{"success":true,"json":{"venues":[{"id":352,"name":"Van Gogh Museum","headline":"Van Gogh Museum tickets and tours","reviewsNumber":6262,"reviewsAvg":4.3,"description":"Van Gogh was largely self-taught, beginning his education with a powerful focus on figure and landscape drawing. He found he was able to use colored chalk, charcoal, reed pen and pencil to quickly capture images before later adding watercolor detail. He also experimented with lithographs to reach a larger audience.Van Gogh used muted colors in these early years to suit his subjects (peasants and manual workers) but his move to Paris in 1886 showed him the work of the Impressionists and inspired him to use more color. He also began to experiment with broken brush strokes and pointillist technique (see Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat, 1885).In 1888, van Gogh moved to Arles and lived with Gauguin, emulating his friend\u2019s habit of painting from memory. This resulted in more fantastic, less realistic images that used colors according to mood rather than to represent the truth of nature. He was also influenced by Japanese prints, as seen in The Flowering Orchard.The subjects portrayed by Van Gogh are mainly self-portraits, still lifes, landscapes and in particular paintings with cypresses, grain fields and sunflowers. Tragically, Van Gogh committed suicide at the age of 37 after a life full of unhappy love stories and persistent depressive crises. The master left behind more than 840 paintings and 1000 drawings, many watercolors, lithographs and sketches on letters currently located in the Van Gogh Museum as well as in hundreds of other renowned museums and art exhibitions around the world.Opening times:2 September to 27 October 2019:\n- Saturdays to Thursdays 9.00am to 6.00pm\n- Fridays 9.00am to 9.00pm\n28 October to 22 December 2019:\n- Saturdays to Thursdays 9.00am to 5.00pm\n- Fridays 9.00am to 9.00pm\n23 December to 31 December 2019 (with the exception of public holidays):\n- Sundays to Thursdays 9.00am to 7.00pm\n- Fridays and Saturdays 9.00am to 9.00pm\nPublic Holidays:\n- Christmas (25 December) and New Year\u2019s Eve (31 December) 9.00am to 5.00pm\n- New Year\u2019s Day (1 January ) 11.00am to 7.00 pm\nAbout the Van Gogh Museum:Home to the world\u2019s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh\u2019s paintings, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam transports visitors on a fascinating journey through the life of the artist and his contemporaries. The museum introduces the complete story: the artist, the context, Van Gogh\u2019s personal ambitions, his emotions, the myths that surround him and his influence right up until this very day. The Van Gogh Museum\u2019s collection includes world-famous paintings such as Sunflowers, Almond Blossom and The Potato Eaters. The museum also organises three temporary exhibitions every year.Van Gogh had many heroes whose work he greatly admired. One of these artists was Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Millet. From 4 October 2019 to 12 January 2020, the Van Gogh Museum will illuminate the work of this French painter and the prominent 19th-century artists who followed in the exhibition Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Millet: Sowing the Seeds of Modern Art.The Van Gogh Museum is open 365 days a year. Tickets are available online only. Don\u2019t miss out, book in advance. Visitors can discover more about Van Gogh and his contemporaries with the multimedia guide, available in 11 languages. For those not able to visit the museum, the Van Gogh Museum offers the collection and a virtual journey through Van Gogh\u2019s life on its website, Facebook and Instagram.Address:Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ AmsterdamGetting there:For the most up-to-date route: Click herePublic Transport:\n- The nearest stops are Van Baerlestraat (tram 2, 5 or 12) or Museumplein (tram: 3, 5 or 12, bus: 347 or 357)\nFrom Amsterdam Central Station:\n- Tram 2 or 12\n- Tram 11: change at Leidseplein to tram 2, 5 or 12\n- Metro 52 (Noord\/Zuid route) until De Pijp station, change to tram 3 (direction Zoutkeetsgracht) or tram 12 (direction Central station)\n- Bus 347, direction Uithoorn\n- Bus 357, direction Kudelstaart\n- From Zuid WTC Station\n- Tram 5 (direction Westergasfabriek)\nFrom Amsterdam Amstel Station:\n- Tram 12\nFrom Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station:\n- Tram 19, change at Leidseplein to tram 2, 5 or 12\nFrom Muiderpoort Station:\n- Tram 3 (direction Zoutkeetsgracht)\nParking:\n- Located underneath Museumplein, Q-Park (entrance Van Baerlestraat) is the