Manama pulses with stories from long ago and today. Just beyond the modern skyline lies Qal’at al‑Bahrain, a layered mound once the capital of Dilmun, used by societies from the Kassites to the Portuguese. Visitors can climb its crumbling stairways and imagine life across centuries there. Nearby, the Bahrain National Museum, opened in 1988 in a stately waterside building, displays archaeological finds from ancient Dilmun to modern-day artifacts and is one of the Gulf's first modern museums.

Taormina, with its hilltop location above the Ionian Sea, is easily one of Italy's most beautiful places. As it's packed with people in the summertime, recommended months to visit include April and September.

Biloxi is the oldest French settlement in the Mississippi Valley. The word "Biloxi" is Indian, and means "First People." Since the discovery, Biloxi has served under eight flags -- French, English, Spanish, West Florida Republic, Mississippi Magnolia, Confederate States, Mississippi State, and the United States.

Portage Glacier, an hour's drive from Anchorage, is Alaska's most visited tourist attraction.

Cuiabá is the capital of Mato Grosso in central-western Brazil and an important gateway to the Pantanal, Chapada dos Guimarães, and other natural areas of the state. The city developed around gold mining and later became an important regional center along the Cuiabá River. Its historic center contains colonial churches, traditional houses, and public squares, while newer districts extend well beyond the old city.