‘Incredibly liveable and creatively buzzy’: Bret McKenzie’s guide to Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara

The Flight of the Conchords comedian shares the New Zealand capital’s best coffee, nature spots and the pastries he’ll queue out the door for

My search for the perfect brown bar in Amsterdam

I swerved the tourist traps and went on a bar crawl of the city’s bruine kroegen, the cosy, dimly lit pubs that are the Netherlands’ ‘surrogate living rooms’

Spain’s very own sakura: cherry blossom season in the Jerte valley

You don’t have to travel to Japan to see a stunning floral display. Every spring, this corner of Extremadura is transformed as two million trees come into bloom

Zoning in on Ménilmontant, Paris: ‘bohemian, arty and off the tourist trail’

This former industrial quartier is now getting noticed for its community-focused art spaces, lively local bars and inexpensive north African food

A local’s guide to Milan: the city’s best restaurants, culture and green spaces

In celebration of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, which starts this week, paralympic swimming champion Simone Barlaam shares his favourite places in his hometown

My search for the perfect Danish pastry in Copenhagen

In a city packed with bakeries, how do you find the best? I risked tooth decay to locate the ideal blend of crisp pastry, an oozy centre and sugary cinnamon

Zoning in on Leith, Edinburgh – ‘It’s been a joy to watch the area reinvent itself’

The historic port district – and setting for Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting – has evolved into a cultural and culinary hub. In the first of a new series, a local resident visits the venues powering the resurgence

Wide sandy beaches and amazing seafood in western France

Charente-Maritime is a more affordable, less manicured family destination than nearby Île de Ré

‘We were as stuffed as the dumplings’: a tour of Warsaw’s top vegan restaurants

Poland’s capital is now rated above cities like San Francisco and Copenhagen for its vegan options. We sample plant-based schnitzel, ramen and, of course, pierogi

A tent, an electric stove and -40C temperatures: the chefs who cook ‘on ice’ in Antarctica

During the southernmost continent’s darkest, coldest days, scientists and researchers turn to food for comfort

Delizioso! Six of Italy’s tastiest local food delicacies – and where to try them

It will come as little surprise that Italian cuisine has been added to Unesco’s cultural heritage list. Here are a select few of the country’s countless regional specialities

Supermarché sweep: the treats we love to buy on holiday in Europe

Italian sweets, Irish smoked fish, honey cakes in Belgium … Our writers choose the stores and local delicacies they make a beeline for when travelling

We found the authentic Liguria: an off-season road trip through north-west Italy’s brilliant villages and cuisine

By avoiding the famous hotspots and travelling in December, we enjoy culinary delights and historic charms without the summer crowds

All wrapped up: the 10 best British towns and cities for Christmas shopping with a local flavour

Where better to source what you need for the season than the places with a reputation for making it? From fizz and food to fine art, here’s our festive shopping guide

From the Andes to the Amazon: a six-week riverboat adventure to Belém, Brazil’s gateway to the river

Visiting the city hosting the Cop30 conference brings with it questions about farming, tourism and sustainability