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QUIZ: Which of these life-changing places should you visit?

Don't be sad that summer's nearly over. Start planning your next trip instead!

Published: 29 August 2019 05:00 CEST
Updated: 17 March 2021 11:50 CET
QUIZ: Which of these life-changing places should you visit?

Travel is transformative – it has the power to change you and the way you see the world. Together with Lufthansa, The Local has picked five life-changing places to inspire your next trip. Take the quiz to find out which one best suits your personality. 

 
<section> <h2>  </h2> <p> Which of these life-changing places should you visit?</p> </section><section> <h2>  </h2> <p> Lofoten Islands</p> <p>  </p> <p> It would be no exaggeration to describe Norway’s Lofoten Islands as breathtaking. Think dramatic mountains, colourful fishing villages, sheltered bays and the vast open sea, all illuminated by the unique Arctic light. Enjoy the slower pace in this picturesque archipelago and return to your regular life with new perspective.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Mexico City</p> <p>  </p> <p> Each of Mexico City’s many neighbourhoods has its own distinctive character, like cool Condesa with its sidewalk cafes or Polanco with its world-class restaurants and the superb Soumaya Museum. Whatever you’re looking for, with a little research you’re bound to find it. It’s a city that will shake up everything you think you know about Mexico and open your eyes to the country’s abundance of culture and culinary delights.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Bordeaux</p> <p>  </p> <p> This elegant, picturesque ‘wine capital of the world’ is one of France’s most celebrated gems. Bordeaux has the peaceful pace of the countryside as well as a busy city centre packed with restaurants and bars. It’s unmissable and just one small sip of its world-famous wine could change your palate forever.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Cape Town</p> <p>  </p> <p> <span style=”color: rgb(33, 33, 33);”>Also known as the ‘Mother City’, Cape Town is breathtakingly beautiful with a trendy twist. The coastal city in South Africa is cosmopolitan but also quintessentially African. With its craggy mountain ranges, exquisite beaches and stunning scenery, it’s truly one of the world’s most life-changing places.</span></p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> New York City</p> <p>  </p> <p> Fast-paced and diverse with some of the world’s best cuisine and culture, New York City deserves its nickname ‘the city that never sleeps’. Just being in NYC, soaking in its electric atmosphere and experiencing everything it has to offer will no doubt leave its mark on you for good.</p> </section><section> <h2>  </h2> <p> When visiting somewhere new, you most enjoy…</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Pick a dish.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> What do you do at parties?</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Plan a first date.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Describe your personal style.</p> </section>

Click here to discover more life-changing places

This content was produced by The Local Creative Studio and sponsored by Lufthansa.

TRAVEL NEWS

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

Germany's Deutsche Bahn rail operator and the GDL train drivers' union have reached a deal in a wage dispute that has caused months of crippling strikes in the country, the union said.

Published: 26 March 2024 09:55 CET
German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

“The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn have reached a wage agreement,” GDL said in a statement.

Further details will be announced in a press conference on Tuesday, the union said. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

Train drivers have walked out six times since November, causing disruption for huge numbers of passengers.

The strikes have often lasted for several days and have also caused disruption to freight traffic, with the most recent walkout in mid-March.

In late January, rail traffic was paralysed for five days on the national network in one of the longest strikes in Deutsche Bahn’s history.

READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?

Europe’s largest economy has faced industrial action for months as workers and management across multiple sectors wrestle over terms amid high inflation and weak business activity.

The strikes have exacerbated an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent across the whole of last year.

What we know about the new offer so far

Through the new agreement, there will be optional reduction of a work week to 36 hours at the start of 2027, 35.5 hours from 2028 and then 35 hours from 2029. For the last three stages, employees must notify their employer themselves if they wish to take advantage of the reduction steps.

However, they can also opt to work the same or more hours – up to 40 hours per week are possible in under the new “optional model”.

“One thing is clear: if you work more, you get more money,” said Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Martin Seiler. Accordingly, employees will receive 2.7 percent more pay for each additional or unchanged working hour.

According to Deutsche Bahn, other parts of the agreement included a pay increase of €420 per month in two stages, a tax and duty-free inflation adjustment bonus of €2,850 and a term of 26 months.

Growing pressure

Last year’s walkouts cost Deutsche Bahn some €200 million, according to estimates by the operator, which overall recorded a net loss for 2023 of €2.35 billion.

Germany has historically been among the countries in Europe where workers went on strike the least.

But since the end of 2022, the country has seen growing labour unrest, while real wages have fallen by four percent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

German airline Lufthansa is also locked in wage disputes with ground staff and cabin crew.

Several strikes have severely disrupted the group’s business in recent weeks and will weigh on first-quarter results, according to the group’s management.

Airport security staff have also staged several walkouts since January.

Some politicians have called for Germany to put in place rules to restrict critical infrastructure like rail transport from industrial action.

But Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected the calls, arguing that “the right to strike is written in the constitution… and that is a democratic right for which unions and workers have fought”.

The strikes have piled growing pressure on the coalition government between Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, which has scored dismally in recent opinion polls.

The far-right AfD has been enjoying a boost in popularity amid the unrest with elections in three key former East German states due to take place later this year.

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