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In a peaceful pocket of the vibrant Chelsea neighborhood, the High Line Hotel is a charming boutique with many stories to tell. There is the tale of the grounds once being home to a 17^th-century apple orchard, or the history of the cloistered seminary inspired by the architecture of Oxford and Cambridge. This Federal Historic Landmark (where “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” was written) softly transports guests to another era with its gas lamps, Gothic-inspired brick buildings, and original details including fireplaces. This property was thoughtfully created, from its historic preservation to the hand-selected furniture of antique fairs and vintage markets. With hardwood floors, whimsical prints, and tall windows overlooking the Parisian-inspired garden, these rooms feel more exclusive guesthouse than sleek hotel. Kick off your day with a latte from the Intelligentsia lobby bar.

Esperanza is located on the southern side of Vieques island with a laid-back vibe reminiscent of Key West. This small town has an main street that runs parallel to the ocean called “El Malecón” that is dotted with friendly guest houses, funky bars and even gourmet restaurants. It makes a great base for exploring the island’s treasures: it’s walking distance to Playa Esperanza and Sun Bay and only a 10-20 minute drive to the secluded beaches in the wildlife refuge.

A serene respite from the towering urban sprawl nearby, this traditional Tang Dynasty–style landscaped garden is based on the design of the famous Jiangshouju Garden in Shanxi Province. Winding paths lead visitors past pines, cypress, and fragrant flowering trees. Set on Diamond Hill in Kowloon with the vast northern mountain range as the backdrop, the lovely park has been designed with artificial hillocks, ornamental rocks, waterfalls, and koi ponds to encourage quiet walks and reflection. Think of it as an outdoor museum for the soul and a place representing Chinese cultural ideals. A striking gilded pagoda and a pair of arched red wooden bridges are the focal points of a lotus pond and a favorite photo subject. To linger longer, enjoy a meal at the vegetarian café on-site.

Named among the best mountain restaurants in the world by The Telegraph, Chez Vrony sits on Rothorn Mountain, a short ski down from the Sunnegga Express in the hamlet of Findeln. Housed in a rustic-chic Swiss chalet, it’s been in operation for 100 years and continues to be extremely popular. Lunch reservations are a must; request a seat on the deck for Matterhorn views, then start with the charcuterie plate, which features house-cured speck, bresaola, salami, ham, cheese, and a scoop of homemade rosti. From there, move on to the burger—Chef Vrony’s family raises its own beef, hand-packs burger patties, and uses perfectly seeded buns slathered with coleslaw and a secret sauce, making this a must-order even if it is quintessentially American.

The Pont Alexandre III bridge is probably one of the most striking structures to cross the Seine in Paris. It links the quarter of the Champs-Élysées to the Invalides and Eiffel Tower quarter in a most extravagant fashion. The golden statues of Pegasus appear to watch over the city, and if you stare long enough you are convinced that he might just depart his perch and soar off into the Parisian sky.

The National Museum of Korea is the largest museum in Korea and houses a comprehensive collection of Korean cultural artifacts that tell the story of Korea’s fascinating history, from ancient days to the modern era. There’s also the Children’s Museum—not only a wonderful playground and play space for children but also an impressive interactive exhibit that teaches children Korean history and heritage. Best of all, admission to the museum, including Children’s Museum, is free.

The first new building to be constructed on the Bund in 60 years, the terraced, granite Peninsula opened in October 2009. Celebrating the city’s Roaring Twenties, the standalone hotel creates a grand sense of arrival with a sweeping driveway. Art Deco design elements occur throughout the property, and traditional decor employs lacquer, marble, granite, wood, and original art. Rooms and suites come with spacious dressing rooms with a full-length valet box for discreet delivery of laundry and packages; they also feature Peninsula’s industry-leading, intuitive in-room technology, with room functions controlled at the touch of a button, and VOIP telephones that allow guests to make free local and international calls. For arrival and departure in style, book the hotel’s Rolls-Royce Phantoms or 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. The property also has China’s first hotel private yacht, a British-built Princess 54 model.

Owned by the world-renowned art collector Dakis Joannou and smartly decorated by quirky Brazilian designers the Campana brothers, the New Hotel is the city’s coolest upscale design-centric property, with 79 rooms (including seven suites) and an intimate restaurant. Although centrally located, just a five-minute walk to Syntagma Square, it’s tucked back in a modernist building on a side street so it feels hidden and discreet. The interiors are both playful and smart; the Campanas created much of it with items recycled from the previous hotel. Imagine puzzlelike walls and chairs constructed of layered, repurposed wood intermingled with sculptural chairs of their own design. In the rooms, they had fun riffing on Greek cultural objects, like the Karagiozis, a shadow puppet, and multiple versions of the glass “evil eyes” used to protect against ill omen. Bottom line: stylish contemporary design, excellent location, and friendly service.

