Travel back to ancient times at this renovated Roman-age villa, discovered only recently in the 19th century. It houses an archaeological museum, and has well-tended rose and herb gardens. Special programmes like donkey tours and overnight stays can be organised here too.

Shrine in Marija Bistrica became the national shrine in 1715 when the Croatian parliament built a big votive altar at the church in Marija Bistrica. As Marian devotions grew and many prayers got answered by seeking intercession of Saint Mary of Bistrica, the shrine’s church became tight and too small so Bistrica’s parish priest Juraj Žerjavić had the church and the parish house with arcades extended and reconstructed following the designs of architect Friedrich von Schmidt and his student Hermann Bollé. The new church was built in Neo-Renaissance style.

You’ll feel like you’ve crossed the border, but you’re not quite there yet. Of course, you’re aware that Maastricht’s central location in the Euregio means you can be in Belgium very quickly. But you don’t really feel it until you see how the city, and the countryside around it, is layered with a unique mix of foreign influences. With the Sint Pietersberg hill, the historic caves, the vineyards, Fort Sint Pieter, and Château Neercanne as backdrop, this part of the city has everything you need to capture that holiday feeling. Sint Pieter was its own municipality until 1920. This part of the city was always outside the city walls (and so had it the toughest in times of war). Then, it was mainly farmers who lived here; now, it’s mostly families, epicureans, and a few descendants of the inhabitants of that old Sint Pieter. Today, Sint Pieter is Maastricht’s most popular residential district, not just for its beautiful houses but because of its ideal location between city and green. And it still feels like its own town, with its own social life, and charm, even though it’s just a stone’s throw away from the city park. In fact, it has the best of both worlds: village and city. Nature and culture.

The buzzing Barrio Getsemaní is, perhaps, Cartagena's most attractive neighbourhood, for both its well-preserved colonial architecture and vivid street life. Known as the nightlife hotspot of Cartagena, Getsemaní stays up until late at night, with locals and visitors mingling in and around Plaza de la Trinidad over drinks and street food.