Iceland

PARIS — Long lines beneath I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid in Paris have become as much a part of the experience as the “ Mona Lisa ” itself.

Now the Louvre is putting a higher price on that pilgrimage, raising admission prices on Wednesday for most non-European visitors by nearly half as it tries to shore up finances after repeated strikes, chronic overcrowding — and a brazen French Crown Jewels heist that shook the institution.

The museum said the 45% price hike to 32 euros ($37) from 22 euros is part of a national “differentiated pricing” policy announced early last year that’s coming into force across major cultural sites, including the Versailles Palace, the Paris Opera and the Sainte-Chapelle.

But French worker unions have denounced the Louvre ticketing change, saying it undermines the universal mission of the world’s most visited museum — home to the “Venus de Milo” and the “Winged Victory of Samothrace.”

Some visitors echoed those concerns outside the Louvre on Wednesday.

“Culture should be open to everyone — yes — at the same price,” said Laurent Vallet, visiting Paris from Burgundy.

Despite the hike, workers walked out again Monday in the latest strike over pay and working conditions, thrusting the museum’s internal strain back into public view.

‘We’re still going to go’

The change affects visitors from most non-EU countries, including the United States, which typically accounts for the majority of the Louvre’s foreign tourists.

Under the new structure, visitors who are neither citizens nor residents of the EU — or Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway — will pay the higher rate.

The new price applies to individual visitors outside Europe; guided groups will pay 28 euros, with tours capped at 20 people “to maintain the quality of the visit,” the museum said.

Still, some tourists questioned the logic of charging visitors more. “In general, for tourists things should be a little bit cheaper than local people because we have to travel to come all the way here,” said Darla Daniela Quiroz, visiting from Vancouver.

Others said they would pay anyway. “It’s one of the main attractions here in Paris … We’re still going to go,” said Allison Moore, a Canadian tourist from Newfoundland visiting with her mother. “Hopefully it’ll be all worth it in the end.”

The CGT Culture union has denounced the policy, arguing it turns access to culture into a “commercial product” and creates unequal access to national heritage

Some categories remain eligible for free admission, though, including visitors under the age of 18.

The last price hike was in January 2024, when the standard entry fee rose from 17 euros to 22 euros.

Not just the Mona Lisa

The Louvre says it is not alone. Versailles and other flagship tourist attractions are adopting similar two-tier pricing this month.

At Versailles, the “Passport” ticket will cost 35 euros in high season for visitors from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, compared to 32 euros for visitors who are citizens or residents of those countries. At Sainte-Chapelle, the ticket rises to 22 euros for visitors from outside those countries, versus 16 euros for those within them, according to heritage officials.

The Louvre said the new tariff will help finance investment under its “Louvre — New Renaissance” modernization project and could bring in as much as 20 million euros more per year.

A heist and an institution under scrutiny

French museums had already been considering higher fees for visitors from outside Europe before the Oct. 19 theft of French Crown Jewels from the Louvre, valued by investigators at about 88 million euros.

However, the robbery that was carried out in daylight, in minutes — was a speed and audacity that intensified scrutiny of how France protects its most prized cultural treasures.

It also fueled debate over how major landmarks should pay for upgrades and whether visitors should carry a bigger share of the cost.

Elsewhere in Europe, the standard entry to Rome’s Colosseum, along with the Forum and Palatine Hill, is 18 euros ($20), and an adult ticket for Athens’ Acropolis is 30 euros ($33).

Strike, strike — and strike again

The Louvre has repeatedly been forced to confront its internal stresses in public.

In June, a wildcat strike by gallery attendants, ticket agents and security staff delayed the museum’s daily opening, leaving thousands of visitors stranded beneath the pyramid.

Workers said the Louvre had buckled under mass tourism, citing unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and deteriorating working conditions.

By December, unions said the heist and the building’s condition had turned their long-running grievances into a national reckoning. Louvre workers voted to continue striking until what they consider real change comes to the aging former royal palace.

Adamson writes for the Associated Press. Jeffrey Schaeffer in Paris contributed to this report.

This roundabout is the only one of its kind.

Travellers venturing to the Faroe Islands might be taken aback to discover the world’s first underwater roundabout during their visit.

The roundabout sits within the Eysturoy Tunnel, which was inaugurated four years ago in December 2020 and has significantly reduced journey times between the different islands in the archipelago.

Whilst positioned roughly midway between Scotland and Iceland, the Faroe Islands form part of the Kingdom of Denmark, though they’ve enjoyed self-governance since 1948.

The islands’ position means that unpredictable weather conditions can pose challenges for travel, prompting the development of an extensive tunnel network – 17 on land and four beneath the sea, with the deepest point sitting 187m (613ft) below sea level.

