Staircases can trigger conversations, provide a sense of arrival and dazzle with ingenuity, so why are they often overlooked?

After lagging behind its design-minded neighbours, the Norwegian fashion industry has finally moved out of its comfort zone and stepped up its game. We meet Oslo’s most promising designers and see how they are being taken seriously on the international stage.

If you need to get a mobility business off the ground, we explain why the industry’s movers and shakers prefer ‘built in Bavaria’ to Silicon Valley right now. Plus: feeling the need to get your beach body sorted in time for summer? Then check out the fittest HQ in Europe and why not take the stairs – we’re making a case for them.

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/magazine/other/issue-104/).

Show-stopping design firm Santa & Cole takes inspiration from the Catalonian countryside and being just far away enough from bustling Barcelona.

Offering the best in local produce and rare wines, Vila Viniteca continues the Spanish retail tradition of a no-nonsense 'colmado' in the historic neighbourhood of el Born.

The colourful collection of jars with pickles and fermented food pulls customers through the front door of shop-cum-bistro Thull’s.

Discover the charming city of Tainan in Taiwan that is tempting people away from their high-paid jobs in Taipei and Hong Kong.

The arid Yuma desert is home to a surprisingly plentiful crop. We meet the medjool-date technicians reaching for the skies in Arizona.

If you're in search of a good-looking city to provide a beguiling base for your start-up or residence, our design and property special will be right up your street. We've got all the other details covered too – architects to hire, trade fairs to visit – as well as our usual house-proud line-up of riveting reports and unique photography.

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/magazine/other/issue-103/).

Monocle Films has partnered with A. Lange & Söhne to uncover the mystery of how to create a sublime timepiece that will last for generations. We delve into the world of horology to see exactly how the masters do it.