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One of the biggest stars of the five museums on Museum Island, the Pergamon was the last to open, in 1930. Built to resemble a Babylonian temple, it houses a trove of ancient treasures from the Middle East, with highlights that include the enormous Pergamon Altar, dating from around 170 B.C.E. and featuring a dramatic frieze showing a battle between gods and giants; the two-story Market Gate of Miletus, built by the Romans in 120 C.E.; and the equally impressive Ishtar Gate, from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century B.C.E. Another poignant highlight, given the large influx of Syrian refugees into the city since 2015, is the 17th-century Aleppo Room, a reception chamber from a merchant’s house with exquisitely carved wall decorations.

A city as ancient as Istanbul has many layers of history, and you’ll have to go below the surface to see the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the underground cisterns. Built in the sixth century for the Byzantine emperor Justinian, the atmospheric reservoir is supported by 336 columns, many of which have been repurposed from other ruins over the centuries. The Medusa-head column bases are a favorite to photograph, along with the carp that swim silently in the dimly lit waters. The cistern is located between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and the best time to visit is simply whenever the line looks short, especially on a hot summer day—it’s always cooler underground.

Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem ensures that the magnitude of the Holocaust’s injustices are never forgotten. Visiting the museum is an educational, as well as emotional, experience and should not be rushed. The museum is dedicated to researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust and genocide in general, with the hope of avoiding it in the future. Exhibitions present the history that led up to the Holocaust, as well as the related events during and after World War II, featuring personal stories, historical artifacts, films, and photographs. It also highlights the bravery of underground movements, uprisings, and the non-Jews (the Righteous Among the Nations) who saved Jewish neighbors, children, and families from certain death. Outdoor gardens contain several monuments, including a haunting children’s memorial and commemorative sculptures. Guided audio tours are recommended.

La Paz is an artistic community whose skilled and creative residents offer a wide range of items, from paintings and sculptures to jewelry and handwoven fabrics. A great way to explore it all in one place is by taking a walk through the city’s Mercado Madero, an artisans’ market located a few blocks in from the waterfront promenade, on Revolución de 1910 between Santos Degollado and Melchor Ocampo. Here, you can meet face-to-face with the artisans themselves as you shop for embroidered dresses, straw baskets and other crafts. You’ll support the local community as you find the perfect piece to take home with you.

Housed in a 1964 structure whose modern lines and central fountain greatly complement what’s on view, this anthropology museum is a repository of the most important pre-Hispanic treasures modern Mexico has discovered. The works are displayed in exhibits that trace the entire history of the Americas’ indigenous population, from the Bering migration to the present day. Exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) in scope, many visitors choose to jump ahead to “greatest-hits” galleries focusing on name brands like the Aztecs (to see their misnamed calendar stone); the Maya and their artifacts; or the Olmec culture, famed for its colossal (and quite sensual) head sculptures dating back to Mesoamerica’s earliest recorded eras.

Though the beaches of southern Kerala may get more attention, the Malabar coast shores of the northern part of the state are no less beautiful—and offer plenty of their own attractions. Case in point: Bekal Beach, a wide, sandy stretch along the Arabian Sea, set under historic Bekal Fort. The cove-shaped beach offers plenty of room to stretch out and soak up the sun, shallow waters for swimming, and artistic touches like a rock garden, murals, and public sculptures. If you don’t want to get sand in your shoes, take a stroll along the boardwalk, or venture up to explore the Fort complex. Little ones will like the beach’s children’s park, while adults should come back at night, when the beach is illuminated, to enjoy the magical atmosphere. Further along the shores, you’ll spy fisherman bringing in a daily catch that might include mackerel, reef cod, and tuna.

House in a restored colonial building, Spencer Cameron Gallery, which is helmed by expat painter Rosey Cameron Smith, sells a mix of art work (sculpture, paintings, blown glass), plus reproductions of island charts and maps. For a unique souvenir, take home some of the gorgeous pottery by local artist Carla Astaphan.

The building is also home to a secluded courtyard café that sells coffee, bread, and cookies, as well as a women’s clothing store called NOMAD. The top floor, which dates back to the 1750s, even hosts yoga classes on Saturday mornings if you’re looking for a good stretch before breakfast.

