On the Silk Roads: adventure and historical riches in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

A new British Museum exhibition gives a taste of the rich cultures along these ancient routes, but a trip to central Asia offers much more – stunning architecture, moreish food and wild trekking

‘I stood on the sunny hilltop imagining I was a Roman’: readers’ favourite ancient sites in Europe

Celtic coins in Jersey, vast Neolithic structures in Spain and France, and a Roman bath or two feature in our tipsters’ picks from antiquity and beyond

Roman holiday: just beyond the city lies a land of popes and emperors

Less than an hour from Rome, Nepi and the Tuscia region is an under-the-radar cultural and historic hub – and councillors are working with the local community to welcome more visitors

Vincent van Gogh’s Arles: visiting the pretty Provençal city that inspired his greatest masterpieces

The scenes of some of the paintings currently on show in London’s National Gallery can still be found in the southern French city

Communal dining is Copenhagen’s best-kept culinary secret

Eating out in Denmark can be costly, but a growing number of child-friendly community supper clubs in the capital offer affordable feasting with the locals

Trainspotting from the bathtub: why Manchester’s newest bolthole is on the right track

You don’t have to be a railway buff to enjoy the Station Agent’s House. The restored Georgian gem is a perfect base for exploring the historic Castlefield district

‘A perfect place to build a film community’: a tour of Scotland’s island movie clubs

The Sea Change film festival on Tiree is a DIY affair that celebrates women and also connects communities on a series of small, scattered isles

Waterford revival: the reinvention of Ireland’s oldest city

From Viking history, to its wild coastline and even its ‘damp’ weather, Waterford has taken its natural assets and run with them

My favourite late summer city break in southern Europe: readers’ tips

Beaches on Sardinia, food markets in Aix-en-Provence and historic Sarajevo are among our tipsters’ highlights

In search of Monet’s wild landscapes: a glorious art adventure in central France

Rouen, Paris and London are better-known Monet destinations, but rural La Creuse’s rugged gorges, spectacular lake and medieval castle really captivated the artist

From the Dolomites to Sicily: readers’ favourite unsung places in Italy

Spa towns, perfect seaside haunts, brilliant food and art, and spectacular walks feature on our tour of lesser-known Italy, courtesy of our readers

The renaissance of Venice’s favourite retreat

When Venetian nobles wanted to escape the heat and crowds of the city they headed to the Brenta Riviera. Today’s visitors are following their lead

Hamburg’s wartime bunker is reinvented as an unlikely green oasis

An iconic air raid shelter in the St Pauli district has been given a new lease of life with the addition of a hotel and rooftop urban park

Alternative Greece: six of the best holidays beyond the sunlounger

From wildlife spotting to wine tasting and cargo boat sailing, discover new ways to explore the mainland and islands

In the footsteps of Lee Miller and the surrealists: a tour of her arty Sussex retreat

A film about the war photographer and model Lee Miller will be released this year. Her son is our guide for a trip to Farleys, her art-filled Sussex home