Art tips

The sound of clinking wine glasses floated through the evening air recently as throngs of patrons sipped chilled rosé and nibbled on cheese plates in front of the cafes, restaurants and épiceries bordering Place d’Aligre in the Bastille district of Paris.

There’s a soothing hum to laid-back Fukuoka, the largest city on the Japanese island of Kyushu. It’s hard to miss on a weekend afternoon as you stroll down Meiji-dori Avenue, the city’s wide downtown spine, passing places like the Kabuki theater Hakata-za and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Eventually, you’ll reach the slow-flowing Naka River, whose banks are lined with the traditional open-air food stalls known as yatai, a signature attraction in this culinary and arts haven.

“Marseille has a strong personality,” says tour guide Alexandra Blanc Véa as we take in the art of the graffiti-splashed Cours Julien district. A Paris native who’s been a resident of Marseille for over 20 years, she leads me down streets hastily sprayed with calls for strike action, to reach the grand, climate-conscious mural Man vs Wild. This piece by local artist Mahn Kloix covers the side of a house and shows a man in yellow trunks and flippers swimming to meet an enormous turtle.

Sugar-dusted beignets, punchy rye-laced sazeracs, and month-long Mardi Gras celebrations — the sounds and flavours of New Orleans are impossible to ignore.

Estonia has more unicorns than anywhere else in the world. No, not the mythical creature, but tech start-ups that have reached more than a billion-dollar valuation. Aside from its buzzy businesses, this compact nation of 1.3 million people is a trove of nature, off-grid oases, and UNESCO-recognized cultural sites. Here are top 10 ways to visit.

Medieval marvels in Tallinn’s Old Town. Lively street art in Tartu. Golden-sand beaches in Pärnu. The 160 islands of Vilsandi National Park. 

Going from strength to strength, Oslo Runway, now in its ninth year, is a reflection of the ever increasing international interest in all things Scandinavian, particularly style and design. Copenhagen Fashion Week might still be better known but Oslo’s annual fashion showcase continues to impress with innovative Norwegian designers who have a strong sustainable ethos. And this year, Oslo Runway has introduced the CPHFW's sustainability requirements, where all brands and designers participating must report on their sustainable approach, as well as signing an ethical charter for the fashion industry, an agreement considering diversity and inclusion for models and staff.

While you might have heard of North Dakota’s largest city, Fargo, from the Coen Brothers' 90s hit movie Fargo or the recent television series with the same title, the Midwestern city attracts hockey enthusiasts, college football fans, and those in love with the Great Plains to the Peace Garden State. With new hotel openings, the renovation of a Radisson Blu, and the opening of a community square—all taking place within the past two years, the city is reimagining its downtown area.

For decades, American and European fashion houses have reduced African design ideas to stereotypes. Now a wave of West African brands are asserting their identities by championing methods and materials that are woven with the designers' own narratives. “There is a wealth of knowledge and experience that could be lost if we do not evolve,” says Nkwo Onwuka, founder of NKWO. Celebrating craftsmanship that offers a window into countries like Nigeria and Ghana, these labels are preserving age-old techniques rooted in tradition—and building a global following in the process.

No longer in the shadow of its bigger sibling to the south, Porto is a vibrant hub of arts and culture, with top-notch museums and galleries, Michelin-listed restaurants and a beautiful setting along the Douro.

Historical streets, mountain trails, trendy markets and one-of-a-kind museums coexist in Colombia’s capital city, located 2600 meters (8530ft) above the sea.

At first sight, Lisbon is a colorful cluster of tile-covered buildings cascading downhill along the north bank of the Tagus River.

Fear not, financially challenged traveler, Bogotá has a bounty of free and economical things to do if you know where to look. Public transportation is cheap and much of the art and entertainment requires neither a ticket nor a tuxedo – it’s played out on the street. 

Sleek and sophisticated, the City of Love isn't known for being a cheap date. However, Paris has a whole heap of fun and free attractions even the most budget-conscious traveler can enjoy, ranging from free-entry museums and galleries to frenzied markets and canal-side strolls.

Auckland is a city with many faces. Known locally by its Māori name, Tāmaki Makaurau, the city has a cosmopolitan heart with some of the best dining, drinking, and shopping in the country. Yet, urban sprawl quickly gives way to landscapes of New Zealand’s signature beauty here; to the west, the forested hills of the Waitākere Ranges border black sand beaches pummeled by surf. To the east of the city is the island-studded Waitematā Harbor.

I moved to Spain about a year ago and at one of my first meals in Madrid, I saw a handsome young couple drinking some kind of unidentifiable light brown cocktail on ice with a wedge of orange and green olives. It was before noon and I was stumped. I had to know what it was. Vermouth, they told me.

Closer to Barcelona than it is to Paris, Toulouse’s peach-tiled roofs and long days of sunshine give its historic center a Mediterranean look, but without some of the high prices you might find on the well-heeled Riviera.

Istanbul is a bright and buzzy city where spice markets explode with color and streets vibrate with activity.

Ask A Local is a new series where we ask clued-up insiders to share their top tips for the place they call home.

Savannah is brimming with hospitality from every corner of its many squares.

Denver is Colorado’s biggest city and home to a major international airport. As such, it’s a popular jumping-off point for quick getaways and longer trips into the Rocky Mountains and beyond.