In this part of France two cities hog most of the visitors – Strasbourg, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in France, and Colmar, capital of the wine-producing region. However, the little known jewel in the newly created region of the Great East is Mulhouse, once an independent republic, located where three counties meet – France, Germany and Switzerland. Possibly on account of that privileged position, Mulhouse is now one of France’s most active cities in terms of creativity and culture, also partly driven by its importance in the 19th century as a textile centre, which has endowed the city with an interesting industrial heritage.

Mulhouse is the City of Art and History, the first city in the Alsace to be awarded this distinction. One of its major reference points is the Place de la Réunion, the heart of its historic centre, where the easily recognisable standout feature is the pink-coloured old Town Hall. Another landmark in the square is the Protestant Church of Saint-Étienne, with a campanile affording stunning views of the city. Permission is required to go up it.

Mulhouse was one of the first major centres of the textile industry in France. This is attested in the Museum of Printed Textiles, which each year hosts a thematic exhibition linked to some well-known designer. Likewise, the Wesserling Park - Textile Ecomuseum which offers dramatized tours and fashion shows. Other major draws include the examples of industrial architecture (reconditioned former brickwork factories), and the street art and contemporary art to be had in the city centre.

Another venue worth visiting is the Cité de l’Automobile (featuring the Schlumpf Collection), situated just five minutes from downtown Mulhouse. Considered one of the leading automobile museums in the world, it showcases over 400 vehicles, prominent among which is a large collection of Bugattis. The Automobile City, divided into five distinct areas, is a truly interactive museum. Interesting audiovisuals about the automobile industry are screened, while a number of simulators enable visitors to experience what it feels like to drive a racing car.

On the outskirts of Mulhouse, the town of Ungersheim is home to the Alsace Ecomuseum, the largest of its kind in France. Here you can learn about the traditional divisions of the Alsace, what their schools used to be like and what the leading trades were. The most important craftsmen were blacksmiths, cartwrights and potters. It is also amazing to see how they used to cook in earlier times, and how they distilled local spirits. Additionally, you can taste some authentic, traditional dishes like celery gelatine, potatoes with nettles and basil sorbet.

Lastly, if you want to try Alsatian cuisine, we recommend you head for a winstub, the equivalent of a pub in the Alsace – the Restaurant Le Cellier is an ideal example. There you can taste such local specialities as fleischschnakas, an exquisite dish of noodle dough stuffed with meat, flammkuchen or tarte flambée, thinly rolled out bread dough with a topping of raw onion, bacon and single cream, and sauerkraut, accompanied by delicious Alsace wines. And, the best place to go for a drink at night is Le Gambrinus where the atmosphere is welcoming and the craft beer is excellent (bière du Bollwerk).

Mulhouse lends itself to a weekend tour. The EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, shared by France, Germany and Switzerland, is just 30 minutes away from the city centre. More information on the flights here.

Text by Tusdestinos.net

History has been generous with Périgueux. This town, emblematic of the Aquitaine region, is fortunate enough to boast well preserved remains of its Gallo-Roman and medieval past, making it a unique spot. Situated on the banks of the river Isle, Périgueux makes for a great getaway, on account of both its stunning heritage and as a place to indulge in culinary delights, notably its foie gras. Périgueux, the ancient Vesunna Petrucoriorum, was one of the most important Roman centres in southern France. This is evinced in the extant remains of that civilisation, noteworthy being the Roman wall and the amphitheatre, with a capacity of 20,000 spectators, which must have rivalled Nimes or Arles. Well worth visiting is the Vesunna Gallo-Roman Museum, built around a grand Roman villa from the 1st century AD, the so-called domus des Bouquets (Domus of Vesunna). Judging by its sheer size – it covers an area of 4,000 square metres – it must have belonged to a high-ranking official of the region. Thanks to a system of walkways, the interior of the villa can be viewed from above, without impinging on the original surfaces.

A few metres from the old Gallo-Roman wall, which had some buildings set on top of it, lie vestiges of the town’s medieval past, including those of the 12th-century Château Barrière, destroyed in a fire in the 16th century, and the church of Saint-Étienne de la Cité, Périgueux’s original cathedral – up until the Wars of Religion – during which two of its four domes and the campanile were destroyed.

Touring Medieval and Renaissance Périgueux

It seems that God Himself stopped on the summit of Le Puy-Saint-Front, where man ended up building a cathedral of the same name over a former Merovingian and Carolingian church. This formidable cathedral, which rivets your gaze upwards as soon as you get near it, is a compulsory stopover for pilgrims on the Road to Santiago. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1998. Saint-Front Cathedral is unique in that its fabric reveals exotic Byzantine flourishes at times, as well as the legacy of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre, Paris, at others. Its interior is not quite as striking, although it does harbour the odd exceptional detail, such as the chandelier that lit the wedding of Napoleon III and countess Eugénie de Montijo in Paris.

Medieval Périgueux, with the Mataguerre Tower as the last bastion of its ancient wall, is also graced with Renaissance buildings featuring such characteristic elements of this style as inner courts and staircases. Among the most emblematic buildings is the 16th-century House of the Patissier and the Saint Front Residence, a mansion located on the Rue de la Constitution.

Gastronomy in Périgueux

At the foot of the Cathedral lies the Place de la Clautre where local farmers sell their produce in a street market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A few streets away, two open-air markets feature two of the products that are never in short supply in the pantries of Périgueux’s inhabitants – meat and foie gras.

It is a delightful experience to wander through the maze of medieval alleyways and then book a table at one of the small bistros or restaurants where you can treat yourself to local fare. One such eatery is the refined L’Eden, on Rue de l’Aubergerie, one of the most picturesque thoroughfares in the capital of the former Périgord.

Ready to discover the charm of Périgueux? Check out your Vueling to Bordeaux here.

