
This is the end of the world, beyond this point exists only..., it is situated in..., name is...
Have you ever wondered where the edge of the Earth is? Is there a place where the land just stops and there's nothing beyond it? Well, such a place really exists. Many great thinkers and even experts have been puzzled by this question. It's even asked in UPSC exams in India. But there's a real answer and it lies in one of the coldest parts of the world.
This place is located in a European country called Norway. And the name of the road that leads to the end of the Earth is the E-69 Highway.
This road is famously known as the last road on Earth. It's not just a nickname, it truly feels like the final stretch of land before the world disappears into the icy unknown. The E-69 Highway is just 14 kilometers long, but its importance is much greater. It connects to the northernmost point of mainland Europe, very close to the Arctic Circle.
As you travel along this road, you begin to see fewer people, fewer buildings and then suddenly, nothing but glaciers, snow, and the vast Arctic Ocean. It's as if the Earth itself just stopped.
This area is so far north that it's close to where the Earth's axis passes through. That's why many say this is where the Earth spins from. Once the E-69 ends, there are no more roads. No more land to drive on. Only freezing waters, floating ice, and endless silence.
The E-69 takes you to a place called North Cape (Nordkapp), a famous cliff that offers a breathtaking view of the Arctic. Many travelers come here just to stand at the edge, where the land ends and the sea begins, and feel what it's like to be at the 'end of the Earth'.
So, while the Earth is round and technically has no edge, the E-69 Highway in Norway is the closest you'll get to a real-world ending point. It's a place that reminds you how vast, beautiful, and mysterious our planet truly is.

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Mint
8 hours ago
- Mint
Travel: A walk around Karlovy Vary, a Czech spa town
"You must have a sip," the guide insists, in a gentle but persuasive tone. The sip in question is from a thin shooting geyser around which is built a wide, shallow basin, enveloped in warm steam. In the bright afternoon sun, falling droplets and steam from the geyser catch the light rays and convert them into rainbows that vanish as quickly as they appear. Any lingering doubt about the nature of the spring is swiftly dispelled by the distinct sulphurous smell that hangs in the air. A changing tableau of people approach the spring, fill tiny, fist-sized juglets from the geyser, chug it and move on. How bad can it be, I think to myself and follow suit—and promptly gag. The water is metallic, acrid and vile. Yet, in the Czech town of Karlovy Vary, about two hours west of Prague, more than a dozen hot springs (as well as 300 smaller ones), are revered as the springs of health, wellness and longevity. Known locally as Karlsbad/Carlsbad, Karlovy Vary (literally Charles' spring) was a European spa town for centuries before Czechia got swept behind the Iron Curtain. It is named after Charles IV, the 14th century Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia. During and after Charles' rule, the thermal springs gained a massive reputation for having incredible medicinal properties, ranging from relieving muscular and gastrointestinal problems to curing gout and obesity. So much so that the fashionable to fawning and everyone in between flocked to the town—Russian Tsar Peter the Great, Kemal Ataturk, Goethe, Marx, Beethoven, Wagner... What the fashionable set also did was inspire wedding-cake like architecture: a blend of ornate neo-Baroque, neo-Renaissance and art nouveau with pastel facades and frothy embellishments that invoke luxury and grandeur. As if all this fame was not enough, the town has also hosted an annual film festival since 1946, considered eastern Europe's biggest. The town suffered a period of ignominy during the Cold War but as the Iron Curtain crumbled, its popularity soared again. To the extent that Unesco named it one among 11 great spa towns of Europe in 2021. Also read: Head to Lisse for tulips without the crowds Spread over both banks of the river Tepla, Karlovy Vary is situated in the pristine Sokolov basin surrounded Slavkov forest full of bogs, lush green meadows and pine woods. Just outside the historic centre of town, an ornate 19th century building is the first indication of the town's celebrity status. Called Kaiserbad locally, it is better known as the famous Casino Royale in the eponymous James Bond movie. A cobble-stoned pathway from here along the river leads to the town centre. Inserted between the cobble-stones are metallic plaques with globally-recognised names: Marx, Kafka, Beethoven, Wagner, but also movie celebrities such as Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Gregory Peck, Antonio Banderas, Scarlett Johansson and many more, as a tribute to its famous visitors. The cobbled path follows a bend in the river and opens into Stara Louka, the main street, which is also dubbed the Hot Spring Street for obvious reasons. Located along this path are nearly a dozen thermal springs ranging between 30 and 73 degree Celsius, housed in elegant colonnades. These are interspersed with stacked 18th and 19th century buildings in beautiful pastel shades housing swanky boutiques, swish showrooms, restaurants, bars, cafes and souvenir stores. It is from one of these that my guide Natalie buys me a pretty white and blue ceramic juglet, called a spa cup, for tasting the spring water. During peak season, the street swirls with tourists but on a pleasant weekday afternoon at the end of April, it isn't crowded at all. The river bends once more and in the crook is the first of the colonnades, Vridelni Kolonada (Hot Spring Colonnade), my first encounter with the