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The Adriatic Luxury Hotels group offers a number of lodging options in the city. The landmark Excelsior is a short walk from Old Town and faces the Adriatic. A recent renovation updated the 158 large guest rooms with natural tones and dark-wood furnishings.—David Farley

This appeared in the March/April 2018 issue.

History fans and art lovers will undoubtedly lose a few hours wandering through this museum (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India), which covers natural history, archaeology and art. With more than 60,000 objects in the collection, there’s an amazing amount of stuff to see, from ancient Indian artworks (including sculptures from Elephanta Island) and Indian miniature paintings to Indian arms and armor. Make sure you leave time to admire the gorgeous domed building of Indo-Saracenic design.

The colorful murals in Balmy Alley are the lower Mission’s own version of the better-known Clarion Alley murals. Stroll through the small, pedestrian-friendly alleyway to see public work by local artists, a tradition that began in the mid-1980s in response to human rights and political abuses in Central America. Today, you can see murals depicting scenes from human rights abuse to local gentrification to natural disasters. Want to learn more? Take a tour with Precita Eyes Muralists.

There’s no shortage of refreshing waterfalls in eastern Jamaica. But after Reach Falls, I’d say Somerset—also located on the east coast—is a close second in natural beauty. Somerset Falls’ cascades can be reached by hiking or by canoe ride along the river. Either way, it’s a stunning, still relatively verdant area teeming with bird life—resident parrots—and caves to explore. It’s easy to find too, ideal for a day trip from either Port Antonio or Ocho Rios. Look out for a billboard right off the paved northern highway, about an hour and a half north of Ocho Rios.

Momogoose had to be one of the first food trucks around. Founded in 1989 by MIT alums, it’s only natural they would take a scientific approach to cooking. Their barbecued tofu is just the way I like it: chewy, moist and very meatlike with a sauce that’s equal parts sweet and sour. When I’d finished, I realized that the dish had made a convert out of the carnivore in me. I also love the fact that they have a “Meal for Meal” initiative providing nourishment to the global poor through the World Food Program.

Few things characterize autumn in North American more than apple picking, apple pies, and apple cider. If you feel like connecting with nature and experiencing a Canadian tradition, head to the western tip of the island and the Labonté Orchard for a wee session of apple picking. There is a small admission fee of $2, and you are free to stay on site for as long as you like. If you don’t go for the apple picking, go for the heaven-sent desserts at the on-site café. The apple crumble will make you a believer.

Although Brussels is most famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, is has some notable modern buildings as well. One of the most recognisable is the love-it-or-hate-it Berlaymont Building, at the Schumann metro stop. Known by its detractors as the “Berlamonster,” this huge glass and metal lopsided X-shaped structure is home to the European Commission. Whatever your feelings about the Berlaymont, its imposing stature is impressive. EU flags representing the EU member states, line the back of the building. Wander through the EU district at lunchtime and see the Eurocrats in their ‘natural habitat’ in the surrounding restaurants and cafes.

Weaving its way along the river, and among the various parks of downtown Itasca, the Itasca Riverwalk is a great way to do some small town exploring. The paths link the Springbrook Nature Center, to the Caribbean Waterpark, to the Fitness Center and to many more wonderful park district sights. You can hoof it, bike it, and when it snows, some have even snowshoed it (just rent your kicks from Springbrook and you’re all set). Exploring the path with friends or family is a great way to take in the great outdoors, get a little exercise, and get to know Itasca.

Whether you’re a fan of awe-inspiring dinosaur skeletons & dioramas, or 19th century European painting, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh have you more than covered. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is a great place to learn about the history and development of life and human cultures, while the Carnegie Museum of Art offers a broad spectrum of collections, including contemporary art, photography, decorative arts and design, and the Heinz Architectural Center. The best part is, admission to one buys you admission to both, so you can indulge your interests in the Jurassic period and Impressionism in one go.

