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
Walking with Norsemen on Orkney’s St Magnus Way
Viking history infuses this pilgrimage trail taking in wild cliffs and ancient dwellings and ending at the UK’s most northerly cathedral, in Kirkwall
‘Artists are moving here from Brooklyn’: Empire of Light puts Margate’s magic in the picture
The east Kent seaside setting for Sam Mendes’ latest film is now home to stylish restaurants and bars, and world-class artists
‘In Serbia, women shower men with nuts’: readers’ top Christmas traditions from their travels
Unruly Icelandic ‘lads’, mass football, kindly witches … our tipsters revel in festive legend and ritual
A spiritual walk on the South Downs: the Old Way pilgrims’ route
Walking an East Sussex segment of a newly devised trail leads to encounters with art history, ancient churches and natural wonder
‘Something special in the air’: new bars, art, music and restaurants are turning heads in Stockport
Creatives and a clued-in council are making things happen in the Greater Manchester town. Whet your cultural and culinary appetite with our guide to the best venues, bars and shops