The Eysturoy Tunnel and its roundabout are thought to have slashed journey times from the capital, Torshavn, to the village of Runavik from an hour and 14 minutes down to a mere 16 minutes, reports the Express.

The Faroe Islands comprise 17 populated islands alongside numerous smaller islets and reefs.

Speaking about the tunnel network, Súsanna Sørensen, marketing manager of Visit Faroe Islands, remarked: “Though we are 18 islands, we often joke that we defy the fact that we are islands (thanks to the tunnels).”

Whilst the prospect of navigating an undersea tunnel in the Northern Atlantic might seem daunting, the tunnels were designed with precisely this concern in mind.

Teitur Samuelsen, chief executive of Eystur-og Sandoyartunlar, the firm running the tunnels, said: “The tunnels are designed by the world’s leading engineers and geologists, so safety with regards to the Atlantic above is not an issue.”

According to CNN, the Eysturoy Tunnel is “magical” to navigate, with the roundabout appearing so dramatic that its colours have drawn comparisons to the Northern lights, or even jellyfish.

And it’s not only this tunnel that boasts visual appeal – artwork and installations feature in several of the other tunnels as well.

Take the Sandoy Tunnel, for instance, which links the islands of Streymoy and Sandoy. It’s adorned with glow-in-the-dark totems, paying tribute to figures from Faroese folklore.

Speaking about the choice to invest in embellishing these tunnels, Teitur Samuelsen remarked: “We have a lot of good art in the Faroes, and we’d like to support our artists. In addition, it breaks up the monotony in a long, dark tunnel, so it’s good for driving safety.”

US President Donald Trump sees Greenland as a United States national security priority to deter Washington’s “adversaries in the Arctic region”, according to a White House statement released on Tuesday.

The statement came days after Trump told reporters that the US needs Greenland from a national security perspective because it is “covered with Russian and Chinese ships”.

Here’s what you need to know about what Trump said, whether Russia and China are present in Greenland, and whether they do pose a threat to American security.

What has Trump recently said about Greenland?

“Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on January 4.

The White House statement on Tuesday fleshed out further details on how the US would go about its acquisition of Greenland.

“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” the White House statement says.

Over the course of his second term, Trump has talked about wanting Greenland for national security reasons multiple times.

“We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it,” he said in March.

Since 1979, Greenland has been a self-governing territory of Denmark, and since 2009, it has had the right to declare independence through a referendum.

Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to take control of the island, which hosts a US military base. He first voiced this desire in 2019, during his first term as US president.

As a response, leaders from Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly said that Greenland is not for sale. They have made it clear that they are especially not interested in becoming part of the US.

On January 4, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, “It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing to take over Greenland.”

“The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish kingdom,” she said, alluding to the Faroe Islands, which, like Greenland, are also a Danish territory.

“I would therefore strongly urge the US to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly said that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.

US special forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during an operation in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on January 3.

Hours later, Katie Miller, the wife of close Trump aide and US Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, posted a photo on X showing the US flag imposed on the map of Greenland.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen hit back in an X post, writing, “Relations between nations and peoples are built on mutual respect and international law – not on symbolic gestures that disregard our status and our rights.”

Why does Trump want Greenland so badly?

The location and natural resources of the Arctic island make it strategically important for Washington.

Greenland is geographically part of North America, located between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. It is home to some 56,000 residents, mostly Indigenous Inuit people.

It is the world’s largest island. Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, is closer to New York City  – some 2,900km (1,800 miles) away – than the Danish capital Copenhagen, which is located 3,500km (2,174 miles) to the east.

Greenland, a NATO territory through Denmark, is an EU-associated overseas country and territory whose residents remain European Union citizens, having joined the European Community with Denmark in 1973 but having withdrawn in 1985.

“It’s really tricky if the United States decides to use military power to take over Greenland. Denmark is a member of NATO; the United States is a member as well. It really calls into question what the purpose of the military alliance is, if that happens,” Melinda Haring, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center, told Al Jazeera.

Greenland offers the shortest route from North America to Europe. This gives the US a strategic upper hand for its military and its ballistic missile early-warning system.

The US has expressed interest in expanding its military presence in Greenland by placing radars in the waters connecting Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom. These waters are a gateway for Russian and Chinese vessels, which Washington aims to track.

The island is also incredibly rich in minerals, including rare earth minerals used in the high-tech industry and in the manufacture of batteries.

According to a 2023 survey, 25 of 34 minerals deemed “critical raw materials” by the European Commission were found in Greenland.

Greenland does not carry out the extraction of oil and gas, and its mining sector is opposed by its Indigenous population. The island’s economy is largely reliant on its fishing industry.

