Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Best of all the Roman monuments in Vienne is this striking Roman temple right in the heart of the old town. Take a look at the superb Corinthian columns…
Must-see attractions in Western Europe
Touraine
Refurbished in 2018, this museum features exhibits on the art and archaeology of Chinon and its environs as well as contemporary art, displayed in the…
Museu de Arte Sacra e Etnologia
Estremadura & Ribatejo
The most interesting of Fátima's several religious exhibitions and museums, this has a wide display of religious art and artefacts from around the world,…
The Beiras
Get your camera ready. This viewing balcony commands huge views over the village's red roofs down to the baking plains below. It also looks up to an…
Nantes
Edgy temporary art exhibitions, events and happenings fill this old industrial slipway, shaped like a wedge of cheese at the foot of Île de Nantes'…
Lyon
On a 50-minute guided tour, learn about weavers' labour-intensive life and the industry's evolution, see manual looms in use, and browse the silk boutique…
Jean Massart Experimental Garden
Belgium
This 5-hectare garden in the Forêt de Soignes (about a 40-minute drive from Brussels) features a wonderful collection of 300 medicinal plants, with a…
Toulouse, Gers & Vallée du Tarn
Located in a turn-of-the-century cellar, this museum is dedicated to the fine art of Armagnac production; it houses a modest collection of vintage bottles…
South Cornwall
The city's cheap-and-cheerful covered market, good for a bargain browse. Shops come and go, but the current selection includes a pet shop, a vintage vinyl…
Alsace
A gentle stroll takes in the 14th-century, pink-granite ramparts, originally pierced by four gates, three still holding aloft watchtowers and bearing…
The Channel Islands
This sheltered, horseshoe-shaped bay wears two hats: on most days, its tranquil waters and white sand attract sun worshippers and swimmers, but some days,…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
Floral fans to Richmond Park should visit this 16-hectare plantation, a stunning woodland garden created after WWII, when the rhododendrons, azaleas and…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Tucked along a winding lane in the historic centre, the extraordinary façade of this building blends Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance elements from 1530…
St-Tropez
Sweet-chiming Église de St-Tropez is a quintessential St-Trop landmark, commenced in Italian baroque style in the 17th century, but not completed until…
RSPB Loch Garten Osprey Centre
The Cairngorms
Ospreys migrate here each spring from Africa and nest in a tall pine tree beside Loch Garten – you can watch from a hide as the birds feed their young…
Wallonia
A fascinating place to learn about the region's Roman roots, with audiovisual displays and a collection of objects from the distant past. Among the…
Cathedral of St Peter & St Paul
Glendalough
The Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, just southeast of the Round Tower at the Glendalough monastic site, has a 10th-century nave; the chancel and…
Malvern Museum of Local History
The Midlands & the Marches
Straddling Abbey Rd in the grand Priory Gatehouse (c 1470), the town museum offers a thorough exploration of Great Malvern's claims to fame, including…
Church of the Holy Mary of the Immaculate Conception
Aran Islands
Built in 1939, this small church has beautiful stained-glass windows designed by the studio of Harry Clarke and an altar by James Pearse (the father of…
Wallonia
This modernist glass cube of a gallery is the product of a rebuild for the city's tenure as a European Capital of Culture in 2015. It hosts temporary…
Namur
Celebrated local artist Félicien Rops (1833–98), born a few streets away at Rue du Président 33, had a penchant for illustrating erotic lifestyles and…
Skye
Raasay's first ever (legal!) distillery opened in 2017, and comes with a twist – you can stay the night here, in one of the six designer bedrooms in the…
Bath
Bath's second-most-visited museum has collections that include everything from Turner and Gainsborough to contemporary art. The programme of temporary…
The Luberon
Surrounded by lavender fields and beneath some of Europe’s darkest night-time skies, this observatory reveals astronomical wonders using high-powered…
Foz do Douro
One of Foz do Douro's most visible icons, this lighthouse stands on an esplanade, bearing the full brunt of the swells and storms of the Atlantic. Take a…
South Cornwall
A covered market housing craft shops, cafes, delis and an upstairs gallery. The willow-and-paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling were built for Truro's…
Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela
Commanding fabulous views, the leafy Jardim Público, north of Praça do Município, is a popular local haunt and a pleasant spot for a sunset drink at the…
Languedoc-Roussillon
In the fishing port of Marseillan, 8km northeast of Agde, you can visit the Noilly-Prat Factory, which has been making their famous dry vermouth to the…
Burgundy
The Renaissance-style Château de Cormatin is renowned for its opulent 17th-century, Louis XIII–style interiors (accessible via a one-hour guided tour) and…
Alfama, Castelo & Graça
Completed in 1534 on orders from King Manuel I, Igreja da Conceição Velha is the second-oldest Manueline religious building in Lisbon. Its facade remains…
Cork City
This covered walkway on the north side of University College Cork's Victorian Gothic main quad houses Ireland's biggest collection of Ogham stones, carved…
Lyon
Just west of the Confluence, Lyon's well-thought-out aquarium is home to some 300 marine species, including more than 5000 fish. Bus 15 links it with…
Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret
Antibes
In the centre of Cap d'Antibes, this serene, 3.5-hectare botanical garden was created in 1856 and showcases 2500 species – the perfect opportunity to…
Southern Scotland
Millport boasts Britain’s smallest cathedral, the lovely Cathedral of the Isles, which was completed in 1851. Inside, it’s quite ornate with a lattice…
Paris
Like something out of a Renoir painting, the largest lake in Bois de Vincennes is a popular destination for walks and rowboat excursions in warmer months …
Dumfries & Galloway
One mile southwest of Gatehouse of Fleet just off the A75, this well-preserved stronghold was the home of the McCulloch clan. It’s a classic 15th-century…
Dijon
A delightful place for a Sunday stroll, this 5-hectare park south of the train station encompasses the colourful flower beds and rose trellises of Dijon's…
Viseu
At the southern end of Praça da República is the late-18th-century Igreja dos Terceiros, all heavy, gilded baroque but apart from the luminous azulejos …
Lyon
Accessible strictly by guided tour, this wonderful old workshop houses looms that produce large fabrics. It's best visited in conjunction with the nearby…
Cannes
Expect to pay €60/45/70 in July and August (€40/30/50 in other months) for the blue sunloungers on the front row/other rows/pier of the super-stylish Z…
