WORLD'S QUAINTEST CITIES

This hilly coastal capital has remained untouched. Due to the political upheaval, international brands kept their distance, which meant that it has kept its quaint appeal. It’s here you will recognise high streets of old – rickety trams rattle up the hillside and each store is a specialist, which only sells one line of goods. The result is an unhurried town that will send hipsters in a mini meltdown.

When JK Rowling was looking for inspiration for her Harry Potter books, she didn’t have to look any further than her home town of Edinburgh. The quaint Scottish capital inspired many a scene in her fairy tales. Take a stroll along Victoria Street, which with Candlemaker Row, became the main inspiration for Diagon Alley. Stop by the Balmoral Hotel and enjoy its award-winning afternoon tea. (Its J.K Rowling suite is also where the author finished her book Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.)

A metropolis it may be, but one look at the French capital and you have to agree that it’s never lost its sense of style. Enjoy a crisp baguette and a glass of vin rouge on the Left Bank, then take a trip through the arrondissements that haven’t changed for centuries. Peruse the tomes that fill the second-hand bookshops, then finish your day in the most romantic way possible with a boat ride down the Seine.

From the colourful wedding cake-style houses to the pastel-coloured Cadillacs, this UNESCO World Heritage City appears to be trapped in time. But now it’s opened its doors once more to trade, the Cuban capital is sure to see a makeover. So go and sip on a mojito, learn to salsa and take a ride in of those iconic cars.