closest car park to the Van Gogh Museum. Please note that paid parking applies on the streets near the museum","img":"https:\/\/images-sandbox.musement.com\/cover\/0001\/66\/van-gogh-portrait-museum-jpeg_header-65304.jpeg","city":"Amsterdam","lat":52.358456,"lng":4.881084},{"id":276,"name":"Eiffel Tower","headline":"Eiffel Tower tickets and tours","reviewsNumber":1836,"reviewsAvg":4.3,"description":"The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. Over 100 hundred artists submitted plans, but the contract went to civil engineer Gustav Eiffel, who had already designed the structure for the Statue of Liberty.The Eiffel Tower was initially painted a reddish-brown but its color changed. By 1899 it was bright yellow, then yellow-brown, chestnut brown and finally the unique \u201cEiffel Tower Brown\u201d created in 1968. It takes 60 tons of paint to refresh the tower every seven years and it\u2019s painted in three progressively lighter shades the higher it goes (to modify its silhouette).Now a symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower was hated by artists when it first rose. Three-hundred of them signed a manifesto condemning the structure as \u201cuseless and monstrous\u201d and the writer Guy de Maupassant ate at the tower\u2019s restaurant only because it was the one place in Paris he couldn\u2019t see it on the skyline.Until 1930, the Eiffel Tower was the world\u2019s tallest structure at 986ft (300m). New York\u2019s Chrysler Building exceeded it with 1046ft (318m) Opening hoursThe Eiffel Tower is open 365 days.\n- 9.00am-12.00am mid-June to early September\n- 9.30am-11.00 pm the rest of the year\n- Extended hours to midnight on Easter weekend and during the spring holidays\nAbout the Tower\n- The new first level: Enjoy a whole new experience of the view (if you dare) with a transparent floor and glass balustrades. At 57m (187ft) from the ground, you\u2019ll feel you\u2019re stepping into air, but don\u2019t worry \u2013 it\u2019s all completely safe! There\u2019s a non-slip treatment to avoid accidents but without any loss of transparency out in the central space.\n- The second level: Use the panoramic maps and silhouette diagrams provided to identify your position in Paris and in the world. How high are you exactly? A height gauge here allows you read your precise altitude for a very specific postcard message. And if the view inspires (or terrifies) you, enjoy a glass of bubbly at the champagne bar.\n- The summit: For the most spectacular experience, take a glass lift to the top for a truly panoramic view. At 180m (590ft) above the city, you\u2019ll see Paris as the birds do. And if it\u2019s raining? There are two levels: covered and open, so you\u2019ll always have a comfortable view. Up here, you\u2019ll also discover Gustave Eiffel\u2019s personal office, which has been restored to its original condition. Meet Gustave himself, joined by his daughter Claire and inventor Thomas Edison \u2013 all of them recreated with lifelike veracity in wax.\nAddressChamp de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, FranceGetting there\n- By Metro\n- Line 6: metro station \"Bir-Hakeim\". Take this surface line for a view of the Tower as you approach the station\n- Line 9: \"Trocad\u00e9ro\" station\n\n- By RER\n- Line C: \u201cChamps de Mars - Tour Eiffel\u201d station\n\n- By Bus\n- Bus 82, stops: \u201cTour Eiffel\u201d or \u201cChamp de Mars\u201d\n- Bus 42, stop: \u201cTour Eiffel\u201d\n- Bus 87, stop: \u201cChamp de Mars\u201d\n- Bus 69, stop: \u201cChamp de Mars\u201d","img":"https:\/\/images-sandbox.musement.com\/cover\/0001\/57\/tour-eiffel-visit-second-floor-jpg_header-56609.jpeg","city":"Paris","lat":48.858369,"lng":2.294485},{"id":3,"name":"Colosseum","headline":"Colosseum tickets and tours","reviewsNumber":5881,"reviewsAvg":4.4,"description":"Gladiators tended to be criminals, prisoners of war or slaves who were trained to fight in professional schools. As their fame increased, some men even volunteered for the job. Trained gladiators would often fight unskilled criminals and slaves as a form of public execution, though winning a fight against a gladiator could earn a slave his freedom.Archaeological remains show that gladiators were often overweight, perhaps in order to build a layer of protective fat. They tended to eat a vegetarian diet of fresh vegetables, dried fruit, barley and beans to grow strong bones that would heal quickly.Gladiators would fight barefoot in pairs for around ten minutes while the audience chanted like modern football crowds. A common chant was \"habet, hoc habet\u201d (he\u2019s had it!). A defeated gladiator