Dubrovnik - jewel of Croatia

On the Adriatic Sea coast in the south of Croatia, is the fine historical city and seaport of Dubrovnik which is Croatia’s most prominent tourist attraction.
Dubrovnik is a city unlike any other – its old white stoned and red roofed buildings are surrounded by walls also of white masonry, which run for two kilometres around […]

The Vatican City - the state within Rome

Within Rome itself is the enclave known as the State of the Vatican City, which is the sovereign territory of the Holy See, the Pope. It is the smallest nation in the world, and even has representation in the United Nations, as a non-voting member state.
Within the Vatican City you can find the grand Saint […]

Rome - The Eternal City

Now that the New Year is almost upon us, it could be time to be considering a spring break, and where better to spend a few days, just as the weather is finally turning warmer, than the wonderful city of Rome?
The Eternal City is built on seven hills, on the River Tiber, and was lucky […]

Bath and the Cotswold villages at Christmas

What could be more enjoyable in terms of Christmas shopping than to combine one of England’s most elegant cities, with some of its most picturesque villages?
Every Christmas, the beautiful area between the magnificent Bath Abbey and the ancient Roman Baths, is turned into that Christmas shopper’s delight known as Bath Christmas Market, with over a […]

Prague - a city break in a historical centre

“There is no reason to postpone your trip to Prague” – so it says at www.prague.cz, Prague’s tourist website. And with Prague in recent years becoming one of Europe’s most popular spots for a city break, there is good reason to take those words to heart.
Prague is considered to be one of the most beautiful […]

York - ancient walled city (Part 2)

In my last post I talked about the medieval city of York, which was founded by the Romans, and is one of Europe’s few walled cities.
One of the most fascinating streets in York is the medieval street known as The Shambles, with its overhanging timber-built shops. The Shambles gets its name from the fact that […]

York - ancient walled city (Part 1)

So many visitors to England confine themselves to London, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon, but I reckon that if you don’t go up north, you are missing lots of things, and one of those things is the impressive and historic walled city of York.
The city was founded in AD 71 by the Romans, but after their departure […]

Arles - walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh

Winter is coming to the UK, and it is as the autumn leaves start to fall that I turn my thoughts to escaping off to the south of France, where there are reasonably warm temperatures throughout the winter, or at least warm compared with England.
It seems that Vincent Van Gogh also found the south of […]

Paris - the most romantic city in the world

Claimed to be the most romantic city in the world, and popular with honeymooners, no tour of Europe could possibly be complete without a visit to Paris, which has such an abundance of sights to see, and things to enjoy that you could quite easily spend a month or more here.
Standing majestic […]

Barcelona - a city break and a beach holiday

The city of Barcelona, with its sunny location on the Mediterranean, famous Gaudi architecture, top nightlife, abundance of culture, and wonderful restaurants, has become one of the most popular destinations in Europe for a city break, with many people returning there regularly, and a significant number of Europeans considering Barcelona as a place to relocate […]