Saipan, the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, offers a rare combination of deep historical roots, island traditions, and dramatic landscapes. Located in the western Pacific, this U.S. territory was once the site of one of the most pivotal battles in the Pacific during World War II. Visitors today can explore the remains of bunkers, tanks, and hidden caves at sites like Suicide Cliff, Last Command Post, and the American Memorial Park.

This Sicily harbor city is divided from Italy proper by the Strait of Messina. Visitors marvel at the Gothic, bell-towered Norman Messina Cathedral.

Opatija, located on Croatia’s Kvarner Bay, has been drawing visitors since the 19th century, when Austro-Hungarian aristocrats built grand villas along its Adriatic shoreline. Today, many of those same buildings still stand with some restored as luxury hotels and others preserved as cultural landmarks. The town’s most recognizable structure, Villa Angiolina, opened in 1844 and marked the start of Opatija’s rise as a fashionable seaside resort.

This quaint and historic village has a notable Old Town with over 100 half timbered houses, with the oldest dating to 1339. During your exploration of Miltenberg, make sure to stop the oldest and most historic bar in town, a 500-year-old hangout that locals refer to simply as Weinhaus.

North of Sligachan the road first rises and then dips down into Portree - the main town on Skye. With its natural harbor and open perspective, Portree is a pleasant village and offers visitors a fine range of local services, accommodation and things to do.