Hidden gems

The unofficial capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca is a place significantly less grim than its ominous administrative status may imply. Named European Youth Capital in 2015, the city is home to an estimated 100,000 students (who make up about a fifth of the population) – a statistic that partly explains Cluj's current cultural Renaissance and well-deserved reputation of a party town.

Bergerac, in the heart of the Périgord Dordogne region, is an ancient and compact city, characterised by its elegant medieval and Renaissance buildings. Gourmet restaurants, street entertainment and the fact that the whole city can be explored on foot are all part of its charm. Bergerac is renowned for its wine, and a short trip to the outskirts of the city reveals a landscape of vineyards that produce some of the world’s finest vintages.

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.

Sun-drenched beaches sit next to desert wilderness in Aruba, one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean. With warm and sunny weather all year round, the island seems frozen in a timeless holiday atmosphere, with turquoise ocean waters washing over Aruba's soft warm sand. Nightlife bursts with Latin music and exotic sounds, and exciting shopping and dining await at every corner. Stronger waves break against the eastern coast, deserted and swept over by wind – exploring it will lead the most adventurous visitors to spectacular vistas.

If you fancy a hand of cards, Altenburg is the place for you: playing cards has been practised here for over 500 years, and the national card game ’skat’ was first played here. The town has a history of 1000 years, and boasts an impressive castle set on a rocky outcrop. Buy collapsible top hats on Rossplan Square, and baptise your cards at the Skat fountain: it brings good luck!

In the Alpine foothills, just 50 km from Milan, Bergamo is the most striking city in Lombardy. Structured in two levels, the lower city is more modern and dynamic, whilst the famous ‘upper city’ boasts a stunning historic centre full of monuments and works of art. In the area around the city the Iseo Lake is well worth a visit, as is the sanctuary at Caravaggio and Crespi d’Adda – the most important company town in Italy, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

When in Debrecen, use your senses instead of the just looking for the signposts: look down ahead of you to see on what kind of planks the citizens walked the streets in days of old. Look up to the sky and marvel at the colorful facades of the merchants’ houses built at the beginning of the previous century. Follow your nose to the pleasant smells from the busy Mediterranean squares and intimate cafés, or simply listen to your ears and let the charming music guide your steps.

Crete, the largest Greek island, is washed by the waters of the eastern Mediterranean, and so enjoys a mild climate. An island where Myth meets History, where the age-old Cretan culture has its roots in the long-ago, where the sea meets the mountains and unspoiled nature coexists with modern tourist infrastructure. Crete has a thousand faces: one for each and every sort of traveller: the nature-lover, the explorer, the cosmopolitan, the lover of history and culture.