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It would be almost churlish to come to Marrakech and not experience Grand Café de la Poste. After opening in the 1920s, it fast became a lively brasserie and meeting place, and much of the rest of the neighborhood sprung up around it, establishing Gueliz as the city’s most fashionable quarter. After a revamp in 2005 brought a breezy, colonial-style vibe to the verandas (a smashing spot for an alfresco lunch) and transformed the first floor into a luxe wood-paneled bar complete with real log fireplaces, leather armchairs, and crimson rugs, it is today one the city’s most iconic haunts. The food is reassuringly comfortable, too, with staunchly Parisian dishes such as leeks vinaigrette, skate wing with beurre blanc and capers, and crisp-skinned roast baby chicken and chips topping the bill.

It’s not yet Brooklyn, but the Spittelberg quarter in the Neubau district is arguably Vienna’s newest trendy spot. As neighborhoods go, Spittelberg is tiny, made up of old working-class blocks with an unsavory past. But Spittelberg lies in the shadow of the mega-successful MuseumsQuartier, and the bars and restaurants tucked into leafy courtyards behind Biedermeier buildings are hopping now. Thankfully, a village feel remains on the quiet pedestrianized streets and alleys where, in warm weather, Schanigartens (Vienna’s version of outdoor restaurant seating) appear. Amerlingbeisl, Bohème, and Witwe Bolte are three of the most popular bistros, along with newcomer Das Spittelberg. The neighborhood’s Christmas market, with its glühwein kiosks, is perhaps the top one in the city.

More than 250 artifacts of the RMS Titanic are on display at this 25,000-square-foot space at the Luxor. Among the truly incredible mementos excavated from the wreck of the sunken ship: an unopened bottle of champagne, a floor tile, a window frame, and a giant piece of the ship’s hull. Perhaps more impressive than the artifacts themselves are the full-scale re-creations of what guest quarters looked like on the ship—attending the exhibit gives you a sense of the difference in the experiences of a first-class passenger and a third-class passenger. Since it opened in the late 1990s, the exhibit has been seen by more than 25 million people, which makes it one of the most popular attractions in Las Vegas history.

The choice of whether to build a church following a Gothic Revival or neoclassical design involved more than just aesthetics in 19th-century Québec. The former tended to be associated with Protestantism, and so the construction of the Catholic Basilica of Notre-Dame in that style raised eyebrows. When the St-Jacques Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1852, the architects who designed a new church for the site, the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, opted for the neoclassical style that was more typical of Catholic buildings. Constructed from 1874 to 1895, it is a quarter-scale version of St. Peter’s in Rome, complete with coffered vaults and twisting columns in imitation of those of Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin in the Eternal City. The building’s green copper dome makes a statement, too, looming as it does over the largely Protestant neighborhood. The stucco crucifix by sculptor Philippe Hébert is one of most important works of art in the church.

Located in the Marais, L’As Du Falafel likes to boast about its connection to rocker Lenny Kravitz. Specifically that he has endorsed the falafel sandwich here. You don’t need me to tell you this. Just go here: it’s posted all over the walls. The fact is, though, L’As Du Falafel doesn’t need to milk the Kravitz connection. They make a very delicious product. The last time I was there, two women in their early sixties were in line in front of me. After they ordered they turned around to me and said, “This is new to us. We come from Holland.” As if Holland has been behind some kind of culinary iron curtain for the last few decades. Whether you’re from Holland or Hungary, you should do like Lenny does and stop by L’As Du Falafel.

Set among the labyrinthine streets of the Gothic Quarter, this café offers a delicious selection of cakes, tarts, cookies, and other desserts—all baked by nuns from convents and monasteries around Spain. There are truffles from the sisters of Valladolid, cider cake from Santa Inés of Seville, and tea biscuits from the Convento Madre de Dios in Cáceres. Enjoy them with a cup of coffee or pot of tea, or try the famous hot chocolate. You can get a table upstairs, but it’s down below that you’ll want to score a seat: The space—a medieval-era Jewish bathhouse—features ancient stone walls and high vaulted ceilings. Live classical music concerts are occasionally held there, making for one of the more magical places to indulge your sweet tooth.

Café Du Monde is always open; it’s the clientele that changes—from visiting families and local pensioners early in the morning, to couples in the evening, to Bourbon Street refugees looking for coffee and ballast in the night’s thinnest hours. This huge coffee stop is a rarity—a tourist trap that locals actually love (although they will rarely wait when lines are long). It’s been around for more than a century, and basically serves two items: beignets and café au lait. The beignets are similar to Spanish buñuelos, fried fritters of dough, and are one of those French traditions that’s survived here more durably than in France. While probably not on anyone’s diet list—they come piled with powdered sugar—they’re surprisingly light, and an order (which equals three beignets) disappears with unusual haste.

The Estate Whim Plantation Museum, billed as the only sugar plantation museum in the Virgin Islands, is set on magnificently landscaped grounds occupying 12 acres of what was formerly a 150-acre property. The restored early-18th-century buildings include a great house, fully restored windmill, and sugar-factory ruins that are open to visitors and can be toured alone or with a docent. Sugarcane still grows in one of the plantation gardens.

