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With hundreds of castles and chateaux in Belgium, open to the public, it’s hard to know which ones to visit. The castle of Freÿr, in Wallonia, is a great place to start. This grand building has remained in the same family for 20 generations and one wing is still home to the current owners. Exploring the interior of the castle is a must, as you’ll be visiting some of the same rooms as Louis XIV and the Archduchess Maria-Christina. The best place to take in the scope of the castle and its grand formal gardens, however, is across the river. You’ll need a good GPS or map to find the 2 unmarked lookout points. You’ll be rewarded for your diligence by this spectacular view.

Local chef Donnie Masterton long ago refined the art of matching sensory experience to fine food, and The Restaurant, on Sollano in the Centro, offers thrills on every level. Dinner here is an occasion for shirts with collars for men and shoes otherwise reserved for dancing for the women. (Dancing, by the way, often erupts in the bar in the wee hours, so it’s good to be prepared.) And while every night at Donnie’s proves a visual treat, Thursday nights are the see-and-be-seen scene, when locals stop in for gourmet burgers—available that night alone—with their Chateau Puy Blanquet St. Emilion Grand Cru.

Made from lightweight glass and steel, this structure in Prague’s Letna Park today houses a global advertising agency, but the Expo 58 pavilion was originally designed for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. Designed by František Cubr, Josef Hrubý and Zdeněk Pokorný, won Czechoslovakia the grand prix for best pavilion. the pavilion was designed to be easy to assemble and disassemble. After the fair it was transported to its current location (on top of the foundations of a 17th-century wine press) where it functioned as a restaurant, followed by a casino, until it was abandoned and fell into decay before it was bought in 2000 by Havas Worldwide, which it houses today. Have a look at the building from all sides, as each provides a unique angle, and take in the sweeiping views of the city from the concrete platform just in front of it.

Why we love it: A beachfront getaway with low-key vibes and high-design interiors

The Highlights:
- A cash-free policy that makes trips to the ATM virtually unnecessary
- The open-air La Popular restaurant and its chipotle-pineapple margaritas
- Regular talks and workshops led by local practitioners

The Review:
Tulum has gone from backpacker’s paradise to jetsetter’s getaway in just a few decades, but some of that gypsy spirit endures at Nômade. The beachfront property comprises 35 palapa-style casitas and tented suites, each featuring hippie macramé hangings, antique rugs, cozy beanbag chairs, and woven hammocks. Moroccan tray tables, lanterns, and poufs dominate the public spaces, which include a thatched yoga shala, a Bedouin-inspired meditation tent, and Macondo restaurant, where you can catch a live DJ set after sampling vegan fare and Yucatán specialties sourced from local fishermen (the chili stuffed with soft shell crab is a standout). Dinners are served at a communal table carved from a single tree trunk, offering equal amounts of physical and spiritual nourishment.

Creamy travertine floors and castle brick walls of pearl-stone tiles fuse with Asian antiques and dark teak furniture in the Caribbean-meets-Indonesian design at Villa Balinese, on an elevated crescent fronting Providenciales south shore. From the original local art to the antique Moroccan vases and curved bamboo chairs, it makes a bold and seductive statement throughout -- and best of all, every piece of furniture in this villa rental is hand-picked and meticulously placed by its owners. With just three bedrooms, but 4,200-sq-ft of space and 30-foot vaulted ceilings, it’s impossible not to be transfixed by the Alice-in-Wonderland dimensions and sexy stark vibe encountered here. Entering the grand entrance foyer, the eye is drawn almost immediately to the impressive sunken living room, where a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows slides open onto a grand marble pool terrace with panoramic ocean views. The infinity pool running the length of the house was constructed with emerald-colored tiles, creating a vibrant contrast with the turquoise-hued sea it disappears into. A 50" plasma TV, which can be raised with a remote click from a recessed hiding place and swiveled to face the pool, is another one-of-a-kind design example. There is no beach access on-site, but the crystal-clear sea running parallel to the property can be reached via a ladder dock. Please note that children under 12 are not allowed, but this property works great for couples or older families.

On the main road through Grace Bay, this is where locals and return visitors go for the best fresh sushi in town. And while it does amazing sushi and sashimi, including some innovative rolls all ordered off iPad menus, I was really impressed with the seafood ramen noodle soup bowl. The environs are sophisticated and noise level not too loud. A great romantic dinner choice.

For decades, the venerable Geronimo, situated in a 1756 adobe, has been serving a bevy of culinary delights. From the house favorites like peppery elk tenderloin to New Mexico lamb chops, the food is accessible and the timeless milieu is intimate. Sit on the front patio with a cocktail for the full Canyon Road people-watching experience. Inside, the stylish series of small dining rooms showcases wood floors, taxidermy, fireplaces, and beamed ceilings.

