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In an age of Hollywood blockbusters and cineplexes (even in Europe), true art-house cinemas are a dying breed; Művész on the Pest side of the city keeps the faith with a wide variety of international and vintage films shown on four screens. English films are shown with Hungarian subtitles. Alongside that are film festivals as well as a foyer with delicious old cozy sofas, magazines and books, fish tanks and wall sculptures, even arts and crafts to buy. On top of it all, the cinema houses a bustling retro cafe that attracts culture vultures beyond the usual cinephile audience.

Since 1980, when well-heeled Dallasites have needed a restaurant for a special family occasion, power breakfast, proposal, or impressive first date, they’ve come to The Mansion. One of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants—which, over the years, has been the domain of several noted chefs, including Dean Fearing—is set in the 1925 private home that forms the centerpiece of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, so the elegant rooms are filled with original details (like oak paneling, inlaid ceilings, and stained glass) and antique furnishings, including a 16th-century stone mantel. The menus are equally refined, while still approachable and creative to keep up with the city’s ever-evolving and elevating food scene. Breakfast and brunch are popular for dishes like the smoked brisket tacos and hazelnut brioche French toast, while lunch favorites include the signature tortilla soup, prime burger with kale, bacon aioli, and truffle fries, and generous salads. Dinner’s fine-dining menus change with the season but may include treats like Wagyu beef tartare or lobster ravioli; opt for the five-course chef’s tasting menu for a handpicked sampling of the current standouts. Vegetarian options are also available, as is an expertly curated wine list that takes you around the globe. If the weather is good, enjoy brunch, drinks, or a more casual meal on the terrace, around the fireplace, or under the lantern-adorned oaks.

As you take in its dome made of gold-filigree laurel leaves, the utter modernity of the Secession Building stuns you. Joseph Maria Olbrich’s glorious exhibition hall just off the Ringstrasse is more than a century old, and is one of the most beautiful legacies of the great intellectual and artistic period known as fin de siècle Vienna—when the city’s coffeehouses were frequented by the likes of Freud and Klimt and the architect of the day, Otto Wagner. Not many cities can claim their own art movements, but the Vienna Secession was a reaction to the staid art of the late Hapsburg empire. “To every age its art, to every art its freedom” proclaims the inscription (in German) on the facade of the building which also has a 112-foot-wide, 1902 Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt.

Cultural events, live music, and a variety of artwork can be seen at Donkey Mill Art Center. The gallery is open daily for visitors and features exhibits as diverse as the creative minds that make them. An appreciation for art and culture along with a determination for art education on the Big Island brought a group of people together to start offering classes and workshops for artists of all ages around the Kona area of the Big Island. Since their humble beginnings, the Donkey Mill Art Center has been able to take over an old coffee mill, add an artist in residence program, and expand their studio to include printmaking and ceramics. The impressive committment by volunteers has made the Art Center a well-respected venue for continued learning.

Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan‘s largest fresh water lake. When I lived in Nantou County, central Taiwan, I would often ride my scooter to Sun Moon Lake for a bit of fresh air and reflection. One day I drove to the lake and traveled up a hill to the Ci-en Pagoda. Parking my bike, I climbed to the top of the pagoda and gazed out at the misty lake, which seemed magical in that moment. Many legends surround Sun Moon Lake, including the one which says the lake was once inhabited by two dragons. These dragons used the sun and moon as toys, causing the world to fall into darkness. Eventually a young couple came and defeated the dragons, brining light back into the world. Sun Moon Lake is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever visited.

The laid-back vibe reflected in low stools and coffee tables (oh that’s what they’re for) not to mention a black cat that ventures in every once in a while is just one reason Darwinites love Four Birds. The other is the coffee, creamy and well-balanced. It can be enjoyed with a classic tart, an artful salad or on its own, preferably under the frangipani tree outside.

Zadar’s antiques market is located in the old town, on Jurja Barakovića Street, and open daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then again from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Military memorabilia from the days of Yugoslavia and earlier is popular, but that’s just a small part of the selection you’ll find for sale here. There are also many lovely glass pieces—goblets, beads and objets d’art.

The resort town of Mondello, just a short drive from Palermo, is a popular escape for visitors and Sicilians alike. Cerulean waters lap a beach of soft white sand. Visitors staying in nearby villas spend much of their time relaxing on the beach, with occasional breaks for arancini and panelle bought from street vendors. For a serious meal, stroll down the pier to the Charleston, a landmark restaurant and bar in an Art Nouveau building over the water.

