22 February 13, 2022The Sunday Times
Travel City breaks
Torre Glories in Barcelona
PRAGUE
The Czech capital has always
had an instinct for eye-
catching culture, and this
year it has everything from
an old masters exhibition in
the Schwarzenberg Palace
(ngprague.cz) to Banksy
in St Michael’s Church
(theworldofbanksy.cz). The
Charles Bridge has long been
a tourist favourite, but now
the Vltava’s embankments are
also becoming popular with
restaurants and street
performers. In May the music
scene goes formal with the
Prague Spring International
Festival encompassing
concerts in venues including
the majestic Rudolfinum and
the art nouveau Municipal
House (festival.cz). For new
accommodation, Andaz has
just opened in the neoclassical
Sugar Palace, close to
Wenceslas Square.
Details B&B doubles from
£322 (hyatt.com)BARCELONA
The Catalan capital is a feast
for the eyes, and it’s about to
get a new observation deck onthe 38th floor of the Torre
Glories, the gherkin-shaped
skyscraper designed by Jean
Nouvel (miradortorre
glories.com). From here you
might be able to hear the
revving of engines when the
Barcelona circuit hosts the
Spanish Grand Prix in May.
There’s more visual noise in
the new Moco Museum in the
Palacio Cervello, hosting
contemporary art from Andy
Warhol to Julian Opie
(mocomuseum.com). Of new
hotels, the ME Barcelona onPlanning a return to one of Europe’s top cities?
Expect a few changes, says Andrew Eames
the Passeig de Gracia has
a rooftop bar and pool.
Details Room-only doubles
from £221 (melia.com)BUDAPEST
In a city not known for its
modern architecture, the
striking new Japanese-
designed House of Hungarian
Music really stands out. This
concert hall-cum-cultural
centre is the first of several
museums planned for the
City Park, and its mushroom-
shaped roof even has holes
for trees (ligetbudapest.hu).
Meanwhile the lavish neo-
Renaissance Hungarian State
Opera reopens in March after
a five-year refurbishment,
with some of the best-value
ticket prices anywhere in the
world (opera.hu). Like
Vienna, Budapest is famous
for its coffee shops, and the
gilded New York Café is a
longstanding landmark.
Now it’s also a hotel,
rebranded the Anantara
New York Palace.
Details Room-only
doubles from £132
(anantarahotels.com)WELCOME
BACK!
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