Anyone entering Szczecin by bridges over the Oder River can see the towering red-brick gothic Cathedral and an elegant, pale silhouette of a Renaissance castle with green towers, which used to be the seat of the dukes of the Griffins dynasty who ruled the Duchy of Pomerania. The Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle has five wings and two courtyards. Acting as a cultural institution it organizes an array of cultural events: concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, conferences and meetings to popularize science, as well as to spread knowledge about the history of West Pomerania. The largest wing houses an Opera. In the wing that housed a mint in the olden days one can find today Cultural and Tourist Information Centre. There is a panoramic terrace on the rooftop of the northern wing from where splendid views can be appreciated. The wing’s basement houses a Vault with sarcophaguses of six princes. The Duke Boguslaw X hall, which used to be a princely chapel, is now a concert hall with a polychromatic ceiling decorated in Renaissance style. A 17th century astronomical clock is the Castle’s special tourist attraction. Also a room dedicated to Eilhard Lubinus and the Witches’ Cell are definitely worth a visit.

Lord Howe Island Marine Park brings together a mix of tropical, subtropical and temperate marine life found nowhere else on Earth, making it one of the world’s best diving sites. Discover the numerous atolls, pinnacles and reefs of the Admiralty Islands. Explore the basalt caves and reefs below Balls Pyramid, the world’s tallest sea stack. The waters are home to huge schools of violet sweep, rainbow runners, marlin, dolphins, turtles and rare species such as Spanish dancers, double-headed wrasse and Galapagos whalers.

Lord Howe Island is one of Australia’s premier birdwatching destinations, with 14 species of seabirds breeding here in their hundreds of thousands. The island also has more than 130 permanent and migratory bird species, including the unique Lord Howe Island woodhen, vast flocks of migrating shearwaters and rare providence petrels.

Neds Beach Sanctuary Zone offers a unique opportunity to view an amazing diversity of coral, fish and other marine life close to shore. And you can hand-feed fish in this haven. Be part of a favourite Lord Howe ritual and help feed eager mullet, wrasse, garfish, silver drummer, spangled emperor and metre-long kingfish.