In the village of Halstatt in the Austrian state of Upper Austria

 “Anyway, zis is Austria. Now somesing else funny! Ze Austrians do not call it 'Austria.' Zey call it O-s-t-e-r-r-e-i-c-h!" and the professor wrote the letters out on the blackboard.” ― Bertrand R. Brinley

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(in a small town in the district of Gmunden, in the Austrian state of Upper Austria) Although it is technically a village, hardly any other place better fits the phrase “storybook setting” than Hallstatt, which sits prettily on the shores of Austria’s Hallstätter See (lake) -- about an hour’s drive east of Salzburg. The town's 12th-century churches, candlelit restaurants, and market square only become more stunning during the winter months, especially when the already-scenic Dachstein Mountains are capped with snow. As with most Austrian towns, Hallstatt does winter activities well, with skiing, snowshoe hiking, and horse-drawn carriage rides all up for grabs.
+ Situated between the southwestern shore of Hallstätter See and the steep slopes of the Dachstein massif, the town lies in the Salzkammergut region, on the national road linking Salzburg and Graz. Hallstatt is known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture, the archaeological culture linked to Proto-Celtic and early Celtic people of the Early Iron Age in Europe, around 800–450 BCE. The Hallstatt salt mine is the world's oldest working salt mine. The mine is located within the Upper Permian to Lower Triassic Haselgebirge Formation of the Northern Limestone Alps. The Hallstatt salt mine comprises 21 levels and several smaller shafts ranging from 514 meters above sea level to an elevation of around 1267 meters. (The town is at the core of the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape that was declared one of the World Heritage Sites in Austria by UNESCO in 1997.)

+ With pastel-colored houses casting shimmering reflections onto the looking-glass lake, and with lofty mountains rearing up on all sides, Hallstatt’s beauty borders on the surreal and the sublime. Boats glide tranquilly across the lake from the train station to the village, situated precariously on a narrow stretch of land between mountain and shore. (So small is the patch of land occupied by the village that its annual Corpus Christi procession takes place largely in small boats on the lake.) The sheer volume of visitors here can be nerve-wracking, especially in summer, with a sea of cars, buses, and tour groups descending on this area. The center of Hallstatt is at Hallstatt Markt, and Hallstatt Lahn is on the edge of town near the funicular to the Salzbergwerk. The train station is across the lake from Hallstatt; to get into town from there you have to take the ferry.
+ Halstatt's tourism began in the 19th century but greatly increased after it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. By 2017 local churches were employing bouncers to prevent services from being disrupted by the crowds ovewhelming the town.

In the province of Zamora in the Castile and León region of northwest Spain

 "Spain, the beautiful country of wine and songs." 

–- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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(in the province of Zamora, in Spain's autonomous community of Castile and León) In the northern part of the interior of Spain, the province of Zamora is a land of contrasting landscapes, and one of its most spectacular mountain areas is to be found in the Lago de Sanabria Nature Reserve. The city of Zamora, the capital of this province is known for having the most Romanesque architecture in Europe; and, it is becoming a European World Heritage Site in 2023. Additionally, its proximity to Madrid (an hour away thanks to a new high-speed AVE train, inaugurated just a year ago) puts this city in a new spotlight for travelers. Yet, there is more to Zamora, such as its enormous modernist legacy and its Lagunas de Villafáfila, a collection of lakes that are home to thousands of migratory birds each season. There’s even more to see, scattered throughout the province: Lake Sanabria is the largest glacial lake in the Iberian Peninsula, and just a few miles away, Puebla de Sanabria is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. Towards the east you will find Toro, the epicenter of bold red wines (and home to critically acclaimed winery Numanthia, which is credited with putting the wine region on the map). Not far away, in the heart of Tierra de Campos, reserve a table at Lera, which got its Michelin star in 2022, and is a favorite among wild game enthusiasts. To the south, Arribes del Duero shows that Zamora province has it all (even fjords). Beautiful crags and cliffs mark the border with Portugal in a natural park that has become a center for viticulture and attracts international winemakers. Olive, citrus, and other fruit trees, artisanal ceramics, and stunning natural beauty turn this secluded corner into a Mediterranean paradise. Consider the luxurious Hacienda Zorita Natural Reserve, and the Castillo de Buen Amor in Salamanca, just a 30-minute drive away, the perfect setting for your Zamora escape. 

+ It is well worth visiting places like Toro, Benavente, and Zamora. Straddling the Duero river, the city of Zamora is part of the natural comarca of Tierra del Pan, and is the head of the judicial district of Zamora. With its characteristic Romanesque style churches of the 12th and 13th centuries, it has been called a "museum of Romanesque art." The most important celebration in Zamora is the Holy Week. The Easter Week celebrations in this area have been declared a Festivity of International Tourist Interest.

+ Outstanding landmarks include a fine 14th-century bridge across the Duero, consisting of 16 pointed arches; the citadel of Zamora, dating from the 8th century; and the Romanesque cathedral, one of four 12th-century churches. The city is the center for agricultural trade, local commerce, and administration in the region. Roads and highways from Zamora lead to central Spain, to the northeast region of the Iberian Peninsula, and to Portugal.

In the city of Nantes, on the Loire River in the Upper Brittany region of western France

 “I had come to the conclusion that I must really be French, only no one had ever informed me of this fact. I loved the people, the food, the lay of the land, the civilized atmosphere, and the generous pace of life.” -- Julia Child

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(in western France) The city of Nantes, in the Loire-Atlantique department of the Pays de la Loire region, is situated at the head of the estuary of the Loire River, where it is joined by the Erdre and the Sèvre rivers, 35 miles (56 km) from the sea (and southwest of Paris). It is one of the French towns that has changed the most in the 20th and 21st centuries.

+ Nantes derives its name from the Namnètes, a Gallic tribe who made it their capital. It became a commercial center under the Romans. The Normans occupied it from 834 to 936. After a long struggle in the Middle Ages between the counts of Nantes and Rennes over the sovereignty of Brittany, Francis II, king of France, granted Nantes a communal constitution in 1560. During the Wars of Religion (1562–98), Nantes joined the Catholic League and only opened its gates to Hebry IV, king of France, in 1598, the same year he signed the Edict of Nantes, a charter assuring religious and civil liberties to the Protestants. During the French Revolution, Nantes suffered the ruthless repression of an envoy of the revolutionary Committee of Public Safety named Jean-Baptiste Carrier. In 1793 Carrier replaced executions by the guillotine, which he considered too slow, with mass drownings. (The city was occupied by the Germans during World War II.)

+ Greatly modified by an urban renewal plan that was adopted in 1920, Nantes was further altered and extended after having been partly destroyed in World War II. It has since become quite a dynamic regional center, with a diversified economic structure. Traditional industries such as food processing, engineering, and the manufacture of components for the aeronautical industry remain important, but recent growth has occurred in fields such as biotechnology. Nantes is also a major business center and is the home of many regional headquarters of both industrial and services firms. Nantes has quite a large higher education section. The original university (founded 1460) was abolished during the French Revolution, but a new one was established in 1961. Tourism has been stimulated by redevelopment of part of the former docklands and the building of specialized conference facilities.

+ Spirited and innovative today, this artsy city on the banks of the Loire has a history of reinventing itself. By the 18th century Nantes was France's foremost port, and in the 19th century (following the abolition of slavery) it became an industrial center; the world's first public transport service, the omnibus, began here in 1826. Shipbuilding anchored the city's economy until the late 20th century and when the shipyards relocated westwards to St-Nazaire, Nantes transformed itself into a thriving student and cultural hub.