The Sanssouci Palaces and Parks in Potsdam, Germany, represent one of Europe’s finest royal landscapes. Often described as the “Prussian Versailles”, this UNESCO World…
Velvet Escape travel blog
A walking tour of medieval Erfurt
There’s something magical about arriving in Erfurt. Perhaps it’s the sight of church spires rising above a sea of terracotta rooftops, or the way…
My stay in the sky at Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
The Merdeka 118 tower in Kuala Lumpur is, at 678.9m (2,227ft), the world’s second-tallest building in the world, after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. At that…
A rail trip through northern Germany: from Hanseatic towns to Prussian palaces
Northern Germany is one of my favourite regions of the country to explore. While Hamburg and Bremen tend to steal the spotlight, there is…
Discovering the delights of Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital of the state of Perak, Malaysia, roughly a 2.5 hour drive north of Kuala Lumpur. Over the years, Ipoh has…
Exploring Würzburg, the Baroque jewel of Franconia
Würzburg is a university city in the region of Franconia in southern Germany. Nestled on the banks of the Main River, Würzburg is one…
Plane views: tulip fields of Holland
The tulip fields of Holland are a spectacular sight every spring. The most popular growing areas are in the provinces of North and South…
A rail odyssey across southern Germany
There’s a certain romance to train travel in southern Germany – a gentle unfolding of landscapes where vineyard-clad hills, medieval spires and storybook towns…
Beautiful places to visit in North Holland
North Holland is one of The Netherlands’ most varied provinces. Many foreign visitors make a beeline for Amsterdam, but venture into the province and…
