The city of Málaga is a great choice for spending a delightful Christmas break, far from the crowds and crowding of the big capitals but with an equally broad gamut of cultural, culinary and leisure offerings to get the most out of these holidays. Here, then, are the keys to spending a wonderful Christmas vacation in a welcoming city which winter seems to have bypassed.

A Storied History

Málaga is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC, you will come across monuments attesting to the various civilisations that were drawn by its strategic location and settled there. Witness the Roman Theatre, from the times of Augustus, Gibralfaro Castle, built in a former Phoenician precinct, the hillside Alcazaba, located at the foot of the castle and dating from the Moorish period, and the Jewish Quarter, situated in the Old Town between Calle San Agustín and Calle Alcazabilla. Your itinerary through the city’s past should also take in a visit to Málaga Cathedral, a jewel of the Andalusian Renaissance known locally as “La Manquita” (the Little One-Armed), as one of the towers on the facade was left unfinished.

Museums Galore

Another major draw in Málaga is its plethora of museums, the list including such illustrious venues as the Picasso Museum, the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the Málaga Contemporary Art Centre (CAC Málaga) and the newly opened Centre Pompidou and Russian Museum of Málaga.

Come to think of it, the list continues to grow as only a few days ago the long awaited Museum of Málaga was opened to the public. Among the star exhibits of this, the fifth largest art gallery in Spain, is The Judgement of Paris, by Peter Paul Rubens.

Fine Cuisine

Make a point of tasting Málaga’s local cuisine, from simple but wholesome cooking to splashing out at one of the city’s latest Michelin-starred restaurants. Needless to say, you should treat yourself to the fried fish dish known as pescaíto frito, a delicacy here, in addition to espeto, as in Málaga sardines are traditionally eaten skewered (espetadas) on a reed – a real pleasure on the palate. And, be sure to make room for the city’s traditional Christmas confectionery, such as borrachuelos, patties filled with “angel-hair” pumpkin strands, which is truly delicious.

And… A Shopping Spree

At this time of year you’re bound to go shopping on the most popular and crowded street in Málaga, Calle Larios, the city’s commercial thoroughfare and inevitable destination for anyone doing some serious shopping. Other arteries to consider on your shopping route in the surrounding area are the Guadalmedina riverbank and the Carretería, Álamos and Alcazabilla streets.

Book your Vueling to Málaga here and get into luxury Christmas gear in this splendid city.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Bob Sponge

Any time of year is good for visiting the capital of Holland, which shines with a beauty of its own, regardless of the prevailing weather during your visit. There are lots of things to do here, from touring the city – preferably by bicycle, locally the leading form of transport – to taking a boat ride along the canals, enjoying the cultural activities – featuring museums of the likes of the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, among others – delighting in the leisure offerings or soaking up the vibrant atmosphere.

You have to admit, though, that there are some events during the year which make the city shine even brighter. The most popular of these takes place from January to April and its protagonist is a veritable symbol of the Netherlands – the tulip. The city is flooded with multi-coloured tulips, particularly on 17 January, National Tulip Day, when Dam Square is lovelier than ever with its huge tulip market.

Another, lesser known event which is however gaining traction among visitors is the Amsterdam Light Festival. Although quite a recent addition – this will be its fifth year – it has gradually taken over the canals and bridges and some of the city’s buildings, greeting the winter cold with a beautiful landscape of lights. Thus, from 1 December to 22 January, you can relish this wonderful show that floods Amsterdam with “light art” installations crafted by both national and international artists.

The festival is staged in two parts, in two different arenas and at two different times. First, there is the Water Colours Boat Route, with lights arranged along the city’s canals and bridges, designed to be perused on a boat ride. Several companies provide facilities for this tour, although all rides start at Amsterdam Central Station. The tours operate from 1 December to 22 January between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Then there is the so-called Illuminade Walking Route, with an itinerary which takes visitors through the cultural Weesper and Plantage neighbourhoods. On this occasion the chosen theme is biomimicry, a new science based on a study of naturally occurring models, systems and processes with the aim of imitating them for the purpose of seeking practical solutions for human needs, as long as these are sustainable. The event is made up of 23 works, on display from 15 December to 8 January between 7 p.m. and 22 p.m.

