Springtime Knitting in Tuscany
Join renowned textile designer Carol Meldrum for a leisurely knitting week at The Watermill at Posara (4-11 May), a creative learning retreat set within a complex of historic Tuscan buildings…
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Join renowned textile designer Carol Meldrum for a leisurely knitting week at The Watermill at Posara (4-11 May), a creative learning retreat set within a complex of historic Tuscan buildings…
Glamorous palaces, mighty castles and delightful gardens, Saxony and Thuringa – The Cultural Heart of Germany – have around 1,000 palaces, castles and fortresses, each one with a story to…
Regarded as the biggest light, music and ideas festival in the South, Vivid Sydney will light up the city’s opera house and surrounding harbour area from 24 May to 15…
Tired of the conventional trappings of tourism Mark Bibby Jackson decides to wander the streets of Kreuzberg to discover another side of Berlin. Kreuzberg has the feel of Queens or the Bronx – not that I’ve ever…
Dubbed the Teutonic Glastonbury by the Telegraph, the Weimar Onion Market, takes place each October in the architecturally stunning medieval city in Thuringia, Germany…
With the announcement of a visa waiver for Brits travelling to Europe after Britain leaves the EU, the German National Tourist Office UK and Ireland (GNTO) has revealed what’s trending…
Adam Jacot de Boinod travels to the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira, Funchal, to discover a place replete with history and literary overtones. I hadn’t realised that Madeira…
The North Yorkshire town of Whitby is famed for its fabulous fish and chips, that and a nautical traditional that includes Captain Cook. So, why not combine the two together…
On the first leg of their Malaysia travel adventures Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise discover the capital Kuala Lumpur’s food and art scene, as well as some cricket. We sat…
From April to November, the Venice Biennale (la Biennale di Venezia in its original Italian, and in English also called the Venice Biennial) is one of the world’s most prestigious cultural happenings, famous…
Mark Bibby Jackson returns to the scene of one of his previous crimes to spend a night in St Ermin’s Hotel in London’s Westminster to discover a building with a…
The Statue of Liberty and the White House may be some of the most well-known landmarks in the world, but the US is a strange place and we’ve got the…
On a short trip to the Channel Islands, Mike Pickup enjoys stepping back in time on his Guernsey Holidays, as well as the short excursion to the car-free Isle of…
If you are looking for a Bath spa hotel, there really is just one place to choose, as Irene Caswell discovers, when she visits the only Landmark building in the…
A firm fixture on the tourist trail, Ubud upholds its integrity as Bali’s cultural hub, finds Johan Smits looking for things to do in Ubud. “You can’t just go in…
With Tallinn Music Week just around the corner, these are the most anticipated music festivals in Estonia this year. Whether it’s starting the festival season with a bang at Tallinn…
Marking the start of the green (or wet) season, the Candle Festival in July is amongst the most beautiful celebrations in Thailand. Extravagant, intricately-carved candle sculptures are shown…
The shores of Lake Constance, or Bodensee as it’s known to the locals, fall in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; its waters flow into the Rhine, which forms a natural border…
During the period of the White Nights Festival from June to July in Saint Petersburg, the sun never sets and the city never sleeps. Russia’s cultural capital…
Navruz or Norwuz – the Persian New Year – takes place on 21 March and is celebrated enthusiastically across Uzbekistan. Aside from music, dancing and traditional food…
Derby’s FORMAT International Festival of Photography will take place between March 15 and April 14 in 2019. A world class biennale event, FORMAT is widely acknowledged as one of Europe’s…
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to the German capital to discover a city thriving as it approaches the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Discover things to do…
Looking for a spring bargain? How about celebrating English Tourism Week and exploring some of Lincolnshire’s top attractions. Head for the county at the end of March…
Home to stunning scenery and an array of well-preserved archaeological sites, Dalaman is the ultimate destination for culture vultures. The Persians, Athenians…
For many an appreciation of the culture of the country or community that you visit on your holidays is a major part of the travelling experience, especially for the more mature traveller.
Whether you are taking a short city break to Amsterdam or Paris, or going on a longer trip to a distant and exciting land, your experience is enriched by an appreciation of the local culture.
Ideally, time your trip to coincide with a major festival. At Travel Begins at 40 we have a whole section devoted to some of the most colourful and spectacular festivals from around the world. So whether it is the whirling dervishes of Konya, Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival, the Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia or Benin’s Voodoo Festival that tickles your cultural fancy, let us guide your way.
Visiting an unfamiliar country can lead to a bit of a cultural shock, but don’t let this put you off making that special journey. Often it is when we leave our comfort zone that we reap most rewards.
Not that we always have to travel that far to have a rich and rewarding cultural experience. Hull is the current city of culture in the UK, and a trip there can be a surprisingly rewarding experience. Enjoy it.