Munich was almost completely destroyed in two world wars, yet it's managed to recreate much of its folkloric, Bavarian past. Oktoberfest is legendary, but you can visit the Hofbrauhaus any time of year for an immense beer. Olympiapark, the site of the 1972 games, is not to be missed (you can skate on the Olympic ice rink and swim in the pool). On a somber note, take time to visit the concentration camp at Dachau—it's an intense, yet unforgettable, glimpse into the not-too-distant horrors of the Holocaust.

Romance is the lifeblood of Annecy, a town in the Rhone-Alpes region of southeast France that’s replete with castles and cathedrals and softly curving architecture. Stroll hand in hand with your paramour across Pont des Amours (the lover’s bridge) before taking in the Imperial Palace and the baroque Cathedral of Saint-Pierre. A walk down the Rue Royale will be rewarded with prime shopping, dining and people-watching, especially at the fountain of Saint Jean.

The sapphire waters of Cephalonia are steeped with history. The large Greek island was home to Odysseus, the legendary king hailed in Homer’s The Odyssey. Fortunately, it won’t take you ten years to get there. Explore the enchanting caverns of the Drogarati caves, sail to Ithaca on a glass-bottomed boat or marvel at the ancient artifacts inside the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli, Cephalonia’s main town. Or just hide from it all at one of the island’s many private beach coves.

The political, scientific, historical, architectural and business centre of Russia, Moscow displays the country's contrasts at their most extreme. The ancient and modern exist side by side in this city of 10 million. Catch a metro from one of the ornate stations to see Red Square, the Kremlin, the nine domes of St Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, the KGB Museum and other symbols of Moscow's great and terrible past, then lighten up and go shopping in Boulevard Ring, or people-watch in Pushkin Square.