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The National Museum of Korea is the largest museum in Korea and houses a comprehensive collection of Korean cultural artifacts that tell the story of Korea’s fascinating history, from ancient days to the modern era. There’s also the Children’s Museum—not only a wonderful playground and play space for children but also an impressive interactive exhibit that teaches children Korean history and heritage. Best of all, admission to the museum, including Children’s Museum, is free.

To come to Fes and skip the Jewish Quarter is to miss out on a massive chunk of the city’s history and identity. After the Sephardic expulsion from Andalusia in 1438, a walled Jewish quarter was established in Fes. It was named the Mellah, meaning “salt marsh” in Arabic. The Jewish community was protected and accepted to the point where a Jew was appointed to be a vizier, or government minister, in 1465. The appointment unfortunately stirred up a wave of anti-Jewish protests and, on May 14, 1465, a massacre of nearly all of the Mellah’s inhabitants. When the next influx of exiles from Spain arrived in 1492, they bought with them an injection of wealth and creativity that allowed the community to prosper until the 16th century. Sadly, the next few centuries saw a steady decline in population: Only 2,500 Jews are said to remain in Morocco, some 150 or less in Fes. This rather handsome neighborhood with its enclosed hanging balconies reveals fascinating history to those willing to look. Don’t miss the atmospheric cemetery, the 17th-century Ibn Danan Synagogue (which can be accessed if you ask the guard nicely and reward him with a few dirhams), and the daily markets. You’ll also find the best goldsmiths and jewelers in Fes here.

Just north of the city center, Töölö was built in the 1920s in response to Helsinki’s explosive population growth and the result of the first-ever urban planning competition in Finland. Architect Gustaf Nyström’s winning design (which was later revised) established Nordic classicism, with wide main thoroughfares and imposing public buildings, as the prevailing style. Historically an upscale area, Töölö has been experiencing a renaissance of late with the opening of new cafés, restaurants, bookstores, galleries and fashionable shops.

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.

Established in 1877 by the British governor of Ceylon, Sir William Henry Gregory, this two-story Italian-inspired building showcases artifacts—pottery, swords, jewelry and more—from many periods of Sri Lanka’s history. Some of its displays are devoted to the northern city of Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are also treasures like an elaborate throne used by the last ruler of the Kingdom of Kandy, Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe.

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.

There’s no shortage of great eateries in the New Zealand capital—reputedly Wellington has more cafés and restaurants per person than New York City—and Field & Green is a popular option for the city’s discerning diners. With a versatile menu bylined European Soul Food, it promises ever-changing weekly dishes that could include house-made pasta with wild mushrooms and blue cheese, or baked eggs with spicy lentils and mint yogurt. These hearty but sophisticated flavors are the ideal sustenance for daytime explorations of the city’s harbor attractions, and the good-value, Wednesdays-to-Saturdays three-course supper menu can be partnered with local Wellington craft beers or New Zealand wines.

Husband-and-wife team Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis have pulled off a remarkable feat, managing to entice gourmets to travel to Long Island City in Queens for a meal. While Obraitis manages M. Wells Steakhouse, Dufour presides over the kitchen. Having honed his craft at Montreal‘s celebrated Au Pied de Cochon, here Dufour reimagines an old-school chophouse by venturing beyond the typical prime cuts of beef to include sweetbreads and pig’s head on the menu. Among the sides, the poutine is a nod to Dufour’s Quebecois roots as are seasonal dishes like the meat pies sold during the winter holidays. Other steak-house classics are updated with touches like candied nuts on the wedge salad. If you want to sample Dufour’s contemporary Quebecois cuisine and aren’t in the mood for steak, the M. Wells Dinette at MoMA PS1 is another option, though it has a limited menu.

