1. Swim in neon light in a London gallery

In this savage garden in Walthamstow, there is a lot of art on display. Well, in God’s Own Junkyard, if you appreciate a good neon sign, you’re going to be in heaven. His late owner, artist Chris Bracey, collected them and restored them for 37 years. Some of them are super-seedy, with strip clubs and peep shows from the 1960s, while others are warmly nostalgic. The ‘Rolling Stones’ café in the neon wonderland serves cake and hot drinks, or a little stronger if you like.

2. Check out a cutting-edge Berlin game

Deutschland is the world capital of avant-garde theatre, and the striking Schaübuhne am Lehniner Platz is the most renowned of its many state-funded theatres. An old Bauhaus film built-in 1928 was home to the Radical Schaübuhne group at the end of the seventies, and the influential director Thomas Ostermeier has directed it since 1999. It is the original cinema. The Schaübuhne hosts top left-field names from and outside Germany. Performances are mostly in German, but in English or French each month a solid smattering takes place.

3. Sweat in the most picturesque club of Lisbon

There is no more night’s attraction in Europe than Lux Frágil with two dancing floors (one lounge-y and one sweaty) and the roof terrace overlooking the Riverbanks. The decor is in place (home and guest DJs all turn from hip-hop to ’80s pop) and the music is second to none. The locals who love left-field names are popular on Thursdays, but the place is populated on Saturdays by the people from outside. Also included in Lux’ rich program are live bands and the odd Sunday afternoon event.

4. Eat on an island close to Amsterdam locally

Nothing comes in close proximity of Vuurtoreneiland when you’re after a one-time dinner experience. Only a lighthouse, an old abandoning fort, and a large greenhouse dining area are at your disposal in a special boat to that small, rough IJmeer island. The ethos here is “food and nature” – a five-course, carefully prepared, and fully cooked menu of the freshest regional produce. The food, like the glorious environment, is unbelievable (all fauna, stray animals,pl and weeping coastlines).

5. Take a dip at the favorite pool of Joyce.

The Forty Foot draws hardy Dubliners throughout the year – including for a yearly Christmas day. This place was traditionally a men’s swimming pot referenced in James Joyce in ‘Ulysees’ – where Buck Mulligan jumps into the ‘scrotum-tightening sea,’ but changing when women fought against their exclusions in the 1970s.

6. Explore a prosperous Liverpool warehouse district

In the Liverpool Baltic Triangle, you’ll find start-ups, street food, and amazing art places. The historic warehouses of the Baltic are now overflowing with music venues, arts venues,

 and independent boutiques in the industrial area heavily bombed during the Second World War. Don’t miss the Baltic Market, the haven of street food within the striking Cains Brewery.

7. Take a dip in Budapest’s ruin bar

Take a huge, sloppy palace with its open courtyard and room maze, decorate it with eclectically furnished furnishings, elegant artwork, and memorials from communism and have the most renowned (and atmospheric) ‘Ruine bar’ in Budapest. When it opened at the Jewish quarter in 2001, Szimpla Kert set the nightlife standard – bringing about several copy-cat bar experiences that defined a Budapest night out. The original is still the best: order a shot from the traditional Unicum liqueur when you’re there.

8. Look at Edinburgh’s horror movies all night

Cameo has been operating under one name or the other for over 100 years, said to have been one of the favorite cinemas of Quentin Tarantino. Recently renovated with some of the city’s most comfy cinemas, it is the perfect location for a well-cured season (usually focused on a particular director’s work) or film marathon (the All Night Horror Madness sessions are legendary). Even if you’re not looking for a movie, the venue bar is an easy place to snack a little pint and chat.

9. Go back to Frankfurt before the war in Germany

In many European cities, the historic buildings destroyed during World War II and the First World War have been carefully reconstructed for decades, and in the last century, Frankfurt alone has bothered to recreate a whole area. The DomRömer neighborhood is the “new” old city in Frankfurt, spread over 7,000 square meters, which has been over 90% destroyed during the war, between the Cathedral square and the medieval Römer building. The development was initiated only in May 2018 and consists of 20 new buildings and 15 replicas including the congress center and community of Stadthaus.