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.

The Château d'Eau, a 19th-century brick water tower located on the banks of the Garonne river was once used to supply 90 fountains. It has been repurposed as a photography gallery hosting exhibitions and a library selling books on photography.

Sicily is the cradle of the European culture and Segesta is one of the historical treasure of this region. It used to be the centre of one of the three indigenous people of Sicily: the Elymians. With a scenic location high up on Mount Barbaro, (about 400 meters high) only 30 minutes by car from Trapani, Segesta is the ideal destination for a daytrip. It attracts both lovers of history and nature, since the path to the monuments is surrounded by the local Mediterranean scrubland. It is also here you will find the magnificent Doric temple and the Greek theater called The Segesta Theater.

Perched atop the stark white cliffs of Pamukkale lies Hierapolis — an ancient city that's as rich in history as it is in thermal springs. Once a Phrygian cult centre and later a flourishing Greek city, Hierapolis boasts a well-preserved amphitheatre, an array of atmospheric ruins, and the famed Sacred Pool, a thermally heated delight where you can immerse yourself amidst submerged Roman columns, scattered by an ancient earthquake. Just a stone's throw away, the terraces of Pamukkale steal the show. These gleaming white formations, made of travertine — a sedimentary rock deposited by the mineral-rich hot waters — give the town its name, meaning 'Cotton Castle'. With temperatures ranging from 35°C to a steamy 100°C, these hot springs have been creating an expanding landscape of terraces for centuries, as calcium carbonate from the waters crystallises into the soft gel of travertine. Awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, Hierapolis and Pamukkale offer a unique fusion of cultural history and natural wonder that should not be missed.