Culture holidays
Art is a way of life in Japan’s answer to Florence
Ishikawa prefecture is known for attracting the most talented artisans in the country, in a culture of creation that dates back centuries.
- by Ben Groundwater
Striking new gallery finally opens after almost 100 years
Madrid’s new Royal Collections Gallery began construction in 2006, but was first conceptualised in the 1930s.
- by Julietta Jameson
This town is like a Willy Wonka factory for book lovers
Hay-on-Wye in Wales is world famous for its second-hand and antiquarian bookshops, and it’s easy for a book lover to get carried away.
- by Keith Austin
Short and sweet: 20 incredible trips that take less than eight hours
From a funicular with a view to a jaw-dropping river cruise, the best short trips concentrate astonishing landscapes a few hours - or even a few minutes.
- by Brian Johnston
Opinion
Commonwealth Games
No great loss: Nine events better than the Commonwealth Games
Disappointed that the world’s largest school sports carnival has been cancelled? Here are nine important (and occasionally perplexing) other events to attend.
- by Ben Groundwater
There’s a cool new $400 million Factory in buzzing Manchester
The UK’s largest and most expensive arts hub since London’s Tate Modern is cutting-edge, taking inspiration from the city’s storied past.
- by Steve McKenna
Famed light artist brings dazzling installation to a new outback site
British-Australian artist Bruce Munro lit up the desert at Uluru. Now it’s Kings Canyon’s turn to gleam.
- by Sue Williams
Zen, with a little help from a club-wielding monk
The threat of violence has a way of focusing the mind. And this Japanese mountain temple offers enlightenment through an “awakening stick”.
- by Ben Groundwater
Push-button nostalgia: Australia’s only game console museum a surprise delight
Now you can indulge your childhood or teenage love for Space Invaders or Mario Kart.
- by Sue Williams
Forget Harry Potter: See the real Edinburgh via its sleepy backstreets and secret parks
Discover parts of Edinburgh that tend to elude tourists’ gazes via a mish-mash of dedicated bike lanes, off-road paths and under-the-radar waterways.
- by Steve McKenna