Beijing's famous Tiananmen Square is big enough to hold one million people, while the historic Forbidden City is home to thousands of imperial rooms – and Beijing is still growing. The capital has witnessed the emergence of ever-higher rising towers, new restaurants and see-and-be-seen nightclubs. But at the same time, the city has managed to retain its very individual charm. The small tea houses in the backyards, the traditional fabric shops, the old temples and the noisy street restaurants make this city special.

Murrells Inlet channels the charm of South Carolina with undertones of its colonial past and a menagerie of modern vacation amenities. As “The Seafood Capital of South Carolina,” Murrells Inlet welcomes visitors to explore its fishing enterprise. Not only is the seafood widely renowned, but so is the area’s collection of golf courses. But perhaps most spectacularly, Murrells Inlet is a nature lover’s paradise: Spanish moss drapes grand oaks that have stood for centuries, and seabirds glide over the sparkling waters of the Atlantic.

As Pakistan longs for a surge of international visitors, its second city – Lahore – sits at the gates, prepared to swing them open at first notice. The capital of Punjab and recognised cultural centre of the country, Lahore holds some rare remnants of Mughal rule, Pakistan's largest number of academic institutions, splendid gardens, and endless culinary delights, living up to its reputation of a gastronomic paradise.

Speaking of Parma, the first things that come to mind are probably the ham and Parmesan cheese. Indeed, Parma is one of the most important culinary centres of Italy — but this city is so much more than that. Parma was the capital of a very powerful duchy, which left a legacy of stunning monuments and palaces. In addition, the splendour of that period created fertile grounds for the flourishing of art. In fact, Parma became one of the main centres for opera, thanks to its amazing theatres and its fine citizen Giuseppe Verdi.

Dresden was known as both the 'Florence of the North' and the 'Venice of the River Elbe' before World War II destroyed most of this once-magnificent Baroque city. But Dresden has managed to restore much of its former glory. The views from the banks of the Elbe and plentiful architectural delights, such as the rebuilt Frauenkirche or the famous Semper Opera, provide glimpses of what today’s vibrant Dresden once looked like. With 63 percent of its area devoted to woods and green spaces, Dresden is also one of the greenest cities in Europe.