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One of the most spectacular libraries in the world is at the Strahov Monastery in Prague. While it is a bit off the beaten path for most tourists, it really is a must-see. Over 125,000 classic and rare books fill floor-to-ceiling bookshelves at the monastery, which sits on a hill. There are two halls. The Theological Hall dates from the 1600s and features ornate, 18th-century Baroque frescoes on the ceiling. The Philosophical Hall (pictured) is truly spectacular - an 18th century creation built in the Classic style that features Greek frescoes and opulently carved wooden bookcases with golden accents. On the grounds of the monastery are also The Church of Saint Roch, an art gallery and a brewery with the best sweeping views of Prague - truly a wonderful, enchanting way to spend a beautiful afternoon.

Named after a famous escaped slave, this steep staircase carves into a high plateau. On your way up, stop at the farmhouse and donate $5 per person to the local family that maintains the vertiginous track, or hire a guide to enrich your experience. At the bottom, you can cool off in a tributary, then walk along the Layou River. Once you reach the Bells Schoolhouse, head left to the road where the hike began.

A short walk away from the center of the Old Town is the four-star Hotel Kossak; its rooftop Cafe Oranżeria has a fabulous panoramic view over the Wawel royal complex, the Vistula river, and the Old Town. It’s easy to spend an evening in the Oranżeria and barely notice the food, so spectacular is the view. Fortunately the quality of the cuisine is also first-class and it is rightly considered one of Krakow’s best restaurants.

Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. It is in Clallam County, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, where the Strait of Juan de Fuca joins the Pacific Ocean. It is also part of the Makah Reservation, and is the northern boundary of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Cape Flattery can be reached from a short hike, most of which is board walked.

Dilli Haat is an open-air market with 62 stalls that features both permanent and transitional vendors, allowing original items to be introduced regularly. The space, designed to resemble a traditional village market, was created to showcase products from across India. There is an application process to determine the temporary vendors who generally stay for 15 days. Items include textiles, crafts, clothing, shoes, beads, gems, and art, as well as a food court with specialty items from across the country. The small entrance fee and gated exterior keep unwanted panhandlers at bay, allowing for a leisurely shopping experience. Though prices are reasonable, bargaining is still encouraged. Dilli Haat is a favorite jaunt for locals and tourists, adding to the diversity of the experience.

There aren’t many other places in the world where you can buy luxury bags, wallets, belts and jewelry made from local crocodile skins. Welcome to the Northern Territory. Di Croco in Darwin offers some of the finest products from the most valuable of all croc skins—that of the saltwater crocodile, which has a beautifully intricate small-scale pattern. The shop works with two of the eight licensed crocodile farms in Australia and is involved in every step of the process from procuring skins to tanning, finishing and making hardware. An Italian-made collection features bags with custom-made lining designed by one of the artists of the Merrepen arts community in the Daly River Region of the Northern Territory. A beautiful red handbag could set you back $5,000 AUD, but it’s a bargain compared to the high fashion houses, and a literal piece of the Northern Territory that you can take home.

Created from two renovated vintage motels in 2016, the 102-room Coachman blends midcentury bones with a modern, outdoorsy sensibility. A few blocks from both Lakeside Beach and Heavenly Ski Resort, it works equally well as a summer or winter base. The seasonal outdoor pool, year-round hot tub, nightly s’mores around the firepit, and lobby beer-and-wine bar make it easy to settle in after a day outside.

Accommodations range from guest rooms to one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, plus a standalone cabin with a full kitchen that sleeps four. Rooms pair modern-rustic design with Bellino Italian linens, Malin+Goetz toiletries, Apple TV, and rubber flooring at the entryway—a thoughtful detail for wet boots and ski gear. A complimentary continental breakfast is included.

Discover more of our favorite Lake Tahoe hotels.

Often described as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, this 10-mile-long Kauai valley is a kaleidoscopic array of scarlet earth, verdant valleys, and raw volcanic crags. Bands of color streak the corrugated landscape, each representing a different eruption and layer of lava. Waimea Canyon Drive has a series of lookouts; among the most popular is Waimea Canyon (past the Mile 10 marker on Highway 550), where a number of rivers once cascaded down the gently sloping shield volcano. When part of its flank collapsed, the rivers combined with dramatic results. Continue into the mountains to explore Koke’e State Park beyond. Its small, free museum contains a 3-D map, which sheds light on the canyon’s wild beauty, while the gift shop specializes in local art, crafts, and Niihau shell jewelry.

If walking through New York’s streets seems chaotic, try getting above it all—with a panoramic view from the top of the city’s most famous skyscraper. From above, the beautifully engineered order of the buildings, parks and thoroughfares below is revealed—and at sunset, the colors reflecting off the glass towers look magical. There are actually two observation decks to choose from: one on the 86th floor, which is grand enough for most; and another more vertiginous option, on the 102nd floor.

