Travel Briefs

The historical monument Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory (Nördlichaes Schloss­rondell 8, D-80638, Munich, Germany; phone +49 089 179 197 0, fax 179 50, www.nymphenburg.com) offers guided tours year-round every Wednesday at 10 a.m. (reservations recommended).

Visitors see the entire cycle of producing porcelain art, from refinery at the porcelain mill to the creation of pottery, free-hand painted cookware and delicate fine art pieces. The cost is €25 for the 1½-hour tour.

Over the protests of Spain’s scientific community and preservationists around the world, the Spanish Culture Ministry announced that it plans to reopen the Caves of Altamira to tourism, possibly by the end of this year. The caves, discovered in 1868, contain prehistoric art estimated to be from 14,000 to 20,000 years old. 

As many as 3,000 people a day visited the caves during the 1970s. Although the number of daily visitors was sharply curtailed from 1982 to 2002, the paintings still suffered significant deterioration, including green mold, from exposure to body heat and moisture....

Employees of Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts around the world each were challenged to identify an organization in their community in need of support. Dates then were scheduled for hands-on assistance, and hotel guests can volunteer a half day to assist the community where they are vacationing. Each of the half-day programs includes instruction by professionals. All profits go to the partner organization.

Samples of Give Back Getaways include planting trees to prevent erosion in Tenerife, Spain, Feb. 7, 2009, for €80 (near $100) adult and €40 child (rates at Abama Golf & Spa...