#castley

#castley

Château de Chambord, France's second-most visited castle, is a paragon of Italian Renaissance architecture, but its interior is suffering from severe decay.

La Roque-Gageac's cliffside setting has shaped its destiny both as a place of defence and a magnet for visitors across the centuries.

Ireland is an island where ridiculously beautiful sights pop up in the most unlikely of places, from gravity-defying sea stacks found at the end of a dirt road, to hiking trails that make you feel like you're walking on the moon.

Art UK has taken it as its mission to digitally unite one million artworks from 3,500 institutions. This free-to-all portal connects everyone with the UK's public art collections.

"The ruins from the Middle Ages are part of our common history. With these grants, we are strengthening the work that makes it possible to preserve them, not only as historical traces, but also as living sources of knowledge for both researchers, craftsmen and local communities."

The tulips gained fame in 1912, when it was widely reported that a tulip with four distinct blooms on one stem had been spotted at the palace, and the following year, it was reported that the palace had its best display in many years.

The Grade II listed building is on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register and is currently recorded as being in poor condition. The national Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC), which held the lease, has confirmed that it can no longer meet the building's repair obligations and will surrender the lease so that restoration can be carried out by new occupants.

Throughout my life, I've visited a total of 18 European countries. That number climbed quickly when I moved from Chicago to London for college and spent four years living in my favorite city, thrilled by my newfound proximity to so many bucket-list destinations.

Some of the best hotels in Scotland exist outside of the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow -but that's not to say you can't find somewhere exceptional to stay wherever you wish to lay your head across the country. Whether you're looking for a cosmopolitan city break or hoping to explore Scotland's stunning coastline on the road trip of a lifetime, there's somewhere stunning for any type of traveler.

In the UK and the US, it is often crystal clear when your new home is classified as a heritage home or period property, but in France it can be less obvious. You could be breaking the rules simply by installing new windows. So how can you check that your big plans aren't going to upset anyone - or worse, break the law?

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Travelers often overlook tiny European countries, but, as I discovered on a recent trip to Luxembourg-Europe's seventh-smallest nation, with a population of just 699,000-there's much to discover in these hidden gems. Last summer, I visited my aunt, who has lived in Europe for over 20 years, with stints in Paris, Vienna, Zug, Switzerland, and now, Luxembourg. We spent three days touring the historic city nestled between Belgium, Germany, and France. It's built on a rocky plateau overlooking deep gorges, a sweeping canyon, and surrounding countryside.

The most recent final resting place for 91 members of the family is Berlin Cathedral's crypt, which opens to the public this weekend after a €29m, six-year renovation. Sonja Tubbesing, the cathedral official responsible, describes it as the church's biggest building project since its post-war reconstruction.

Europe has never been short on spectacle. Yet beyond the headline cities and endlessly recycled itineraries lies a quieter, deeper continent; one that's best encountered through patience and a willingness to detour from the obvious itinerary. Our 7 wonders of Europe for 2026 in Europe are not places that beg for attention. Instead, they reward those prepared to explore more than a few miles from the nearest airport and linger a little longer than planned.

For many travellers, France begins and ends with Paris, Provence, or the French Riviera. Yet venture west and a very different France emerges, one shaped by Celtic roots, dramatic coastlines, diverse local cuisine, and a fierce sense of regional identity. Brittany ( La Bretagne) is a world unto itself, where land and sea shape daily life, and it should be the location for your next French holiday.

So, on Sunday 25th January, members of the reenactment society will converge on The Mall from all across the country, some arriving already dressed in buff coats and broad-brimmed hats, others changing into period clothing on arrival. There are pikes to be shouldered, muskets checked, and a few tentative practice swings as old drill is recalled, before the ranks are set and order restored.

The Assassins and the Knights Templar have become two of the most iconic groups of fighters from the period of the Crusades. In recent times, they have been popularised through the video game and movie franchise, Assassin's Creed. But who were they really and how did they interact in the Holy Land? It's an intriguing story that Dr Steve Tibble and Tony McMahon investigate in the first episode of their new podcast series, Talking Templars.

We get started by exploring the origins of the Normans in the county and then duchy of Normandy. We will understand their Norse background and their relationship with the Carolingians. The timeline approach will help us discover all the counts and dukes of Normandy, and what they contributed to their realm. This will set the foundation for the interconnected stories that will lead us to England and the Mediterranean.

The slab, found in a York drain in the 19th century, has gone on display at a new exhibition marking the 800th anniversary of Saint William a forgotten, once adored martyr said to be responsible for that miracle and others. At the centre of the exhibition is a cutting-edge, digital recreation of an imposing shrine to William that once stood in York Minster's nave but was broken up and buried to protect it from the ravages of Henry VIII's reformation.