A whole lot of history converges at the Fairmont San Francisco—as do all of the city’s cable car lines, which offer easy transportation to the Financial District, Union Square, and Fisherman’s Wharf. The hotel was built in 1906 but damaged in the Great Earthquake and subsequent fires before it even opened, so celebrated architect Julia Morgan was brought in to repair the building. Once it debuted, the hotel quickly became a city favorite, hosting more than its share of historic events, including the series of meetings in 1945 that resulted in the formation of the United Nations. The hotel’s storied bar, The Venetian Room, also featured big names, from Ella Fitzgerald and Nat ‘King’ Cole to Tony Bennett, who first performed I Left My Heart in San Francisco here in 1961 (Bennett still frequents the hotel).

Today, the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar is a draw for tourists and locals seeking a kitschy, iconic San Francisco experience, with live music, Polynesian food, and Mai Tais severed against a backdrop of occasional staged thunderstorms. Other dining options include Laurel Court for all-day coastal California fare and the famous Afternoon Tea, a local tradition since 1907. The opulent design of the hotel extends from its lobby—with marble floors and sumptuous fabrics—to the 606 luxurious rooms, each outfitted with comfortable furnishings and modern technologies. Of the 62 suites, 10 also include balconies with city and bay views.

Brunch lasts nearly all day at Crema in Pacific Grove, and you need that time to explore the array of separate quarters in the restaurant’s converted Victorian mansion. Investigate the historic photos, antique furniture, and artistic decor in the downstairs espresso café and wine bar; grab a spot with friends in the garden courtyard or in the dining room upstairs; or keep to yourself in the studious Peacock Room. Once you’ve found your favorite nook, enjoy fizzy and floaty drinks, rich egg dishes, golden waffles, or house favorites like the bacon cheddar biscuits that are football-size and accompanied by honey butter. As the day progresses, Crema is a favorite stop for friends to get together, often over games of Jenga, Battleship, Scrabble, and Yahtzee—all available to borrow from the espresso bar. Pro tip: The goblets of fruity sangria and the Micheladas served with a slice of country bacon are as good in the morning as they are in the afternoon.

Between the São Conrado and Barra da Tijuca districts lies the exclusive quarter called Joá—Rio’s answer to Beverly Hills—amid whose mansions hides a secret next to zero visitors know: Joatinga Beach, a shoreline as incredible as it is hard to get to. For instance, you can find it only at low tide (yes, the beach is that small). And even though it’s officially public—as are all Brazilian beaches—you reach it by finding your way through the labyrinth of a built-up city neighborhood. There’s no cell service and barely any Internet. But the minute you tread the sand and wade into the turquoise waters, you forget all the rest, which is no easy trick in the middle of busy Rio.

New Orleans’s newest public park lies along about a mile and a half of the Mississippi River—a lovely retreat reclaimed from industrial squalor. The main entrance is near the foot of Esplanade Avenue, marked by a boxy footbridge (with elevator) over the railroad tracks, which divide the park from nearby low-slung neighborhoods. While walking along the water, note how the powerful Mississippi’s twists and currents require dexterity from a river pilot, as the huge passing barges slide past sideways angling for the bends. At Piety Wharf—a former warehouse location converted into a massive sculpture that invites contemplation—you can cross a steeply arched span (designed by noted architect David Adjaye, and locally dubbed the Rusty Rainbow) into the Bywater neighborhood for a walk back to the French Quarter.

A couple of blocks west of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake—meaning Lake of the Restored Sword—is one of Hanoi’s anchors. It contains a number of sites worth visiting, like Ngoc Soc Temple and the picturesque, red-lacquered Huc Bridge. The greatest fun here is people watching, from men and women jogging round the perimeter to retired folks doing tai chi or dancing. Many locals come to socialize or just take a few moments to escape the city’s chaotic roads and traffic. Visit in the morning as the city is waking up and the air remains blissfully cool. Photo by Binder.donedat/Flickr.

We picked up some gyros to-go during our stroll through the historic Plaka neighborhood below the Acropolis. Thespidos street was particularly memorable for the cafe we stopped at and discovering Brettos bar, which we decided to come back to enjoy as the end a lovely evening.

Fes is well-known for producing the best pottery in Morocco. The local gray clay is much more hard-wearing than many clays used further south; items made from this material are often fired at volcanic temperatures, and usually capable of withstanding a microwave or dishwasher. The pots are still painted by hand here. If you’re keen to stock up on treasures for your kitchen or dining room table, you have several options. Several stores along Talaa Kbira stock good-quality tableware, including our favorite, the Fondouk Tazi, which also offers some lovely modern designs. Continue into the bowl of the medina to the Henna Souk to find traditional patterns such as the tomato flower, various Berber motifs, and embroidery-inspired designs. Serious buyers hop in a taxi up to Ain Nokbi, the industrial quarter, to see the potters at work. The shops can also organize big shipments for you, but oversee the packaging yourself if you want it to arrive intact.