ArcaMax

Some of my most vivid memories from my first visit to Istanbul in the 1970s are of the colorful locals. Scruffy kids sold cherry juice, and old men would grab huge cucumbers from wheeled carts, then peel, quarter, and salt them, and sell them for pennies. While the Old World magic in many parts of the city has been plowed under by modern ...Read more

If you're in the mood to surrender to a city's charms, let it be in Barcelona. Life bubbles in its narrow old town alleys, grand boulevards, and elegant modern district. While Barcelona has an illustrious past – from Roman colony to 14th-century maritime powerit's enjoyable to throw out the history books and just drift through the city.

A ...Read more

If you're traveling in the Czech Republic south of Prague, you may have the famously cute town of Český Krumlov on your itinerary. While it’s delightful, two nearby towns – straddling the regions of Bohemia and Moravia – feel less commercial and, for many, equally worthwhile.

Třeboň, a well-preserved town with an inviting Renaissance ...Read more

Jane Austen turns 250 this year, and England is rolling out the Regency red carpet to celebrate. So, if your 2025 travel plans include Britain – Bath, in particular – you might encounter larger-than-usual crowds at Austen hotspots … and a surplus of people sporting high-waisted gowns, petticoats, and long white gloves.

Austen is one of ...Read more

Alsace is French with a German accent. Cultures mix across the region’s enchanting, cobbled villages, scenic vineyards, hearty cuisine, and art that's still as vibrant as the medieval day it was painted.

Standing in the eastern corner of France like a flower-child referee between France and Germany, Alsace has weathered many invasions. Once a...Read more

As a young backpacker, I fell in love with the picturesque village of Rothenburg, in Germany’s Franconian heartland. At that time, the town still fed a few farm animals within its medieval walls. Today its barns are hotels, its livestock are tourists, and Rothenburg is well on its way to becoming a medieval theme park.

But Rothenburg is still...Read more

Two hundred and 50 years ago, Bath was the Hollywood of Britain. Today, this former trendsetter of Georgian England invites you to take a 90-minute train ride from London west and sample its aristocratic charms.

The entire city, built of the creamy limestone called "Bath stone," beams in its cover-girl complexion. Proud locals remind visitors ...Read more

The medieval Belgian town of Bruges attracts hordes of day-trippers – but don't let that keep you away. While the ultimate sight is the quaint town itself, the city also entertains with an infectious passion for good living. And it hides some sweet surprises.

The Flemish who live in this part of Belgium call this city “Brugge,” but the ...Read more

On my last visit to Toledo, it seemed holier than ever: Dark El Greco clouds threatened overhead, stark against bright, clear horizons. Hail pelted the masses of people clogging the streets as they awaited the Good Friday procession.

A look back at my write-up reveals nothing but superlatives: Toledo’s street plan is the most confusing in ...Read more

Orvieto is one of the most striking, memorable, and enjoyable hill towns in central Italy. About 90 minutes from Rome, Orvieto sits majestically high above the valley floor atop a big chunk of tufo (tuff) volcanic stone, overlooking cypress-dotted Umbrian plains. A visit here will reward you with a delightful, perfectly preserved, and ...Read more

While most of Croatia's coastal towns seem tailor-made for tourism, Split is real and vibrant. Lounging alongside the Adriatic Sea on the famed Dalmatian Coast, Split is Croatia’s second-largest city (after capital Zagreb), making it a bustling metropolis, serious port city, major transit hub, and top sightseeing destination, all rolled into ...Read more

In Rome, 2025 is a Jubilee Year – so if your travel plans include the Eternal City, it's important to know what the Jubilee is all about, what to expect … and how to prepare for increased crowds.

Since the year 1300, the Roman Catholic Church traditionally proclaims a “Jubilee Year” every 25 years. It’s a time when the pope invites ...Read more

My friends can’t believe I actually took a real vacation. No work … just making long-held travel dreams come true. In fact, I took two vacations!

As the pandemic eased, my favorite travel partner and I found ourselves as busy as ever, and we were ready for a break. We debated what would be our best choice: a week on a gourmet barge floating...Read more

Known as the “Golden City of 100 Spires,” Prague boasts a fairy-tale medieval Old Town, historic churches and synagogues, and perhaps Europe’s largest castle. A good way to introduce yourself to the city, its layered past, and its resilient people is with a walk across town, starting on lively, urban Wenceslas Square, weaving through the ...Read more

It’s hard to top Barcelona, Spain’s most cosmopolitan and fun city. But if you want a break from the crowds, several day trips from Barcelona are tempting scene-changers: the mountaintop monastery of Montserrat, the Salvador Dalí museum at Figueres, and the seaside towns of Cadaqués and Sitges.

For almost a thousand years, Benedictine ...Read more

A visit to the Emerald Isle is not complete without including Northern Ireland. The most important single stop is its capital, Belfast, perhaps best known for the sectarian strife that took place here during the era of the “Troubles,” and as the birthplace of the Titanic. While these two claims to fame aren’t uplifting, this ...Read more

A hundred years ago, bigwigs from London to Moscow began flocking south to the French Riviera and the sun-drenched city of Nice. They came to socialize, gamble, and escape the dreary weather at home, and ended up creating Europe’s first tourist boom. Today, this classy resort town is a popular fun-in-the-sun destination that caters to everyone...Read more

I'm standing on a tiny balcony overlooking the Times Square of all of Spain – Madrid's Puerta del Sol. Within a 10-minute walk I can visit one of the greatest palaces in Europe – Madrid’s Royal Palace, the ultimate town square – Plaza Mayor, or my favorite collection of paintings under any single roof in Europe – the Prado Museum.

...Read more