A short drive from the picturesque fishing village of Cadaques and Dalí’s House Museum in Port Lligat, Cap de Creus is one of my favorite places in Spain when it comes to natural beauty. Sweeping views of the ocean from atop the cliffs are even better after a lunch of fresh seafood paella, the catch of the day-baked, grilled or fried, or the restaurant’s surprisingly tasty Indian eats. Burn off lunch with a hike down the steep incline to the waterline, or just cop a squat and settle in to write, sketch or meditate.

If you’re visiting Nicaragua, you shouldn’t miss Matagalpa - a beautiful, mountainous, cool area where you can hike around the Selva Negra nature reserve and take coffee or cocoa tours. The Selva Negra also has an on-site restaurant with an outdoor deck overlooking a small lake, perfect for bird-watching. You can sit outside during your meal and enjoy the view, or take a walk around the lake to the special “birdwatching patch” to commune with some local geese.

Dana Biosphere Reserve is the largest nature reserve in Jordan. For hikers and trekkers, it’s one of Jordan’s top places to get out into the wilderness, but even the less adventurous will enjoy a stop here simply to enjoy the tranquillity of Dana village, with its majestic views over the tumbling hills below. The reserve is dominated by enormous sandstone cliffs that guard the valley, creating a series of microclimates and ecosystems that house nearly 200 species of birds and most of Jordan’s mammals. Sightings of ibex, gazelles, and even wolves are not uncommon. At the entrance to the reserve in Dana village, you’ll find an excellent visitor center run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, which can recommend park guides. For a different way to experience the reserve, consider the five-day hike from Dana to Petra—deemed one of the greatest treks in the Middle East. It’s particularly pretty early in the year, when the route is laid with spring flowers.

Every detail at this former farm has been carefully executed to highlight the spectacular setting, a nature preserve near Norway’s southwest coast. The hotel’s nine wood cabins hover atop metal rods discreetly drilled into boulders above the Valldøla River—the architects’ solution for securing hard-to-get government permits while leaving the land virtually untouched. Purposefully spare yet stylish, each is furnished with only a bed and a couple of lounge chairs next to a wall of glass that encourage quiet meditation on the beauty of the Valldal valley and snow-capped mountains beyond. The concept continues in the spa, which is perched on a bluff overlooking the river and features a small outdoor hot tub and glass-enclosed steam room. Meals are served at a long communal table in a renovated cow barn; though breakfasts are included (the smoked salmon is to die for), three-course dinners are extra but worth the splurge thanks to locally foraged and sourced ingredients such as reindeer steaks.

The first new hotel in decades to open on Lake Como’s glittering shores made its appearance in mid-summer 2016 on a sun-dappled promontory near the village of Torno. As the new kid on the block, Il Sereno brings a modern sensibility to a region where luxury typically takes on a gilded, Old World aesthetic. Envisioned by Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola, this lakeside hotel takes cues from the history of the area, but skews contemporary and relaxed, with a design that highlights natural materials such as stone, wood, and wool, and a color palette of greens and blues inspired by the surroundings. The 30 sprawling suites feature lake-view terraces and amenities such as Ex Voto Paris bath products and Bluetooth sound systems. The sleek Berton Al Lago serves modern Italian fare crafted with fresh local ingredients, while the Il Sereno Bar & Lounge and the Pool Bar offer light bites in a casual setting. The spa is set in what was once the boathouse of the original property, and features treatments with Valmont products made just across the border in Switzerland. Wander the shaded passageways around the lush garden, check out the two vertical gardens and green sculptures by famed botanist Patrick Blanc, and don’t miss the 60-foot, heated, freshwater infinity pool, located in a secluded spot that overlooks the lake. Guests can take one of the hotel’s stylish Riva boats—accessible from a private dock—to explore the charming towns that line the lake.

Petite, luxurious Villa Deevena is at the heart of nature in Playa Negra, Los Pargos. Its clean lines announce this is something different and the magical dishes that come from Chef Patrick Jamon’s kitchen have created a local sensation, with an emphasis on seafood, always fresh and locally sourced. Exuberant tropical tastes (with a dash of the French) add to a refined, never-mass-tourism vibe.