Poland’s most charming small city It’s not on the tourist trail like Warsaw or Krakow, but the splendid Polish city of Lublin has as much charm as her bigger, more popular rivals. There are fantastic eateries, great pubs, a glorious cathedral and a charming cobbled old town. Head to Lublin Castle, which is now a museum, for great views of the city. My favorite pub is U Szewcow, in the old part of the city and recently expanded. I’ve spent many afternoons and into the evenings sitting out front with friends, munching on kielbasa and sipping pints of beer. —Ginanne Brownell
The best spot for sunbathing and bird watching Comino is a tiny limestone island between Malta and Gozo that was once a hideout for pirates and smugglers. It’s only 1.5 by 0.9 miles small, but it offers some of the best sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling in the Mediterranean. It is also a national park and bird sanctuary, where you might glimpse a genuine Maltese falcon. The sheltered Blue Lagoon is a tiny cove lined with pristine white-sand beaches and populated by fabulously fit Italians and Greeks. —Barbie Nadeau
The best literary café Tucked into one of the warmest squares in the heart of Bohemian Napoli in Italy, just a few blocks from the National Archeology Museum, the Intra Moenia literary café is surrounded by palm trees and within sight of open Roman ruins. Inside, it’s lined with books and manuscripts, posters of authors—a great place to read and be inspired. Down the street toward the bay, the chaos of Naples’s street life looms, but this outdoor café a few blocks away feels like you’ve got the city all to yourself. Great place for fresh salad, bread and a generously poured glass of house wine. (Letterario Intra Moenia, Piazza Bellini, 70) —B.N.
The best art museum The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 22 miles north of Copenhagen, merits its quiet reputation as a “destination” museum. The Lousiana beautifully exhibits a stunning collection of Calder and Kiefer, Bacon and Dubuffet, Picasso and Rauschenberg. It sits in parkland on the North Zealand coast; Henry Moores’s sculptures have never looked so good (www.louisiana.dk). —Stryker McGuire
The best seaside village Global warming gets some credit for the superb swimming and sailing in Torekov, a pearl of a fishing village in southwestern Sweden. Frequented by the Wallenbergs and other monied Swedes, Torekov nonetheless lacks pretension. After a morning swim, line up (in your bathrobe—don’t ask, it’s a tradition) for fresh bread at Parkis by the park. As if to keep Torekov a secret, the tourist office’s Web site is in Swedish. E-mail them; they speak your language. —S.M.
The best ancient mosque On the European side of Istanbul, the Rustem Pasa Mosque, which dates from the Ottoman Empire, is smaller and much less touristed than the Blue Mosque or the Hagia Sophia, but to me it’s more beautiful and peaceful. The entrance isn’t particularly grand, but once inside you’ll see some of the most amazing Iznik tiles and mosaic work ever. It feels like a tiled garden—excellent for chilling out and contemplation. A bonus: the Spice Market is right next door. It’s hard to believe you are in Europe. —Rana Foroohar
The best Art Nouveau architecture Riga likes to call itself the world capital of Art Nouveau, and a quick stroll bears out the claim. Streets are lined with grandiose examples of the style—houses and public buildings that serve as monuments to the city’s glory days as a cosmopolitan port in the last decades of Tsarist rule. Hugely ornate facades swirl with extravagant detail. It may be a tad extreme for some tastes, but it’s never boring. The city’s return to prosperity means many of these treasures, such as Riga’s Graduate School of Law, have been lovingly restored; UNESCO has recognized Riga as a world heritage sight. —William Underhill
