The English discovered Pau in the mid-19th century, fell in love with its mild climate and turned it into one of their favourite summer resorts. This is borne out by the well preserved oldest golf course in Europe outside the United Kingdom. The capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Département, well known as a city of art and history, offers visitors generous helpings of history, cuisine and fine wine, in addition to an adrenalin rush in the watersports available to all-comers at the Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium.

Pau – A City with History

The historic centre of Pau is distributed around its castle, the birthplace of Henry IV of France (and III of Navarre), known as "Good King Henry", France’s first king of the Bourbon dynasty. The hallmark of this castle is its architectural diversity and, like all national museums in France, admission is free every first Sunday of the month. Opposite the castle stands the Parliament of Navarre, set up in the mid-17th century after the edict of unification between France and the historical region of Bearn. It is now the seat of the General Council of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

The old town features a number of interesting sights, including such emblematic buildings as the Church of Saint-Martin and the Maison Sully, a 17th-century mansion. Touching its doorknocker is said to bring good luck, so you are advised to go through this ritual before leaving the city, just in case.

The Boulevard des Pyrénées – A Balcony Overlooking Nature

One of the landmark spots in Pau is the Boulevard des Pyrénées, designed as a replica of the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. It connects the castle to the Beaumont Palace and affords beautiful views of the mountain range separating France and Spain. A pastime very much in vogue among locals and, by extension, among many visitors too, is to sit at one of the terrace cafés and soak up the fabulous mountain views.

Several museums are open to sightseers in Pau, notably the Bernadotte House, the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a French general who ascended to the throne of Sweden, and the Fine Arts Museum, which houses a collection of paintings by Victor Galos, as well as works by local artists and even Degas and Rubens.

Cuisine and Sports in Pau

Pyrenean cuisine, with its standout local sausage and tasty cheeses, is another of the major attractions in the capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. One highly popular dish is poule au pot (casseroled chicken), an icon of traditional Bearnese cuisine. Prominent among local wines is Jurançon, which comes in two flavours – dry and sweet. Lastly, to burn up the calories ingested, watersports come highly recommended, notably rafting and hydrospeed. And, they can both be done at the nearby white-water stadium which in 2017 will be hosting the Canoe World Championships.

Be sure to visit this beautiful city – book your flight here.

Text and images by Tus Destinos

Images by Jean Jacques BROCHARD, Alban GILBERT

Travelling in big cities has the major drawback of having to cover large distances from one point to another. In such cases the metro is usually our best solution, saving us long journeys by bus, endless walks or uncertain (and expensive) taxi rides. This form of public transport, which funnels us through the bowels of the large urban connurbations – with the odd, welcome foray to the surface above ground – is very useful for spanning long distances. However, that descent into the depths can be rather claustrophobic and even an ordeal for some. And, considering the fact that we are sometimes hard put to find our bearings in the city, and that metro signs are not always as intuitive as we would like, the experience can end up being quite exhausting and stressful. Who hasn’t got off at the wrong stop at least once on the London Underground, for instance!

Stockholm, like many other European capitals, boasts a magnificent underground network for moving about the city. So far, so good. However, unlike other countries, Sweden’s capital has elected to create a more pleasant, inspiring experience by decorating many of the metro stations with artworks. Around 90 of the total of 110 stations making up the network enable commuters to enjoy the work of over 150 artists who were specifically commissioned to take part in this project. Paintings, ceramics, bas-reliefs and sculptures adorn the premises, turning the ordinarily humdrum act of taking the metro into a more agreeable and interesting experience.

Construction of the Stockholm metro network began in 1950. Right from the outset, its public function was taken into consideration, as was the idea of embellishing it with artworks. The first stations to be built were those on the green line, dating from the nineteen fifties, notably the T-Centralen, a junction now crossed by the three main metro lines. The good practice of incorporating art into station design has endured until the present. Among the most impressive examples we encountered on our trip were those to be had at Solna Centrum and Rådhuset, of which the latter resembles the very gateway to Hell.

The Stockholm metro has generated so much buzz that it has become a major meeting point for tourists. And, just like any other city museum, it is the object of guided tours in summer (from June to September) which is when the largest number of visitors come to Stockholm. You are advised to head for the tourist office at the T-Centralen station, which is where you can book tours and where they start from – the guided tours are in English only.

