Recently selected as the winner in the best "Small Mountain Town" category of the readers poll from Blue Ridge Outdoors, Hot Springs is attracting visitors from near and far because of its wide variety of things to see and do. Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty of adventures, including rafting and kayaking on the French Broad River, hiking the Appalachian Trail (which goes through the downtown) and relaxing in the natural hot minteral springs. Hot Springs is also popular destination wedding location. There are many different types of accommodation available - from hotels to B&Bs to private cabins.

Situated at the feet of the western Pyrenees near the French border, Spain's Basque Country comprises three provinces: Guipúzcoa and the popular beachfront capital of Donostia-San Sebastian; Vizcaya, where capital Bilbao houses the jaw-dropping Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum; and Alava, whose capital Vitoria-Gasteiz teems with medieval architecture. Running with the bulls at Pamplona and drinking rioja from area wineries add to the region's exotic romanticism. Travel in early summer and fall to dodge the madding crowds.

travellers generally come to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim—some for the art inside, but many for the amazing building itself. The Fine Arts Museum and the Basque Museum may not have been designed by Frank Gehry, but are worth a visit, and you can catch international opera stars at the Palacio Euskalduna.

Wide beaches along the "Flower Coast" attract families and those commemorating the D-Day landings of 1944. Inland, cattle graze in rural idylls and pre-WWII buildings stand alongside modern architecture. Hire a car or take a tour from Caen or Bayeux. The landscape around his home in Giverny inspired Monet's Water Lilies, and summer's profusion of blooms is quite lovely. Don't miss Rouen's old town and cathedral, Caen's cathedral, Bayeux's tapestry and the ancient island-abbey of Mont-St-Michel.