Via Aurelia, constructed in approximately 241 BC, played an important role in times of the ancient Roman Empire, to connect the cities of Pisa and Rome, and to enable trouble-free and efficient movement of defensive forces and goods between them. Today, the drive along the coast might not be the fastest way anymore, owing to the often heavy traffic, but it for sure is one of the most beautiful rides in Italy. Today, the modern Strada Statale 1 ocupies the same route and is informally known as La Via Aurelia. Remains of several Roman bridges can still be found along the road, including the Cloaca di Porta San Clementino, Ponte del Diavolo, Primo Ponte, and the Secondo Ponte (the last three in Sta Marinella).

You would almost miss them. Almost. Because as soon as you pass the entryway to the St. Servaas Basilica, you’ll figure out that it’s worth walking on. You’ll see for yourself that Maastricht doesn’t end at the Vrijthof. Sometimes you just have to take those few extra steps. That’s when Maastricht will surprise you with just how surprising the city centre really is. The Vrijthof has a number of little streets leading into it from all directions. They include Brusselsestraat, Grote Gracht, and De Kommel. Unlike the more idyllic boulevards in most of the rest of the city, these streets evoke a feeling of the urban, the artistic, the unknown. Here, students and locals come and go: artists, designers, professionals. It’s an area that’s moving fast: new shops, start-ups, young businesses, surprising concepts. Yet at the same time, it’s bursting with historic buildings, and is still very much a place where locals want to live. In truth, you can’t really describe the streets around the Vrijthof in a few words. It’s where local, university, business, authentic, forward-looking, and surprising Maastricht all come together.

Constructed by the end of the 18th century, the Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace is an elaborately decorated relic of Bangalore's royal past. Originally used as a summer retreat, the palace now serves as a detailed museum of Tipu Sultan's life and glorious conquests, while the Venkataramanaswamy Temple, a 300-year-old temple built by the Wodeyars, is right next door. The ruins of Bangalore Fort are also located a few steps away, bearing the testimony of Tipu's struggle against the British Raj in India.

Many people imagine the Czech Republic to be a prominent beer producer — and rightly so. If there is one place where you should take the opportunity to sample some of the best beers in the world, it's here. There is a wide selection of pubs where you can begin your tasting, and even a museum dedicated to the beverage. You can take a tour of the Czech Beer Museum, taste some local beers, and even bottle your own beer.