Set on a pass between the northern and southern sections of the Teutoburg Forest, Bielefeld is home to about 325,000 people. Sparrenberg Castle, one of the main attractions, dates from the 13th century, as do the Altstädter Nicolaikirche (St. Nicholas' Church) and the Neustädter Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church). The city also figures prominently in the Bielefeld Conspiracy, a German internet joke that the town does not actually exist, but is rather an elaborate alien or government conspiracy.

According to the Ancient Greeks, the god Hephaestus used Isolo Vulcano as sort of his own private blacksmith shop. Here you can clamber up volcanoes like Scalata al Cratere and rejuvenate in the warm and gooey sulfur mud baths of Laghetto di Fanghi. Kayaking is a popular way to take in the beauty of Vulcano’s grottoes and coastlines.

Distinctive architecture, sun-drenched resorts and eclectic small towns dot Andalusia, a dry, mountainous region of southern Spain that maintains echoes of its Moorish occupation. Spring and fall bring balmy temperatures, ideal for visiting Seville's cathedral, the world's largest Gothic structure, and the 1200-year-old mosque in Córdoba. Romantics love Granada, home to the Alhambra fortress and an inspiration to the late poet Federico García Lorca. Don't miss a dip in the sea along the Costa del Sol.