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As the only hotel inside the city’s famed 19^th-century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (the oldest shopping mall in the world), the place is in a league of its own, from the building’s hand-painted vaulted ceilings and original frescoes to touches like grand pianos in the rooms and the racing-green Bentley Continental Flying Spur that whisks guests around the city in style.

There are 24 rooms in total, though the tall ceilings and mezzanine levels make them feel much more like private apartments than rooms. Designer furnishings and high-tech amenities complement the building’s original features and antiques, and guests get their own professional butler-concierge (all languages catered for), a choice of bed linen and pillow type, and as much vintage wine and champagne as they can handle. Personal laptops and shopping trolleys from the best luxury brands are also available on request.

According to a popular saying in Holland, “Money is earned in Rotterdam, divided in Den Haag and spent in Amsterdam.” To see where financial division happens in the Netherlands, head for the country’s seat of government: The Hague or Den Haag, as the Dutch call it. Den Haag is a cultured city with just under 500,000 people―less edgy than Amsterdam but more sophisticated than Rotterdam. Amsterdam may be the capital of Holland, but you’ll find the Dutch Parliament, Supreme Court and Council of State in Den Haag. In addition to being the seat of government, the Netherlands’ third largest city (after Amsterdam and Rotterdam) also is the locale for 150 international courts, foreign embassies and international organizations. As home to the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, it’s among six major cities that hosts the United Nations, along with New York, Vienna, Geneva, Tokyo and Nairobi.

Take in the atmosphere of Helsingborg’s medieval tower, which doubles as the best photo opportunity in the city. You’re made to work for it though, as you’ll have to walk across gravel paths and climb a steep wooden staircase to reach the top of the tower. Built during the early 14th century, the keep was formerly part of a much larger castle that played a key role in Swedish-Danish relations over the centuries. Find out more at the new exhibition that focuses on medieval life during the tower’s heyday.

Port Royal, once known as the wickedest city on earth and the Sodom of the New World, revels in its pirate past. The once-great city, now a fishing port, was at its height in the 1600s, when numerous brothels and drinking establishments thrived on pirates’ plundered gold. In 1692, the effects of an earthquake submerged part of the port, a tragedy that has actually preserved the town from being torn down or built over. Entire buildings and streets are clearly visible just beneath the water. The town that remains on dry land offers visitors fascinating archaeological sites to explore, including fortified walls, cannons, and crumbling buildings.

Nakameguro is a hip and trendy area with many restaurants and shops, especially under the train tracks in a complex called Kokashita. The Meguro River that runs through the residential area is lined with cherry trees for sakura-viewing in the spring. Small boutiques featuring local designers as well as imported clothes are concentrated in the Aobadai area between Nakameguro and Daikanyama. Nakameguro is also home to two of the city’s best pizza shops, Seirinkan and da ISA, and yakitori restaurants Iguchi and Toriyoshi. Popular coffee shops in the area include Onibus, Streamer, and Artless Craft Tea & Coffee.

This 248-room hotel in one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers—Roppongi’s glass-sheeted Tokyo Midtown—offers some of the best views in the city, but the interiors are just as eye-catching. The property starts on the 45^th floor and espouses classic European decor, with four colorful abstract works by California painter Sam Francis, each 12 feet high, dominating the lobby. Rooms and public spaces look onto Mount Fuji, the Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Bay; inside delicate woodwork, hand-tufted carpets, patterned chiyogami wall coverings, a lobby waterfall, and Murano chandeliers set the scene. The hotel proudly touts the most expensive guest room in Japan, the Ritz-Carlton Suite, yours for the princely sum of $16,200 per night.

Most of Zurich’s department stores have restaurants, but by far and away the most sprawling—and value-oriented—is this spot, atop Manor near Hauptbahnhof. The city’s unofficial canteen has a tantalizing salad bar (that’s priced not by the pound, but by the plate, which you can pile as high as you would like for about 12 Swiss francs or $13), grill (for burgers topped with herbed butter, steaks and local fish prepared as you wait), and sections for pastas, stir-fries, desserts, and fresh-squeezed juices.

Paris has the Sacré-Coeur, on top of Montmartre, for catch-your-breath views of the city. Zurich’s answer: the terrace at ETH Zurich. Also known as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and where Einstein was an alum, it lords high above the city for prime views beyond to the lake, the Uetliberg, and the Alps. The bQm café and bar lets you pair that stellar view with a drink.

Locals come to this white heritage-protected 1800s house perched on a hill in the leafy green Wollishofen neighborhood to splurge on the city’s best entrecôte Café de Paris, served in its pan over a warming candle, along with heavenly fries (waiters come around offering more if they see you’re running low). Come summer, the kitchen moves outdoors and the garden terrace, dotted with white umbrellas and shaded by a huge Linden tree, is as lovely a place as any to enjoy the lake view.

the Stockholm city hall building went up in the 1920s and has a variety of styles incorporated into it. Its possible to take a guided tour around the building and admire the architecture, especially the gold room which is made up of millions of mosaics. This is also the building where Nobel Prize winners party with the king of Sweden.

The smallest holding in the mini-empire of Uri Jeremias, who also owns Akko’s Uri Buri restaurant and Efendi Hotel, this bright and no-frills ice cream shop sits along the old city’s western seafront. These are natural treats, made using local dairy products and no powders or stabilizers. The result is smooth and creamy, and the flavors (up to 16 available at a given time) are ones you won’t find too many other parts of the world, such as date, halva, cardamom, and rose.

One of my favorite sit-down dining experiences in the city, Zelai Txiki has a couple things going for it. One is a gigantic terrace that overlooks the entire city. On a summer evening there are only a few places I would rather be. Call ahead to try one of Zelai Txiki’s specialties: whole suckling roasted pig or suckling lamb. These are roasted in a wood-burning oven and are an experience that shouldn’t be missed.

What a safe and easy way to escape the city! From Dublin’s Connelly Street, you can be there in 20 minutes using the DART. It’s quick, easy and safe. I decided to venture out to this fishing village and I was not disappointed! Great down time, stunning views (great change from looking at all the city buildings) friendly folks and out of this world dining!!! Seafood is definitely the order of the day but I can’t guarantee that it was caught from off the nearby pier!

Pier 7 is a secret. I have found myself there many times and never understand why there are rarely any crowds. At sunrise or sunset with your back to the city you can get gorgeous photos of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. The beautiful wooden pier, ornamented handrails, and antique-styled lamps makes this spot totally romantic. Turn to face the city and you have Coit Tower, the TransAmerica building and much more. A beautiful spot that the crowds don’t know about. Ssshhh...

In the historic Candelaria district, the 42-room Hotel de la Ópera occupies two colonial townhouses and parts of a 1940s art deco mansion. Head up to the rooftop restaurant, El Mirador, to enjoy ajiaco (potato soup with corn, chicken, and aji chili) along with views of the city’s main cathedral. From $162. 57/(0) 1-336-2066. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue. Image courtesy of Hotel de la Ópera