Cultural travel / A closer look
Art, History
& Heritage in Europe
Knowing a little more can change the way you see a place.
From Renaissance sculpture in Florence to the streets of Pompeii and the medieval buildings of my home city, Kilkenny, these guides bring cultural context together with the practicalities of visiting. Find a museum, palace or historic site below, then work out how to give it the time it deserves.
Three places to begin
A few places to begin
Three visits, three ways to look
An individual artwork, a choice between archaeological sites, or a walk through a medieval city. Begin with the kind of visit that interests you.
Florence / Art
Give Michelangelo’s David a closer look
A guide to seeing the sculpture at the Accademia, with the context to appreciate it and practical advice for planning your visit.
Plan your visit →
Campania / Archaeology
Choose between Pompeii and Herculaneum
Two archaeological sites can ask quite different things of a visitor. This comparison draws on visits to both, helping you decide which to prioritise and whether your trip has room for the two.
Compare the two sites →
Kilkenny / Heritage
Follow Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile
In my home city, a walk through the centre gives its history a useful shape. The guide brings the places along that route together, with advice for planning your visit.
Explore the Medieval Mile →01 / Art, history & heritage
Italy
In Florence, the art and architecture often compete for the same few hours; in Venice, choosing a museum means deciding which part of the city interests you most. Start with the visiting guides below, which also cover the archaeological sites of Campania. For the Colosseum and guided visits to Pompeii, the comparisons and personal review sit together further down.
Visiting guides & collections
Tours & personal reviews
Compare Colosseum visits by the access they include, read about the night tour I took, or look at the options for reaching Pompeii from Rome.
02 / Art, history & heritage
Ireland
Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile gives you a route through a city, while the Rock of Cashel concentrates a visit on one historic site. Croagh Patrick brings pilgrimage into the collection, alongside a wider selection of Irish historical places. Choose the guide for the part of Ireland you are visiting, rather than treating them as stops on a single route.
03 / Art, history & heritage
Spain
The Alhambra belongs to Granada; Seville has its own substantial visits in the Alcázar, Cathedral and Giralda. Start with the individual guides to understand what each visit involves. If Seville is your base, the Alhambra day-trip guide helps you weigh the longer outing against giving Granada a stay of its own.
Visiting guides & collections
Guided visits & comparisons
For a guided visit to Seville Cathedral, compare the options alongside the practical visiting guide above.
04 / Art, history & heritage
Portugal
Sintra’s castles and palaces call for choices before you arrive. Start with the guide to the different properties and how to plan your visits, then decide which belong in the time you have. The hilltop setting and the distance between sites matter as much as the list of places you want to see.
The Cultured Voyages Edit
Bring more to the places you visit
A little context can change what you notice in a painting, a church or an old street. My free guide offers ways to approach a place with curiosity, and to connect what you see with the lives and decisions behind it.
The Art of Understanding Places brings together seven principles, each with the travel experience behind it and something to try for yourself. Get the guide free when you join The Edit, my fortnightly letter on how we see and experience travel.
Join The Edit