Linz an der Donau is a cultural metropolis, and an oasis of green. It is a place where nature, culture and business come together to form a harmonious whole. The 2009 European Capital of Culture sports the slogan 'Linz, verändert' ('Linz, changes'), and lives up to the slogan in full. A successful location for business, the city has emerged as an outstanding destination for culture, offering dynamism and high quality of life. The capital city of Upper Austria is a showcase for theatre and music, contemporary art, history and science.

With more than 425 wineries, miles of rugged Pacific coastline, towering redwood forests, and its close proximity to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Sonoma County is a traveler’s dream vacation spot in California. Discover more than 50 nature parks that offer travelers miles of hiking and cycling trails through the redwoods or oak-studded hills. Rivers entice visitors to kayak, canoe, or simply float along the cool waters. Breathtaking Highway 1 — Pacific Coast Highway — delights visitors with crashing waves, sea lions and amazing sunsets.

For over two billion people worldwide, Mecca is the holiest site, revered as the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and the city where the Quran was revealed. Because of its profound religious significance, millions of Hajj pilgrims journey here every year from all corners of the globe, making Mecca one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the Muslim world — a true melting pot of peoples and cultures. Remember that this holiest of cities, known as Makkah, is only accessible to Muslims.

Nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, with 300 annual days of sunshine, the Mile High City is a year-round destination that seamlessly blends a rich Western heritage and passion for the outdoors with urban excitement. Downtown Denver is home to an array of chef-owned restaurants, brewpubs, shops, and family-friendly attractions. Denver serves as the gateway to the most breathtaking national parks in the Western USA, including Mesa Verde, one of Colorado's four national parks, as well as Wyoming's Yellowstone and Utah's Canyonlands.

Windhoek is at Namibia's centre in more ways than one: apart from being the country's main political hub by design, it also happens to sit in its very heart geographically, making the city an easy stop over on the way to Namibia's spectacular natural attractions. Some of those include the Namib-Naukluft National Park, with its striking Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, Etosha National Park with free-roaming indigenous animals, and the endless stretch of ghastly, striking Skeleton Coast.