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Its massive size, centrality to daily life in the capital, and easy accessibility (a Metro station opens up right onto the plaza) makes the Zócalo an ideal place for large-scale temporary exhibits. The government hosts occasional exhibits and makes entry free for residents and visitors alike. Past exhibits have included Gregory Colbert’s “Ashes and Snow,” a show of large-format photos of animals and people, and Willy Souza’s “Mexico en tus sentidos” (“Mexico in your senses”), lush, vivid photos of people and places around Mexico. To see if a show is planned during the time you’ll be visiting, check the website of the Secretary of Tourism.

With the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire, Iberian overlords set about imposing their customs on the subdued populace, eliminating traces of pre-Hispanic religions they deemed heretical by demolishing major temples and building churches and other structures atop their ruins. Centuries later, in 1978, workers laying electrical lines happened upon the remains of the Templo Mayor, the Aztecs’ most important ceremonial center (and, yes, the location of their notorious human sacrifices). Subsequent excavations have revealed superimposed pyramid foundations and priceless artworks, many now displayed at the on-site museum. Thrillingly, treasures keep turning up—including the spring 2017 discovery of a stone box containing some of the finest Aztec gold ever found, just off the Templo Mayor’s steps.

Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem ensures that the magnitude of the Holocaust’s injustices are never forgotten. Visiting the museum is an educational, as well as emotional, experience and should not be rushed. The museum is dedicated to researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust and genocide in general, with the hope of avoiding it in the future. Exhibitions present the history that led up to the Holocaust, as well as the related events during and after World War II, featuring personal stories, historical artifacts, films, and photographs. It also highlights the bravery of underground movements, uprisings, and the non-Jews (the Righteous Among the Nations) who saved Jewish neighbors, children, and families from certain death. Outdoor gardens contain several monuments, including a haunting children’s memorial and commemorative sculptures. Guided audio tours are recommended.

Housed in a 1964 structure whose modern lines and central fountain greatly complement what’s on view, this anthropology museum is a repository of the most important pre-Hispanic treasures modern Mexico has discovered. The works are displayed in exhibits that trace the entire history of the Americas’ indigenous population, from the Bering migration to the present day. Exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) in scope, many visitors choose to jump ahead to “greatest-hits” galleries focusing on name brands like the Aztecs (to see their misnamed calendar stone); the Maya and their artifacts; or the Olmec culture, famed for its colossal (and quite sensual) head sculptures dating back to Mesoamerica’s earliest recorded eras.

The exterior of this Midtown lodging won’t win any design awards—the building previously housed an insurance company—but that’s what makes the art-filled, wood-accented lobby such a pleasant surprise upon arrival. With its plush leather sofas and moody interiors, the Hutton exudes down-home charm with a modern touch: A friendly sit-down check-in coupled with swift service at the lobby’s WestEnd Kitchen & Bar make the hotel a favorite of touring musicians and visiting celebrities. Oversize guest rooms (some of Nashville’s largest) feature soft blue and gray tones, fabric-covered walls, and vibrant artwork. At the 5,000-square-foot on-site music venue Analog, you can sip creative cocktails while listening to some of the city’s top performers, but if you’d like to see the view from the other side of the microphone, the hotel’s Writers Studios is stocked with state-of-the-art equipment for laying down your own tracks.

Why We Love It It’s a stylish haven in the heart of Nashville’s entertainment center. Highlights -Cycling fiends will appreciate the Peloton bikes in the third-floor fitness center. -The Terrace Suite comes with its own outdoor grill; any cookout catastrophes can be ameliorated by an on-call Barbecue Butler. -Don’t miss the speakeasy-style entrance to the nightclub Dirty Little Secret, through an All Saints retail shop on Printer’s Alley. Nashville’s transformation from honky tonk dive to urban playground is complete with the latest outpost of the Dream brand. Housed in two historic buildings on Printer’s Alley, the 168 rooms are neither a little bit country nor rock and roll, but rather art deco–inspired with deep blue walls, burled-wood armoires, overdyed oushak rugs, and Japanese-style marbled wall coverings. The central location makes it an easy walk to Ryman Auditorium, the Broadway strip, and the Frist Art Museum, but do hurry back before dark. The hotel has six splashy dining and drinking options, including the brasserie-style Stateside Kitchen, a late-night sandwich shop, a DJ-fueled nightclub, and a dimly lit cocktail bar serving local craft beers and inventive libations into the wee hours.

Sicily has a long tradition of puppet shows, and they’re not intended merely to amuse the kids. These are elaborate theatrical works that tell complex stories through beautifully crafted marionettes. Palermo’s International Museum of Marionettes Antonio Pasqualino (its full name) honors the art as it’s performed in Sicily and in other cultures around the world. The 3,500 puppets on display come from Sicily, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia and parts of Africa. You can even watch marionettes in action in a theater on the top floor; check the schedule to see what’s playing during your visit.

