Some journeys take you to unknown places, some envelop you in peace and tranquillity while others are designed to help tap your inner creativity. Without a doubt, Berlin manages all three of these things. Let’s walk today through the melting pot of the city’s most rebellious heart, where new artistic spaces open every year, where music, art and design coexist with parks, restaurants and street markets. Perhaps this is why more than 8 million tourists come here every year, only to discover it has changed slightly each time they return. Carlos Medina, from My Vueling City, guides us through the city to a musical backdrop. OnPiedra de Toque, we continue to seek the hidden side of our cities. Today, Berlin, with the Kreuzberg district, the Prenzlauer Berg district and the B-Parade.

The strong>Krezberg district: 160,000 inhabitants of 200 different nationalities, Turkish being the majority. “After the wall came down, Berlin united the two Germanies – the east occupied by the Russians and the west occupied by the Americans, French and English. The Kreuzberg district lies in the east, boasting a great night life and a spectacular Turkish market. Simply consider that Berlin is the European capital with the most Turks and that most of those live in the Kreuzberg district. However, there is another area that, given the low rent prices, is also full of all sorts of creative people. A visit to the Prenzlauer Berg district is highly recommendable. Here you will find cafés and restaurants of all nationalities with an excellent offer at more than reasonable prices. Top spots for Carlos Medina: Il pane e le rose, Mami Camilla, A Cabana.

Volkspark Friedrichshain has been the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for more than 160 years. It is the oldest public park in Berlin. Mauerpark and its street market is the other essential location for discovering the hidden side of the German capital. Finally, if it’s the various shopping areas that turn you on, then Castangalle is the place for you.

B-Parade, 21 July. To conclude our visit to Berlin, we will mention the old Love Parade that began in 1989 before the fall of the Berlin Wall and that lives on today under a new name: B Parade. This popular street festival gathers a large number of DJs and performances to create the biggest party in Europe. This year, it will be held on 21 July.

Picture by David Herrmann

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By Laia Zieger from gastronomistas

Breakfast or Brunch at the Maison Dandoy

Opened in 1829, Maison Dandoy is one of the oldest pastry shops in the city. To go with an exquisite cup of hot chocolate, you can choose from an endless range of local sweet delicacies; large, light and crunchy Brussels Waffles, or the sweeter, softer Liege variety, Speculaas biscuits flavoured with cinnamon and other spices, Sablés (butter biscuits) and ‘Greek Style Bread’; a baguette sprinkled with cane sugar.
Rue Charles Buls, 14 - Bruxelles

For lunch, make your way to Chez Lola

Fashionable, contemporary and cosmopolitan, Chez Lola serves international dishes made with local, market ingredients. Standouts include cold roast beef served with homemade mayonnaise, foie gras and bouchée à la reine; puff pastry bathed in béchamel and studded with small pieces of different meats, mushrooms and snails. It’s worth noting that the menu always has a special section of dishes using in-season ingredients, be they asparagus, mussels or artichokes.
Place du Grand Sablon, 33 - Bruxelles

At the end of a perfect day, have dinner at La Taverne du Passage

The Galerie de la Reine, an old shopping arcade with a glass covered ceiling, is one of the city’s most emblematic spaces. Inside is this must-visit restaurant, whose menu is an ode to Belgium’s national cuisine. La Taverne du Passage’s décor, with it’s elegantly classical lines, and formal, white jacket and black bow-tie waiting staff, evoke another era or at least seem to have stepped out of a silent movie.

The specialities of La Taverne du Passage include (of course!) mussels with pomme frites (with various sauces to choose from) and prawn croquettes (probably the best in the city). But above all try the steak tartar. Prepared at the table with two teaspoons of homemade mayonnaise, this alone is worth your trip to Brussels.
Galerie de la Reine, 30 - Bruxelles

*And at any time of the day when hunger strikes, throw restraint out the window for a cone of pomme frites at Friterie du Café Georgette. Not your average chip, the potatoes are hand cut and fried the old fashioned way – in beef fat. They can be enjoyed with dozens of sauces at your disposal. 
Rue de la Fourche 37/39 - Bruxelles

For More Information: Tourist Office of Wallonia-Brussels

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Situated in France’s Loire Country, although Breton at heart, Nantes is a vibrant city which hosts a large number of cultural events every year. The most prominent of these is undoubtedly A Journey to Nantes, a festival at which artists display their works in the streets. If you happen to visit Nantes, here are the six emblematic sights in the old Breton capital.

