It is a little known fact that Wales has the largest number of castles of any country in Europe. Indeed, the landscape of this small country situated west of England has been peppered with countless fortresses throughout its history, from the Iron Age to Roman times and, subsequently, the majestic castles of the Welsh princes and English monarchs.

In all, over 600 castles are still standing in Wales, so you are very likely to come across some of them when you travel there. There are castles of all types to be seen, so we have curated a selection of those that impressed us most during our trip there.

Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle and the walls of the town of Conwy are among the best preserved examples of medieval architecture in the United Kingdom, which accounts for it being a World Heritage Site. However, it is hard to believe that it took only four years to build – from 1283 to 1287. It is quite an experience to climb up the towers and wander through the various quarters. Our guide challenged us to go up the main tower and, after viewing the splendid surroundings from there, hazard a guess as to how the Welsh could have seized the castle from the English in the 15th century. Would you be up to the challenge?

Denbigh Castle

Built between 1282 and 1295, the best way to approach a tour of this castle is to start in the new visitor centre inside the site. The great gatehouse entrance to Denbigh Castle is really impressive as it is triple-towered, the standout feature of this castle, although it is not as well preserved as other Welsh strongholds. Even so, it is a unique defence work which managed to withstand the assault of the parliamentary troops, who set out to raze it to the ground during the English Civil War in 1660. One of the most exciting moments was when we slipped through the postern gate – a mysterious back entrance through which the castle’s dwellers could get in and out without being seen. The fortress was clearly designed with a marked aesthetic sense – the towers follow a pattern in which circular-based towers alternate with square-based ones.

Raglan Castle

Raglan Castle was one of the last medieval castles to be built in England and Wales. Even today it is a stunning sight – bear in mind that it was designed to be comfortable and luxurious, more in line with Renaissance tastes. It was exhilarating to climb up the Great Tower, set on an island surrounded by a moat. We also explored the newly restored underground crypt. We were told that some of Europe’s finest wines were stored there and brought out to impress guests at the head table. The castle still enjoys a well-earned reputation and is the ideal backdrop for staging events relating to theatre, poetry, song and dance.

Kidwelly Castle

Kidwelly is the prototype of the castles shown in medieval films. It is set on a steep slope and ringed by numerous towers, high walls and a huge entrance gatehouse which took no less than a century to complete. Kidwelly is the oldest example of a Norman defence work made of wood and earth. What remains of its ground plan is semi-circular. A rewarding experience is to walk on the remains of the wall. Granted, the gate is the most prominent feature of the castle, but the chapel on the opposite side is also well worth visiting and it affords spectacular views over the river. The interior houses an exhibition hall – the Sculpture Cymru is on display there until September.

Caerphilly Castle

This enormous construction is the largest castle in Wales. Preserved virtually intact, it would make the perfect backdrop for a film of knights and princesses. As expected, it is surrounded by a number of moats set in concentric circles, some with islets included. Be sure to go up to the terrace on top of the entrance tower. From there you can see the defensive rings of stone and water which rendered Caerphilly an impregnable fortress. This elaborate castle also has a secret passageway, known as the Broase Gallery. From here you can spy the south-east tower, reminiscent of the tower of Pisa for obvious reasons. Also on display are some powerful siege engines.

Come on then – get going and check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Fred Selby, vanessajayne, Visit Wales

Le Marais is the most cosmopolitan and modern district in the city of Paris.It is where Gus Van Sant filmed Paris, je t’aime. Let us take you on a tour of some of the most iconic places, shops, restaurants and cafés in this part of town.

The Saint Martin Canal is one of links between the Ourcq Canal and the River Seine and is somewhere that always has a great atmosphere: young people, street artists, cycle paths, cafés and terraces for enjoying some food and drink beside the canal. It’s a great place for a walk, a cycle ride or a spot of rollerblading. More than 2 of the total 4.5 kilometres are underground, while the rest of the journey also crosses metal walkways and bridges.

Located in the centre of Paris, the Comptoir General is a shared work space for social entrepreneurs spanning 650 m2 with a capacity for 200 people. Its mission: to welcome all the events that relate to sustainable development, social progress, the spread of cultures from around the world, illumination and inspiration.

Chez Prune is a popular restaurant with views of the Saint-Martin Canal where you can choose to eat one of their four daily specials: fish, meat, salad or a vegetarian dish. By night, it is the perfect place to have a drink in a relaxed and truly Bohemian atmosphere.

