As with nearby Guanajuato and San Luis Potosí, the city of Zacatecas grew immensely wealthy as a mining town, with much of that wealth being reinvested into beautiful buildings. As we’ll cover in
Photos alone can’t truly convey what a place is like, and without visiting, it can be hard to tell many of Mexico’s old colonial cities apart. But San Luis Potosí’s historic center is arguably
Known for its adobe buildings, thriving arts scene and fascinating blend of multiple cultures, Santa Fe is one of the United States’ most unique cities. And it’s also among the country’s most historic,
Just 7 km south of Kabah, the ancient Mayan city of Sayil shares a lot in common with neighboring sites in the Puuc region. The city, however, was founded in the 8th century AD
Morelia, the capital of the state of Michoacán, is easily among Mexico’s most beautiful cities. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, Morelia has a distinctive and unified look thanks to the bare
When it comes to eye-catching historic cities in Mexico, few places can top Guanajuato. Founded in the 16th century, the city was home to a booming mining industry for hundreds of years, and
San Miguel de Allende may be one of Mexico’s most-visited towns these days, but it’s also one of its most divisive. But wherever your feelings lie, there’s no denying that San Miguel is
Throughout the three hundred years of Spanish rule, Puebla was arguably Mexico’s most important city after the capital. And its beautiful baroque churches and colonial-era houses are testament to that. Today, Puebla is
Mexico is home to 132 Pueblos Mágicos (Magic Towns) that were chosen for things like their scenery, history or architecture. But what, many wonder, is the most magical town of them all? In
Just south of central Oaxaca are two overlooked yet fascinating historical sites that can be visited together in a single day. The 16th-century Ex-Convent of Cuilapam is an architectural marvel, despite never having
Located about an hour east of the city of Oaxaca, Mitla is the second-most popular site of the Zapotec civilization. But the experience of visiting Mitla and Monte Albán couldn’t be more different. Monte
Overlooking the Valley of Ocosingo in the state of Chiapas is one of Mesoamerica’s largest and most unique structures. The Toniná Pyramid consists of seven tiers, many of which are home to temples, palaces
Located about 50 km south of Mérida, Mayapán could be considered the last of the great Mayan capitals. But despite its historical importance, the site remains well off the tourist trail. What makes Mayapán unique is
Located 62 km south of Mérida, Uxmal is one of Mexico’s most outstanding archaeological sites. Not only are its structures monumental in scale, but many are adorned with some of the most beautiful
Just 8 km from central Novi Sad, Sremski Karlovci has a population of fewer than 10,000 people. But the small town is rich in beautiful architecture and historical monuments, not to mention a
Right along the border with Hungary is one of Serbia’s most endearing towns. Subotica has long had more Hungarians than Serbs, and their influence over the area’s architecture remains clear. Many of the remarkable
Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, is touted by many as the country’s most charming. Despite being just 70 km from the capital, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the 20th century,
Hidden in a canyon about 30 km south of Novi Pazar is one of the world’s most unique cave churches. Crna Reka Monastery was established as early as the 1200s and its current
For whatever reason, visiting Topola, a town situated about 75 km south of Belgrade, doesn’t appear on many travelers’ itineraries. But the town is intrinsically linked with the legendary rebel Karađorđe and his descendants, several
Belgrade, a bustling city with nearly 2 million people, is both the capital of the Republic of Serbia and the largest city in the Balkans. While the city has something for everyone, the
As cliché as it may sound, Sarajevo is truly a city where East meets West. Walking around Bosnia & Herzegovina’s bustling capital, you’ll find medieval mosques standing side by side with Central European
Mostar is arguably Bosnia & Herzegovina’s most scenic destination, and its rapidly increasing tourism numbers reflect that. The picturesque Old Town was largely developed in the Ottoman era before suffering heavy damage during
The Bay of Kotor is as historically rich as it is visually stunning. And just a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of central Kotor are two small towns where history,
If you could only choose one destination to visit in Montenegro, make it Kotor. Nestled between Lovcen Mountain and the fjord-like Bay of Kotor, it’s undoubtedly the country’s most scenic town – and
Cetinje, Montenegro’s old royal capital, might not exactly take your breath away. But on the contrary, it’s one of the best places in Montenegro to take a breather, especially for those coming from
The small and unassuming city of Tetovo, less than an hour from North Macedonia’s capital of Skopje, is home to two hidden gems that largely get overlooked by tourists. It doesn’t matter if
Gjirokastër is arguably Albania’s most magical town. While Greco-Roman cities had long flourished at the valley floor, the hillside city we see today was largely established during the Ottoman era. Thanks to its
Istanbul is a huge city, and most first-time visitors focus on the Old City area – particularly the neighborhood of Sultanahmet. But for those wanting to venture further out, trying to decide where
At its peak, the Ottoman Empire was one of the largest empires in world history, spanning three continents. And for centuries, its administrative center was Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace. Topkapı also served as the
For over 1,000 years, Constantinople was considered one of the world’s most glorious cities. But exploring Istanbul today, the city’s Byzantine legacy largely goes unnoticed by tourists and residents alike. Most Byzantine churches
The small city of Doğubeyazıt, situated alongside Turkey’s border with Iran, is home to one of the finest examples of Ottoman palace architecture. The opulent Ishak Pasha Palace stands at the crossroads of civilizations
Currently situated within Turkey’s borders, the ancient Armenian capital of Ani is one of the region’s most interesting archaeological sites. Once home to 100,000 people, Ani was among the medieval world’s most magnificent
The ancient Egyptians built over a hundred pyramids, with over 30 of them belonging to pharaohs. But most people only know just three. And while one would think that the iconic pyramids of
Built over the course of thousands of years in dedication to a diverse and complex pantheon, the ancient Egyptian temple is a hard thing to pin down. But one thing remained constant: more
No visit to Cairo is complete without a walk through Islamic Cairo, the medieval city established by the Fatimids in the 10th century. As you stroll down the district’s narrow alleyways, you’ll encounter
So many aspects of the Giza Plateau are shrouded in mystery. The 4th Dynasty pyramids represent the apex of Egyptian engineering. But they were built quite early on in Egypt’s history. For the next
In between Djoser’s Step Pyramid and the Great Pyramid of Giza, a king named Sneferu made a name for himself as Egypt’s greatest ever pyramid builder. Snefuru, who took the throne in 2575
It’s widely regarded as the world’s very first pyramid. And, for that matter, the first-ever major stone structure. And now, over 4600 years after its construction, Saqqara’s Step Pyramid continues to make headlines.
