Search results for

Walk the Forum, queue early for the Vatican Museums, get reserved tickets for the Borghese Galleries. These and a host of other museums are all mind blowing. Stroll Trastevere, with Its vibrant local culture. Take a boat trip down the Tiber to Ostia Antica, Ancient Rome’s port city.Rome has cornered the contemporary arts scene for quite some time and now has two massive institutions to show for it, the Macro and the Zaha Hadid designed Maxxi.

An independent traveler walks up the cruise ship gangplank to find herself part of a floating community.

For cross-country skiers, one winter destination rises above the rest: humble Hayward, Wisconsin, where, for a glorious weekend, their obscure sport is king.

Wandering Chef: Caitlin Freeman on the Brazilian Coffee Scene

There is something magical about ancient architecture that’s stood the test of time. Holding strong through war, famine, disease, and more, these buildings and ruins continue to leave a mark on the world.

While the old city prides itself on shops that have been selling specific wares for centuries, new boutiques are popping up between the ancient ones. Alongside 200-year-old butchers and crumbling cafés, browse for stunning modern art, runway-style bridal gowns, and high-end children’s clothing.

From cozy accommodations at the Mexican Home Cooking school near Tlaxcala, you can explore the big city of Puebla and the remote ruins of ancient civilizations.

A visit to Dubrovnik can give you a glimpse of an older Europe, one with ancient Roman sites and medieval stone walls, with charming cobbled streets and sunny market squares and the blue Adriatic Sea glittering beyond. Savor your time here by walking the city walls, toasting the sunset from a terrace bar, shopping for local crafts and delicacies, and falling in love with the “Pearl of the Adriatic.”

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.

Some of the best shopping in Chicago happens in thrift and vintage shops scattered all over the city. For thrift shoppers who want a full day of searching for treasure, Wolff’s Flea Market is guaranteed to turn up some great finds. Architectural scavengers will lose hours at Urban Remains and Salvage One whereas lovers of vintage Japanese toys and go-go boots should set their GPS coordinates for Hollywood Mirror. Happy thrifting!

It’s small compared to other capitals, but Panama City’s historical role as a port and part of a canal that brought together people, commodities, and customs from every corner of the planet endows it with a cosmopolitan air. Come visit a tiny giant.

Housed in everything from a 17th-century palazzo to an ancient fortress to a 350-year-old farmhouse, Malta’s best hotels blend history with modern luxury. Whether you want a spacious room with views of the Grand Harbour, a great location within walking distance of major sites, or a rooftop pool to relax by after exploring the capital city, you’ll find it all, along with loads of traditional charm, in this fascinating island nation.

The true gateway to southern Italy, Naples is home to some of the world’s most famous foods, but it’s also the base of a cultural collision that would make a surrealist happy. Nearly anyone who is anyone in the history of the Mediterranean has tromped through the city and left their mark including Spaniards, Ancient Romans, Arabs, Fascists, and American GIs after the war.

A tasca is a traditional Portuguese restaurant, and the best tascas in Lisbon are typically found in the old neighborhoods or away from the city’s most touristy areas. Tascas serve home-style food in large portions and at cheap prices, and are great places to meet Lisboetas (the name given to residents of Lisbon).

An amateur baker apprentices with a Paris boulanger and learns the secret of artisan bread.