Sculptors from around the world are gathering in the ski resort of Livigno in the Italian Alps for the annual festival 'Art in Ice.' This is the 14th year for the event, in which 10 teams of three sculptors compete to create the most beautiful piece of art out of blocks of hard-pressed snow.

• 12/23/09
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Robert Bösch from Switzerland has been taking spectacular photos of mountains and the athletic people who try to climb them. Bösch is a mountain guide who himself has taken part in many extreme mountain tours throughout the world. He is one of the world's top mountain photographers. This year he won the prestigious Eigner Award, the oscar of mountaineering.

• 12/22/09
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Robert Bösch from Switzerland has been taking spectacular photos of mountains and the athletic people who try to climb them. Bösch is a mountain guide who himself has taken part in many extreme mountain tours throughout the world. He is one of the world's top mountain photographers. This year he won the prestigious Eigner Award, the oscar of mountaineering.

• 12/22/09
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Bach is heard through the machine room of an old heating plant - the Christmas Oratorio, in fact. The independent opera company Novolot will be presenting all six cantatas of the work on several stages specially designed by world-renowned architects Graft. The visitors wander from room to room, which are not pensive and dusty, but rather alive and modern.

• 12/20/09
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Why are we seeing more and more of images of reindeer on display? Is it because they are cuter than the jolly man in red? DW visits several stores to see why reindeer have become an integral part of Christmas symbolism in Germany.

• 12/19/09
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The German firm Juwi is one of the trailblazers of renewable energy. The company, which began with a single wind turbine on company-owned ground, now oversees the construction of wind-power plants across the planet, and company executives have a dream: enough green energy to make Germany completely self-sufficient.

• 12/16/09
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The World Cup in South Africa promises to be the biggest sporting and media event of 2010. However, many broadcast companies in developing countries will not be able to afford to send their own correspondents to cover the tournament. In a bid to help those companies, the DW Academy invited 14 journalists from around the world to take part in a World Cup preparation course in South Africa.

• 12/15/09
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Here's something for those who have always wanted to stay in one of those cozy wooden cottages in the Austrian Alps. Although most such houses are privately owned and not available to tourists, an enterprising hotelier has built his own picture-postcard village just south of Salzburg - for that perfect cosy winter break.

• 12/14/09
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For some companies, even economically bad times can have a bright side - moving them to take risks and perhaps going the next step. That's the plan of luxury goods brand Fabergé, the maker of the famous eggs. The company is moving back to its roots: exclusive jeweled pieces ranging in price from 40,000 to 7 million euros. Fabergé's new CEO, Mark Dunhill, plans on selling the company's creations in his Geneva showroom and even over the Internet.

• 12/13/09
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The Staehlemeuhle distillery near Lake Constance is considered one of the best in Europe . Founder Christoph Keller has won numerous national and international awards, even though he's been distilling fruit schnapps for just four years. Keller was once a renowned publisher, and he learned his craft through books.

• 12/12/09
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Some are leaving for economic reasons, but many flee because they feel threatened by the increasing strength of the Taliban. There are teachers who worked in mixed classrooms of girls and boys, lawyers who called for fair trials, even German-trained policemen. They wanted to rebuild their country, but they've lost faith in its future.

• 12/11/09
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Europeans are getting bigger. According to scientists, that's because their standards of living are improving. But not all Europeans are the same size. Apparently the Dutch are the tallest people in Europe, and sometimes they have a tough time finding clothes that fit.

• 12/10/09
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The price of gold is on the rise, and the raw material has never been as valuable as it is today. In times of uncertainty, investors fall back on the security of gold -- whether it's in the form of bars, coins or jewelry. But even gold dealers and jewelry manufacturers need a sure supply, so they regard the surge in the price of raw gold with mixed feelings.

• 12/9/09
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Brescia may not be on most travelers' Italy itinerary, but the city close to Milan rewards visitors with a rich history, excellent food and wine and Italian design shops.

