Ascending 7000ft on Taiwan’s historic Alishan Forest Railway

The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved an increase in the allowed number of scheduled roundtrip weekly passenger flights by Chinese airlines to the U.S. to 50, up from 35, beginning March 31, according to a DOT order filed Monday.

This upcoming spring instead of just seeing historical sites in European cities, why not also stay in some cultural landmarks while you’re there. Major cities like Berlin, Zurich and Amsterdam have hotels in centuries-old buildings allowing you to immerse yourself in rich architectural details and notable surroundings. Here are four hotels to enjoy contemporary comforts and sleep in a piece of history:

Steam locomotives were a widely used means of transportation in 19th-century America, but we've mostly moved on to more efficient (and less sooty) ways to get from one place to another.

We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.

Brazos Valley, located in central Texas where the Southwest meets the Southeast, covers seven counties over 5,000 square miles. About 380,000 people call the region home. While Texas A&M University in College Station is the biggest name in the area, Brazos Valley is most defined by the small towns that dot the landscape. It’s here where you’ll find Navasota, the Blues Capital of Texas, as well as another side of Texas wine country east of the better-known Hill Country wineries.

West Virginia is a beauty queen of a state, with ragged mountains to hike or ski and white-water rapids to paddle. It’s also stuffed with Civil War history and charming small towns. To explore it all, you’ll need a home base. Here are the boutique hotels, camping compounds, and storied resorts we suggest.

Chicago, voted number one ‘Big City in the US’ by Conde Nast Traveler and third ‘top city outside of Europe’ by Which!, offers the world’s top-rated hotels and the best B&Bs, high-end spas, world-class cuisine, swanky bars, architecture, art, music, and of course shopping.

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One of South Africa’s pioneering eco-lodges, andBeyond Phinda Forest Lodge, has entered a new era as it emerges from a complete redesign.

Paging Capt. Kirk to the starship lounge.

Ferlach, Austria, is a hamlet of some 7,000 souls nestled in the Karawanken mountains to the south. It’s a land rich in forests, beauty, and gun-making traditions. Because of those traditions, Ferlach has become a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage community. Firearm manufacturing here dates to the 16th century when emperor Ferdinand of Austria had a vision to create a firearm production center in the region known as the Valley of Roses.

Taiwan, a series of small subtropical islands sat in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, is a destination known for its natural beauty. But these islands are also home to one of East Asia’s most exciting culinary scenes — one that has been influenced not only by the region's unique climate and lush landscapes, but also its rich, multi-faceted history. First inhabited by Austronesian-speaking Indigenous groups, Taiwan has acted as a cultural crossroads for over 500 years, having played host to Japanese, Dutch, Spanish and Chinese settlers. Now, Taiwan's streets sing with sizzling street food, are lined with world-class restaurants and boast dishes that cement the region's cuisine as a melting pot of ingredients and cooking techniques.