The “Grand House” of El Castell de Guadalest or “Casa Orduña” was built after the great earthquake of 1644, which devastated the region and demolished the buttress of the castle. It was built by the Orduñas, a family of Basque lineage. They came to the kingdom of Valencia with the Infante Fortuna de Navarra; they later went into the service of the Cardonas, admirals of Aragón. D. Sancho de Cardona received the title of Marques of Guadalest in 1543. As the family enjoyed the complete confidence of the marqueses, they were sent to Guadalest and served as guardians of the fortress and governors of the estate for almost three hundred years.

Nowhere else in Düsseldorf can one feel the city’s heartbeat so clearly as in the Altstadt. Those who want to party, people in search of culture or history lovers will all be equally well catered for in this area between the Rhine and Heinrich-Heine Allee, that covers an area of less than half a square kilometre. This tiny space is crammed with around 260 eateries, pubs, bars, discos and restaurants, and one would be hard pressed to find the like in any other city. The Altstadt is also home to Altbier – a real Düsseldorf speciality.

No holiday in Abu Dhabi would be complete without a visit to this fascinating centre. Local female Bedouin artists and artisans, usually wearing a traditional dress, demonstrate age-old crafts, including henna body painting, embroidery and silver thread work in a series of small huts. Visitors should remove their shoes before entering the huts, as is the local custom.