Things to Do in Anaheim & Buena Park

Built in 1891, Zhanqiao Pier has become a symbol of the city of Qingdao and one of its most iconic attractions. The 33-foot-wide (10-m) pier extends 1,444 feet (440 m) into Qingdao Bay, with the octagonal Huilan Pavilion (the structure pictured on the Tsingtao beer label) at its terminus. The traditional Chinese pavilion, which sometimes hosts art exhibitions, juxtaposes the European architecture prevalent in the rest of the city.

While originally a naval pier, the earliest known dock in Qingdao now serves pedestrians coming to enjoy the sea breezes and harbor views of the city.

The Zhuilu Old Trail follows the last remaining section of the Old Hehuan Mountain Road in Hualien County, Taiwan. Also known as the Vertical Trail, it’s a nail-­biting yet rewarding hike, offering spectacular aerial views of the Taroko Gorge and the Liwu River that created it. 

The trek begins at Zimu Bridge and follows the north wall of the gorge before recrossing at Swallow Grotto. The route is a little more than 10 kilometers in total and takes between six and eight hours to complete, including a section that is literally cut out from the cliff face hundreds of meters up and no more than 60­70 centimeters wide.

The Taroko National Park restricts the number of trekkers walking the Zhuilu Old Trail to 60 people on weekdays and 96 at the weekends. A permit is required, as is an official guide to lead the way.

Prague’s gritty suburb of Zizkov lies to the east of the city center and is best-known as being home to the bizarre Television Tower (Tower Park Prague), much hated when it was completed in 1992 but now regarded with affection by local residents. 

Hilly Zizkov itself had its origins as a blue-collar area of the city, built in the 19th century for the workers who stoked Prague’s industrial boom. Under Soviet rule, the district became a Communist stronghold nicknamed ‘Red Zizkov’, and today it is a Bohemian district with a reputation for underground drinking dens, grungy pubs and a subversive nightlife along Borivojova, the perfect spot for pub crawls.

Thanks to its reasonable property rentals, a young and innovative workforce has started to move into Zizkov, bringing with it new hi-tech industries and a burgeoning bar and multicultural restaurant scene. There’s a farmers’ market at Jiriho z Podebrad from Wednesday through Friday, and funky art galleries are springing up in the laid-back, cobbled streets. As well as Olšanské cemetery — the biggest in Prague — the New Jewish Cemetery, the burial place of author Franz Kafka, is also found in Zizkov, along with the National Monument and the Czech Army Museum.

On the Italian coast about 23 miles from Rome is Zoomarine, a theme park that's part Sea World and part water park and fun for all ages.

Zoomarine covers more than 86 acres, and gives visitors a chance to enjoy the adventurous rides of a water park in between watching live shows. There are two giant pools for swimming and playing in the water, one of which has several water slides. The other pool is more laid back, with lounge chairs lining the perimeter. Both pools have life guards on duty.

The animal portion of the park features seals and sea lions, birds of prey, and dolphins – all of which have demonstrations or shows visitors can see just how intelligent these animals are. There is also a show featuring acrobatic high-divers and a 4D cinema. For thrill-seekers, there is also a roller coaster called “Vertigo” and a few other amusement park rides (some of them in water).

Opened in 1954 and originally located in a grand palace in Zagreb’s Baroque Upper Town, the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU, or ‘Muzej suvrememe umjetnosti’ in Croatian) relocated to its gleaming white, purpose-built home in 2010. The gallery was designed by architect Igor Franić and is found in Novi Zagreb, south of the River Sava and slightly out of the center of the city. Its collections are on three floors and feature masterpieces of Croatian modern art, of which around 600 examples are on display from a repository of 12,000 works dating from 1950 onwards. The sleek, white and airy exhibition spaces highlight the works of Croatian art movements that may be little known but are nevertheless worth visiting for their innovation and style. Masterly paintings by Josip Vaništa and Marino Tartaglia, and drawings by Milan Steiner intermingle with whacky installations, sculpture, videos and photography as well as computer-generated art from New Tendencies, an international art movement that had its foundations in Croatia. 

Various guided tours of the treasures of the museum are available daily, and there is a sprinkling of interactive artworks that will appeal to children as well as futuristic spiral slides on which to zip downwards between floors, specially designed for the museum by Belgian artist Carsten Höller. The terraces around the museum also contain several bespoke installations and the whole edifice looks spectacular when floodlit at night.

