Niigata sits along the Sea of Japan on Honshu’s west coast, a place where long winters and bright summers shape its traditions and flavors. For centuries this region has produced some of Japan’s finest rice, especially the Uonuma Koshihikari variety known for its rich taste and texture. That quality rice helps make Niigata sake famous across the country, and visitors can sample more than 90 local brews at tasting spots such as Ponshukan inside Niigata Station.

Rapallo, set along Italy’s Ligurian coast between Portofino and Chiavari, is a seaside town that combines history, elegance, and Riviera charm.

Mâcon is a riverside town in the Saône et Loire department of southern Burgundy, set where the Saône River curves gently through the countryside. Walking through the town naturally leads visitors from the riverfront toward its historic streets, where the past seems to linger in every corner. In the heart of Mâcon’s historic district, pedestrians find streets lined with notable sites.

Barca d'Alva sits quietly along the Douro River, right at Portugal’s eastern border with Spain. Once the final stop on the historic Douro railway line, this riverside village remains relatively untouched by mass tourism. The surrounding landscape filled with terraced vineyards, olive groves, and almond trees form part of the UNESCO-listed Alto Douro Wine Region.

The River Nile, most often associated with Egypt and its ancient civilizations, actually flows through eight other countries including Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Kenya. It is formed by two major tributaries, the White Nile and Blue Nile, and is considered by many to be the longest river in the world when measured from its source waters in Rwanda and Burundi.