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Willis Tower—originally known as the Sears Tower—was the world’s tallest building for 23 years until it was unseated in 1996 by the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The 110-story skyscraper is still mighty impressive. Its “bundled tube” design by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was originally inspired by a handful of cigarettes and the innovative bundling changed the construction of supertall, wind-resistant buildings thereafter. The tower’s height is even more thrilling when measured from the 103rd-floor windows of the Skydeck observatory and the Ledge, a glass-enclosed box which juts more than four feet out from the side of the building so that visitors can (gingerly) walk out and stand 1,353 feet above the street.

These beautiful hot springs are located several kilometres into the gorge. To get there you must drive or cycle to the parking lot and then walk down a long wooden staircase built into the cliffside. At the bottom you’ll find a quaint Japanese-style changing room. From there you cross the river on a suspension bridge and then walk down to an open marble basin filled with flowing hot water. The view from the bottom of the gorge is spectacular, the water is blisteringly hot, and the river is near enough to jump in to cool off. And the best part: it’s free.

Cruise the Venice lagoon on one of the few remaining bragozzo boats still working this body of water. The vintage double-masted, flat-bottom fishing boat, once a common type of vessel here, dates back to 1946. The captain and owner, Mauro Stoppo, is also an excellent chef, which comes in very handy. Charter a daytrip (the boat comfortably carries 6–10 people) and sail to a lesser visited portion of the lagoon. The pace is slow; the food and wine decadent. If you want to charter a longer trip, you’ll explore more of the lagoon by day, learning its history and ecology, and then sleeping in private villas at night.

You may think Boutique Nadine has a bit of an identity problem. Not only does the shop have two locations just a few blocks from each other in the heart of Florence, but they are both part vintage-clothing store, part indie-designer boutique, and part midcentury-furniture emporium. In the plus column: Everyone finds something to love here. Clothing is arranged by color and walls are hung with classroom world maps. A long table, overseen by a crimson statue of Buddha, displays bowls of beaded bracelets and rings and trays of sunglasses. You may walk out with a vintage designer piece or a classic striped T-shirt, or shoes, bags, a bottle of Aquaflor perfume, or some pretty paper goods.

While exploring Burano, break for a fabulous seafood lunch at Al Gato Nero. The “black cat” restaurant is the creation of Ruggero Bovo, who has been cooking up some of the tastiest fresh fish and seafood here since 1965. “I love the fish of the Venetian lagoon and the Adriatic Coast, the raw material which has fed my island for generations and which I still have the fortune of getting fresh every day,” Bovo says. Fish and seafood are the star attractions on both the appetizer and main menu selections, but there are also options for vegetarians and carnivores. The pasta here is homemade, as are the delicious desserts.

MeMeMe is one of the cutest boutiques in Cape Town and a great place to discover local, emerging designers. Not only is it a great place for finding the perfect summer dress, they stock a decent range of accessories like shoes, bags, and jewelry, also made by South African designers. Its location on Long Street makes it convenient to most downtown hotels and backpackers.

Despite the name (Noosa is a stunning surf town to the north), this confectionery is indeed based in Brisbane. Stop by to pick up some distinctively Down Under souvenirs: chocolate paired with such homegrown ingredients as Victorian strawberries, Queensland ginger and almonds from South Australia. They guarantee that the chocolate is all made within the last 72 hours.

After a 2017 renovation, Rome’s historic Hotel Eden re-emerged with an extensive face-lift. The 128-year-old hotel’s marble and gold lobby hints at the 98 opulent guest rooms that have been refreshed with gold detailing and original artwork. The new spa uses products from the Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, founded in 1612. The top-floor restaurant, La Terrazza, serves Italian cuisine with views of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Overall, if you’re looking for a luxurious stay in a beautiful, 5-star hotel, this Roman hotel is hard to beat.

The most famous café in town, this historic spot oozes period charm and maintains much of its original Belle Epoque decor. The main bar is for stand-up coffees and aperitivi, but there are several cozy salons for a sit-down treat. The terrace is a great place for people-watching.

Contemporary art can sometimes be pretentious or obscure, but DHC/ART adds an edgy sense of wit, with exhibitions ranging from the visual puns of Ceal Floyer to the exuberant portraits of John Currin. 451 rue St.-Jean, (514) 849-3742.

Swedish summer is usually an idyllic time. Days are long and hot, nights are short and warm. Most Swedes take the whole of July as vacation, and many Stockholmers leave the city for their country houses or boats. Those who remain enjoy alfresco dining and drinking, and Mälarpaviljongen is one of the best: an all-day café-bar with several floating pontoons. There’s nowhere nicer to sit with a glass of rosé and views over the water. Mixed during the day, it’s one of the city’s best gay bars by night.

The 17th-century estate where Simón Bolívar died in 1830 is the site of several Bolivar monuments as well as an art museum featuring works by Latin American artists inspired by Bolívar, the hero who freed Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela from colonial rule. The estate serves as the city’s botanical garden, also worth your time for its magnificent, centuries-old trees.

Ollantaytambo’s namesake archaeological site is one of the best examples of Incan architecture in the region. It’s easy to spend a half day exploring the temples and other structures there, especially if you factor in time to hike up beyond the ruins. Meanwhile, the quaint town itself remains much as it was in Incan times, with original houses, streets, and waterways. Some buildings are open to the public, offering a fascinating glimpse into a centuries-old way of life. Most Machu Picchu–bound trains leave from the station here.

A visit to Tokyo wouldn’t be complete without seeing the scramble of thousands of people at Shibuya Crossing, the city’s busiest intersection. It must be experienced, but also viewed from one of the nearby restaurants or cafés that overlook the space. A statue of the dog Hachiko, an Akita that famously returned to Shibuya Station daily to wait for his master long after he had died, is a popular meeting spot. Shibuya draws young Japanese with its many fashion shops and cheap eateries, while music fans come to check out the used-record shops. Coffee shops, including About Life Coffee Brewers, Fuglen, and Little Nap Stand, are good places for a rest from sightseeing.

The smallish Plaza Manuel Tolsá—at the end of Calle de Tacuba—is an all-but-perfect urban conglomeration that will thrill architecture fans. To the south lies the 18th-century Palacio de Minería (a former engineering college) whose solid, sober mastery of imposing volume is leavened by the wavy effects of the city’s sinking soils; to the north is the former Palacio de Comunicaciones, now Mexico’s National Art Museum. The collection here is a winner—but some of the structure’s soaring neoclassical spaces will leave you agog. At the corner with the Eje Central thoroughfare stands the city’s beloved old post office, noted for its eclectic, Venetian-style facade and coruscating interiors in marble, bronze, and iron (don’t miss the grand staircase). A recently restored equestrian statue of a somewhat dopey-looking King Charles IV of Spain is a marvelous finishing touch.