Le Mans is famed for its 24-hour motor race, which was born out of the city’s vehicle industry in the early 1900s. But the city’s foundation lies back in pre-Roman times. Birthplace of England’s Henry II, its ancient heart has remained largely intact, protected for centuries by walls built by Roman legionaries. Located on the … Read more
Nestled on the eastern bank of the Wirral Peninsula is the town of Birkenhead. Sitting across from its more well-known neighbour, Liverpool, the town of Birkenhead has long flown under the radar of places to visit in the English northwest. Much of the history of the town revolved around rural life well into the early … Read more
Situated within France’s Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, Dijon is located in the north-eastern quarter of the country, just 1.5 hours from Paris by high-speed train. Known since at least Roman times, it came to prominence during the eleventh to fifteenth centuries when it was the home of the Dukes of Burgundy. These men were either members of … Read more
Take the best aspects of Paris and the best of Provence and you probably end up with a city that looks and sounds a lot like Aix-en-Provence. Pronounced ‘Ex-on-Provence’, Aix is one of southern France’s chicest spots, in spite of some stiff competition from the likes of Nice and a large student population that has … Read more
The London borough of Brent lies in the northwestern region of Greater London and contains the significant areas of Wembley, Kilburn, Willesden and Neasden. Crowned as ‘The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture in 2020’, Brent has come out of the unappreciative shadows and placed itself firmly on the list of must-visit areas of the English … Read more
Historically a part of the Picardy region of northern France, Amiens lies 120 kilometres north of Paris close to the Pas-de-Calais (Strait of Dover) and the border with Belgium. Its location has seen its streets occupied on multiple occasions over the past 500 years of its history, most notably by Nazi forces during the Second … Read more
Lying at the very east of the West Midlands, Coventry has long been a city of national significance. Coventry secured its place as ionic English settlement during the late Medieval era when its St Michael’s Cathedral was one of the largest in the country. Throughout the Industrial Revolution Coventry was the centre of watchmaking and … Read more
Anyone who thought Le Havre was nothing more than a ferry terminus to the English south coast needs to think again. Divided into older upper town and newer lower town, Normandy’s biggest population centre has long been known for its culture, attracting everyone from Monet and Millet to Jean-Paul Sartre, who taught at a school … Read more
In a romantic landscape of towering plateaus, sheer cliffs and deep gorges, Luxembourg City always posed a unique challenge to invading armies. Even more so after the 17th century, when the military mastermind Vauban redesigned the walls for artillery, earning the city the epithet, Gibraltar of the North. The old city and fortifications have been … Read more
Dominated by its gothic cathedral, Reims is much more important to many as the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine region. Wine glasses aside, this city in north-eastern France has played a central role in the country’s history from its time as a town of the Roman Empire to the modern-day post-war period. Having welcomed … Read more