Vibrantly colored buildings line the cobblestone streets of San Miguel de Allende, a romantic city with 16th-century origins nestled among central Mexico's Sierra Madre Mountains in the Guanajuato state, about 170 miles northwest of Mexico City.  Through the past 50 years, this quaint city has evolved into a respite for expats, and a popular destination for tourists looking to delve into the music, food, and arts scene of off-the-beaten-path Mexico.  It's easy to swoon over the 500-year-old colonial city's narrow walkways, baroque architecture and artisan shops selling plenty of crafts, jewelry, and handmade accessories. Breaks from shopping can be spent exploring the city's defining Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel church, taking classes at the well-recognized Instituto Allende art school, or discovering handcrafted Mexican masks at the Another Face of Mexico mask museum.  Once full of wealth from nearby silver mines, the UNESCO World Heritage city was left dilapidated after multiple wars (the early 20th century's Mexican Revolution among them). In 1937, Chicago native Stirling Dickinson stumbled upon the small town, established an artist's colony and quickly got San Miguel's renaissance off the ground. Today, evidence of that compelling re-emergence can be seen tucked into every lively corner of the diverse, arts-driven destination.  The town is known for its fine hotels and B&Bs, quaint restaurants and fine boutique shops purveying a wide assortment of articles from arts and crafts, to fine clothes and jewelry. San Miguel is a magical and lively place to visit and has TWICE been named “Best Small City in the World”.