Portugal’s enchanting capital, sprawling elegantly over seven hills, is crammed with opulent palaces, fine museums, and stately squares. Gaze over the rooftops from the ramparts of Castelo de São Jorge. Let the mournful melodies of Fado sweep over you in the old Alfama neighborhood, where the houses are adorned with intricate azulejos tiles. Take a day trip to Sintra with its fairytale castles. You’ll soon discover that one pastel de nata, Lisbon’s signature custard tart, is never enough.

Catalonia's cosmopolitan capital is bursting with culture, from the moody alleys and towering cathedral of the old Gothic Quarter to Gaudí’s dazzling basilica, La Sagrada Familia. Gaze in awe at the masterpieces in the Picasso Museum and marvel at the antics of the street performers on Las Ramblas. Take in more of the modernist masterpieces of Gaudí and his contemporaries along the elegant boulevards of the Eixample neighborhood, and head to Barceloneta Beach for seafood tapas in the sunshine.

There’s beauty at every turn in Rome, from the Baroque splendor of the Trevi Fountain to the masterpiece of Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco in the Sistine Chapel. Imagine the roar of the crowd at gladiatorial battles in the mighty Colosseum and the thrill of chariot races at Circus Maximus. Marvel at the Pantheon, almost 2,000 years old. Take your morning cappuccino on a sunlit piazza, explore colorful food markets, and taste authentic, peppery cacio e pepe, arguably the perfect pasta dish.