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In the past, aspiring artists would head for Mexico City as soon as they could scrape together the cash. More recently, however, they’ve been drawn to Guadalajara, where a new crop of funky art galleries and creative spaces has turned neighborhoods like Colonia Lafayette and Colonia Americana into design destinations for Mexico’s cultural set.

With two world-class university art programs, Montreal attracts more than its fair share of budding creative types, who usually stay after their studies. It explains the city’s ebullient visual arts scene, its world-renowned dance troupes (think of Grand Ballets Canadiens, La La La Human Steps and Marie Chouinard) and the strength of its English theatre offerings, despite the fact that it’s a mostly French city. From museums to performance spaces, Montreal is full of spots to soak up culture.

The art collections housed in the great museums of Los Angeles are as varied as the museums themselves. At Getty’s grand villa above the Pacific, marble statues from ancient Greece oversee gardens and fountains. Behind the dazzling ultramodern facade of the Broad, visitors find ultramodern artworks, too. Even when the beaches and rooftop bars beckon, leave time in your schedule to tour these outstanding museums.

Small though it may be, this city is packed with beautiful museums—many in ancient buildings, and most with magnificent examples of Renaissance, pre-Renaissance, and even modern schools of art and sculpture. Most are open Tuesday through Saturday, and some have a free day each week.

Lest you think there’s no shopping in Aspen that’s not either Prada-fancy or wool socks-casual, this town has great boutiques, bookstores, general stores, art galleries, antique shops, housewares, purveyors of western wear, AND great luxury brands and outfitters. Take a stroll through town and see if you can resist.

If you’re after some of the world’s best art, there’s really no better place to be than France. The country is home to a wide variety of world-class museums, from stalwarts like the Louvre, the Musée D’Orsay, and the Centre Pompidou to lesser-known but equally remarkable institutions like the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tours and the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Whether you want to see the famously French works of the Impressionists, paintings by Italian and Flemish masters, or more contemporary pieces by the stars of today, you’ll find them all in France.

How do you make sense of diverse, dizzying São Paolo? Talk to the people who make the sushi, spray the graffiti, and build the giant watermelons.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Rolf Potts on a spontaneous journey to Russia.

There are an incredible 80+ museums in Munich, showcasing the importance of culture and history to the residents, and it can be hard to choose which to visit. If you only visit one, make it the Deutsches Museum, which is the most famous museum in Munich, and also the world’s largest museum of science and technology. But there are numerous must-visit art galleries and castle museums, too. Some Munich museums offer €1 admission on Sundays, so be sure to check the websites!

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.

Art, design, and handmade crafts are popular in Stockholm, and Sweden is known for its minimalist style—simple yet functional and attractive. Savvy shoppers can easily unearth made-to-order food offerings, custom-made soaps and chocolates, Swedish-designed home goods, and even surf-culture attire. Stockholm is also known for its secondhand shops, flea markets, antique design stores, and vintage flair, and the city sports a slew of boutiques.

With a long and often tumultuous history that encompasses the heady days of the Champa Kingdom, Hoi An’s heyday as a regional trading hub, the American War, and Vietnam’s recent emergence as a tourist destination, the central part of the country is not short in intrigue.

On a trip with a young traveler in tow, a writer reflects on her first Venice adventure—and how it changed her life.

For years, the easternmost section of the Marais, one of the city’s most beloved districts, was a sleepy, underdeveloped neighborhood. That all changed for L’Arsenal in July 2022 with the arrival of the design-driven SO / Paris, located at La Félicité, a massive urban revitalization site overhauled by British architect David Chipperfield. The hotel occupies one side of the 1960s-era complex (which includes the Terroirs d’Avenir green market and bakery and the Atlas art gallery). The design from Paris-based architects RDAI is retro-futuristic, with rounded couches and soaring ceilings, while decorative touches are nods to the neighborhood (the tiles of the hotel entrance mimic cobblestone streets).

From folk art to cowboy boots, San Antonio’s rich history and geography continues to inspire local artisans. There are shopping destinations both enclosed and open air all around the city to please every taste, from the Shops at La Cantera to Blue Star Contemporary Arts and a nearby flea market that features a giant sign shaped like armadillo. Save Sunday mornings for brunch and shopping along the River Walk.