A well preserved, colonnaded medieaval old town with its world renowned Golden Roof. Right next to this there's a brightly coloured, sparkling imperial palace, the Hofburg - baroque and monumental. A stone’s throw away is the Hofkirche, a court church containing larger-than-life bronze statues, the Schwarze Mander, standing guard around the (empty) tomb of Emperor Maximilian I., a truly breath-taking sight and unique in Europe. High above this superb architecture towers the Nordkette, a magnificent mountain range between 2300 and 2500 m.

Few places in Europe have remained off the beaten path as much as the Kosovar first city; fewer yet have been at the heart of a political dispute as agonising in recent history. Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, one of the world's youngest states, boasts a youthful populace to match, and exudes a lust for life that's virtually tangible. Still rough around the edges and with no tourist information offices in sight, Pristina remains uncharted territory, a state of affairs foreseen to change as the city attracts a growing number of visitors.

Speaking of Parma, the first things that come to mind are probably the ham and Parmesan cheese. Indeed, Parma is one of the most important culinary centres of Italy — but this city is so much more than that. Parma was the capital of a very powerful duchy, which left a legacy of stunning monuments and palaces. In addition, the splendour of that period created fertile grounds for the flourishing of art. In fact, Parma became one of the main centres for opera, thanks to its amazing theatres and its fine citizen Giuseppe Verdi.

In 1831, Charles Darwin sailed to South America aboard the H.M.S. Beagle. On the return voyage across the Pacific, the vessel stopped on a small group of islands far off the Ecuadorian coast, changing the course of human scientific endeavour and self-understanding forever. Fascinated by the unique wildlife on the islands, Darwin collected biological specimens and studied them over the next 30 years. His findings led to the formulation of the scientific theory of evolution by natural selection. This small group of islands and their one-of-a-kind wildlife are to thank for one of humanity's most remarkable discoveries. And today, almost 200 years later, they remain a source of endless fascination and a favourite travel destination for scientists, nature and wildlife enthusiasts, scuba divers, and anyone interested in the wonders of the natural world.

Sylt, often referred to as the 'German Hamptons’, has been a longstanding playground for Germany's rich and famous. Pronounced 'Zoolt,' Sylt is a stunning 40-km-long island on Germany’s North Sea coast, which has one of the longest unbroken stretches of immaculate sandy beach in all of Europe. Apart from the sparkling sea, Sylt is celebrated for its invigorating sea air, idyllic Frisian houses, and endless fields of bright-yellow flowering rapeseed.