Tainan
Taiwan’s oldest city accumulated temples, fortifications, and a culinary tradition over four centuries that Taipei, for all its scale and energy, cannot match. It is best understood slowly, on foot, with no fixed itinerary.
Topic
History
Kanazawa
On the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa escaped the bombing raids of the Second World War and came through with its castle town intact — samurai districts, a geisha quarter, and one of Japan’s three great gardens, all within walking distance of each other.
Barrandov Studios: Hollywood on the Vltava
On the southern edge of Prague, one of Europe’s largest film studios has been quietly turning out blockbusters for nearly a century — and you can visit.
Kutná Hora
An hour east of Prague, Kutná Hora built its Gothic skyline on medieval silver wealth — then spent the money on architecture that still stands. The Sedlec Ossuary, decorated with the bones of 40,000 people, is one of the strangest and most compelling rooms in Europe.
Český Krumlov
A medieval castle the size of a small city overlooks a tight river bend and a cobblestoned old town that fills quickly — and justifiably so. Come in shoulder season on a weekday and you might find it closer to a secret.
Perast
Perast sits on the northwestern shore of the inner Bay of Kotor, a town of perhaps 350 people that was once one of the most important maritime centers on the Adriatic.
NYC
New York rewards slow exploration just as much as landmark-checking. Every neighborhood runs on its own rhythm — Central Park giving way to hand-pulled noodles in Flushing, a subway ride across boroughs, a rooftop at dusk. No two visits feel quite the same.
Kotor
Enclosed by medieval walls that climb a hillside to a Venetian fortress, Kotor’s old town is one of the most intact on the Adriatic — marble streets, stone piazzas, and an improbable number of cats. Compact enough to cover in an afternoon, worth staying far longer.
Reykjavík
Iceland’s compact and colorful capital punches well above its size. Wander the rainbow-painted streets of the old town, climb to the top of Hallgrímskirkja church for sweeping views over the rooftops and sea, and warm up in one of the city’s legendary geothermal pools.