- free
- (857)
-
The term ‘view’ is relative in a city that banned skyscrapers by referendum in the 1970s. To get a bird’s eye view you’ll have to do a bit of climbing. Rundetårnet, or the Round Tower, is a landmark in the city centre.
Another option is the spire of Our Saviour’s church in the Christianshavn neighbourhood is unique in that the spiral staircase is on the outside of the spire. If your boots are made for walking you’re all set.
Our Saviour Church (Vor frelsers kirke)
Sankt Annægade 29, Christianshavn
www.vorfrelserskirke.dk/frontpage.htm
Admission is free
The Round Tower (Rundetårn)
Købmagergade 52A
Tel: (+45) 33 73 03 73
rundetaarn.dk/
Prices: 20 kroner for adults and 5 kroner for kids
A stunning modern building with Arab influences. Built in two sections, the roof garden can be accessed by a high-speed glass lift and metal walkway on the ninth floor. Not for the faint hearted but the views are fantastic and it's free. There is a cafe/restaurant at the top, but I didn't feel up to it after using the lift and seeing the prices.
1, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard
Place Mohammed-V
75236
Sit on the beach and look at the sun setting - (my favoured spot is in between the two piers, looking just over the burnt out one ...) call me a freak but if it's a good day for weather - you could almost be anywhere in the world.
The beach at Brighton
Get up at dawn and wander around the old quarter, where joggers and tai chi classes replace the ever-present mopeds.
Near the statue in Hoan Kiem Lake, down a side street, there is a flower market, which transforms the area completely.
A high hill on the Asian side of the city, it's lovely to take a taxi to the park up here at sunset to watch the sun go down over the city, see the Bosphorus bridge and the city light up, and hear the prayer calls from all over the city come up from all around you - your very own surround sound system.
Nice was far too expensive, and I refuse to be ripped off. So instead of going to the clubs, we went to the beach. Busy with young Italians predominantly; the place is buzzing.
Buy a beer from the guys strolling along with coolboxes ... they sell more than just beer. Chill out and watch the skinny-dippers taking on the sea.
This became a nightly thing to do for us. And the highlight of the night: the ferry coming into port every 11pm. Watch, smile and say nothing as the big waves clear the front of the beach quick-smart. Classy.
Nice seafront
The colour, costumes and party atmosphere make this a must-see for any visitor who's there at the right time of year.
Sydney...Oxford Street
In the heart of Madrid you'll find this beautiful park that's a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Amble around the wide winding lanes through fabulous park land and greenery and make sure you visit on Sunday as the place comes alive with musicians and street entertainers alike.
Metro: Retiro
Kalk Bay Harbour - reminiscent of a Cornish fishing harbour. Arrive about lunchtime to watch the fishing boats come in with their catch of the day. It's fun watching the catch being landed and then auctioned off. The seals come right up to the harbour edge to pick up the scraps thrown overboard.
Kalk Bay
Go to Tourist Information in the main park and pick up a Freedom Trail booklet (about $3 or $4) and then follow the trail around the city. It is clearly marked as it is a red painted line that you follow. The booklet will give you the history of Boston as you go. You can take either an hour or a whole day and get to see pretty much the whole city.
If you follow the route of the Ljubljanica to the south the river widens and the high-sided embankments of the centre give way to broader walkways. Turn off from the river at the Gradascica Canal and you will enter two of the oldest suburbs in the city, Trnovo and Krakovo.
The pretty two storey cottages, the gardens and allotments give the suburbs a very different - much more rural - feel than the rest of the city.
It doesn’t take long to walk there – about 15 to 20 minutes – and on a sunny day it is a very pleasant stroll. You are rewarded by two neighbourhoods that contribute much to Ljubljana’s charm.
South of the city centre
Great free museum. Located in central Mitte but for some reason not well known. A permanent exhibition of Stasi (DDR secret service) survelliance devices and information about daily life in the DDR.
The government runs it which is why it is free. There are sometimes old East Germans there filling in government forms to access their old Stasi files. Very interesting museum and the people are very friendly. The museum book costs only 2.50 Euro in English also.
Right below Pariserplatz. I think off Wilhelmstrasse Strasse in Mitte. U6 Stadtmitte
This walk crosses the east of Paris from the Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes. You are transported to a space in total contradiction to the urbanity surrounding you. This walk provides a breath of fresh air, but unlike a park, this is a narrow-ish walk-way surrounded by trees and plants that takes you up on viaducts and above buildings (only one storey up) and sometimes in tunnels, for a distance of 4.5 km.
In addition to providing you with some greenery, it allows you to journey among the trees, instead of among cars (as there are numerous access points along the way), and to see houses and apartment blocks in a way that is impossible from street level.
From the Avenue Daumesnil to the Bois de Vincennes (access by staircases and lifts along the way)
Métro : Bastille (Lignes 1,5, and 8)
The Huntington institution is a massive estate at San Marino featuring botanical gardens, a library, art galleries and more. They even have Gainsborough's Blue Boy! Admission is free on the first Thursday of every month.
The ferry between Darling Harbour and Circular Quay gives you one of the best views of the Harbour Bridge as you actually sail under it. It is a fitting end to a visit to the Australian Maritime Museum. This free museum is well set out and has plenty to keep children interested while still being fascinating to adults. It includes some naval vessels such as a submarine but there is a charge for going aboard.
Pyrmont Wharf, Darling Harbour
Turin has so many variations on these grand covered walkways that you'll never tire of discovering more. Some might be a bit on the lived-in grubby side, but so many are huge, vaulted and decorated spaces providing the perfect catwalk for the refined Torinese to browse second hand books and antique liberty prints on a Sunday morning stroll. In short, Turin has lovely architectural delights by the bagful.
Via Roma's porticos are home to designer shops and boutiques, walk the length of Via Po's for bookshops and quirky antiques, and Piazza San Carlo's for restaurants and bars - don't miss a peak into sumptuous San Carlo cafe for its gold leafed and mirrored interior.
Get a bike and ride the Taff trail. You can go from the centre of Cardiff all the way out to Castle Coch, following the river on safe bike paths.
www.tafftrail.org.uk;
Affan Valley Cycle Hire, tel: 01639 893661, 07952 577316 (mobile);
www.afan-valley-bike-hire.com
A lovely park with a huge lake to feed the ducks or hire a boat. There’s a great playground for children, lovely rose gardens and an impressive greenhouse. Also in the park is a memorial lighthouse dedicated to Captain Scott, the South Pole explorer, who set sail on his final, ill-fated voyage from Cardiff.
A bit further out of Cardiff in the north, Cefn Onn is a 200-acre park where you can get lost among the rhododendron bushes.
Down between Cardiff Castle and the River Taff is Bute park, an adventure playground of standing stones, ruins and trees. It’s right on the edge of the city centre, and is a great place to take the weight off your feet after some shopping. The park extends north along the river and becomes Sophia Gardens, where you’ll find Glamorgan cricket club’s ground and the Welsh Institute of Sport, and the wide open playing fields of Pontcanna and Llandaff fields.
Is this your business?