Gaze at the beautiful floor to ceiling mosaic that pictures the marine life and coral reef in Grand Cayman as you climb the double helix staircase to the top of the 75ft observation tower. Located in Camana Bay, this tower offers 360 degree panoramic views of Seven Mile Beach, George Town, and the North Sound. Not up for the big climb? No worries, there’s a full service elevator available to take you to any floor for observation, including the very top.

No matter where you are staying in the UAE, you can’t leave without visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The mosque, the third-largest in the world, is the final resting place of Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s founder. Even on the hottest summer day, the white marble floors—inlaid with mosaic flowers and vines—remain cool underfoot, and the scale of the space will impress even the most casual observer: The main hall can hold about 7,000 people. Take a tour and learn about the iconography of the intricate tiles and mosaics. Marvel at the huge rug that covers the floor in the main worship space; it’s the largest handmade rug in the world. If you happen to be visiting during Ramadan, you could consider joining one of the community iftar dinners, which sometimes serve as many as a thousand people in an evening.

This is a slightly odd place. It’s in the middle of a commercial area, with no restaurants in sight. If you get to the right block, it’s actually behind a large building. You have to knock and be let in like a speakeasy. Once inside, it’s a pretty normal expat locale. The first floor is a Spanish restaurant, supposedly with one of the only wood-burning pizza ovens in Xi’an. Downstairs is the real Green Molly, an Irish pub. You can also order food here. The pizza was disappointing, but the Caprese salad and potato skins were outrageously good. Green Molly is 200 meters north of Ginwa Shopping Center on the intersection of Gaoxin Road and Keji Road. It is behind the GAOKE building.

A new Swedish pop music group perhaps? Not quite. On my road trip through Southern Sweden, an architect friend of mine insisted we stop in Malmö to see Santiago Calatrava’s building, the Turning Torso, which was modeled after his own human form sculpture, the Twisting Torso. My friend described the town as “plastic fantastic” because of the vast variation in new architecture styles here, remarking that the Turning Torso is such a notable find within its more sober surroundings. It is, after all, the third tallest residential building in all of Europe. Artsy and industrial, for me, Malmö is reminiscent of something like Dumbo, Brooklyn. Passing through on our road trip, I daydreamed of moving into a loft space in this dynamic city where a majority of the population is under 35.

The world-famous Road to Hana hugs a jagged black lava shore. Just past mile marker 16 lies the Keanae Peninsula, where visitors can explore a traditional village, a stone church from 1856, and vast taro fields. The peninsula itself was formed by a massive lava flow from Haleakala, then softened by native Hawaiians, who carried soil down basket by basket to blanket the young rock. Today, the area is covered in lush greenery, which makes for an impressive sight against the turquoise sea and Maui’s famous North Shore waves. Before getting back on the road, be sure to stop at Aunty Sandy’s, one of the best banana bread stands along the Hana Highway, for a slice, a shaved ice, or a pork sandwich if you’re hungrier.

Formerly Belcampo.

Each of the 16 rooms at Copal Tree Lodge is a spacious villa-style suite set on the edge of the jungle, which gives a sense of privacy and peacefulness. Guests shouldn’t be surprised to see coatimundi, agouti, and other wildlife while showering in the spa-style bathrooms with their floor-to-ceiling windows. Tile floors, comfortable beds wrapped with gauzy mosquito nets, and private verandas are standard in every suite, as is Wi-Fi and complimentary laundry service, and the hotel has a pool and a restaurant/bar. The numerous outdoor activities include exploring Copal Tree Lodge’s chocolate trail and kayaking or canoeing on the Rio Grande River at the base of the property; various trips can be organized off-site, too. The hotel is closed from mid-September to late October.

Once a grand harem, this luxurious riad in the medina’s Andalusian Quarter is as enigmatic as its past. Interiors are peppered with worldly artifacts and contemporary furnishings, but all blend harmoniously with traditional handwoven rugs, bejmat tiles, and ornate lanterns. Seven lavishly chic suites are equally full of character: vintage Moroccan wedding shawls and antique Berber wardrobes offset modern amenities like high-end organic toiletries, walk-in rain showers and sunken stone tubs, and terraces wreathed in rose bushes and lush greenery. No less romantic is the hammam, complete with vaulted ceilings and graceful columns. There are also plenty of charming corners to settle into with a mint tea and homemade pastries, be it in the serene library courtyard, the umbrella-dotted rooftop lounge, or the hotel’s elegant crystal-chandeliered restaurant.

Cheap house wine for sale on the side of the road outside of the village of Pyrgos. Santorini is famous for its tradition of small vineyards that produce fruity wines. Visitors can easily spend the day winery-hopping around the island.