Imagine walking through an ancient forest so untouched by time that even the soil seems to rise and fall beneath your feet—as if the Earth itself were breathing. Welcome to Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Japan, home to one of the last remaining virgin beech forests in East Asia... and possibly the most subtly mystical landscape in the entire country.

Imagine walking through a town that looks like it leapt straight out of a fairy tale book. Pastel-colored houses with wooden beams, narrow cobbled lanes, and serene canals reflect the charm of another era. Welcome to Colmar, a gem tucked in the Alsace region of France — and one of the most Instagrammed towns in the country.