City in France, often referred to as the most beautiful city in the world.

Capital of Italy since unification in 1871 and, far earlier, the centre of the ancient Roman world and the Catholic Church. Astride the Tiber, it encloses Vatican City and endures as a global reference for art and antiquity.

San Francisco is a dynamic hub in the Bay Area of California where a rich heritage of progressive culture, artistic expression, and innovation converge with beautiful landscapes.

Constitutional capital of the Netherlands, though the government and royal residence sit at The Hague. A leading port of the Dutch Golden Age, it grew wealthy on global trade and remains the country's financial and cultural centre.

A city built across more than a hundred islands in a lagoon off the Adriatic, laced by canals and crossed only on foot or by boat. The seat of a once-mighty maritime republic, it centres on St Mark's Square and Basilica, the sweeping Grand Canal, and the marble Rialto Bridge.

Capital of Tuscany on the Arno River, widely regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance. Its UNESCO-listed historic centre is crowned by Brunelleschi's dome atop the Duomo and holds treasures from Michelangelo's David to the Medici-era Uffizi Gallery, with the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio spanning the river.

Capital of Japan since 1868, when the Meiji emperor moved the court from Kyoto to the renamed shogunal city of Edo. Seat of the emperor and the National Diet, it anchors one of the world's largest economies.

Cosmopolitan capital of Catalonia on the Mediterranean coast, famed for the fantastical architecture of Antoni Gaudí. His still-unfinished Sagrada Família basilica and mosaic-clad Park Güell draw millions, alongside the medieval Gothic Quarter, the tree-lined La Rambla, and a lively beach and football culture.

Turkey's largest city, straddling the Bosphorus strait where Europe meets Asia. Once Byzantium and then Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, it is layered with monuments — the domed Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, and the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar.

The most populous city in the United States, set where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic. A global capital of finance, media, and culture, it spreads across five boroughs and is known for landmarks from the Statue of Liberty to Times Square.

Capital of Austria and, for centuries, the seat of the Habsburg dynasty and the Holy Roman Empire. On the Danube, it stood at the heart of European music and diplomacy and now hosts several United Nations agencies.

Former imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years, set in a basin ringed by wooded hills. Some 1,600 Buddhist temples and hundreds of shrines fill the city — among them the gold-leafed Kinkaku-ji — alongside preserved geisha districts and a UNESCO-listed ensemble of monuments.

The second-largest U.S. city, sprawling across a coastal basin in Southern California. The heart of the American film and television industry, it is home to Hollywood and a vast freeway network beneath the San Gabriel Mountains.

The capital of the United Kingdom and the seat of the Crown and Parliament at Westminster. A centre of power since the Middle Ages, it expanded through empire into a leading global hub of finance, law, and culture on the River Thames.

Capital of Czechia and the historic seat of Bohemia, which flourished as an imperial residence under Charles IV in the fourteenth century. Astride the Vltava, it preserves one of Europe's largest medieval cores around Prague Castle.

South Africa's legislative capital, set beneath the flat-topped Table Mountain where the Atlantic meets the Cape Peninsula. Founded by the Dutch in 1652 as a supply station, it looks out to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, and toward the Cape of Good Hope.

A coastal metropolis in Brazil set between forested mountains and the sea on Guanabara Bay, and the country's former capital. The colossal Christ the Redeemer statue looks out from Corcovado over Sugarloaf Mountain and the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, in a city renowned for its exuberant Carnival.

Highly developed, ultra-modern island city-state in Southeast Asia, located just north of the equator. It is a vibrant global financial and cultural hub, renowned for its lush green spaces, futuristic architecture and diverse, multi-ethnic society.

A coastal city in southeastern Florida and a gateway between the U.S. and Latin America. Known for its beaches, Art Deco district, Cuban-American culture in Little Havana, and a glittering, multilingual nightlife.

Restored as Germany's capital on reunification in 1990, after serving the empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Nazi state. A focal point of twentieth-century history, it is the seat of the Bundestag and a leading cultural centre.

Established as Spain's capital by Philip II in 1561, on the central Iberian plateau beside the Manzanares. Once the command centre of a global empire, it remains the seat of the monarchy and a hub of Spanish culture.

An alpine resort town in the French Alps at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe. A birthplace of modern mountaineering that hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924, it offers the soaring Aiguille du Midi cable car and the Mer de Glace glacier.

Glittering desert metropolis on the Persian Gulf coast of the UAE, a global hub of trade, tourism, and finance. Famed for record-breaking skyscrapers, vast malls, and man-made islands rising from the sea.

An elegant seaside resort on the Bay of Biscay in the Basque Country of southwestern France, near the Spanish border. Made fashionable by Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie in the 19th century, it pairs Belle Époque grandeur with surf culture, having helped launch European surfing on its Atlantic beaches.

Capital of Argentina, founded on the Río de la Plata in February 1536. Long the country’s political, cultural, and economic centre, it is known for tango, historic neighbourhoods, and grand avenues.

Portugal's historic second city, climbing the steep banks of the Douro near the Atlantic. Its UNESCO-listed Ribeira district, tiled churches, and double-deck Dom Luís I Bridge overlook the riverside lodges where port wine, which takes its name from the city, is aged.

Scotland's capital, climbing a ridge of volcanic crags in the country's southeast. Its castle crowns an extinct volcano above a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town — together a UNESCO site — and each August the city fills with the Fringe, the world's largest arts festival.

Lugano is a sophisticated lakeside enclave where Swiss precision and financial stability seamlessly blend with a relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle and vibrant Italianate culture.

Capital and effectively the whole of the Monaco city-state, a tiny enclave on the French Riviera. Ruled by the Grimaldi dynasty since 1297, this densely built principality on the Mediterranean is the seat of one of the world's oldest reigning houses.