Book your Vueling to Stockholm and discover the artworks which adorn the metro stations of that beautiful city for yourself.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Steph McGlenchy, Vargklo, Daniel Mott, Jakub Kadlec

In terms of tourism, Germany is much more than just Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. In recent years, some cities from the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) are gaining prominence like any other, having shaken off the dust and deadweight of the Socialist regime they lived under during the Cold War. One of these newly emerging cities is Leipzig, its waxing popularity driven by the art scene, its recent history and the great vitality of its inhabitants. In the following we pinpoint the reasons that make Leipzig the ideal destination for your next getaway.

Leipzig – A Music Destination

Listen up, classical music lovers! Music is very much in vogue in Leipzig, and I mean goodmusic, largely owing to the city’s past. It is famous for composers of the calibre of Johann Sebastian Bach, who was cantor of the Choir at St Thomas Church, one of the oldest in the world. And of Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck, who entertained their contemporaries as musicians and as a couple. For Felix Mendelssohn, Leipzig was where he spent the last few years of his life, while the city is the birthplace of Richard Wagner. The Augustusplatz is the city’s music hub and the site of the Gewandhaus concert hall, a Brutalist-style building which houses one of the most widely acclaimed symphonic orchestras. Right opposite stands the Opera, the third oldest in Europe. Oddly enough, the two institutions share the same conductor.

Leipzig – A Defiant City

The chain of events that led to the downfall of the GDR unfolded precisely in Leipzig. Throughout 1989, a number of masses and peaceful protests were held around the Church of St Nicholas that gradually wore down the old, established regime and led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Stasi, the feared secret police of East Germany, witnessed these events in silence, as, faced with growing grass-roots pressure, they declined to intervene. Leipzig boasted numerous printing presses in the second half of the 20th century and, in order to monitor their activity, the Stasi had their headquarters set up in the so-called Haus zur runden Ecke (House of the Rounded Corner). Today it is a museum showcasing the workings of the former State security, which so hobbled the lives of the GDR’s citizens.

Leipzig – A Trade Centre & River Port

Leipzig has long been a major trade centre and, to provide merchants conducting their business with shelter from the inclement weather – rainy and overcast most of the year – around twenty covered arcades were built. Two of the best known arcades are Speck’s Hof – the oldest in Leipzig, which currently showcases some magnificent paintings and ceramic medallions, and the Mädler arcade with its stylish glass skylight and the historic Auerbachs Keller restaurant, where Goethe overheard the stories that inspired Faust when he was studying in Leipzig. As a tribute to the celebrated writer, there are two statues dedicated to the main characters in this paramount work of universal literature.

Leipzig’s commercial calling is partly due to the White Elster river, a sub-tributary of the Elbe, which numerous canals criss-crossing the city flow into. They also provide a different way of discovering it – from a small boat.

Leipzig – An Artistic Melting Pot

The Saxon city is currently one of the favourite destinations among painters, designers and creators from the world over on account of the lively art scene that has blossomed in the Spinnerei, once Europe’s largest spinning mill. Today it is an unusual, colossal cultural centre where contemporary art is produced and exhibited. It features twelve art galleries, a hundred art studios and over a hundred cubicles rented out to creators who flock to Leipzig to soak up the latest trends and share their know-how with other colleagues. Here, they feel very much at home.

Leipzig – A Grand City

Leipzig is a distinguished city with character and some striking monuments and other buildings. Prominent in the Augustusplatz is the Paulinum, one of the Leipzig University buildings, featuring a facade emulating the Paulinerkirche, the former university church which was senselessly dynamited in 1968 during the times of the GDR regime. Another building which stands out, at least for its height, is the City-Hochhaus, known as the “wisdom tooth” on account of its design. The top floor of this landmark houses the Panorama Tower restaurant and viewing platform. Their lunch menu is very reasonable and the eatery is worth visiting, if only for the splendid views.

The city also features a colossal monument which, apart from being oversized, also has an unpronounceable name – the Völkerschlachtdenkmal– which was built to commemorate the Battle of the Nations in 1813, specifically the defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig by a coalition of nations, namely Prussia, Russia, Sweden and Austria.

Come and discover this German city – check out your Vueling here.

Text by Tus Destinos

Images by Robin Kunz, Michael Bader, Peter Hirth, LTM-Tom Schulze, Nils Petersen

The writer and journalist, David Lagercrantz, took up the challenge of continuing the trilogy begun by Steig Larsson, having authored the fourth novel in the Millennium series, That Which Does Not Kill. In addition to instigating Scandinavia’s black novel phenomenon, this popular trilogy featuring Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist as the main characters has turned into a fascinating alternative guide to the city where the action is set – Stockholm.

