This place is special to me because it perfectly connects past, present and future. Attracted by it‘s myth I visited Bad Gastein. Located absolutely idyllic, 1002 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Austrian alps of Salzburger Land, there is a lot to discover: charming Belle Époque buildings, it‘s iconic waterfall in the town centre and the alpine scenery. The thermal springs made it to an popular bathing resort in former days. There was an endless coming and going of famous artists, royals, novelists and composers. After it has been temporary forgotten it‘s been rediscovered by young creative people, who became aware of it’s great potential. Little boutique hotels and alpine lodges with new concepts opened. Bad Gastein is absolutely worth a journey to experience this unique historic atmosphere, the new established urban chic, combined with the stunning scenery which invites to ski and hike.

This place is special to me because I have been creatively inspired by this place from childhood. Santiniketan is a small university town in West Bengal, India approximately 180 kilometres from Calcutta. It was the birth place of Bengal School of Art, a movement in the early 20th century, against colonial influence, which changed Indian art. Santiniketan school was established by poet-philosopher-visionary and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore which later became Visva Bharati University (1921) and attracted the most creative minds in the country and the world. Artists like Abanindranth Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar Baij contributed immensely to this place and to art education, embracing rural arts and crafts and an environment where art would be a part of life. The architecture of Santiniketan is unique and is a beautiful blend of various cultural influences fused with sculptures, art, music and literature. It attracts a lot of tourists as well as art enthusiasts as a hub of creativity. Classes are still taught in the open and nature and its seasons are still celebrated instead of religious festivals. My map concentrates on the main attractions, the multi layered culture and its inhabitants of this town – the Santhal community, the students, the flora and fauna. A trip to Santiniketan is like an art pilgrimage to me!

This place is special to me because it is unlike any other place I have been to before. Holmön is a small island with a strong sense of community in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland. In the process of moving through the island’s environment, working on student projects and engaging with locals, my classmates and I had ourselves become a part of its community.

The island is removed from the hustle and bustle of a busy outside world and characterized by its physical limitations. It depicts a place of excitement, exploration and powerful contrasts. The local climate is marked by large seasonal temperature differences which offer plenty of outdoor activities all year round. During the winter months Holmön has around 50 residents who are regularly cut off due to weather and ice conditions. Every summer tourists take over the island — more than a 1000 people a day attend the annual mail rowing and folk festival. My map gives a brief overview of selected activities the island Holmön has to offer.

This place is special to me because it was the city where I rediscovered my love for opera. City where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was set, Verona is much more than the city of star-crossed lovers. With its rich history, beautiful architecture and unique cuisine, it was enough for me to fall in love with this charming little town. But the highlight of the trip was attending one of the shows at the ancient Roman amphitheater. I still remember the way that the singers performed under the beautiful night sky. To end the evening on a perfect note, we ate the best pistachio krapfen (donut) at an amazing little gem. It only opened late at night but that didn’t stop us from eating one too many donuts!

This place is special to me because it holds my happiest memories. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to travel to France this past summer; it was my first time traveling overseas! My boyfriend, a Parisian himself, had always told me stories of Paris’ brilliance and wonder after dark. When I finally got the chance to visit, fairytales came to life while running under street lamps and glittering monuments. Those memories were the perfect way to prove that a long distance relationship is possible. Paris had among the most brilliant and colorful sights I have ever seen, and I hope to share them with you through this map!

Venice is the only place on Earth that brought me to tears upon seeing it for the first (and only) time. To me it is just such a unique and special place full of quirks, beauty and history. Flooding has always been a threat to this special city and coincidentally while I was illustrating this map, it was hit with the highest tide waters it's experienced in 50 years. A recent climate change study has said that if global warming is not addressed, Venice could be completely submerged by 2100. I do hope that we citizens of the Earth can work together to effect change so that this treasured city will not some day be only visible in photographs.

This place is special to me because 2 years ago me and my husband got there for our honeymoon. It was the first time we travelled to another country, visited a museum, ate burgers, drank coffee, walked through the Hyde Park - as husband and wife.
It was the best week we could've imagined. We visited a lot of museums, ate traditional dishes, laughed a lot and simply had the best time of our life.

This place is special to me because Portsmouth NH is my hometown, even though I spent half my life moving around the country. I finally did move back, and just about every morning I have the privilege of walking through this picturesque and historic neighborhood, which is the south end of the city alongside the Piscataqua River.

This place is special to me because it’s my home city. This city is an extraordinary blend of Tatar, Russian, and many other cultures. I love its old streets and memorable landmarks, the unique history and national cuisine.

My home town Liverpool is an extra special place! The waterfront is packed full of museums, history, culture...and of course The Beatles! One of the very best and friendliest places to live, work and enjoy yourself ❤️

This place is special to me because it's where my great aunt Hazel lived in 1921 when she was 19 years old. During that year, she ran a beauty salon and kept a journal of her life in town. Through my research using newspapers from the day and stories from the journal, I’ve gotten to know the town pretty well. These are my recommendations if you visit Austin, MN in 1921—sorry, I’m still trying to locate the speakeasies.

Ladakh is a mountainous region and the coldest desert in the world. In Ladakh the nature has rendered a magical, unbelievable and fantastic landscape which is extremely breathtaking.The culture of Ladakh is fascinating, intoxicating and captivating which can give us a brief idea about the people of the place, their lifestyle and their beliefs. The culture of Ladakh is quite similar to the Tibetan culture. .

This place is special to me because of its importance in the history of Greece, its glorious nautical past that can still be glimpsed through the old houses and monuments. It’s the birthplace of famous sea-captains and heroes of the war for independence. It also has the best sweets made of almonds and orange blossom water ever. It’s one of my favourite places in the world :-)

I was adopted from China and moved to the USA when I was 8 months old. 14 years later, I travelled back to see the country in which I was born. This map is illustrating my return trip. It's certainly not a conventional map, as it is very personal to me and my story, but I'm proud to show it and give representation to other adoptees like myself!