The first thing that struck us at the Port of Hamburg and, apparently it’s really trendy at the moment, are the so-called beach parties. On the terraces and in the bars close to the port they have set up hammocks, palm trees and spread the floors with sand. All of thiswith a view to replicating, as far as the cold climate of this city will permit, the cafés of Ibiza and their sunsets. Chill-out lounges, mojitos and caipiriñas in bars such asHamburg del Mar (in St.-Pauli-Landungsbrücken/Parkdeck) or the HCBC.

One of Hamburg’s best attractions is its Fischmarkt, or the Hamburg Fish Market (at Große Elbstraße 137). This is a huge, bustling open-air market that is set up beside the historic covered fish market where they also hold concerts you can go to with the whole family. It will call for an early rise if you want to pick up the best produce, as it only opens on Sunday mornings between 0500 and 0900.

Wandering through the port you will come across the huge ‘City of Warehouses’ or Warehouse District of Hamburg, the Speicherstadt, with its cobbled streets, criss-crossed by canals and red brick buildings. It was built between 1883 and 1927 and in its early days it had one of the biggest warehouses in the world, where merchandise arriving from at the port was dealt with. Now you will find it home to restaurants and museums.

The Port of Hamburg is undergoing big changes. In one huge area still under development, a key urban planning programme has been designed to rebuild the zone, called HafenCity and where they are building homes and offices. Rising above all these buildings will be the Elbphilharmonie, the impressiveElba Philharmonic that is expected to be inaugurated in 2014. On top of one of the old port warehouses they are building what looks like a glass crown that will be home to a concert hall with room for more than 2,000 spectators.

We were told that Hamburg has two brands of beer made in the city. One of these is the Astra beer which is made in St Pauli and which is easily recognisable thanks to its logo of a red heart which is also a port symbol. The other beer made in the city is Holsten which is produced in the district of Altona-Nord.

We really liked these 3 places for eating out:

1. Bullerei with its pleasant terrace and a healthy mid-week menu.

2. Fischhandel with its high, shared tables in Colonnaden street offers one cheap, balanced plate of food which is what everyone asks for and only costs 6.50 €. You place your order inside and they let you know when it’s ready by ringing a bell. We had a huge bowl of fussini with vegetables, wild mushrooms and a good portion of fish that tasted heavenly. When you finish eating, everyone takes their plates back inside which means they save waiting at tables in order for them to keep the prices down.

3. Gröninger Privatbrauerei serves typical Bavarian dishes: huge ham knuckles, cold cuts such as leberkäse, the traditional sauerkraut (pickled cabbage salad) or bratkartoffeln (sautéed potatoes). Prepare to loosen your belt as their portions are enormous. And the place is very warm and picturesque with enormous wooden tables to rub shoulders with other diners.

Without a doubt, the most famous street in Hamburg is the Reeperbahn in Sankt Pauli with its sex shops, strip clubs and all sorts of bars. It was here that the Beatles launched their career in 1960. They played their first concert at the Indra Club but the place where they really started to make a name for themselves was at the Star Club. The place no longer exists but there is a plaque that commemorates their presence in the city. Here’s a link to the whole route that remembers the period the Liverpool boys spent in Hamburg.

Also very well-known for its football team, the FC St Pauli is much loved by all Hamburgers and has a pirate skull for its logo. You can buy t-shirts and all sorts of gadgets at the FC St Pauli shop beside the football stadium or at another, more central shop on the Reeperbahn itself at No. 63-65.

Außenalster is one of the man-made lakes that forms the River Alster in the heart of the city. It is one of the favourite places to enjoy a sunny day and the meeting place for residents of Hamburg where they go to do different sports and activities.

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

An appealing and thoroughly slow day might involve strolling leisurely through Mahón, the island’s capital city, as it has one of the most beautiful promenades in the country. The clear waters and the gentle sea breeze wafting in from the gulf make a walk along this promenade an essential experience. We propose the following itinerary, having judiciously weighed up many other potential alternatives.

