In the city of Montpellier, in southern France

 If you have to be "under the weather," Montpellier is an ideal place to be. People have studied medicine here for centuries -- the Moors established medical schools in the 9th century, and the Université Montpellier’s school of medicine was founded in 1220.

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(in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea) The city of Montpellier is one of the largest urban centers in the region of Occitania. In the Middle Ages, Montpellier was an important city of the Crown of Aragon (and was the birthplace of James I), and then of Majorca, before its sale to France in 1349. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the oldest in the world (with the oldest medical school still in operation). Above the city, the ancient citadel of Montpellier is a stronghold built in the 17th century by Louis XIII of France.

+ Also the capital of the Hérault department, Montpellier is located in the Occitanie region of southern France, just seven miles (12 km) from the Mediterranean coast. Situated in a fertile plain, the city has grown up around its old quarters, within boulevards on the site of the former city walls.
+ Graceful and easy-going, Montpellier is a stylish metropolis with elegant buildings, grand hotels particuliers (private mansions), stately boulevards, and shady backstreets, and gorgeous white-sand beaches on its doorstep. Unlike many southern towns, Montpellier has no Roman heritage. It was founded in the 10th century by the counts of Toulouse and later became a prosperous trading port as well as a scholarly center.

+ Depicted here is the grand public square that is the heart of Montpellier, a center of activity that is busy from daytime until late hours in the evening. The Place de la Comédie is fondly called "l'Oeuf" ("The Egg") because of its elliptical shape. In the middle of the square stands the emblematic Fontaine des Trois Grâces (Three Graces statue). Distinguished by its stately 19th-century Haussmann architecture, the Place de la Comédie is one of Europe's largest pedestrian spaces. The Place de la Comédie is the ideal starting point to explore the historic center of Montpellier, known as L'Écusson. This grouping of walled medieval quarters surrounds the modern Place de la Comédie and encompasses many top tourist attractions including the Musée Fabre, the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, and the Place de la Canourgue. The narrow medieval streets that intersect with the Rue de la Loge are especially atmospheric.

+ From the Rue de la Loge, it is a short walk to the lovely Place Jean-Jaurès, where al fresco restaurant terraces spill out into the square. A pleasant stroll continues along the handsome Rue Foch, a good place for shopping and casual dining. At the end of Rue Foch, the Arc de Triomphe leads into the Promenade du Peyrou. From here, tourists can take the Rue Barthez to the tree-lined Boulevard Henri IV, which borders the Jardin Des Plantes. Nearby is the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, one of Montpellier's most impressive landmarks.

In the town of Piran, one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria

 “Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” -- Christy Ann Martine

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(in southwestern Slovenia on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea) The triangular Istrian peninsula that is part of Croatia and Slovenia extends into the northeastern Adriatic Sea between the Gulf of Venice (to the west) and the Gulf of Kvarner (to the east). The peninsula has an area of 1,220 square miles (3,160 square kilometers). The northern portion is part of Slovenia, while the central and southern parts belong to Croatia. (A strip of coast at its northwestern base is the site of Trieste and belongs to Italy.)

+ Slovene Istria (Slovene: slovenska Istra) is a region in southwest Slovenia. It is part of the wider geographical-historical region known as the Slovene Littoral. Its largest urban center is Koper. Other large settlements are Izola, Piran, and Portorož. The entire region has around 120 settlements. In its coastal area, both Slovene and Italian are official languages. The Slovene Riviera (Slovene: Slovenska obala) is located in Slovene Istria; both terms are sometimes used interchangeably, especially in the media -- although Slovene Istria includes a wider geographical area.

+ The 43-kilometers long coastline of Slovenian Istria has numerous peninsulas and bays such as Piran peninsula and Gulf of Piran, Gulf of Koper, and Ankaran peninsula on which is one of only two nature reserves on the Slovenian coast (the other one being the Strunjan reserve). In the Strunjan reserve lies the only coastal cliff in Slovenia, which is also the only cliff in Trieste Bay. The inner part of the region is more hilly, with various types of landscape, including the best known karst landscape in the Karst region.
(The most important water-flows in Slovenian Istria are the Dragonja and Rižana rivers.)

