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While many know the famous Reber brand Mozart Kugeln outside of Austria, those delicious marzipan and pistachio filled chocolate balls, they are by no means the original. They were created in 1890 by a Salzburg confectioner named Paul Fürst, who received a gold medal for these treats at the Paris Exhibition of 1905. The “Original Salzburger Mozartkugeln” are still created using the same family recipe by his great grandson, Norbert. They can only be purchased, along with truffles and other specialties, at one of his four namesake Cafe-Konditorei Fürst locations in the city.

Towering high above the banks of the Danube in the Wachau Valley, the bright yellow Melk Abbey is one of Austria‘s most beautiful Baroque buildings. It’s been rebuilt several times since its 11th-century origins, with its present form dating to the early 18th century. Inside, the library is one of the most impressive features with roughly 100,000 volumes and a ceiling fresco by Paul Troger. There’s a beautiful church and several important paintings to be found, but the real treasure is the two Melk Crucifixes, one said to contain a piece of Christ’s cross.

View along hike between these two villages.

You might think of Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) as a Mittteleuropa Walk of Fame. Some of the city’s most important figures are buried in this graveyard that opened in 1874, from Beethoven (his remains were moved here in 1888) to 1980s pop star Falco, with Brahms, Schubert, and Schoenberg in between. The cemetery, which measures almost one and a half square miles, has a section for Austria‘s presidents, and another for Sephardic Jews who came from the Ottoman Empire—the elaborate Alhambra-style Elias family mausoleum is especially impressive. Thanks to shady groves of maple and ash and a beautiful church constructed in the early-20th-century Jugendstil style, it is worth the effort to travel to Simmering, a neighborhood southeast of the city center—even if only for the bucolic setting.

The largest ice caves in the world lie just 30 miles south of Salzburg in the Eisriesenwelt at Werfen. Only a portion of the more than 20 miles of caves are open to the public on a 75-minute guided tour, but what’s available to visit is impressive. Magnificent ice formations, frozen waterfalls, and a smooth, rinklike ice palace can be found in this underground world. Visitors will also see Hymir’s Castle, an enormous ice sculpture named for the ice giant of the Edda (the oldest Germanic-mythology saga), and witness layers of time, much like rings on a tree, encased in the glacier (which is actually not a glacier but a massive chunk of accumulated ice).

All of Mexico City‘s neighborhood markets are fun to browse, with their rows and rows of colorful stalls and equally colorful characters, and you can’t go wrong ducking into any one of these mercados as you come across them in your wanderings. Mercado Medellín is particularly favored among expats from other parts of Latin America, as it specializes in foodstuffs from Caribbean and Central and South American countries. This is also a superb market to visit if you’re hungry. Vendors sell everything from Colombian ajíaco to Cuban ice cream, so don’t hesitate to graze your way through the treats on offer.

Set high above the tiny capital city of Tórshavn, Hotel Føroyar blends the best of modern Faroese art and style with tradition. Danish firm Friis & Moltke A/S designed the sleek interiors, which feature original pieces by Edward Fuglø. Outside, however, a traditional grass roof and grazing sheep evoke more typical images of the Faroe Islands. High up as it is, the hotel is a bit of a walk (about 35 minutes) from downtown, but the sweeping views of the harbor make the distance worth the effort.

In D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood, Cady’s Alley is a cluster of shops and design firms specializing in high-end home furnishings, kitchens, and baths. If you’re a jewelry lover, head to JewelersWerk—they offer one-of-a-kind, contemporary design pieces. The pedestrian-only alley part of Cady’s Alley is reminiscent of a European shopping street. If you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the main shopping area of Georgetown, come here. Do a bit of window shopping and then take a break at Kafe Leopold Konditorei, a nice Austrian eatery located in the center of the alley. You really can’t go wrong with a well-brewed cup of coffee and a pastry.

Originally built as a residence for Prince Philip of Württemberg in 1863, this grand structure was opened as the Hotel Imperial in 1873. It indeed still resembles a palace, with Greek statues, chandeliers, and high, intricately designed stucco ceilings. The rooms bring imperial Vienna back to life, particularly in the suites. Visitors here feel like royalty, and sometimes they are. Guests have included a who’s who of celebrities and dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II, Indira Gandhi, and Michael Jackson.

It’s rumored that an apprentice chef at the hotel invented the well-known Imperial Torte in honor of Emperor Franz Josef I, a must-have for any sweet tooth. For some sweet sounds, be sure to check for Bösendorfer piano concerts in the 1873 HalleNSalon.

