Stretching along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, Puntarenas offers more than just sandy shores. This historic port town once served as the country’s main gateway for coffee exports in the 19th century. Today, visitors can stroll along streets that echo stories of maritime trade and explore how Puntarenas helped shape Costa Rica's economic identity.
Istanbul is a city built on layers of empire. Spanning two continents, it was once the capital of three major empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Visitors walking through the Sultanahmet district can witness this timeline firsthand, from the Roman-era Hippodrome to the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia, and the towering minarets of the Blue Mosque. At nearby Topkapi Palace, rooms still display the jeweled swords, ceremonial robes, and handwritten Qurans once used by Ottoman sultans.
Landshut has the epithet "the three helmet city", lead back to the coat of arms of the city, which shows three helmets, like they were worn by the city guards in the middle age. The armours, produced by the so-called "plattners", were known and popular far over the frontiers of Landshut, at that time.
Greece’s island of Cephalonia, nestled in the Ionian Sea, invites travelers with a relaxed pace and a landscape shaped by myth, history, and nature. Larger than its neighboring islands but far less crowded, Cephalonia offers visitors a glimpse into traditional Greek life amid dramatic cliffs, lush pine forests, and charming harborside villages.