Capital of South Korea, chosen in 1394 as the seat of the Joseon dynasty on the Han River. Long the centre of Korean life, it became the capital of the Republic of Korea at its founding in 1948.

Capital of Denmark since 1443, when it succeeded Roskilde as the royal seat. Commanding the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden, it guards the approaches to the Baltic and remains the seat of the monarchy.

Capital of Portugal since about 1255, when the royal court moved south from Coimbra. On the Tagus estuary near the Atlantic, it became the command centre of a maritime empire during the Age of Discovery.

A storybook resort in Slovenia's Julian Alps, set around a glacial lake. A small island crowned by a pilgrimage church, the country's only island, sits at its centre, while a medieval castle perches on a cliff above the shore against a backdrop of mountains.

Capital of Ireland, founded as a Viking settlement on the River Liffey around the ninth century. Long the centre of English administration on the island, it became the capital of the newly independent Irish state in 1922.

Switzerland's largest city and financial capital, on a lake at the foot of the Alps. A wealthy, polished hub of banking and culture, it pairs a medieval old town with a vibrant arts scene.

Capital of Lithuania, made the seat of the Grand Duchy by Gediminas around 1323. The medieval heart of a state that once stretched toward the Black Sea, it has one of Europe's best-preserved old towns.

Capital of Georgia, set on the Kura River and famed for the hot springs that gave it its name, meaning ‘warm place.’ Traditionally founded in the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali, it has served as Georgia's capital through many kingdoms and empires.

Belle Époque resort on the Basque coast of northern Spain, curved around the shell-shaped beach of La Concha. Famed for its pintxos bars and one of the world's highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants, it has been an elegant seaside retreat since Spanish royalty first summered here.

Capital of Thailand since 1782, founded by Rama I as the seat of the Chakri dynasty on the Chao Phraya River. Centred on royal palaces and Buddhist temples, it grew into the kingdom's political and commercial heart.

A colourful port city on the Pacific coast of Chile, spilling down steep hills above its bay. A UNESCO World Heritage Site once called the 'Jewel of the Pacific,' it is famed for its maze of alleyways, vintage hillside funiculars, vivid street art, and bohemian, poetic spirit.

Russia's imperial former capital, founded by Peter the Great on the Neva delta. A planned city of palaces, canals, and the vast Hermitage museum, its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Capital of Cuba, founded by the Spanish in 1519 and made the island's capital in 1607. A fortified harbour guarding the sea route between Spain and its American colonies, it became a storied centre of Caribbean trade and culture.

China's largest city and a global financial hub, set on the Huangpu River near the mouth of the Yangtze. The colonial-era waterfront of the Bund faces the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong, among them the Oriental Pearl Tower and the soaring Shanghai Tower, China's tallest building.

The main town of the Bohinj valley in Slovenia's Julian Alps, within Triglav National Park. Quieter and wilder than nearby Bled, it is a gateway to Lake Bohinj, the country's largest natural lake, and to hiking and the Vogel ski slopes beneath Mount Triglav.

A city on the Ohio River in southwestern Ohio, nicknamed the Queen City. Known for its distinctive chili, riverfront ballparks, and 19th-century heritage, it grew as a major river-trade and brewing center.

Sun-drenched city at the foot of the Andes in western Argentina and the heart of its wine country. Tree-lined avenues front a region of vineyards beneath the towering peak of Aconcagua.

A city in northwest England that was a crucible of the Industrial Revolution, once the world's great cotton-manufacturing capital. Linked to Liverpool by the first inter-city passenger railway, it is known today for its rival football clubs and an influential music scene.

Resort village on the Curonian Spit in Lithuania, a thin sandbar of giant dunes and pine forest between lagoon and sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site once beloved of Thomas Mann.

College town in the hills of northern Mississippi, home to the University of Mississippi and a rich literary and musical life. The novelist William Faulkner lived and wrote at Rowan Oak here, setting much of his fiction in the surrounding county.

String of five fishing villages — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore — clinging to the cliffs of the Ligurian coast in northwest Italy. Car-free and linked by coastal footpaths and a clifftop railway, they lie within a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Capital of Massachusetts and one of America's oldest cities, central to the Revolution. Home to the Freedom Trail and a dense cluster of universities, it is a historic seaport and center of education and medicine.

Capital of Poland since 1596, when Sigismund III Vasa moved the royal court from Kraków to a more central position on the Vistula. Largely destroyed in the Second World War, its old town was painstakingly reconstructed.

A coastal city framed by the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. Spanish colonial heritage, Mediterranean-inspired architecture, and a longstanding connection to arts, education, and wine culture shape its distinctive character.

Andalusia's grand capital on the Guadalquivir River, famed for its Moorish, Gothic, and Baroque heritage as the historic heart of southern Spain.

A diverse, fast-growing city on the Hudson River in New Jersey, facing Lower Manhattan. Home to a waterfront financial district and views of the Statue of Liberty, it is one of the nation's most diverse cities.

Former French colony on the southeast coast of India, where a grid of mustard-yellow villas and bougainvillea-draped walls makes up the old French Quarter. A seaside promenade and a blend of Tamil and French culture give the town a languid charm.

Coastal city in central Vietnam, a fast-growing beach metropolis known for its long sands, the nearby marble mountains, and a famous bridge held aloft by giant golden hands.

Mountain town in the Japanese Alps, whose Sanmachi quarter preserves dark-timber merchant houses and sake breweries from the Edo period. Twice a year its streets fill for a float festival famous for ornate, centuries-old wheeled shrines paraded through the old town.