Philadelphia is home to some of the USA’s most stunning – not to mention oldest – architecture. Many of these buildings, of course, could still be considered ‘new’ by European standards. But what’s
It’s not often that one pays money to enter a prison. But even if walking down spooky, crumbling cellblocks isn’t normally your thing, consider making an exception for Eastern State Penitentiary. Not only
Tragic struck 1849 St. Louis when a cholera epidemic resulted in the deaths of thousands. But according to common belief at the time, urban cemeteries were a public health risk. So where to
Chiang Mai is a city of over 300 temples. While not quite as many as Bangkok’s 400, consider the size difference. The capital has roughly 55 times more people than Chiang Mai! With
Mostly built in the 12th century, Phnom Rung was one of the Khmer Empire’s most important temples outside of Angkor. Later on during the reign of Jayavarman VII, it was even a prominent
Imagine going on an exotic adventure to the other side of the world, only to end up the ruler of your very own country. As farfetched as it may sound, that’s exactly what
In total, the Angkor Archaeological Park is home to hundreds of monuments. And most temples, even some of the more extravagant ones, can be neatly categorized into distinct architectural styles. There are several
The late 12th century Angkor temples of Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and Banteay Kdei make up what are known as Jayavarman VII’s ‘triad temples.’ Each temple, in fact, represents a member of the
In Part One, we covered the evolution of Angkorian architecture from the 9th century Roluos temples up to the refined gem of Banteay Srei. Here, we’ll cover the remainder of Khmer architectural styles,
Few places on earth captivate the imagination quite like Angkor. As stunning as the Angkor temples are today, you can’t help but picture what things must’ve looked like 1000 years ago as you
Traveling through Thailand, it’s easy to get the impression that just about every tourist attraction is some kind of temple. There are, after all, over 30,000 of them. But if you haven’t grown
Hoi An, central Vietnam’s former bustling trade port, remains one of the country’s most-visited locales. Visitors flock to the town to see its colorful buildings and its picturesque riverside views. Unfortunately, the ticketing
Spread throughout Hue’s quiet rural surroundings are six large and opulent tombs which remain architectural marvels to this day. The Nguyen emperors, who ruled Vietnam from 1802 to 1945, spent much of their
Vietnam is one of the fastest developing countries in Southeast Asia, and there’s no better place to witness these changes than in Saigon, its largest city. Skyscrapers are popping up all over the
Admittedly, I’d never even heard of Tepotzotlán until a day or two before my visit. I had a fairly long list of small towns nearby Mexico City that I wanted to see, but sadly,
In 1978, local electric company workers digging near Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral made a discovery that would change the city’s urban landscape forever. It was a massive stone disk depicting the dismembered body
With only a single day to spend in Shanghai, I wasn’t quite sure how to tackle this megalopolis of nearly 25 million people. How is one supposed to go about making sense of
Classical Chinese gardens are deliberately designed so that no matter where you stand, you can never see the whole thing at once. Exploration is absolutely essential if you want to get the full
The unassuming suburb of Samut Prakan, about 30 kilometers outside of Bangkok, is home to one of Central Thailand’s most unique and awe-inspiring attractions. Visible even from the highway is a 29-meter bronze
It’s said that in Bali, there are more temples than there are houses. Some estimates are even as high as 50,000, in fact. While this may be hard to believe at first, it
The ancient religious monuments of Borobudur and Prambanan are two of the most prominent landmarks in the Yogyakarta region, if not all of Indonesia. While both are relatively close to the city, the
Burma, now known as Myanmar, first became a British colony in the early 19th century and would remain so for over 100 years. Throughout this period, many magnificent buildings would be built in