7-Eleven

While not a particularly interesting spot for sightseers, establishments like 7-Eleven, at number 25 Götgatan Street, can always comes in handy. As a regular, it is here that the hacker and social recluse, Lisbeth Salander, sources the two essential ingredients of her pernicious diet – frozen pizzas and cartons of Marlboro Light.

Ikea

Ikea is a veritable institution in Sweden and Steig Larsson could not afford to ignore it in his trilogy. It features in the second instalment, when Lisbeth Salander turns up at the Kungens Kurva premises (the largest in the world) to buy furniture for her new apartment. Larsson provides such a detailed list of the purchase – Karlanda sofa, Galant desk, Bonde bookshelves… – that anyone wishing to faithfully replicate Salander’s flat interior could easily do so.

Kvarnen

Among Lisbeth Salander’s few friends are the members of the heavy metal group, Evil Fingers, who she usually meets up with at Kvarnen on Tuesday evenings. Located at number 4 Tjärhovsgatande Street and with over a century’s standing, it is one of Stockholm’s oldest taverns, offering such noteworthy traditional Swedish dishes asköttbullar (meatballs) and surströmming (herring).

Lisbeth Salander’s House

In The Girl Who Played With Fire (2008), Lisbeth Salander moves to a luxury apartment at 9 Fiskargatan Avenue. This block, built in 1910, stands out in Stockholm’s skyline for its green metal roof. Salander enjoys no fewer than 21 rooms in her new abode, as well as tempting views of Djurgården island and Saltsjön Bay!

Mikael Blomkvist’s House

It requires no feat of the imagination to picture Larsson walking in front of 1 Bellmansgatan Street and fantasise settling down in such a privileged enclave. His desire, at least in the fiction tale, materialised when he had one of his main characters, Mikael Blomkvist, move into the attic, a 65m² apartment flooded with light, affording beautiful views over Riddarfjärden Bay, Gamla Stan and the Stockholm City Hall.

Mellqvist Kaffebar

At 78 Hornsgatan Street, the Mellqvist Kaffebar is not just one of the cafés most frequented by the protagonists of Millennium. It was actually one of the author’s favourite spots, too. There are even those who claim that, between one café and another, it was there that Larsson wrote more than a chapter of his successful trilogy. Indeed, the journal, Expo, of which Larsson was the director, was housed on the floor above it.

Mosebacke Torg

Just a few metres from Salander’s new apartment lies the Mosebacke Torg, one of Stockholm’s loveliest squares. Sited on the square is the Södra Teatern, the city’s oldest theatre, built in 1859. It is in the theatre bar that Lisbeth usually meets Annika Giannini to exchange confidences over a few beers. The Mosebacke Torg also houses one of Stockholm’s last-surviving telephone boxes still in service.

Millennium’s Editorial Office

Located on the corner of Götgatan Avenue – one of the busiest arteries in the Södermalm district – and Hökens Gata Street, the editor’s office of the Millennium journal is housed on the floor above Greenpeace’s headquarters. Staunch enthusiasts of the trilogy are likely to be disappointed when they realise that, while the offices of Greenpeace are indeed located on that corner, the upper floors of the building are all just apartments.

Samirs Gryta

Enthralled with their couscous and mutton stew, the Samirs Gryta Syrian restaurant is a favourite among the Millennium editorial staff. The exact address of this fictitious eatery is never divulged in any of the instalments but, in terms of its appearance, Steig Larsson was probably inspired by the Indian restaurant Dado (Tavastgatan, 28) and the adjoining Lebanese restaurant, Tabbouli (Tavastgatan, 22).

Stortorget

Stortorget is the square where Dragan Armanski catches sight of Lisbeth Salander shortly after being hired by Milton Security. Stortorget is one of Stockholm’s historic sites as here, in November 1520, the Bloodbath took place, when Danish King Christian II had hundreds of members of the ruling classes executed in order to seize control of the country. Also in Stortorget is the Nobelmuseet, the Nobel Prizes museum.

The Stockholm City Museum offers a fascinating tour of the city inspired by the Millennium trilogy. Click here for further details.

Ready for an exciting journey through the trilogy? Check out our flights here.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Holger Ellgaard, I99pema, Kirsty Komuso, Arild Vågen, Mstyslav Chernov