A performance venue extraordinaire, the Neoclassical Romanian Athenaeum is the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra.

First opened in 1906, the history of this highly-regarded folk museum was interrupted in the 20th century by the Communist regime, but it reopened in 1990 no more than six weeks after Ceaușescu died.

San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometers northwest of Madrid, was the summer home of Spain's kings, and in 1563, work was begun here on a huge complex, which would include a monastery, church, royal palace, mausoleum, library, and museum.

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is the largest art and cultural museum in the world, with more than 3 million items in its collection—only a fraction of which are on display in its 360 rooms.

Displaying one of the most comprehensive collections of paintings in the world, the National Gallery is London's second-most visited museum

The Prado alone ranks with the world's top art museums for the riches of its collections

The spectacular Hofburg Palace in Vienna was for centuries the seat of Austria's monarchy, the powerful Habsburgs. Now the President conducts state business in the same rooms that once belonged to Emperor Joseph II.

The southwestern Finnish town of Turku, the country's oldest town and until 1812 its capital, lies on the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of the Aurajoki River.

At the southern end of Argentina, Patagonia is famous for its spectacular landscapes: a dramatic mix of the Andes and long stretches of plains and plateaus. Most adventures here start in Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city.

The Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet) in Stockholm is Sweden's most popular museum and now attracts around a million visitors annually. More than 20 million people have visited since the museum opened in 1990, and it's not hard to see why.