In the city of Potsdam, the capital of the federal state of Brandenburg, on the border of Berlin, Germany.

 "You don't travel to arrive, you travel to travel."

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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(on the Havel River just southwest of central Berlin) Potsdam, the capital and crown jewel of the federal state of Brandenburg, is easily reached by S-Bahn. The former Prussian royal seat is the most popular day trip from Berlin, luring visitors with its splendid gardens and palaces, which achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 1990.

+ The city of Potsdam, capital, in eastern Germany, is found on the southwest border of Berlin, where the Nuthe River flows into the Havel River( the confluence becoming a series of lakes. First mentioned in 993 as a Slavic settlement known as Poztupimi, it received its charter in 1317. It became Brandenburg’s electoral residence in 1640 under Frederick William (the Great Elector) and the Prussian royal residence under Frederick II (the Great), during whose reign it was an intellectual and military center and virtual capital of Prussia. In the 18th century a colony of Dutch immigrants gave their quarter of the city, and some other parts as well, a distinctly Dutch flavor. Potsdam suffered severe damage in World War II, but many monuments survived and others have been restored. Depicted here is The Cecilienhof Palace, which was the scene (July 17–August 2, 1945) of the Potsdam Conference of the Allied leaders; it now houses a museum and a memorial, as well as a hotel. From 1952 to 1990 the city was capital of the Potsdam district of East Germany.

Located in Potsdam, the Sanssouci Palace is a historical structure that was built by the Prussian king, Fedrick the Great. The single-story palace was built in 1745, with an elliptical dome in the center..
The palace is notable for its spectacular interior decor, especially in the enormous Marble Hall. Its rooms are adorned with over-the-top embellishments and dotted with beautiful paintings, furnishings, and sculptures.

+ Should you visit the palace, take a stroll around the stunning Sanssouci Park. It’s considered one of the most celebrated examples of Potsdam Rococo and reflects Frederick the Great’s personal tastes. Here you will find beautiful Baroque flower gardens, with more than 3,000 fruit trees and an array of greenhouses.

In the coastal town of Sorrento, in southwestern Italy, facing the Bay of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula

 “Open my heart and you will see

Graved inside of it, 'Italy.'”
– Robert Browning
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(in a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in southern Italy) Sorrento is small but delightful. The main activities revolve around coastal life: diving, fishing, boat cruises, and the Marina Grande, which is full of luxe yachts and amazing seafood restaurants. Piazza Tasso, the lively town square with quaint cafes and mom-and-pop shops. Don’t bypass the 14th-century Church of San Francesco Villa or Communale Park’s pristine public gardens with views of the Bay of Naples. (Note for liqueur lovers: Sorrento is the birthplace of Limoncello, so do not leave without sipping one or two.)

+ Sorento started as trading post in the Middle Ages. Today, the popular tourist destination can be reached easily from Naples and Pompeii, making it a great starting point for those exploring the cities along the Amalfi Coast. Visitors can take a trip back to the 15th century at the Sedil Dominova, a domed building that was once a meeting place for nobles. Today, it is adorned with trompe l'oeil frescoes and serves as a popular spot to sit and drink espresso. The Piazza Tasso (or center of town) is named after the poet Torquato Tasso. Today, Piazza Tasso remains a gateway to the Old Town. The town is also widely known for its small ceramics, lacework, and marquetry (woodwork) shops. The Sorrentine Peninsula has views of Naples, Vesuvius, and the Isle of Capri. The Amalfi Drive, connecting Sorrento and Amalfi, is a narrow road along the high cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea.

+ The Roman name for Sorrento was Surrentum. From the 8th century BCE, the area had the presence of a community of indigenous villages, which was a crossing point for Etruscan traffic. Subsequently, the area fell into the hands of the Osci, who exercised an important influence here; indeed the oldest ruins of Surrentum are Oscan, dating from about 600 BCE.

+ An inscription shows that Titus in the year after the earthquake of 79 BCE restored the horologium (clock) of the town and its architectural decoration. The most important temples of Surrentum were those of Athena and of the Sirens (the latter the only one in the Greek world in historic times); the former gave its name to the promontory. In antiquity, Surrentum was famous for its wine, oranges, and lemons (which are now widely cultivated here.)

+ In the pre-Roman age, Sorrento was influenced by the Greek civilization: this can be seen in the presence of the Athenaion, a great sanctuary, also, according to the legend, founded by Ulysses and originally devoted to the cult of the Sirens, hence Sorrento's name.

+ Sorrento became an archbishopric around 420 CE. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire. the economy of Sorrento improved markedly, favored by the development of agriculture, tourism and trade. In 1861 Sorrento was officially annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy. In the following years it became one of the most renowned tourist destinations in Italy.

