A Frankfurt suburb of about 20,000 just northwest of the city, Eschborn offers great views of the Taunus Mountains that lie just beyond. Many large corporations have constructed high-rise branch offices at Eschborn, including Deutsche Bank and Ernst and Young. The town is easily reachable by S-Bahn from Frankfurt, with the Altstadt and most of its old pre-suburban sights, including the Rathaus (Town Hall) and other historic buildings, within steps from the Eschborn station along Hauptstrasse.

A late creation by area standards, Bergisch Gladbach was founded in 1856 as a city district comprising several smaller (and older) towns, with a total population of about 105,000. The 10th-century St. Johann Baptist Church at Refrath is Bergisch Gladbach's oldest building. The Bensberg Rathaus (or town hall, nicknamed "Affenfelsen," or Monkey Rock) is a nationally known tourist attraction. Schloss Bensberg and Schloss Lerbach, both former castles, are now among Germany's top luxury hotels.

History is visible all around Goslar, from well-preserved old houses to the Romanesque imperial palace elevated over the city. Designated a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, the ore mine at Rammelsberg has been closed since 1988, but now teaches visitors about the more than 100 years of mining that occurred in the Harz mountains.

Honfleur, a harbour in Normandy, was popular with Impressionist painters like Monet and Boudin. They found its changing light and picturesque quays inspiring—and even today, if you return to the same spot every day to take a photo, you'll find no two are the same. On Saturday, visit the town's lively market and stock up on local cheese.

Kilkenny is over 400 years old, but it sure doesn’t show its age. Yes, it's an awe-inspiring throng of medieval cathedrals, castles, abbeys and other massive stone buildings, but Kilkenny loves to party. An endless stream of arts festivals celebrating theater, comedy, bluegrass and dance is constantly pumping the city with new life, toe-tapping energy and international flavor.

This laid-back beach town on Crete is popular with European travellers. Soft, golden sands and shallow waters make the beaches here especially family-friendly, and there’s a great variety of tavernas, restaurants and bars (including an Irish pub!).

The sun-drenched Canary Islands lie close to North Africa and have an exotic flavour of their own. Hundreds of volcanoes, rolling sand dunes, rich forests and rugged cliffs dapple these seven Atlantic gems. Catch a ferry to Lanzarote. Ride a camel through volcanic Timanfaya National Park. Take on Tenerife, home of Mount Teide, Spain's tallest peak. Romp Grand Canary's beaches or hike La Gomera's Garajonay National Park. More adventures await on tiny El Hierro, verdant La Palma and peaceful Fuerteventura.

Strongly influenced by the tribal culture of the Guanches (the original inhabitants), Tenerife was conquered by the Spanish 500 years ago. It's home to Mount Teide, Spain's tallest peak, and to the popular beach resort of Los Gigantes. Today visitors flock to Loro Park to see tropical birds, to Tenerife Zoo Monkey Park and to Parque Nacional Las Canadas del Teide's volcanic rock formations. Explore by car or with a "bono bus" ticket, which offers reductions on regular prices.

Ecotourism is alive and kicking on St. John. There's more than enough to do on land, from watching for wildlife in the national park to hiking miles of trails or strolling sandy white beaches. Hit the water for amazing snorkeling, swimming, even underwater photography—of course. This is the Caribbean, after all.