It is impossible to look upon the face of an alpaca and not smile. At Apple Hill Farm, the smiles abound. Their mission is to share its beauty and animals with Banner Elk, which means you can meet all of their alpacas, cats, chickens, dogs, donkeys, goats, horses, ponies, llamas and even mini donkeys. The farm itself is located on the site of a 45-year-old apple orchard atop Valle Mountain.

The Jordan Museum offers a chronological journey through 1.5 million years of history, from Paleolithic tools to modern Jordanian culture. As the country’s premier cultural institution, it houses globally significant artefacts like the 9,700-year-old ‘Ain Ghazal statues — the world’s oldest human figurines — and fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Exhibits pair these treasures with bilingual (English/Arabic) narratives that contextualise Jordan’s archaeological legacy without overwhelming casual visitors. The museum’s modern galleries balance education and aesthetics, with interactive displays and temporary exhibitions ensuring fresh perspectives. Allot two hours to appreciate its dual role as research hub and national showcase.

King Faisal Street is one of the main thoroughfares of Amman. On this palm-fringed strip, gold dealers from the Gold Souq weigh bracelets under neon lights, while juice vendors press pomegranates nearby and old men play backgammon at pavement cafés. The street’s charm lies in its contrasts: the 1924 post office (now The Duke’s Diwan) overlooks a row of buzzing local businesses, and the call to prayer from Al Hussein Mosque competes with taxi horns. At night, the air thickens with the scent of sizzling lamb from decades-old shawarma stands, and crowds gather at Habibah Sweets for knafeh so fresh it crackles.

Anyone entering Szczecin by bridges over the Oder River can see the towering red-brick gothic Cathedral and an elegant, pale silhouette of a Renaissance castle with green towers, which used to be the seat of the dukes of the Griffins dynasty who ruled the Duchy of Pomerania. The Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle has five wings and two courtyards. Acting as a cultural institution it organizes an array of cultural events: concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, conferences and meetings to popularize science, as well as to spread knowledge about the history of West Pomerania. The largest wing houses an Opera. In the wing that housed a mint in the olden days one can find today Cultural and Tourist Information Centre. There is a panoramic terrace on the rooftop of the northern wing from where splendid views can be appreciated. The wing’s basement houses a Vault with sarcophaguses of six princes. The Duke Boguslaw X hall, which used to be a princely chapel, is now a concert hall with a polychromatic ceiling decorated in Renaissance style. A 17th century astronomical clock is the Castle’s special tourist attraction. Also a room dedicated to Eilhard Lubinus and the Witches’ Cell are definitely worth a visit.