Outdoor theatre and cinema in Europe and the UK: readers’ travel tips

Balmy evenings in southern Europe are favourites for open-air films, while the Cornish coast and city parks host UK theatre – with plenty of Bottom and Titania ...

My favourite memories of France: readers’ travel tips

Stolen kisses, wooden sailing boats, vintage bicyclettes and champagne: our tipsters recall the joie de vivre of their French holidays

10 of the best books set in Ireland – that will take you there

Explore Ireland’s history and culture through these tales of loss and love by Sally Rooney, Edna O’Brien, Colm Tóibín and more

Italy’s remote villages now make an ideal escape

With Italians holidaying at home post-lockdown but wary of busy hotspots, the country’s historic but often half-empty villages are emerging from the shadows

The dashing Russian adventurer who fought to save indigenous lives

Lauded by Tolstoy and idolised by the Soviet Union, Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay campaigned for the suppression of slavery and challenged deceitful Europeans

How to celebrate the summer solstice virtually

There may not be any gatherings around ancient stones this year but the longest day is being marked with free online festivals and activities

My favourite memories of Spain: readers’ travel tips

Fairytale fortresses, shrimp fritters and sherry, ancient landscapes and illicit romance … our readers rekindle the magic of Spain

10 of the best books set in India – that will take you there

Tired of narratives that obsess over spices, colours and cows on the road? These books, all by Indian writers, paint realistic pictures of the country’s geographical, cultural and political landscapes

Dreams of Italy: readers’ travel tips

A friendly football bar, the ‘real’ sword in the stone, plus walks, festivals and fantastic food ... you responded in droves to our request for Italian highlights

10 of the best Latin American novels – that will take you there

From the magic realism of the tropics to the ‘gritty city’, Latin American literature is as rich and beguiling as the region itself

The samurai who charmed the courts of Europe

Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga dazzled the king of Spain, set up diplomatic links with 17th-century Europe and even met the pope

Noirmoutier, my desert island paradise in the Vendée

Author Joanne Harris looks back at childhood holidays on France’s Atlantic coast where she would roam barefoot, swim and eat figs off the trees

10 of the best novels set in Portugal – that will take you there

From a Saramago masterpiece to Monica Ali’s rural blues, via mountains, cities and coast, bookmark this reading list for a flavour of Portugal – and its people

I started to miss brazenly beautiful Japan before I’d even left

There are so many bars, alleyways, shops and gardens I want to explore – but right now, its confidence and self-assurance seem unimaginable

Wing and a prayer: the bizarre Chicken Church of Java

Meant to be a dove, but looking more like a hen, one man’s vision of a temple for all faiths has enjoyed an unlikely resurrection