Boston has a knack for creating curious visual juxtapositions, and one of the most remarkable is in Copley Square, where H. H. Richardson’s 19th-century Romanesque Trinity Church reflects in the blue-tinted glass of the decidedly 20th-century John Hancock Tower. The breathtakingly beautiful church was named a National Historic Landmark in 1971 and has earned the … Read more

One needn’t be a fervent patron of the arts to be wowed by the Gardner Museum. Its namesake, who travelled tirelessly to acquire the pieces now housed here, opened the museum in 1903 to befit (some would say to rival) her staggering collection. The 15th-century, Venetian-style palazzo is a veritable feast of artifacts, art, and … Read more

Named after Canadian retail legend Timothy Eaton – whose mail-order catalog and department store, Eaton’s, was a beloved national institution until 1999, when the company declared bankruptcy – this multi-story shopping center is the quintessential downtown mall: big, busy, and boisterous. Opened in 1979 and heralded as the anchor that would transform down-at-heel Yonge and … Read more

This shrine to Canada’s favorite sport celebrates all things hockey, including those who have achieved greatness in the game. Housed in part in a beautiful former bank building dating to 1885, which is incorporated into BCE Place, this Hall of Fame contains the most comprehensive collection of hockey artifacts and memorabilia in the world, among … Read more

Pay homage to the 20th-century’s most acclaimed artist at this treasure-filled museum. Highlighting Pablo Picasso’s (1881–1973) formative years, the museum boasts the world’s largest collection of the artist’s early works. At the tender age of 10, Picasso was already revealing remarkable artistic tendencies. In 1895, aged 14, he and his family moved from the town … Read more

Barcelona’s Modernista movement reached its aesthetic culmination in this magnificent concert hall (1905–1908), designed by renowned architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The lavish façade, ringed by mosaic pillars and brick arches, just hints at what awaits within. Domènech’s “garden of music” (as he called it) unfolds beyond the front doors, with each surface of the … Read more

Designed in 1909 by architect John Olmsted, this is one of the oldest zoos on the West Coast. Occupying an area of 92 acres, the landscape offers a natural habitat for nearly 300 animal species. Reflecting a naturalistic mission to advocate conservation and education while imparting the value of an ecological perspective, the animal habitats … Read more

Occupying the northwestern edge of the Magnolia headland north of Elliott Bay, Discovery Park is Seattle’s largest and most varied in-city escape. Even though the US Army’s Fort Lawton sold surplus base territory to the city, Army Reserves still use a portion of the park for training and officers’ quarters. At 534 acres, the park … Read more

An idealized vision of a knight’s castle on the outside and a homage to Wagner’s operas on the inside, Neuschwanstein was Ludwig II’s most ambitious project. During the same period, he commissioned Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee, two castles in the French style. More than 50 million visitors have admired these fairy-tale castles since they were built … Read more

Linderhof & Herrenchiemsee Linderhof Castle Linderhof’s history began as a hunting lodge of Maximilian II that Ludwig II had dismantled and reassembled in the park in 1872. Originally planned as a second Versailles, the castle turned out to be far more modest in scale, albeit designed in a delightful and whimsical neo-Rococo style. Linderhof Castle … Read more

With Chicago’s expansion in the late 19th century, a major university was the perfect addition to an array of new cultural institutions. Funded by oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, (who deemed it his best ever investment) the forward-thinking institution opened in 1892. Today, the university is one of the USA’s most respected, boasting 78 Nobel … Read more

This quiet suburb, seven miles (11 km) west of downtown Chicago, contains the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings. It was here that Wright developed his Prairie style, (inspired by the flat lines of the Midwestern plains), influencing other architects such as George Maher. His work was first considered radical, even ugly, compared … Read more

Since the first artists set up in Da Shan Zi’s newly vacated 798 factory in 2001, the East German-built industrial compound has become a world-famous center of contemporary Chinese art. Alongside the studios and galleries, there are also chic cafés, bars, and restaurants, not to mention a growing number of designer shops and showrooms. The … Read more

The resting place for 13 of the 16 Ming-dynasty (1368–1644) emperors, this is China’s finest example of imperial funerary architecture. The site was selected because of its auspicious feng shui alignment; a ridge of mountains to the north cradles the tombs on three sides, protecting the dead from the evil spirits carried on the north … Read more

The Reina Sofia’s collection of 20th- and 21st-century Spanish art is exciting and challenging by turns. The museum, set in a converted hospital, was inaugurated by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía in September 1990 and, besides the permanent collection, stages outstanding temporary exhibitions from around the world. The organization is thematic and chronological, beginning … Read more

The Retiro is the city’s green lung and the madrileños’ favourite weekend retreat. The aristocracy was first admitted to the former royal grounds in 1767 but it was another century before the gates were opened to the general public. Visitors can enjoy not only the decorative features, w hich include statues and sculptural arrangements, follies, … Read more

This tiny, charming island, a half-hour ferry ride west of Hong Kong, makes a great escape from the heat and hassles of the city, except maybe at weekends when everyone else has the same idea. The sense of an older, traditional Hong Kong is pervasive among the narrow streets, tiny shops and temples of this … Read more

Once a humble house built by three monks to worship Buddha, Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island is now a large and important temple. Its crowning glory, the giant Buddha statue facing the monastery, is an object of veneration for devotees and one of Hong Kong’s most popular tourist sights. The statue dominates the area … Read more

Anassa, a glamorous thalassotherapy spa decorated with Roman mosaics and Venetian frescoes, nestles on one Cyprus’ fitnest beaches. It’s good for families, couples and singles wanting to escape to peace and nature.   The hotel The five-star spa has a Byzantine theme, reflected in its fountains, archways and cobbled courtyard; it even has a tiny … Read more

Eats like royalty on a vegetarian cookery course in Turkey with the ultimate sea view. Sweet, syrupy, soft and with a textured, nutty finish – you haven’t tasted proper baklava until you’ve experienced Yediburunlar Lighthouse’s fresh and utterly delectable homemade version. With layers and layers of paper-thin pastry painstakingly rolled out by expert hands, it … Read more