would raise a finger (if he had any left) and might be pardoned by the games\u2019 sponsor.In 107AD, the emperor Trajan celebrated a victory with a show that included 5000 pairs of gladiators \u2013 the largest contest known to history.Opening times\n- 8.30am-7.15pm \u2013 30 March-31 August\n- 8.30am-7.00pm \u2013 1-30 September\n- 8.30am-6.30pm \u2013 1-30 October\n- 8.30am-4.30pm \u2013 31 October-15 February\n- 8.30am-5.00pm \u2013 16 February-15 March\n Ticket office closes one hour before closing time About the ColosseumThis massive 50,000-capacity amphitheatre was inaugurated in 80AD with games that lasted 100 days and cost the lives of over 5000 animals. Entrance was free back then, though \u2018tickets\u2019 written on pieces of pottery were handed out with seat numbers, presumably to control numbers. The poor, and women, sat on the upper tiers, while senators and equestrians had seats closer to the action (protected from flying weapons and body parts by a net).Entertainments varied. Some featured animal on animal, others were people fighting animals, and others were people fighting people \u2013 usually gladiators, but sometimes slaves\/prisoners.Gladiators probably did not fight to the death because they were valuable and popular commodities, though death was naturally an occupational hazard.Today, the vast Colosseum easily swallows the thousands who visit, though it\u2019s advisable to buy tickets in advance if you want to skip lines. There\u2019s little to actually \u2018do\u2019 once inside other than look at the spectacle, though you can maximise your visit by booking special tickets with privileged access to the hypogeum or the upper levels. It\u2019s also advisable to arrange a local or audio guide if Roman history isn\u2019t your subject.Tickets to the Colosseum often include access to the Forum and Palatine Hill and can be valid for two days, so it makes sense to plan your time wisely. Arrive early for the busiest places and enjoy the Palatine Hill at your leisure in the afternoon when the tourist hordes are elsewhere. Even with advance skip-the-line tickets and German-level planning, you may still discover that organisation at these venues is not entirely like clockwork, so be flexible.AddressPiazza del Colosseo, RomeGetting there\n- By Metro\n- MEB, MEB1: Colosseo\n\n- By Bus\n-  51, 75, 85, 87, 117,118, N2","img":"https:\/\/images-sandbox.musement.com\/cover\/0002\/15\/venuehero-colosseo-jpg_header-114421.jpeg","city":"Rome","lat":41.889901,"lng":12.493367},{"id":393,"name":"Leonardo's Last Supper","headline":null,"reviewsNumber":5968,"reviewsAvg":4.5,"description":"The survival of Leonardo\u2019s masterpiece is almost as amazing as its vision. It was already being \u2018restored\u2019 in 1726, with an ill-advised application of caustic solvents and varnish. In 1770, Giusseppe Mazza repainted much of the original in oil. In 1853, Stefano Barezzi tried to detach the painting from the wall but failed and instead glued the paint fragments to the base.Only in 1903 was it discovered that the painting was done in tempera, not oil, and its surface was cleaned accordingly. A bomb nearly destroyed the refectory in 1943, but the work was successfully cleaned of mildew and lightened in 1947.Modern restoration showed that the historical over-painting was eating the original and causing it to flake. The decision was therefore made to remove everything added to the mural since it was completed in 1498 \u2013 an extremely time-consuming microscopic task using advanced technology. Today, the painting is preserved by an air-filtration system, a monitored environment, and dust-filtering technology. Visitors are limited to 25 people for 15 minutes each time. Opening times\n- 8.15am-6.45pm \u2013 Tuesday to Sunday\n- CLOSED: Mondays and public holidays 1 January, 1 May, 25 December\n About The Last SupperDuke Ludovico Sforza of Milan was behind the creation of Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s masterpiece The Last Supper. The Duke had adopted Santa Maria delle Grazie as his court church and wanted to decorate it in a manner that reflected his wealth and power. This meant a great painting by a great artist.Leonardo began work in 1495 on the northern wall of the refectory and completed the painting three years later, the complete image measuring 4.5x8.8m (15x29ft). Contrary to popular belief, it was not a fresco, which required fast and decisive work before the wet plaster dried. Leonardo liked to take his time and change his mind, so he designed a new kind of application using tempera (an egg-based paint).Alas, the great genius Leonardo made a mistake