Fairy-tale architecture joins hands with a rambunctious nightlife scene right on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea to make Barcelona one of the most attractive city break destinations in the world. There’s a little bit of everything here. Your culture comes from the glut of museums that showcase everything from Catalan painting to Picasso. Your … Read more
Porto is a pretty picture of tile-fronted homes and red-tiled roofs, dropping like a waterfall down to meet the winding Douro River. The second-largest city in Portugal, it’s proudly different to the capital in Lisbon. Here, in the lush green lands of the north, the city flaunts fortified wines and comes hemmed in by surf-washed … Read more
Strung like a tiara around the glistening Bay of Naples, this southern Italian jewel has been a favourite holiday retreat since the times of the Romans. It was rocked by the eruption of smoking Mount Vesuvius – the hulking volcano that overlooks the town – back in 79 AD, and you can still seek out … Read more
Tucked deep into the base of its very own fjord at the southern end of Norway, Oslo is an astounding city that oozes Scandinavian culture and real urban cool. Sleek, steel-dressed buildings crowd its harbour. A cutting-edge opera house that mimics an iceberg glows in Carrara marble on the seafront. There’s even a ski jump … 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
Straddling seven hills above the Tagus estuary, Portugal’s fun-loving capital remains one of the top city break destinations on the continent. It’s easy to see why. There’s fantastic seafood straight from the Atlantic. There are enchanting medieval sights like the Moorish São Jorge Castle. There are neighbourhoods of winding lanes and sardine-sizzling cantinas. Topping it … Read more
A heady cocktail of whizzing Vespas and serene basilicas, ramshackle fish bazaars and Byzantine artworks, Palermo is a fine welcome to the island of Sicily. Tucked onto the northern shores, it’s the same hubbub of life it was during the ages of the Phoenician Greeks, the Romans, the Normans, the Moors – the list goes … Read more
Combining more than 2,500 years of history with mouthwatering Lazio cuisine, ancient temples raised by powerful emperors with some of the world’s most exquisite art collections, Rome is the enthralling Eternal City at the very heart of Italy. First-time visitors are often sent into a stupor by the whizzing Piaggio scooters and the babbling fountains, … Read more
A jumble of pastel-painted mansions and honey-tinged churches that lurches high above the sky-blue Tyrrhenian Sea, Cagliari is the good-looking capital of the island of Sardinia. It’s not only an immersive city in its own right, packed with Roman relics, ancient ruins, rock-studded urban beaches and palm-threaded promenades awash with chic cafés. It’s also the … Read more
Perhaps you’re pining for a glimpse at Leonardo’s revered The Last Supper? Maybe you’re here for the Gucci boutiques and haute couture of the Quad d’Oro fashion mecca? Have you come to scale the Duomo? Or to taste saffron risotto? Or to breakaway to the glistening waters of Lake Como? Whatever it is, Italy’s grand … 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
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
Millions upon millions of travelers are drawn to Tenerife each year. Some come simply for the guaranteed winter sun in December and January. Others are allured by the gorgeous, glinting, gold-sand beaches that string around Costa Adeje in the south. Then you get the partiers and the cocktail drinkers, who infuse Los Cristianos with all-night … Read more