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Just off the Ringstrasse, the Stadtpark gives visitors to Vienna a chance to marvel at the genius of Otto Wagner: The architect’s art nouveau U-Bahn metro station is a landmark there. With the little Wienfluss (Vienna River) running through it, the 28-acre, English-style, manicured Stadtpark was laid out in the middle 19th century and is perhaps the finest city park in this greenest of cities. For maintaining the historic fountains, ornamental plants, and decorative trees along its winding paths, the botanical specialists and gardening team deserve a tip of the hat. Fine statues of composers Franz Schubert and Anton Bruckner, as well as a gilded-bronze likeness of a violin-playing Johann Strauss II—who performed here—are famous. The café in the Italianate Kursalon Hübner concert hall is a good place for a break from sightseeing.

Book a sunset charter on Atebeyra, a boat that comes with a rum-running history (she ran booze during prohibition) for a unique evening excursion. The boat can also be chartered for day trips to the outer islands where you can spend the day lazing on deck and snorkeling in the gin clear sea.

Once an oyster-farming backwater, this area was held sacred to the shark goddess Ka‘ahupahau. But it’s forever etched into America’s psyche due to the 1941 Japanese surprise attack on the naval base, which launched the U.S. into WWII’s Pacific theater. Today, more than a million visitors pay their respects annually at the museums and memorials, which include the USS Bowfin, the USS Missouri, and the wreck of the USS Arizona. Buy tickets online to avoid the inevitable long wait. Ford Island also houses the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum here: Historic hangars showcase vintage aircraft like a Japanese Zero and a Curtiss P-40E Warhawk. Plane buffs should add on a $10 combat-simulator flight.

Key West’s most famous literary resident, Ernest Hemingway, lived in this two-story Spanish-colonial villa for nearly a decade and composed several of his best-known works here. His second wife, Pauline, insisted they add a pool to the spacious grounds—the first inground pool in Key West. The cost ballooned to around $20,000, a fortune in the 1930s, and was said to have contributed to the breakup of their marriage. It’s just one of the fascinating stories guides will share on the half-hour tour of the home and gardens (included in the price of admission). And yes, you’re guaranteed to see plenty of six-toed cats, descendants of Hemingway’s original six-toed cat, Snow White.

Zurich’s Old Town has one foot firmly in the past and the other very much at the forefront of Swiss culture. Wandering through the pedestrian-only cobbled streets of the Altstadt (which you can do for hours!), you’ll find Switzerland‘s highest concentration of clubs, as well as theatres, comedy troupes, street performers and young fashion designers selling their wares in small, elegant shops on medieval streets. Landmarks include the Grossmünster’s double towers, built by Charlemagne, and the Peterskirche, which has the distinction of being the church with Europe’s largest clockface. Don’t miss Limmatquai, along the Limmat River, one of Zurich‘s most thronged shopping sites where restaurants and shops are housed in Baroque gilded houses from the 1700s, something like the canalside houses of Amsterdam. It’s a great place to actually walk into the past and have the vibrant present all around you! Check out the Artistry and Craftsmanship itinerary to Switzerland, created by Bob Preston of Swiss Panache, on AFAR Journeys.

Completed in 1916, this Italian-inspired villa on Biscayne Bay was the home of the early 20th-century industrialist James Deering and is now a National Historic Landmark. The house was modeled after historic villas and country estates in the Veneto region of northern Italy. The heart and main living area of the house is the Courtyard, which was originally open to the sky. Diego Suarez, who had worked in Florence, designed the gorgous formal gardens with classic Italianate flair, but modified for the heat and humidity of southern Florida. Thousands of varieties of orchids flourish in the greenhouse, while subtropical trees, palms, and low hedges highlight the lines of the gardens’ layout.

Why we love it: An apartment-style hotel designed by acclaimed architect Jean Nouvel

The Highlights:
- Individually decorated rooms with modern appliances created for longer stays
- A thoughtful mix of modern and historic design elements
- A rooftop lounge that looks out over the Roman Forum

The Review:
When the Fondazione Alda Fendi-Esperimenti acquired the Palazzo Rhinoceros—a 17th-century palace near the Roman Forum—and handed renovations over to Jean Nouvel, something special was bound to happen. The renowned French architect transformed the historic palace a stone’s throw from Rome’s birthplace on Palatine Hill into a 24-apartment sanctuary for guests staying anywhere from one night to one year.

The apartments—which all have kitchens designed for longer stays—each have their own unique layout with sliding steel walls so you can close off the living room from the bedroom, or create one massive space. Even though the use of steel materials and contemporary furnishings makes for a thoroughly modern atmosphere, Nouvel kept some old paint intact and installed window panels with photographs of the space before renovations to help tie the property to its historic location. For the best views in the building, head to the six-floor terrace, where you can take in the sunset over the Roman Forum with a cocktail in hand.

Seoul’s War Memorial Museum is a massive complex that can easily eat up a history buff’s whole day. The big-ticket items—tanks, planes, missiles—are outside; inside is a complete history of military actions in Korea. One really cool thing is a replica of Admiral Sun-shin’s “turtle warships,” ironclad fighting boats used in the 16th century. The bulk of the place is taken up with the Korean War, with tons of films and photos that can get a little overwhelming for the unprepared. Korea was a suburb of hell from 1950 to 1953, and no punches are pulled here in showing just what it was like. It might be best to head for a park after your visit, to decompress and remember that it’s always business as usual for the trees.