Prague’s bizarre Television Tower is a futuristic landmark on a skyline of Baroque roofs and church spires, located in the eastern suburb of Zizkov. Rising 709 ft (216 m) above the city, the tower was constructed between 1985 and 1992 to block ‘decadent’ Western TV transmissions; ironically the Soviet Union had collapsed by the time it was completed. 

Awarded the strange accolade of being the ‘second-ugliest’ building in the world and also called the Tower Park Prague since its extensive refurbishment in 2012, the tower is famous for the ten giant baby sculptures crawling up its metal lower reaches; they were designed by controversial Czech pop artist David Cerny, whose work can be found throughout the city, including three more babies in Kampa Park. 

A 305-ft (93-m) ride up the internal elevator leads to the Observation Tower, with multi-media displays and movies about Prague plus panoramic views over the Staré Město (Old Town) and right out to the concrete apartment blocks constructed during Soviet occupation — visit after dark to see the city sparkling below. Also inside the rocket-like tower are two classy restaurants, a bar and the aptly named One Room Hotel, which has just one stylish suite with a glass-walled bathroom 230 ft (70 m) above the city. Underground parking is found at the foot of Zizkov TV Tower, along with more restaurants, a mini-golf course and a petanque court.

This iconic landmark known as the Zaisan Memorial was built by the Russians to honor unknown soviet soldiers killed in World War II. At the top of a long stretch of 300 stairs, visitors will find bold and colorful paintings depicting the connection between Mongolia and the USSR. Images span the time between Mongolia’s independence and the victory over Nazis.

While the brightly colored paintings are a part of what drives tourists outside the city and up some serious flights of stairs, it’s the epic panoramic views of Ulaanbaatar that make Zaisan Memorial truly worth the trip. Visitors will also find an old tank memorial located at the bottom of the hill, which includes a map of the tank’s travel from Mongolia to Moscow.

Zhongshan Hall is a historical building with a blend of modern and classical architecture located in Taipei’s Ximending neighborhood. This four-story building was built in 1936 for the coronation of Emperor Hirohito and originally served as the Taipei City public hall. It was also where the Japanese surrender ceremony was held at the end of World War II.

These days, Zhongshan Hall is mainly used for performances, but visitors are able to go inside and explore. One of the hall’s most famous features is the sculpture, Water Buffalo – the last work created by Huang Tu-Shui, a celebrated Taiwanese sculptor. The piece depicts a southern scene featuring buffalos and cattle-herding children. At two meters high and more than five meters wide, this huge work of art was presented to Zhongshan Hall by the sculptor’s wife following his death, and is now located in front of Guangfu Auditorium for visitors to enjoy.

A popular way to visit the many sights in this part of Taipei is on a private, full-day walking tour. To fully experience all that Taipei has to offer, treat yourself to a full-day private custom tour of the city, where you can pick and choose which sights you’d like to see.

When Ottoman Turkish Sultan Suleiman was rebuilding the Old City walls of Jerusalem during the sixteenth century, the architects neglected to consider a Franciscan monastery just outside the walls. What is today the Zion Gate was punched through the wall to provide the monastery access to the Old City. During the 1948 War of Independence the gate was the site of fierce fighting between Jordanians and Palmach forces; the facade still bears bullet holes. 

One of eight gates in the wall, Zion Gate is situated on the south side of the city, looking out toward Mount Zion. For modern day visitors, the gate serves as one of the primary entrances into the Jewish and Armenian quarters.

Zipaquira's attractive Spanish Colonial center, built with the wealth of the massive nearby salt mines, was founded in the 1760s some 31 miles (50 km) north of the Colombian capital. Today the 'City of Salt,' replete with quaint cafes and souvenir shops, is Bogota's most popular day trip—you can even make it in an antique steam train.

You are here to see the famed Zipaquira Salt Cathedral, considered one of Colombia's 'Seven Wonders' and its architectural crown jewel. Climb to the Parque de Sal (Salt Park), just southeast of downtown, to enjoy the Plaza of the Miners' great views and evocative art. From here, you'll begin your journey 590 feet (180 meters) into the heart of an enormous salt mountain.

The structure was carved from the mines, using both heavy machinery and the most sophisticated sculpting tools, thanks to a team led by architect Roswell Garavito Pearl and engineer Jorge Enrique Castelblanco Reyes in 1995. It is most famous for its understated Stations of the Cross, but there are finer pieces of art dedicated to both the church and those who worked here long before it was built. While most of your time is spent wandering through the chill and colorfully lit cathedral, a film at the end of the tour delves into the gritty history of the mines. For an extra fee you can even mine a bit of salt yourself.