Why we love it: A converted farmhouse in the Xlendi Valley offering traditional charm and sweeping views

The Highlights:
- Superior rooms with private balconies and outdoor Jacuzzis
- Original details like stone walls and Maltese tiles in the suites
- A rooftop pool with panoramic views of the valley

The Review:
Nestled in the Xlendi Valley on the island of Gozo, Cesca Boutique Hotel was once surrounded by a working farm. While the original owners were focused on growing cotton, their great-grandsons, who now own and operate the property, turned the 350-year-old farmhouse into a luxurious boutique hotel, complete with 15 guestrooms done up in lace-print wallpaper and elegant furnishings. All rooms feature marble bathrooms with walk-in rain showers and balconies with epic valley views, while superior options also boast outdoor Jacuzzis. Three additional suites even include original stone walls, columns, and Maltese tiles, plus extras like a separate seating area, free-standing bathtub, and decorative fireplace.

Elsewhere in the hotel, guests will find a rooftop pool with scenic vistas and an indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar, which serves a large breakfast spread each morning, lunch a few days a week, and dinner nightly. Should you wish to get out and explore, Cesca is within walking distance of the towns of Victoria and Xlendi, making for easy sightseeing.

Why we love it: A boutique property with a strong sense of place

The Highlights:
- Cleanly designed rooms hung with local art
- A prime location in one of Duluth’s coolest neighborhoods
- Friendly owners who are ready with restaurant suggestions

The Review:
Opened in the fall of 2018, Hotel Pikku has quickly become one of Duluth’s most sought-after stays. With a name that means Little in Finnish, the boutique property has just three suites, decorated in clean, Scandinavian style with vintage couches, brass side tables, and paintings by local artist Patricia Canelake. Bathrooms feature walk-in showers and cedar-and-citrus-scented bath products, and suites 1 and 3 come with kitchens, which the hotel owners suggest stocking with snacks from the Dovetail Cafe or the Corktown Deli, across the street.

While there’s no permanent on-site staff at Hotel Pikku, the owners are available by text or telephone from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Rooms are bookable on Airbnb and guests check in themselves, making for a seamless stay. Out the front door, the burgeoning Lincoln Park Craft District is home to some of Duluth’s best restaurants and breweries. The hotel is surrounded by several studios and galleries, and is within easy walking distance of the Superior Hiking Trail, Lincoln Park, and entrances to the Duluth Traverse mountain biking trail system.

The first Smithsonian affiliate in the Northwest, this superb museum chronicles the Asian Pacific American Experience. Among its most poignant exhibits is the Letter Cloud installation: old hotel walls frame tales of aging far away from home. It also offers walking tours of the surrounding International District, including Touch Of Chinatown, which visits the elegant Kobo gallery and Uwajimaya, one of America’s largest Asian grocery and gift stores. Stop into the nearby Panama Hotel, home to a teahouse and the nation’s only intact sentō (Japanese public bathhouse). Lockers and marble baths still stand in the basement, which harbored the belongings of Seattle’s 7,050 Japanese-American residents imprisoned in WWII internment camps—the basis for Jamie Ford’s best-selling novel Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet.

Located in southern Seoul at the Sindorim Subway Station is D-Cube City. This retail monolith houses scores of shops and restaurants. There are the ubiquitous H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo, but also trendy Korean labels such as Bean Pole, Codes Combine, and Thursday Island. The food court is especially notable for the traditional Korean food section, where specialties like doenjang jjigae (a soybean stew) and pajeon (a green onion pancake) are served in surroundings meant to resemble a Korean folk village. Be sure to read the many signs and maps posted in English around the mall. My favorite? “D Cube City makes you feel like walking in the woods.” 662, Gyeongin-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul

Visitors seeking an immersive-history experience can get a chance to travel back in time and check out the homes, stories, and daily routines of early Philadelphians, from everyday citizens to the city’s better-known inhabitants from the past. Buildings along Elfreth’s Alley, the country’s oldest continually occupied residential street, reveal the lives of the city’s earliest residents. Most of the houses on the block are private homes, but houses numbered 124 and 126 have been preserved as a public museum. Guided tours begin in the Museum Shop (Number 124). Private tours of the Alley and Museum House are available all year round.

The Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum is the first and longest running venue for contemporary and modern art in San Antonio. It features a plethora of exhibitions each year and always has something going on at the museum. It also hosts concerts and performance art events. The museum is a great place to visit and has had a significant impact on the surrounding communities and the city of San Antonio. One of the best things about the museum is that it’s accessible from the River Walk trail network and can be reached from downtown on a short bike ride. It’s located in a great neighborhood with no shortage of activities, so it’s worth the trip even if you aren’t a contemporary art lover.