A market town in the Lake District of Cumbria, northwest England, set beside Derwentwater beneath the fell of Skiddaw. A favourite base for walkers in the national park, it is known for the prehistoric Castlerigg Stone Circle and a heritage of pencil-making from local graphite.

Alpine-style resort town on the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi in the Argentine Andes. Chalet architecture, a famous chocolate-making tradition, and a setting among lakes and peaks make it a year-round hub for skiing, hiking, and kayaking.

The second-holiest city in Islam, in western Saudi Arabia, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried beneath the green dome of the Prophet's Mosque — a major site of pilgrimage.

Capital of Hungary, created in 1873 by uniting Buda and Óbuda on one bank of the Danube with Pest on the other. A former co-capital of Austria-Hungary, it became the seat of the modern Hungarian state.

A historic university city on the River Cam in eastern England, home to the University of Cambridge, founded in 1209 and among the world's most prestigious. Medieval colleges and the fan-vaulted King's College Chapel line the river, where punts drift past the lawns of the Backs.

Town in the Dordogne of southwest France, at the heart of the Périgord Noir, holding one of Europe's densest ensembles of medieval and Renaissance buildings in golden stone. Preserved by a pioneering 1960s French restoration law, its lanes fill with renowned markets of foie gras, walnuts, and black truffles.

Seaside resort town on a barrier island off the southern New Jersey coast, founded in 1879 by Methodist ministers as a dry town, a status it still holds today. Known for its wide beaches, a lively boardwalk of arcades and ice cream shops, and a family-friendly character that sets it apart from rowdier shore towns nearby.

Morocco's largest city and economic hub, a busy port on the Atlantic coast. Known for its bold blend of Moorish and Art Deco architecture, it is dominated by the vast Hassan II Mosque, whose towering minaret rises beside the sea; its name was immortalised by the 1942 film.

A mountain town in the upper Soča valley of northwestern Slovenia, ringed by the peaks of the Julian Alps. A renowned outdoor-adventure base within Triglav National Park, it draws rafters and kayakers to the emerald Soča River and skiers to the heights of Kanin.

A historic cathedral city in Lincolnshire, eastern England, with Roman origins as Lindum Colonia. Its medieval cathedral, once reputedly the tallest building in the world, and Norman castle, which holds an original Magna Carta, crown a hill above the cobbled, aptly named Steep Hill.

Spain's third-largest city, set on the Mediterranean coast and the birthplace of paella. A historic core of cathedral and markets gives way to the futuristic, Calatrava-designed City of Arts and Sciences in a former riverbed, and the city is famed for its fiery Las Fallas festival.

Capital of Texas and home to its flagship university, set in the Hill Country on the Colorado River. Calling itself the 'Live Music Capital of the World,' it is a fast-growing hub of technology, music, and film.

City on the Rhône in Provence, southern France, rich in Roman monuments — its great arena still stages events — and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Van Gogh spent his most prolific year here in 1888–89, painting the Café Terrace and Starry Night over the Rhône; the wild Camargue begins just beyond.

A vibrant city on the Garonne River in southwestern France, capital of the Occitanie region. Nicknamed 'La Ville Rose' for its pink terracotta brick, it is the heart of Europe's aerospace industry and the home of Airbus, and boasts the great Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Sernin and the Canal du Midi.

Capital of Sweden, established as the kingdom's principal seat by the sixteenth century. Spread across islands where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, it is the seat of the monarchy and the Riksdag.

Resort town set between Lakes Thun and Brienz in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, beneath the peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Long a base for travellers bound for the high Alps, it is a hub for mountain railways and adventure sports.

Wine-country town in Sonoma County, California, set where three renowned grape-growing valleys meet. A sun-dappled central plaza ringed by tasting rooms and farm-to-table restaurants has made it a hub of Northern California's culinary scene.

Capital of Greece since 1834, chosen after independence for the prestige of its classical past. Set on the plain of Attica below the Acropolis, it is widely regarded as the birthplace of democracy and Western philosophy.

One of Russia's oldest cities, on the Volkhov River, long regarded as a cradle of Russian statehood. Its riverside Kremlin holds the 11th-century St Sophia Cathedral, among the country's oldest stone churches, and the city's medieval monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Venetian-Gothic port town on a slender point of the Adriatic in Slovenian Istria, its tight lanes of pastel houses gathered around a marble main square. The square honours the composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini, born here in 1692, whose statue stands at its centre.

Walled city on the Dalmatian coast of southern Croatia, the 'Pearl of the Adriatic.' For centuries the self-governing maritime Republic of Ragusa, its limestone old town is wrapped in nearly intact medieval ramparts — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the screen double for King's Landing in Game of Thrones.

Town in the Sierra de Guadarrama, 50 kilometres northwest of Madrid, built around the vast granite Royal Monastery commissioned by Philip II between 1563 and 1584. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the austere complex combines palace, basilica, royal mausoleum, library, and monastery in one severe Renaissance ensemble — the defining monument of Spain's imperial Golden Age.

Founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia, Santiago is the capital of Chile, set in a broad valley beneath the Andes. It has long been the country's dominant city and the seat of its political and economic life.

Hill town set in forested heights near Lisbon, Portugal, long a summer refuge of Portuguese royalty. Its wooded slopes are studded with Romantic palaces and castles — the multicoloured Pena Palace the most fantastical of them — forming a UNESCO cultural landscape of fairy-tale architecture.

A historic walled city on the River Dee in Cheshire, northwest England, founded by the Romans as Deva. It is encircled by the most complete city walls in Britain and lined with the Rows, unique two-tiered medieval galleries, amid black-and-white timbered buildings.

Old city in southeastern Turkey, its honey-coloured stone houses cascading down a hillside above the vast Mesopotamian plain. Carved Artuqid-era architecture and a deep Syriac Christian and Muslim heritage layer its terraced, labyrinthine streets.

