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Chopin concerts are a summer tradition at Royal Lazienki Park in Warsaw. Great pianists have performed beneath the Polish composer’s monument every year since 1953 (Christina Biørkøe is featured in the photo). The performances run from May through September and are held every Sunday at noon and 4 p.m.

An elegant park commissioned in the late 18th century by King Stanisław August Poniatowski, Łazienki is one of the most charming areas of Warsaw. The focal point of the park is the magnificent Palace on the Island (also called the Palace on the Water), which is modeled on Villa Borghese and served as the royal summer residence. Around it, swans glide gracefully on the lake, peacocks spread their dazzling tail feathers, and red squirrels are more than happy to take nuts directly from the palm of your hand. When visiting, be sure to check out the park’s famous statue, the Chopin Memorial, which shows the composer seated under a willow tree with the wind in his hair. To further pay your respects, stop by in summer, when the park regularly hosts outdoor Chopin concerts.

This beautiful Parisian cemetery is on the Boulevard de Menilmontant and next to the Metro station Philippe August, in the 20th arrondissement. Upon entrance to the main gate, grab a map so not to get too lost. The art work on the memorials and the stories behind the names on the headstones inspire a mood of great tragedy and romance. The locals call it the la cite des morts (the city of the dead). The cemetery makes the ideal place to explore if you’ve seen a lot of Paris before and want to dig a bit deeper. Seek out the tombs of 1) Oscar Wilde (for all of those declarations and kisses left behind); 2) Georges Rodenbach, a Belgian writer and poet of the 19th century with a breathtaking tomb; 3) Victor Noir, who became more famous in death (by duel) than life. Seek the answer to the riddle of why his tomb is seen as good luck for fertility You’ll also see the gravesite of Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, buried side by side in a testament to their love. The list of the celebrity dead goes on and includes Gericault, Piaf, Chopin, Heloise and Abelard. Even Jim Morrison. An afternoon here is guaranteed to leave you grateful for the treasures you found but weren’t expecting.

The Bata Shoe Museum is dedicated to the history of footwear through the ages. And what a spectacular history! After one visit, you’ll be able to distinguish Rajasthani mojaris from chopines, the platform shoes worn by 16th-century Spanish and Italian society ladies. Consider this training for trivia competitions. The museum’s impressive collection of more than 13,000 shoes and footwear-related objects is leveraged across four exhibits: fashion, practicality, shoemaking, and finally the footwear of Arctic dwellers. The museum also offers design workshops, family activities, movie nights, and more.

After a full day of exploring Warsaw on foot, I decided to take a moment to unwind in Saxon Gardens. To enjoy being in the moment with the locals and travelers alike, as the sun highlighted the scene. The day was then topped off with a Chopin concert. An ideal way to finishing a day in Warsaw. While the entire experience was memorable, sometimes it is about finding that one moment that helps to make you realize where you are and truly appreciate it.

In the heart of Toruń’s Gothic, brown-brick Old Town—which itself looks like it was built out of gingerbread—lies the Living Museum of Gingerbread, an interactive museum that opened in 2006. Toruń’s gingerbread tradition goes back much further, however, with the first mention of the sweet dating to 1380. At the museum, you’ll learn the story of Toruń’s famous gingerbread while working under the watchful eye of the Gingerbread Master to prepare the dough, bake the bread in traditional wooden molds, and, finally, decorate each loaf. After going through the fun process, you might agree with Frédéric Chopin, who wrote of a visit to Toruń, “Gingerbread impressed me most. Although I have seen the fortifications, and the famous town hall . . . all these cannot surpass the gingerbread, ah, the gingerbread!”

The exclusive town of St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is home to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a Renaissance-style palace with sumptuous furnishings and one of the most famous gardens in France. Beginning with a traditional French garden, the land is by turns tamed into a Japanese garden, a stone garden, and six other distinctive environments. Directly across the bay, the Villa Kerylos was built in the 20th century as a replica of an ancient Greek palace.

Toro Toro by Chef Richard Sandoval is a new 300-seat restaurant and bar that combines culinary flavors of Asia and Latin America. During a recent trip, we sat down in the main dining room to sample the award winning arepas corn cakes, small plates and handcarved steak entrees. The Toro Toro brand originated in Dubai where Sandoval has showcased his homemade empanadas to tens of thousands of diners. The bar is lined with toffee-colored banquettes and stone bull statues. Be sure to try the “Machu Picchu” cocktail consisting of pisco, St-Germain and fresh jalapenos. For groups, create a multi-venue event for 300 pax with the Olay breakfast restaurant next door. Table 40 is the private dining room located inside InterContinental Miami’s contemporary kitchen. Available for group events and intimate dinner parties, Table 40 seats 14 for a luxurious dining experience featuring cuisine by InterContinental Miami’s corporate chef, Alex Feher. “We try to enrich one’s experience at the InterContinental,” says Kovensky. “Whether it’s the level of service, the artistic presentations or the F&B.”

The 641-room InterContinental Miami wrapped a $30 million renovation last December, unveiling a spectacular 19-story LED digital canvas featuring local art and cultural scenes by an in-house curator. The renovation included the opening of Toro Toro restaurant by Chef Richard Sandoval and the unveiling of Venus Williams’ first hotel project. During the day, the triangular lobby uses the natural light from the clear window ceiling to highlight the 30-ton Henry Moore sculpture that was dropped into the space more than 30 years ago. The marble sculpture mirrors the lobby that includes more marble than any other hotel in Florida. Kovensky says that there is a huge shift in energy from day to night. “The layout of the space is exceptional, the footprint offers an outstanding opportunity for networking during the day,” he says. “Once night falls, the lights come up and the social scene takes off.” The renovation included all guestrooms, including two 3,300-sf presidential suites. Venus Williams’ VStarr design firm created the Royal Palm and Metropolis suites, boasting a true sense of South Florida style. The modern residential style includes plenty of function space and gorgeous views of Biscayne Bay, downtown Miami and nearby Key Biscayne.

During a tour of the more-than-700-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mine, you’ll travel through a labyrinth of underground corridors and stairs leading to a variety of fantastically shaped chambers, chapels, salt sculptures, and subterranean lakes. Exploring with a guide is essential, as the mine is home to nine separate levels and more than 2,000 excavated chambers. The Tourist Route, which starts at the Daniłowicz Shaft, takes about three hours to complete but covers only a small stretch of this fascinating underworld. For a more adventurous experience, choose the Miners’ Route expedition, which begins at the Regis Shaft (about a 10-minute walk from the main Daniłowicz Shaft) and allows guests to try their hand at working underground. The salt mine is very popular, so buy tickets far in advance, either online or from a trusted tour operator. And wear comfortable shoes—a visit here involves a lot of walking.

Like the art collections of Italy, the gilded palaces of Vienna are perhaps too popular for their own good. The stately rooms where the Hapsburg and Austrian nobility listened to performances by Mozart are now crowded with hundreds of guests. The Luxury Gold itinerary Harmony in Central Europe, however, allows travelers after-hours access to the famous Palais Augsburg. Claire says that, “Guests will be treated like royalty with an evening that begins with a champagne reception before they are shown to their front-row seats in a stunning palace. This is a chance to experience a classical performance as it would have taken place in Mozart’s days, in a small chamber offering an intimate setting.” Fans of Chopin can attend a similar concert in one of several palaces in Warsaw.