The W Taipei showcases the city’s geography and cutting-edge technology. The lobby’s light installation reacts to human motion, and guest rooms feature dramatic skyline views. The W is also home to some of Taipei’s hottest nightspots, including the Bar at Yen on the top floor. From $314. 886/(0) 2-7703-8888. This appeared in the November/December 2012 issue.

If you want to get in touch with nature, spend an afternoon in Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s answer to New York’s Central Park. Spread over 189 acres, the sprawling park boasts a running track, bocce and tennis courts, a swimming pool, a lake, and a dog park. It’s also the site of countless concerts, local events like the Dogwood Festival, and the finish line for the annual Peachtree Road Race. It’s not uncommon to see a movie or television show being filmed here, so grab a picnic from a nearby restaurant and plan to spend a few hours lounging in the shade.

From the outside, the Royal Ontario Museum appears to have been struck by a mineral formation from outer space. When the original building was overhauled by starchitect Daniel Libeskind, many locals were dismayed by the new addition, called the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, but most have come around to its angular charms. Visitors to this museum of world cultures and natural history can work their way through galleries showcasing Chinese sculptures, Canada’s First Nations artifacts and crafts, dinosaur skeletons, and Byzantine artwork. Special exhibits have included everything from the intricate textiles of Mexico to an in-depth look at the culture of tattoos.

At the center of Medellín, Plaza Botero gets its name from Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who donated 23 of his much-loved, disproportionate-bodied bronze sculptures to the city. There’s a huge chubby head, a reclining woman, and an oddly small man with a bowler hat riding a horse, plus good old Adam and Eve. The Museo de Antioquia abuts the plaza and houses other pieces by Botero as well as works by other artists. By day the square is vibrant and lively, but do take appropriate precautions after dark.

Located in Old Québec, not far from the St. Lawrence River, the Musée de la Civilisation (Museum of Civilization) is an enormous (for Québec City, at least) museum with lofty ambitions. Exhibits cover just about every culture imaginable—at any given time you might find Greek sculptures displayed alongside totem poles, or an inquiry into Egyptian ideas of the afterlife juxtaposed with Australian Aboriginal artworks. Most of the time you can count on at least one exhibition focusing on some aspect of Québecois or Canadian culture, from the history of trapping to spotlights on individual Québecois artists and designers. Many of the exhibits, like a recent one focused on cats and dogs, are designed with kids in mind, with engaging, interactive installations. Even if you’ve been here before, every visit to the museum is, by design, a new experience.

Named after an artistic city in central Mexico, Sedona’s Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village is one of the best outdoor shopping spots in Arizona. Sycamore-shaded fountain-filled courtyards and vine-covered colonnades are home to over forty galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. (The architecture may only be a few decades old, but this is one of the most well-done ‘pseudo-Mexico villages’ in the U.S.) The emphasis is on Southwest sculpture, blown-glass, painting, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry. If you want to take a break from your red-rock ramblings, this is the place.

Royal Street is to antiques and fine art what Bourbon Street is to booze. This elegant urban thoroughfare is not only home to some of the best examples of the city’s early-19th-century Creole town houses, but is also loaded with high-end antiques retailers. These feature mostly ornate 18th- and 19th-century European sculptures and paintings, early furniture, chandeliers, and dinnerware used by the upper crust. Most of the inventory has a decidedly Continental air to it. Among the better-known shops are Waldhorn and Adler (343 Royal St.); Ida Manheim Antiques (409 Royal St.), run by the same family since 1919; and haute-upscale M.S. Rau (630 Royal St.), with its warren of hidden back rooms open only to serious customers.

The Centre Pompidou, France‘s national museum of modern art, led the way for steel-and-glass buildings in the 1970s. Now the museum leads the way in modern art with its extraordinary collection, currently the world’s second largest. Masterpieces include Pablo Picasso’s Parade and—one of my favorites—Tamara de Lempicka’s Young Girl in Green. Go for the museum, but check out the public library and the view of Paris that becomes more and more impressive as the museum’s escalators rise from floor to floor. Spot the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Coeur (and perhaps a street entertainer or two with a gawking audience of kids) from the sprawling roof terrace.