Former Prussian royal residence on the Havel river, just southwest of Berlin, renowned for its grand palaces, sweeping parklands, and UNESCO-listed Sanssouci ensemble.

Resort city in the panhandle of northern Idaho, set on the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, a long, clear lake ringed by forested hills. Once a silver-mining and logging hub, it is now known for its waterfront resort, a famous floating golf-course green, and as a base for the scenic Centennial Trail.

The largest city in Pennsylvania and a cradle of American independence, where the Declaration was signed at Independence Hall. Known for the Liberty Bell and cheesesteaks, it lies on the Delaware River.

A cluster of ski villages in the Tarentaise Valley of the French Savoy Alps, purpose-built from 1946 and the most glamorous gateway to the Three Valleys, the world's largest connected ski area with 600 km of pistes. Its highest village, at 1,850 metres, is synonymous with luxury, drawing a wealthy international clientele to designer boutiques, Michelin-starred restaurants, and its own mountain airstrip for private jets.

Town in the Veneto foothills north of Treviso, the birthplace of Renaissance painter Cima da Conegliano and the heart of Prosecco country. A medieval castle crowns the hill above its arcaded main street, and the surrounding UNESCO-listed hills of rippling vineyards stretch west to Valdobbiadene, home also to Italy's oldest oenological school, founded in 1876.

Fortress village crowning a rocky spur in the Alpilles of Provence, southern France, its ruined citadel hewn from the limestone. The aluminium ore bauxite was identified nearby in 1821 and named for the village; its former quarries, the Carrières de Lumières, now host vast projected light-and-art shows.

Historic city in the Dutch province of North Brabant, where the Mark River meets flat Brabantine lowlands, known for its well-preserved medieval centre and Spanish-era heritage.

Among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is the capital of Syria. An oasis settlement on the Barada River, it served as the seat of the Umayyad caliphate in the seventh and eighth centuries and remains the country's political centre.

Ancient city in northwestern Russia, near the Estonian border, set where two rivers meet. Its great stone Kremlin and white-walled, silver-domed churches — a distinctive medieval architectural school recognised by UNESCO — recall its days as a powerful independent republic.

An elegant city in northwestern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, on the Po River beneath the Alps. The first capital of unified Italy and a seat of the House of Savoy, it is known for its baroque arcades, the soaring Mole Antonelliana, the Shroud of Turin, and its Fiat and Juventus heritage.

Modern, fast-paced city on Israel's Mediterranean coast, known for its beaches, nightlife, and tech industry, and for the world's largest concentration of Bauhaus architecture — a UNESCO-listed 'White City.'

Nigeria's administrative and political capital since 1991, a planned city built in the country's centre to replace Lagos. As the seat of one of Africa's most influential states, it holds a prominent place in continental affairs.

Region of central Anatolia in Turkey, sculpted by erosion into 'fairy chimneys' and soft valleys honeycombed with cave dwellings, churches, and entire underground cities. The rock-cut churches of Göreme are UNESCO-listed, and hot-air balloons drift over the landscape at dawn.

India's financial capital and largest city, on the Arabian Sea. A teeming metropolis of commerce, dreams, and Bollywood film, it blends colonial Gothic landmarks with vast modern energy.

Ancient city on the Rhine in western Germany, dominated by its colossal twin-spired Gothic cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by the Romans, it is known for its riotous Carnival.

Colonial city on the shore of Lake Nicaragua, founded in 1524 and among the oldest mainland European-founded cities in the Americas. Pastel houses and Baroque churches fill its streets below the Mombacho volcano, with a scatter of small islets just offshore.

Desert oasis in northwestern Saudi Arabia, set among dramatic sandstone outcrops. Nearby stands Hegra, the Nabataeans' southern city of monumental rock-cut tombs and the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, now the centrepiece of a new cultural destination.

Ancient Phoenician port on the coast of Lebanon, counted among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Layers of Phoenician, Roman, and Crusader remains ring its old harbour, and the very word 'Bible' descends from the Greek name for the town.

Major commercial hub of southeastern Nigeria on the eastern bank of the Niger River, long renowned as one of West Africa's largest open-air markets and a crossing point into Delta State.

South Australia's coastal capital, laid out in a planned grid between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Gulf St Vincent, renowned for its festivals, wine regions, and gracious parklands.

Capital and main town of the Greek island of Corfu, its UNESCO-listed old town a layered blend of Venetian arcades, twin fortresses, and neoclassical mansions. Four centuries under Venice left it more akin to Dubrovnik or Split than to mainland Greece, with narrow lanes and a French-designed promenade opening to the Ionian Sea

Remote industrial city deep in the Siberian Arctic, built on the Taimyr Peninsula above vast nickel and copper deposits, one of the world's northernmost large cities.

Town wrapped within a tight bend of the Vltava River in southern Bohemia, Czech Republic, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beneath a vast castle that blends Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque, its red-roofed lanes form one of central Europe's best-preserved medieval townscapes.

The largest city in the Pacific Northwest, set between Puget Sound and Lake Washington beneath Mount Rainier. A hub of technology and aerospace, it is the birthplace of grunge music and global coffee culture.

Capital of Colorado, the 'Mile-High City' set on the high plains at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. A gateway to ski country and the outdoors, it is the largest city in the region.

A port city in the far northwest corner of Washington state, set on Bellingham Bay with the North Cascades and Mount Baker rising to the east and the San Juan Islands offshore. Midway between Seattle and Vancouver, it is home to Western Washington University and known for its outdoor culture, craft breweries, and the scenic Chuckanut Drive along the coast.

Desert of red sand and towering sandstone massifs in southern Jordan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site sometimes called the Valley of the Moon. Crossed by T.E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt and dotted with Bedouin camps, its Mars-like scenery has filled many films.

