On the coast not far from Coimbra, Figueira da Foz is a resort city with a casino, bars restaurants and an enormous urban beach. It’s a destination for doing as little as possible by day and dining and partying by night. Figueira da Foz has lots of palatial holiday homes, one from the 17th century …
Malaysia is the crowning jewel that lies at the very end of Southeast Asia, jutting out with the Malaccan Straits to meet the islands of Indonesia and the Java Sea. It’s a nation distinctly divided in two. On the western side sits built-up Malaya; the old stronghold of British colonial power that’s now buzzing with …
There was a time when Mongolia could have ruled the world. Up here, high on the plateaus that sweep out from the glacial Altai Mountains, the mighty Mongolian Steppe has played host to hordes of riders and footmen, all commanded by that now-mythic figure: Genghis Khan. However, the prophetic Turkic empire from the east wasn’t …
Affluent, green and residential, Saint-Cloud is a western suburb of Paris but isn’t very city-like at all. There’s boundless parkland and golf courses, and the centre of Saint-Cloud is so unhurried it’s been nicknamed “Le Village”. Go exploring and take a peek at the mansions behind gates on leafy, hilly streets, and amble up to …
Developed in one go in the 17th century by Louis XIV’s right-hand man Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Rochefort is a genteel former naval town overflowing with history. Next to the broad Charente river is the Royal Arsenal, which by the King’s decree had to be the largest but also most beautiful dockyard in the world. With foundries, …
West of Nice, Cagnes-sur-Mer is a seaside resort that seduces tourists with its 3.5-kilometre beach and chic new shopping mall, the Polygone Riviera. But there’s also a venerable side to the city, huddled around a medieval château built for the Grimaldis of Monaco. This arty neighbourhood was the haunt of many Impressionists, and one of …
The Provençal harbour town of La Ciotat is bordered by the mighty seascapes of the Calanques National Park. The scenery is out of this world, whether you see it by car on a twisting coastal road or from below on a sea cruise. The town also has a calmer side where there’s a string of …
In Burgundy on the navigable River Yonne, Auxerre is an inland port with a lovable old town and solemn churches that power above the skyline. Those old religious buildings are even more ancient than they appear from the outside: The Abbaye Saint-Germain goes deep into the Dark Ages and has the earliest Christian church frescos …
Where the Limia River arrives at the Atlantic Ocean, Viana do Castelo is a lovely historic city. In the old town, especially at Praça da República, there’s 16th-century Manueline and Renaissance architecture to win your heart. Behind the city looms the Monte de Santa Luiza, which can be reached by the longest funicular railway in …
In Aquitaine’s Lot-et-Garonne Department, Agen is a conventional town that doesn’t concern itself much with tourism. But that isn’t to say there’s nothing to see or do. The Fine Arts Museum is a match for any in the region, and the Canal de Garonne promises bike rides or boat trips along a verdant valley beside …