Ready to take in a heady shot of “light art”? Book your Vueling to Amsterdam and enjoy this magnificent festival.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Udo Geisler

A city of art and history located in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Limoges is internationally renowned for its whiteporcelain,which first entered production in the late 18th century, thanks to the discovery in the city’s environs of abundant kaolin deposits.

Hence, if you travel to Limoges, be sure to take one of the tours which reveal the secrets of porcelain and explain just how important it was to this land over the last few centuries. The highlight of this tour is a visit to the Adrien Dubouché National Museum which, after a recent refurbishment, features the richest collection of Limoges porcelain in the world. This includes works representing the great periods in the history of ceramics. The museum tour takes you on a journey through time, starting in antiquity, crossing continents and civilisations and gradually leading up to the most contemporary creations. Curiosities include a ceramic sternum and electrical insulation made of porcelain.

Another place of technological and historical interest on this unique route through Limoges porcelain is the Musée du Four des Casseaux, home to one of the last surviving porcelain kilns in the area. This industrial building dating from 1904 pays special tribute to its workers, particularly those who died young of lung diseases caused by inhaling silicas. Here, visitors can witness the two firings used to make porcelain – the first at 980°C and the second at 1400°C.

Your itinerary around the Limoges porcelain scene should be rounded off by a visit to the points of manufacture and sale of these valuable wares. One of them is Bernardaud, a company whose savoir-faire is perpetuated in their refined lines, subtle colours and original forms, in keeping with the times. Another emblematic house of porcelain is Jacques Pergay, located on the outskirts of Limoges, which produces elegant, unique pieces and ever more beautiful whites.

Limoges – A City of Hidden Corners

The fame of its porcelain has not eclipsed the beauty of one of the most picturesque cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, although it is still scarcely frequented by Spanish tourists.

The city is divided into districts, of which the Cathedral District and Butchers District are among the most emblematic. Prominent in the former, as its name suggests, is the Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Étienne and the Palais de l’Évêché museum and botanical gardens, located on the banks of the river Vienne, in addition to the Musée de la Résistance. On the Rue de la Boucherie you can visit the traditional Butcher’s House, featuring a recreation of the living conditions of an 18th-century butcher’s family – the butcher’s guild was the most powerful one in Limoges at the time.

Before leaving Limoges, make a point of visiting its unusual Art-Deco train station, as well as some interesting buildings adorned with porcelain features, such as the City Hall, Central Market and Louyat Cemetery.

Book your Vueling to Bordeaux and make your getaway to Limoges.

Text by Tus Destinos

First, the bad news – Marseille is not Paris. Unlike its long-standing rival, France’s second largest city lacks top-drawer museums, stunning landmarks and hordes of Japanese tourists queueing up outside Louis Vuitton. The good news is that… Marseille is not Paris. Pampered by the Mediterranean, this city of radiant sunlight, with its multicultural population and suburbs in the very heart of the city, is so much of an oddity that it earned itself the nickname Planète Mars.

With one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean, a chaotic urban layout and an abiding reputation for being a decadent capital, Marseille is above all France’s enfant terrible, a noisy, dynamic city full of contrasts, where street hawkers take over the pavements, walls are smothered in graffiti, one’s clothes are impregnated with a brackish odour and the Olympique de Marseille is the mortar that binds it all together.

Apart from the usual tourist destinations, the tables have turned since it was voted European Capital of Culture in 2013. Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Norman Foster all have their state-of-the-art buildings on the snazzy waterfront esplanade. The bohemian way of life, however, is to be found inland and that is where we are heading. With a map in our pockets, we embark on our alternative, urban bobo tour of the capital of Provence!

At La Friche la Belle de Mai

An erstwhile tobacco factory at the Gare Saint-Charles is Marseille’s liveliest cultural centre. We have come to La Friche! Exhibition areas, artists’ ateliers, theatre, skating ramps and even a nursery rub shoulders here. All in one hybrid amalgam and in constant flux, focused on contemporary creation in a precinct where the communal spirit matches the extensive programme.

The huge roof terrace, which affords spectacular city views, is filled to bursting in summer, as it hosts parties with guest DJs and open-air cinema on Sundays. For the rest of the year the music never stops, while the Cabaret Aléatoire features sessions ranging from rock to hip-hop.