this time. His base for the painting included pitch and mastic, which did not bond the pigment as well or as permanently as he had hoped. The aesthetic considerations, however, were sublime. Leonardo created his amazing illusions of perspective using a nail in the wall and strings radiating from it to ensure that all would be correctThe subject was a common one in churches, but Leonardo\u2019s innovation was to create a sense of drama and movement by portraying the exact moment when Jesus announced that one of his disciples would betray him. What we see is a radiating wave of shocked reaction. He also chose to portray all attendees in a straight line so that each could receive due attention.It\u2019s said that the faces in the work are based on real people known to the artist. Judas may have been a real-life local prisoner or criminal and, here, Leonardo puts him among the others rather than separate (as traditional dictated). Judas is the only one who seems not to be outraged or surprised. AddressPiazza Santa Maria delle Grazie 2, Milan Getting there\n- By Metro: Line 2: Conciliazione\n- By tram: Line 16: S Maria delle Grazia","img":"https:\/\/images-sandbox.musement.com\/cover\/0002\/18\/leonardo-s-last-supper_header-117602.jpeg","city":"Milan","lat":45.466091,"lng":9.171187},{"id":382,"name":"The Sagrada Familia","headline":"Sagrada Familia tickets and tours","reviewsNumber":11419,"reviewsAvg":4.4,"description":"British writer George Orwell described the Sagrada Familia as \u201cone of the most hideous buildings in the world\u201d and hoped it would be destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. Artist Salvador Dali said the cathedral had a \u201cterrifying and edible beauty.\u201dIts architect Antoni Gaudi famously said, \u201cMy client is in no hurry.\u201d (His \u2018client\u2019 was God.) Though begun in 1882, the Sagrada Familia was incomplete when Gaudi was hit by a tram and killed in 1926. The building is not expected to be finished until 2026, when it will become the world\u2019s tallest church at 560ft (170m).Today, more than 2.5 million people visit the church each year, their tickets contributing to the on-going project. Gaudi would be pleased. \u201cA church,\u201d he said, is \u201cthe only thing worthy of representing the soul of a people, for religion is the most elevated reality in man.\u201d Pope Benedict XVI repeated these words at the cathedral\u2019s dedication on 7 November 2010.Opening hours\n- 9.00am-6.00pm \u2013 November to February\n- 9.00am-7.00pm \u2013 March\n- 9.00am-8.00pm \u2013 April to September\n- 9.00am-7.00pm \u2013 October\n- 9.00-2.00pm \u2013 December 25,26 and January 1,6\nLast tickets sold 15 minutes before closingAbout the cathedralGaudi\u2019s Sagrada Familia is said to be an example of Gothic architecture, but it is actually a modification and development of the form unique to its architect.For Gaudi, the Gothic form was too limiting in the strictly structural sense. He used models to experiment with new and alternative solutions while being influenced both by Christianity and forms found in nature. Look carefully at his buildings and you see shell-like swirls, tree branches, animal scales, feathers and waves.In terms of church architecture, however, the Expiatory Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia is relatively standard: a central nave with four aisles and transepts forming a Latin cross, the top of which is closed by a semi-circular apse. The uniqueness is in the spires and monumental facades, each representing an event of Christ\u2019s life: his birth, passion, death and resurrection, and his glory.The original plan was for a group of 18 towers: 12 shorter bell towers on the facades (representing the apostles), and six central taller ones (symbolic of their hierarchy). When completed, the tallest, at 172.5m (566ft), will represent Jesus Christ and will be surrounded by four, thinner, 135m (443ft) towers representing the evangelists.Much has been written about the cathedral being perpetually unfinished, but it\u2019s said Gaudi knew he would never live to see its completion. His goal was to make a bold start, expecting that his dream \u2013 once started \u2013 would have to be finished by others.AddressCarrer de la Marina, BarcelonaGetting there\n- By Metro\n- Line 2 and Line 5 Sagrada Familia\n\n- By bus\n- 19, 33, 34, 43, 44, 50, 51, B20 and B24","img":"https:\/\/images-sandbox.musement.com\/cover\/0002\/15\/sagrada-familia-jpg_header-114433.jpeg","city":"Barcelona","lat":41.403918,"lng":2.17441},{"id":null,"name":null,"headline":null,"reviewsNumber":null,"reviewsAvg":null,"description":null,"img":null,"city":null,"lat":null,"lng":null},{"id":695,"name":"Burj