In the city of Bruges, capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium

 “In Belgium, the magistrate has the dignity of a prince, but by Bacchus, the brewer is indeed king.” - Alexandre Dumas

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(in the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium) Brugge, the sixth most populous city in the country, is found in the northwest of Belgium. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 14,099 hectares (140.99 km2; 54.44 sq miles), including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (from Brugge aan zee, meaning "Bruges by the Sea"). Its historic city center is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO.

+ If you set out to design a fairy-tale medieval town, it would be hard to improve on central Bruges (Brugge in Dutch), one of Europe's best-preserved cities. Attractive cobbled lanes and dreamy canals link photogenic market squares lined with soaring towers, historical churches, and lane after lane of old whitewashed almshouses.

+ The Medieval- and Renaissance-era buildings and cobblestone streets of this quaint Belgian city tell only half the story. Known as the Venice of the North, this place is also laced with canals in many areas. Lacework, along with beer and chocolates, has also placed Bruges on the tourist radar. Yet, perhaps among the city's greatest contributions to humanity is its artwork. Both Napoleon and the Nazis attempted to steal the cultural treasures of the city. However, as the movie "Monuments Men" gloriously portrays, Bruges' art, like a homing pigeon, eventually finds its way home.

In one the prettiest village of Rye, in East Sussex, in southeast England

 “Heaven take thy soul, and England keep my bones!”

– William Shakespeare
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(in one of the prettiest villages in southeast England) Rye is a town and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England, two miles (3 km) from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham , and the Brede. An important member of the medieval Cinque Ports confederation, it was at the head of an embayment of the English Channel, and almost entirely surrounded by the sea.

+ Rye is full of tourists and day-trippers. Yes, its high street is lined with such tourist magnets as art galleries, antique shops, little tea shops, and craft shops.

+ The town stands on a hill where the limestone ridge of the mainland meets the flat stretches of Romney Marsh. St Mary's Parish church tops the hill. Climb the church tower for views of the sinuous flow of the Rother across the marshes where the delicious salt marsh sheep graze. The church's clock is one of the oldest, still functioning church tower clocks in the country.

+ Rye was built where the rivers met. Water surrounded and protected it on three sides. It was one of two towns associated with the ancient Cinque Ports federation -- a group of seaports on the Kent Coast formed in the 12th century to provide military services to the Crown in exchange for such rights as charging tolls and collecting taxes.

+ Rye's early wealth and status came from its access to Rye Bay and the sea on the winding River Rother. But keeping access to the bay was a constant battle against tidal silt. In the late 1300s, a storm changed the course of the river and Rye was cut off from the sea, which really wasn't a bad thing. Before then Rye was the first town to suffer seaborne raids from France every time the English Kings and their Norman cousins had a falling out. In one raid, in 1377, the French invaders set fire to Rye and carried off eight church bells with their loot. A year later, a party of men from Rye and the neighboring town of Winchelsea raided Normandy and brought back the bells. (For many years, one of the bells hung in Watchbell Street to alert the town of French invasions.)

+ Today, the town center that was spared several centuries of battles when the river changed its course is a maze of tiny, steep cobbled streets lined with beautifully preserved medieval houses. If you wander along the prettiest streets -- Mermaid Street, Watchbell Street, and Church Square -- you will come across houses that claim they were rebuilt and refurbished in 1450. (Many of the oldest have steeply pitched tile roofs, tiny front doors and neatly maintained black oak timbers.) Some have names rather than numbers: The House with Two Front Doors, The House With the Seat, or The House Opposite.

+ Rye does make for a great weekend destination or a stop on a cycle or hiking tour of the Romney Marshes. It's also a good place to warm up with tea and a slice of cake after a bracing day on nearby, dog-friendly Camber Sands.

At the Sigmaringen Castle, in the city of Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg, in southern Germany

 The Hohenzollern castle was built below the narrow Danube river valley in the modern Upper Danube Nature Park (German: Naturpark Obere Donau).

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(in the scenic region of Baden-Württemberg, in southern Germany) The city of Sigmaringen is famous for its majestic castle, which was once the seat of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty and the refuge of the last French emperor, Napoleon III. The castle museum displays fascinating exhibits of art, history, and culture, and offers guided tours and events. Sigmaringen is also a great base for exploring the upper Danube valley, a natural wonderland of cliffs, forests, and caves. You can enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing, or simply admiring the views along the Donauradwanderweg (Danube River Bike Trail). Sigmaringen is a destination that combines historical heritage, natural beauty, and friendly hospitality.

