48 hours in utrecht

With more direct trains than ever zipping straight to the Dutch capital, now’s the time to enjoy a bargain break

WITH ITS EXQUISITE LIBRARIES, ECLECTIC BOOKSHOPS AND COSY, STORIED PUBS, THIS CHARMING UNIVERSITY CITY IS IDEAL FOR A LITERARY-THEMED VISIT IN WINTER

Cultural Crusader

This city in southeastern France is known for its ancient history and legendary culinary scene — but it’s also worth visiting for its forward-looking green initiatives and young chefs who aren’t afraid to experiment

(whatever your budget!)

Johannes Vermeer brightened his native Delft with luminous pictures of women caught in intimate moments, but the serenity of his work, of which he produced remarkably little, is at odds with a life mired in debt, as Carla Passino discovers