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Set in a 12th-century palace that looks like the setting for a Wes Anderson film, Palazzo Avino is skirted in flower-filled gardens terraced across a cliffside in Ravello. Interiors are as opulent as the storybook architecture, filled with antiques and marble and featuring charming details such as stained-glass windows, Hermès textiles, and antique carpets. Picturesque is an understatement for the panoramas that extend from the sunbathing lawns that surround the pool area. Even the fitness facilities take advantage of the vistas: Cardio machines are set in cabanas in the gardens, making for arguably the world’s most scenic spinning sessions. Since you’re right in the center of town, guests can walk to several restaurants and bars or stay put at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Rossellinis, an alfresco lunch spot known for its lobster and champagne pairings; if you’re looking for something more spirited, opt for one of the 100 different martinis on the menu at the Lobster & Martini Bar.

After falling in love with Salvador Dali at his museum in Figueres, we caught one of three buses out to the cliffside town of Cadaques where you can get to know Dali a bit more intimately by touring his house. Full of odds and ends, including mini cages where he kept crickets and a polar bear draped in jewels, his house also includes spectacular views (including this one) of the serene Port Lligat. Tips: You must book tickets in advance to tour his house, and double-check the bus schedules because there are only three buses per day that go from Figueres - Cadaques and back.

Older than both Stonehenge and the pyramids of Egypt, the monument at Newgrange was built around 3,200 B.C.E. Its use is a mystery, although it was most likely a place of worship, and there are legends that it was used as a burial chamber. The main circular mound has a passage with small chambers off it, and each year on the winter solstice, the sun travels along the passage and lights up the main chamber. Many of the curbstones at the front and stone slabs lining the passage have decorative examples of megalithic art, with zigzags, spirals, and other geometric designs. Access to Newgrange is by guided tour, and it’s part of the Brú na Bóinne complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also has the passage graves at Knowth (on view by guided tour) and Dowth (not open to visitors).

The Cayo District is home to many of Belize’s ancient Maya sites, including one of the largest, Xunantunich. Located atop a ridge near the Mopan River and the Guatemala border, Xunantunich’s “El Castillo,” the main pyramid, is certainly the most impressive. Visitors who brave the steep steps to the top are rewarded with unsurpassed views into Guatemala and neighboring areas of Belize. While the climb up can be pretty steep and rough, there are other routes to get down along the backside that make the descent a little easier. It took me multiple visits to finally gather the courage to climb to the top, but I’m grateful I did, as the views were absolutely worth it! Organized tours to Xunantunich often combine with other activities like zip-lining, cave tubing, or even trips to the Belize Zoo. Travelers who wish to explore all of Xunantunich’s six plazas, which contain more than 26 temples and palaces, should plan to book a private tour or visit on their own.

While not as large as other ancient Mayan cities in the region, Tulum draws in visitors for its stunning setting of centuries-old temples perched on a cliff by the Caribbean Sea. You’ll pass a large market with souvenirs, a casual Mexican restaurant, and even a Starbucks before reaching the entrance, where a train can take you to the site if you’re not up for the 10-minute walk. It’s advisable to hire a guide to fully understand each structure’s significance and the history behind the ruins; informative signage is all but nonexistent. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit, as the site encompasses a white-sand beach with soothing waves and beautiful rock formations that’s reached by a long wooden staircase.

The quiet beauty of this church, built by John Cottle in 1824, is enhanced by its noble backstory—it was the first house of worship on Nevis where whites and blacks could pray together. Having fallen into ruins more than once, the church exists today as a roofless shell, but manages to retain its simple dignity and an important place in Nevis history.

An ornate late-Victorian heap of red sandstone, the Kelvingrove (located within a lovely park of the same name) is Glasgow’s signature museum—and one of the most popular attractions in Scotland. Free to enter, it features a full house of historic exhibitions on everything from animals to Ancient Egypt and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, plus a wide range of important Scottish art (like Colourist Samuel John Peploe’s Roses), several French and Dutch works, and Salvador Dalí’s iconic Christ of Saint John of the Cross. Visiting exhibitions, such as Leonardo da Vinci drawings, round out the offerings. There are also regular organ recitals and free tours on weekends, making the Kelvingrove a perfect family attraction.

