St Giles' Cathedral, the historic "Mother Kirk of Scotland", has been a focal point of religious and civic life on the Royal Mile since 1124. Its architecture is a tapestry of centuries, but the cathedral is most famous as the epicentre of the Scottish Reformation under firebrand minister John Knox. While the main body of the kirk is imposing, its greatest artistic treasure is the Thistle Chapel, an astonishingly detailed 1911 Gothic space housing Scotland's chivalric order. You can admire the beautiful stained-glass windows, see an original National Covenant, and find the bronze memorial to Robert Louis Stevenson. Just outside the west door, the Heart of Midlothian set into the cobbles is traditionally spat upon for luck. Free tours and audio guides help unravel the complex history within this essential Edinburgh landmark.

Over the past few decades, Nantes has quietly turned into one of the most inventive cities in France. Big events and bold ideas keep things moving year-round—from the musical madness of La Folle Journée, to the giant puppets of Royal de Luxe, to the open-air artworks of Estuaire, and of course, the surreal mechanical creatures of Les Machines de l’île. Art here isn’t just in galleries—it spills into the streets, parks, and even along the river.

Where else can you see Eddie George take the stage as Othello? The Nashville Shakespeare Festival is one of the city’s proudest attractions, holding public productions and educational workshops to educate and entertain young and old.

Nashville boasts the world’s only full-scale reproduction of the famous Greek temple! The Parthenon stands in Centennial Park and features the city’s art museum and Athena Parthenos — the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western world at 42-feet. The Parthenon has continued to host changing art exhibits since the 1930s, preserving the legacy of the ancient Greeks and their impact on American civilization.