Starting as a small community theater in the late 1970s, American Stage has evolved and for over a decade has been voted “Best of the Bay” by local residents. If in the area during March — April, a treat is one of the performances in a nearby park, often a play by Shakespeare. Bring your blankets and wine to enjoy theater outside among the trees.

Once sleepy fishing villages, the fabulous beaches of fine white sand of Agia Napa and Protaras, and the coastal area of Paralimni with its hundreds of windmills, nowadays buzz with life. This area is known collectively as the Kokkinochoria, “red soil villages,” because of the rich red earth in which Cyprus’ famous potatoes are grown. Culture lovers can explore the medieval churches found in villages like Sotira or go around the folk art museums displaying rural artefacts in Deryneia and Avgorou. Children will love the Marine Life museum or the new Sea Museum, “Thalassa”, in Agia Napa, which has an amazing replica of a 4th-century trading ship which sank off the coast of Kyrenia. Or you could stop at the tiny estuary known by the locals as Potamos and watch the fishing boats haul in their catch in their multi-coloured baskets. Spend the day sunbathing at the beach, swimming in warm turquoise waters or taking a short cruise along the coast. Some of the best snorkelling and diving spots are at Cape Greco, the national forest park, with its secluded coves and rocky outcrops, impressive cliff-top views and sea caves. In the evening, dine at one of the many restaurants, especially the local ones in Paralimni, or jive to the latest sounds at one of the numerous nightclubs.

Added in early 2002 as the second main pillar of the Kunstsammlung and accommodating contemporary art was the Ständehaus am Kaiserteich, until 1988 the seat of the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. Four wings with continuous arcades surround the building’s central public area, a spacious plaza. The creative treatment of this representative building in the Historicist style (1876-80) by the Munich architectural office of Kiessler + Partner created a modern museum building with a striking glaze domed roof which shapes the building’s aesthetic and at the same time spans an expansive sculpture garden located on the uppermost level. Together, a flexible hall for temporary exhibitions in the ground floor level and the upper galleries comprise more than 5300 m² of surface area. Installations and artist’s rooms are an important focus of the Kunstsammlung, an area which has been expanded continuously in recent years.

The Rheinturm (built 1979 – 1982, architect H. Deilmann) is a striking landmark on the Düsseldorf’s Rhine skyline. It stands on the edge of the southern city centre, at the entrance to the MedienHafen, right beside the North Rhine-Westphalian parliament building (Landtag) and the building of the public broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk. It is 240.5 metres high, with a glass-fronted 180-seat restaurant at an altitude of 172.5 metres that rotates on its axis. A bar and lounge is located below the restaurant (168m) as is a viewing platform (164m) with a breathtaking view of the Rhine metropolis: the MedienHafen, the Altstadt, the Hofgarten, Königsallee and the Rhine with its family of bridges all lie at the feet of the tower. When the weather is good, one can see as far as Cologne Cathedral. Thanks to a level entrance in the basement of the tower, the building offers barrier-free access.