Wanderlust

It was when the Atlantic surf starting drawing me down towards the village of Skara Brae that Orkney really started to sink in. From the visitor centre, I passed signs that marked more recent constructions – from the Pyramids to Stonehenge – transporting me back over 5,000 years.

As well as its annual film festival, the city of Cannes on the south east coast of France is best known for its beaches, casinos and sailing scene. Newcomers, get your bearings by strolling La Croisette, a 2km boulevard that borders the shore from Casino Barrière Le Croisette near the Old Port in the west to Verdun Square near Port Pierre Canto in the east. The thoroughfare is lined with boutiques and restaurants – but beneath the suncream, poker chips and Moët, there’s more to discover. Here are five reasons to visit…

I highly recommend the beautiful Art Walk. Stretching for just over one kilometre, the walk is home to the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum, as well as a number of other institutions and buildings well worth visiting. If you're planning on visiting all three museums, I recommend you purchase the Paseo del Arte pass which is valid for one year and allows one visit to the permanent collection of each of the three museums. Nearby is the Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter). In the 17th Century – the Golden Age of Spanis

This incredible natural arch found on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast is one of the most popular places for holidaymakers to visit in the area, and it’s not hard to see why. Eroded by the waves thrashing at England’s shores, this limestone formation has been carved into an iconic arch. Eventually the arch will collapse into the sea, but for now, you can enjoy it in all its glory. Set right on the beach, it makes for a stunning backdrop for your day of fun in the sun. If you want to skip the crowds, however, visit in late spring or early autumn when there are fewer travellers. While you’re here, explore the coastline. You’ll find more unique geology at Lulworth Cove, seafood in the old fishing port of Swanage and award-winning beaches at Studland Bay all within easy reach.

In the luminescent twilight of a midsummer evening in Tallinn, Old Thomas – the city’s much loved mascot – stares down from the Gothic Town Hall upon an ancient, cobbled market square. The original weather vane, now protected inside the Town Hall, was presented to Tallinn in 1530 by the city’s Baltic German elite and is a relic of the Hanseatic League, a wealthy trading federation that from the 12th to the 17th century dominated commerce in the Baltic Sea.

With the night’s drawing in and the season of mellow fruitfulness in full swing, there's nothing like an overnight stay in one of Britain's warm and friendly country pubs.

Denmark’s second city is underrated, especially as it was once named the European City of Culture with its world-class galleries and museums. One of the most eye-catching attractions to visit is Your Rainbow Panorama, a multicoloured glass walkway located on the top of one of Northern Europe’s largest museum, ARoS.

When a town sits directly upon a river, like Stratford does, there’s no better way to experience it than by being right on the river too. Take out a rowing boat and you’ll get half an hour of waterway calm, and you can view the impressive houses that back right onto the river, some with their own boats moored at the end of their gardens. If you don’t fancy the effort of rowing, you can take out a motor boat or, for the more adventurous, a paddleboard.

In July 2021, UNESCO inscribed the Great Spa Towns of Europe onto its World Heritage list, recognising the impact these institutions had on shaping Europe.

Thanks to COVID restrictions, the annual foreign holiday in the sun has been put on hold for many Brits. But there is an upside. More and more of you have been exploring the UK, discovering ­– and rediscovering – the gems that make it such a rewarding destination.

The first of the trail’s five sections begins in Barcelona. Once you’ve explored the city, wriggle inland and head up Mt Monserrat in time for sunrise and views that sweep across the surrounding reserve.

Northumberland has two speeds. It’s just that neither rises much above walking pace, which suits it fine. As a child growing up here, that could be frustrating; as an adult returning after years away, it’s everything I wanted.

Slamming on my brakes, my bike came to a standstill in a country lane shaded by trees. A lone sheep stood in the middle of the road, bordered by 8ft high bushes. Looking left, then right, it baaed with confusion before galloping towards me and scampering up a bank.

Cadiz’s history goes back to its founding by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC, so it’s no wonder that historical sites are scattered around the city. Teatro Romano is one of the most impressive. Built around 70 BC, it is one of the oldest and largest Roman theatres in the Iberian Peninsula, although today, most of it is still under Barrio Populo. The Archaeological site of Gadir is worth a stop as it also takes you back to Phoenician time, while the Bishop’s House archaeological site runs through the city’s evolution, from its inception to modern times.

Set at the very western tip of the African continent and surrounded by water on three sides, Dakar is quite simply West Africa’s most spectacular city. In centuries past, the Mali Empire (of which Senegal was a part) was known as the Bright Country for its wide-open skies and savannahs – and while wide-open spaces are a rarity in metropolitan Dakar today, the city still shimmers in a crisp oceanic light, bathing all corners of the Lego-block cityscape in a dazzling glare.

Often squeezed into an overnight stop on a self-drive tour of Iceland’s Ring Road, the East makes a superb short break destination in its own right. With five days to lavish on the little-visited Austurland region, you can not only dawdle through the breathtaking East Fjords, but also spend time hiking in the mountains of Borgarfjörður Eystri and exploring the waterfalls, canyons and dormant volcanoes of the island’s rugged interior.

Even if you’re not in the city for International Beatle Week, there are plenty of Beatles-related things to do in and around Liverpool. Cavern Club, where the band played over 300 times, has become an institution and has live music seven days a week. The club’s Magical Mystery Tour meanwhile offers a whirlwind way of seeing as many Beatles-related places as possible, including Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane and the Casbah Coffee Club.

Some rules are meant to be broken. In 1932 several hundred ramblers and Young Communist League members trespassed onto the moors of Kinder Scout to protest the fact that walkers in England and Wales were being denied access to areas of open countryside. They were confronted by gamekeepers employed by wealthy private landowner, the Duke of Devonshire. Five of the trespassers were imprisoned.

Like Champagne, Prosecco and Cava, English Quality Sparkling Wine is a protected term – albeit a little less catchy – and while the south of England is garnering a reputation for its quality wine, fewer people are aware that Essex has vineyards, too. You can find out more about the business on a tour of Saffron Grange, a family-run 16-hectare vineyard near Saffron Walden.

The Hanseatic League was a wealthy trading federation that from the 12th to the 17th century dominated commerce in the Baltic Sea. For more about the League and some of the cities most associated with it, see our article here. But, with over 200 cities associate with the Hansa League, there are many more European cities with intriguing remnants of those days. Here are six more you should visit with a new perspective. 

Florence, home to Renaissance treasures, is a work of art in itself. Its ancient cathedral and churches are designed and built by artistic icons of the past, from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo. Visitors will feel its creative essence just by walking through its streets.