Pop In is one of the best bars in Paris, with a great atmosphere, concerts and exhibitions. The place truly stands out because of its atmosphere and permanent offer of art and culture.
The bar is on the ground floor. There is a first floor room with comfortable sofas that look like small living rooms in which to enjoy moments of privacy and another room for the concerts and theme nights organised by the venue.
Of course, despite the name of the place, they don’t only listen to pop music here! Pop In offers a range of musical styles from glam, pop rock and garage to punk for a young and cool clientele!

However, the most fashionable part of Paris has now relocated to Rue Vieille du Temple and surrounding streets with a large offer of galleries, shops and such modernist bars and restaurants as La Perle; the most chic place in town at the moment. This charming establishment enables patrons to watch the world go by and is always full of the chic crowd.

At the heart of Marais, you will find this tea room with its Bohemian and nostalgic atmosphere. The 70s posters and furniture give the place a slightly chaotic but cosy feel.

Another of the most fashionable restaurants is Derrière. With its eclectic décor, Derrière looks just like an enormous apartment. On the ground floor, for example, you will find a ping-pong table for enjoying a quick game between courses. Another room looks like an office with piles of paper everywhere and there is even a living room for a perfect TV dinner. You really get the feeling that you are eating in someone’s house. Heading upstairs, you will find a bedroom with an enormous bed that doubles as a dining room.

The art galleries include Gayte Lyrique, a place dedicated to digital culture and modern music, and Le Bal de Foto, which is dedicated to the representation of reality through image in all its forms: photography, video, cinema and the new means of communication.

If you want to buy books in Paris, we recommend Shakespeare & Co and OFR. Shakespeare and Company appears in the Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris” and can be found in the Latino district. It was founded by the eccentric US bibliophile George Whitman in 1951 and still has that chaotic spirit and a sense of being somewhere special for filling your rucksack with books.

For going shopping, there is nothing like the legendary Colette or, better still, the Merci – a store concept located in sombre, industrial surroundings. Kiliwatch is a true temple for the lovers of vintage but they also sell new clothes and books. You’ll always find something to take away with you!

When night falls, one of the best places to go out for a dance or a few drinks is the Social Club, where you’ll discover new bands and artists. We were told by Liset Alea (singer with Nouvelle Vague) that this is one of her favourite places. A strange and eclectic night out.

Image: Marimarina

Why not take a trip to París? Have a look at our flights here! 

Recently landed in Budapest, the Pearl of the Danube, we enter one of the most romantic cities of Eastern Europe with countless opportunities to enjoy our stay. If you’re asking yourself where to start, we have 7 essential sights to see during your visit:

1.- Admire the most emblematic monuments

The worlds third largest Parliament, a symbolic landmark of Budapest rises imposingly on Kossuth Sqaure, boasting a neo-Gothic style. The latter, together with the Buda Castle, an old residence of the kings of Hungary and Budapest’s oldest Chain Bridge define the personality of this city, which was indeed a major power during the Austro Hungarian Empire.

2.- Discover the Art Noveau

 Budapest is known for its numerous examples of art noveau architecture, a slightly peculiar style that intertwines elements of nature, asymmetrical shapes and sinuous curves, which decorate the facades of the buildings in the streets. The architectural merit of such exaltation is largely attributable to Ödön Lechner, also known as the “Hungarian Gaudí”, whose most famous work corresponds to the Royal Postal Savings Bank, which is full of floral patterns, colourful mosaics and some components of popular culture. Villa Balázs Sipeky and the Institute of Geology are other notable samples of the work of this brilliant architect. Our favourite example of art noveau is Walkó House, because of its facade, decorated with eight different varieties of animals.

3.- Relax your body in the Széchenyi Baths

Budapest has numerous thermal spas and baths for whenever you want to take a day of rest and revitalization after a long walk around the city. Széchenyi is the most majestic and largest spa in Europe, with fifteen indoor pools, ten saunas and steam rooms and three large outdoor swimming pools. It is common to see locals enjoying the spas, as they are a nice meeting point to chat.

4.- Go for a drink to the Bars of the ruins

If you want to immerse yourself in the most modern and happening Hungarian underground scene, you cannot escape from Budapest without going to one of these bars, which are located in old buildings, with a slightly worn out and decadent look but decorated in such a way that the vintage kitch look makes them very special. The best atmosphere in the city is definitely found in these bars, which are decorated with all kinds of Antique furniture, extravagant paintings and curious objects. We recommend the legendary Szimpla Kert Kazincy Street; the Instant bar, decorated like the wild west movies or the chaotic Púder, where there are also theatre performances and dj sets at night. 

