An arty weekend in … Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway

A haven for artists since the 19th century, the harbour town of Kirkcudbright offers art walks, trails and a resident Rembrandt

An arty weekend in … Petworth, West Sussex

Lee Miller, Frank Auerbach and Picasso have all starred recently at this pretty market town’s eyecatching new gallery

An arty weekend in … St Davids, Pembrokeshire

In the first of a new series of art-inspired field trips, we explore the tiny city that is home to Wales’s first contemporary art hotel, Graham Sutherland exhibitions, and an epic coastline to sketch

Where tourists seldom tread, part 4: five UK towns with hidden histories

Heritage is as good an excuse as any to enjoy a pie and a pint. Here are more excellent reasons to visit places that rarely feature in the guidebooks

We took the kids to Corsica without flying – by adding three days of adventure

A thrilling tour of the mountainous island – with two small boys in tow – takes in beaches, culture and dramatic scenery

Rail route of the month: in the footsteps of railway pioneers through Austria

Our slow travel expert reflects on a milestone in early railway history as she takes the Railjet from Salzburg to Vienna

Off the Mersey beat: a tour of Liverpool’s unsung cultural treasures

A magical mystery tour of the city reveals brilliant art, architecture and stories – with only minimal Fab Four interludes

Immersed in sea, snow, sand and silence: a winter break in Lithuania

A 60-mile sandbar dotted with forests and icy lagoons, the Curonian Spit’s buried villages, elk and elemental beauty attracted Sartre and De Beauvoir

Mange tout: 10 of the best food festivals in France

From a 15,000-egg omelette and four courses of figs to a famous lemon carnival, here’s a foodie tour de France

Barcelona’s ‘other’ great architect: five of his finest buildings

Catalonia’s design gems don’t begin and end with Gaudí. The works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner deserve a closer look on the centenary of his death

‘It feels like another country’: a car-free break in west Cornwall

A shoreline-hugging bus route from Penzance and a cross-country one to St Ives come into their own in this exploration of the county’s historic, cultural and natural riches

10 of Ireland’s most charming villages

Some of the quirkiest, most picturesque villages are nestled in the outer reaches of the Irish countryside, which has helped preserve their character

Edinburgh’s dark corners: a walking tour of the city’s hidden stories

Invisible Cities’ tours take visitors to the Scottish capital’s juiciest and least-known stories – and with guides who have known homelessness, they are rooted in real experience