Just 35 miles and a few bends of the Danube River separate the two capitals of Vienna and Bratislava. That means you can gaze wide-eyed at the Neo-Classical palaces of the Habsburgs and munch on Viennese strudels come morning and then be walking the Old Town of Slovakia’s biggest city between the cheap taverns and … Read more
Barcelona might have the great Neo-Gothic cathedral of La Sagrada Familia and the bustling bars of Las Ramblas, but Valencia touts one of the most famous science museums in Europe, gorgeous urban parks, and – of course – that legendary spiced rice that is paella. Thankfully, you might not even have to decide between the … Read more
Cities like Vienna need to be seen to be believed. Grand buildings loom on all corners in a symphony of Baroque and Neo-Classical construction. From the Hofburg – the onetime home of the Habsburgs – to the elegant Belvedere, the whole city is a sparkling tiara of eye-watering wonders dating back centuries. Add to that … Read more
Free-living and downright fun, but also brimming with Golden Age art and fantabulous Flemish architecture, Amsterdam is a corker of an urban break destination. Strolling the UNESCO-tagged canals, you just get the feeling that the Dutch really know how to live. They’re either munching on caramel-glazed stroopwafel or glugging a cold beer by the tram … Read more
Madrid is the sleepless, spirited capital of Spain. Rolling out in the shadow of the Sierra de Guadarrama in the geographical centre of the country, it flits from moody medieval districts to chic modern areas that bustle with big business. The main attractions are vignettes of the Baroque and the beautiful, from the statue-topped Puerta … Read more
Draped over the hills and plains that roll around the Danube as it snakes through central-north Hungary, Budapest is the only real metropolis in the country. It’s the heart and soul of the Magyar nation; a town of rambunctious ruin bars and wild nocturnal districts, of grand Habsburg-era palaces and stoic castles. The whole place … Read more
Tokyo is the sprawling, seething, neon-hazed capital of Japan. A megacity of more than 37 million people, it’s a heady overload of ramen stalls and sizzling BBQ kitchens, manga emporiums and steel-dressed skyscrapers that sprout like a forest of trees across the midriff of Honshu Island. At least it’s a heady overload until you discover … Read more
At once party-mad and uber-chilled, elegant and easy-going, grand and gritty, Berlin is the ultimate city of contrasts. It’s famed for its majestic Reichstag but also for its sleepless techno clubs. It flaunts chic pop-up eateries next to casual bratwurst stalls. You can tour the leafy gardens of the Tiergarten before strutting the boulevards under … Read more
Hopping from island to island in the city centre of Stockolm is one of the most enthralling urban experiences in Europe. You’ll be drawn first to the fairy-tale lanes and cobbled squares of the Gamla Stan, where crooked merchant’s houses jumble down wonky streets before the great palaces of the Swedish royals. Next could be … Read more
Los Angeles is the city of the stars. The stomping ground of Hollywood and Universal, it’s one of the glitziest and most celeb-filled metropolises on the globe. You can strut down legendary lanes like Sunset Boulevard or go to see the glinting gold stars on the Walk of Fame, not to mention tread the actual … Read more
Valencia is a feast for both the eyes and the belly. Gargoyle-topped churches and filigreed Art Nouveau architecture grace the cityscape, rolling through the maze of the Ciutat Vella to bohemian barrios like Ruzafa. Everywhere you go, the scents of cinnamon and spice and seafood rise and twist between the alcoves and the orange trees, … Read more
The Paris of the West, the home of the Golden Gate, San Francisco is the epitome of liberal, creative America. It straddles the huge Bay Area across headlands and inlets and some lovely Californian coastline to offer a city of hills that’s washed by the salt breezes of the Pacific Ocean. Its patchwork of areas … Read more