Baroque-en hearted? Revive your spirits with a walk past Rome's most beautiful and unusual Baroque fountains. At the foot of the Spanish Steps, elegant cafes once favoured by visiting Brits and Americans surround the central fountain. The water pressure here was so low that the artist had to sink the fountain into the ground to get any water going through it, so he went ahead and designed the fountain to look like a sinking ship. There's no shortage of water pressure at the nearby Trevi Fountain, a Baroque extravagance designed by master sculptor Bernini. At the Pantheon, you'll see the largest concrete dome ever constructed. An oculus, or hole, in the dome lets sunlight into the beautiful temple, dedicated to all the gods.

Gods and gladiators, glory and gore. Ancient Rome lives on in its spectacular monuments, flavoring the frenetic present with tastes of the past. Don a space-age Whisper headset to get the inside scoop on the most spectacular, the Colosseum, a grisly battle arena that seated more than 45,000. An enormous retractable roof awning system kept spectators cool on sunny days. The nearby Forum provides a glimpse into everyday ancient life, with markets, meeting places, and temples all combined into one vast space. Move into Christian Rome at St. Peter’s Basilica, the triumphal Renaissance church flanked by rows of columns radiating outward like welcoming arms. Within the church Michelangelo’s masterpieces are on display, the “Pietà” in the main church and the recently restored ceiling frescoes and “Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel. Continue your trek through time at Piazza Venezia, site of the enormous monument to Victor Emmanuel II, Italy’s first king, and of the Palazzo Venezia, where Mussolini set up his headquarters and from whose porch his mother was said to eavesdrop on citizens below. (The Sistine Chapel is closed on most religious holidays and Sundays, except for the last Sunday in each month).

Stop to see the city where time stood still, literally. Once an important Roman city with 20,000 residents, Pompeii was frozen in time nearly 2000 years ago, when Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the city under 30 feet of mud and volcanic ash. Forgotten for centuries after the eruption, Pompeii was discovered in the 1600s and is now completely excavated. On your tour you will learn how Romans of all classes lived their lives--not only from large public structures, but from details like political graffiti, bars, and street signs.

Tirana is the cultural and political center of Albania. The cityscape is covered in a riot of colors and street art, the perfect backdrop for enjoying delicious gelato as you stroll past the many shops and quaint cafés. Albania's national hero, Skanderbeg, was born in Kruje, and although it was over 500 years ago, there's still lots of pride in the fact that he and his forces defended Kruje from the Ottomans until his death. You’ll come face-to-knee with a statue of Skanderbeg wielding his mighty sword with one hand in the heart of town, and that’s just the beginning. Kruje's houses appear to sit in the lap of the mountain. An ancient castle juts out to one side, and the massive Skanderbeg Museum juts out of the castle itself. Kruje's sights can be covered in an hour or two, making this a great stop en route to stunning Lake Shkoder before arriving in Budva.

Sveti Stefan is a fortified island village connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway; its 15th century stone villas overlook an impeccable pink-sand beach and tempting turquoise waters. The island was nationalized in the 1950s and is now part of—and owned by—the luxurious Aman resort. The township that’s sprung up onshore also carries the same name and offers stunning views of the island in all its glory.

Though it's sometimes called a "little Dubrovnik," Kotor is low-key, less ambitious, and much smaller than its more famous neighbor. Visitors find that Kotor—with its special spice that's exciting to sample—is a hard place from which to tear yourself away. In the Middle Ages, this natural harbor on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial center with its famous schools of masonry and iconography. A large number of the monuments, including four Romanesque churches and the town walls, were severely damaged by the 1979 earthquake but the city has been restored, largely with UNESCO’s help.

Surrounded by Medieval walls, entering the city of Dubrovnik is like stepping back in time. Once inside, you’ll first visit the historic Dominican monastery, followed by a stop at the picturesque Franciscan monastery—home to the third oldest European pharmacy, open continuously since 1317. Next on the agenda is Onofrio’s Fountain, a 16 sided drinking fountain built in 1438, and still in operation today. Finally, the ornate beauty of Rector’s Palace provides a perfect exclamation point to the rich culture of this ancient city.

Highlights of this Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea include its 13th-century walls, a hilltop fortress and the main square anchored by the Renaissance-era Hvar Cathedral. Hvar Town, the island’s capital, offers swanky hotels, elegant restaurants and a general sense that life should be lived luxuriously on sun-soaked beaches. The northern coastal towns of Stari Grad and Jelsa are far more subdued and low-key. Hvar's interior hides abandoned ancient hamlets, craggy peaks, vineyards and the lavender fields for which the island is famous.