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San Miguel is known as a community of artists, but to fully appreciate that understatement, every traveler should get closer to the city’s arts community. This village is a place where many have reinvented themselves as the next Picasso or Basquiat. First stop? The art galleries at Fábrica la Aurora, where visitors browse, shopping to add to their collections, with choices from the genres of painting, drawing, and sculpture. Longtime local favorites include Peter Leventhal—whose Rubenesque nudes adorn many a wall across the globe—and his wife, multimedia artist Terra Mizwa; abstract artist Merry Calderoni; and Annie Evans, whose sculptures of devilish women are mesmerizing. Art galleries also abound in the Centro and nearby San Antonio district. Events calendars detail monthly art walks.

Home to warehouses and bustling trolley stops in the 1920s and ’30s (with the warehouses becoming artists’ studios and storage facilities in the ’70s), these few blocks in South Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood were designated a National Historic Landmark in 199O—right around the time the area was experiencing a decline. In the new millennium, however, there’s been a revival: Today the area’s brick buildings and charming former homes hold over 60 independent shops, restaurants, bars, cafés, and galleries. Grab a coffee or glass of wine and browse the tomes at the Wild Detectives bookstore, shop for furniture and local artwork at Neighborhood, and find unique gifts and design items at Bishop Street Market and We Are 1976. Foodies also flock to top spots like Hattie’s for Southern low-country–inspired fare; the much-acclaimed (and often hard to reserve) Lucia for Italian fine dining; Eno’s Pizza Tavern for thin-crust pies; Tillman’s Roadhouse for Texas- and Southwest-flavored favorites; and the legendary Lockhart Smokehouse for pit BBQ. Save room for artisan sweets from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (which has garnered national acclaim) and a slice of fresh-from-the-oven pie from Emporium, where the menu changes seasonally. With the area now firmly enjoying “features on travel TV shows” status, and private residences still lining the side streets, parking here can be tricky—especially on the weekends, or during a festival or one of the regular wine, art, or jazz nights.

These green huts are known as Cabman’s Shelters. They first started appearing around London in 1875 to provide cheap hot meals to cabbies. Even though the huts are pretty small, there’s enough room inside for a little kitchen and some seats. I wasn’t particularly aware of these huts until I saw a documentary on TV. Apparently, there are now only 13 of them left. This one is located at Thurloe Place in Kensington, opposite the Victoria & Albert Museum. As you can see, it’s located in the middle of the road, and cabbies, stopping for a bite, park their taxis behind it. I walked past the back of the hut and peeped through the window. The place was packed full of diners (around 10 of them) all squeezed in side by side, enjoying their meals.

In 1931 Rowena Cade started to build a theatre on the cliffs in Porthcurno, Cornwall. Today there is a remarkable arena on the coast with just the sea and rocks as a backdrop. In summer the audiences are treated to performances from Shakespeare to Gilbert and Sullivan and many other dramas. The experience of watching a play in the open air with the sea crashing on the shore below is quite magical and a must do for anyone visiting Cornwall. When I last visited a pod of dolphins swam across the bay, completely distracting the audience. Take a picnic to eat during the performance as well as a rug and warm clothing. When the sun sets and darkness falls you can see the lighthouses and passing ships, but it does get cold.

Walk down this narrow alley connecting Valencia and Mission Streets and you’ll be surrounded by dozens of colorful murals by local artists depicting environmental and social justice, artistic freedom, and community collaboration. Funded by the nonprofit Intersection for the Arts, more than 700 murals have been painted in this vibrant display of public art since CAMP began in 1992. In a city known for its rising rents and gentrification—and especially in the Mission neighborhood at its epicenter—Clarion Alley is a sight worth visiting.

Upholding the brand’s five-star standard, the Ritz-Carlton Osaka is an opulent city hotel with all the expected amenities. The decor feels more 18th-century England than modern-day Japan, but the location,in the central Nishi-Umeda district, is perfect for business and shopping. The six fine-dining restaurants range from traditional French delicacies to seasonal Japanese sushi to a “chocolate factory” buffet; the whisky bar is noted for its extensive list of more than 100 malts. Plush and spacious rooms have sweeping views of the Osaka skyline, including the unique Umeda Sky building. The fitness center and spa has a heated indoor pool, baths, and jacuzzis which overlook a small garden. The Ritz-Carlton completed a refurbishment of their guest rooms and club lounge in summer 2017, in celebration of the hotel’s 20th anniversary.

