You may think you don’t know St Louis, but you probably do; the iconic Gateway Arch is one of the most photographed buildings in America. This charming American city has a happy knack for feeling like home and you could easily mistake the guy in the street for your next door neighbour. Most citizens love […]

At the turn of the twentieth century, Belfast was a booming industrial port and the biggest city in Ireland. The Titanic was built here, at the Harland and Wolff shipyards, one of the biggest contemporary shipbuilders in the world. Then came two World Wars and the Troubles, bombs and religious conflict that marred the cityscape […]

Lying just a few kilometres from the coast of Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago are two islands on the south-eastern edge of the Antilles archipelago. Formerly a Spanish Colony they were British-ruled from 1802 until dependence in 1962. Today they have become one of the most developed Caribbean nations, whilst still retaining strong cultural roots and […]

Good-looking, refined and spectacular in spring, Canberra was little more than an aboriginal meeting point at the turn of the century. It wasn’t the obvious choice for Australia’s federal capital; rather, it was born out of compromise between Melbourne and Sydney. An opportunity to start anew, the city came to embody the hopes and aspirations […]

Summer in Finland is a golden season full of optimism, when the towns are alive with good cheer and festivals and the gentle warmth of the sun makes the national parks and tranquil lakes most accessible. Yet much of Finland remains remote and the harsh, icy winters loom just as large in the national consciousness. […]

Think of Brazil and think of the hedonistic festivals, samba bands marching in the street and the world’s best footballers playing keep-up on the beach. Brazil is carnival country, full of exotic flair. Certainly, it lives up to its reputation in many ways; but there are many other sides to this enchanting country. Business travellers […]

With an ominous yet otherworldly presence, Edinburgh castle stands sentinel on its volcanic crag, peering over the twin medieval and Georgian influences of the Old and New Towns below. To find this city in the midst of the harsh and rugged Scottish landscape is something of a surprise; breathtakingly beautiful by both day and night, […]

It was Francis Scott Key who, upon witnessing the failed bombardment of Baltimore by the British in 1812, composed the poem The Star-Spangled Banner that was later to provide the lyrics for the American national anthem. Baltimore has never forgotten its role in the revolution and sites like Fort McHenry are great places to explore […]

Bulgaria is a country caught in transition, slowly switching its gaze from west to east; hidden behind the Iron Curtain until the late 1980s, it is now one of the newest members of the EU. It is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s premier ski resorts, though Bulgaria’s most attractive feature is probably the Black Sea […]

Sofia is often overlooked by the travellers who go straight for the sand and snow of Bulgaria’s excellent seaside and ski resorts, yet the compact capital boasts two World Heritage sites and remains the cultural heart of the nation. Archaeological evidence suggests there’s been a settlement here for over seven thousand years, making it one […]

There’s more than a millennium of architectural heritage crammed into this breathtaking city, and its so beautifully preserved that you sometimes feel like you’re walking through a larger-than-life museum exhibit. The capital of the Czech Republic for more than 1,100 years, Prague was also the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor during the 14th and […]

Founded as a coal mining camp in 1859, the city boomed under the weight of inrushing cowboys and gunslingers. Little gold was found, but the prospectors stayed anyway and so the city grew. There’s still a flavour of the Wild West to be found here, particularly if you explore a little way beyond the city […]