Wallonia's regional capital in southern Belgium, positioned at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers beneath a commanding hilltop citadel.

Patagonian town on a fjord-like sound in southern Chile, the main gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. Set against snow-capped peaks, it lies near the cave where the remains of the prehistoric Mylodon ground sloth were found.

Andean city in Peru, once the capital and 'navel' of the Inca empire and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Colonial churches rise on finely fitted Inca stonework, the fortress of Sacsayhuamán looms above, and the city is the gateway to Machu Picchu.

Israel's highest city, perched at around 900 metres in the mountains of the Upper Galilee. One of the four sacred cities of Judaism, it became the world centre of Kabbalistic mysticism in the 16th century, when scholars expelled from Spain settled here, among them Rabbi Isaac Luria. Its cobblestone old quarter of ancient synagogues and an artists' colony looks out over the Sea of Galilee.

Sprawling mega-city on the upper Yangtze in southwestern China, set among steep hills and rivers. A foggy, mountainous metropolis, it is famed for its fiery hotpot and as a gateway to the Three Gorges.

Spice-scented island city off the Tanzanian coast in the Indian Ocean, with a historic Stone Town shaped by Arab, Persian, and Swahili trading traditions over many centuries.

A remote community on Maui’s eastern coast, reached by one of Hawaii’s most scenic drives. Waterfalls, black-sand beaches, and deep connections to Hawaiian culture give the area a quiet, enduring sense of place.

A Western resort town in the Jackson Hole valley of Wyoming, the gateway to Grand Teton National Park. Arches of shed elk antlers frame its town square, the National Elk Refuge lies nearby, and ski slopes and frontier culture draw visitors year-round.

Major port and textile hub on Gujarat's southwestern coast at the mouth of the Tapi River, one of India's fastest-growing commercial centres.

Walled port city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, its old town a UNESCO World Heritage Site behind massive stone ramparts. A jewel of Spanish colonial architecture, its sun-baked plazas and balconied streets are bound up with Gabriel García Márquez and magical realism.

capital city of the Kasai-Central Province in DRC and capital of the former Kasaï-Occidental Province

Beach village on the Indian Ocean coast of Mozambique, set on a wide arc of pale sand. Its warm, plankton-rich waters draw manta rays and whale sharks year-round, making it one of Africa's foremost destinations for diving with these giants.

City on the lake of the same name in central Switzerland, ringed by mountains. Its emblem is the Chapel Bridge, a covered wooden footbridge of the 14th century — among the oldest in Europe — hung with painted panels; nearby, the Lion Monument is carved into a cliff face.

Lakeside village wedged between steep mountains and the Hallstätter See in Austria's Salzkammergut. Home to the world's oldest salt mine, worked for some 7,000 years, it lent its name to an Iron Age culture and ranks among Europe's most photographed villages, within a UNESCO World Heritage region.

Village on the northern tip of Santorini in the Greek Cyclades, strung along the rim of a flooded volcanic caldera. Whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches step down the cliff above the sea, and crowds gather each evening for its celebrated sunsets.

Harbour city in Newfoundland, Canada, the easternmost city in North America, its steep streets lined with the brightly painted houses of 'Jellybean Row.' Signal Hill guards the narrow harbour mouth, and spring brings drifting icebergs along the coast's 'Iceberg Alley.'

Seaside village on California's Monterey Peninsula, known for its storybook cottages and white-sand beach. A long-standing artists' and writers' colony — Clint Eastwood once served as mayor — it is dense with galleries beneath wind-sculpted cypress.

Baltic port city of northern Poland at the mouth of the Vistula, a historic Hanseatic trading center and shipbuilding hub whose shipyards became a symbol of 20th-century labor history.

Ancient Roman provincial city in the hills of northern Jordan, among the best-preserved outside Italy. A colonnaded main street, a great oval forum, theatres, and temples survive from the city the Romans called Gerasa, one of the cities of the Decapolis.

Himalayan hill town in Himachal Pradesh, India, set on forested slopes of the Dhauladhar range and seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Walled city above the St Lawrence River in Québec, Canada, founded by Champlain in 1608 as the capital of New France. The only fortified city in North America north of Mexico whose ramparts survive — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — its old town is crowned by the turreted Château Frontenac.

Nigeria's vast commercial capital and one of Africa's largest cities, sprawling across islands and lagoons on the Atlantic coast — a teeming hub of trade, music, and Nollywood film.

Village in the lush interior of Grenada, near a waterfall that drops into a forest pool amid the nutmeg and spice plantations that give the island its name.

A planned capital laid out below the Margalla Hills in the 1960s, taking the role from Karachi in 1967. Designed by the planner Constantinos Doxiadis, it stands apart as an orderly, deliberate seat of government.

Ancient imperial city of northern Morocco at the edge of the Middle Atlas, renowned as one of the world's best-preserved medieval medinas and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Remote Peruvian Amazon city in Loreto, accessible only by air or river, standing where the Nanay meets the Amazon as the largest river-locked city on Earth.

Sun-baked capital of Andalusia in southern Spain, the heart of flamenco and bullfighting. Its vast Gothic cathedral, royal Alcázar palace, and Moorish Giralda tower are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Town in the uplands of Bali, Indonesia, regarded as the island's cultural and spiritual centre. Surrounded by terraced rice fields and temples, it is a hub of traditional dance, painting, and woodcarving set amid lush tropical hills.

A remote municipality on the northwest coast of Ceará in Brazil, sheltering the world-famous village of Jericoacoara, known locally as "Jeri." Its streets are paved with sand, and a national park preserves the surrounding dunes, crystal-clear freshwater lagoons, and the Pedra Furada rock arch. Constant Atlantic winds make it one of Brazil's premier kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations.

