Villages within the city. That’s how you can best describe these residential centres, which originated in medieval times and are still occupied today by senior citizens. The almshouses were first founded centuries ago for charitable purposes. Today, with their picturesque gardens, their white-painted gables and their perfect peace and quiet, they are amongst the most tranquil places in Bruges.

Yuanmingyuan is a place steeped in myth. It was allegedly the most wonderous and luxurious imperial garden in Chinese history, with exotic animals wandering the park and rare flowers everywhere, dotted with gold sculptures and stones, with buildings that were built entirely of jade. However, the park was destroyed in 1860 by foreign intruders and local rebellions. Now all that's left is essentially a ruin, but still a beautiful one. There was little first-hand record of this garden and the only image remaining is a painting.

Lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour is Bergen's most famous postcard, Bryggen. A series of colourful wooden buildings, which once housed the trading offices of the Hanseatic League. Over the years, Bryggen has been ravaged by many fires, and in 1702 the entire city was reduced to ashes. Its rebuilding followed the foundations that had been there since the 12th century, which means that Bryggen was able to retain its medieval architecture. In 1979, the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. And today, Bryggen is home to museums, shops, restaurants, and pubs.