If you need to refuel, head for La Salle des Machines, a café-bookshop where you can have a café au lait while you leaf through a catalogue of the latest shows. But, if you’re actually feeling peckish, Les Grandes Tables is the place to go. Here, the menu changes each day, but they always have the classic steak tartare and Caesar salad. Mondays usher in a market of local produce and, as you well know, French markets are peerless.

Outside, alongside the warehouses and level with passing TGVs, the walls of a city park are daubed in graffiti proclaiming “Skateboarding is not a crime”. Here, skaters spin their tricks, while others play basketball, scale the climbing wall, play in the children’s area or work the land in the community allotment. That’s Marseille – a heterogeneous magma where everyone and everything become fused.

A few metres to the west, among the maze-like streets of La Belle de Mai, stands Le Gyptis Cinéma. Their (original version!) listings are as eclectic as the city itself, featuring thematic film cycles, classics, titles you won’t find on the Internet and children’s movies. The facade is peopled with portraits of neighbourhood characters, the upshot of a communal street-art programme designed to put a face to the locals.

And, with that image fixed in our mind’s eye, we head for Cours Julien, the hardcore urban Marsellais scene.

Around Cours Julien – Street Art & Urban Vibe

Alternative, carefree and colourful, the Cours Ju, as locals call it, is the in district right now. Take the metro to Notre Dame du Mont, although the climb up from the harbour is a heart-stopper. A district of artists, musicians and designers and the bastion of the ultra-modern bobo community (bobo, in French, is a nickname for “bourgeois-bohemian”), the Cours Ju is an endless string of trendy cafés, restaurants of all kinds, vintage stores and streets covered in full-colour graffiti.

The fact is that no other spot in the “Hexagone” can boast such a tour de force of urban art of this calibre. Streets fronts along Rue Vian, Pastoret and Bussy l’Indien are overrun by countless pamphleteering murals of a social nature, with references to pop culture or signs announcing the cafés hidden inside. Street art is clearly part of Marseille’s urban DNA, both rebellious and multicultural, as evinced in their well-known hip-hop – see this fast-paced video set to a local rap rhythm to get the idea.

Against this backdrop, every square metre of what is Marseille’s Kreuzberg is inundated with alternative art galleries, terraces, cafés and stores selling anything from apparel to household goods. The best approach is to venture carefree into the chaotic maze of pedestrian streets and let yourself get carried away by the relaxed atmosphere.

In the Cours itself, the multi-faceted concept store Oogie sells apparel and books, but also serves food and houses a hairdressing salon which hosts DJ parties. Nearby, La Licorne makes soaps using traditional methods and, in the rue Trois Frères Barthélémy, the Brasserie de la Plaine micro-brewery sells craft beer and has a bistro where you can wolf down the market-cuisine formule du jour or menu of the day, which usually consists of a starter, main course and dessert for around €10.

The trendiest spot par excellence is WAAW, on the rue Pastoret. Halfway between a bistro and a cultural centre, WAAW’s activities range from presentations to silk-screen print shops. It is also the best place to make a technical stop, order the dish of the day or stock up for the evening on a pastis or rosé when it’s time for the popular “apéro” – a pre-dinner aperitif.

Night time ushers in drinks and music. Sited in the Place Jean Jaurès, L’Intermédiaire is one of the best venues for live and DJ-set alternative music. Next door is Au Petit Nice, which offers a huge selection of beers in an inner patio where you can while away the hours. And, in La Dame Noir, hipsters queue up to get into the most sought-after club in the area.

As if that weren’t enough, a local producers’ market sets up shop in the Cours Ju every Wednesday morning. Stamp traders get their turn on Sundays, while second-hand books are sold every second Saturday in the month. The Marché de La Plaine, in the Place Jean Jaurès, is a market selling fruit and vegetables, cheese, fish, takeaway food, cheap footwear and accessories of all kinds on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, while the flower market is held on Wednesdays.

The Cours Ju has a special something which grows on you! Get going and discover cosmopolitan Marseille – book your Vueling here!

Text by Núria Gurina i Puig for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photos by Caroline Dutrey, Coralie Filippini, JeanneMenjoulet&Cie, marcovdz, Pop H