Located at the Schönbrun Palace before you head up the hill to the Gloriette for the view, the cake, and the coffee – you turn right and enter into one of the best zoos in Europe. The pandas, wolves, penguins and elephants and tigers are sure to please the children. For those who don’t get squeamish, be sure to check out the snakes, spiders, and insects. And even if you don’t want to spend the whole day at the zoo, take the family up the hill and turn right down the pathway to the Tyrolean farmhouse. The kids will love a look at authentic farm life and the restaurant there offers a welcome pause to the day, which you by now, no doubt need.

Reporting live from Upper Mustang: We’ve successfully hiked in and out of this remote, inaccessible region in north-central Nepal over terrain that was variously bleak and spectacular. We traversed rocky, sandy trails (I use that word loosely) through shale and limestone cliffs with only the occasional, teasing glimpse of a snow-covered peak. On the 7th day of walking 6-7 hours per day, the weather turned against us and we battled howling winds and freezing rain for the better part of an afternoon. Over the past week your faithful reporter has endured blisters, sunburn, intestinal parasites, an upper respiratory infection and a mild concussion (damn monastery door frames built for short people). Despite the aforementioned maladies there were some really bright moments along the way and the Tibetan/Nepali families we stayed with welcomed us into their humble kitchens and homes. I return to modern city life with a renewed appreciation for the simple comforts of indoor plumbing and reliable electricity. [Pictured: a herd of goats grazes at 4010 meters over Nyi La Pass - the highest point in the Kingdom of Mustang.]

Located right on the Pacific Coast Highway, Watermarc is a people-watcher’s dream, with an oversize front patio and large windows overlooking Peppertree Lane. Grab a window seat if you can, then dive deep into the extensive wine list, which features 239 varietals perfect for pairing with the wide range of “grazing plates” on offer at dinner. Order dishes like sizzling shrimp, cod-and-potato croquettes, ahi watermelon skewers, and charred octopus to share with the table, then pick an entrée like day-boat scallops with lobster risotto for yourself. The menu here goes well beyond seafood, but while you’re staring at the ocean, you might as well try her delicious offerings.

Built in 1947 on the banks of Lake Mývatn, this intimate, family-run hotel exudes traditional charm despite its nondescript exterior. The nine country house–style rooms are simply furnished, with peach-and-orange walls, wood floors, and beds dressed in crisp white linens; higher-level rooms come with great views of the lake’s crystal-clear waters and compelling lava formations. On the ground floor, a lounge and breakfast room is served by friendly, helpful staff, making it difficult to leave. But on warm days you can sit at one of the outside tables and watch Icelandic horses graze nearby, visit the adjacent village, or explore the surreal landscapes and rich birdlife that mark this remote region.

Brooklyn has become a dining destination in recent years, with dozens of restaurants preparing local, organic, and sustainable American dishes—and others serving everything from Korean bibimbap and Scandinavian specialties to Ethiopian stews and Mexican tacos. The borough has an overwhelming abundance to choose from, but Smorgasburg makes it easy to graze and sample a variety of Brooklyn’s dishes. From the beginning of April to the end of October, food trucks and stalls representing around 100 restaurants and other establishments set up at East River State Park, in the Williamsburg neighborhood, every Saturday; on Sundays, you’ll find them farther south, in Prospect Park. The largest weekly open-air food market in the country, it’s popular and draws thousands of visitors, but don’t be deterred by the crowds: Much of the fun is the people-watching and the general festival-like atmosphere. Even if you aren’t visiting New York in the summer, it’s worth checking out the Smorgasburg website as they sometimes have smaller off-season pop-ups, including the Winter Flea & Holiday Market.

One of only three trains in the world to have been recognized with UNESCO’s World Heritage status (the others are in Austria and India), this scenic passenger route was built in 1889 and stretches for 150 miles from Thusis, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy, via 84 tunnels and 383 vertiginous bridges and viaducts. The rails don’t just connect this primordial landscape of sparkling teal rivers, hyacinth-blue glaciers, and jagged pink-hued rocks; they also serve a number of cities and towns, including St. Moritz and several Romansh-speaking villages in the stunning Engadine Valley. Keep the camera on, because the train zips past Roman-era chapels, Celtic archaeological sites, modernist thermal baths, and numerous Hapsburg-era castles—some crumbling atop mountains, others perfectly built into the Alps like something from Tolkien’s Rivendell. Highlights include the C-shaped Landwasser Viaduct, a 213-foot-high, six-arch viaduct spanning the Landwasser River, and the nine-arch spiral viaduct in Brusio that will have rail enthusiasts in a tizzy. Though this is not a sightseeing train, highlights are announced (somewhat annoyingly, in five or six languages) on the overhead system as the train passes them. Most trains have panoramic cars with curved glass ceilings and seats costing an additional five to 10 Swiss francs.