Paris steals the hearts of travelers like no other city on the globe. With its proud Haussmannian blocks and look-at-me palaces, its tree-lined boulevards and uber-romantic bistros, it oozes a style and pizzazz that other capitals can only dream of. Then you throw in the world-class museum exhibits of the Orsay and the Louvre (hello, … Read more
Mallorca sits like a pearl in the tiara of islands that is the Spanish Balearics. Rolling down from the craggy tops of the Serra de Tramantura, it drops to gorgeous bays of white pebbles and rugged headlands topped by stone pines. The waters are famously blue and clear. The beach towns are every inch the … Read more
Verona hits the headlines on account of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It was between the marble-carved balconies and cobbled lanes of this old city that the great English bard chose to play out his tale of love and tragedy. But there’s also much more to it than that. With the Alps and the glistening waters … Read more
Athens isn’t just about the Acropolis, you know. Yes, that mighty landmark is a must for first-time visitors. It shoulders its way above the metropolis with its 2,500-year-old temples and mighty Parthenon, heralding tales of the world’s first democracies and great wars that forged the map of Europe. But in the districts below – the … Read more
With its twisting canals and bobbing gondolas, its Renaissance church domes and coffee-clinking piazzas by the Adriatic, Venice reigns as one of the most iconic cityscapes on the planet. It’s amazing, but not just because it’s built on water! A onetime trading empire that spread to China and India found its epicentre here, which explains … Read more
Cool Copenhagen is one of northern Europe’s most enticing capitals. The birthplace of New Nordic cooking and a hub for Scandinavian fashion design and furniture craft, it’s a dream-come-true for creatives. Meanwhile, the legacy of Hans Christian Andersen – Denmark’s own – oozes from the charming old town area, where the cobbled lanes and crooked … 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
Nice is one of the jewels in the sparkling tiara of the Cote d’Azur; a town of beautiful people and beautiful places that strings along the glinting pebbles of the Med-washed French shoreline. Stylish and chic, yet also historic to its core, this gorgeous town attracts sun seekers, A-listers, and anyone else in search of … Read more
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