M’Hamid El Ghizlane sits deep in southeastern Morocco’s Sahara, where the paved road ends and endless sands begin. Travelers often arrive from Zagora, taking in the wide palm groves fed by ancient irrigation channels that show how people have sustained life here for centuries. At sunrise and sunset, the dunes glow with waves of gold and copper, offering unforgettable views few places on earth can match.

A little overshadowed by its close vicinity to such cities as Venice and Verona, Vicenza is known as a provincial city, tied up to the secular tradition of religiosity and conservatism, but also animated by an industriousness that has favored the development of great industries and innovative productive trends.

Rovaniemi, located just a few kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, is widely recognized as the official hometown of Santa Claus. From late August through early April, the Northern Lights are visible on clear nights, and several local guides offer nighttime tours to remote locations for optimal viewing. During summer, the sun doesn't set for weeks, giving travelers the rare chance to hike or kayak under a sky that stays bright at midnight.

Jerash is reached by a short drive (29 miles, 47km) north of Amman and is an ancient Graeco-Roman city, once known as Gerasa. It has been dubbed the 'Pompeii of the East', because of its extraordinary state of preservation. Jerash is a vast city, which flourished in the centuries immediately preceding and following the Christian era.

Amboise has 12,000 inhabitants and is in the heart of Touraine, in the land of chateaux. It is a town both traditional and modern, lively and quiet. In Amboise, there is a royal castle set above the Loire Valley and is a strong point extensively embellished during the 15th and 16th centuries.