The Caribbean is known for its brilliant colors and vibrant culture. Travelers to Dominican Republic will find this to be especially true amid the lively streets of Santo Domingo, where the country’s urban center is ripe with the smells and sounds of Latin America.

But visitors who venture to Zona Colonial—one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods—will find a tiny enclave filled with traditional European-style architecture, well-kept parks, cobblestone streets and artistic nods to great adventurers.

A mighty bronze statue of Christopher Columbus sits at the center of Parque Colon, and nearby Calle Las Damas is the oldest paved road in the New World. These historic sites, paired with incredible architecture unlike anywhere in Santo Domingo, are just part of what make Zona Colonial a popular destination for travelers looking to escape the hustle of the city, as well as those who want to experience the nation’s capital as it used to be.

The world’s oldest scientific zoo with a history dating back to 1828, the ZSL (Zoological Society of London) London Zoo remains one of the city’s most popular family attractions. The zoo’s myriad animal residents include over 750 species, from mighty lions to cute penguins to creepie crawlies.

A London Zoo entry ticket includes full access to the zoo’s many attractions, as well as daily events such as zookeeper talks and animal feedings. From February to October, it’s also possible to upgrade to include skip-the-line access. If you’re sightseeing in London, it might be worth investing in a London Pass, which includes free entrance to the zoo, as well as other London attractions such as the View from the Shard and the Tower of London, plus a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city. 

Camden Town (Northern line) is the closest Tube station; from there, it’s a short walk to the zoo entrance. There are also several buses that run from Camden past the zoo. You can also reach the zoo from the Baker Street (Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Circle, and Hammersmith & City lines) or Regent's Park (Bakerloo line) Tube stations and then walking through the scenic Regent’s Park. 

London Zoo is open daily year round, although opening times vary slightly throughout the year. The busiest time to visit is in July and August or during school holidays; weekdays outside of these times are generally much quieter. To avoid the crowds, opt to visit on a rainy day; many of the outdoor viewing areas are covered, and there are a number of indoor exhibitions as well.  

Highlights of a visit to ZSL London Zoo include the Tiger Territory, where you can marvel at endangered Sumatran tigers through floor-to-ceiling glass windows; the Gorilla Kingdom, where Western Lowland Gorillas roam freely in their African jungle habitat; the Land of the Lions, where walkways overlook mighty creatures; and the Penguin Beach, where 150 Macaroni and Humboldt penguins live in an enormous pool. Behind-the-scenes tours, zookeeper-for-a-day programs, and interactive BUGS sessions are also available for those wanting a more hands-on experience.  

The Zelve Open-­Air Museum sits on site of the remains of a Byzantine monastery that was carved into the rock face in ancient times. Zelve was a monastic retreat from the 9th to the 13th century, and in fact the area was inhabited right up until 1952. 15 years after locals abandoned the site, Zelve was turned into the open-­air museum that can be seen and explored today.

The site features various remnants of local life, including houses, a tunnel joining two of the valleys, a mill, and a small mosque. Beyond the mill, the Balıklı Kilise (Fish Church) can be found, while the impressive Üzümlü Kilise (Grape Church) adjoins it.

The three valleys of Zelve are a great spot for trekking around and exploring in peace, as it isn’t as popular with tourists as the Göreme Open­-Air Museum nearby. The site also has a good walking trail looping around the valleys, giving access to various caves and chambers and featuring dramatic crags and pinnacles along the way.

With a population that’s 99.1 percent Tzotzil Maya, Zinacantan is a destination for travelers who want to witness and explore the lifestyle and history of Mexico’s indigenous people. Visitors can learn about animist traditions and Catholic influence on a visit to one of the town’s churches or visit local artisans creating traditional clothing. A small market selling handmade Mayan goods proves a perfect place to purchase souvenirs or sample local fare. And while this village is worth a visit any time of year, visitors say a guide can help ease the feeling of being an outsider during non-festival seasons when travelers are few and far between. 

Zoo de la Flèche claims to be the oldest zoo in France and currently hosts over 1,200 animals from 130 species (including 25 endangered species), originating from five continents and spread over 15 hectares. More than just an entertainment, the zoo aims to protect the animals as well as sensitize and educate visitors to the 21st century challenges our natural environment faces. The zoo offers three different shows: “Marine World”, which features seals, “Lords of the Skies” and its prey birds, as well as the “Parrot Jungle” show.

