The Golden Meridian

Destinations

Austria

St. Stephen's Cathedral rising above the rooftops of Vienna at golden hour — Vienna, AustriaViennaViennaImperial grandeur, served with whipped cream.

France

a clock tower on a building — Cannes, FranceFrench RivieraCannesA seafront that rolls out the red carpet year-round.The Jardin Exotique at the top of Èze, looking across to Cap Ferrat — Èze, FranceFrench RivieraÈzeA stone village floating four hundred metres above the Mediterranean.an aerial view of a city next to the ocean — Nice, FranceFrench RivieraNiceRiviera elegance with a proper city underneath.The Pont Alexandre III bridge illuminated at night in Paris, France — Paris, FranceÎle-de-FranceParisThe capital of wanting things beautifully made.a group of buildings next to a body of water — Saint-Tropez, FranceFrench RivieraSaint-TropezA fishing harbour that summer made famous.Bonifacio on its white limestone cliffs, from the air — Southern Corsica, FranceCorsicaSouthern CorsicaFrance's island of granite mountains and improbable coves.Photo: Photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0

Greece

island photo during daytime — Corfu, GreeceIonian IslandsCorfuAn Ionian island that reads like a Venetian love letter.a large body of water sitting next to a lush green hillside — Elounda, Crete, GreeceLasithi, eastern CreteElounda, CreteCrete's quiet gulf of villas, jetties and long lunches.Tables and chairs on a stone patio beside the sea in Mykonos, Greece — Mykonos, GreeceCyclades, Aegean SeaMykonosAn unapologetic Aegean stage for summer.a door is open on the side of a building next to the ocean — Paros, GreeceCyclades, Aegean SeaParosCycladic beauty with the volume turned pleasingly down.an aerial view of a castle overlooking a body of water — Rhodes, GreeceDodecaneseRhodesMedieval stone streets that end at the beach.White buildings on a cliffside in Oia, Greece, illuminated by warm evening light — Santorini, GreeceCyclades, Aegean SeaSantoriniWhere the caldera turns every sunset into a private performance.

Italy

Long exposure of the village of Positano illuminated on the Amalfi coast at night — Amalfi Coast, ItalyCampaniaAmalfi CoastItaly's vertical coastline of lemons, tiles and sea light.boat near island — Capri, ItalyBay of Naples, CampaniaCapriA little island long practised in la dolce vita.blue fishing vessel near houses on mountain — Cinque Terre, ItalyLiguriaCinque TerreFive villages stitched to the cliffs by footpaths and vines.an aerial view of a boat in the water — Costa Smeralda, Sardinia, ItalySardiniaCosta Smeralda, SardiniaSardinia's emerald coastline, built for the yacht set.white and brown concrete dome building during daytime — Florence, ItalyTuscanyFlorenceThe Renaissance, still in residence.Itria Valley, ItalyPugliaItria ValleyWhitewashed farm estates in a landscape of cone-roofed trulli.Photo: Photo: Adbar · CC BY-SA 3.0white concrete building near body of water during daytime — Lake Como, ItalyLombardyLake ComoOld-world villas mirrored in alpine water.Colorful villas on rocky cliffs overlooking the blue sea in Portofino, Italy — Portofino, ItalyItalian Riviera, LiguriaPortofinoA tiny harbour with an outsized legend.A view of a village on the side of a mountain — Positano, ItalyAmalfi Coast, CampaniaPositanoA village that tumbles down the cliff so beautifully it became a myth.Colosseum arena photography — Rome, ItalyLazioRomeTwenty-eight centuries of practice at the good life.a view of a body of water from a hill — Taormina, ItalySicilyTaorminaA Sicilian balcony suspended between Etna and the sea.a lone tree in the middle of a green field — Val d'Orcia, ItalyTuscanyVal d'OrciaTuscany as painted — cypress avenues, golden light, Brunello.Venice Grand Canal, Italy — Venice, ItalyVenetoVeniceA city built on water and unreasonable ambition.

Monaco

aerial view of city buildings near body of water during daytime — Monte-Carlo, MonacoFrench RivieraMonte-CarloTwo square kilometres of concentrated glamour.

Montenegro

aerial view of city near body of water during daytime — Kotor, MontenegroBay of KotorKotorA walled town at the end of the Adriatic's most dramatic bay.

Portugal

people on beach during daytime — Lagos, Algarve, PortugalAlgarveLagos, AlgarveGolden cliffs, turquoise grottoes, Atlantic light.

Slovenia

Lake Bled with its island church surrounded by mountains in Slovenia — Lake Bled, SloveniaJulian AlpsLake BledAn island church on glass-green alpine water.

Spain

Deià, SpainSerra de Tramuntana, Balearic IslandsDeiàA stone village between the Tramuntana and the sea, beloved of poets.Photo: Photo: Photographed by Adrian Pingstone · Public domainaerial photography of brown castle — Granada, SpainAndalusiaGranadaThe Alhambra's city, red walls against snow peaks.a group of people swimming in a blue ocean — Ibiza, SpainBalearic IslandsIbizaWhite island mornings, mythical nights.a beach with a large building in the background — San Sebastián, SpainBasque CountrySan SebastiánA crescent bay, and a city that takes its pintxo bars seriously.The Giralda tower and Seville Cathedral rising above the city rooftops in Seville, Spain — Seville, SpainAndalusiaSevilleMudéjar palaces and orange blossom on every breeze.

Switzerland

white and brown lighthouse on water — Lucerne, SwitzerlandCentral SwitzerlandLucerneA Swiss lake city, framed by Pilatus and Rigi.houses near snow field — St. Moritz, SwitzerlandEngadin, GraubündenSt. MoritzPolished Alpine winters, since 1864.