WHAT LIES BENEA TH

These under- the- radar global hot spots are just waiting to be explored.

GET OFF HERE The Stockholm subway system does more than just move you from point A to point B. It also transports you through the world’s longest art exhibit, with works by more than 150 artists at 90 of its stations. Must-see stops include Rådhuset for its volcanic mural and Thorildsplan for its artsy arcade theme.

GO DOWN Some of Paris’ most historic sites live beneath the city streets. Book a tour to take a subterranean stroll through the Catacombs, the largest graveyard in the world. At the Louvre, skip the busy Mona Lisa gallery and head to the basement, where you can see some of the palace’s original 12thcentury foundations.

EXPLORE ARTFULLY Globetrotters, keep No Man’s Art Gallery on your radar—those who sign up online get an email two days before each opening night telling them where in the world the exhibit will be. Past locations have included an atomic shelter in Amsterdam and an abandoned cotton mill in Mumbai. Next up: somewhere in Tehran this May.

BARGAIN BASEMENT Just a few streets away from Madrid’s Gran Vía—which is often dubbed “Spanish Broadway”—you’ll find an off-off-Broadway option called Microteatro por Dinero. It’s a former butcher’s shop where you and 11 other people can catch a backto-back series of 15-minute performances in five tiny underground chambers. This shortform experimental theatre movement started in the city after government funds for the arts were cut due to austerity measures. “The first microteatro was a former brothel,” explains Joanna Wivell from tour company Insider’s Madrid. “There are a few in the city, and they’re worth seeking out. They’re also affordable—often four euros for each show—and Spaniards are very happy being in each other’s personal space. There’s no pretense.”