Located off the coast south of Naples, the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a stunning collection of mangrove islands and islets. The area is a prime spot for bird-watching, wildlife photography, and fishing, with abundant opportunities to observe native species like manatees, dolphins, and a wide variety of birds. Visitors are encouraged to explore responsibly, keeping the environment undisturbed to protect the fragile ecosystem.

Byfield National Park is a forested recreation area stretched along the coastline with a view out to the Keppel Islands group. Enormous sand dunes and a picturesque coastal scenery dominate the southern part of the park, while in the north you can hike through rainforest and take a bath in Stony Creek, one of the best local fresh-water swimming holes in the area. The park is perfectly suited for a host of outdoor activities like camping, picnicking, walking, four-wheel driving, boating and fishing, cycling, and even horse riding.

With its romantic grounds, Sofiero Palace makes for a popular destination. The grounds are perhaps best known for their unparalleled rhododendrons, with an incredible 5,000 bushes bursting into flower in the spring. The fairytale of Sofiero began in 1864, when Crown Prince Oskar and his wife Sophia had their summer residence built here. In 1905, Oskar — by now King Oskar ll — gave the palace to his grandson Prince Gustav Adolf and his bride Princess Margareta as a wedding present. This is when the gardens literally flourished. Princess Margareta was a keen and creative gardener, and it was she who first laid out the grounds that we can enjoy to this day. She arranged flower beds and gardens, had paving laid and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Every summer, the Crown Prince couple travelled from Stockholm with their four young princes and Princess Ingrid, who eventually became Queen of Denmark. When Margareta died in 1920, Gustaf Adolf carried on the work in the garden, particularly with the rhododendrons. The palace was the summer residence of the Swedish royal family up until 1973, when it was given to the town of Helsingborg. This small palace, which lies like a jewel amid the extensive lawns, is home to a restaurant where the food is prepared by some of Sweden’s finest chefs. There’s also a café with views of the Öresund Sound and Denmark.

A fortress built under the Austrian empire and used also by fascist and communist forces, Citadella sits atop the 235-metre high Gellért Hill, together with the Liberty Statue, a bronze lady holding a palm leaf and guarding the city since 1947 (hence was originally intended to celebrate the Soviet liberation from the Nazi forces after WWII).