Valletta, Malta's capital, is a small UNESCO World Heritage gem of the Mediterranean. At the city gates, Renzo Piano's modern Parliament opens into history. Inside are St. John's Co-Cathedral, with the tombstones of 374 Knights of Malta and a richly baroque interior, plus the Grandmaster's Palace, Casa Rocca Piccola, and Upper Barrakka Gardens. Valletta blends beauty, history, and wonder at every turn.

Welcome to Salento, Italy's heel, where Otranto, the country's easternmost city, blends Greek and Roman history with whitewashed streets and turquoise sea views. Enter through Porta Terra into a remarkably preserved old town centered on the cathedral, home to one of the world's largest mosaics: a Tree of Life made of nearly 800,000 tiles. Also see San Pietro, Ferdinand's Castle, and the San Nicola di Casole ruins. Otranto is the pearl of the southern Adriatic.

Dubrovnik, the "Pearl of the Adriatic," is famed by many as a Game of Thrones setting. Its sunlit fortifications, among Europe's best preserved, feel dreamlike. Stroll medieval streets to see the Assumption Cathedral, Rector's Palace, and the Dominican and Franciscan Monasteries. Walk the Stradun or visit Onofrio's Fountain, which has supplied fresh water for over 600 years. For adventure, the blue Adriatic offers nearby islands and diving. Dubrovnik blends fantasy and reality.