+ Dominating the skyline of Sigmaringen, an attractive city, Sigmaringen Castle appears to have grown from the rocky plinth on which it finds itself. Also known as Hohenzollern Palace (shown here), the beautiful building dates back as far as 1077, but much of it was rebuilt between the 17th and 19th centuries. The fabulous fortress is the ancestral home of the royal Hohenzollern family and has been open to the public for more than 100 years. Today, visitors can join guided tours and explore one of the largest private armory collections in the world.

+ Sigmaringen Castle was the princely castle and seat of government for the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Situated in the Swabian Alb region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, this castle dominates the skyline of the city of Sigmaringen. (The castle was rebuilt following a fire in 1893, and only the towers of the earlier medieval fortress remain.} Schloss Sigmaringen was a family estate of the Swabian Hohenzollern family, a cadet branch of the Hohenzollern family, from which the German Emperors and kings of Prussia came. (During the closing months of World War II, Schloss Sigmaringen was briefly the seat of the Vichy French Government after France was liberated by the Allies.) The castle is still owned by the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family, although they no longer reside there.

Sigmaringen is located on the southern edge of the Swabian Jura, a plateau region in southern Baden-Württemberg. The castle rises above the Danube on a towering chalk projection that is a spur of the white Jura Mountains formation. The hill is known simply as the Schlossberg or Castle Rock. The Schlossberg is about 200 meters long and up to 35 meters above the river. On this free-standing towering rock, the princely Hohenzollern castle is the largest of the Danube valley castles. The sheer cliffs and steep sides of the tower made it a natural site for a well-protected medieval castle.

In the mountainous microstate of San Marino, on the slopes of Mount Titano, surrounded by the republic of Italy

 Of Earth's 196 independent countries, San Marino is the fifth smallest and – perhaps – the most curious.

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(on the slopes of Mount Titano, on the Adriatic side of central Italy between the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions) Surrounded on all sides by the republic of Italy, San Marino was the smallest independent stat in Europe after Vatican City and Monaco  -- i.e., until the independence of Nauru (i 1968), the smallest republic in the world.

+ How San Marino exists at all is something of an enigma. A sole survivor of Italy's once powerful city-state network, this landlocked micronation clung on long after the more powerful kingdoms of Genoa and Venice folded. And it still endures, secure in its status as the world's oldest surviving sovereign state and its oldest republic (since 301 CE). San Marino also enjoys one of the planet's highest GDP per capita, though some argue that it retains a curious absence of heart and soul (whatever that means).

+ San Marino has an irregular rectangular form with a maximum length of 8 miles (13 km), northeast to southwest. It is crossed by the Marano and Ausa (Aussa) streams, which flow into the Adriatic Sea, and by the stream of San Marino, which falls into the Marecchia River. The landscape is dominated by the huge, central limestone mass of Mount Titano (at 739 meters); hills spread out from it on the southwest, whereas the northeastern part gently slopes down toward the Romagna plain and the Adriatic coast. The silhouette of Mount Titano, with its three summits crowned by ancient triple fortifications, may be seen from many miles away. (In 2008 Mount Titano and the historic center of San Marino were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.)

+ The climate is mild and temperate, with maximum temperatures in the high 70s F (about 26 °C) in summer and the high teens F (about −7 °C) in winter. Annual rainfall ranges between about 22 inches (560 mm) and 32 inches (800 mm). Vegetation is typical of the Mediterranean zone, and includes olive, pine, oak, ash, poplar, fir, and elm, as well as many kinds of grasses and flowers. Besides domestic and farmyard animals, moles, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers, martens, weasels, and hares are found. Indigenous birds and birds of passage are plentiful.

+ Though traces of human presence from both prehistoric and Roman times exist in the territory, Mount Titano and its slopes are known to have been populated, with certainty, only after the arrival of St. Marinus and his followers. San Marino citizens, or Sammarinesi, make up more than 80% of the country’s population, with Italians composing most of the remainder. Thousands of Sammarinesi reside abroad, principally in Italy, the USA, France, and Argentina. Nearly 90% of San Marino’s citizens are Roman Catholics, although there is no official religion. The official language is Italian. A widely spoken dialect has been defined as Celto-Gallic, akin to the Piedmont and Lombardy dialects (as well as to that of Romagna).

In the coastal town of Saint-Tropez, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France

 "Travel, like dreams, is a door that opens from the real world into a world that is yet to be discovered.