Named for the overnight train that served Santa Barbara from 1910 to 1968, the Lark restaurant showcases the Central Coast’s seasonal bounty. Located in the Santa Barbara Fish Market Building, in the heart of the city’s Funk Zone, the innovative restaurant combines a farm-to-table ethos with a family-style approach. During most months, the outdoor courtyard seating is as convivial as the tables in the dining room. The menu of small plates is organized by their ingredients’ places of origin (farm, ranch, or ocean): crispy brussels sprouts include sweet medjool dates as well as spicy serrano chilies; pickled fennel and compressed Granny Smith apples accompany the grilled Kurobata pork belly; and passion-fruit vinaigrette and fried avocado enhance the flavor of Japanese hamachi collar. Larger platters are meant to be shared, and restaurant regulars often choose one or two (the Baharat spiced cauliflower and Israeli couscous is a favorite) along with several smaller plates. Pro tip: While it’s tempting to fill up on the herbed popcorn that’s delivered to your table the instant you’re seated, slow down, order a craft cocktail, and make sure you save room for the main event.

Hiroyasu Kayama is both scientist and bartender at this bar on the ninth floor of an office building. Kayama has a collection of dried herbs, spices, and even bugs on the shelves behind the bar. The best seats are at the counter, where you can watch as Kayama creates from scratch a Campari using cochineal insects. To witness the red color come to life gets your mouth wet for the drink that awaits. The absinthe made with wormwood should also be on your radar. Best to tell Kayama what cocktails you like and let him recommend something for you.

The bartenders at Ben Fiddich don’t complicate your experience with a menu. Tell them your mood and sit back while they craft something according to their whim. Say, a whiskey drinks filled with burnt herbs whose smoke steams your glass or a homemade Campari Negroni.

Though it is just outside the French Quarter, St. Joseph’s Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks of the colonial era in Hanoi. The neo-Gothic church was modeled after Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral and sits on the west side of Lake Hoan Kiem. The church dates from 1886, making it the oldest church in the capital city. (Vietnam has a Catholic population of around 4 million people.) After the Viet Minh officially took control of North Vietnam in 1954, following the Geneva Accords, Catholic leaders and institutions were repressed and St. Joseph’s was closed for decades. In 1990, services resumed, and now several masses take place each day, sometimes drawing more worshipers than can fit in the building.

La Nacional isn’t as hip as some of the Mexico City’s more popular mezcalerias, like La Clandestina, but it has an incredible selection and a really laid-back vibe. It’s a great place to get a mezcal education—the menu is an intersecting web that connects agave varieties to over 100 mezcals. If you’re more fan than aficionado, just tell one of the helpful waiters what you like (smoky, sweet, or smooth), and they’ll bring over a few bottles to sniff and sample. If you want to take a walk on the wild side, ask to try one of the rarer distillations, like one filtered through chicken breast or another filtered through a whole snake.

Even in a city with picturesque scenes around every corner, the Petit Champlain area, located along the waterfront in the Lower Town, stands out as an especially charming corner of Old Québec. The heart of the neighborhood is the Place Royale while its spine is Rue du Petit-Champlain. While the area claims the distinction of being North America’s oldest commercial district, for most of its history its buildings housed the offices of fur traders and stevedores lodged in the tenement apartments. Today, while it’s still a bustling neighborhood, the boutiques and bistros are what draw visitors to the cobblestoned lanes. In the summer, café tables spill out into the streets; in the winter, the neighborhood exudes a Québecois sense of coziness, especially at night after a snowfall, when every restaurant offers a tempting shelter from the cold.

Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night fare, this bistro-style American eatery is located in the lobby of the historical Continental Bank, right in the middle of downtown. Chef Nathan Powers and his team draw locals working nearby, tourists from afar, and businesspeople looking to impress and woo clients. The menu for each of the meals served throughout the day is sophisticated but not overwhelming, and Powers slowly rotates items as the seasons change and new inspiration strikes. Bambara offers a number of seafood dishes and provides a range of portion sizes to accommodate different appetites.

The quiet street known as Avenida Nader, where several pioneers lived during the city’s 1970s genesis, ranks among the most “historic” neighborhoods in this all-but-brand-new city. With City Hall’s rear garden to the west and an upscale neighborhood of winding streets to the east, the avenue has transformed in recent years, going from quaint and residential to an eclectic mix of hipster bars, lantern-lit outdoor restaurants, and hidden street art. The strip embraces its historic roots while also providing a bit of vie de bohème you might not expect at a beach resort.