Östermalms Saluhall is one of Stockholm‘s most famous markets. While the prices aren’t cheap, since 1888 the market has been where those looking for the very best fish, meat, and produce shop. For most travelers in Stockholm, it provides a good lunch option if you want a fish sandwich or snack in an atmospheric Victorian food hall. The Saluhall will be closing for renovation and moving to a temporary building across the street in January 2016, and is scheduled to return to its home in 2020 after it has been refurbished and upgraded, ready to serve discerning Stockholm residents for another 125 years.

Being in Santorini was like a dream come true. The breathtaking views were like none other I had ever seen. The white buildings against the beautiful blue sea. I spotted these two dogs and thought to myself, “Wow! What a life. What I wouldn’t give to be able to live here and enjoy this view on a daily basis.” They looked so relaxed sitting in the warm sunlight. Every time I look at this picture it takes me back to that moment. I was literally speechless. Just soaking in my beautiful surroundings. We were on a tour, headed to a wine tasting, and we stopped for pictures. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. This was an unforgettable trip, better than I could have ever imagined.

The great macaron debate may forever wage on, but from the first time I tucked into a small box of Pierre Hermé’s diminutive cookies, perfectly crisp on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside, I knew I’d remain loyal to his interpretation. Perhaps best known for his unique flavors—foie gras and chocolate, lemon and fennel, vanilla and basil, among many others—it’s his Ispahan croissant, with rose almond paste and crushed raspberry flakes, that really keeps me going back.

Last week we spent 5 days in Copenhagen, Denmark. October is, for me, the best time to visit. It’s colder and there are more chances for rain but the number of tourists is drastically lower. I did not feel suffocated by them at all. Nyhavn harbor was almost empty every day. I love traveling in the shoulder season.

Shanghai’s arts and crafts enclave, Tianzifang, is a labyrinth of narrow lanes bursting with diminutive shops, restaurants, and bars. Most of the shops here are located inside shikumen, stone gatehouses dating to the early 1930s. Gear up for your shopping spree with a coffee alfresco at Kommune before checking out Xingmu Handicraft’s gorgeous handmade leather notebooks or Shanghai Code’s vintage Chinese glasses and watches. Pick up delicate stationery at Dongxi Workshop, Shanghai‘s very first boutique, and head to Sky Music Box for—you guessed it—music boxes from all over the world.

See our full list of Where to Go in 2015. According to legend, the ancient gods battled it out to become Athens’ patron deity. The showdown came after the Phoenicians founded a city at a giant rock near the Aegean some two and a half million years ago. The gods of Olympus issued a challenge: the deity who could provide the most valuable legacy for mortals would become the city’s namesake. Athena, goddess of wisdom, produced an olive tree, symbol of peace and prosperity. Poseidon, god of the sea, pounded his trident into the ground and out came a saltwater spring (or a horse, depending on the legend you read). The gods decided Athena’s gift would serve the city better with food, oil, and wood. To this day, her legacy is revered throughout Greece. Named after Erechtheus, a mythical king of Athens, the Erechtheion is Ionic architecture at its finest, easily recognizable by the Caryatids, six larger-than-life maidens modeled on women from ancient Karyai who seem to be casually supporting its southern portico. Those holding up the porch now are plaster casts; the originals are preserved in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

The splendor of this neo-Gothic parliament building—the third-largest parliament building in the world—is obvious from the outside, but consider these facts: This place has 691 interior rooms, 10 courtyards, 88 statues of Hungarian rulers on its facade, and 12.5 miles of staircases. The outside is stunning but the inside doesn’t disappoint, either: King Steven’s crown jewels are on display within, as are rooms filled with art and crafts made throughout the ages. Take a guided tour to get more context of it all, and don’t miss passing by the building at night, when it’s lit up like a Disney palace.

After a March week that included a freak snowstorm, a windstorm, and pounding rain, we woke up to a sunny day in Brussels—a perfect day to explore the Jeu de Balle market. We walked by jumbles of scarves, old records, antique silverware, vintage postcards, and loads of ashtrays (the bane of any market stall, I assume, because really, does anyone still buy ashtrays?) When I saw these two older gentlemen playing backgammon in that rare March sun, I shot a quick photo to capture the serenity, brightness, and intensity of the moment. That was right before one of them stood up, and shouted what I can only assume were obscenities in the not-oft heard Bruxellois dialect. His partner followed suit, and soon a loud volley of words flew back and forth across the board. Seconds later, they both took their seats and resumed the game as though they had never even moved.

The most stylish spot in Fort Myers’ River District, Firestone occupies a historic, four-story building right on the water. In the restaurant, guests enjoy steak and seafood specialties paired with fresh, local produce. Also onsite is the rooftop Skybar, open daily from 4 p.m. for sweeping views of the Caloosahatchee River and Downtown River Basin, as well as a special martini bar, which welcomes patrons on Friday and Saturday nights.