Things to Do in Europe

The Massena Art & History Museum (or Musée Massena) reopened in 2008 after an extensive renovation taking 8 years! In an impressive Italianate neoclassical mansion fronting onto the Promenade des Anglais, it has 23 exhibition rooms and lush gardens. The focus of exhibits is the history of Nice which, considering the artists, writers and musicians who have lived in the area, is not nearly as dull as it sounds. 

The gardens are English-style and provide a welcome place of greenery to relax out of the glamorous bustle and sunshine of Nice. The villa was built between 1898 and 1901 by Andre Masséna who gave it to the people of Nice in 1917 when it became a museum of regional history.

Marsamxett Harbour sits on the north-west side of Valletta and, along with a series of major creeks – Sliema, Msida and Lazzaretto – provides calm mooring for boats as it is protected by the plug of land at Dragutt Point and by rocky Manoel Island, now connected to the town of Gzira by bridge. Marsamxett is separated from the Grand Harbour by the Valletta peninsula but together the two inlets make up the biggest natural harbor in Europe.

The towns of Sliema, Gzira, Ta’xbiex and Msida sprawl into each other along the northern edge of the harbor, while the southern side is lined with the battlements of Valletta and Floriana. A vast, slowly decaying 18th-century fortress stands on Manoel Island as well as the ruins of an isolation hospital that was used in the 17th century to quarantine sailors suspected of having the plague. Marsamxett Harbour is also home to Malta’s biggest yachting marina, which stretches right up Msida Creek to Ta’xbiex.

Malta’s prettiest fishing village sits around a bay on the south coast of the island and has starred in thousands of postcards and many a film. Marsaxlokk’s (pronounced marsa-schlock) chief attractions are twofold: the buzzing daily market and the fishing boats. The latter comprises a large fleet of luzzus (pronounced ‘lut-sues’) bobbing in the bay. These traditional, cheerily painted and wooden Phoenician-style fishing boats have become symbolic of the island – most of them are red, yellow and sky-blue, with eyes painted on their prows to ward off evil. With fishing the staple livelihood of this photogenic little town, there is small wonder that it is one of the best – and cheapest – places on Malta to eat the very freshest of fish. Chose from any of the outdoors restaurants for a fine seafood feast.

Marsaxlokk’s fresh produce market runs daily and sprawls along the quayside under brightly striped awnings; get there at 8am to avoid the crowds an admire the piles of seasonal fruit, vegetables and freshly caught fish. Proceedings reach a crescendo on Sundays, when visitors pour in from all over the island to snap up anything from exquisite locally hand-made lace, linen tablecloths and delicate filigree jewelry to gourmet relishes and Maltese honey – but you’ll have to delve among piles of tatty souvenirs and cheap household goods. Be prepared to barter but expect handcrafted lace to be expensive; if it is not, then it simply is not handmade.

You might be familiar with the name “Marsala” because of the famous fortified wine that originates in the city - and in fact, one of Marsala’s nicknames is the “Città del Vino,” or city of wine. It would be a shame to get to this city on the western coast of Sicily and not try its namesake wine, but that’s surely not the only reason to visit.

Marsala is a historic port city, the furthest point west on the island of Sicily, and is known for its history, beaches, and, of course, wine. The ancient Roman city that once occupied this spot was one of the most important on the island, thanks to its position as a busy commercial port. Today, while Marsala is still a port city, it’s more of a tourist area than a commercial center.

Things to do and see in Marsala include an archaeological museum, a former Benedictine monastery (which houses a Garibaldi exhibit), the lagoon (popular with windsurfing and kite surfing), and the nearby island of Motya (an archaeological site where an ancient Greek city once stood).

Most people coming to this part of Sicily are likely attracted by the sun, sand, and surf - not to mention the relaxed attitude toward summer. Foodies will be interested in sampling Marsala’s namesake wine. The Marsala that gets exported is a fortified wine, but you’ll find a wider variety of Marsala available in the city itself.

Visitors to Marsala can fly into nearby Trapani and then take the train along the coast (the train from Palermo to Marsala takes more than three hours). If you plan to visit multiple places in Sicily, however, you would benefit from renting a car.

Few places are as unashamedly picturesque as the village of Marken, and thus, its location, a peninsular stretching onto the IJsselmeer Lake, is often found plastered on souvenir postcards.

The quintessentially Dutch village has become a key tourist destination, with tour groups flocking to catch a glimpse of the unique island culture. Here, the vistas are undeniably quaint: painted wooden houses line the waterfront; colorful fishing boats jostle for space around the dock and the glistening lake waters reflect every detail. Even the village’s 2,000 inhabitants seem caught in time, dressing themselves in traditional costumes and preserving their time-honored customs.

Marken’s wooden houses, many of them now listed as national heritage sites, remain the village’s key attractions, but there are enough sights to make a pleasant day trip from Amsterdam, just 45 minutes away by road or boat.

With its steep rocky cliffs, forested trails and trickling waterfalls, the wild landscape of the Masca Valley is among Tenerife’s most beautiful, and the remote gorge offers a thrilling backdrop for a hiking expedition.