-- Guy de Maupassant
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(in the Var department and the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (in southern France) ) Set against the backdrop of the Maures hills and beautiful villages of Gassin and Ramatuelle, the coast of Saint-Tropez has coves dotted with umbrella pines and sandy beaches: Plage Tahiti, Plage des Salins, and Plage de Pampelonne. Set in the heart of the old quarter under the town’s church bell tower, the port of Saint-Tropez is lined with old houses painted in pastel colors. (Erected in the early 17th century, the Citadel stands guard over the town from its rock.) Originally a simple fishermen’s village, Saint-Tropez rose to worldwide fame in the 1950s, when wealthy clients first anchored their yachts in its port and set down their bags in the town’s lavish villas to revel in Saint-Tropez’ legendary atmosphere, luxury boutiques, chic cafés -– including the famous Café Sénéquier, a local institution with its terrace and red chairs, restaurants and buzzing nightlife.

+ This former fishing village has become a hotspot for celebrities, jet-setters, and art lovers, who flock to its sandy beaches, and charming Old Town. You can admire the yachts in the harbor, stroll along the colorful streets, visit the museums that showcase the artistic heritage of Saint-Tropez, or enjoy the local cuisine and wine.

+ Brigitte Bardot came to frolic on the beaches of St. Tropez in the 1950s to star in Et Dieu Créa la Femme (And God Created Woman, in 1956) and transformed the peaceful fishing village into a sizzling jet-set favorite. Tropeziens have thrived on their "sexy" image ever since: at the Vieux Port, yachts like spaceships jostle for millionaire moorings, and infinitely more tourists jostle to admire them. Most of the sandy hot spots lie southwest of town on the Baie de Pampelonne.

+ Over the decades Saint-Tropez has attracted the world’s greatest artists, drawn by the town’s unique quality of light and genteel lifestyle. In the late 19th century, Guy de Maupassant anchored his yacht, Le Bel-Ami, in the little port. The author immediately fell in love with the town, as did the young artist Paul Signac some years later. Henri Matisse painted « View of Saint-Tropez » there. From 1925 onwards, the writer Colette spent every winter in Saint-Tropez. The town was also frequented by Errol Flynn and Jean Cocteau. In the 1960s, the town was the location for the mythical film And God Created Woman by Roger Vadim, starring his dazzling wife Brigitte Bardot. During the same era, famous French actor Louis de Funès was making his mark at the local Gendarmerie with the hilarious Troops of Saint-Tropez film saga; the site has now been converted into the Musée de la Gendarmerie et du Cinéma.

In the city of Edinburgh, capital of Scotland

 "... For auld lang syne, my dear

For Auld Lang Syne
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne...."
-- lyrics from "Auld Lang Syne, a popular Scottish song written by Robert Burns in 1788
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(in southeastern Scotland) The city of Edinburgh, with its history, culture, and non-stop festivals, is packed with things to do around the clock. An easy way to get to know the city is by taking a long walk around the center to see the World Heritage Sites in Old Town, trendy shops and restaurants in New Town, and the museums and galleries in both. {Take a break for afternoon tea and scones at a cozy tea room or duck into a traditional pub to grab a bite and a drink.) And, should you find yourself at a festival, the city has many of them: from live music performances in the summer to traditional Burns Night celebrations honoring the poet Robert Burns (complete with bagpipes, haggis, and whisky (in the winter).

+ The capital of Scotland, the city of Edinburgh, with its center near the southern shore of the Firth of Forth (an arm of the North Sea that thrusts westward into the Scottish Lowlands), and its immediate surroundings constitute an independent council area.

+ Edinburgh has been a military stronghold, the capital of an independent country, and a center of intellectual activity. Although it has repeatedly experienced the vicissitudes of fortune, the city has always renewed itself. Today it is the seat of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive, and it remains a major center for finance, law, tourism, education, and cultural affairs.

+ The medieval Old Town and the Neoclassical New Town were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. The contrasts that make Edinburgh unique also make it typically Scottish, for, despite its reserved exterior, it is also a city capable of great warmth and even gaiety. Historically, its citizens have also been capable of great passion, especially in matters royal or religious. In 1561, for example, a mob spurred by the fiery Protestant preacher John Knox tried to break into the private chapel in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–67), newly returned from France, was attending a Roman Catholic mass. In 1637 a riot in the cathedral of St. Giles in protest against a new service book provoked a Scottish revolt against Charles I. It precipitated the War of the Three Kingdoms, which engulfed the whole of Britain in the 1640s and ended in Charles’s execution.

+ Some 600 feet (180 meters) north of Castle Rock, across the valley now Princes Street Gardens, lies the New Town, a district planned and built in successive phases between 1767 and 1833. It offers a dignified tribute to the international taste of the Enlightenment and to the surveyor’s set square. Its design was overly regular to begin with, but later developments paid more respect to natural contours and softened the regimentation of the right angle with curves and crescents.