Starchitect Tadao Ando (who designed Fort Worth’s sublime Museum of Modern Art) masterminded the concrete building that’s home to Japan’s largest bookstore and this romance-themed hotel. Popular especially with wedding groups, the Harmonie Embrassee fills floors 10–23 of the Chaska Chayamachi tower and has a glass Sky Chapel on its top floor, with striking views of the surrounding Umeda neighborhood. It’s also where 450 couples tie the knot each year. The high-ceilinged lobby has giant glass windows, while rooms come in four schemes ranging from classically elegant to Asian minimalist with dark tones and padded leather headboards. All accommodations come with a private balconies, panoramic views, and Cassina furnishings.

Its imposing structure now in ruins like an ancient stone temple, the sea-facing Huanchaca silver foundry was abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century only to be named a national monument in 1974. At its foot now sits the Museum of the Atacama Desert, a striking, largely underground building opened in 2009 that was designed by a leading Chilean firm and reflects the same monumental scale as the foundry. The galleries are dedicated to geology, astronomy and archaeology, while the site as a whole—the museum, the foundry ruins and a foundation that supports local artists—forms the Huanchaca Cultural Park. It has quickly become a popular stop for visitors to Antofagasta, providing an excellent introduction to this region of Chile.

Inscribed above the door of the Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakech reads the following: “You Who Enter My Door May Your Highest Hopes Be Exceeded.” It is an appropriate proclamation for what is arguably the most mind-blowing example of Islamic design and architecture within a Koranic school anywhere in the country. Founded in the 14th century, it was embellished by the Saadian dynasty in 1570 with an ornate bronze doorway, elegant stuccoes, and a marble-tiled patio lined with elaborate mosaics. The prayer room, with its palm and pine cone motifs, looks down into the courtyard from the students’ quarters and gives a splendid helicopter view of the space. During its heyday, the medersa had room for up to 900 students; it was given over to the city as a museum in the 1960s and has remained so ever since.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Vladivostok was a vast military zone with a string of fortifications. Even today, it remains an important military center as the home of Russia’s Pacific fleet, and you can spend days just visiting the complex of forts built by Russia’s top military engineers. An artillery battery that faces Amur Bay and long protected the old town is now the cool Vladivostok Fortress Museum. Exhibits within the citadel range from weapons and armor from the Middle Ages to displays that tell the story of the fort’s construction. On top of the building, heavy guns stand as if still at the ready.

Set along the sacred Ayung River, Four Seasons Resort at Sayan is a tropical paradise shrouded in giant palms and ferns. Designed by John Heah, the property was built and decorated using regional materials almost exclusively, from shells and coconuts to coveted ikat fabrics, giving guests an authentic Balinese experience just 15 minutes from Ubud. A serene lotus pond sits on the rooftop of the resort’s main building, and teakwood villas offer views of rice terraces and the longest river in Bali. Indonesian cooking classes, ancient wellness rituals, and plantings with local rice farmers are just some of the ways guests can connect with the local culture; the rest can be found in Ubud, where vibrant markets, temples, and museums counterbalance the hotel’s tranquil dining and wellness journeys.

Kolmanskop is a ghost town that was abandoned by German miners after the 1920’s. In the 1980’s, diamond giant De Beers refurbished some of the structures and established an on-site museum. After you check in and get your permit, you’re allowed to wander freely through the small village. Piles of sand have accumulated in and taken over some of these colonial-era homes, a good indication of how hard it must have have been for the inhabitants. It’s an excursion that involves some planning beforehand, but it’s so worth the effort. Photographers love getting creative here. Kolmanskop is about 3 hours from Keetmanshoop and 5 hours from the Fish River Canyon, down the dead-end road to Luderitz on Namibia’s coastline, so you’ll want to time your excursion down this way bearing that in mind.

A neoclassical building in Plaka thoughtfully renovated into a boutique hotel, the ZIllers has ten guest rooms and a rooftop restaurant and bar. The building was designed by Ernst Ziller, a German architect whose work can be seen all around Greece, notably at Athens’ National Theatre, Presidential Mansion, and the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art. The original high ceilings, wood floors, and wrought iron-balconies have been retained and refreshed with a modern minimalist decor. While value priced, rooms with atrium views can be dark and Acropolis views are worth the upgrade. Rates include breakfast served in room or on the rooftop, book ahead for dining at other times as it is popular with locals. The contemporary Greek menu might include shrimp with buffalo milk couscous or sea bass in a dill and lime foam, plus innovative desserts like Greek coffee mousse with olive oil jelly. Location is also faultless, overlooking the Athens Cathedral, and a five-minute walk from Monastiraki or Syntagma Square.

Across from St. Mark’s Cathedral, the 15th-century Gabrielis Palace hosts the Town Museum of Korčula. An account of the island’s history is presented in both Croatian and English, and vividly illustrated by artifacts ranging from coats of arms and Greek amphorae to ship models and typical local household items. The museum’s most prized possession—the Psephisma of Lumbarda—dates back to the 4th century B.C.E. This stone plaque, written in ancient Greek, is the oldest written document found in Croatia.