Venturing Out

Start out on the Camí de Ciutadella and link up with Calle s’Arraval, which leads you into Plaza Bastió. Still standing there is one of the old city gates, a vestige of the 14th century. It is worth stopping in the square to have a bite, before setting out on the walk. Head for Santa Rita, which offers tapas and well-drawn draught beer as its fortes. From there, make for the old town and stroll aimlessly about. After a while, you will inevitably draw gradually nearer to the harbour. The stretch running towards the Moll de Llevant jetty is very pleasant. The right side is lined solid with shops, from those selling craft souvenirs of the island to restaurants, ice-cream parlours and seafaring pubs whose calling card, currently in vogue, is a cocktail based on gin and tonic, downed – gulp! – to the rhythm of chill-out music.

A Stopover

But, let’s take a breather, and the best place to relax is Can Vermut, a youthful spot where you can have well-priced tapas while savouring one of their wonderful aperitifs. As an accompaniment, we recommend the huevos estrellados cabreados (fried eggs and chips with pungent red pepper), anchovies and homemade chicken croquettes.A great tuck-in there will cost you less than 15 euros. After that, the best way to promote digestion is to continue along the itinerary, at a leisurely pace, calmly taking in everything happening around you – enjoy the marvellous maritime views, with the breeze caressing your skin. Before pressing on, go over to the sea side of the street and delight in the sight of yachts and other vessels dotting the coastline. Also entertaining is watching the fish – some are really huge! –in the crystal-clear waters. One way of enjoying the moment is to chill out on the terrace of the kiosko, on the lower reaches of La Costa de Ses Voltes. There, the breeze is likely to rouse you from your lethargy and, if you order a coffee to boot – here, they are served strong – you will regain the necessary vitality for resuming your sightseeing venture.

“Wanderer, there is no path”

Refuelling would be in order now, particularly if you want to negotiate the steep slope back up to the old town. This will take you to the Museu de Menorca, which affords a stunning, panoramic view of the spectacular gulf. The museum is housed in the erstwhile convent of Sant Francesc, where the building and its contents are equally interesting. The latter include unique exhibits from all ages, illustrating the socio-cultural evolution and changes wrought in Minorca, from its pre-history to the present. After that you could have a stroll around the shopping centre, starting at the Plaça de la Constitució, where you can admire the neoclassical architecture of the Ayuntamiento or City Hall. Inside the adjoining Church of Santa María you can have a peep at the monumental organ, comprising 3,210 pipes and four keyboards, designed by the German masters Otter and Kirburz. Near there, at 11 Ses Moreres street, is the Heladería Ambrosia. Resisting the temptation to enter this ice-cream parlour when passing by would be something of a feat. So, you choose a flavour and then head for the Claustro del Carme, just a few metres away, immediately opposite the Plaza de España. From here, both sides of the Calle del Carme are lined with small shops offering wares ranging from confectionery and delicatessen to fine leather.

Tell Me a Story

After window shopping in Mahón, you’re certainly going to need a rest. You could go over to the Teatro Principal de Mahón, to see what’s on the programme. It is really well worth visiting. This was the first opera house to be unveiled in Spain and last year marked its 185th anniversary. The fact is that Minorca has a long-standing operatic tradition. The story goes that many companies that were touring the continent used to stop over at Minorca and it was here that they would stage their dress rehearsals before pressing on to London, Paris or Vienna. It was then that Minorcans came into contact with this genre of theatrical music, and the decision was made to  build a theatre devoted mainly to opera, in order to enjoy works in a comfortable setting. And, to round off the day, we recommend going for a pomada – Gin Xoriguer and lemonade – at the Bar Nou. Opened in 1986 by Joan Saura in an art nouveau building, it is now a whole institution among Minorcans, and here they really know what they’re doing.

I’m sure you’re eager to explore Mahón – check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación, Can Vermut

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

Marrakech is mayhem and no one who has set foot in that Moroccan city will ever claim otherwise. It’s a happy form of bedlam for those who like excitement, but a stressful and terribly unpredictable place for those who like to exercise strict control. We advise the latter to take a Vueling to Zurich with their family and enjoy the placid feeling of a place where everything works and a scrumptious fondue is easy to come by. As for the rest of you – we recommend you follow us on this fantastic adventure.

