In the Céramique district, you still feel the industrial past, even though you’re standing in the newest and most modern part of the city. It’s the kind of place where you look up and keep looking, to take in the impressive architecture, even as the ground around you buzzes with culture and activity. Céramique arose in the early 1990s on the site of ‘Société Céramique,’ a ceramics factory that operated from 1850 to 1985, best known for its tableware. When the factory was offered for sale to the municipality in the late 1980s, the idea to redevelop the area as a quality residential and commercial district quickly emerged, and Government Architect Jo Coenen was engaged to develop a master plan. One of his fundamental premises was to bring something of a Mediterranean feel to this part of the city. To achieve this, he brought in luminary architects from southern Europe for the design of the various residential and business complexes. The result is a total package of architectural high point after high point, like Mario Botta’s ‘La Fortezza,’ Alvaro Siza’s ‘Tower of Siza,’ and perhaps the crowning glory, Aldo Rossi’s Bonnefanten Museum. But despite all the forward-looking architecture, the connection to the past remains, in the street names, remnants of older buildings and tableware that turn up unexpectedly, and the exhibitions in the Bonnefanten Museum and Centre Céramique. Each and every one is a golden thread of history interwoven into the fabric of today.

The Ballina Naval & Maritime Museum has an eclectic collection of different kinds of ships, not to mention exhibitions on maritime history, life at sea and in the navy. The most famous attraction is the raft Las Balsas, which landed in Ballina on 21 November 1973 after a 178-day journey from Ecuador.

Dublin's award-winning museum shares stories of Ireland's capital city in the 20th century. The museum houses over 5,000 objects representing everyday life and culture from 1900-1999. Come and experience the warmth of a real Irish welcome in a beautiful Georgian townhouse right in the heart of the city.

Nessebar, a city-museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another marvellous day trip from Burgas, located just 35 kilometres away. This ancient town, often called the "Pearl of the Black Sea", sits on a small peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway, offering stunning sea views on both sides. Its cobblestone streets wind through a historic centre filled with over a millennium of architectural treasures, including the Church of St. Sofia, a 5th-century basilica, and other medieval churches like St. John the Baptist and St. Stephen. The Old Town, a maze of narrow lanes and 18th-century houses, invites leisurely exploration, with artisan shops and street vendors adding to its charm. Nessebar was once a Thracian settlement and later a Greek colony, playing a key role in the development of trade and culture in the Black Sea region. Its unique blend of ancient ruins, Byzantine churches, and a lively atmosphere makes it a captivating destination for history enthusiasts and casual vacationers.