Travel Destinations

By its borders with Bosnia and Kosovo Serbia's Kopaonik

Offer winter sports and summer escapes in epic mountain scenery. The Tara National Park has gorges overlooked by forested karst hills. In Serbia's deep south, Đavolja Varoš or Devil's Town offers a crazy geological spectacle of weird rocky pinnacles. While Serbia lacks its own coastline, the mighty Danube River still lures summertime swimmers to a patch of castle-strewn "Riviera."

Angra dos Reis, Brazil Brazil’s visa waiver during the Olympics was a success for one big reason: it encouraged travel beyond the big cities. The tourism board hopes to bring back the waiver, and if you’re planning to take advantage, save time to visit Angra dos Reis, between Rio and São Paulo. This popular Brazilian vacation area is where Cariocas go to escape the crowds. “It’s where many of the country’s elite have their beach villas,” says Douglas Kight of New Canaan, who has access to several of these glamorous rentals. Significant changes are coming to the region. In May, Brazilian chain Fasano will open a long-awaited 54-suite hotel in a complex that includes a marina, golf course, restaurants, and a spa. The design is striking, with elevated wooden buildings that look like they’re floating, all with open-air terraces and views of the forest and sea. And the government recently pledged $8 million to improve the infrastructure on Ilha Grande—an island that’s so popular that they’ve had to impose a daily limit on visitors. —Stephanie Wu

The tides are changing in Honolulu. Hawaii’s capital is becoming a cultural powerhouse—in 2017 it will host its first Biennial, which will attract artists from across the Pacific Rim as well as celebrate Hawaii’s underrepresented artists. Check out the litany of installations, panel discussions, and performances from March 8 to May 8, when creative forces will transform sites like Foster Botanical Garden, City Hall, and Chinatown. But the cresting art scene can be found year-round. In the gritty Kaka’ako neighborhood, dozens of new Pow! Wow! murals saturate the walls of warehouses, construction sites, and burgeoning collectives-cum-galleries like Lana Lane Studios. Further proof the capital is becoming an arts hub: Even touristy Waikiki is changing, thanks to brand new art-centric hotel, Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, which collaborated with local artists—from the restrooms’ custom bird-of-paradise wallpaper to the Matthew Tapia–designed graphic mural at the bottom of the pool that reads “Wish You Were Here.” —Jenna Scatena

Nashville, Tennessee, The Music City, has swiftly become America’s sports trip of choice. You visit Nashville to be entertained, whether it’s listening to a band at the Ryman Auditorium or witnessing the fabulous freak show of bachelorette parties taking over Lower Broad honky-tonks for Fireball shots and make-out sessions with strangers. Increasingly, though, the main attraction is three sporting venues that all funnel into the party zone. This year, when your favorite NFL or NHL team plays in Nashville, you owe it to yourself to make it a full-on trip. Blame the upstart Predators making it to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2017. Thousands of hockey fans overflowed into the streets around Bridgestone Arena in the summer, and the national hockey press noticed the sea of gold. Since then, the Preds have become everybody’s second-favorite team behind their hometown crews. The Titans made the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2008, but there have been plenty of seats available for visiting fans at Nissan Stadium. Fans know it, too: One two-sport weekend, a tsunami of Chicagoans hit town, and -- legend already has it -- They drank the bars dry before beer could be delivered on the following Monday. First Tennessee Park hosts Triple-A Nashville Sounds baseball and the city’s new USL soccer team, Nashville SC. Won’t be long, though, before Nashville will make the leap past minor-league soccer. The MLS recently chose Nashville out of a dozen cities for their next expansion team, despite Nashville’s late entry to the selection process. The beautiful game recognizes a beautiful venue when it sees one. -- Chris Chamberlain