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A weekend in Berlin can encompass amazing architecture, a look at the darker side of human history as well as amazing art and museums to explore in Germany’s capital. Two of the most famous exhibits are the Pergamon altar, which the Pergamon Museum was built to house, and the famous bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti which can be found in the New Museum. The largest is the block size Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which contains 2,711 concrete slabs as well as a small museum. The memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims is a small oasis near the Reichstag with the names of concentration camps engraved on stones surrounding a black memorial pool.

First-time visitors to the city will no doubt find plenty to do on the Royal Mile, a one-mile-long route between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood House. Elsewhere along the Royal Mile, visitors will find museums, a camera obscura, churches and you can even explore the history of Edinburgh underground with a tour of the Blair Street Underground Vaults. Visitors in August can enjoy the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, and all year round you can learn about Scotland’s most famous export – whisky – at the Scotch Whisky Experience. Off the Royal Mile, you can climb 287 steps of the Scott Monument for a great view, have a coffee in the Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter, or hike up to the famous Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park for expansive views of the city.

A weekend in Paris is simply not enough, but that just means you’ll have to come back for a second weekend or more to see more of the amazing sights of France’s capital city. Back at ground level, a great way to get acquainted with the city is to take a cruise along the Seine or a bus tour of the city. Each offers amazing sights, from the twin towers of Notre Dame to the stunning white stone of Sacré-Coeur with more views across Paris. The Louvre could easily occupy your entire weekend if you were to explore it in full but visiting the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo are top of most visitor’s lists.

For example, first-time visitors might choose to focus on the major attractions such as the Tower of London to learn about 1,000 years of history, the Tower Bridge to see Victorian engineering at its finest, and the London Eye for a birds-eye view of the city. From there, check out the ‘Changing of the Guard’, spend an afternoon strolling and picnicking in St. James’s Park, and then visit Westminster Abbey which has been the scene of many royal weddings and coronations. For a weekend break, a centrally located hotel will let you get out exploring in no time and skip longer train journeys in from the surrounding areas. The Tower Hotel is, as its name implies, is right next to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge and offers an affordable room in a prime location.