Prepare to be blown away by some of the mind-boggling and simply unbelievable facts and exhibits contained inside Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum. From the two-headed calf born on a Texas farm to New Guinea sacrificial figure, the 2 floors of this museum of oddities will entertain young and old.

Tōfuku-ji Temple is one of the oldest and most famous Zen temples in Kyōto for its wonderful and extensive gardens. The original buildings were burnt down but rebuilt faithfully to the original in the 15th century. In 1881, a blazing fire destroyed the Buddha hall, which was never again rebuilt. The complex' main gate is the oldest sanmon in Japan and a National Treasure. Today, the temple welcomes thousands of visitors throughout the year; to make their experience even more unforgettable, it offers regular Zen meditation sessions for beginners (only in Japanese). Note that the temple is overcrowded during autumn as a favourite haunt to witness kōyō (the falling of colourful leaves).

The affluent couple Jorge Loring and Amalia Heredia created this beautiful garden around their hacienda La Concepción in the 19th century. Here you can find 30.000 square meters filled with 500 tropical plants — the garden is one of the few gardens with subtropical plants in Europe.

South of Hannover, nature and culture abound in and around the largely beech-covered slopes of the Deister reaching up to 405 metres above sea level, and it is filled with birdsong, rustling leaves, and delightful hiking tracks. The hillside paths offer many glimpses of the Calenberger Land stretching out into the distance below, so this is a paradise for hikers, walkers and cyclists.