5.- Visit the Muvesz Mozi Cinema

Budapest is known for its rich film culture, so it is definitely worth stopping by to visit one of their alternative cinemas. Intellectuals and big screen lovers residing in the capital visit Muvesz Mozi, where they show a large variety of movies- from old films that where made five years ago to recent independent films made by new and upcoming directors. In addition, this special cinema has a very cool café, decorated with different atmospheres to fit the different spaces, making you feel like a traveller through time and space.

6.- Visit the Sziklakorhaz museum, a hospital and secret bunker

This spectacular museum housed in what was once a hospital adjacent to a nuclear bunker in Budapest during World War II shows, in an extremely real and almost scary way, what was once experienced within these underground walls. The various facilities and rooms for the wounded, wax mannequins, medical devices and even the possibility to activate the emergency alarm at the end of the tunnel give you an idea of what happened, even if it mean getting goose bumps!

7.- Try the cuisine

The Central Market is one of the greatest culinary references in the city, where you can taste the typical traditional goulash or buy fresh groceries to cook at home. Kosher sweets are also a Hungarian specialty, we recommend the ones at Cukrászda Fröhlich. Last but not least, you must try the bread and butter with paprika and onion, which is served at any bar or restaurant. If you like spicy food, Budapest is the perfect place for your palate.

Why not take a trip to Budapest? Have a look at our flights here!

Picture by teofilo

A getaway to Leeds is the perfect excuse to do two diametrically opposite things. First, you should take the chance to do some quality shopping, as the city boasts an abundance of shopping centres, markets and pedestrian precincts packed with stores – a pleasurable exercise in which we put the credit on our card to the test. In contrast, you can also make the most out of your trip by exploring some of the jewels that lie in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, which is where cosmopolitan Leeds is situated. In the following we propose four outings to destinations less than two hours from the city where you will discover just how special and manifold is this beautiful area in the north of England.

1. Saltaire – In Search of the Region’s Industrial Legacy

Our first stop is Shipley, situated in the Bradford metropolitan district. Here we find the Saltaire model industrial village, a jewel from the Victorian era which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Strategically located next to the river Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, it was founded in 1853 by Sir Titus Salt, a philanthropist and entrepreneur of the Yorkshire wool industry – wool was the region’s major driving force during the Industrial Revolution.

This model village was purpose-built to house both the wool mill and the living area for the workers and their families. It featured a number of different spaces, designed to meet the needs of the community: a hospital, school, library, recreational areas, a church, etc. This enabled the workers to live near their place of work and also provided them with better conditions than in the nearby city of Bradford.

Nowadays it operates as a leisure area in which most of the buildings have been restored and turned into shops, art galleries, restaurants and cafés, but it still conveys the idea of the region’s important industrial past.

2. The Evocative Scenery ofWuthering Heightsin Haworth

The picturesque village of Haworth, situated some 36 kilometres west of Leeds, owes its fame above all to the Brontë sisters (Emily, Charlotte and Anne), who wrote their acclaimed novels right here. Most of the tourists who come here do so on account of one of their best known literary works, Wuthering Heights, penned by Emily Brontë, and to see for themselves the places depicted in the novel. Apart from having a walk through this peaceful setting, permanently marked by the curiosity of sightseers eager to capture snippets of fiction, we recommend hiking through the area and soaking up this unusual scenery which acted as the source of inspiration for what has become a veritable classic of English literature.

3. Outdoor Art

You’re an art lover but you hate enclosed spaces – in that case the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is for you. Located half an hour from Leeds, in the grounds of Bretton Hall, stands this unusual “museum”, where you can delight in their magnificent collection of modern and contemporary sculpture in an inimitable setting. Something to note – it boasts Europe’s largest number of bronzes exhibited in the open-air by Henry Moore, the most international local artist in this region.

4. Castle Howard – A Movie Set

North of the historic fortified city of York, which is well worth stopping over in, stands this magnificent country house, as these rural palaces owned by the British aristocracy are known. Castle Howard was built between 1699 and 1712 for the Earl of Carlisle. While its exterior, designed by the architect, Sir John Vanbrugh, is an exquisite example of the English Baroque, its interior will not leave you unmoved either. There you can enjoy the incredible collection of paintings by the likes of Canaletto, Leandro Bassano, Titian, Annibale Carracci, Marco Ricci, Joshua Reynolds and Gainsborough, among others.

A visit to this priceless mansion, which has been the home of the Howard family for over 300 years and is open to the public, has the added value of having served as a cinema and television set. It was here that Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon was filmed,as was Brideshead Revisited – both the successful 1981 series and the film from 2008, adaptations of the literary classic by Evelyn Waugh.

You simply must visit the region of Yorkshire and the Humber – book your Vueling to Leeds here!

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Tim Green, John Robinson, Nick, Michael D Beckwith, vagueonthehow, Karen Bryan