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This quirky Pompeian red house in Anacapri, Italy, was built by a Confederate officer who fled the United States after the war. His several archaeological finds from the region and beyond are on display in the house, some built right into the walls. Over the front entrance, embedded in the Byzantine-style mosaic, is a Greek phrase that translates to “hail citizens of the land of leisure.” The house is now a small museum to a collection of early 20th-century oil paintings of Capri and Naples. In a corner room on the top floor, you can see some ancient statues that were fished out the Blue Grotto during two different excavations over the past few decades.

Beachy espadrilles, cloth bags printed with cheeky Italian phrases, and colorful Cruciani bracelets are just some of the fun inventory found in this small, stylish shop. There’s a little bit of everything here: bikinis and summery dresses, art books, and local crafts like an arty ceramic interpretation of il ciucciariello, the little donkey that is the local symbol for good luck. The shop also stocks useful maps of the many paths and beaches along the Amalfi Coast.

Finding good Italian food in Asia can be as daunting as Monty Python’s quest for the Holy Grail, which is which why Latteria Mozzarella Bar is so special. The Duxton Hill restaurant boasts nearly a dozen varieties of mozzarella to try, from burrata with roast pumpkin and truffle to smoked buffalo-milk mozzarella with porcini mushrooms. Fish, meat, and pasta mains round out the offerings; savor the homemade red tagliolini with pork sausage ragù, the gnocchi with porcini and truffle cream, or the slow-roasted lamb shanks with chickpeas and red wine. If you’re lucky, you’ll snag a seat on the gorgeous terrace.

The Galleria Borghese, which is set in the large public Villa Borghese park, was born in the 16th century as the collection of Scipione Borghese, a powerful Cardinal and nephew to Pope Paul V. The Cardinal amassed an enormous number of ancient sculptures, many of which are displayed on the ground floor where several Bernini statues and Caravaggio canvases also appear. The upper story, on the other hand, is home to Renaissance and Baroque paintings. Seek out Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love, Raphael’s Deposition, and Cranach’s Venus and Cupid. Unlike other collections of the era, which were kept in private palaces, the Borghese collection was intended to be open to the public, much like the surrounding grounds known as the Villa Borghese. The family collection is now property of the Italian state. Due to its dimensions and popularity, visits are limited to a fixed number of visitors every two hours and for a maximum of two hours. Be sure to book tickets well in advance and don’t bothering going to the museum without a booking.

Privately owned Cavallo, just a mile off Corsica, is the only inhabited part of the Lavezzi Islands. It’s no more than half a square mile in size (120 hectares), but it was valued even back in the days of ancient Rome, when the Romans established granite quarries here. And while the island is French, it has been a favored retreat for Italian vacationers since the 1970s, when celebrities first came to frolic among its secluded coves. It’s still a peaceful oasis, with only bicycles and electric golf carts allowed on its winding roads.

Famous for being Southern Germany’s hub of the Enlightenment during the late 18th century (Hegel and Hoffmann both lived here), Bamberg is also home to a superbly preserved medieval town center, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Here, visitors find an endless array of architectural styles, from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque and neoclassical, all spread through three distinct areas: the episcopal town, the island town, and the market gardeners’ town.

The Romanesque-Gothic cathedral of St. Peter and St. George is Bamberg’s most prominent building (it’s home to the famous Bamberg Horseman statue, the tomb of Henry II and Cunigunde, and the only papal grave in Germany), but the New Palace and the Alte Hofhaltung Palace are also must-sees, as are the town hall, the tanners’ cottages, and “Little Venice,” a former fishermen’s village with half-timbered houses and tiny gardens. If you’re a suds fan, be sure to sample Bamberg’s famous smoked beer before leaving.

New Orleans’ cemeteries are part of the city’s culture as well as its landscape—and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous. Opened in 1789 on the edge of the French Quarter, the cemetery is home to the tomb of Marie Laveau, a free woman of color who earned a reputation as the city’s most powerful voodoo queen in the 1800s. Her tomb is littered with tributes (money, alcohol, candy, trinkets) left by those who hope the queen will grant their desires from beyond the grave. In the Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 made a cameo in several movies, including Interview with a Vampire and Double Jeopardy. Save Our Cemeteries, a non-profit dedicated to cemetery restoration and preservation, runs tours of both St. Louis No. 1 and Lafayette No. 1.

