Naples
Made in Cloister is a newly restored Renaissance cloister and exhibition space. Approached through a conspicuous door to the right of the Santa Caterina a…
Must-see attractions in Mediterranean Europe
Toledo
To get the ultimate photo of Toledo you need to cross the Río Tajo and climb the road on the other side to this strategic viewpoint. You can either walk…
Santorini
In 1967, excavations in the southwest of Santorini uncovered an ancient Minoan city buried deep beneath volcanic ash from the catastrophic eruption of…
Istanbul
Though it's a wonderful spot to observe local life, the vibrant Women's Bazaar isn't for the faint-hearted. Freshly slaughtered sheep carcasses swing in…
Museu d'Historia Medieval de la Cúria-Presó
Costa Brava
Set in the 14th-century Cúria (a centre of judicial power), this small museum provides a fascinating window into Castelló's medieval history. You'll find…
El Hierro
Soak up the beauty of El Golfo's rambling agricultural expanses from this windswept lookout high above. It's a five-minute (signposted) walk north from…
Eastern Mediterranean
This picturesque gorge, with its lovely waterfall and smooth stone walls, 45km southeast of Alanya, makes for a great day trip. Access through the canyon…
Mallorca
The Museu de Gordiola glassworks and museum, set in a mock-Gothic palace and named for a family that's made glass since 1719, has a glassworks on the…
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The majority of Santa Cruz’ sights and museums are within easy walking distance of the revamped waterfront Plaza España, with its huge circular wading…
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Sassari
Sassari
Housed in a 16th-century Jesuit college, Sassari's municipal art collection boasts more than 400 paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Of…
Northern Malta
Close to Mellieħa Bay is the Għadira Nature Reserve, managed by BirdLife Malta volunteers. This area of shallow, reedy ponds surrounded by scrub is an…
Calella de Palafrugell
Atop Cap Roig, 2km southwest of Calella, these beautiful botanical gardens contain approximately 1000 floral species, set around the early-20th-century…
El Cercado
Dedicated to the island's patron saint, the Virgen de Guadalupe, this tiny white 1960s chapel perches on a spectacularly scenic crag 6km southwest of El…
Trento
Built by a Venetian family as a summer house in the 1540s, this villa 7km southwest of Trento is one of Trentino's most beautiful historic sites. Frescoes…
Cappadocia
This tall volcanic-rock outcrop is one of Cappadocia's most prominent landmarks and visible for miles around. Riddled with tunnels, it was used for…
Castilla-La Mancha
Calle Mayor heads south up the hill from the cathedral to a magnificent-looking castle, which was originally built by the Romans and was, in turn, a…
Gaziantep
Initially constructed as an Armenian cathedral in 1892, this impressive building features alternating black-and-white stone banding both on the facade and…
The Central Basque Coast
A small museum tucked a few blocks from the river, Algorri gives an overview of the geological wonders at Zumaia's back door. Audiovisual displays chart…
Sirmione
Expanding their influence northwards, the Scaligeri of Verona built this enormous square-cut castle right at the entrance to old Sirmione. Rising out of…
Southwestern Sardinia
Just outside the historic centre, Iglesias' main museum is dedicated to the town's mining heritage. It displays up to 70 extraction machines, alongside…
Sulcis
Before heading up to the archaeological site at Nora, take a moment to stop at this pint-sized Romanesque church. Dating to the 12th century, it marks the…
Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia
Syracuse
The Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia is dedicated to the city's patron saint, St Lucy, martyred in Syracuse during the reign of the Roman emperor…
Padua
The ground and 1st floors of the early-20th-century Palazzo Zuckermann are home to the Museo d’Arti Applicate e Decorative, with an eclectic assortment of…
Trento
Once host to the Council of Trent, this dimly lit Romanesque cathedral displays fragments of medieval frescoes inside its transepts. Two colonnaded…
Cappadocia
This pottery gallery, in the alley opposite the post office, is home to Cappadocia's infamous hair museum. Yes, that's right: it's a museum dedicated to…
Centro di Documentazione sulla Sartiglia
Oristano
For a visceral taste of Oristano's headline festival, Sa Sartiglia, pop into this free museum adjacent to the city's Pinacoteca. Look out for various…
Nicosia (Lefkosia)
This domed church was built in 1695 and is thought to have replaced an earlier Gothic church on the same site. The exterior is built in Franco-Byzantine…
Palma de Mallorca
The oldest parish church in Palma, raised after the 1229 conquest, the Església de Santa Eulàlia is a soaring Gothic structure with a neo-Gothic facade…
Museo Storico dello Sbarco in Sicilia
Catania
The most interesting museum at Le Ciminiere museum complex, Museo Storico dello Sbarco in Sicilia sheds light on the WWII Allied landings in Sicily…
Victoria (Rabat)
This innovative small museum was founded by the Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria to exhibit treasures belonging to the Basilica of St George as well as other…
La Rioja
Built above the caves where San Millán once lived, the Monasterio de Suso was consecrated in the 10th century. It’s believed that in the 13th century a…
Antalya
Tucked away within the Yivli Minare complex, this fascinating domed structure dates back to 1377 and was beautifully restored in 2018. Its original use is…
The Veneto
Perched on the summit of Monte Ricco and looking down on central Asolo are the hulking ruins of a fortress dating back to the 12th to early 13th centuries…
Meteora & Thessaly
To reach this superb little 13th-century Byzantine church in a lovely riverside setting, cross the Portaikos river in modern Pyli, 18km southwest of…
Lake Maggiore & Around
Piazza Monte Grappa, on the cusp of Varese's old town, is fascinating for history and architecture buffs. The square was completely remade in grand…
Palma de Mallorca
Most of Palma's defensive walls were destroyed in the late 19th century to allow the overcrowded city to expand. Only a section of the Renaissance sea…
The Central Basque Coast
This museum explores the development of photography and moving pictures. Start up on the 4th floor and work your way downstairs, taking in displays on…
Treviso
Treviso’s old Habsburg prison has been reborn thanks to Fondazione Benetton and visionary architect Tobia Scarpa (son of Carlo Scarpa). Now its stark…
Mallorca
The family-run winery of Toni Gelabert produces some superb wines from callet, cabernet sauvignon and other dark grapes, as well as macabeu, chardonnay…
Mantua
Once the location of the town's vegetable market, Piazza delle Erbe is Mantua's most lively piazza. Its 13th-century Palazzo della Ragione sports a 15th…