First opened in 1894, the open-air Folk Museum has some 160 historic buildings, five of them dating from the medieval period, including Gol Stave, a 13th-century shingled wooden church. The buildings, from sod-roofed farmhouses to village shops along a cobbled street, represent rural and town life in Norway. In summer, visitors enjoy demonstrations and historic reenactments of folk life. Indoor exhibits explore the indigenous Sami culture and display folk art, textiles and historic native costumes.

Opened in 2011, this luxury hotel from the Malta-based Corinthia brand occupies a Victorian building (once home to the Ministry of Defense) in the heart of the city, not far from Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery, the London Eye, and the theater district. The overall vibe is one of a 21st-century grand hotel, with a series of elegant public spaces—some vast and high-ceilinged, others warm and cozy—unfolding along the ground floor. Find modern, British-accented fare and a decadent breakfast spread at The Northall restaurant; all-day dining and a recently reimagined afternoon tea service (complete with Champagne trolley) at The Crystal Moon Lounge; and, in good weather, al fresco drinks, bites, and cigars at the leafy Garden Lounge. In summer 2018, the Bassoon Bar re-launched as a 1920s-era, New Orleans-inspired hangout, complete with a creative cocktail and bubbly menu developed by award-winning bartender Marcis Dzelzainis and wine expert Michael Sager. Shortly after, the hotel also opened Kerridge’s Bar and Grill, the first London restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge.

Beyond its common spaces, the Corinthia is home to 283 residential-style rooms and suites, which include chic London and Garden suites (launched in 2018) and seven themed presidential suites, all crafted by David Collins Studio. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, Nespresso machines, high-tech media hubs, and marble bathrooms with rain showers, bathtubs with built-in TVs, heated floors, and ESPA products. Some of the higher-level suites even come with private outdoor spaces, butler service, and expansive views. Further relaxation can be found at the flagship ESPA Life by Corinthia Spa, one of the largest in the city with 17 treatment “pods,” a 24/7 gym, a nail studio, and a vast thermal floor with multiple pools, sauna and stream rooms, ice fountains, and sleep pods for extra serenity. To engage both visitors and locals, the hotel regularly offers unique programming and partnerships, including hosting in-residence experts—from neuroscientists to “futurist” trend forecasters—who lead talks and events throughout their stays.

The Château Dufresne might not be high on most visitors’ lists of sights to see in Montréal, but as it is just across the street from both the city’s botanical garden and the Olympic Stadium, you may want to drop in if you are in the neighborhood. The mansion was constructed from 1915 to 1918 in the Beaux-Arts style popular in Montréal in those years. The 20,000-square-foot building is modeled on the Petit Trianon at Versailles and is actually two homes in one, as the brothers Oscar and Marius commissioned side-by-side mansions. The château served several different purposes after the Dufresne family lived there, first as a boarding school and later as the home of the Musée d’Art Contemporain. Today many of the rooms have been decorated with early 20th-century pieces, and a permanent exhibition provides an introduction of life in Montréal’s East End a century ago. Temporary exhibitions cover a range of topics, including some that highlight the collections of prominent Montréal patrons and others that focus on leading artists in the city.

The northern coast of Gozo provides a fascinating introduction to one of the most important traditions on the island: sea-salt production. This three-kilometer stretch of 350-year-old rock-cut salt pans is a tourist attraction in its own right, but the salt pans remain a vital source of income for Gozitans. In the summer, locals scrape up the salt crystals and store them in nearby caves. Several local businesses package the salt in gift jars available to purchase from the island’s souvenir stores.

Strikið, one of the finest places to dine in Akureyri, is spread out between two dining rooms on the fifth floor of an office building. The restaurant’s menu—created by owner and head chef Robert Hasler—features traditional Icelandic dishes such as lamb shoulder and seafood soup as well as modern fare such as sushi and reindeer burgers. The terrific food is matched to wonderful views of the fjord and mountains from huge picture windows and, on the long sunlit nights of summer, from an outdoor terrace.

For a refreshing splash of natural beauty amid the urban landscape of Lantau, the largest of Hong Kong’s islands, head to the Discovery Bay rock pools. This oasis that seems to pop out of nowhere is a great way to cool off on a balmy summer weekday—avoid weekends, though, when seemingly everyone else in the city has the same idea. A short 15-minute walk from the Discovery Bay ferry pier, in the direction of the Discovery Bay Golf Club, this miniature valley of boulders, waterfalls, and natural pools surrounded by cool greenery is definitely worth the trip.

Named after the legendary sorceress Morgan le Fay who appears in the tales of King Arthur and his court, Fata Morgana is a common mirage that can be seen on hot summer days on the Strait of Messina. When rays of light bend as they pass through air layers of different temperatures, combined with the curvature of the earth, the result is an optical illusion that includes three or more distorted images of the same distant object, stacked vertically in the sky. These mirages which can appear like distant castles on the horizon have been the subject of tales and legends for centuries.