Passages were designed in the 19th century to give Parisians protection from muddy streets and horse-drawn vehicles. Some 20 of these covered walkways remain today, including the Passage Verdeau; they are an excellent way to journey back into Parisian history. Located across from Passage Jouffroy in Les Grands Boulevards area of Paris, Passage Verdeau has shops carrying antique cameras, books and engravings. The passage takes its name from Sir Verdeau, one of the promoters and shareholders of the arcade (and also the inventor of the concept of linen rentals for hotels).

About an hour north of Bogotá lies the so-called Salt Cathedral, an intriguing and impressive church that has been sculpted from the empty chambers of a working salt mine, one that’s been in operation since pre-Hispanic times. Beginning in the 20th century, miners began to decorate shafts with icons and saints from whom they sought protection. By 1954, a full-fledged cathedral had been carved into the rock and inaugurated; it has been attracting visitors from all over the world ever since. When a previous sanctuary became unstable, the current chapel was carved almost 200 feet deeper down and opened in 1995, complete with eerie lighting and beautiful sculptures. A visit is a moving experience even for nonbelievers.

Cemeteries don’t often end up on a traveler’s “must-see” list - unless they are going to Vienna. The massive Zentralfriedhof, or Central Cemetery, isn’t actually centralized. In fact, it lies far to the south of the city. With over 300,000 internments and around 495 acres, it’s one of the world’s largest cemeteries and the final resting place for a who’s who of Austrian cultural icons. Most notable are the final resting places of Vienna’s greatest musicians, including Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Strauss I & II, and even Falco. Architect Adolf Loos, sculpter Fritz Wotruba, and a crypt of Austrian presidents also make for a fascinating look at the country’s more well-known residents. The grounds also hosts the Art Nouveau Dr. Karl Lueger-Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church), a Russian Orthodox Chapel, and burial grounds for Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist faiths. The cemetery is easily reached by S-Bahn and bus. Buses also travel between the sections, as do horse-drawn carriages.

The first luxury lodge to come to Chile’s second biggest island, Tierra Chiloé opened in 2012 and became a member of the Tierra hotel group in 2014. Designed by Chilean architect Patricio Browne, the hotel looks like a boat on stilts and was inspired by the homes of local fishermen, which take the same form and are known as palafitos. The exterior is made from picturesque larch wood shingles—a building technique that’s very typical on Chiloé and is seen on the famous UNESCO World Heritage churches that dot the islands.

Inside, guests find more wood. The hotel’s wood walls and ceilings are made from indigenous species . The decorations are locally inspired with plenty of handicrafts such as wicker baskets, handwoven rugs, and wooden carvings. The focal point is the meadow and Reloncaví Sound below, where the hotel’s boat is harbored. Large windows line the building on both floors and provide excellent views. Guests can relax in a small spa, a winetasting room, or a book-filled upstairs studio upstairs. The living room with fireplace makes a perfect spot for an end-of-day pisco sour.

Though my favorite Provencal hotel is now gone from Saignon, it is still the quintessential, hilltop town worth visiting when you’re biking, hiking or driving through this area of France. The dreamy town center (all of three streets) will provide you with views of this fountain, as well as the gorgeous Luberon Valley. The small church in town is a pilgrimage stop for those walking from Rome going to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. No place in Provence ever stole my heart quite like Saignon did. It’s a quiet place with just one bakery in town and only a handful of restaurants, but it has plenty of charm. For a great walk and the best view around, follow the sings for ‘the rock’. Due to its height and location in the valley on this rock formation, Saignon was used as an ancient observatory and a signal station.

History, natural beauty, rare wildlife, and luxurious digs are among the charms of Maria Island, a few miles off Tasmania’s east coast. You’ll experience them all during this four-day, three-night excursion across 25 miles of pristine scenery—and fueled by gourmet candlelit dining and fine Tasmanian wines. During the leisurely walk you’ll explore Darlington, a UNESCO heritage-listed convict settlement that once housed 600 prisoners; stroll pristine white-sand beaches; and view the unusual wildlife that calls the island home. At the end of each day, bunk down in one of two secluded wilderness camps, close to clearwater beaches ideal for swimming, and on the last night enjoy the comforts of a restored, heritage-listed home, where you’ll have a celebratory champagne lunch before boarding the boat back to the mainland.

Starting from the historic Chautauqua Park Ranger Station located on the southwest side of Boulder, the most direct route to this popular overlook and geologic feature is 1.6 miles with a nearly 1,300-foot vertical gain. Out of the parking lot the route starts on a gentle climb on a well-maintained trail across the slopey grasslands and into the shaded ponderosa pine forest. Once above the lower loops, the trail narrows some but is clear and well-marked with signs. Then the true vertical gain begins, with a mix of switchbacks and stone steps. Don’t be fooled by the crest over the eastern ridge coming down from Green Mountain. The trail dips about 150 vertical feet before starting the final climb to the arch.