Eight Spots for When You Need to Get Away for a Weekend

Generally speaking, you need a minimum of three days when visiting a new city. It’s just enough time to scout out a favorite restaurant, find the best must-see attractions, pin down a couple of great boutiques, and check out a lesser-visited, local-feeling neighborhood. In my mind, it’s the only way to truly get a sense of the destination—to know a place rather than see it.

But there are exceptions. On a recent trip to Africa, I spent only one night in Zambia: I wanted to see Victoria Falls, and there’s little else to do in the vicinity if you’re not keen on bungee jumping at one of the world’s largest crevices. Earlier this year, I had only two days to spend in Zurich before a ski trip, which proved to be plenty of time for this beautiful, immensely walkable, yet diminutive capital. Within a few blocks of a new boutique hotel in the center of town called the Marktgasse is an incredible bakery with a local crowd, a stunningly arranged shop filled with gourmet gift-ables, and a stuck-in-time tavern for traditional fondue.