In the 14th an 15th centuries Dijon was the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy, which controlled a big tranche of eastern France, the Netherlands, Flanders and Luxembourg. The sumptuous home of the Dukes of Burgundy is still in place and is now a superb art museum as well as the city’s Hôtel de Ville. …
On the banks of the Garonne river, Toulouse has the nickname, “la Ville Rose”. That’s because so many of the city’s great buildings are made with a pinkish brick, giving the cityscape a look that you can’t compare with any other city. Much of this architecture was funded by trading the city’s greatest commodity, woad, …
On the Drac and Isère Rivers, Grenoble is a high-tech city of science ringed by mountains in France’s Northern Alps. To the north is the powerful Bastille at the start of Chartreuse mountain range, and threatening the city from the west are the monumental rocks of the Vercors Massif. If you want the great outdoors …
With a massive natural harbour protected by the peninsula of Saint Mandrier and defended from the north by the colossal Mont Faron, Toulon was made to be a port. The French navy has been based at Toulon for more than 500 years, while the Ancient Greeks were the first to realise the value of this …
The world’s northernmost Francophone city is just minutes from the border with Belgium. Life in Dunkirk has always been oriented towards the sea, whether through historic whaling and fishing or trade. The port remains active today and also shuttles passengers across the channel to Dover. But for you and me the sea also brings fun …
Iowa is nestled in between Nebraska and Illinois, in the heart of the Midwest. Crisscrossed by the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, the countryside is a gorgeous place to get away and relax for a few days. Bring your camera and admire the rolling plans and cornfields, and check out our recommendations for the best towns …
There’s no mystery why Centre-Val de Loire is such a hit with visitors. Firstly, the landscapes are heart-rendingly pretty, with vineyards sloping down to the banks of this broad semi-mythic river. And then you have the heritage to contend with, as the Loire Valley was the retreat of choice for France’s renaissance kings, who created …
World-famous wine, natural parks, heritage, pastoral countryside and acclaimed cuisine, Burgundy’s got the lot. If you want to know Burgundy’s rich oenology you’ll need days to see everything; this is the region of chablis, meursault and rully after all, and there are five official wine trails to follow. For history, Burgundy is replete with early-medieval …
Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands and serves as the capital of the Utrecht province in the centre of the country around 25 minutes south of Amsterdam. The city is an important religious centre in the Netherlands and has many historical churches and architecture dating as far back as the middle ages. …
There’s no question about it: Nigeria is huge. And just as the naysayers say size doesn’t matter, you realise that in West Africa, where just a couple of miles adds another fascinating tribal group, or that journey over the Obudu Plateau makes the difference between Guinean savannah grasses and verdant tropical rainforest, it really, really …