Castle of the Dukes of Brittany. We begin with a historic monument, the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany. It is the last castle situated on the banks of the Loire before it runs into the Atlantic. This elegant castle now houses the Nantes History Museum.

Graslin Square. Here, in the vicinity of the green Cours Cambronne esplanade, are two must-see sights – the Nantes Opera House, a neoclassical building with statues dedicated to Molière and Racine, and the Art Nouveau La Cigale bar-restaurant.

Le Lieu Unique. This building, once the premises of the old LU Biscuit Factory, is divided into several areas – a performance venue, an exhibition area and a hammam, among others. Its emblematic tower affords pleasant views of the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany and the city as a whole.

Île de Nantes. The Isle of Nantes features various contemporary works by great architects, including Nouvel, Buren and Portzamparc. One of the standout landmarks is the Palais de Justice, designed by Jean Nouvel, located on the François Mitterrand quayside, which welcomes visitors to this spot.

The Machines of the Isle of Nantes and the Marine Worlds Carrousel. The so-called Machines of the Isle, located on the former site of the Nantes shipyards, is an unusual artistic and tourist project. It consists of sculptures of giant mechanical animals, indicating a fusion between the imaginary worlds of Jules Verne, who was born in Nantes in 1828, the visionary machines of Leonardo da Vinci and the industrial history of the city itself. Another must-see is the Marine Worlds Carrousel, a three-storey merry-go-round with a marine theme. The attraction won the Thea Award in 2014, one of the most prestigious in in the leisure theme industry.

Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery (Fosse quayside). In 1998, to mark the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, the artist Krzysztof Wodiczko and the architect Julian Bonder built a commemorative monument along the Loire dockside. The monument comprises 2,000 glass panels depicting scenes from the slave expeditions that departed from Nantes not so long ago.

Apart from these six sights, Nantes offers other charming spots that can be toured in a single weekend. Check out our flights here.

Text by María Jesús Tomé
Photos by María Jesús Tomé / Nantes Tourisme

Full of life, Gazi neighbourhood (Γκάζι) is one of the most cheerful in Athens. This is the place to taste the nightlife of the Greek city, a labyrinth of narrow streets full of multitudes to enjoy a great offer of leisure.

This was the first neighbourhood hosting gay-friendly clubs and, after time, became the trendiest place in Athens, with an energy that cannot be seen anywhere else in the city and its own rhythm.

In Gazi there are the modern cocktail bars, night pubs, new cafés and restaurants, also museums, galleries and theatres. The main spot in the neighbourhood is an old gas factory that was reopened in 1999 as an elegant arts centre named Tecnópolis.

Gazi means exactly that, gas factory, and is at this factory where there are exhibitions, concerts and festivals regularly. The building is from 1862 and includes cultural spaces, a big patio, the María Callas Museum, the city radio and a cosy café.

This might be one of the few gas factories that remain after World War II. The reason is that is near the Acropolis and the old archaeological setting of Keramikos and the nazis, who were into classic culture, were afraid to bomb this area.

At night, the relaxed cafés of Gazi Square and the streets around, like Iakou, Persephonis, Dekeleon and Voutadon, become modern bars and restaurants.

Go to Mamaca's in Persephonis street. It’s a classic around here, the place to eat great Greek food. At the same street, The Butcher Shop, an excellent psistaria, typical Greek tavern specialized in roast and grilled meats. Both restaurants have tables in the streets.

In Vitonos there is Thalata, a great restaurant specialized in seafood. Even it’s a little bit expensive for the Greek standard, the quality is great and you won’t feel like you’re in a fake place made for tourists. Walls are painted with the beautiful colours of the Cyclades and you can get the advice from the owner to get the freshest products.

In Athiri you have a great weekly menu, made of gourmet courses, for about 25€. The restaurant was awarded several times so is a safe option, with fresh products, organic olive oil and homemade desserts. Even the bread is homemade!

To go for a drink, Gazarte is the most famous place to go. Getting a cocktail at the roof, with great views over the Acropolis, is so refreshing. There is also a cinema, a restaurant, a bookstore and a room where there’s live music scheduled daily.

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