Nature and geographyVeneza
MOSE: the sea gates that keep Venice from flooding
MOSE, Venice’s 78 sea gates, first rose in October 2020 after 17 years of work and scandal. What triggers them, what they miss, and what to know.
Nature and geography
Natural phenomena and places with unusual geography.
Articles on this topic
Nature and geographyFrance
Mont-Saint-Michel: the tides, the bridge and how to visit
Mont-Saint-Michel sits in a bay with a tide range of about 14 metres. Why it needed a new bridge in 2014, why the sands are risky and how to plan a visit.
Nature and geographySweden
Allemansrätten: camping on other people’s land in Sweden
In Sweden anyone can pitch a tent on someone else’s land for a night or two. What the right allows, plus the rules on fires, foraging and campervans.
Nature and geographyHawaii (United States)
Hawaii: why you can't take sand or rocks home
In Hawaii, taking sand and coral from beaches is illegal, and rocks can't leave the national parks either. Even so, many people mail them back.
Nature and geographyIsrael and Jordan
Why the Dead Sea is shrinking
The Dead Sea drops more than a metre a year and has lost a third of its surface. What drains it, why sinkholes open and what it means for visitors.
Nature and geographyAustralia
Why Australia’s famous pink lake lost its colour
Lake Hillier had been bubble-gum pink for centuries. A storm in 2022 changed that. What makes a lake pink, and whether the colour will come back.
Nature and geographyIceland
Iceland had no mosquitoes. Until October 2025
For centuries, Iceland was one of the last places on Earth without mosquitoes. In 2025, the first ones turned up. Why it took so long, and what it means.
Nature and geographyJapan
Why you now pay to climb Mount Fuji
Climbing Mount Fuji now costs ¥4,000 and comes with a start-time curfew. Why Japan began charging and limiting climbers, and how to prepare for the climb.
