If you’re into eating locally and supporting sustainable agriculture, go to Ashville—and eat, eat, eat. This town of less than 100,000 people has 17 farmers’ markets, and the local restaurant scene is all about taking advantage of the seasonal produce sold there. And don’t miss the area’s microbreweries.

Dubbed the Queen City, Charlotte reigns over a 300-square-mile (482-square-kilometre) hodgepodge of neighbourhoods that spin out from the banks of the Catawba River. From brewery-heavy art districts to historical corridors dripping in charm, consider Charlotte a crowd pleaser.

Rock Hill, the largest city in South Carolina's York County, is a charming college town, with the campus of Winthrop University making up one of its five historic districts. The surrounding area of York County is home to the Carowinds amusement park, an entertainment destination so large that it spans two states. The York County Library hosts the annual Patchwork Tales Storytelling Festival, featuring musicians, storytellers, and artists from all over the world.

The nine islands that make up the Azores are in fact the peaks of some of the world's tallest mountains, reaching from deep beneath the Atlantic. The once-uninhabited, volcanic archipelago now hosts thousands of tourists every year who flock to the islands for sun, sand and verdant mountain scenery. From the beaches of Praia da Vitoria to the bustling marina of Horta, to the bubbling volcanic ground "ovens" of Furnas, these islands offer unparalleled--and unusual--adventures to discover.

Stroll on foot through the narrow, steep streets of the charming Old Town, once home to 25 churches. Now only two remain, including the Romanesque Viborg Dom Kirke Cathedral. It offers a fascinating crypt and distinctive twin towers. Pine forests and hilly farmland hem the appealing town on two sides, while oak forests grow and the romantic Hald So Lake laps to the south side of town. The hamlet of Hjarbaek, home to a flotilla of brown-sailed skiffs, sits on a picturesque fjord to the north.

Jutland's cultural heart, Århus is an exuberant university town with a perfectly preserved old town and a recreated historic village, Den Gamle By. The top draw is the Moesgard Museum of Prehistory, showcasing exhibits from the Stone Age to Viking days and home to the city's most famous citizen, the 2000-year-old Grauballe Man. It's a lively spot, teeming with cafes, restaurants, clubs and cinemas. Denmark's second-largest city perches on Jutland's eastern coast amid beaches and woodland.

Home to the four-day Roskilde Festival, arguably the best European rock festival, hilly Roskilde is less than 20 miles from Copenhagen. If hordes of rock stars aren't pillaging the town of 50,000, the excellent Viking ship museum is Roskilde's prime attraction. Featuring five ships discovered at the bottom of the fjord, you can add to the Viking experience by rowing the fjord on an hour-long longboat trip. The town is also famed for its much adapted 12th-century Roskilde Domkirke Cathedral.

Halmstad’s perfect for visitors who like their beach and golf vacations sprinkled with a dash of culture. Pause to admire the Pablo Picasso sculpture “Female Head” as you make your way along the pedestrian paths by the Nissan River. The stone streets of town center are lined with cafés and taverns, all bustling with locals. Bikers can coast along Prins Bertil’s Path, which takes you from Halmstad Castle to the Mollegard Nature Reserve.