Given my fascination with European microstates when I was growing up, it was inevitable I would one day visit San Marino, whether or not it was a World Heritage Site. This mountainous enclave surrounded by Italy prides itself on being the world's oldest constitutional republic, and nowadays thrives on tourism. I counted myself as one of the tourists in May 2013, when I took a day trip from Venice to finally see the republic. The bus ride from Rimini dropped us off at the lower gates to the city of San Marino, near the top of Mount Titano. After walking up the streets through the city I came to the Palazzo Publico, the central square with the Government Building and the post office selling both postage stamps and passport stamps. I enjoyed the views from the city walls, but the highlight of my time in San Marino was the walk to the towers on each of the three peaks of Mount Titano. The views from those towers were spectacular, and I appreciated the museum in the tower on Cesta, which showcased San Marino's history with the crossbow. San Marino was everything I'd hoped it would be, and it was an unforgettable stop during my European travels in 2013.

Logistics: There are regular buses to San Marino from the Rimini Train Station in Italy, but the country and city can also be reached by automobile. A cable car connects the Sammarinese town of Borgo Maggiore at the base of Mount Titano with the city of San Marino.