spring water. Made of glass and concrete, the colonnade is relatively new and is dedicated to Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. And for good reason: it houses the most spectacular of Karlovy Vary's geysers, the Pramen Vřídlo, which shoots up 10m. At over 73 degrees Celsius, it is also one of the hottest of the springs. Inside the structure, the vapours are denser and tickle the nose and I hastily exit the building. Further ahead are two of the town's most beautiful and iconic buildings built around the springs. Mlynska Kolonada (Mill Colonnade) is a neo-Renaissance building from the late 19th century; it is a longish structure stretching for more 120m and held up by over a hundred Corinthian columns. The ornate architecture encases five springs that spurt water at temperatures ranging from 53 degrees Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius. 'They are not as bad as the first one," Natalie says. Having done it once, I decide I may as well try the others. Each one is a different: pungent, salty, tingling, bitter. 'That's because of the different minerals the water encounters when rising to the top. Each is also known to have its own medicinal properties," she says. Round the corner is the Trzni Kolonada (Market Colonnade), also from the 19th century. But where the previous one is ornate and solid, Trzni feels pretty and delicate with an intricate white lattice-work facade. Inside are three springs gushing out of hydrant-style contraptions. I taste some more of the warm waters, by now having becoming inured to the strong flavours. Once or twice I am surprised by a mildly fizzy taste. 'That's because of carbon dioxide content," Natalie says. As the evening shadows lengthen, it calls for looking at the town from a different perspective: a hot air balloon ride over the spa town. From up above, Karlovy Vary feels like something out of a fairytale—lush green forests, meadows and hillocks framing houses and buildings topped by red gabled roofs with the Tepla winding through it. Back in Stara Louka, dusk has fallen and golden light spills from every establishment, their reflections shimmering on the Tepla's surface, turning the street into an enchanting place. It is the perfect setting to taste Karlovy Vary's other famous liquid, Becherovka. The first sip, out of a shot glass, is almost an assault on the senses, leaving me sputtering and teary-eyed, as the liquid burns a path as it goes down. It is sharp, with menthol being the overwhelming flavour but is laced with notes of ginger and cinnamon. Drunk as an aperitif or digestif, Becherovka was created over 200 years ago by pharmacist Josef Vitus Becher as an antidote for gastric problems, combining 20 or more ingredients. It is unclear why and when it made the transition from the medicine cabinet to the bar. Its ABV strength at upwards of 40% could be the overpowering reason. I sip some more and discover subtler flavours such as citrus, spices and herbs. With each sip, it tastes better and better. As I begin to enjoy it, I am amused that becherovka, much like the town's hot springs, has begun to grow on me. Also read: From Botswana to New Zealand, travel to the southern hemisphere this summer


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
World Cup 2026: Could co-host politics have an impact?
AI- Generated Image A year out from the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, host city Los Angeles is engulfed in protests related to the deportation of Mexicans and other minorities. Meanwhile, an ever-shifting trade war threatens relations between the three hosts and a travel ban will likely prevent some fans from attending. While the whims of US President Donald Trump make predictions perilous, fans, players and national teams must already start to make plans for one of sport's biggest events, one secured in Trump's first term when relations between the three countries were much more harmonious. The ongoing protests are an immediate safety concern for the Club World Cup in the US, with European champions Paris Saint-Germain set to meet Atletico Madrid in LA on the tournament's opening day on June 15. LA will also host the first US game of the 2026 World Cup on June 12, a day after the tournament opens in Mexico. Trump's travel ban, which came in to effect on Monday, bars citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the US. An exception was made for "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state" but not for fans. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트, 지금 시작하세요 [자세히 보기] 임플란트 더 알아보기 Undo Iran have already qualified for the World Cup, but currently fans would not be able to travel to support them in the US. Trump sees opportunity in sport The same is not yet true for citizens of Mexico and Canada. And for Andrew Zimbalist, professor emeritus in economics at Smith College in the US state of Massachusetts and author of "Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup," putting on a good show to burnish his own reputation is likely to be at the forefront of Trump's mind. "Mr. Trump has shown a willingness to make exceptions when there's pressure. And I think further that Trump cares. He's a sports fan. He cares about his international image. He cares about the attention that that will come to him when both the Club World Cup in 2025 and the real World Cup in 2026 happen. These are photo opportunities for Trump to bask in in the game's glory," he told DW, speaking ahead of the LA protests. Zimbalist added that with Trump, things can always change quickly. "There's a tremendous amount of tension and a tremendous amount of uncertainty about how Mr. Trump will behave, and we never know." World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico were, along with China, the first countries targeted in the evolving tariff war that began soon after Trump