There are several reasons for Sky Bridge 721 to be named as it is. First, it reflects the length of the bridge, which is 721 meters. Second, it is built 95 meters above the valley, which makes you feel like you are somewhere between the sky and the earth. 

Due to safety regulations, only 500 visitors are allowed to remain on the bridge concurrently. Another ratio that is carefully observed by those in charge of the bridge is the weather forecast. If the wind blows at a certain rate, the bridge is closed due to security concerns. 

The bridge, located above Kralicky Sneznik mountain, was constructed within a year. It opened to visitors this May.

In 1966, Jacqueline Kennedy proclaimed, “Valentino, live 100 years!” We’d want to echo that feeling these days, as the designer celebrates his 90th birthday — in style, of course.

Valentino Garavani has the uncommon distinction of having his own Pantone color, Valentino Red, and instead of toasting him, we’ve gathered a collection of beautiful ensembles in his honor.

“When you see a woman in a beautiful red evening dress, it’s really something special,” Valentino has said, and he’s proved the point over and over since showing his first red dress, called Fiesta in 1959.

Before there was Valentino “PP” pink — the Pantone-official shade that made up most Pierpaolo Piccioli’s A/W 2022 collection and has been a red-carpet fixture ever since — there was Valentino red, the favored hue of house founder Valentino Garavani.

“Red is a color that is not shy,” said Garavani, who has been dubbed “the last emperor of fashion” since his retirement from the house in 2008.

Immortalized best in Deborah Turbeville’s seminal photographs of Valentino’s 1977 couture collection — whereby a mille-feuille crimson gown emerges amid a sea of women in black — the color came to symbolize Garavani’s bold approach, sensual and theatrical at once (the designer said the lifelong obsession came from watching a production of Carmen in Barcelona as a child, which had an all-red set).

It is fitting that a new exhibition to mark Garavani’s 90th birthday takes place at Teatro Sociale di Voghera, a dramatic 1842-built theater found in Italy’s northern Pavia region (until 5 June 2022).

Taking over the theater’s circular auditorium — which was renovated in 2018 after nearly three decades of disrepair — visitors will discover works from the designer’s 50 years at the helm lining the various balconies, spanning the 1960s to the 2000s.

On the stage itself is a collection of dresses in Valentino red from across the archive, “an anthology of styles that have each been able to embody the spirit of their time”. It is a metaphor in which Valentino’s women are both actresses and spectators, without differences, all belonging to a global vision that represents a total idea of beauty and femininity in which each subject is on the same level.

Alongside the archival clothing, various pieces of ephemera are also on display, from studies, sketches and drawings, to newspaper clippings and photographs that depict the time in which the clothes made their debut.

Europe is a great destination to discover the best music festivals – there are stages to cater for every taste. Besides, music festivals provide a realistic chance to see all your favorite music performers with a single ticket. Here is our list of top European festivals to catch in summer 2022.

1. Tomorrowland

Where: Boom, Belgium

When: 15 July – 1 August

Lineup 2022: Alesso, Above & Beyond, Nicole Moudaber, Diplo, Amelie Lens, Purple Disco Machine

Since 2005, Tomorrowland has been a gathering place for all electronic music fans. It goes beyond a simple festival – a futuristic entertainment town is created about 16 km south of Antwerp.

2. Earth Garden 

Where: Malta

When: 3-5 June

Lineup 2022: Horse Meat Disco, Ceephax Acid Crew, Freedom Fighters, Reeko, Gardna, London Afrobeat Collective

Earth Garden is an alternative music festival taking place annually at the National Park. It features an eclectic array of musical genres of Ska, Funk, Blues, Alternative Rock, Dub, Hip-Hop, Techno, Drum ‘n’ Bass, and more.

3. Glastonbury

Where: Worthy Farm, Pilton, United Kingdom

When: 22-26 June

Lineup 2022: Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, Kendrick Lamar, Diana Ross, Burna Boy, Pet Shop Boys, Lorde   

Glastonbury Festival is the site of annual pilgrimage for music lovers from all over the world. It was the stage for the biggest acts in world music, a career-forger – and a summer music festival not to be missed.

4. Wacken Open Air

Where: Wacken (about 80 km northwest of Hamburg), Germany

When: 4-6 August

Lineup 2022: Judas Priest, Limp Bizkit, As I Lay Dying, Lacuna Coil

Wacken Open Air is a meeting place for heavy metal fans, with over 150 bands performing every year. The event dates back to 1990, and throughout the years, such big shots as Iron Maiden, Opeth, and Children of Bodom have played live on its stages.

5. Mad Cool Festival

Where: Madrid, Spain

When: 6-9 July

Lineup 2022: Metallica, The Killers, Muse, twenty one pilots, Imagine Dragons, Pixies, Placebo

Mad Cool Festival may not have a long and eventful history, but it is one of the most popular music events in Europe with the best lineups.

These words belong to Louise Penny, a famous Canadian writer. She encloses the passion of the singing men—the music that fills the hearts of both performers and listeners. Penny’s thoughts on music are shared by many, regardless of their favorite musical genre. 

Opera has existed for many hundreds of years. It originated in Italy, and to this day, opera is mostly performed in Italian. The Arena di Verona, or Arena Opera Festival, has been held yearly since 1936 in the summer. Each year, there is a new program for the event.

From June 17th to September 4th, the Arena di Verona Opera Festival will dazzle visitors. Next year, the festival will be celebrating its 100th anniversary, and in 2022, there will be a special program prepared for all who want to attend.

Origins

Originally, the first operas produced for the festival were dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi, the legendary Italian composer. His opera Aida, which tells the story of love and its strikes in times of war, was the first opera staged in an open-air area. It took place on the 13th of August 1913. 

Several foundations hosted the festival during different periods of time (e.g. the Casa Musicale Sonzogno, a famous opera publishing house). In 1936, the final and only entity was created to administer the event.

Repertoire

The program of the Arena di Verona Opera Festival will satisfy everyone’s wants. 

Classics never get out of fashion, and the Arena di Verona Festival proves this statement. Moreover, it grants all the amateurs a rare opportunity to visit several iconic operas at once. Carmen, Turandot, La Traviata—and this is only the beginning of the list. 

Another eagerly awaited part of the cultural program is an evening of ballet. You may ask about the way it has anything to do with opera; it has indeed. Ballet is another side of the coin: opera performers tell the story in a song, and ballet dancers show it in dance. The classical repertory for both genres is usually similar in different theaters. You can visit both opera and ballet and decide on which genre you prefer the most. Some people like to learn the story from the lyrics, while others choose to read it in the dance. Roberto Bolle & the Friends are top ballet stars, performing at the festival since 2012. 

Carmina Burana, one of the greatest classical choirs in the world, is worth listening to. Carmina Burana, directed and composed by Carl Off, pays tribute to Ezio Bosso, who was a famous Italian composer. Two children’s choirs, A.d’A.Mus. and A L.I.V.E., are also to be a part of the show. 

What else to see in Italy

If you have some time left before or after the Arena di Verona Opera Festival, use it as a chance to explore Italy and make new memories! 

Verona is a beautiful city – you will be amazed by the sights surrounding you. This peaceful place is not only a treasure trove of history but also the home of music. Each year, a bunch of musical concerts is held in the area, and you can be lucky enough to visit some if you stay for some time. 

Further details 

Starting on the 17th of June and ending on the 4th of September, Arena di Verona has a perfect timetable: it gives you more than two months to attend, and you can pick the date that suits you the most.