Bing Wallpaper Archive - Daily Desktop Backgrounds

In Fez, Morocco, the Royal Palace—known as Dar al-Makhzen—has stood as a seat of power since the 13th century, when Morocco's rulers established a fortified royal city around it. Behind its high walls lie gardens, courtyards, mosques, and royal residences spread across a vast complex still used by the king today, making it both historic and fully active.

Owls take center stage on International Owl Awareness Day, an annual observance highlighting their remarkable adaptations and worldwide distribution. Found on every continent except Antarctica, these birds are known for forward-facing eyes, flat facial discs that channel sound, and specialized hearing. Many species hunt in near silence thanks to soft-edged feathers. Their eyes remain fixed in their sockets, so they rely on flexible necks to scan their surroundings. From forests to deserts, owls inhabit a wide range of environments and play an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance.

Colorful luzzus—traditional Maltese fishing boats—fill the sheltered harbor of Marsaxlokk, a village on Malta's southeastern coast. Just a short drive from Valletta, the island's capital, it remains one of the country's main fishing hubs, where daily life follows the steady pace of the sea. Home to roughly 4,000 residents, the village is also widely known for its lively waterfront, especially its popular Sunday fish market, and for the steady return of boats carrying fresh catches each morning.

Finland is famous for the northern lights, its high happiness rankings, saunas, and thousands of lakes. Helsinki adds history, design, and the Baltic Sea to that list. The story begins in 1550, when King Gustav I of Sweden founded a trading town that would become Finland's capital in 1812. Today, a walk through the city can take you from Senate Square and the white-domed Helsinki Cathedral to the sea fortress of Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site accessible by ferry.

Most landscapes change over thousands of years. Volcanoes can reshape them in a matter of hours, and on Hawaii's Big Island, they continue to do just that. Recognizing the scientific and natural importance of this ever-changing environment, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was established on August 1, 1916. For more than a century, it has protected over 350,000 acres of volcanic terrain, native forests, and rare wildlife.

Some railways retire. The Virginia Creeper Trail simply changed gears. Stretching 34.3 miles through southwest Virginia, this trail follows a former rail line once used to haul lumber and iron ore through the Appalachian Mountains. Its unusual name traces back to the steam locomotives that labored up steep grades in the early 1900s.