Away from the noise of downtown, the southern barrio of Barranco is a favoured hangout of poets, writers, painters and sculptors, inspired by the coastal scenery and lapping waves.

From Queen Victoria’s dancing slippers to socks made from human hair, the Bata Shoe Museum displays a well-heeled history through some of the world’s most fascinating footwear.

Whether you’re attending this autumn’s Fashion Week or just soaking up some of the city’s couture heritage, these five hotels will surround you with style even while you sleep.

In a city where anything is possible, we meet an artist who spent 20 years underground and get an exclusive peak behind the scenes of the Bolshoi ballet.

Indulge your vices with these examples of excess from around the globe, from unadulterated hedonism on a Thai beach to sleeping in a Mughal palace in India.

The French island’s beaches and mountains are best explored by a narrow gauge railway built in the 1850s.

The man who opened the first modern coffee shop in Vienna hailed from nearby Lviv, where local cafes are bringing the story full circle.

Students from around the world come to study in the land where luminaries like Mozart, Freud and Klimt once walked.

A tour through the world’s boomtown; a futuristic metropolis where skyscrapers grow faster than the trees.

The world’s international student population numbers more than 3.7 million, and is increasing by about 12% each year, benefiting individuals and entire nations alike.

A number of international airlines are using improvements in aircraft construction to revamp the in-flight experience, installing plusher seats and designing cosier interiors.

The prestige of its universities tops Sydney’s offerings, making Melbourne a hugely popular destination for those looking to study in the world’s most liveable city.

The annual Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival, which runs from 14 to 16 September, is making waves this year by offering massive 3.5lb Maine lobsters.

Affectionately called Beantown, this Massachusetts city is the unofficial student capital of the United States, with an energetic college population and ample green spaces.

Starting 13 September is ArtRio 2012, an international art fair that will play host to 120 art galleries and further establish the Brazilian city as a Latin American cultural hub.

In the Chinese coastal city of Shanghai, Neri and Hu Design is putting a radical spin on the “Made in China” label.

Many sites are open to visitors who wish to better understand the events of the tragic day and their aftermath, and to honour those who lost their lives.

The Integratron, built by aeronautical engineer George Van Tassel in the 1950s, is a sound chamber precisely tuned to promote relaxation and rejuvenation.

Every year, tens of thousands of students descend on the city for their studies, most likely with visions of passing one of the city’s architectural landmarks while commuting to class.

Since 2008, the exclusive Boros Collection has been housed in an imposing WWII bunker, that at one time or another has been a bomb shelter, a prison and a storage depot for bananas.

Could charter cities -- semi-autonomous cities built in developing countries -- be the answer to countries that are otherwise racked by violent crime, poverty and political turmoil?

Walk through Ireland’s capital in the footsteps of its novelists, poets and playwrights -- beyond its most-loved son, James Joyce.

The factory-produced brews that used to make up the US beer market have been surpassed in recent years by thousands of microbreweries across the country.

This remote archipelago in the extreme northwest of the United States is a bucolic paradise with bike-friendly roads that provide an excellent excuse to leave the car behind.

Techniques and devices that will zap the contaminants in your water and reduce the need to purchase plastic bottles around the globe.

Bubbledogs, a new restaurant serving hotdogs and Champagne, is the latest place to indulge in the culinary trend of upscale fast food.

The old border badlands of England’s northeast were fought over for centuries, but today the many charms of the Northumberland region remain strangely devoid of tourists.

At the Museum of London, the spirit of the London 2012 Games has been captured on a “Lomowall” – a 65m-long riot of colour made up of 30,000 individual photographs all shot on film.

Take in a match or saddle up yourself in one of the world’s great cities for the sport.

Tayfun King explores New York City’s trendy and hectic Greenwich Village neighbourhood, where locals show him how to find some peace above the fray and how to dance like a New Yorker.

With stunning Renaissance art and architecture on constant view, there is a sense of elegance and permanence that helps root all who live here.

A new museum in Philadelphia is serving up a slice of US culture through the celebration of one of its favourite foods.

While most travellers aim to stay out of the hospital while on vacation, a growing number of people are crossing international borders for the purpose of attaining medical services.

By combining traditional lifestyles with the demands of tourism, privately-owned reserves are protecting the 70% of wildlife that lives outside of the country’s national parks.