The zoo is mostly famous for its five epic sleepover safari experiences with polar bears, arctic wolves, lemurs, white tigers, and grizzly bears.

ZooParc de Beauval is France’s largest and most diverse zoological park, with over 6,000 animals of 600 different species under its roof. Animals are classified under seven families: herbivores (giraffes, zebras, rhinos), birds (cockatoos, sea eagles, vultures), reptiles (chameleons, turtles, snakes, tortoises), fishes (clown fishes, piranhas, seahorses), big cats (tigers, lions, pumas), primates (macaques, lemurs, capuchin monkeys), and aquatic mammals (sea lions, manatees). Some of the specimens housed by ZooParc de Beauval are endangered and are kept in captivity for breeding purposes; one of the zoo’s mission is to help visitors preserve the Earth’s biodiversity through a variety of tips and tools.

In addition to basins, greenhouses, and other habitats, ZooParc de Beauval offers many shows between March and September.

It’s not hard to see why Zoobic Safari is one of the top family attractions in Subic Bay. Spread across 25 hectares of terrain, this is a must­-visit for animal lovers, where a whole range of exotic species roam around in environments designed to simulate their natural habitats, including forests, streams, and fringing grasslands.

There are 11 main attractions from which to encounter the animals at the zoo. These include: Zoobic Park, Rodent World, Serpentarium, Forbidden/Zoobic Cave, Tiger Safari Ride, Close Encounter, Savannah, Animal MuZOOeum, Aetas' Trail, Hip Hop­Bay­a­Wak, and Croco Loco.

Most visitors staying in Manila combine a trip to Zoobic Safari with a day tour of Subic Bay so that their transport, guide, and lunch are included and they can take in the attractions ofthe whole area. Ideal for nature and wildlife enthusiasts, as well as history buffs, a day tourgives an insight into the wildlife, indigenous culture, and military history of the Philippines, with a visit to the Subic Naval Base and a training camp in addition to the Zoobic Safari.

Dotted with landscaped gardens, century-old trees, and lovely fountains, Zrinjevac Park is a popular relaxation spot for Zagreb locals. Take a break from exploring the city and stroll along the tree-lined paths or simply rest on a park bench, watch the fountains, and enjoy the aroma of fresh flowers.

Many walking tours of Zagreb include a visit to Zrinjevac Park and cover its history: an old livestock marketplace, now park, that’s dedicated to the 16th-century Croatian military hero Nikola Šubic Zrinski. It’s a natural place to rest a bit before heading out to explore more of the city center. The park is especially festive during the winter months; in fact, it’s a highlight of many organized Christmas Advent tours. 

Zrinjevac Park is just a short walk from the main square and easily reachable by tram from anywhere in the city. Trams 6 and 13 will get you closest to the park if you get off at the Zrinjevac station; or, take any tram to the main square and make the short walk to Zrinjevac Park.

Zrinjevac Park is open to the public year-round. The sprawling plane trees provide plenty of shade during the summer months and are beautifully decorated with twinkling lights during the Advent season. In fact, winter may indeed be the best time to visit—that’s when you’ll find local artisans selling Christmas ornaments and handcrafted souvenirs. You can also enjoy live holiday music in the pavillion and sample seasonal snacks like strudel. 

In addition to the popular winter Advent festivities, Zrinjevac Park hosts a range of special events. You can catch classical, jazz, rock, and pop concerts, plus the occasional stand-up comedian or literary talk, at the music pavilion. The park also sponsors morning yoga and meditation classes, as well as other Croatian activities. 

Zakopane is a small town located in southern Poland at the foot of the Tatras Mountains near the border with Slovakia. Known as the winter capital of Poland, it is a popular tourist destination for skiing, snowboarding and ski jumping. Nearby ski resorts include Mount Gubalowka, Kasprowy Wierch and Nosal, and cross country ski trails can be found in the forests surrounding Zakopane. Mount Gubalowka can be reached directly from the town center via funicular.

Zakopane is also a great summer destination, with opportunities for hiking, climbing and spelunking in the surrounding mountains, as well as longer excursions to the Dunajec River Gorge and Niedzica Castle, just 25 miles (40 km) away. It is also a great place to experience the traditional Goral culture—a group of indigenous people with their own unique language, food, music, architecture and dress.

The city sees a quarter of a million visitors each year, and no visit to Zakopane is complete without a stroll along Krupowki Street. This popular street in the center of town is lined with shops and restaurants and is a great place to buy traditional Zakopane souvenirs.