Eisenach

Summer, sun, salsa—the Caribbean spirit of life has conquered Europe. It is a form of payback—as elegant as it is fiery—for the colonial fates endured by people like the Cubans. Toiling away to fill foreign coffers? That was a long-standing tradition here, yet it did nothing to diminish the island nation’s cultural magic. To this day, its proud self-assertion remains captivating—even as the economy plummets and power outages plague the population. As for dance, it has long since become a major export—not least thanks to ballet legends such as Alicia Alonso and (much later) Carlos Acosta.