For a quick run through the history of the island, visit The Madeira Film Experience. It's a dramatic 30-minute audiovisual journey that takes you through 600 years of the incredible history of this beautiful region.

One of the most colourful streets of Funchal, Santa Maria street is a loving art project of local artists. Over 200 doors are plastered with eye-popping paintings of all kinds. Walk down this narrow cobbled street and perhaps take a break in one of the many rustic restaurants and cafes.

The Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace) on Amsterdam’s Dam Square is one of three palaces still in use by the Dutch royal family. When not used for state visits, award ceremonies or other official functions, visitors can explore the magnificent interior and discover the rich history of the building.

You’ll feel like you’ve crossed the border, but you’re not quite there yet. Of course, you’re aware that Maastricht’s central location in the Euregio means you can be in Belgium very quickly. But you don’t really feel it until you see how the city, and the countryside around it, is layered with a unique mix of foreign influences. With the Sint Pietersberg hill, the historic caves, the vineyards, Fort Sint Pieter, and Château Neercanne as backdrop, this part of the city has everything you need to capture that holiday feeling. Sint Pieter was its own municipality until 1920. This part of the city was always outside the city walls (and so had it the toughest in times of war). Then, it was mainly farmers who lived here; now, it’s mostly families, epicureans, and a few descendants of the inhabitants of that old Sint Pieter. Today, Sint Pieter is Maastricht’s most popular residential district, not just for its beautiful houses but because of its ideal location between city and green. And it still feels like its own town, with its own social life, and charm, even though it’s just a stone’s throw away from the city park. In fact, it has the best of both worlds: village and city. Nature and culture.