Port city on the fjord-cut west coast of Norway, founded around 1070 and long a Hanseatic trading hub. Its old wharf, Bryggen, lines the harbour with gabled wooden merchant houses — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and the city serves as the main gateway to Norway's fjords.

A cultural complex in the Talas region of western Kyrgyzstan, built around a 14th-century mausoleum said to hold the legendary hero Manas, the warrior who united the Kyrgyz tribes and the subject of one of the world's longest oral epics. His wife reportedly inscribed a woman's name on the tomb to protect it from enemies.

City in southeastern Turkmenistan near the ruins of ancient Merv, once among the largest cities in the world — a great Silk Road oasis and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Holy city in the interior of Tunisia, one of Islam's most revered, home to a venerable great mosque and a UNESCO-listed medina at the edge of the Sahara.

Small capital of Palau, located on Babeldaob island in the western Pacific, serving as the governmental centre of this Micronesian island nation.

Main port town and commercial centre of Savai'i, Samoa's largest island, serving as the primary ferry link between the two principal islands of the archipelago.

The old town of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, and one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in northern Europe. A UNESCO World Heritage Site layered with Gothic, Renaissance, and especially Baroque churches and palaces, it spreads below the hilltop Gediminas Tower.

Capital of Luxembourg, founded in 963 when Count Siegfried built a castle on the rocky Bock promontory above the Alzette. The fortress-town that grew around it became the seat of the Grand Duchy, and its old quarter and ramparts are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A village in the Lower Navarre region of the French Basque Country, set in the green Baïgorri valley where the Nive des Aldudes runs through its centre. A Roman arch bridge, an 11th-century castle of the Etxauz lords, and traditional pink-sandstone Navarrese houses give it a deep historic character, and the surrounding valley produces the Irouléguy AOC wine and Kintoa ham.

Basque city in southwestern France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, just inland from the Atlantic. The capital of the French Basque Country, it is famed for its cured Bayonne ham and a four-century chocolate-making tradition introduced by Jewish refugees from Spain. Vauban's ramparts and a Gothic cathedral with one of France's largest cloisters ring its colourful old town.

Walled cathedral city in northern England, founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD and later the Viking capital of Jorvik. It is ringed by the most complete medieval city walls in England and dominated by York Minster, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe.

Historic port on England's northwestern Merseyside coast where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea, globally renowned for its maritime heritage and cultural legacy.

Japan's capital in the 8th century, before Kyoto, and a cradle of Japanese Buddhism. Sika deer roam freely through its parks, regarded as sacred messengers, around Tōdai-ji, whose great wooden hall shelters one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world.

The largest city in the Midwest, set on the shore of Lake Michigan. Known for its pioneering skyscrapers, deep-dish pizza, and blues and jazz heritage, it is a major hub of finance, transport, and culture.

Capital of Hawaii and the state's largest city, on the island of Oahu. A Pacific gateway known for Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, it is home to the Pearl Harbor naval base and memorials.

Italy's financial and fashion capital, in the northern plains of Lombardy. A global style and design hub, it is home to a magnificent marble Gothic cathedral and Leonardo's 'Last Supper.'

Historic English city on the River Tyne in the northeast, famed for its iconic bridge, industrial heritage, and as the cultural heart of the Geordie region.

Saudi Arabia's cosmopolitan Red Sea port and the gateway for pilgrims to Mecca. Its UNESCO-listed old town of coral-stone merchant houses fronts a modern seafront corniche.

Egypt's great Mediterranean port, founded by Alexander the Great. A citadel guards its harbour on the site of the lost ancient lighthouse, near a modern library reviving its legendary namesake.

Seat of Chinese government since 1949 and an imperial capital under the Ming and Qing before it. The political centre of a global power, it guards the Forbidden City alongside the institutions of party and state.

The capital of the United States, on the Potomac River. A planned city of monuments and museums, it is the seat of the federal government, home to the White House, the Capitol, and the National Mall.

Capital of Malaysia, grown from an 1857 tin-mining camp at the meeting of two rivers. It remains the national capital and home of Parliament and the monarch, though the federal administration shifted to nearby Putrajaya from 1999.

Capital of Lebanon, an ancient Phoenician port on the eastern Mediterranean. A crossroads of trade and culture rebuilt many times over its long history, it became the capital at the country's independence in 1943.

Historic port city on Penang island in Malaysia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of shophouses, clan temples, and colonial buildings, celebrated as a street-food capital.

Tidal island abbey rising off the coast of Normandy, northern France, where a medieval Benedictine monastery spirals up a granite cone above vast sandflats. Cut off by some of Europe's strongest tides, it is among France's most visited monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Whitewashed fishing village on the windswept West Coast of South Africa, one of the oldest on the coast. Its cluster of low, lime-washed cottages looks over a bay worked for crayfish and mussels, and spring carpets the surrounding veld with wildflowers.

Fortified islet on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, joined to the mainland by a narrow causeway. Once a fishing village of stone houses under terracotta roofs, it was transformed in the 20th century into one of the region's most exclusive resorts.

City in southeastern Turkey, traditionally revered as the birthplace of the prophet Abraham, where carp throng the sacred pool of Balıklıgöl. Nearby rise the carved stone pillars of Göbekli Tepe, thought to be the world's oldest known monumental temple.

Medieval Flemish city at the meeting of two rivers in northern Belgium, once among the largest and richest towns in Europe. Its waterfront guildhouses, the moated Gravensteen castle, and Van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece recall its golden age, while a large student population keeps it lively today.

Founded in 969 by the Fatimid dynasty as al-Qāhira, beside the older town of Fustat on the Nile. The largest city in the Arab world, it long stood as a leading centre of Islamic learning and remains Egypt's seat of government.

