Angela Merkel, Germany‘s Chancellor since 2005, is Time’s Person of the Year, having spent much of 2015 leading the push to keep Europe’s borders open throughout the continent’s roiling economic and refugee crises. Time has dubbed her “Chancellor of the free world” in its feature, detailing the ascension of a woman who has, in the 10 years she’s been at the top of German government, become “the de facto leader of the European Union”—and the first woman to be named Person of the Year in nearly three decades.
A question travel obsessives may find themselves asking, then, is where on planet Earth does Europe’s chief go to relax from a life making decisions that will inevitably alter the history of the free world? The answer is on the volcanic island of D’Ischia, where Merkel has reportedly spent decades’ worth of vacation days. The seaside village of Sant’Angelo is known for being as scenic as it is remote, and D’Ischia, which sits in the Tyrrhenian Sea, boasts hot springs, vineyards, and a castle that dates back to 474 BC. Intrigued? Then you should really have a look at the photos.