Seattle spreads under the gaze of the Washington Cascades before the icy blue waters of the Puget Sound. It’s a city at the mercy of the elements, with storm clouds and rains rushing over from the Pacific Ocean every month of the year. But it’s also a steadfast metropolis that oozes energy and culture despite … Read more
Welcome to The South, of which Atlanta is the de facto capital. One of the fastest growing cities in the USA, this sprawling town is bold, cultured, and brimming with fun. You’ll fill your days with fizzing drinks at the World of Coca-Cola (a whole museum dedicated to the country’s most iconic soft beverage) or … Read more
The twang of electric guitar and the bumping baselines of folk ditties are the backing track to Nashville. Welcome to one of America’s most musical cities. This is the town that showed Hank Williams and Chet Atkins to the whole world. It’s considered the home of country music and hosts the legendary Grand Ole Opry … Read more
With more than 3,000 years of trading history to its back and a story that includes everyone from the Romans to the Phoenician Greeks to Napoleon’s imperial armies, Marseille is one enthralling French metropolis. The grit and energy of the Vieux Port belies the A-list grandeur of the Cote d’Azur, but comes with other pleasures … Read more
Strasbourg has that tempting Alsatian blend of Germanic culture and French pizzazz. The capital of the region, it hosts some of the most important EU institutions of all, from the European Court of Human Rights to the Council of Europe. They bring life and energy to the town, which might otherwise have been a kitschy … Read more
The so-called City of Churches is one of Australia’s lesser-known towns. Usually content to let Melbourne and Sydney vie for the limelight, this one ticks over with a palpable urban energy and charm. Its importance comes from the fact that it’s the state capital of South Australia. That inevitably puts some bucket-list draws on the … Read more
Just a mention of the name Maui is usually enough to get any sun seeker’s or surf lover’s wanderlust valves a-ticking. This member of the Hawaiian chain has long represented that dream destination; a land of sparkling gold sands and stooping coconut palms that meet the pearly blue waters of the Pacific Ocean in style. … Read more
And breathe…Goa is where the pace of life slows down and the hubbub of India drops away behind the swaying palm trees and jungle-covered hills. It might be the smallest state in the country, but it pulls in a whopping 7.1 million visitors every year with its promise of R&R and good-time living on 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
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
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
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
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
It’s not big, but it’s darn enthralling – that’s the mantra down in Malta, a diminutive archipelago nation that’s washed by the warm waters of the southern Mediterranean right on the fringes of Europe. History in these parts talks of Turkish sieges and zealous Knights Hospitaller fighters. The cities – mainly Valletta, the capital – … Read more