Latest City Breaks

Amsterdam

It’s not difficult to see why people keep coming back to Amsterdam year after year. One of Europe’s most laid-back and tolerant of cities, it’s a place where anything and everything goes. And the stuff that doesn’t go by bike goes by canal. Take a deep breath and launch yourself in. But try not to inhale too much.

Must See:
There’s only one place to see the world’s largest collection of the master’s original works. Amsterdam’s post-modern Van Gogh Museum chronicles his life, work and sheer brilliance.

Events:
23-20 November 2008 – pAn Amsterdam Antiques Fair
Holland’s premier, week-long fair dedicated to the finest antiquities from the low countries and far beyond.

30 April 2009 – Queens Day
Any old excuse for a knees-up, Amsterdam’s largest open-air party celebrates the birthday of the Dutch Queen Mother.

Basle

Visit Basle (or Basel) and you’ll discover why it’s so good they named it twice. Sitting just inside Switzerland but on the border with both France and Germany, it’s a town with many faces – and many influences. Despite its modern role as a centre of commerce and transport, a system of quaint ferryboats is still used to cross the Rhine, which splices the city in two.

Must See:
Take in a sweeping panorama of the whole city and the River Rhine below from the opulent heights of the Bar Rouge, perched on the 32nd floor of Switzerland’s tallest building, the Basler Messeturm.

Events:
25 October – 9 November 2008 – Basle Autumn Fair
Spread over seven different squares in the city centre, this festival has something for everyone: rides, markets, music food and more.

25 November – 23 December 2008 – Basle Christmas Market
In the heart of the Old Town, in over 140 brightly lit stalls and wooden houses, dealers and handicraft workers from across Switzerland offer their wares and demonstrate their skills.

2 March – 4 March 2009 – Basle Carnival
Over three days in Lent, Basel is transformed with the traditional sights and sounds of piccolos and drums, lantern parades and a heady atmosphere of celebration.

Copenhagen

Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen has a lot to live up to... and it’s worthy of the title. As one of the world’s most livable waterfront cities, it has no fewer than 11 Michelin starred restaurants and over 8km of sandy beaches within a 30 minute bike ride from the city centre. So you can have a large lunch and burn it all off afterwards.

Must See:
Forget the Little Mermaid and take a trip across the Oresund Bridge – the world’s longest border crossing – which links Copenhagen with Malmo in Sweden... a real engineering feat.

Events
14 November – 30 December – Tivoli Christmas Market
Copenhagen’s traditional amusement park is transformed for the yuletide season with no fewer than four Christmas market ‘villages’ - Nordic Village, Alp Village, Forest Troll Town and even Old England.

2-5 July 2009 - Roskilde Festival
One of the legendary stops on Europe’s summer festival circuit, Roskilde is a short 22 mile hop from Copenhagen... make the trip and you get treated to a host of top names on six different stages.

Frankfurt

Continental Europe’s financial capital attracts more than bankers in their skyscrapers. Frankfurt (or Frankfurt am Main, to give it its full title) is home not just to some of Germany’s most powerful companies, but to five different festivals and 20-or-so important museums, not to mention the world’s largest motor show and book fair.

Must See:
Take in the city from the comfort of your very own saddle. The railway company Deutsche Bahn will hire a heavy but serviceable two-wheeler to you for the princely sum of €15 a day.

Events
15-19 October 2008 – Frankfurt Book Fair
With 500 years of heritage (not to mention 250,000 visitors) the Frankfurt Book Fair is a must for bookworms and anyone with an interest in European literature.

26 November – 21 December 2008 – Christmas Fair
Dating back to the 14th Century, this fair is one of the biggest and oldest in Germany, transforming the entire Old Town centre into a Christmas wonderland, complete with a 100-foot tree.

Geneva

Remarkably self-assured, Geneva is a city with very little to prove. Take a beautiful natural setting, add well-heeled citizens and a touch of civic pride, throw in handy access for some of Europe’s very best skiing – and you have the kind of place where you could happily spend longer than a long weekend.

Must See:
Head for the lake (you can’t miss it) and, on a gusty day, you can feel the mist created by the Jet d’Eau, the huge 140-metre natural fountain standing guard at the meeting point of Lake Geneva and the Rhone.

Events
12- 14 December 2008 – L’Escalade
One of the oldest celebrations in the city, L’Escalade has more than its fair share of pomp and circumstance, not to mention fancy dress. The whole town dresses up, goes on procession and lets its hair down!

July 2009 – Montreux Jazz Festival
Catch the groove... and join 200,000 music fans who head across to Montreux on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, home to the world-famous Jazz Festival since 1967, for a whole lot more than jazz.

Helsinki

Perched at the north-eastern edge of the Baltic, the ultra-cool Finnish capital has curiously mild climate, with particularly long summer days to enjoy – and plenty of coastline to explore. With graceful city streets and a vibrant mix of classical and modern architecture, it’s pleasing on the eye, too.

Must See:
Visit the pristine (and enormous) Helsinki Cathedral – you’ll be drawn to it, we promise – and discover why this symbol has helped the place become known as The White City of the North.

Events
October 2008 – Helsinki Baltic Herring Fair
Every October for over 200 years, the city’s market Square has been given over to celebration of the humble herring in all its forms. Taste – and you will believe!

30 April – 1 May 2009 – May Day
If vibrant street parties are your thing, book yourself a prime slot in Helsinki on Walpurgis Night (30 April) to herald the arrival of Spring in no uncertain terms!

