Historical destinations

Asturias

Asturias is a region of splendid beaches, unspoiled nature, dotted with rich architectural, industrial and cultural heritage. Apart from the region’s uncrowded beaches, there are lively inland cities and areas of great natural beauty. There are several major destinations in the Asturias region, including the cities of Oviedo, Gijon and Aviles, along with the scenic village of Ribadesella. Our guide includes tips and information concerning these four key Asturias locations.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a stunning vacation destination known for its celebrated restaurant scene, architectural treasures, historic wonders, and serene coastal landscapes. Visitors can experience the local culture through food and music festivals, enjoy Lowcountry cuisine, and shop for Sea Island crafts. The city's historic district is full of beautiful courtyards and gardens, and there are many tours available to explore the city's culinary hot spots, antebellum mansions, historic churches, breweries, and more. Visitors can choose to stay at a charming inn, a historic hotel, or a beach resort and discover the unique people, flavors, traditions, sights and sounds of Charleston.

Lyon

Lyon is commonly referred to as the gastronomy capital. In the past, this label was associated with sauces and a petit-bourgeois small-town complex. However, with the arrival of the TGV high-speed train connecting Lyon to Paris and Marseille, as well as the winning streak of Olympique Lyonnais in various League Championships, Lyon underwent a transformation. The city now boasts daring architecture, bustling cafés, and avant-garde exhibitions, ushering in a new era.

VisitBrabant - Tilburg

These days the vibrant cultural climate and student population make the town highly inviting and fully future-proof. The quays, the water and the pier in the Piushaven are a lively stage for an array of events and activities. Every week at 013, you can enjoy live concerts, dance and club evenings and festivals late into the night. Tilburg was an important city for the Dutch textile industry. You can learn all about it at the TextielMuseum. And there is more. In the accompanying TextielLab, national and international designers, architects, artists and students discover endless possibilities in relation to yarns, the latest techniques and traditional crafts. And do not forget to visit De Pont Museum. The museum is located in a former wool mill and offers contemporary visual art from 1988. The collection includes more than 600 works of art from more than 60 national and internationally renowned artists.

VisitBrabant - 's-Hertogenbosch

’s-Hertogenbosch is one of the oldest medieval cities in the Netherlands. The maze of narrow medieval streets and alleyways can be explored on foot. Another option is to marvel at the picturesque bridges and perfectly preserved historical buildings from a small boat: admire Den Bosch from its waterways, the Binnendieze. You will gain an entirely different perspective floating beneath the walls of the fortified city. When you visit the capital city of Brabant, make sure that the Den Bosch delicacy is on your menu. Find a table at one of the many outdoor cafes and order a ‘Bossche Bol’ (chocolate ball) with your coffee. The Korte Putstraat in the historical city centre is a street known across the country for offering culinary treats in a variety of cuisines. Throughout the year, all the eateries have extensive outdoor seating areas. You will find two museums in the middle of the city, the Noordbrabants Museum and the Design Museum Den Bosch. Together, they form the Museum Quarter, already dubbed ‘the Dutch branch of the Guggenheim’. The lovely Sint-Janskathedraal on the corner of the Parade impresses through its size and enormous wealth of sculptures.

Exeter

This small but perfectly formed city in the picturesque county of Devon has preserved many of its historic features while enjoying all the amenities and vibrancy of a modern cosmopolitan hub. Exeter is the perfect base to explore the surrounding English countryside dotted with pretty villages, quaint old pubs and tea rooms serving the famous Devon cream tea. All of this comes with the added bonus of being only a short journey to the nearby coastal resorts, fishing ports, and sandy beaches of the English Riviera and the World Heritage Jurassic Coast.

Aberdeen

Known as the Granite City because of the locally quarried stone, Aberdeen, the capital of northeastern Scotland, is one of the most distinctive cities in Great Britain. Surrounded by magnificent scenery, it mixes rich history, beautiful granite architecture and traditional industries with a flurry of leisure and entertainment amenities. It has a vibrant arts scene, a cosmopolitan atmosphere and one of the most buoyant economies in the country. Scotland’s third largest city truly has something to offer to everyone.

Basel

Basel is a place of exciting contrasts. Contrasts such as masterpieces of contemporary architecture set against the well-preserved Old Town or the wonderful harmony between the city's cosmopolitan flair and vibrant traditions. And although classical modernism and street art may seem like they are worlds apart, both have a prominent place in Basel. We are in flux, constantly reshaping ourselves. So every time you come to Basel, you will discover something new.

VisitBrabant - Het Noordbrabants Museum

Het Noordbrabants Museum collects art and other objects which are related to the art, history and culture of North Brabant and the Southern Netherlands. The museum collection contains more than 30,000 objects, such as paintings, prints, drawings, textile, coins and medals, glass, silver, craft work and archaeological and typical objects from Brabant.

Southampton

Southampton is the cruise capital of Northern Europe. With a cosmopolitan atmosphere borne from centuries of international trade, Southampton is one of the UK’s leading ports and liveliest cities, combining medieval walls and buildings, modern shopping and entertainment complexes, marinas, culture and nightlife. Explore the city’s rich culture and long history and try the wide range of leisure activities in the surrounding countryside before relaxing to recount the day in one of Southampton’s many harbour-side restaurants, cafés and bars.

VisitBrabant - Van Gogh

Brabant is Vincent van Gogh’s homeland (1853 - 1890). Van Gogh’s masterpieces are scattered throughout the world, but their roots are in Brabant. Here is where Van Gogh produced his first masterpiece ‘The Potato Eaters’. To this day, Vincent’s footsteps can be traced in places like Zundert, Nuenen, Tilburg, Etten-Leur and ’s-Hertogenbosch. You can see the house where he was born, his young brother’s grave, his art class at school, the parsonage and several churches where his father worked. Nuenen is a historical village that offers a walking tour along 23 locations related to his work. The Noordbrabants Museum in ‘s-Hertogenbosch houses original works by Van Gogh in ‘The Story of Brabant’.