Cusco once served as the heart of the Inca Empire, and that legacy still shapes every corner of the city even as it serves as a gateway to Machu Picchu. Outside the historic center, the ruins of Sacsayhuamán overlook the city from a nearby hilltop. This ceremonial complex is best known for its massive zigzag stone walls, some weighing over 100 tons. During the Inti Raymi festival in June, thousands gather here to reenact ancient Andean rituals.

Galle, a coastal city in southern Sri Lanka, is a place where history and the sea are inseparably linked. Once a vital port on the spice trade routes, Galle reached its peak under Dutch colonial rule in the 17th century, when the massive Galle Fort was built.

Munnar, located in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India, sits at around 1,600 meters above sea level and was once the summer resort of British colonial officers. Today, it’s known for its vast tea plantations, many of which date back to the 19th century. Visitors can walk through estates like Kolukkumalai, the highest tea plantation in the world, where traditional methods are still used to process leaves by hand.

Bamberg, located in northern Bavaria, stands out for its remarkably preserved medieval layout, which earned it a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Built on seven hills and often compared to Rome for that reason, the city’s architecture reflects over a thousand years of uninterrupted development. Bamberg is well known for its beer, and not just in the usual Bavarian sense. The city has more breweries per capita than any other town in Germany, and it’s the birthplace of rauchbier.

Lake District National Park, in northwest England’s Cumbria, is a landscape of lakes, fells, and valleys that has inspired poets, painters, and travelers for centuries. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the region is famed for its literary connections.