Visit Alicante

Visit Barcelona, capital of Catalonia in Spain. See the Sagrada Familia (Antoni Gaudí's unfinished basilica with intricate facades and towering spires), stroll down La Rambla (tree-lined pedestrian street with street performers and La Boqueria market), explore Park Güel (Gaudí's whimsical public park with mosaic-covered structures and city views), and admire the Gothic Quarter (medieval streets with the Barcelona Cathedral and Roman ruins).

Visit Seville, capital of Andalusia in southern Spain. Explore the Real Alcázar (a UNESCO-listed Moorish palace with intricate tilework and gardens), climb the Giralda tower (former minaret of the Seville Cathedral, offering panoramic city views), stroll through the Barrio Santa Cruz (historic Jewish quarter with narrow streets and orange trees), and see a flamenco show at a traditional tablao.

Visit Valencia, Spain's third-largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Explore the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences complex (with its opera house, science museum, and Europe's largest aquarium), see the UNESCO-listed La Lonja de la Seda (15th-century silk exchange with Gothic architecture), stroll through the Turia Gardens (a 9km-long park in a former riverbed), and try paella valenciana (the original version with rabbit, chicken, and beans) at a local restaurant.

Visit Bilbao, the largest city in Spain's Basque Country. Explore the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Frank Gehry's titanium-clad masterpiece housing contemporary art), stroll through the Casco Viejo (historic old town with the Santiago Cathedral and Plaza Nueva), ride the funicular up Mount Artxanda for panoramic views, and sample pintxos (Basque tapas) in the lively bars of the Indautxu district.

Visit Malaga, a vibrant coastal city in Andalusia, Spain, known for its beaches, historic sites, and birthplace of Pablo Picasso.

Visit the historic town of Icod de los Vinos in Tenerife, known for its ancient dragon tree and wine production.

Explore Carcassonne, a fortified medieval city in southern France. Walk the double ring of ramparts of the Cité de Carcassonne (a UNESCO World Heritage site with 52 towers), admire the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus (known for its 12th-century stained glass and Gothic choir), and cross the Pont Vieux (a 14th-century stone bridge offering panoramic views of the city).

Red-sandstone castle ruin above the old town of Heidelberg and the Neckar valley.