Independent Black Forest locales dating back to medieval times, in 1971, Titisee and Neustadt (along with Rudenberg) banded together to form Titisee-Neustadt. (A few years later, nearby towns Langenordnach, Schwärzenbach and Waldau also joined the union.) Long known as a spa town, Titisee sits on the banks of the lake of the same name. Legend says the name came from Roman Emperor Titus, who was so taken by its beauty that he named it after himself. The area is great for hiking and winter sports.

Snowboarders are an afterthought at a lot of resorts, but they get plenty of attention at this destination in the Italian Alps. Gold medalists regularly practice their spins and flips at the expert-level Mottolino Snowpark on the eastern slopes. Across the valley, Carosello 3000 has a terrain park for intermediate freestylers. The ski runs are challenging, but not too challenging, with only a handful of truly difficult patches. Because the slopes are so forgiving, Livigno is a great place to try off-piste skiing and snowboarding. The village soaks up the sun all winter long, so the main drag is always full of strollers. This is also a duty-free zone, with tons of shops catering to bargain-hunters.

As the meeting point of the Rhine and Mosel rivers and with the UNESCO-listed Rhine Valley as its backdrop, Koblenz has no shortage of photo-worthy scenery. Add a hilltop medieval fortress and some impressive Romanesque buildings, and it's one of the prettiest towns along the Rhine.

With just over a million people, Odesa is Ukraine’s fourth-largest city. Set in the country’s south along the Black Sea coast, Odesa was founded in the late 18th century as a Russian naval fortress. For many years in the mid-19th century, it was a free port, becoming home to a multinational populace. In 1905, it was the site of a major Russian Revolution uprising by crew members of the Battleship Potemkin. The nice old town area has a beautiful opera house, and the city has many great beaches.

Also known as the ""Queen of Beaches"" , Calangute is is Goa's flagship beach. It is also the most commercialized of all beaches in Goa. Due to its extreme popularity, Calangute beach beckons tourists and backpackers from all over the world and the beach remains choc-a-block with tourists all year around. The beach is dotted with shacks and a lot of the clubs open up onto the beach. There are lots of shows held on the beach including rock, pop beat shows, open air dances, and fetes. Calangute offers all modern amenities like a post office, banks, foreign exchange offices and medical facilities. When in Calangute a must see is the Church of St. Alex, built in 1741.

Lynchburg, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has had a prosperous history, serving as a center of trade, the home of numerous notable personages, and the site of the official end of the Civil War. Visit Appomattox Court House, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. The house and gardens of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer, the landmarked Old City Cemetery and Thomas Jefferson's retreat at Poplar Forest are also open for tours.

The biggest draws to St. Thomas are beautiful beaches and duty-free shopping. Once your luggage is full of china, crystal, liquor and jewelry, you can explore life outside the markets, and there's no shortage of options.  You can visit Fort Christian, the 17th century Dutch stronghold; swim or snorkel in the calm blue waters of Magens Bay; hop a ferry to St. John; or just lie beside the pool with a daiquiri.