Padua, Italy
Padua is stuffed with fascinating locations to see. Saint Anthony’s Basilica, with an impressive silver sarcophagus housing the saint’s physique, simply rivals Saint Peter’s in Rome. The close by botanical gardens, full of crops and flowers, are a pleasant method to cross a couple of hours. Within the morning, hit Piazza della Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe, for buzzy markets promoting the whole lot from strawberries to sneakers, or pop into the Palazzo della Ragione with its spectacular frescoes. At evening, each squares change into open-air bars and eating places for sampling native delicacies. When you have time for a day journey, Verona and Venice are lower than an hour away by prepare.
Berni G
Bologna, Italy
After I image Bologna, it’s at all times bathed in golden-hour gentle that makes its rust-red partitions glow. However what lies beneath the floor bewitches simply as a lot. Exploring the small and idiosyncratic museums of the college reveals historic courtyards. Diving into hidden doorways and arches results in secrets and techniques – or meals. Music and debate liven evenings in the primary sq.. And there’s the welcome. On my final journey I watched locals in impassioned dialogue, taking activates stools in Piazza Maggiore. Not trusting my Italian, I declined an invite to contribute, however gladly accepted the cherries shared among the many crowd.
Siobhan Maher
Lucca, Italy
Lucca in Tuscany has deep roots and plenty of surprises: a Roman amphitheatre morphed right into a piazza of cafes and outlets; metropolis partitions by no means breached in warfare, so now you possibly can journey a motorbike spherical all 4km. The town fascinates on each go to – from holm oak timber atop the Guinigi Tower to cartoon exhibitions. The music is eclectic – every day Puccini recitals in church buildings or worldwide rock stars enjoying the town squares or partitions. Its labyrinth of medieval streets recall the previous, but it surely has the flexibility to alter its face, perhaps on account of outwitting competing Italian medieval metropolis states to remain impartial.
Rosie Edwards
Melilla, Spain/North Africa
Melilla, the Spanish enclave on Morocco’s northern coast, is a relic of Spain’s colonial previous with a personality decided by its geography. Going through the Mediterranean on one aspect and the Rif mountains on the opposite, and hemmed in by a terrifying border fence, it's definitively multicultural, with Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities dwelling aspect by aspect with a big drive of Spanish legionnaires. The cityscape is equally numerous: streets of small Moroccan homes give method to extensive avenues lined with artwork deco marvels; it’s even dwelling to Africa’s solely real gothic church. Bizarre actually doesn’t come shut.
Digby Warde-Aldam
Belgrade, Serbia
Now we have simply returned from Belgrade – not like every other European capital and an sudden pleasure, from the flaking however charming previous city perched between the Sava and the Danube, to the brand new city with an astonishing array of futuristic trendy structure together with mind-blowing examples of concrete brutalism. Wherever we went folks had been unfailingly well mannered, simple and useful. Public transport is ubiquitous and straightforward to make use of (who doesn’t like an hour and a half limitless journey for 50p?), making the town and its unconventional sights simple to discover. Simple to get to by airplane or prepare, and a fantastic base for exploring the Balkans when you've got the time and vitality.
William Gage
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Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Plovdiv is charming. The gorgeous Roman theatre affords a backdrop of the snow-topped Rhodope mountains – we loved a day there, a pleasant marriage ceremony pictures session including to the romance. The custodian on the Bishop’s Basilica gave us a non-public tour of its acres of fabulous mosaics, and in all places the welcome was spontaneous and heat. We stored seeing timber and bushes adorned with red-and-white bracelets referred to as “martenitsa” – we discovered why when one other custodian put a pair on our wrists. Martenitsa convey happiness, and Plovdiv definitely did that for us.
Bruce
Cádiz, Spain
Go to Cádiz – Andalucía concentrated right into a densely developed, extremely photogenic previous city, apparently one of the vital historic settlements in Europe. It is stuffed with historical past, flamenco, gardens and bastions, towers and plazas. The standard of meals is constantly excessive, from a plate on the Mercado to trendy high-end eating, all emphasising native produce. Exterior the Land Gate is the fashionable metropolis with the miles-long Playa de la Victoria and a fantastic collection of chiringuitos, tapas bars and fish eating places. Or take a ferry throughout the bay to El Puerto de Santa Maria, the closest of the three sherry triangle cities, for a wine tasting or a go to to the three-star Aponiente or its extra modest sister restaurant.
Jane McGurk
Wells, Somerset
England’s smallest metropolis, Wells, with its gothic cathedral, is on the coronary heart of this tiny metropolis, with its clock which is legendary for its 24-hour astronomical dial set initially for jousting knights to carry out each quarter hour. Pop inside Vicars’ Shut, purportedly the oldest purely residential road in Europe, and admire the previous Deanery herb backyard. Stroll by means of the historic gates of the penniless porch to Wells market place. And go on a movie location strolling tour – the town has featured in lots of productions, together with Scorching Fuzz.
Hayley Robinson
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Essentially the most memorable metropolis I’ve visited was Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an extremely lovely, welcoming and culturally wealthy place with a lot extra to it than its tragic current historical past. From the historic and engaging bazaar – Baščaršija – that runs by means of the guts of the town, to the gorgeous mountains that encompass it, there may be a lot to see and discover. We encountered many variety folks on the pavement cafes, keen to assist us perceive extra in regards to the hearty native meals and the normal Bosnian espresso. It’s not a metropolis that appears to be talked about a lot, but it surely’s not like anyplace else I’ve ever been.
Rachel
WINNING TIP Tarragona, Spain
Tarragona is an hour south of Barcelona by automotive or prepare. As Barcelona’s poor cousin, in popularity and wealth, you can be forgiven for pondering it isn’t deserving of our consideration. However you'll be sadly mistaken. Every part is at your step and most of it inside strolling distance: seashores for these in want of their tan repair; an previous quarter to whereas away the afternoon ingesting vermut amid the superb Roman ruins (arguably one of the best in Spain); and a few low cost but beautiful bars and eating places alongside la rambla. We stayed on the great Resort Pigal, within the coronary heart of the town, in a double room with a balcony for £60 an evening in July.
Nigel Maguire
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