Are Chinese and Russian ships swarming Greenland?

However, while Trump has spoken of Russian and Chinese ships around Greenland, currently, facts don’t bear that out.

Vessel tracking data from maritime data and intelligence websites such as MarineTraffic do not show the presence of Chinese or Russian ships near Greenland.

Are Russia and China a threat to Greenland?

The ships’ location aside, Trump’s rhetoric comes amid a heightened scramble for the Arctic.

Amid global warming, the vast untapped resources of the Arctic are becoming more accessible. Countries like the US, Canada, China and Russia are now eyeing these resources.

“Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we will closely follow the developments and mount an appropriate response by increasing our military capability and modernising military infrastructure,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said during an address in March 2025 at the International Arctic Forum in the Russian city of Murmansk, the largest city within the Arctic Circle.

During this address, Putin said that he believed Trump was serious about taking Greenland and that the US will continue with efforts to acquire it.

In December 2024, Canada released a policy document detailing plans to ramp up its military and diplomatic presence in the Arctic. Russia is also constructing military installations and power plants in the region.

Meanwhile, Russia and China have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Moscow seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions while Beijing seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca.

The Northern Sea Route (NSR), a maritime route in the Arctic Ocean, is becoming easier to navigate due to melting ice. The NSR can cut shipping trips significantly short. Russia is hoping to ramp up commerce through the NSR to trade more with Asia than Europe due to Western sanctions. Last year, the number of oil shipments from Russia to China via the NSR rose by a quarter.

China is also probing the region, and has sent 10 scientific expeditions to the Arctic and built research vessels to survey the icy waters north of Russia.

Booking a trip abroad can come with a hefty price tag, but one traveller was left baffled by the cost of food while visiting a European supermarket, as he claimed, ‘food costs more than the flight’

Food in one European country is so expensive that some tourists are packing food in their suitcases.

Iceland is a prime spot to catch the awe-inspiring Northern Lights, offering a spectacular getaway with its stunning Nordic landscapes, mountainous backdrops, and hot springs.

Yet, the European destination is notoriously pricey, to the extent that holidaymakers have resorted to packing their suitcases with food just to avoid the extortionate prices.

One traveller visited the Nordic island in the North Atlantic earlier this year and visited a local supermarket to see just how much the cost of food really was. In a video, @jesusansal explained that tourists often travel to Iceland with their own food stashed in their luggage because “food costs more than the flight.”

He videoed himself heading into a supermarket, and said: “Let’s see if it’s as expensive as people say”. And it didn’t take long before he found some costly everyday items that are almost double the price of what we’d find in an English supermarket.

Firstly, he found that a small pack of strawberries would set him back 800 Icelandic króna, which is around £4.75. For lunch, there was a baguette on offer for 1,065 króna, which is approximately £6.32, or a cheese sandwich for 750 króna (£4.45).

Elsewhere, a medium-sized bottle of olive oil costs 1,300 króna (£7.72), while instant noodles would set someone back 800 króna (£4.75) – a considerable hike compared to the 45p packs you can find in Tesco. “Mari, this is so expensive,” the TikToker said as he walked around the Iceland supermarket, but it didn’t end there.

He also found slices of Serrano ham for 500 króna (£2.97) and a small jar of the traditional Icelandic delicacy, hákarl, for 1,300 króna (£7.72). When it comes to making a basic breakfast during a stay in Iceland, the influencer found that it would cost someone around 2,000 króna (£11.87), which includes a couple of doughnuts, water, and juice.

Research from The Drinks Business found that Iceland is the most expensive place in Europe to purchase a bottle of wine, with the average cost of a mid-range wine setting someone back £18.30. This is compared to the European average of around £7.17 for the same quality of wine.

Having been left baffled by the prices of essential items, the Spanish traveller ended his video with: “Iceland may have spectacular views, but it’s quite expensive.” And he’s not the only one who feels this way.

Commenting on his TikTok video, one follower wrote: “What surprised me most was definitely the bread.” Another asked: “Can you get a mortgage at the supermarket?”

However, others noted the reason behind the higher prices could be due to their higher salaries. One commented: “In Iceland, the basic monthly salary is €6,000, so I even consider it cheap.”

One more added: “Well, the ham seems cheap to me, and the individual hams there will be five times more expensive than ours.” Another compared the prices to those in Europe and said: “The price of oil and ham is almost the same as in Spain.”

While you can find cheap flights to Iceland and affordable accommodation during your stay, the cost of food items can quickly add up. However, if you keep a budget for food each day and have this in mind before your trip, it’s still well worth a visit.

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