Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage city, rises from a lagoon on more than 100 small islands linked by canals. A gondola ride passes under the Rialto Bridge and along the Grand Canal. At Piazza San Marco, St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace reflect Venetian power. Art highlights include the Gallerie dell'Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Nearby Murano is known for glassblowers, and Burano for colorful shops and lace makers.

Hvar is a glamorous island escape with super yachts, lively bars, lavender fields, vineyards, sunshine, and nonstop nightlife. But it also has deep culture and history: a Benedictine convent where nuns make lace in a 150-year-old UNESCO-recognized tradition, the UNESCO-listed Stari Grad Plain, unchanged since Greek colonization in the 4th century BC, and a beautifully preserved capital with an ancient fortress worth climbing for the views.

Dubrovnik, dubbed by Lord Byron the pearl of the Adriatic and by George Bernard Shaw a place to seek paradise on earth, is a UNESCO World Heritage city of red-tiled roofs, green hills, and the blue Adriatic. Its thick medieval walls encircle Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. It also featured prominently in Game of Thrones. Its ancient ramparts, surviving centuries of sieges, remain deeply inspiring.

Kotor is unforgettable: the fjord-like Bay of Kotor winds through forested mountains to a sparkling sea, with the coral-roofed UNESCO Old Town tucked into the innermost cove. Venetian ramparts enclose landmarks like the 12th-century Cathedral of St. Tryphon and the Maritime Museum. Fit visitors can climb 1,350 steps to St. John's Fortress for sweeping views; others can take a boat to Our Lady of the Rocks or visit medieval Budva.

Corfu is steeped in history and long coveted by maritime powers since antiquity. The greenest of the Greek islands, it has orange and olive groves, beautiful beaches, and a cerulean sea. Its UNESCO-listed Old Town features the Esplanade, palaces, castles, and archaeological sites. Highlights include Achillion Palace, Mon Repos, and Paleokastritsa, where Odysseus was said to wash ashore.

Witness sailing into Santorini's volcanic caldera, where ochre, gray, and pink cliffs rise from the sea. Visit whitewashed Fira, dotted with blue-domed churches, shops, tavernas, and a museum, then hike the Caldera Trail to Oia for stunning views. Also explore wineries, black-sand beaches, or Akrotiri's Minoan ruins, and end with assyrtiko wine and a famous sunset.

Athens, cradle of Western democracy, offers a living link to antiquity. Climb the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, Temple of Nike, and Erechtheion caryatids, then visit the Acropolis Museum for original statues and artifacts. The National Archaeological Museum is also outstanding. In the Agora, follow the footsteps of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Hippocrates, and Pericles. Finish in Plaka with its winding lanes and lively tavernas.