Text and images by Tus Destinos

Photos by Tus Destinos and Alban GILBERT - CRTA

If you travel to Trieste, don’t fail to visit its historical cafés. Part of their patina is due to their connection with literary figures – writers such as Svevo, Saba, Stendhal and Joyce frequented these establishments in search of conversation, inspiration and rest.

While these cafés enjoyed their moment of splendour in the late-19th and early-20th century, they have endured to the present, albeit with some changes, transporting their customers back to a bygone age. Visitors can admire their wooden furnishings, framed in tall architectural devices, the classic marble tables and an atmosphere redolent with the aroma of coffee.

Here are some of the standout historical cafés of Trieste:

Caffè Tommaseo (Piazza Tommaseo, 4/c)

Opened in 1830 by the Paduan, Tommaso Marcato, this is Trieste’s oldest café. It was decorated by the painter, Gatteri, who among other things commissioned the mirrors to be brought from Belgium. It was once a meeting place of merchants and writers and the first establishment in the city to serve ice-cream. It also used to host art exhibitions and concerts, a tradition still kept alive on its premises.

Caffè degli Specchi (Piazza Unità d’Italia, 7)

Founded in 1839 by the Greek, Nicolò Priovolo, it is located in one of the most privileged spots in Trieste, the Piazza Unità d’Italia, on the ground floor of the Stratti building. When you get to this café, you are hard put to decide where to sit – the interior is still tinged with the charm of its glorious past, while the terrace affords lovely views of the square and the sea. Curiously, during World War II it was used to garrison troops, and also as a warehouse and even a stable.

Caffè Tergesteo (Piazza della Borsa, 15)

Housed in the shopping arcade of the Tergesteo Palace, the former seat of Trieste’s stock exchange, it is famed for its stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the city’s history. It was once frequented during the day by businessmen who attended the stock exchange, and by night by the cultural elite.

Caffè San Marco (Via Battisti, 18)

The early years of this café were troubled ones. Having opened in 1914, the following year it was closed down and destroyed by Austro-Hungarian troops for having been the meeting place for the irredentists. It was rebuilt in the twenties, when its regular clientele featured such literary figures as Saba, Svevo and Giotti. It is now a café, cultural centre and library and still breathes the atmosphere of another age.

Caffè Torinese (Corso Italia, 2)

The first thing that strikes one when entering this bar, opened in 1915, is its Art Nouveau decoration, the work of the Trieste cabinet-maker, Debelli. Another stunning feature is the spectacular crystal chandelier that lights its comfortable interior. The current owners have managed to endow the locale with a cool, modern air in the guise of its cocktails and its wine list, which includes local wines.

How to Order a Coffee in Trieste

While this might sound outlandish, Trieste has its own names for different types of coffee and you should bear this in mind unless you want to end up gawking at the waiter who has just served up your order. An expresso is called a nero, while a capuccino is known as caffè latte. If you want a macchiato, you have to ask for a capo (capuccino) and, if you’d like your coffee served in a glass, you should specify “in a b”, as “b” is the abbreviation for glass (bicchiere) in Italian.

Ready for a good cup of coffee in Trieste? Book your Vueling here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by dani7c3, Caffè Tommaseo, Caffè Torinese, Caffè degli Specchi

Milan is celebrated as having one of the highest economic development rates among Italy’s cities. It is also famed for being one of the international hubs of fashion and design. When considering a trip to this incredible city, we inevitably think of attending one of its great fashion shows, roaming through its boundless Furniture Fair or delighting in window shopping its fabulous stores and splashing out on the amazing apparel, if we can afford it.

Some head for Milan to soak up its cultural assets by visiting its most emblematic monuments, notably the Duomo or the Castello Sforzesco, relishing the artworks housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and the Museo del Novecento, or venturing into the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. There, the art lover is greeted by one of the icons of art history, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Then again, others prefer to don their finery to attend an opera performance in the iconic Teatro alla Scala.

The Carnevale Ambrosiano

No less celebrated is one of Milan’s more spirited, entertaining facets – its Carnival. When the subject of Italy’s carnivals comes up, it is common to talk about the two most popular instances in the land. First, the Venice Carnival, with its magnificent face masks and spectacular period costumes, which unfolds against the magical backdrop of that unique city. The other is the Viareggio Carnival, where festival-goers never fail to be amazed by the mechanical ingenuity of the floats that file past during the parade.

The Carnevale Ambrosiano, as Milan’s carnival is known, offers a peculiarity which makes it stand out from the rest – its duration. Carnival usually ends on Carnival Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, which then gives way to Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent. In the case of Milan, it extends four more days, lasting until the Saturday, known locally as Sabato Grasso. And, it’s not merely because of some whim, as the reason for its duration is related to a long-standing legend. It is said that the bishop, St Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, who happened to be on a long pilgrimage in foreign lands, requested an extension of Carnival until his return to the city, as he wished to celebrate the start of Lent with all his people.

Like any noteworthy carnival, the Milan Carnival prizes itself on its parades and street festivities, characterised by a fanfare of colour, music and festive atmosphere. On the Saturday, the crowning event is a grand parade which ends in one of the city’s most emblematic spots, the Piazza del Duomo.

One of the standout aspects of this Carnival is the traditional costume known as the Meneghino. Just as the figure of the harlequin is traditional in Bergamo, or Pantaleon in Venice, the Milan Carnival has its own popular figure, drawn from the Italian Commedia dell'arte. TheMeneghinocan be spotted by his three-cornered hat.

Among the traditional confectionery loved by the Milanese are the chiacchiere and bugie, simple fried pastries made of flour and coated in castor sugar which are ideal for topping up your strength between one street party and the next.

Don your mask and come to Milan to delight in its Carnival!

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by gnuckx