+ Featured here is Piran, one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria. It is known for its medieval architecture, with narrow streets and compact houses. Piran is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Piran and one of Slovenia's major tourist attractions. Until the mid-20th century, Italian was the dominant language, but it was replaced by Slovene following Italy's exodus from the Istrian peninsula.

+ One of the loveliest towns anywhere along the Adriatic coast, Piran (Pirano in Italian), sitting at the tip of a narrow peninsula, has an Old Town that is one of the best-preserved historical town centers in the Mediterranean. Half a millennium of Venetian rule left its mark on the town and forged a close relationship with Italy that endures to this day. Because is a gem of Venetian Gothic architecture, it can be a mob scene at the height of summer. (In quieter times, visitors are smitten with its winding alleyways, amazing sunsets, and great seafood restaurants.) Walking through the winding alleys of Piran, Slovenia, you will see Venetian Gothic buildings jutting up against serene ocean views.

In the city of Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina

 The Sarajevo incident refers to the events surrounding the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Archduchess Sophie in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. It is regarded as the immediate catalyst for the First World War. The murder of the Austrian royal became a flashpoint in history.

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(in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Sarajevo has gained international renown several times. In 1885, it was the first city in Europe to have a full-time electric tram network. In 1914, it was the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a local Young Bosnia activist Gavrilo Princip, a murder that sparked World War I. This resulted in the end of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and the creation of the multicultural Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the Balkan region.

+ During the 19th century, rival powers of Europe formed alliances: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance. Great Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente. Tensions grew between Austria-Hungary and Serbia as Serbian nationalists attempted to unite all Slavic peoples living in the Balkan region into a single state. German success in the Franco-German War established the German Empire.
+ The assassinations on 28 June 1914, stirred up conflicts in the region. Austria-Hungary tried to settle its dispute with Serbia. Expecting Russia’s support of Serbia, Austria-Hungary gained support from Germany before presenting a warlike ultimatum to Serbia. Austria-Hungary then (on 28 July 1914) declared war on Serbia. Four imperial dynasties collapsed as a result of the war: the Habsburgs of Austria-Hungary, the Hohenzollerns of Germany, the sultanate of the Ottoman Empire, and the Romanovs of Russia.

+ After the Paris Peace Conference, the map of Europe changed forever as territories were divided among the Allied powers. The war led to the October Revolution in Russia, which put the Bolsheviks in control of the Russian government. The United States emerged as a world power, and the growth of nationalism in central and eastern Europe set the foundation for World War II.

+ Later, after World War II, Sarajevo was the de facto capital of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the republic (also known as Second Yugoslavia), leading to much economic development. In 1984 the socialist republic hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, which marked a prosperous era for Sarajevo. After the start of the Yugoslav Wars, however, the city suffered the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. From April 1992 to February 1996, the Bosnian War and the breakup of Yugoslavia, tore families apart.

+ With continued post-war reconstruction in the aftermath, Sarajevo is now the fastest growing city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Shown here is Latin Bridge (over the Miljacka river), one of the oldest Ottoman bridges in the city. (It is also known for its historic event, where the outbreak of WWI was triggered.)

In the region of Puglia, also called Apulia, southestern Italy

 In Puglia, everything the Italophile craves is here in abundance: ancient towns, extravagant churches, seas of olives, and olive-green seas.

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(in southeastern Italy) Puglia, also called Apulia, is a region that extends from the Fortore River in the northwest to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca at the tip of the Salentine Peninsula (the “heel” of Italy) and comprises the province of Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce, and Taranto. The northern third of the region is centred on the Puglia Tableland, which is flanked on the north by the limestone massif of Gargano Promontory (the “spur” of the peninsula) and on the west by the Neapolitan Apennines. The central third is occupied by the low Murge plateau, which slopes gradually to the narrow coastal plains of the Adriatic Sea in the east. The Salentine Peninsula consists of the lowlands of Lecce, Taranto, and Brindisi and low plateaus east of Taranto and south of Lecce. The main rock material of Puglia is limestone, except on the coastline, which is mostly low and sandy. The only major rivers are the Fortore and the Ofanto, both in the north, but there are many springs. The absence of surface water over large areas led to construction of the Apulian Aqueduct (1906–39), the largest of its kind in Italy, which supplies the region with water from the Sele River on the western slope of the Apennine watershed.

