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Built by Kaiser Wilhelm I in the late 19th century as a gesture to parliamentarians, Berlin’s famed Reichstag came into its own during the Weimar era—Germany’s first attempt at democracy. The parliament building burned under mysterious circumstances in 1933, leading to the suspension of civil rights and Hitler’s ensuing dictatorship. Seized and shot to pieces by Soviet troops in 1945, then abandoned during the city’s division, the traumatized building reentered public life when the German government returned to Berlin following reunification. Today the Reichstag stands proud, topped by a glass dome designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster as a symbol of political transparency. Going inside the dome is very popular; you can look down on plenary sessions as well as admire sweeping city views.

As is the case with many hotels in the Tulum section of Riviera Maya, Casa de las Olas shies away from the “luxe” label, preferring to promote itself as a simple, eco-friendly retreat where intimate spaces and five-star service are more important than linen thread counts and extra amenities. Bright white walls, mosquito nets, private balconies, and canopy beds are what guests can expect in their rooms. This doesn’t mean that Casa de las Olas is skimpy in any way. The staff are known for their thoughtful attention to guests, and the small size of the hotel—just five suites—ensures they are never overwhelmed by guests’ requests or needs. Plus, each room has views of the Caribbean Sea, and the hotel’s private beach is never more than a few steps away.

In a city where cooking has been elevated to a lifestyle, provisions for the refined kitchen are in high demand. And no one has been able to meet that need quite like March. The whitewashed, sun-dappled store on an upscale stretch of Sacramento Street inspires instant kitchen envy in all. Pungent spices are displayed in black glass jars with custom labels, hand-thrown serving wear is stacked in elegant totems on the wood shelves, and a fat-bellied AGA stove stands against a wall of spotless subway tile. If you aren’t a home cook, you will vow to become one after a visit to March. The proprietor, the perpetually chic Sam Hamilton, came from New York and a career in fashion before finding her way here. She even interned with Alice Waters for a spell at Chez Panisse, which helps explain Hamilton’s knack for curating items—like handwoven tortillero baskets, Parigi stemware, and fishmongering knives by Pallares Solsona—that aren’t just beautiful but also useful to cooks who actually put their kitchens to work.

Art-loving hikers and Instagram-posting skiers are fond of the Engadine Valley’s unique sgraffiti, decorative murals found on the exterior plaster or stucco walls of chalets and other buildings. They range from 500-year-old pastoral scenes to 20th-century brutalist depictions of railroad workers and hoe-clutching farmers. Typically, these works are made by scratching through the building’s surface to reveal a sub-layer of a contrasting color. Some of the best sgraffiti are found in the most remote villages, and generally, the closer you get to the Italian border, the more you’ll see. Engadine native Josin Neuhäusler is a sgraffito artist who also gives tours of the works.

Since launching her handbags and accessories line in 2008, accessories designer Clare Vivier has mastered the delicate combination of Parisian chic, American prep, and California cool. While her brand has spread to seven boutiques across California and New York, her flagship shop in Silverlake may best personify her brand. Two walls of windows let the California sun stream in each morning and afternoon, and shadowboxes designed by local architect Barbara Bestor hold the goods that lure passersby along Sunset Boulevard. Technicolor best sellers such as the La Tropezienne, Simple Tote, and coveted Foldover Clutches may sit on copies of the most recent Paris Review or Louis Vuitton City Guides, which are also for sale. Everything in the well-rounded space has a connection to France, Los Angeles, or Vivier herself. The shop stocks jewelry by her friends Annie Costello Brown and Grace Lee, for example, along with French Veja sneakers and candles from West Hollywood’s iconic Chateau Marmont. Pro tip: Head here for a last-minute gift—clutches and other leather items can be monogrammed on the spot.

Dick Mack’s has been one of County Kerry’s best-loved pubs since 1899, and the shelves and walls are packed with bottles and memorabilia that tell the story of its history as a shoemaker and the famous faces that have popped in over the years, including Julia Roberts, Timothy Dalton, and Dolly Parton. There’s also an in-house leather workshop (open weekdays). If hunger strikes, pop out the back and you’ll find food trucks such as Chewy and the Beast serving up tasty burgers and shoestring fries. Live bands often play in the rear yard, and the most recent addition to Dick Mack’s emporium is a brewhouse making craft beer (tours available). It’s a Dingle experience not to be missed.

With the smallest room a sprawling 400 square feet, and suites and public spaces filled with original 18th- and 19th-century art and antiques, the George V, flagship of the Four Seasons chain, lives up to its billing as a palace, an official tourism category introduced in 2010 requiring establishments to “embody French standards of excellence and contribute to enhancing the image of France throughout the world.” Set in a 1928 art deco building, the Four Seasons Hotel George V boasts a regular clientele of bona fide royals, including Saudi princes who rent entire floors for six weeks at a stretch. The staff includes a team of flower designers led by an art director who worked on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. There’s also a dedicated concierge for children ordering up pint-sized bathrobes and private pastry-making lessons in the Michelin-starred kitchen.

You might not think of Vienna as a very Greek city, but guess what: The oldest restaurant in town is the Griechenbeisl, the Greek Tavern. Back in the late 15th century, Levantine traders lodged in this building on Fleischmarkt street, and its hodgepodge of rooms in which many a historic figure have dined hasn’t changed much since. The walls of the Mark Twain Room are decorated with autographs by the great scribe and many other notable figures. Despite its name, the Greek Tavern specializes in schnitzel and other dishes that are as pure Austrian as can be. And the live music you enjoy while dining won’t be made by a bouzouki, but by a Viennese zither. Out front there is a plaque commemorating the 17th-century minstrel Marx Augustin, famous as the subject of the song “Oh Du Lieber Augustin.”