• 12/8/09
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Some people have a philosophical reason for it, some just like it as a raw material. Eat Art is a genre of contemporary art that features works comprised of edible materials. From butter to toast and beyond.

• 12/7/09
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Major fashion labels from Italy and France continue to set the tone when it comes to seasonal fashion trends. But many have also long since branched out and expanded their lines to include perfume, sunglasses, and home linens. Some have even gone a step further - into making furniture.

• 12/4/09
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Stocks of cod in the North Atlantic are being increasingly depleted by the effects of climate change. Because the water is getting warmer, the fish are growing more slowly, and their stocks were already weakened by overfishing.

• 12/3/09
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Anyone who has ever looked for an apartment knows just how difficult it can be. Most places you look at are either chock full of someone else's clutter or cold and bare,and it takes real imagination to visualise the possibilities for any given room. This is where "home staging" agencies come in. These are professionals who can quickly revamp interiors to appeal to the tastes of prospective tenants and buyers.

• 12/2/09
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In accordance with an ancient oath, the Passion Play in the Bavarian village of Oberammergau is performed only every 10 years. Its a major theatrical event, in part because it involves each and every villager who wants to take part. In May of 2010 the Passion Play will premiere for the 41st time. The rehearsals have begun and modern Oberammergauers are giving 100 percent to fulfill their ancestors' promise to God.

• 12/1/09
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A key argument against converting energy production from fossil fuels to renewables has been that we cannot rely on them for a steady supply. The sun doesn’t always shine, and there isn't always a lot of wind. Now a research field known as "energy meteorology" is helping to make sustainable resources more reliable. Using remote sensing methods, such as satellite data, weather experts are finding ways of forecasting the intensity of the sunlight and winds used to generate power.

• 11/30/09
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Berlin's ballet star Nadja Saidakova combines her vocabulary of classical movement with the pulsing beat of the clubbing tunes by London's DJ Luke Slater. This result is an exciting artistic experiment, full of beautiful contradictions.

• 11/29/09
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Long gone are the days when cheerleaders merely filled the gaps at sports events and encouraged the audience to support the players. Now cheerleading is considered a bona fide sport, and it's caught on in Germany. The Alba Berlin Danceteam are as dedicated to their work as are the players in the basketball team with whom they perform.

• 11/27/09
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In France owners of many chateaux are complaining about wine thievery, and police are investigating ever more cases of wine cellars suddenly going empty. Even big-name delicatessens like Hédiard have been hit by thieves trying to get their hands on costly Grand Crus. Wine shops are taking elaborate security measures.

• 11/26/09
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Moving away from the traditional white cube that most contemporary art galleries represent, art lovers have increasingly been opening their homes to the art world in recent years. Berlin has become a hotspot for living-room exhibitions.

• 11/25/09
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They call themselves "Staff Benda Bilili": eight musicians who all suffer from polio. Their instruments are homemade, and in some cases were even invented by their players. They live outdoors on the streets of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and were brought together by their love of music and life. Now they're on tour in Europe.

• 11/24/09
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Whether Braun aimed to produce an alarm clock or a heater, chief designer Dieter Rams was responsible for it. During his 50-year career with the firm, he helped Braun develop an individual style and modernize its appearance. His products are still in demand throughout the world, and a retrospective of his work is on show in London.

• 11/23/09
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Berlin's "Cookies" has been around for 15 years now, and is still attracting visitors from around the globe. How has the club, and Berlin's nightlife scene in general, kept its buzz?

• 11/22/09
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The residents of the tiny town of Bondkirchen were tired of living in the state of Hesse. Forms had to be filled out to attend schools in Brilon, a town just over the border in North Rhine-Westphalia. License plates for cars were different in the two neighbouring villages and the garbage was collected on a different day. But now, the people of Bondkirchen have initiated a change.

• 11/21/09
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