Let’s be honest, Mannheim is on no one’s list of must-visit European cities – but it has all the key ingredients of a gemütlich weekend break: a slowly expanding selection of boutique hotels, Instagrammable sights, a hipster neighbourhood, and – the clincher – a jaw-dropping new look for the Kunsthalle. Its century-old gallery of modern and contemporary art occupies an entire block and last summer was given a major overhaul. Sure, the city lost its looks during the war. Time was when Mannheim, a youthful and multicultural university town in south-western Germany, was an unparalleled beauty, to which its statue-laden squares and art nouveau parks with their dancing fountains still attest. Now its renowned baroque “chessboard” grid has been filled in with steel and smoked glass. But at least it’s compact and walkable, the city has an impressive musical pedigree, and its National Theatre puts on occasional productions in English. … [Read more...] about The hip German city you’d never thought to visit
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The fascinating history of London’s seediest street
It was recently reported that the Windmill Theatre, once celebrated for never closing, was to be ‘reborn’ as a ‘celebrity cocktail bar’. The building, a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus, had actually been empty for a year. The Windmill International Lap Dancing club, once improbably advertising itself as ‘probably the most exciting men’s club in the world’, had lost its adult entertainment licence after the dancers were found to be flouting the “no touching” rule. It was in 1931 when the 68-year-old Mrs Laura Henderson converted the Palais-de-Luxe, a former cinema she had bought on the corner of Archer Street and Great Windmill Street, into the theatre she called the Windmill. Her husband, a Bengal jute merchant, had died in 1919 and left his wife a substantial sum, not least because it was estimated that 1.3 billion jute sandbags had been needed during the war. To continue reading this article Start your free … [Read more...] about The fascinating history of London’s seediest street
Dress to impress: How to pack for a summer cruise
Whether you’re heading to the cooler climes of Northern Europe or the hot and sunny Mediterranean, there’s no reason not to look stylishly on point. Here’s what to wear for a summer sail. Cooler climate Sailing through the Norwegian fjords is a highlight of the summer cruise calendar. Summer temperatures are usually on a par with our own, or cooler. And there are extremes: you can go from sunny Skjolden at the end of Sognefjord one day, to snow on a high-altitude excursion to the mountains of Mefjellet the next. For gents For men, layering is key. Pack an overshirt that will sit nicely over a graphic tee and fling a tailored sweatshirt or cableknit jumper over your shoulders. La Paz, (lapaz.pt) a Porto-based brand (whose motto is “The sea is our soul”), have got your back here with their quirky, anchor motif-emblazoned garments. Classic tailored shorts, such as this Ghurkha-style pair from Neapolitan tailors Rubinacci (£280, mrporter.com), will … [Read more...] about Dress to impress: How to pack for a summer cruise
17 beautiful villages just an hour from London
With summer here, and the weekend weather forecast looking promising, escape the crowds of the capital at one of these picturesque villages, each around an hour from London by train. Hambleden, Buckinghamshire The Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), less than an hour by train from central London, is the Cotswolds without the crowds. Cottages of thatch, brick and flint flank village squares, with medieval churches and characterful pubs providing the centrepieces. The Hambleden Valley in Buckinghamshire is home to a clutch of the AONB’s prettiest villages. Skirmett, Fingest and Frieth are all worth a look, but don’t miss impossibly peaceful Hambleden, with its babbling brook, old bakery (complete with Hovis sign), 14th century church, and charming Stag and Huntsman pub, or Turville, home to the equally enticing Bull and Butcher, overlooked by Cobstone Windmill, which appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and whose 12th century church found fame in The … [Read more...] about 17 beautiful villages just an hour from London
The perfect weekend in Split, Croatia’s enchanting second city
Croatia’s second city, Split is a revelation, and with new direct flights with BA launching on June 21, there’s even more reason to discover it. Here you’ll find a seafront gem that combines honeycombs of unique historical buildings with a cosmopolitan, palm-lined “Riva” waterfront and a glorious wooded peninsula (the “Marjan”), where there are secluded beaches adrift with pine cones and feathered by olive groves. At the heart of the Old Town is a unique city-within-a-city, the fortifications of the former Roman palace built for the Emperor Diocletian. Its grid of majestic monuments is overlaid with bustling medieval alleyways and crammed with higgledy-piggledy shops and restaurants. Visit for the annual Summer Festival (July 14-August 14), when the palace’s magnificent courtyard – the “Peristyle” – is transformed into an open-air stage. To continue reading this article Start your free trial of … [Read more...] about The perfect weekend in Split, Croatia’s enchanting second city