Located in the historic neighborhood of Sarona, a 19th-century German Templars settlement, Tel Aviv’s Sarona Market is a gourmet center. Inspired by food markets around the world, such as London’s Borough Market and New York’s Chelsea Market, the 94,000-square-foot space houses nearly 100 specialty food shops, stalls, and eateries. From cheese shops, knife makers, butchers, and local-produce stores to chocolate boutiques, bakeries, and ice cream parlors, there is something for everyone at Sarona. Visitors can walk around and learn about Templars history, or join one of the daily tours. In the summer, locals and tourists alike rent baskets from Picnic in the Little Italy section of the market, and eat lunch on the grass lawns.

Though the name translates as “hunting and fishing club” and clubby decor (inherited from the previous restaurant) prevails, Le Club was never, in fact, a private club. The menu also pays a nod to the restaurant’s name with its local fish and game dishes that are served in the dark, intimate, somewhat stuffy rooms. (The same group has three more casual options if that sounds more appealing: Le Serpent, the buzzy Le Filet, and the family’s Italian cousin, Il Miglio.) In the winter, Le Club is open for dinner only, while in the summer a terrace provides the perfect setting for a long, leisurely lunch of chef Claude Pelletier’s sophisticated take on Québecois cuisine.

The resort town of Mondello, just a short drive from Palermo, is a popular escape for visitors and Sicilians alike. Cerulean waters lap a beach of soft white sand. Visitors staying in nearby villas spend much of their time relaxing on the beach, with occasional breaks for arancini and panelle bought from street vendors. For a serious meal, stroll down the pier to the Charleston, a landmark restaurant and bar in an Art Nouveau building over the water.

This urban luxury resort in Shanghai has a polished, cool contemporary feel, mixing Eastern and Western sensibilities. Interiors lean toward dark tones and clean lines, with clever landscaping providing a sense of escape. Organic materials include liberal use of wood, stone, and marble. Large windows bring in natural light, and decor mixes contemporary with touches of traditional Chinese. Environmentally sensitive practices take multiple guises: Solar panels gather energy for hotel operation. The heatproof facade limits the need for air-conditioning. And sunshades in each room open and close automatically to let in or keep out the sun’s light and heat. Rooms also have dragon-scaled screens and cast bronze basins. Club rooms come with the perks of 24-hour check-in/check-out and butlers.

The Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri, also called Steri Castle, was built in 1307 by Sicily’s powerful Chiaramonte family. Manfredi Chiaramonte later added the elaborate Hall of the Barons, whose wooden ceiling is blanketed with murals. Starting in 1601, the castle was a base for the Spanish Inquisition for 180 years. A tour of the prison cells offers a look at haunting graffiti carved into the walls by those wrongly imprisoned and tortured here.

This Madrid-style tavern specializes in Spanish as well as Italian, Lebanese, and Mediterranean tapas. Like many other spots in Barrio Escalante, Olio is known for its lively atmosphere—yet not so lively you can’t carry on a conversation. Its exposed-brick walls and eclectic decor lend it a particular warmth. The restaurant is also famed for cocktails, European wines, and fusion sangrias in locally inspired flavors like pineapple or watermelon.

When the sun sets, Piazza Santo Spirito wakes up and the large square fills with college students and young professionals. Volume is where they gather for strong cocktails and live music. Located in the former workshop of Alfonso Bini, a woodworker who specialized in carved hat forms and later more-creative pieces, the space retains the warm vibe of the local craft studios. Small tables and chairs are set up alongside shelves crowded with books, tools, and art. Seating outside affords a view of the after-dark action on the piazza as well as the striking Santo Spirito church.

Run by the affable Mauro Lorenzon, himself as much a Venetian institution as his wine bar, Enoiteca Mascareta has been a neighborhood favorite for decades now. It began as a wine bar with some light fare but today serves a full menu, although locals will tell you it’s best to avoid the peak dinner hours and come for the wine before 8 p.m. or after 11 p.m. The wine-by-the-glass menu changes daily and is posted on a chalkboard on the wall, and nearly always features mostly regional wines from northeast Italy, many of which are organic. If you don’t like any of the specials on the wall, a glass from any bottle on the wine list also can be ordered.

If the variety is too much, ask Lorenzon or one of his friendly staff for their suggestion. The food is also very good, and the entire atmosphere is relaxed with a local feel to it. For a true Venetian neighborhood-style drinking experience, this is the place to go.