Khalifa","headline":"Burj Khalifa tickets and tours","reviewsNumber":619,"reviewsAvg":4.5,"description":"Building the world\u2019s tallest skyscraper is never easy, especially when construction is in a desert. The tower faces extremes of wind and temperature due to its height and location, so the architects had to use all of their tricks.The building is Y-shaped, which allows more window surface but also more stability at its base. Narrowing as it rises, the tower\u2019s \u201cwings\u201d begin to spiral upward, reducing mass and creating less wind resistance. It still moves in high winds, but so slowly that residents don\u2019t notice.In the blistering heat, Burj Khalifa responds with shiny aluminum and stainless-steel cladding to reflect the sun. Its special glass is also reflective and stops the heat getting in. Fortunately, the immense height is good for ventilation because the air temperature and humidity at the top is lower than at the bottom. Air-conditioning is therefore \u201csky-sourced\u201d.The shape of the building is allegedly influenced by the shape of the Hymenocallis flower and also by classic Islamic architecture. Seen from above, or at the base, there are resemblances to the \u201conion\u201d dome of a mosque. About Burj KhalifaCurrently the world\u2019s tallest building, Dubai\u2019s Burj Khalifa stands at 828m (2,716ft) \u2013 more than 160 stories. The views across the desert to the Persian Gulf are astounding, especially at dawn or sunset, when the spire\u2019s shadow stretches endlessly away.On entering, you\u2019ll experience a multi-media presentation about the remarkable construction process before zooming skyward in some of the world\u2019s fastest lifts: 10m (33ft) per second. When you emerge at the 124th floor observation deck, you\u2019ll find telescopes to scan the city below. Brave people might step out on to the 360-degree open-air terrace (weather permitting).If the views make you hungry, that\u2019s no problem. The ground floor is home to Armani\/Deli, a branded eating experience offering European flavors and stylish d\u00e9cor that demands a selfie. AddressBurj Khalifa\n1 Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard\nDowntown Dubai\nDubai, UAE Getting thereBy car\n- Park at Fashion Parking Level LG\nBy Metro\n- Red line F13 and F16: Burj Khalifa station","img":"https:\/\/images-sandbox.musement.com\/cover\/0002\/15\/venuehero-burjkhalifa-2-jpg_header-114812.jpeg","city":"Dubai","lat":25.197537,"lng":55.274323},{"id":755,"name":"9-11 Memorial and Museum","headline":"9\/11 Memorial and Museum tickets and tours","reviewsNumber":1275,"reviewsAvg":4.6,"description":"The 9\/11 memorial is an inspiring and affecting experience no New York visitor should miss. It consists of two recessed waterfall pools set in the footprints of the fallen twin towers, each pool surrounded by bronze plates featuring the names of those killed in the tragedy of 11 September 2001 (and the explosion of 1993).Standing alongside a 30,000sq ft (2787sq m) pool, you watch water descend 30ft (9m) in gentle silver strands against a dark Virginia granite wall before disappearing out of sight into a smaller, deeper aperture. Your eyes are drawn constantly downwards, but then back up to the void in a reflective cycle. The memorial is aptly named \u201cReflecting Absence.\u201dAround the pools, 2,243 swamp white oaks have been planted to create a calm green space that will rise to 80ft (24m) and last up to 350 years. Among them, you\u2019ll find the Survivor Tree, a callery pear that that was recovered burned and broken from the rubble with just one limb still alive. It lives on as part of the memorial: one of many poignant details that make this such an unforgettable spectacle.9\/11 Memorial MuseumThe 9\/11 Memorial Museum, located in the heart of the World Trade Center site, explores and documents the implications of the events of 9\/11 through interactive technology, archives, narratives and a collection of artifacts.One World ObservatoryVisit the One World Observatory to admire panoramic views of New York City and to discover the city\u2019s history through interactive art installations. Ride in the Sky Pod elevator up to the 102nd floor of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and immerse yourself in the interactive visuals and voices that tell the story of New York and the construction of the One World Trade Center.","img":"https:\/\/images-sandbox.musement.com\/cover\/0001\/21\/9-11-memorial-and-museum_header-20163.jpeg","city":"New York","lat":40.712371,"lng":-74.013282}]}}