London: An artist's travel video

The world's largest urban museum, the Museum of London re-opened today with five new galleries. The museum has long been a London highlight. It tells the story of the city from the Great Fire of London in 1666 to the present day, using state of the art interactive displays, re-creations of period urban scenes, and cleverly designed neighborhood maps. The five new "Galleries of Modern London" sit in a stunning glass cube perched over the street. Rooms are decorated with models, posters, paintings and artifacts. There's a lavish gilt Lord Mayor's coach, gritty displays showcasing the troubled 1970s and 1980s (with the rise of the fascist National Front and the Poll tax riots) and cutesier items like an old two-penny red phone box, which was once as much a London icon as the black cab and bowler hat. There's also an 18th-century "pleasure garden" and an interactive map of the Thames showing how London is changing with new high rise buildings and modernist architecture. Browse on your own or take a guided tour with Cockney "Pearly King" John Walters, who gives colorful running commentary dressed from head to toe in traditional East End pearly buttons and a black cap. museumoflondon.org.uk, free.

For a charming, laid-back, no-hassles tour of Europe, river cruising is hard to beat. If you've ever had questions about this elegant mode of travel, send them in to us now. River cruising, while growing rapidly in popularity, is new to a lot of travelers—and that's why we're devoting an upcoming Trip Coach column to the topic. You might be wondering: What are the most scenic rivers? What are the most interesting and fun riverside villages and towns to explore? Besides Europe, where are river cruises offered? What are the differences between Avalon Waterways, Viking River Cruises, Uniworld, and other companies operating river cruises? How different is river cruising from the big-ship ocean cruise experience? And of course, how do you get the best price on a cabin? Send in your questions about river cruising, and we'll do our best to clue readers in on everything they need to know about the experience in an upcoming issue of Budget Travel.

Starting this month, Americans of Danish descent have a new way to learn about their heritage and to enjoy walking tours in Denmark. A new site, 1000.stories.dk, publishes fun mini-histories of the country, written by a group of Danish scholars and journalists. Each "story" is boiled down into a short snippet that can be read or listened to on mobile phones and GPS devices. (In July, the English mobile version will be available.) For travelers, it's an ideal companion to a day on the sightseeing circuit. There's offbeat information like the location of Denmark's first traffic light, its oldest souvenir shop, and the annual Woodstock-like music festival in Roskilde. Personally, I'd go for the hot dogs at the Pilot Grill, a popular spot for local airplane buffs. Model airplanes dangle from the ceiling above tables that overlook the airport's main runway. Along the way, you'll hear amusing tales, such as about the time when Marie-Antoinette shopped for gloves during her visit in the 16th century. MORE Follow Visit Denmark on Twitter @DenmarkFeelFree Copenhagen is My City [Intelligent Travel] Six reasons to visit Denmark, the world's happiest country [from Four Hour Workweek]