Dubbed the Queen City, Charlotte reigns over a 300-square-mile (482-square-kilometre) hodgepodge of neighbourhoods that spin out from the banks of the Catawba River. From brewery-heavy art districts to historical corridors dripping in charm, consider Charlotte a crowd pleaser.

As the Azores' capital city, Ponta Delgada serves as a gateway to the archipelago's famous crater lakes, volcanoes, and rugged coastline. The city itself blends modern comforts with Gothic churches, historic forts, and traditional Portuguese taverns.

If you live, eat and breathe skiing, Obertauern is your paradise—its own little mountaintop microcosm where you can literally walk (er, ski) out the door of your charming lodge or B&B and directly enter the slopes. Feeling ambitious? Complete a “Tauern Circuit” of the ski lifts and slopes that encircle the village. The restaurants and lodges offer merry après ski rejuvenation.