Take me there: Bruges, Belgium
Why go
Bruges, the city of a thousand photo opportunities, if only that coach party would just move out of the way. Beneath the postcard-perfect veneer of this medieval town you’ll find a robust cultural life which moves up a gear with the Bruges Triennial (20 May-18 October, triennalebrugge.be). This celebration of art and architecture will see 14 artists creating outdoor installations around the city, including light sculptures from Glaswegian Nathan Coley and treehouses from artist Tadashi Kawamata. In July, Grace Jones, the Kooks and Anna Calvi will be among the acts taking over the leafy surrounds of Minnewaterpark for the annual Cactus Music Festival (10-12 July, cactusfestival.be).
What to do
Avoid the naff carriage rides and canal tours and lose yourself in the warren of medieval streets. Markt Square is home to the 12th-century belfry which starred in crime caper In Bruges. The Beligians love their chips and chocolate, but only Bruges has museums dedicated to both: Choco-Story (choco-story-brugge.be) and the Museum of the Frite (frietmuseum.be). Get off the tourist trail by hiring a bike to explore Sint Anna, a pretty neighbourhood of cobbled streets, or the 18th-century windmills on the eastern edge of town.
Where to stay
Interior designer Natalie Haegeman has transformed two 19th-century apartments into stylish self-catering retreats near Markt Square (from €189 per night, minimum two-night stay, white-rooms.be)
Where to eat
Bruut is a new arrival on the food scene, but its well-priced menu of local food (North Sea prawns, hay-cooked partridge, apple tart with sorrel sorbet) is a hit with locals (bistrobruut.be).
Insider tip
Kai Angelet of Can You Handle It Tours (cyhitours.com), which offers free walks, suggests visiting Michelangelo’s Madonna and child sculpture in the Church of Our Lady. “For fries I go to vegetarian café Royal Frituur Veggie Eetboetiek (frituur-royal.be) and for waffles the van on Burg Square.”
Give me a break
Home: Butlins bounces back to life Butlins has reinvented its holiday chalets with its West Lakes Village at Minehead in Somerset. Set in landscaped gardens, the colourful modern chalets, some with lake views, were designed with the input of Mumsnet members. A land train, which launches in July, will go from the village to the fairground and waterworld. A three-night break in June starts from £116pp, based on four sharing a Parkview chalet (butlins.com).
Away: Bargain room rates for city trips For a budget break in Europe this summer look no further than Ibis hotels, which has launched a special rate of €45 (£32.70) per room per night (for one or two people) across all of its hotels in Spain, Portugal and Italy. The offer applies to 74 hotels in cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Milan and Rome. Bookings must be made before 31 May and the rate is valid for stays between 1 June and 31 August (ibis.com).
