Meteora & Thessaly
Founded during the 16th century, Moni Agiou Vissarion sustained heavy damage during the Greek struggle for independence, though its central church still…
Must-see attractions in Mediterranean Europe
Cappadocia
Right at the top of Çavuşin's village ruins rock outcrop is the Church of St John the Baptist, one of the oldest churches in Cappadocia. While the…
La Gomera
The best beach in the Hermigua area, 5km northeast of town, Playa de la Caleta is one of northern La Gomera's prettiest black-pebble beaches. Framed by…
Iglesia de San Julián de los Prados
Oviedo
This early pre-Romanesque masterpiece was constructed during the reign of Alfonso II (AD 791–842). Beyond its portico and graceful pair of porches, you'll…
Northern Mallorca
By the sea about 10 minutes' walk southeast of Platja de Son Bauló, this necropolis appears to have been a Talayotic cemetery with 110 tombs (in which the…
Safranbolu
You'll hear the clang of hammers before you get here. This fascinating area is where the traditional metalworkers of Safranbolu still ply their trade and…
Cyprus
Located just 1.5km south of Pano Panagia in a beautiful setting 850m above sea level, this peaceful monastery dates from 1152 and features an unusual…
Extremadura
The 17th-century Iglesia de Rocamador sits on the east side of the old town. It was here, in 1497, that Isabel, daughter of the Reyes Católicos (Catholic…
Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Scale
Ragusa
The salita commendatore, a winding pass made up of stairs and narrow archways linking the new town with the old, leads past the Chiesa di Santa Maria…
Southern Rome
Wouldn't you know it! The pick of the three seldom-visited museums on this weed-strewn rationalist square is closed for 'renovations'. But just in case it…
El Hierro
At this cluster of small yellow-washed stone houses turned ethnographic museum, multilanguage exhibits on rural island life take in traditional clothing…
Museo Refugio de la Guerra Civil
Cartagena
Cartagena, as base of the Republican fleet and with an important arms industry, was the target of heavy bombing during the Spanish Civil War. This…
Granada
Since being expelled en masse in 1492, there are very few Sephardic Jews left living in Granada. But this didn't stop one enterprising couple from opening…
Centro de Visitantes del Torcal de Antequera
Málaga Province
This impressive visitor centre is perched at 1200m in the middle of the surreal rock formations of El Torcal. It has a information desk, a small…
La Spezia
This fine-arts museum in a restored 17th-century friary is La Spezia's star cultural attraction. The collection spans from the 13th to 18th centuries and…
Gran Canaria
The municipal gardens house the town’s main museum, which has a permanent exhibition by Canarian painters and sculptors, including the masterful Guillermo…
Asturias
One of Spain’s best-preserved castros (pre-Roman fortified villages, often considered to be Celtic), dating back to the 4th century BCE, lies 2km south of…
Evia
A 3km, one-hour walk signposted from upper Myli (4km north of Karystos) leads northeast to an abandoned Roman quarry (Kylindroi, meaning 'cylinder'),…
Granada
Linking the upper and lower parts of the Albayzín, Calle Calderería Nueva is a narrow street famous for its teterías (teahouses). It's also a good place…
Central Sicily
Near the village of Vallelunga, this is one of five wine-producing estates owned by the Tasca d'Almerita family, with some 400 hectares of vineyards, a…
Pavia
Looming over the old town is the red-brick Castello Visconteo, built in 1360 for Galeazzo II Visconti. Inside the forbidding ramparts is an enormous…
Cyprus
Just south of Akrotiri village, this centre has exhibits on the area’s flora and fauna, a wildlife observation kiosk and a short 2km cultural trail that…
Milos
Sitting at the end of a valley beyond Plaka in the north of the island, this pebble-strewn sandy beach is exceptionally pretty. The water is a vivid…
Spoleto
Spoleto's archaeological museum, housed in a 15th-century monastery on the western edge of Piazza della Libertà, holds a well-curated collection of Roman…
Castilla y León
If you take the N234 southeast of Burgos, a worthwhile stop some 35km out is the 7th-century Ermita de Santa María de Lara, close to Quintanilla de las…
Bursa
The finely restored Koza Han, with its leafy inner courtyard filled with cafes, is the most popular place to break your market explorations. The…
Eastern Mediterranean
Narlıkuyu's Mosaic Museum is in a compact 4th-century Roman bath called the Kızlar Hamamı (Maidens Bath). The wonderful mosaic on the floor depicts the…
Rimini
Occupying a large square in the centre of Rimini, these excavated remains of three Roman homes (the most prominent being the dwelling of a prosperous…
İzmir
One of Kemeraltı's most interesting pockets, this stretch of produce stalls links the centre of the bazaar with the Agora and the eastern stretch of…
Syntagma & Plaka
Tucked away in Plaka, this 17th-century church is worth visiting any time for its peaceful courtyard and beautiful interior decoration. On the evening of…
The Mani
Housed in a restored tower, this museum displays exquisite Byzantine pieces from Mani churches. These include a 12th-century marble templon (chancel…
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
On the northern fringe of the city centre, this park is a delightful collection of Mediterranean and subtropical trees and flowers, interspersed with…
Basque Country
A wonderful covered market that has all the fruits, vegetables, wines, breads, desserts and other ingredients for a memorable feast. If you're not self…
Castilla-La Mancha
Cuevas del Diablo is a vast cave complex with tunnels, a terrace overlooking the river, and a private collection of eccentric and historical artefacts and…
North & Interior Ibiza
From the tiny village of Sant Vicent de Sa Cala (6km east of Sant Joan), a steep, twisting road ascends a hillside before plunging to a delightfully…
Museo di Civiltà Preclassiche della Murgia
Ostuni
Located in the Convento delle Monacelle, the museum's most famous exhibit is Delia, a 25,000-year-old expectant mother. Pregnant at the time of her death,…
Skopelos
Housed in a doctor's 18th-century mansion, Vakratsa displays medical instruments, books, clothes and furniture of the era and is well worth seeing for the…
Andalucía
Situated in the desert outside Tabernas, this popular Wild West theme park has a certain dusty charm with its movie sets – which are still used for…
Museo dei Minerali e dell'Arte Mineraria
Elba
Rio's mining history dates from Etruscan times, with open-cast working continuing right up until 1982 when the mines closed. This museum charts that story…
Procida
Procida has limited beach appeal, but this long, narrow ribbon of brownish sand with views of Marina Corricella in the distance has a loyal local…
