In the Alpine foothills, just 50 km from Milan, Bergamo is the most striking city in Lombardy. Built on two levels, the Lower City is more modern and dynamic, whilst the famous ‘Upper City’ boasts a stunning historic centre full of monuments and works of art. In the area around the city the Iseo Lake is well worth a visit, as are the sanctuary at Caravaggio and Crespi d’Adda – the most important company town in Italy, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

White beaches, turquoise waters, and lively nightlife — these are images Bridgetown, the capital of the Caribbean island of Barbados, likely conjures up in the minds of most. But Bridgetown is so much more! There's the colonial heritage — its entire downtown is on the UNESCO list, after all — lush forests right outside city limits and an abundance of local and international shopping options. An animated buzz sets in as the sun goes down, inviting one to join the famously laid-back and welcoming Bajans on a night out.

For more than one billion of the world's population, Mecca is the holiest of sites, being the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and the city of the revelation. Due to its religious importance, millions of pilgrims come here year after year from every corner of the planet, making it one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the Muslim world, a true melting pot of peoples and cultures.

Historically an important trading centre, Peshawar sits not far from the Khyber Pass, once part of the legendary Silk Route, and an important gateway to the Indian subcontinent travelled by prominent conquerors and explorers. Things remain volatile in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border province, of which Peshawar is the capital, but recent trends seem to indicate a decline in criminality and a budding resurgence of urban life.