The Coronado Bridge links San Diego to Coronado Island—and the present to the past. In the span of just 2.12 miles, you’ll travel from the digital age to a century when “electrified” hotels were practically unheard of. When the Hotel Del Coronado debuted in 1888, its electric lights and telephones made a sensation—as did its resplendence. In 1892, a young guest named Noel proclaimed in a letter to her family back east that “the red and the white between the bluest sky and the bluest water is like a beautiful dream in a fairy story.” Legions of A-listers have checked in ever since, as a who’s who of vintage portraits attests. But while a stay here is delightfully nostalgic—featuring bike rentals, beachside cabanas, and evening clambakes—the 757-room hotel doesn’t live entirely in the past. Take advantage of its upscale spa, spin classes on the beach, and restaurants serving updated takes on coastal cuisine along with creative cocktails. In the historic Victorian Building Suites, you’ll find modern coastal-chic interiors, streaming TVs, and, of course, Wi-Fi. The Beach Village Suites include additional modern luxuries—like a Sub-Zero fridge and dedicated concierge to help you fill it.

Most visitors to the Philippines will learn something about the country’s Spanish and American colonial history; fewer will learn about the people who were here before. The mountains of Luzon are still inhabited by distinct indigenous ethnic groups known collectively as the Igorot, or “people of the mountains” (though today some prefer to use alternative terms). Despite hundreds of years of colonial rule, some indigenous peoples managed to maintain—and still continue—their traditional way of life. Sagada, a town in the Mountain Province, is a good place to witness this aspect of the Philippines. Many travelers check out the hanging coffins in Echo Valley, which are nailed to a cliffside and intended to bring the dead closer to heaven. But the real value of visiting Sagada is to interact with the Igorots and listen to their stories.

Even though you may have never been here before, Montréal’s Place St-Louis, in the Plateau neighborhood off of rue St-Denis, will probably look familiar thanks to the many tourism posters and guidebook covers that display its image. The graystone Victorian row houses, with details in pink, purple, and other eye-popping hues, embody a certain Montréal attitude—grounded in history yet with a playful, contemporary edge. The square was laid out in 1876 and has been described as one of Montréal’s most beautiful, with a European elegance thanks to its tree-lined paths and fountain. Students of poetry may want to pay homage to Émile Nelligan. A monument to the beloved Québecois writer sits in the southeast corner of the square near the house on avenue Laval where he once lived.

Huaca Pucllana, a restored centuries-old adobe ceremonial temple, has remarkably and defiantly sat right in the heart of Miraflores since 400 C.E. The temple complex includes a Wari (or Huari) cemetery, where four preserved mummies were discovered in 2010, and a small museum housing artifacts, pottery and other excavated relics. It’s especially atmospheric when illuminated at night, best seen from the on-site restaurant, an upscale and highly recommended spot for a memorable dinner.

To say St. George’s has a rough past is an understatement. It was christened as Notre Dame Catholic Church in 1670 by French Jesuits, then burned down by the English, who rebuilt it as St. George’s Anglican Church in the early 18th century. Over the next two centuries, the church sustained two more fires, plus multiple earthquakes and hurricanes. Like Lazarus, however, it couldn’t be kept down—it was rebuilt time and time again, most recently after being damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Today, guests can visit to learn more about the church’s fascinating history, climb the bell tower, or even attend services.

This refined 28-acre resort set in the rolling hills between downtown Sonoma and downtown Napa makes guests feel relaxed the moment they check in. The vistas are unobstructed from the resort’s pool areas, and many of the property’s 94 stand-alone cottages with private balconies and six private homes offer views of the open space, too. By day, lawn games are usually underway on the grassy expanse called the Town Square, while in the evenings, a pavilion provides an unparalleled backdrop for stargazing. This is a hotel that values fresh air, as evidenced by the walls in the common areas, which retract to bring the outdoors in. There are other reasons to fall in love with Carneros—namely, the on-site restaurants. The casual Boon Fly Café is famous for breakfasts, with spicy bacon Bloody Mary drinks and tiny made-to-order doughnuts. FARM, on the other hand, is more formal, with menu items such as braised oxtail terrine and smoked Sonoma duck breast. While the hotel offers in-room massages, it will also reopen its spa after a full-scale renovation later in 2018.

Gottfried Semper and Karl von Hasenauer may not be household names abroad, but in the Vienna of Franz Joseph’s time they were towering architects. The duo was responsible for the soaring cupolas and sweeping staircases of two stunning mirror-image cultural institutions on the Ringstrasse. In the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum, famous stairwell-roof frescoes are by Gustav Klimt, and the rich assemblage of works includes Pieter Brueghel’s Tower of Babel, Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath, and works by Dürer, Raphael, and Velázquez. The sister Naturhistorisches (Natural History) Museum is home to one of Europe’s oldest pieces of art: the famous Paleolithic goddess figure known as Venus of Willendorf. There are also displays that range from insects to dinosaurs and flora and fauna collected worldwide.

Growing up I did not have access to anything like Disney so for a weekend I too was a kid again and love it :). I loved the rides and I really loved the parade. Both the kids and us were mesmerized by the colors and music. I recommend going during the off season and on a week day. That way the lines are really short and the waiting time is not more than 10 minutes.