Nobody who walks into Siena’s Piazza del Campo can fail to be overwhelmed by the audacity of its space. This hilltop Tuscan town is much smaller and less busy than major tourist centers such as Florence, but is jammed full of rewarding corners and artistic highlights.
The name of this city, which means “new flower,” is a fitting way to describe the rising star of Africa. Old meets new in Addis Ababa, where you’ll find a museum housing 3.2- million-year-old human remains, historic monuments, hip bars, and luxury hotels.
This is a charming town with fairy-tale appeal, where the kings of Portugal used to come to escape Lisbon’s summer heat. Hidden among wooded hills above the Atlantic Ocean are a scattering of palatial retreats, their fanciful turrets peeking out. At their center is the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, instantly recognizable by its twin chimneys. … Read more
The best way to travel to the mountain retreat of Shimla is the way British officers and their wives did during the Raj: aboard the panoramic narrow-gauge steam railway. Clinging to spurs way up in the northwest Himalayas, Shimla (then Simla) was the summer headquarters of the British government in India, a place to escape … Read more
This beautiful city lies on high ground, which keeps its temperatures moderate. It’s a university town and has wide avenues shaded by trees. Many of the mosques, monuments, and splendid gardens were either built or restored in the 18th century, when it was the Iranian capital, and take a good few days to explore. Within … Read more
Most visitors to Siem Reap are here to see the great Khmer enclave of Angkor Wat and the scores of surrounding temples. But the town is worthy of appreciation, too. It started to boom when the temples were discovered in the early 20th century. The colonial architecture and Chinese-style buildings make it an attractive place. … Read more
With snowy Mount Olympus gazing down across the bay, Thessaloniki could not be better sited. Greece’s ancient second city is a well- turned-out town, with buzzing cafés, bars, and restaurants. Wonderful Byzantine churches have survived wars, earthquakes, occupations, and a devastating fire, and the golden treasures of the tomb of Philip of Macedon are not … Read more
There is a sizeable artistic community in the picturesque old Spanish town of Santa Fe, which lies in a green valley within sight of the ski slopes of the Sangre de Cristo range. Clear blue skies give the air a brilliant clarity, and it’s warm all year round. Creative Native Americans were here first, and … Read more
Stuck out in the Black Sea like a crab’s claw, Sozopol is Bulgaria’s main fishing port. Life carries on much as always in the cobbled streets and wooden houses, though the arrival of tourists (and Hollywood stars fleeing the limelight) is bound to lead to changes.
Most visitors to Darwin are en route to the nearby Kakadu and Lichfield national parks, but this energetic and cosmopolitan city has attractions of its own that are well worth seeking out. Take in the ocean views at Cullen and Fannie bays. Shop for classy Aboriginal crafts. And if you fancy a beer, you’re in … Read more