Matera, Italy

The unusual structures of Matera, the unique prehistoric town in the deep south of Italy, with the pale stone walls and ancient cave (Sassi) houses sculpted into hills.

The Basilicata jewel eventually became the European Capital of Culture 2019 in Bulgaria last year, along with Plovdiv. This was the result alone of an endless series of events and festival events that were held over La Città Sotterranea and many of the abandoned grottoes made of calcareous grottoes, galleries, and restaurants.

It's worth taking the time to enjoy the untouched beauty of the city, however. Spend an afternoon in Sassi di Matera, in a maze of narrow alleys, walking stairways, and lovely small courtyards (the UNESCO-protected old part of the city). Then a visit to a few of the many churches of the Rupestrian period, which have been cut into the rock and painted with centuries-old frescoes.

Greenland

The stunning rocky fjords, magnificent glaciers, and calm, vibrant towns are one of the best places to see in 2020 – for the lovers at least of the Arctic Circle.

Greenland is as thrilling as it is remote, a huge elegant island between Iceland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is technically an autonomous constituent nation of the Kingdom of Denmark, although it is a geographical part of North America. It has its own peculiar and fascinating Inuit community.

There are no roads between cities, so it's neither easy nor cheap to get around. Your visit to the biggest non-continental island in the world can nevertheless be remembered for all the right reasons with some preparation or the support of a local travel company.

Depending on the season, visitors can fly between icebergs in the midnight light, kayak through icefields, explore the barren Greenland Ice Sheet (covering 80 per cent of the surface of the snow), and experience tremendous biodiversity in the world's largest National Park, from arctic foxes and wolves to wales and poles (Northeast Greenland National Park). Greenland has great walking, heli-skiing, and whale-wat possibilities as well

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

This group of islands off the west bank of Scotland is the one you can watch in the next year if you are looking for robust natural beauty and genuine local knowledge.

The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, are an unforeseen mixture of unspoilt Caribbean beaches, Northern lights, and Gaelic history that has been carefully protected.

You can spend hours walking across open fields, through swathes of moorlands full of wildflowers and along epic winding seaside paths. The air is cool, the vistas are endless, and nature's silence is soul bake.

Hurrying is meaningless in such a place, nor is technology. Using the leisure of life, have a drink in a bizarre local pub and enjoy some of Britain's finest seafood and farm-to-table foods.

The islands are renowned for their rich life of birds and their enigmatic archaeological sites. Lewis is host to the famed Hebridean Celtic Festival and the Callanish Stones, which are older than Stonehenge and almost as intriguing; North Uist abounds with wildlife; the airport It's the only beach in the world that is on Barra Island as a flush; Harris is proud of some of Britain's finest beaches – look iridescent teal seas and miles of pure sugar-white sand.

Azores, Portugal

There are innumerable reasons for visiting Portugal. Your 2020 tour schedule does not go further than the Aces, but it involves plunging into bubbling geothermal springs and discovering lost-in-time fishing villages.

This far-flung archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic is as nowhere else on the globe with its lavish lord of the Rings scenery, it’s blackened volcanic beaches, and its shades of blue. Dubbed "the Hawaiians of Europe," it's a land of stunning natural wonders, a culture of supreme adventure.

Its nine volcanic islands, each of which has its own character and geography, offer everything from lovely colonial Portuguese architecture to foreign surfing and unrivalled whale observation. São Miguel is a paradise for walkers and sea lovers, the best and most diverse, while the next one is Pico, home of the spectacular volcanic caves and rocky vineyards of Portugal and the highest mountain of its kind. Faial has some of the best beaches on the archipelago and is renowned for its colourful festivals and the UNESCO capital, Angra do Heroísmo.

Everywhere you go, you will find great walking, a comfortable setting, delicious food and oodles of picturesque Iberian charm. Owing to the island's diverse aquatic fauna and flora and many underwater caves, snorkelling is also excellent. In a volcano, you can also walk or visit Europe's only tea plantation.