Taking a turn around the town center is a long-standing tradition in most of Mexico‘s pueblos and even its biggest cities. It’s in these centers where you’ll find small and charming shops, cafés and restaurants, live music and public art installations. Manzanillo’s center is tiny and not as traditional as many others in Mexico, but still offers the opportunity to get a glimpse of daily life.

In 1923, the artist Jacques Majorelle acquired a four-acre plot of land just outside the center of Marrakech. Inspired by numerous travels around the country to paint scenes of village life, and funded by painting more illustrious portraits such as that of Pasha Thami el Glaoui, Majorelle was able to build a small studio and house, with enough land to indulge his other passion: ethnobotany. As his career grew, he added a splendid villa, and the garden took on a life of its own, featuring innumerable exotic species from around the world; he added pools and fountains, and, of course, the now iconic, eye-popping Majorelle blue that was lavished on the architecture. The property became so expensive to maintain that the artist was forced to open it to the public until his death in Paris in 1962. The garden gradually fell into a state of disrepair and was slated for development by a hotel chain until French designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé happened upon it during one of their many trips to the Red City. In 1980, they decided to buy it and restore it to its former glory, adding irrigation and doubling the number of plants and gardeners to look after it. They moved into the villa and set about transforming other buildings into what is now the legendary Berber Museum and a boutique. The latter is especially noteworthy for creative director Stephen di Renza’s commitment to reflecting Majorelle’s lesser-known passion for the decorative arts (which is manifest in the exquisite artisanal pieces, leather goods, and jewelry) and Saint Laurent’s inspired use of traditional Moroccan dress, such as the kaftan and djellaba, in haute couture fashion.

While the art of puppetry is common throughout much of Asia, Vietnam has the unique discipline of water puppetry. These puppets are carved from wood and then lacquered to protect them from the water. The stage for a show is a pool of water, with the puppeteers standing behind, hidden by a screen, manipulating and moving the figures with rods and strings. Water puppetry is believed to have originated in northern Vietnam in the 11th century, possibly in the rice fields around the Red River Delta—flooded paddies were the original stages—and themes often explore the daily routines of rural or coastal life or old folktales. Today visitors can most easily catch a performance in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City at one of a handful of well-established theaters.

Stone and Man, a permanent outdoor art installation launched in the 1990s, features the stone carvings of 40 different artists. Conceived by Greenlandic artist Aka Høegh, the installation includes 40 works located around the city by creators representing all the Nordic countries. Many are carved directly into the lichen-covered rock outcrops. On a tour of the sites you’ll come across representations of whales, native faces and other traditional designs that feel as if they’ve been there for hundreds of years.

Explore Ireland’s rich archaeological legacy, starting with the Megalithic period and moving through the Viking and Medieval eras, with eye-catching artifacts like the Tara Brooch, Cross of Cong, Ardagh Chalice and a glistening collection of prehistoric gold. The museum has two other locations in the city: one dedicated to decorative arts and history at Collins Barracks on the banks of the River Liffey and the wonderfully Victorian Natural History Museum on Upper Merrion Street.

A collaboration between New York interior designer Tony Chi and Tokyo-based Shinichiro Ogata, this sleek Andaz property incorporates natural materials like washi paper and walnut wood high atop the multiuse business and lifestyle Toranomon Hills building. Rooms come with skyline views deep soaking tubs, and black-and-white closets and cabinets that recall the sketches of Piet Mondrian, but you won’t be cooped up for long. Snag a seat at the eight-person sushi bar, or dine on grilled snow-aged beef (that is, steaks aged in a natural yukimuro refrigerator of the white stuff) at the Tavant Grill, then end your evening with tea-infused cocktails at the rooftop bar.

The 25hours brand is known for its playful take on the hotel experience, and this Zurich establishment follows suit. With an interior concocted by local designer Alfredo Häberli, the space features the usual mix of colorful, offbeat furnishings, slick design, and casual friendliness, as well as the cute touch of Häberli’s personal city tips scrawled on various surfaces.

The rooms and suites are separated into categories of silver, gold, and platinum to reflect the city’s banking-capital status. That’s as corporate as it gets, however, since the interiors are decidedly funky, with bold colors, quirky carpets and artwork, and angular work desks. The hotel also offers a restaurant, living room and business lounge (with iMac workstation and free Wi-Fi), plus an in-house kiosk that stocks everything from necessities (shampoo and toothpaste) to accessories (Freitag bags).