Despite being Slovenia’s second largest city, Maribor has the charm of a small town where nature and city live in close proximity. Embraced on all sides by lush green hills which in winter turn white and are excellent for skiing, forests and vineyards, most within an easy walk from the centre, you can sample the cafes and restaurants and stroll through the vibrant streets of the old town. But the nearby hills are a constant reminder that nature is just a few steps away and a whole world of leisure awaits you.

Kos, a jewel among the Dodecanese islands, brims with energy every summer. Not just a sun-worshipper's paradise, Kos boasts a wealth of historic landmarks — legacies of its colourful past. Cycling enthusiasts will find joy in the bike-friendly terrain. Travellers can reach Kos via its international airport or the ferry service from Athens and nearby islands.

"The city in its setting and entire surroundings may be said to have something ideal." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1797). Scarcely any other European city has had its praises so often sung as Heidelberg. The mysterious Heidelberg Castle, the picturesque Old Town, and as Goethe himself stated, the perfection of its setting – in the nineteenth century, all of this attracted the German romanticists, who immortalized Heidelberg in poetry, music, and art. Today the charm of Old Heidelberg is combined with a future-oriented and international focus.

With beautiful white sand beaches, excellent dining, and a plethora of outdoor pursuits, Floridian Naples truly has it all, and more awaits outside the city limits at the Everglades National Park downstate or – closer yet – the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Naples is also known for its first-rate golf courses and deluxe boutiques, both of which give the city a well-off, prosperous air.