Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona, invites visitors to "celebrate the season" — any season! This charming town basks in ample sunshine during the summer and welcomes a blanket of snow in the winter, offering year-round opportunities to enjoy its nature. Outdoor enthusiasts can explore hiking and mountain biking trails, cast a line for fly fishing, or venture off the beaten path during warmer months. When winter arrives, the landscape transforms into a haven for skiing and snowboarding.

Zürich runs on punctual trams and Swiss precision, but it also runs on lake swims, quiet sophistication, and a love of design that shows up everywhere from museums to street corners. Indie shops now fill old guild buildings, the river turns into a hangout spot as soon as the sun is out, and nightlife pulses under stone arches in once-industrial districts. Between modern museums, lakeside strolls, and mountain views that steal the show, Zürich balances city polish with an easy, effortless charm.

Long known for its old-world charm, from the historic Faneuil Hall to the Freedom Trail that celebrates Boston’s preeminent role in the American Revolution, Boston has come a long way towards staking its claim in the 21st century. With the completion of the “Big Dig” that buried Boston’s vast network of highways underground, Boston has hit the new century running. Attractions span beautiful public libraries, fascinating museums and plenty of sports. Boston is destined to grow ever more beautiful as more and more of the ungainly elevated highways are replaced with lush parks.

The beating heart of the Indian state of Gujarat, Ahmedabad has managed to preserve its cultural integrity through the centuries, remaining relatively unaffected by British colonial rule. Little developed by the tourism industry, the city remains a true hidden gem inhabited by remarkably hospitable Gurajatis, teeming with exquisite historic temples, renowned universities, and world-class vegetarian eateries able to convert diners of the most carnivorous persuasion.

Queenstown, the self-proclaimed "Adventure Capital of the World", has, without a doubt, earned this title. The birthplace of bungy jumping, and home to all manner of adrenaline pumping activities, from luge and jet-boating to canyon swinging, attracts thousands of adventure lovers every year. Set on the edge of the giant Lake Wakatipu, in the Otago region, this intimate town transforms itself into a buzzing ski resort during winter, thanks to its two appealing ski-fields that suit sport lovers of any abilities.