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Tourism

Though it’s one of the oldest subway systems in Europe, the Paris Métro has some sleek, 21st-century stations.

Navigating the Paris Metro

With nearly 300 stops in the underground system, the Metro takes Parisians and tourists alike from neighborhood to neighborhood

Buenos Aires' colorful Boca neighborhood.

Buenos Aires: a City’s Power and Promise

The stylish and affordable capital of Argentina has become a big hit with growing numbers of foreigners

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough (yellow hat) standing on a scaffolding with a group of Smithsonian employees outside the DuPont telescope.

Day 2: Stargazing in the Andes Mountains

Up high among wild burros and llamas, a Smithsonian astronomer observes and studies the millions of stars in the sky

The Chilean Andes

Day 1: A Stop in Santiago

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough explores Santiago before heading to the Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes

Author of "Hola, Buenos Aires," Daniel Politi.

Daniel Politi on “Hola, Buenos Aires”

The Demeure de la Vignole Hotel has underground rooms in caves.

A Tour of France’s Cave Homes

In France’s Loire Valley, domesticated cave dwellings, known as troglodyte homes, offer a history as rich as the region’s chateaus

Pensacola, its anchorage first admired by the Spanish 450 years ago. In 1686, Spanish navigator Juan Jordán described Pensacola's bay as "the best I have ever seen."

Harboring History in Pensacola

In Florida’s panhandle, vibrant Pensacola stakes its claim as the oldest European settlement in the United States

Big Sur's dramatic vistas entrance residents and day-trippers alike. In 1912 or so, watercolorist Francis McComas described the landscape as the "greatest meeting of land and water in the world."

Big Sur’s California Dreamin’

Untrammeled wilderness and new age enclave, Big Sur retains its rugged beauty and quirky charm

The predominantly Mexican Pilsen neighborhood was once predominantly Czech. Across Chicago, says Juana Guzman of Pilsen's National Museum of Mexican Art, "food is an important cultural anchor."

Chicago Eats

From curried catfish to baba ghanouj, Chicago serves up what may be the finest ethnic cuisine going

After a stint as a military barracks, Hohensalzburg Fortress was opened to the public in the 1860s by Emperor Franz Josef.

Salzburg’s Hohensalzburg Fortress

One of Europe’s mightiest castles, this fortress dominates Salzburg’s skyline

Boise, says the author, is a study in paradoxes, a place "both rural and metropolitan, civilized and feral."

Boise, Idaho: Big Skies and Colorful Characters

Idaho’s natural beauty is what makes novelist Anthony Doerr feel so much at home in Boise

The European Parliament, a towering complex of glass skyscrapers, has 785 members representing 28 countries and more than 450 million citizens.

Brussels: One of Europe’s Great Travel Secrets

The political center of Europe, this Belgian city is also home to art museums and delicious mussels with frites, of course

Fisherman casts off from the cliffs of Cape Sagres.

Cape Sagres

This windswept coast was once home to a navigators’ school that readied explorers for adventures in the New World

Fátima is one of Europe’s top pilgrimage destinations. There are plenty of picnic benches, endless parking and desolate toilets for the masses.

Portugal: One Foot in the Past and One in the Future

While many things are changing in modern Portugal, the nation still holds steadfast to many traditions

The band plays on in a small-town Czech bar few tourists would think to frequent.

Trebon: Yellow Lampposts and Czech Fly Paper

South of Prague but a world away, Trebon offers a glimpse of traditional Eastern Europe

One of the highlights of Emancipation Hall is a skylight view of the Capitol Dome, from below the East steps of the building.

Inside the Capitol Visitors Center

After years of delays and millions of dollars spent, the brand-new Capitol Visitors Center opens in December

Night view of Istanbul, Turkey.

Snapshot: Istanbul

Istanbul’s vastly growing population and blending of cultures make it one of the most dynamic cities in the world

A view of Macau at night and the tail of the Dragon's bridge show a skyline full of potential and color as buildings continue to arise on reclaimed land

Macau Hits the Jackpot

In just four years, this 11-square-mile outpost on the coast of China eclipsed Las Vegas as gambling’s world capital

Set like a jewel on the edge of Lake Como, the city of Como (its shoreline at dusk) is not just a tourist mecca but also an important center of the country’s silk industry, providing high-quality goods to the fashion houses of New York City, Paris and Milan.

Silken Treasure

The Italian city of Como, celebrated for its silk and scenery, has inspired notables from Leonardo da Vinci to Winston Churchill

At a major crossroads, Champagne has been at the center of European history during both war and peace for millennia. Named campania by the Romans for its high plains and open hills suitable for planting fields of grains, grapes, and other products, Champagne remains one of the most important and productive agricultural regions in France.

Snapshot: The Champagne Region

Celebrating the new year has become synonymous with drinking champagne, but the grapes are from an area steeped in history

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