Old-world villages and story-book chateaux bedeck the Loire, once fought over by Gauls, Romans, Visigoths and even Attila the Hun. Hire bikes and roll through the lush valley, visiting fortresses in Amboise and Angers, UNESCO-designated Chartres Cathedral and the Gothic cathedral in Nantes. The Musée Jules Verne houses replicas of futuristic inventions designed by the author. Pay respects to other former residents: the Romans in Tours, the cave dwellers of Touraine, and the liberator of Orleans, Joan of Arc.

Once a power player in medieval France, Angers offers an enticing mix of history and buzzing university culture at the edge of the Loire Valley. Cafés and museums aplenty are tucked beneath half-timbered homes in an old town dominated by the imposing Chateau d’Angers fortress.

The gateway to the Loire Valley, Tours offers plenty to admire in its own right. Gothic architecture, café-lined squares, and manicured gardens conjure up a Parisian atmosphere without the crowds in this university town tucked between the banks of the Loire and Cher rivers.

Le Mans is famous as the setting for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the grueling round-the-clock car race. But it's also an ancient town, with Roman walls, a beautiful cathedral and plenty of museums to see. Car aficionados will especially like the Musée Automobile de la Sarthe, where there's a great collection of vehicles.

Reborn as one of France’s most dynamic and culturally progressive cities, Nantes is a city that wears its innovation on its sleeve. Populated by artists, engineers, and students, its ever-changing skyline is anchored by medieval roots and a rich maritime heritage.

The châteaux, towns, and villages of the Loire Valley are within easy reach of Blois—but there’s more to this hillside city than its Loire River location. Its royal château, the one-time favorited stronghold of kings, is the star attraction, and there’s enough gardens, churches, and medieval old town lanes to fill any itinerary.

Enchanting Aero is the most charming of all the islands of this dramatic archipelago. Just 14 villages and three towns dot this calm 19-mile-long island, where gentle roads amble by villages, windmills, dolmen, thatched farmhouses and rich green fields. A perfect place for bicycling, this capsule of times gone by offers Viking ruins, market towns, fields of flowers and an almost fairy-tale ambiance. The best beach on this, Denmark's sunniest spot, is Risemark Strand, on the island's southern tip.

Before the morning mist had broken at dawn on April 19, 1775, shots rang out over Lexington, Massachusetts, signaling the beginning of the American Revolution. More than two centuries later, the town boasts a proud patriotic heritage, reenacting the Battle of Lexington and Concord and Paul Revere's Ride every April. Walk in the footsteps of the early patriots at the Battle Green and Minute Man National Historical Park, visit Lexington's three historic houses or take a Liberty Ride trolley tour.