Matera
Make like a troglodyte and stay in a cave for the night. This is Matera, perched on a rocky hillside in Basilicata, southern Italy, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Famed for its ancient Sassi cave dwellings, winding stone streets, and striking canyon views, Matera offers a unique blend of prehistoric legacy, architectural beauty, and modern cultural revival.
Saigon
Entering 14 Ton That Dam apartment block in Saigon feels like stepping into a hidden urban labyrinth. You find the entrance through a narrow, crowded alley cluttered with motorbikes. Inside, you ascend graffiti-covered, crumbling concrete stairs, surrounded by peeling paint and exposed brick, evoking a derelict, yet compellingly authentic atmosphere pulsating with artistic energy.
The surprise inside is a hidden world of plush speakeasy bars tucked away behind unassuming doors….
Muscle Shoals
Opposite a coffin shop at 460 Jackson Highway in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, is the legendary recording site founded in 1969 by a group of top session musicians called The Swampers. This tiny studio became synonymous with artists like Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Scaggs, Aretha Franklin, Wilson, Etta James, Bob Seger, Paul Simon, Cher, George Michael, The Black Keys, Chris Stapleton, Lana Del Rey, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, and the list goes on… Many recorded iconic tracks here, blending soulful R&B, rock, and blues. For any music lover of a certain age this is an essential pilgrimage. The studio has been returned to its former authentic glory and is now a museum by appointment.