about the country’s Muslim history. Meanwhile, modern pizza was invented in Naples, and reflects the region's rich Neapolitan culture. European food has changed constantly since the fall of Rome, and countries have influenced each other in many ways. For example, croissants aren’t French, they came from Austria, according to historical reports. What’s more, fish and chips isn’t even a British dish! It’s believed the dish was carried over by Jewish immigrants from Spain and Portugal.With that said, Europe is defined by its different dishes and gastronomic cultures. Spain is heavily influenced by its gorgeous marisco, while the UK is perhaps best known as a melting pot of the world’s finest food. After all, it’s said that chicken tikka masala wasn’t born out of India, but Great Britain. Come explore the food of Europe—there’s gorgeous Dutch desserts, perfect French pastries, strong German sausage, and great Greek grub. There’s no better way to explore Europe than to first understand what they eat. Without further ado, here are Europe’s finest cuisines. Dig in!
2025-05-23T13:04:31Z