took office. Zimbalist doesn't predict the uneasiness at the government level will have a significant impact on the tournament, arguing that there will be enough fans prepared to travel for games that any discouraged from doing so will not be noticeable. He also believes that the relatively new leaders in Mexico — Claudia Sheinbaum, elected in October 2024 — and Canada — Mark Carney, elected in March — will not allow their countries to become marginalized. "I think both with Carney in Canada and Sheinbaum in Mexico, that he has met his real enemy. These leaders are not bowing down to him, and they're both very, very smart, very well prepared, and at the moment, are popular in their countries. And so they have the latitude to take on Trump," said Zimbalist. Mexican fans uncertain on match travel Nevertheless, for Mexican fans in particular, traveling across the border to World Cup, or indeed Club World Cup games this month, in the US is a fraught business. "I don't feel afraid to go to the United States but it feels little bit like going to someone else's house where you are not welcome," said Alan, a Pachuca fan talking to DW ahead of his team's participation in the Club World Cup. Other Pachuca fans complained that significant visa processing delays, some up to two years, meant they would have been unable to travel to support their team even without the current safety concerns. "Appointments were delayed and then the president said that some Mexicans shouldn't go there, I think that has a big influence on why they're taking so long with the visas," said Axel. "I would feel a little unsafe around the police and everything government-related and that side of the United States." While demand for, and interest in, the World Cup will be on a different level to the revamped Club World Cup, which has proved controversial in some quarters, and stands may see some foreign nationals from Canada and Mexico, it does seem like political relations will have some impact on fans — even if the stands will be full. Canada, Mexico more able to stand up against Trump While Canadians are not quite as central to the current events in LA, the US' northerly neighbours have been at loggerheads with the Trump administration. The US national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," has been booed at ice hockey games in Canada in recent months, and Carney's surprise election was partly ascribed to his willingness to take on Trump and his plan to make Canada the 51st state. "Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it's not for sale. Won't be for sale, ever," Carney told Trump when the pair met in May in a meeting that was otherwise relatively cordial, despite clear tensions. For those hoping to plan a visit to, or participation in, the World Cup, judging the political mood — and the implications of changes in it — have become as important as waiting for results from qualifying. "I could see it happening along the way that if Sheinbaum becomes a little bit more aggressive than Trump wants her to be, or challenges some of Trump's immigration moves, that he would say: "You know what? I might not let Mexico participate in the World Cup, or I might not let this happen or that happen.' So I can see threats like that, but I'd have to believe that they wouldn't be carried out," said Zimbalist, musing on what might play out in the next year. The Club World Cup, which starts Saturday and is hosted solely by the US, is perceived by some as a test of elements of the country's readiness to host the 026 World Cup. But any development or deterioration of relations between the three co-hosts will be critical to the success of next year's tournament.


India.com
a day ago
- India.com
10 fastest trains of the world are..., first is China's..., its maximum speed is.., India is not in list
10 fastest trains of the world are..., first is China's..., its maximum speed is.., India is not in list Trains have been the lifelines for countries for many years. With age and technology, the railway network across the globe has evolved. From a passenger train to a train with new age facility, the railways has come a long way. In this article, we will look at the 10 fastest trains in the world. India with a population of more than 140 billion, Vande Bharat Express has come as boon, which runs at a speed of 180 kmph. At the same time, the rest of the countries of Asia and the world including China, Japan and South Korea have made so much progress that bullet trains running at a speed of up to 460 kilometers per hour have come there. China operates a bullet train called CRH380A Hexie , which is the world's fastest train with a speed of 486 kilometres per hour , or 302 mph. , which is the world's fastest train with a speed of , or 302 mph. A bullet train called Shanghai Maglev runs in China's major city Shanghai, which is the second fastest train in the world and its speed goes up to 460 kilometers per hour (286 mph). China also operates a bullet train called CR450, which can reach speeds of up to 453 kilometres per hour (281 mph). In the developed Asian country South Korea, a train named HEMU-430X runs, which has a speed of 430 kilometers per hour (267 mph). The bullet train named CR400 Fuxing is very popular in China and its speed is up to 350 kilometers per hour (217 mph). A bullet train named Siemens Velaro E/AVs 103 runs in the European country Spain, whose top speed is up to 403.7 kilometers per hour. A bullet train named Frecciarossa runs in Italy, whose top speed is 350 kilometers per hour. In the popular European country Germany, a train named DB Intercity Express 3 runs, which can travel up to 350 kilometers (217 mph) in an hour. A bullet train named Shinkansen H5 runs in Japan, whose top speed is 320 kilometers per hour. A train called TGV runs in France, which can reach a speed of 320 kilometers per hour.