Pinacoteca Agnelli is an art gallery that displays art from a vast private collection. You'll find Renoir's Blonde Bather and Manet's La Négresse, as well as works by Matisse, Canaletto, Tiepolo, Canova, Picasso and Modigliani. The futuristic "crystal spaceship" pavilion is an attraction in itself. The Pinacoteca is perched on top of the Lingotto complex — the headquarters of the Italian auto giant Fiat, founded by Giovanni Agnelli. It was built as a car factory in the 1920s, and was the largest and most modern plant of its kind in Europe. A winding brutalist ramp took cars to the top of the building, where they could drive the 500 m long test track. The ramp and the test track are still in top-notch condition, but the building itself now serves a different function. While its exterior remained largely unaltered, the interior was revived to house an exhibition centre, a conference centre and auditorium, two hotels, offices and shops. The iconic ‘Bubble’ — a transparent meeting room on the roof — was also added.

A square steeped in folklore. Whether you visit during the Ghent Festivities in the summer or come to the weekly flea market, there is always something going on here. It is a real hotspot for bargain hunters at the weekend. And in mid-July, it is the epicentre of the Festivities with a capital F. The main stage at St James’ Church gets the whole city rocking! Ghent Festivities Sint-Jacobs, the popular square around the stately St James’ Church, has been the centre of the Ghent Festivities for decades. This was where the festivities were given a new lease of life in 1969 at Café Trefpunt, by the folk singer Walter De Buck. An old Ghent tradition was reborn. What started out as a small affair among artists around St James’ has grown into an event that takes over the entire city centre, thanks to support from Ghent city council. The ten-day, non-stop party is packed with folklore, street theatre, puppet shows, and music, and has now grown into one of the biggest street parties in Europe! Before and after the Ghent Festivities, the local atmosphere is never far away at Bij Sint-Jacobs. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, this lively square is taken over by trinkets, baubles, small antiques and old junk. The flea market is a real Ghent tradition. And the market is so firmly rooted in Ghent culture that a whole host of vintage and curiosity shops have moved into the streets around the Romanesque church of St James, beside the famous antiques gallery, Gallery St-John. Bij Sint-Jacobs is the absolute place to be for collectors! The mighty St James’ Church stands in the middle of the square. A rough, Romanesque fortress of God. Its imposing architecture, dating back to the 12th century, may be the reason that this old church is still standing. It has survived desecrations and an iconoclasm. It has been damaged, scarred and then repaired, restored and extended time and again. That has led to an interesting mixture of styles. The architecture is Romanesque with Gothic and Baroque elements. It is a genuinely remarkable piece of religious architecture.

Abbaye de Saint-Wandrille is a Benedictine monastery located in a small, delightful little village close to Rouen. There is an active monastic community inhabiting the abbey, which lives a frugal and humble life following the order of St Benedict. In an effort to raise funds to support the community and building maintenance, the monks even brew their own beer for sale - the only place in France where an operation of this kind is conducted within monastery walls. The monastery grounds hold well-preserved Medieval ruins.