Milan

Proudly proclaiming itself Europe's creative capital, Milan is a city steeped in pleasure, where shopping isn’t just a lifestyle but practically a religion. And the place offers doses of life and style in equal measure, with a throbbing club scene and delicious restaurants cheek-by-jowl with the biggest names in Italian fashion and design.

Must See:
Check out the view from the roof of Milan’s central hub, the Duomo, which is topped-off by the Madonnina (little Madonna), who looks protectively down and over the city.

Events
December 2008 - Oh Bej! Oh Bej!
The annual Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Celebration (a local mispronunciation of ‘che belli’ or ‘so beautiful’) around the Basilica of St Ambrose is a classy Milanese Christmas Fair... and neatly coincides with the opening of the winter season at La Scala opera.

Nice

Right in the heart of the action on the pulsating (and pricey) Cote d’Azur, Nice is perhaps the French city in which to see and be seen. It boasts not only some of France’s most golden beaches (and most golden people) but a blinged-up waterfront of superyachts, WAG-stuffed boutiques for super-shopping and achingly trendy clubs and cocktail bars.

Must See:
It’s impossible to be an Englishman abroad in Nice and not do the celebrated walk along the Promenade des Anglais – named in your honour.

Events
14-22 November 2008 – Nice Manca Music Festival
This music festival takes place not just in Nice but in nearby Monaco and Grasse, with a diverse concert programme enhanced by Les Mini Manca, a musical workshop series for children.

28th – 30th December 2008 – Christmas Star International Regatta
If you like messing about in boats (or just watching), this Olympic-level competition will feature around 35 crews drawn from across the world.

13 February – 1 March 2009 – Nice Carnival
One of the key events on the French Riviera in the ‘quiet season’, the Nice Carnival celebrates its 125th anniversary with a suitably understated theme - ‘King of Masquerades’.

Paris

The City of Light has every right to call itself a World City. Famously seductive, with a picture postcard scene on every corner, it boasts a legion of the planet’s most romantic spots – and is the one place you’ll want to dine in, schmooze in, propose in, wake up in, relish the view in and come back to time after time after time.

Must See:
If you haven’t the time to walk the city on foot, do it by boat in one of the famous Bateaux Mouches that ply the Seine and take in most of the sights in around an hour or so.

Events
29 October – 2 November 2008 – Le Salon du Chocolat
Chocoholics of the world unite! Beneath the Louvre, this annual event draws choc enthusiasts from around the globe, including exhibitions, children’s events, and, yes, tastings.

29 January – 1 February 2009 – World Circus Festival of Tomorrow
This yearly gathering offers fans a fabulous opportunity to see top international circus acts together under one roof, including stars from the Beijing Circus and the Moscow Circus.

14 July 2009 – Bastille Day
The main state celebration of the French Republic is a massive national holiday, with dancing, parties and balls all over the city – not to mention a world-famous military parade and a huge firework display to top it all off.

Prague

Join the revolutionaries with a trip to one of Europe’s most naturally beautiful cities; scene of grand imperial architecture, popular uprisings and, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, quite a few movies (including Mission Impossible). Have a Prague Spring and you’ll have a ball. Even in October.

Must See:
Don’t leave Prague without first paying homage to Wenceslas Square where tens of thousands jangled their keys together to call for their freedom back in 1989.

Events
5th December 2008 – Mikulas (St. Nicholas’s Day)
Christmas comes early in Prague – or at least, as part of the Prague Christmas Markets extravaganza – when multiple Father Christmases, devils and angels roam the Old Town to determine whether children are good enough for presents...

28 March-19 April 2009 – Prague Easter Markets
Open daily for three weeks, Prague Easter Markets feature a selection of handcrafted goods and brightly coloured, hand-painted Easter eggs, not to mention delicious local delicacies, from hot sausages to ice-cold Pilsner.

May-June 2009 - Prague Spring International Music Festival
One of Europe’s premier classical music festivals, the Prague Spring draws symphony and chamber orchestras and solo performers from around the world – not to mention opening and closing performances by the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

Rome

Need to put a bit of latin passion back in your life? Bank on the Eternal City to give you a full-frontal booster of la dolce vita. And an opportunity to put on serious weight. Rome is a feast for all the senses in every respect, with history, pre-history and the pontiff himself, all served-up in a stylish 21st century wrapper.

Must See:
In a city of must-sees, the recently restored Sistine Chapel ceiling – Michelangelo’s ultimate masterpiece – will take your breath away. But the dress code is strict. Gentlemen, like the Old Master himself, must wear long trousers.

Events
9th March 2009 – The Blessing of the Cars
Fly to Rome and spectate at the legendary Blessing of the Cars at the Santa Francesca Romana church near the Colosseum... offering divine intercession and protection for pious drivers!

Stockholm

Effortlessly civilised, Stockholm is a magnificent island archipelago just waiting to be explored... with crisp (if chilly) weather, fabulously quaint boutiques, endless cobbled alleyways, warm, welcoming restaurants and – naturally – amazingly attractive people of both sexes. What’s not to like?

Must See:
Take a healthy stroll along Strandvagen in search of the Vasamuseet... a whole museum dedicated to the warship Vasa... a complete, fabulously rescued and restored 17th century fighting machine that originally sank on its maiden voyage...

Events
10th December 2008 – Nobel Prize Day
Although not a public event, this is the day to be in Stockholm, even if it’s just to soak up the atmosphere, as the Nobel prizes for literature, physics, chemistry and economics are awarded at the Stockholm Concert Hall.