The fortunes of a humble village changed when Louis XIV built his splendid palace nearby.

Here are pinch-yourself perfect options for your stay in the The City of Light.

Donna McIntyre has a taste of European canal fare.

Pedalling around Paris delights Stephanie Holmes.

London's watery byways are worth leisurely exploration, writes Max Bania.

Zoe Walker checks into a buzz-worthy new establishment, housed in a former bank.

In Meribel, there's no shoe like a snowshoe, writes Peter Thompson.

Graham Reid explores the cliff-top home of Sweden's greatest sculptor.

The town of Pripyat is a model of technology gone catastrophically wrong.

Catch proud locals honouring their patrons in revelry or sombre processions.

Sarah Wiedersehn discovers delightful, high-quality local produce in the Emerald Isle.

Touring by bicycle offers a way to see the continent at a much more personal level, writes Lauren Jones.

Split from the madding crowds and head for a quieter part of Croatia, suggests Hannah Stephenson.

Malta's Azure Window was a notorious cliff-jumping spot.

Never let a lack of experience stand in the way of adventure.

Ancient wonders and a go-ahead northern capital sit easily across Ireland.

Kate Whiting introduces her son to the tastes and smells of the Franche-Comte.

This country is so beautiful that stunned foreigners often cause accidents.

This beautiful Italian city has plenty to entice tourists, writes Donna McIntyre.

Only in Europe is the saying 'to travel to hell and back' literally possible.

Visit these hotspots before they transform from 'gritty cool' to 'smart gentrification'.

Doctored images of the colourful cliffside towns are sucking tourists in, argues Kirrily Schwarz.

UK-born event manager Amy Cowan shares tips for seeing her hometown.

Getting your kids to turn off their phones can turn into one endless nag, writes Emily Shelley.

Brighton's 162m British Airways i360 is the tallest moving observation tower in the world.

A search for intelligence on Uncle George takes Phil Vine deep inside the headquarters of East Germany's tyrannical Stasi.

It's got hints of Hobbiton, but this whimsical hotel's a long way from Matamata.

This sinister botanical wonderland is home to 100 of the world's most lethal plants...

On a fine Croatian island, Winston Aldworth learns of local claims to a great traveller.

James Edgar accomplishes his mission of skiing in the tracks of 007 in Soelden.