Portlanders respond eagerly to the summons of the city's unofficial motto: ‘Keep Portland Weird.’ Although the real deal is miles away from the grotesque version famously portrayed in "Portlandia,” some tropes of the TV show do ring true. The city's thriving food, beer, and coffee scenes are mixed with whimsy, as self-expression and creativity abound. Portland is not only the hometown of James Beard but also a place where unique experiences are born, like wedding ceremonies held at a doughnut shop, "brew 'n' view" movie theaters, and even a vegan strip club.

A major city in what is nicknamed as "the Garden Parish," Ocho Rios is sitting on the northern shore of Jamaica and thus is surrounded by a multitude of natural landmarks that many consider the most stunning on the entire island. The landscape here is enriched by numerous waterfalls, azure waters, lush tropical forests, to be explored by air, on horse, underwater, you name it — and once in downtown, let the famous Jamaican hospitality pamper you during your stay.

One of the oldest cities in China, Ningbo is the birthplace of the Hemudu culture, which dates back over seven thousand years. Translated from Mandarin as ''the Serene Waves'', Ningbo is located at the shores of Hangzhou Bay and is a long-established international port and trading post. With the Hangzhou Bridge, the longest trans-oceanic link in the world, Ningbo is now directly connected to Shanghai and has emerged as an important international hub in its own right.

Discover Brindisi, a sun-drenched jewel on the Adriatic Sea and the beating heart of Italy's Apulia region. More than just a coastal beauty, Brindisi serves as a living museum to a myriad of vanished civilisations. Picture yourself strolling along ancient Roman roads, gazing up at majestic Gothic and Baroque cathedrals, or getting lost in the imposing shadows of Swabian castles from the era of Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. With every step you're walking through centuries of layered history. Come for the sea, stay for a journey back in time.

"The city in its setting and entire surroundings may be said to have something ideal." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1797). Scarcely any other European city has had its praises so often sung as Heidelberg. The mysterious Heidelberg Castle, the picturesque Old Town, and as Goethe himself stated, the perfection of its setting – in the nineteenth century, all of this attracted the German romanticists, who immortalized Heidelberg in poetry, music, and art. Today the charm of Old Heidelberg is combined with a future-oriented and international focus.