Nature is never far in Helsinki. Locals swim in the sea, walk forested trails, and gather mushrooms or berries all within city limits. One popular local habit is heading to the sauna, and the city offers several open-to-the-public options. Löyly, located on the waterfront, combines traditional wood-burning saunas with a sleek, modern design. In winter, visitors can even pair a sauna session with a quick dip through a hole cut in the ice for an experience both shocking and strangely calming.

Eze is a hilltop village perched high above the Mediterranean on France’s Côte d’Azur, where stone houses and narrow lanes cling to a steep rocky outcrop between Nice and Monaco.

The city of Canakkale lies at the narrow, 1,200 meter entrance to the Canakkale Strait that connects the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean. To honor the 500,000 soldiers who lost their lives at Gelibolu (Gallipoli), the peninsula was made into Gelibou Historical National Park.

Puerto Limon is a busy port city and capital of the Limon province. This Caribbean locale is blanketed with rainforest habitats and full of tropical beauty.

Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, is located on St. Mary’s Island at the mouth of the Gambia River, giving it a unique waterfront setting.