Italy

Every January, the internet produces its list of the world's “most beautiful” places. I read them the way I read horoscopes, with one eyebrow raised. Beauty is not a competition and it certainly isn't consensus. And yet. Here is my edit, built from years of designing journeys to places that have genuinely stopped me in my tracks. Take it as one well-traveled opinion, nothing more. If they move you, it’s because they are authentically and objectively beautiful.

There are places you visit once, perhaps twice. And then there are places like Venice—the kind of city that reveals itself slowly, inviting you to return, wander, and uncover its many layers. This weekend guide offers an intimate, lived-in Venice, one that doesn’t rush or crowd. It’s a Venice that feels real, away from the obvious paths, while honoring the city’s unmistakable magic.

If we can collectively agree on one thing, it’s that the world has reached an unprecedented global stress level in the past couple years that has brought us together in a mutual struggle to stay sane. The macrocosmic angst stemming from an obnoxious pandemic caught us all off guard, abruptly cutting us off from basic freedoms we took for granted.

For centuries, the Italian island of Sardinia has been playing a game of tug of war with its deep African roots and rich European ancestry, yet this gem remains underrated in the mass travel world. Sardinia is a place of wonder, proudly owning second place in size among the islands of the Mediterranean. It is most famous for having some of the bluest waters in the world.