Rome's EUR District

CREDIT: UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES

EUR, which stands for Esposizione Universale Roma, has long been one of Rome's most curious neighborhoods. Built in the late 1930s by Mussolini for a World’s Fair that never happened, the neighborhood’s bizarre fascist-neoclassical buildings and monuments have starred in many masterpieces of Italian cinema. It's a must-visit for architecture buffs and those who want to see another side of the city — and in 2020, it's more important than ever to keep the dark history of fascism in Europe fresh in our minds. Lately, EUR has undergone significant redevelopment, with corporate headquarters like Fendi moving in, as well as the addition of a boundary-pushing new convention center called “The Cloud.” Designed by Studio Fuksas, the it’s brought a revitalized food and shopping scene along with it. And soon, there will finally be an upscale hotel suitable for business travelers and leisure tourists alike: the Hilton Rome EUR, which will open in a striking skyscraper called La Lama, or “the blade.” —Hannah Walhout