+ Consisting of the areas of ancient Apulia and part of ancient Calabria, Puglia was ruled in the early Middle Ages by Goths, Lombards, and Byzantines -- and knew its greatest glory under the Hohenstaufen emperors. It was a favorite of the 13th-century Holy Roman emperor Frederick II, and Romanesque cathedrals and palaces bear witness to the flowering of Puglia at that time. In 1860 Puglia became part of the Italian kingdom.

+ The region is predominantly agricultural. Wheat, barley, and oats are grown on the plain and in the more fertile parts of the plateaus, while olives, grapes, almonds, figs, and vegetables predominate farther south; tobacco is a specialty of the Lecce Plain. The wines of Puglia are the strongest in Italy and are used to fortify other, lighter varieties. Fishing is popular in many ports, particularly those of the Gargano Promontory and in Barletta, Monopoli, and Taranto. Salt is produced from seawater at Margherita di Savoia near Foggia, and bauxite is mined on the Gargano.

+ Featured here is Alberobello, renowned for its trulli, conical whitewashed houses found nowhere else in the world. These ancient and unique dwellings are pieced together without mortar and are decorated with Christian and pagan symbols.

+ Alberobello (Italian: [alberoˈbɛllo]; literally "beautiful tree"), is a town in the Metropolitan City of Bari, and is famous for its unique trullo buildings. The trulli of Alberobello have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. The trulli have been perpetuated as a folk tradition, and are protected by Italian law as national monuments.

In the city of Bratislava, Slovkia

 "I don't think falling in love in Slovakia is much different from falling in love in Tunbridge Wells [a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London]."

-- Tom Stoppard
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(in the capital and largest city of Slovakia) Bratislava lies in the extreme southwestern part of the country, along the Danube where that river has cut a gorge in the Little Carpathian Mountains near the meeting point of the borders of Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary. Vienna is 35 miles (56 km) to the west. Bratislava's history has been influenced by people of many nations and religions, including Austrians, Bulgarians, Croats, Czechs, Germans, Jews, Hungarians, Romani, and Slovaks. It was the coronation site and legislative center and capital of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1563 to 1783; eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens were crowned in St Martin's Cathedral. Most Hungarian parliament assemblies were held here from the 17th century until the Hungarian Reform Era, and the city has been home to many Slovak, Hungarian, and German historical figures. Today Bratislava is the political, cultural, and economic center of Slovakia.

+ Archaeological evidence suggests prehistoric habitation of the site, which was later fortified and settled by the Celts and Romans and finally in the 8th century was inhabited by the Slavs. The community developed as a trade center and was granted the rights of a free royal town in 1291. The first university in what was then Hungary, the Istropolitana Academy, was founded here in 1465. Bratislava served as the Hungarian capital from 1526 until 1784, when most of the middle Danube basin was in the hands of the Turks, and the Hungarian parliament continued to meet here until 1848. The Habsburg rulers were crowned kings of Hungary in the city’s Gothic Cathedral of St. Martin.

+ The city is dominated by its enormous castle, which stands on a plateau high above the Danube. In 1741 Empress Maria Theresa of Austria fled to Bratislava when Vienna was threatened by French and Bavarian troops. The so-called Peace of Pressburg (1805) was signed by Napoleon and the Austrian emperor Francis II, after the Battle of Austerlitz, in the city’s Baroque Archbishop’s Palace. Following World War I, Bratislava was made the capital of Slovakia in the first Czechoslovakian Republic, and it remained the capital when Slovakia emerged as an independent nation in 1993.

+ Slovakia's capital since the country's independence in 1993, Bratislava remains a mosaic of illustrious history: a medieval and Gothic Old Town, baroque palaces commissioned by Hungarian nobles, and the crowning castle, rebuilt to Renaissance finery. Despite the march of modernism, Bratislava still has nature on its doorstep. Rolling north are the Malé Karpaty (Small Carpathians), their lowlands draped with vineyards.

+ Shown here, is the main square in Stare Mesto (the Old Town of Slovakia's capital), which takes visitors back a few centuries as they wander its cobblestone streets: