In 2021, Nice became a UNESCO World Heritage site. Following the UNESCO’s recognition of Nice as the original “winter resort town on the Riviera”, some parts of the city – essentially the old town with the port and the Promenade des Anglais – will now enjoy a special level of protection. But it was somewhere…
Today’s post deals with a question that I have been wrestling with for quite some time. Why is it so hard to find proper parks in Southern Europe? Why are the green spaces there either overcooked or raw, either overloaded with ornamental features or scruffy and neglected – and why are these spaces often so…
If you are looking for a reliable way to date cities, here is one clue: look at the churches: If the town centre is studded with churches that look somehow Gothic but not quite (“Neo-Gothic”: overcooked in parts, half-raw in others), then the city in question is mainly a child of the 19th century. If…
I do not think that too many people will argue with me if I say that Marseille is not the most charming town in Latin Europe. Nor is it the most “easy-on-the-eye”. One reason for the city’s relative unpopularity is that it rarely manages to convey a sense of place. Marseille has neither the leafy…
It is a safe bet that most people, to the extent that they have heard about the Northern Italian town of Monza at all, have done so in one particular context. What are the Tragic Deaths That Have Made Monza Famous This is what has made Monza famous: the Autodromo, the fastest and deadliest track…
Rivers are the beasts of our natural landscapes: they can be fierce and raging, but even when they flow gently, when they are settled and calm, they always command our respect. Canals, by contrast, are their mild-mannered domesticated cousins: hard-working, dependable, and content with a life of quiet drudgery. Among these farm animals of our…
Milan, in many ways, is the odd one out among major Italian cities. It has no Centro Storico, that characteristic warren of buildings from different periods. But there is one particular element that is missing from the cityscape: Milan has no major natural body of water, neither a mighty river (such as Rome, Florence, Turin)…
Whether you are heading out for a few walks or decide to spend the happy holidays in the comfort of your own home: we hope you are having a lovely time. We will be back with new hikes, city walks and travel tips in the second half of January, following our brief annual hiatus. We…
For this post, our last before the holidays, I wanted to fulfill as many Christmas wishes as I possibly could. Which meant that, since I had no idea what anyone of you might want me to write about, there was only a single Christmas wish that I positively knew I could fulfill, which was my…
You are in London for a few days and looking for a “typical” local park where you can roam and relax a little? Here are six reasons why you should shun the famous public gardens in Central London and pick another park instead, one on the fringe of the town centre but still easy-to-reach by…