Mdina is a fortified hilltop city in central Malta, known as the Silent City for its quiet streets and enclosed historic character. The former capital occupies a limestone plateau above the surrounding countryside, with massive walls, narrow lanes, small squares, and honey-colored buildings creating a compact urban landscape. The main entrance leads toward Villegaignon Street and the center of the old city, where St Paul’s Cathedral dominates Cathedral Square.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park occupies a large area of southeastern California, extending across the Colorado Desert east of San Diego County. It is California’s largest state park and contains a varied desert landscape of broad valleys, badlands, rocky mountains, palm oases, dry washes, and sandy plains. The park takes its name from Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word for bighorn sheep.

Furano is a small city in central Hokkaido, surrounded by the Tokachi and Yubari mountain ranges. Its broad basin contains farmland, rolling hills, rivers, and open countryside, while the surrounding mountains provide a distinct backdrop in every season. Furano is particularly associated with fields of lavender and other flowers, but agriculture remains an important part of the local landscape beyond the famous flower farms.

Trakai is a small historic town west of Vilnius, surrounded by lakes and wooded landscapes in southeastern Lithuania. Its most recognizable landmark is Trakai Island Castle, a red-brick fortress built on an island in Lake Galvė and connected to the shore by a wooden bridge. The town itself is set between several lakes, including Lake Galvė, Lake Totoriškės, and Lake Luka, giving its streets and waterfront a distinctly waterside setting.

This pleasant port town provides a nice, calmer contrast to bustling Rome, so travelers are advised to not simply pass through, but linger and discover more of Civitavecchia. Explore Forte Michelangelo, shop at Corso Centocelle, see the neoclassical Trajan Theatre, and delve into the therapeutic Taurine Baths of Civitavecchia.