Where tourists seldom tread, part 17: three port towns freighted with history
From Ipswich’s medieval treasures to Ramsey’s seaside charm and Lancaster’s chilling legacy of witches and slavery
Forget the stereotypes, Benidorm is the complete package
The resort was ahead of its time – built to handle industrial numbers of tourists while not displacing residents. And beyond the full English breakfasts and pub crawls, there’s an authentic Spanish side to it
Travels in Moominland: summer in Tove Jansson’s Finland
The children’s book author spent the precious long Nordic days in simple, off-grid cabins on small dreamy islands – a tradition many Finns still follow
From Joyce’s death mask to Bono’s sunglasses: a look around the Little Museum of Dublin’s grand curiosities
This people’s museum is crammed with curios donated by Dublin residents. A major facelift has added a library, archive and exhibition on ‘fearless women’
‘The railway that got the world on track’: a walk through 200 years of history in County Durham
A new trail follows the 26-mile route of the world’s first passenger train journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway
The reinvention of Catania – Sicily’s once crime-ridden second city
A decades-long crackdown on organised crime is opening up Catania, with previous no-go areas now welcoming tourists and new businesses. Discover its restaurants and bars before the prices catch up
A brush with Cezanne in Aix-en-Provence, France: a blockbuster retrospective comes to town
The city once neglected its most famous son. But this summer visitors can immerse themselves in a major new exhibition and see the artist’s restored studio, home and the landscapes that inspired him
‘The soul of Irish traditional music’: a musical journey through County Clare
Ireland’s west coast is home to a flourishing live music scene, with the pubs and music festivals attracting world-class players
Look east: an exhilarating weekend in London’s new cultural quarter
The opening of the V&A Storehouse and Sadler’s Wells East mark the transformation of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park into an exciting new creative hub for the capital
‘One bunker is now a surf school’: a tour of Jersey’s wartime coastal defences
This week, the Channel Islands celebrate 80 years since liberation from Nazi occupation, but the fascinating bunkers, tunnels and towers that remain have found a new lease of life
My musical pilgrimage through Olde England: ‘I could hear the bells, taste the wild garlic, touch the mossy stones’
Travelling west from Norwich to Cornwall, a musician finds inspiration in ancient rituals and sights, from May Day celebrations to bluebell dells
Where tourists seldom tread, part 16: a trio of small historic cities
From Swansea, with its sweeping bay and artistic soul, to Doncaster’s Roman heritage and Carlisle’s literary past, this selection proves size doesn’t matter
London’s Design Museum takes a deep dive into our love affair with swimming
From art deco lidos to 1980s Speedos, the curator of a new exhibition on swimming and style talks about the inspiration behind it
Fancy a Belgian city break without the crowds of Ghent or Bruges? Mechelen might be the answer
The majestic Flemish city is dotted with renaissance palaces, great bars and eye-catching contemporary art – yet it’s firmly off the tourist trail
Where the art of Edvard Munch comes alive: a city break in Oslo
As a new exhibition celebrating the portraits of Edvard Munch opens at London’s National Portrait Gallery, we take a trip to the artist’s home city in Norway