Arrowtown, New Zealand, is a quaint town steeped in gold rush history, nestled along the Arrow River in the Otago region. The town’s heritage buildings, many carefully preserved from the 19th century, offer a glimpse into its past as a thriving mining settlement.

Marsala is a coastal city in western Sicily with a long history shaped by trade, conquest, and winemaking. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 4th century BCE, it later passed through Roman, Arab, Norman, and Spanish hands, each leaving traces in the city’s layout and culture.

Oviedo, the capital of Asturias in northern Spain, offers a rare mix of medieval heritage and everyday life that feels rooted rather than staged. The city’s historic center is home to some of the oldest pre-Romanesque buildings in Europe, including the UNESCO-listed Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo. Cider, not wine, defines the local table. Oviedo is surrounded by apple orchards, and the traditional drink, sidra natural, is poured from a height by skilled escanciadores.

Les Saintes (also known as Iles des Saintes) are perfect for the kind of traveler who relishes unspoiled tropical beauty and the serenity that comes from doing next to nothing on a vacation, but doing it à la française.

Nangma Valley, tucked deep within the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan, is a place where towering granite spires rise dramatically above alpine meadows and clear streams. Located near the small town of Hushé in Gilgit-Baltistan, the valley is often described as a natural amphitheater of peaks. Climbers and trekkers from around the world are drawn to its vertical walls, but the valley’s quiet trails and sweeping views also offer an extraordinary experience .