With glass walls that can soar as high as 50 feet, Palmenhaus is dramatic, but it’s also a quiet and calm place smack in the heart of Hapsburg-era Vienna. As the name suggests, the Palmenhaus is a greenhouse of the variety that nations of the 19th century were so good at creating to show off palms and other exotic plants plucked from the colonies. And thanks to a $17 million renovation in the 1990s, yes, Palmenhaus still has palm trees and tropical flora, as well as a lepidopterarium, or butterfly house. As Vienna’s palm house looks over the lush Burggarten park, its broad terrace makes for the ultimate spot to sit under sunny skies and sip a riesling or quaff a beer. On summer Fridays, DJs and live musicians perform.

Founded in 1954, La Cueva, in the seaside town of Barranquilla, gained renown as a favorite watering hole of some of Colombia’s most famous artists, writers, and intellectuals, most notably the so-called Barranquilla Group—which included Gabriel García Márquez—and painter Enrique Grau. All-night affairs were said to be equal parts pontification and house party, with a dollop of boogie. Today’s La Cueva serves a varied menu and invites visitors to relive the bohemian spirit of the artists who put this place on the map (some of their faces adorn a portrait that takes up an entire wall). Jazz bands play here on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

When it comes to Kindred, you can forget your preconceived notions of vegan restaurants. The South Park spot features killer cocktails, filling food, and an edgy design, complete with a coffered ceiling, a white-marble bar, and a demon-wolf-head sculpture mounted on the wall. Pair the refreshing Place of Certainty (vodka, elderflower, Aperol, lemon, Thai basil, winter melon bitters, and cucumber) with Kindred’s take on the charcuterie board (smoked golden beets, kale pesto, and red-chili-and-orange-fennel seitan), or order something more substantial, like the beet risotto or the seared cauliflower steak with squash puree and steak sauce. The restaurant also offers an excellent weekend brunch with everything from cinnamon rolls and banana bread French toast to pancakes with bourbon butterscotch.

Dining at the Grizzly House is an experience. As soon as you walk in, it’s obvious the place hasn’t changed much since it first opened decades ago. The interior is dark, and the wood-paneled wall is lined with taxidermy trophies. But the novelty of cooking at your own table makes up for it all. The food ranges from decadently simple—cheese, oil, and chocolate fondues—to exotic, like rattlesnake or alligator meat. The only thing more novel than preparing your own food is the rumors of the restaurant’s history as a swingers’ joint. Whether the stories are urban legend or not is hard to say, but telephones at each table that allow you to call any diner in the room seem to suggest there’s some truth to the gossip.

You know you’re in Southern California when you have your own “beach bonfire concierge” who brings you warm drinks, blankets, and fresh marshmallows under the stars. Distinctive and without pretense, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach creates seamless only-in-Surf City experiences for its guests. Its on-site outfitter, Toes on the Noes, rents surfboards, cruiser bikes, and even GoPros to guests. The hotel also offers private surf lessons and yoga classes. The sprawling Spanish-style property has several pools—for serenity, hit the lagoon-style Mankota’s; with kids, make your way to the water playground—as well as a spa where treatments incorporate ingredients from the sea. Of the five restaurants, Watertable is the one not to miss, especially in the fall and winter months when it hosts its California-fied version of Sunday supper, a family-style feast that includes sumac-crusted branzino and whipped goat cheese tartlets along with innovative cocktails. The 517 rooms and suites were recently reimagined in Andalusian style, with grass cloth–covered walls, coral sculptures, and hand-painted tiles; opt for one on the ground floor to have your own private fire pit. Pro tip: On Saturdays during the summer, the sandcastle concierge—yes, there’s one of those, too—gives tutorials on building architectural wonders by the surf.

Department stores in Korea have a special kind of glamour, and of the three major players—Lotte, Hyundai and Shinsegae—Shinsegae is the most glamorous. Bursting with designer bags, shoes and clothes, the glittering interiors and constant crowds are a staple on the Seoul shopping curcuit. Make your way through throngs of bustling Seoulites shopping for the perfect perfume in the cosmetics section, or brave the food and wine floor to find a standout vintage. Whatever you decide to shop for, you’ll be in good company—Seoulites are known for their consumeristic prowess. Warning: Make sure you fill your wallet before stepping through the shiny revolving doors—the prices are not for the faint of heart.

California’s original Holiday Inn has come a long way. After several iterations—former owners include singer Gene Autry and producer Merv Griffin—the property reopened as Parker Palm Springs in 2004. The hotel underwent a major refresh in 2017, with designer Jonathan Adler combining an electric color palette with irreverent, stylish details like an antique DRUGS pharmacy sign and a full wall of macramé owls. Couples love the rooms featuring private outdoor patios and hammocks that hang above their own sandpits. The 12 stand-alone villas work best for families. But the many shared spaces are what make this a Palm Springs playground for all ages: Wandering around the 13-acre grounds, you’ll encounter a life-sized chess set, a labyrinth of bougainvillea-lined garden paths, three pools (one is adults only), and hanging rattan chairs aplenty. The food ranges from breakfast all day at the upscale diner Norma’s to escargot and steak au poivre at the hushed French restaurant Mister Parker’s. Escape the activity on the ground at the Palm Springs Yacht Club spa, where every treatment is customized and you can easily spend an entire day.