Vibrant, chaotic city on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, the birthplace of pizza, beneath the brooding volcano Vesuvius. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Pompeii.

Valley town in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, founded by French Huguenot refugees in the late 17th century — its name means 'French Corner.' A memorial honours those settlers, and the valley is celebrated as one of the country's great food-and-wine capitals.

Windswept fortified port on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, its UNESCO-listed medina ringed by Portuguese-built sea ramparts. A centre of Gnawa music and a long-standing artists' haven, it drew Orson Welles, who filmed much of his 1951 Othello among its battlements.

Chic harbour town and capital of St Barthélemy in the French Caribbean, its red-roofed houses gathered around a yacht-filled port. Swedish from 1784 to 1878, it keeps that legacy in the ruins of Fort Gustav and a handful of street names from the era.

City in western Syria on the Orontes River, a historic crossroads between the coast and the interior, much of it scarred by the recent civil war.

Small town in the Golden Ring northeast of Moscow, Russia, often likened to an open-air museum of old Russian architecture. Its riverside meadows are dotted with white-walled monasteries, the Suzdal Kremlin, and dozens of churches, part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Only town on Easter Island, the Chilean outpost the Rapa Nui call the navel of the world and one of the most remote inhabited islands anywhere. It is the gateway to the island's giant moai statues, among them the fifteen standing in a row at Ahu Tongariki.

Resort town on the shore of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand's Southern Alps, beneath the jagged peaks of the Remarkables. Billed as the adventure capital of the world, it was the birthplace of commercial bungy jumping and remains a magnet for thrill-seekers.

One of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, in northern Syria, long a great Silk Road trading hub. Its ancient citadel and souks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were heavily damaged in recent war.

Capital of Serbia, set where the Sava flows into the Danube. One of Europe's oldest cities and long a contested frontier fortress, it served as the capital of Yugoslavia through the twentieth century.

Walled medieval town in western Portugal, its whitewashed houses and flower-draped lanes enclosed by ramparts and a castle. For centuries the traditional wedding gift of Portuguese kings to their queens, it is known today for its festivals and its cherry liqueur, ginja.

Historic town in West Virginia, set dramatically where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet between cliffs. Site of John Brown's 1859 raid and fought over throughout the Civil War, its restored streets cling to the rivers' confluence.

Medieval city on the Yantra River in central Bulgaria, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1185 to 1393. Its old town climbs steep terraces above the river's gorge, dominated by the hilltop Tsarevets fortress — seat of the Bulgarian tsars and patriarchs — until the Ottoman conquest ended its golden age.

Vibrant French-speaking city on an island in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Cobblestoned Old Montreal and its Gothic Revival basilica blend European charm with a lively arts and festival scene.

Small settlement name shared by several localities in Central Europe; without further detail, it is most commonly associated with villages in Poland near the greater Poznań region.

Bustling coastal district of Kuwait City, a commercial and shopping hub along the Persian Gulf, known for its malls, seafront, and lively promenade.

Former capital of Montserrat in the Caribbean, abandoned and half-buried after the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted in the 1990s. Now a ghost town within an exclusion zone, its ash-smothered streets and rooftops make it one of the world's eeriest modern ruins.

Ancient city in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, also called Patan, renowned as a city of fine arts and Newar craftsmanship, with a UNESCO-listed Durbar Square of temples.

Ancient ruined city on a wooded peninsula by a lagoon in southern Albania, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian remains — a theatre, a basilica, and fortifications — lie layered amid the marshes and woods near the Ionian coast.

Port city on the northern coast of the Peloponnese in Greece, a gateway to Italy and the Ionian, famed for its boisterous pre-Lenten Carnival, the largest in the country.

Former copper-mining town on a high plateau in central Norway, worked for over three centuries until the mines closed. Its weathered wooden houses, slag heaps, and church survive remarkably intact across the cold uplands, forming a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Southern Kosovo city in the Nerodimka River valley, developed as a key railway junction and one of the region's significant urban centres.

Harbour city on the southwest coast of Norway, the country's oil capital, with a well-preserved old town of white wooden houses and access to the dramatic Pulpit Rock and Lysefjord.

Former imperial capital of Vietnam, set on the Perfume River in the central coast region, renowned for its 19th-century Nguyen dynasty citadel and royal tombs.

City on the Guadalquivir in Andalusia, southern Spain, and capital of a Western Islamic caliphate that made it one of 10th-century Europe's largest and most learned cities. Its great Mezquita — a forest of horseshoe arches later set with a cathedral — and old Jewish quarter survive from that age.

Medieval hilltop settlement in central Italy's Lazio region, dramatically isolated atop an eroding tufa rock formation and often called a 'dying town' for its shrinking, tourist-visited historic core.

City at the foot of a great mountain in northwestern Turkey, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, known for its early Ottoman mosques, tombs, and thermal baths — UNESCO-listed.

Coastal city north of Doha in Qatar, a former pearl-diving town set on a bay, with old watchtowers and a corniche on the Gulf.

Ancient oasis city rising from the Syrian desert, historically a pivotal caravan crossroads and home to remarkable Greco-Roman ruins of Palmyra.

Island in the Seychelles known for idyllic palm-fringed beaches and a UNESCO-listed forest reserve sheltering the giant coco de mer palm.

City in southern Tajikistan, situated in the broad Vakhsh River valley of the Khatlon region and a centre for regional agriculture.

A high-altitude freshwater lake in the Tian Shan mountains of central Kyrgyzstan, sitting at over 3,000 metres on a broad plateau in the Naryn region. Each summer, nomadic herders pitch their yurts along its shores, one of the most unspoiled expressions of Kyrgyz nomadic life.