Marrakech is the sort of place where someone accosts you every three steps you take, touting to sell you something or lead you to someone’s shop, offer you a guided tour of the city, drape a snake around your neck, tattoo you, make you an orange juice, walk with you and his monkey – which he wants you to hold by the hand – or fill your bag with perfumes, spices, soaps and beautiful decorative objects that appear to have leaped out of A Thousand and One Nights. All this happens as you dodge to avoid horse-drawn carts rolling to the cry of “Cheap carriage ride, María”, donkeys and other fauna that throng the streets, as you have your photo taken with a chameleon, visit palaces that until then were just a figment of your imagination and chatter about the latest exploits of Barça with men of all ages who cross your path.

This Moroccan city is pure magic, a delightful, fascinating chaos with whiffs of spice and mint tea – sometimes of horse dung, too, but, what the heck! – where any adventure lover is bound to have a whale of a time. And, who better than children to imbibe such a place, different from anything they’ve ever seen before, and abandon themselves to the stream of outlandish characters and situations that will punctuate their stay in Marrakech and make it unforgettable.

The first place the young ones are going to be infatuated with is Jemaa el Fna Square, the nerve centre of the Medina, where one of the most enchanting gastronomic festivals in the world strikes up as night falls. The smell of delicious spicy meat starts to waft out from the street stalls, and of hummus, couscous, tajine, salads and other specialities, sold for a sou. Some are reluctant to sit down to a table in that street market for fear of food poisoning, contaminated water and possible adverse effects on their digestive system. But, just by making sure the cutlery is clean and dry, and avoiding raw food, you can take part in an extravaganza that even Sublimotion can’t touch.

The same square has numerous restaurants with a view, providing angles to gawk at the ongoing revelry in Jemaa el Fna. One of our favourites is Aqua (68 Jemaa el Fna); their top-floor terrace affords privileged views of the square and the homemade Moroccan food is quite good. They also have pasta, pizza, sandwiches and other international dishes, which is great if you want to get away from local cuisine for a day.

We press on with the family gastro route through Marrakech and sit down to a table at a venue which is marvellously unclassifiable – Clock Cafe, one of the few hipster eateries in town, a spot which could be in London or Berlin but has nevertheless retained its Arab essence. Prices here border on those in Europe, their piped music is indie pop, their chairs are yellow, the walls are scrawled with graffiti and they serve a brilliant chicken and caramelised onion couscous, although the kids are more likely to go for the camel hamburgers, one of the star performers of the house. If the weather is cold – which it might be during the Marrakech winter – their fireplace will be your best friend.

Another spot well worth stopping off at is Nid’Cigogne (60 Place des Tombeaux Saadiens), a spacious, three-storey restaurant next door to the Saadian Tombs where the children can have fun with the cats roaming the terrace, enjoy the simple dishes, ranging from sandwiches to Moroccan stews, and take a break for a few hours from the incessant bustle of Marrakech. The service is friendly and, as is the case throughout this fairy-tale city, children are always welcome and are treated kindly, respectfully and effusively.

Lastly, while your options are endless, do make a point of having tea in the pretty Marrakech Henna Art Cafe, where you can get a henna tattoo and taste their little pastries while you wait. You can also dive into a delicious snack of hummus and vegetable couscous at a reasonable price, and pick up some of the souvenirs on sale inside.

Armed with a basketful of craftwork, spices, soaps, multi-coloured babouches and thousands of unforgettable memories, you will have enjoyed a family experience filled with hours of laughter and a stream of wonderful stories to tell. Well, where else in the world are you likely to come across a serious-looking character dressed in a djellaba who stops your little boy in the street and calls out, “Hello, little Nicholas!”. Book your Vueling to Marrakech and get ready to live out the experience for yourself.

Text and photos by Laura Conde of Gastronomistas.com