From islands in the Med to sunny cities without the crowds: readers’ favourite winter trips in southern Europe

It’s not only better weather that takes visitors south in winter, it’s also the quieter beaches, museums and restaurants. Our tipsters explore cities and towns from Porto to Athens

Dresden – the city that saved my Christmas

The city’s Christmas markets and baroque architecture will revive even a flagging festive spirit, while its steampunk street art is an edgy pick-me-up

Night trains and border crossings: Europe’s best new rail routes

Our slow travel expert checks out what’s new in the European train timetables unveiled this month

Bravo Toulouse, the French city hitting all the right musical and culinary notes

This newly-crowned Unesco City of Music in south-west France has historic and innovative cultural venues, and superb regional cuisine to boot

Limerick: the not-so-gritty city is one of Ireland’s overlooked gems

This handsome city on the west coast has atmospheric waterside pubs, medieval architecture, and a passion for sport and the performing arts

‘The old town is adorned with twinkling lights’: readers’ favourite Christmas breaks in Europe

Our tipsters revel in Christmas markets, seasonal tipples and live choral performances from Bath to the Black Forest

Where tourists seldom tread, part 6: ‘ugly, lovely towns’ with stories to tell

Dungannon, Burnley, Barrow-in-Furness, Harlow and Merthyr Tydfil may not be quaint, but these robust centres have a poetry that’s all their own

‘People dance on tables’: welcome to Belgrade’s kafana pub culture

Serbia’s ‘tavernas’ are fusing traditional food and drink with new cuisines and rousing live music as they evolve to attract a younger crowd

Campaign trail: follow Napoleon’s progress across Europe

Ridley Scott’s Napoleon biopic is released next week, but from birthplace to battlefields you can still follow in Bonaparte’s mighty footsteps

A local’s guide to Vilnius, Lithuania: the best bars, culture and bargain hotels

We lift the lid on one of Europe’s best value cities with a tour of old-school canteens, prize-winning communist blocks, and a bar with Jesus on a carpet

Sleep in a shop: the French town breathing new life into its high street

Formerly a hub of luxury shoemaking, the medieval town of Romans-sur-Isère is turning its empty shops into stylish self-catering stays

How I stuck my oar in – and saw a Venice I’ve never seen before

Venetians are reviving a centuries-old rowing tradition to promote a sustainable way of getting around, and to show visitors the city at its most authentic

Six perfect unsung city breaks in Europe – from Ghent to Naples

No famous capitals, fewer tourists, loads to see, excellent food – and all a train ride away

A miracle of design: Faro, the Palm Springs of Portugal

Faro is much more than a gateway to the Algarve: fans of modernism are now waking up to the way its sharp, angular buildings shine in the southern sun

‘I loved drifting along the canals’: readers’ best unsung city breaks in Europe

From Bergen to Córdoba, our tipsters share brilliant breaks in some of Europe’s less famous cities