Lying on the former northern defence line of the city, this English-style public park is a beloved place for outdoor activities, be it a walk, a picnic or duck watching. Adorned with magnificent foliage and ponds, the park also serves as a backdrop to vibrant cultural events, most notably the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival in August.

If you’re based on Porto Santo and fancy a glimpse of its sister island, a day trip to Madeira is doable. A daily ferry connects the two in just over 2 hours each way, with plenty of Atlantic views to enjoy along the journey. Once in Funchal, you can wander colourful markets, historic streets, and lush botanical gardens, or take the cable car up to Monte for sweeping vistas. A same-day return is possible if you start early, but it does make for a long day. Most travellers prefer staying at least one night on Madeira to explore at a more relaxed pace.

Originally built as a church to house the reliquary of Saint Genevieve, this neoclassical building in the Latin Quarter, modelled after the Pantheon in Rome, is the final resting place of numerous writers, philosophers, poets and scientists, such as Rousseau, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, and Marie Curie.

County Kildare is home to the windswept Bog of Allen, and to a leisurely section of the restored Royal Canal. There’s a masterpiece of an 8th-century High Cross in Moone. Maynooth Castle anchors the leafy university town of the same name. Kildare is also home to one of Ireland’s great driving routes. Following the course of the Gordon Bennett Cup, which saw racing daredevils whizz through Kildare, Carlow and Laois in 1903, the 104-mile circuit recalls a time when Ireland’s speed limit was just 12mph. The county is a marvellous mix of old and new, of natural landscapes and precisely manicured gardens, of horseracing competitions and stylish fashion events.