Traveling around the world through artists' eyes
The job, the in-laws, the daily grind: You don't even need a reason to dream of getting away, but if ever you're looking for one, check out the exhibition "We're Off Then" at Berlin's Museum of Prints and Drawings.
The age of discovery
Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer was a pioneer of sightseeing. He went in search of new things to do and see, traveling first to Italy in 1494. Since the main route across the Alps was blocked by flooding at the time, he had to take the arduous route through the Val di Cembra in Trentino. He came upon Castle Segonzano, a ray of light in a rugged terrain, and immortalized it in water colors.
Hiking on the Dürer Trail
Through the countryside that inspired Dürer's "Castle Segonzano" runs the Dürer Trail, between St. Florian in South Tyrol to Segonzano in Trentino. Its 40 kilometers (25 miles) lead through forests and mountains to the Piramidi di Terra - the "earth pyramids" in the Val di Cembra. Here, too, is the Castle Segonzano, now a romantic ruin surrounded by orchards and vineyards.
The educational tour's first steps
In the High Middle Ages, artists would often travel to Italy to tour the ancient sites. Dutch portraitist Maarten van Heemskerck undertook such a journey to Rome from 1532 to 1537, making sketches of recently discovered ancient temples and statues and the new St. Peter's Basilica, then under construction. He used the material to create his own textbook on the art and architecture of antiquity.
The 'Grand Tour' of Italy
Italy remains one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations. English nobility laid the foundations of modern-day mass tourism in the 17th century, when they began a tradition of sending their progeny on educational tours with a catalogue of obligatory sights to be seen. This "Grand Tour" included such famous cities as Florence and antique sites like Rome's Forum Romanum.
Seeking paradise in the South Seas
When French painter Paul Gauguin fled civilization to Tahiti in 1891, he found an impoverished population ground down by years of colonialism. It was a rude awakening from his dream of the South Seas paradise. His depictions of an idyllic, primitive life and simple native women praying to Polynesian idols were pure fiction. Even so, they influenced generations of travelers to the South Seas.
Holiday in paradise
Until just over a century ago, the sea voyage from Europe to Tahiti took months. Now, French Polynesia is just over a day's flying time from Europe. But even in the 21st century, the South Seas have lost none of their allure. Now, with package tours available, the trend in exotic holidays to Pacific island paradises continues in 2016. How much tourism can their fragile ecosystems take?
The journey is its own reward
Sometimes, the best way to get back in touch with ourselves is just to take off and put ourselves above the rat race - for example, atop 3776-meter-high Mount Fuji, one of Japan's three sacred mountains. In 1901, graphic artist Emil Orlik joined the masses of pilgrims starting up its gentle slopes to watch the rising sun. Pilgrimages are one of the oldest motives for traveling long distances.
Walking in the clouds
Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak, has been held sacred for centuries. Ascending it today is less a spiritual experience than a kind of mass phenomenon. In summer, as many as 3,000 people climb daily to the summit, often at night to be in position for the emotional moment the sun rises. In 2013, Mount Fuji was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.
Journey into the unknown
Three aircraft soar over a phantasmagorical landscape. It might be a glacier or a science fiction movie scene. As technology advances and speeds increase, travelers can reach the remotest spots on Earth. The exhibition photo by Berlin artist Kai Schiemenz of tiny jet planes can be seen as a critical statement. But the drive to go farther, higher and faster than ever is as old as mankind itself.
Tourists in space
Some day, we may have the opportunity to look upon our world from outer space - as a tourist. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has launched the private aerospace developer Blue Origin with plans to carry tourists into orbit as of 2018. A competitor, SpaceX, has even begun selling tickets for planned space flights. The tourists' urge to go where no one has gone before won't be ending anytime soon.