San Lorenzo: Rome’s rebel neighbourhood shaped by resistance, art and students

This overlooked quarter swaps the grandeur of tourist-saturated central Rome for murals, graffiti, cheap eateries and a working-class rhythm

‘Hearty fare, red gingham tablecloths and chalkboard menus’: my search for the perfect bouchon in Lyon

These traditional restaurants are the culinary backbone of this gastronomic capital, but finding the real deal means tackling offal – and red wine – for breakfast

How Porto’s gritty, industrial neighbour became a cool coastal hotspot

Matosinhos was built on fish, but today its retro seafood restaurants and canneries sit alongside great art spaces, museums and landmark architecture

‘The heart of Munich’s underground scene’: exploring edgy Schlachthofviertel

Butcher’s shops and dive bars sit side by side in a district where you can swap the touristy beer halls of the city centre for raw creative energy

‘It feels like an independent republic’: Madrid’s new arty barrio of Carabanchel

This traditional neighbourhood ‘across the river’ is where the city’s creatives are heading as the centre heats up

‘Neighbourhood renaissance’: once noble La Sanità in Naples is open for business again

After decades in the shadows, the residents of this historic quarter came together to launch local businesses and make the area an attractive proposition once more

‘The air resounds with a Babel’s Tower of languages’: why I wrote a novel based in Victoria Square, Athens

It once housed the fanciest shops and restaurants in Greece’s capital city – then it crashed. Now the area is reborn as a vibrant, multicultural neighbourhood

Cool bars and friendly vibes: readers’ favourite city neighbourhoods in Europe

These are the less explored corners of Stockholm, Amsterdam, Berlin and Porto that you’ve ‘stumbled into and ended up staying’

My search for the perfect bodega in Madrid

Good wine, cheap tapas, ramshackle decor and a sense of history are the key ingredients of these Madrileño institutions. I went on a bar crawl to find my favourite

‘We are not like the rest of Andalucía’: the rugged charms of Almería, Spain’s desert city

While Málaga battles overtourism down the coast, this ‘forgotten’ working port city revels in its outsider status

My search for the perfect Sachertorte in Vienna

The luscious chocolate and apricot torte is the stuff of legend in the grand, old world of Viennese coffeehouses. But which makes the tastiest?

Holy parades and earthly pleasures in Spain: Easter in Granada

The ancient city – with its gardens, hammams and Moorish architecture – comes alive in spring and its Holy Week processions are among the most authentic in Andalucía

On the trail of Peaky Blinders, Black Sabbath and the perfect pint – an alternative guide to Birmingham

As the Peaky Blinders film is released this week, we follow in the footsteps of the Shelbys, make a heavy metal pilgrimage and find the city’s best places to eat, drink and dance

My search for the perfect brown bar in Amsterdam

I swerved the tourist traps and went on a bar crawl of the city’s bruine kroegen, the cosy, dimly lit pubs that are the Netherlands’ ‘surrogate living rooms’

Zoning in on Ménilmontant, Paris: ‘bohemian, arty and off the tourist trail’

This former industrial quartier is now getting noticed for its community-focused art spaces, lively local bars and inexpensive north African food