Hidden gems

Luleå

Luleå is the heart of northern Sweden with big city amenities and small-town neighborhood. A real winter wonderland with white expanses and a summery island city that tops the sun league tables year after year. Luleå combines the fascinating nature with culture, shopping, entertainment, good accommodation and good service. Welcome to explore Luleå – The Luleå way!

Pau

Nestled in the corner of rural south-west France stands Pau, the capital of the Béarn province, a bastion of history and culture. The town occupies a unique geographical position in the foothills of the Pyrenées. With its awe-inspiring views of the mountain range, Pau is only a few hundred kilometres from the major towns of Bordeaux and Toulouse, and even closer to Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. A springboard to sunny beaches or snow-capped mountains, Pau’s pretty streets and excellent gastronomy are enough to ensure leaving will be difficult.

Kalmar

Enjoy a holiday with sun and swimming, shopping and entertainment, art and culture. Kalmar offers the opportunities of a large city but also the proximity and charm of a smaller place. Within walking and bicycling distance, you can enjoy beaches, parks, forests, meadows, cobblestone streets, shops, museums, cafés and galleries. And an honest-to-goodness castle with pinnacles and towers. Today Kalmar is a modern city, but wherever you go, you feel the pulse of history.

Christmas City Nuremberg

C H R I S T M A S. Perhaps the scents from your childhood come to mind right now, when you remember aniseed, cinnamon and carnations? Maybe you get a warm, comfortable feeling inside, thinking of the candlelight? Perhaps you are thinking about people dear to you, who have given you pleasure? We can promise you that a visit to Nuremberg before Christmas will arouse your warmest memories. Nuremberg in the run-up to Christmas is the anticipation of quiet hours with your family and friends. Because Nuremberg is Christmas city. |There are 1001 reasons to fall in love anew with the Christmas city of Nuremberg. For some it's the delicious aroma of far-eastern spices in the world-famous Nuremberg gingerbread. For others it's the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, where you can hunt for glass Christmas tree baubles, hand-made tinsel angels or nativity figurines and nutcrackers made of wood. For the passionate international shopper there are many exclusive boutiques and shops with original ideas for presents and for the little ones there is the children's Christmas and the Sternenhaus (House of Stars). |If you're lucky it might even be snowing on your stroll through the festive illuminations of the Christmas city of Nuremberg. One thing is certain, however, you will take unforgettable memories back home with you.

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.

Bratislava

Bratislava - the little big city. With fewer than half a million people, Bratislava ranks among Europe's most relaxed capitals, because everything is in close vicinity, reachable within a few minutes walking distance. It even has two capital cities nearby - Vienna (80km) and Budapest (200km) - reachable also by a boat on the river Danube. The city itself has its old-town charm, sophisticated restaurants, traditional pubs, good music ranging from jazz to opera, stylish people, and a human scale which means that as a visitor you will not spend half your day trekking in and out of underground stations or getting from the airport into town. All this with Central Europe's greatest river as a backdrop.

Nîmes

Nîmes is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is also the city of spring, named after the Roman God Nemausus. In recent years Nîmes has been rediscovered as a weekend destination, thanks to, in large part, its beauty, rich architectural heritage and proximity to both the Mediterranean and Provence. There are also many exciting restaurants in the city, including Aux Plaisirs des Halles by Nîmes’ large indoor food market.

Matsuyama

The largest city on the island of Shikoku in Japan, Matsuyama is a vibrant city of living traditions, set against a backdrop of historical buildings, where haiku poetry is still enjoyed as a part of daily life. A full calendar of seasonal festivals means that there's always something eye-catching going on. The city is served by a network of vintage trams and steam trains, so getting about is easy. Matsuyama also has miles of sandy beaches framing the beautiful island-studded Seto Inland Sea.

Nuremberg Events

The event calender of Nuremberg is packed with unique and special events throught the year. Nuremberg’s musical life has much to offer, spanning the annual International Nuremberg Organ Week ION, Europe's largest and oldest festival for sacred music.

Chisinau

Chisinau appears to have little to no concern for the superficial – still very much rough around the edges and with scant tourist infrastructure, the Moldovan capital conquers with precisely its uncharted quality, an authenticity guaranteed to make off-the-beaten-path aficionados' and Soviet era enthusiasts' hearts flutter with excitement. The country's genuinely welcoming populace, free-flowing wine and overtly low travel costs all ensure its relatively obscure status isn't long to stay.

Castle Heeswijk

Together with St. John’s Cathedral in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Grote Kerk church in Breda and the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom, Kasteel Heeswijk is one of the four official Top Monuments in Brabant. You can experience the chequered history of almost one thousand years of power, pride and culture of the elite of Brabant, all prominently located in the River Aa valley close to ’s-Hertogenbosch. The castle is also the Nature Gateway to Brabant and is encircled by the Heeswijk Estate where you can spend some relaxing time among beautiful countryside. Come and enjoy this imposing monument weekly from Tuesdays to Sundays. ‘Bij de Barones’ is the place for visitors to the castle and estate to enjoy coffee, lunch or drinks in beautiful historic surroundings!