Coastal city in central Israel, situated on the Mediterranean shore south of Tel Aviv and among the country's largest urban centres.

Inland city of south-central Democratic Republic of Congo, situated on the Sankuru River and recognized as one of the world's foremost diamond-mining centers.

One of the highest and most remote villages in Azerbaijan, perched above 2,000 metres on a ridge of the Greater Caucasus in the Quba District. Its semi-nomadic people speak their own ancient language unrelated to any neighbour, and the village and its seasonal herding route form a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. 

Capital of El Salvador, founded by the Spanish in 1525 in a seismically restless basin nicknamed the Valley of the Hammocks. Repeatedly toppled and rebuilt after earthquakes, it is the nation's dominant political, economic, and cultural centre.

Timor-Leste's second-largest city, set on a coastal plateau in the northeast of the island, overlooking the Banda Sea with a notable Portuguese colonial heritage.

Major Rhine River city in western Germany, one of the country's oldest urban centres and a cultural and commercial hub of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Sweden's second city, a major port on the west coast, known for its leafy avenues, canals, seafood, and a beloved old amusement park, with a relaxed, maritime character.

Industrial city southeast of Tbilisi in Georgia, built around a great steelworks in the Soviet era on the Mtkvari River.

City in western Kosovo at the mouth of a dramatic mountain gorge, known for its old bazaar, a historic Orthodox patriarchate, and as a gateway to the Accursed Mountains.

Spa town in the Pyrenean micro-state of Andorra, adjoining the capital, known for its thermal waters and a vast hot-spring leisure complex amid the mountains.

Colonial town on an island in the mouth of the Senegal River, the first French settlement in West Africa and once capital of the whole federation — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The long Faidherbe Bridge links it to the mainland, near pelican-filled wetlands.

Largest city on the island of Crete, a busy port near the ruins of Knossos, centre of the ancient Minoan civilisation, with a Venetian harbour and fortress.

Twin coastal suburb immediately south of Colombo, stretching along the Indian Ocean shore of Sri Lanka and blending an urban seafront with residential neighbourhoods.

Coastal city and major port of northwestern Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, long established as a commercial and industrial center with a significant steel and manufacturing base.

Fortified town built on a great sea-girt rock off the southeastern Peloponnese in Greece, tethered to the mainland by a single causeway. Concealed on the rock's seaward flank, its Byzantine and Venetian old town of stone houses and churches earned it the name 'the Gibraltar of the East.'

Oasis city in the interior of Oman, long the country's cultural and religious heart. A vast round tower crowns its restored fort, a lively souq trades silver and dates beneath the palms, and the Hajar Mountains rise close behind.

Capital of Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for the pastel gabled houses of its Handelskade waterfront. A swinging pontoon bridge spans the harbour channel, and produce arrives at a long-running floating market.

Island in French Polynesia ringed by a luminous turquoise lagoon and a necklace of coral islets. Overwater bungalows hover above the shallows beneath the twin volcanic peaks of Mount Otemanu, and it is often called one of the world's most romantic islands.

Capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region, set on a highland plateau in the north at over 2,000 metres. Once a seat of Emperor Yohannes IV in the 19th century, it is a gateway to the surrounding rock-hewn churches and the Danakil Depression, and bore the brunt of the devastating Tigray war of 2020–2022.

Gabon's principal Atlantic port and oil-industry capital, occupying a peninsula at the mouth of the Ogooué River delta on the country's western coast.

Harbour town on the northwest coast of Crete, Greece, gathered around a Venetian-era port. A lighthouse guards the harbour mouth, a domed former mosque stands on the quay, and a warren of Venetian and Ottoman lanes makes up what many consider the island's loveliest old town.

Ancient Bulgarian town on a rocky peninsula jutting into the Black Sea, preserving layers of Thracian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine heritage within its historic old town.

Mountain town within Jasper National Park, the largest park in the Canadian Rockies, in Alberta. Ringed by glaciers, canyons, and the Columbia Icefield's Athabasca Glacier, it lies in one of the world's largest dark-sky preserves, with Maligne Lake and Spirit Island nearby.

Capital and principal port of Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, cradled by volcanic hills on the northeastern Atlantic coast with a lively Spanish and island heritage.

Coastal city in eastern Tunisia, a popular resort whose old medina and fortified monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rise above sandy Mediterranean beaches.

Bilingual lakeside town on the shore of Lake Murten in western Switzerland, encircled by some of the best-preserved town ramparts in the country, whose covered wall-walk can still be paced. In 1476 the Swiss Confederates routed Charles the Bold of Burgundy beneath these walls.

city and seat of Iași County in the historical region of Moldavia in north-eastern Romania

Town set in a lush valley on the north shore of Kauai in Hawaii, ringed by green mountains and waterfalls. Taro fields fill the river flats, a historic pier reaches into the bay, and the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast rise nearby.

Ancient city in western Afghanistan, long a jewel of the Silk Road and Persian culture, famed for its citadel, blue-tiled Friday Mosque, and the leaning minarets of a once-great Timurid complex.

Sprawling city on Luzon in the Philippines, formed as a planned capital and now one of Metro Manila's most populous and commercially active districts.

Remote former mining town deep in the Wrangell–St. Elias wilderness of Alaska, reached by a long gravel road. Nearby stand the towering red ruins of the Kennecott copper mill, abandoned in the 1930s within one of the largest national parks in the country.

Ancient port city on Tunisia's Mediterranean coast, an important fishing and trading hub whose old walled medina and kasbah recall its long maritime history.

Preserved Palóc folk village in the hills of northern Hungary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whitewashed, timber-framed houses and a small wooden-towered church line its old street below a ruined medieval castle, keeping alive traditional rural architecture and customs.