Just down the coast from Dune de Pilar, Arcachon’s golden beaches and 1950s villas make it a choice destination for sophisticated holidaymakers. The sweeping ocean views are best enjoyed alongside regional delicacies such as Arcachon oysters and Bordeaux wine.

From Hannover’s atmospheric old town, filled with reconstructed half-timbered buildings and terrace cafes, to its baroque gardens and vast urban lake, this booming city has much more to offer than its industrial reputation suggests.

The oldest university in the world isn’t Oxford or the Sorbonne—it’s the University of Al-Karaouine, and you’ll find it in Fes el Bali. This walled city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will transport you back to mediaeval times. Visit the ancient maze-like quarters of the Medina to Fes el-Bali and the four imposing Gates of Fes, with their distinctive Moroccan tile work. You can walk, or, if you're brave, take a taxi—the daredevil drivers will have you hanging on for dear life.

The largest city on the Adriatic Coast, seaside delight Split has been under Roman, Venetian, Austrian, French, Italian and Yugoslav control. There is an abundance of restaurants and wine cellars. Sites such as Diocletian's Palace and Mausoleum, the Grgur Ninski Statue and the Cathedral and Bell Tower of St Domnius justify its position as a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. The city's coves offer several lovely beaches, including central Bacvice. Ferries link Split to Dalmatian summer resorts.

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.

Samara is a transportation and industrial hub, as well as home to one of Russia's top engineering institutions, Samara State Aerospace University, which has helped to pioneer Russia's innovative space program. Visitors can sample some of Samara's most important products: vodka, chocolate and beer. Tour a Russian brewery before taking in a show at one of Samara's many theaters and concert halls, or beef up your knowledge of Russian history with a trip to Stalin's Bunker or the Lenin House Museum. Don't miss the sunset on the beaches along the banks of the Volga.

Inhabited since the 11th-century, what is now Kigali has been the home of Twas, Tutsis and Hutus. The city sits on a series of verdant ridges and lush valleys, and has a Muslim Quarter and a bustling market. Rwanda's capital is the site of battles that left over a million, mostly Tutsi and moderate Hutus, dead. Kigali Memorial Centre is a permanent memorial to 1994's Genocide, built on a mass grave where 250,000 are buried. Kigali City Tour Bus offers an excellent introduction to this now safe, friendly city.