By Katy Davies
When Europe shrugs off winter it is time to take a city break. But why stop at one destination? By booking a twin-centre break you can double the enjoyment of discovering new places in just one trip. Whether you choose to explore the capital cities of two different countries, such as Berlin and Riga or Prague and Vienna, or get deeper into the heart of one country by visiting Rome and Venice, Moscow and St Petersburg or Lisbon and Oporto, it couldn’t be easier.
In a week you can maximise your valuable time off in two vibrant cities with a minimum of time wasted on travel and waiting at airports.
Here is just a selection of winning combinations of cities you can visit on one trip.
Berlin & Riga
Nowhere in Europe are the remnants of the Cold War more visible than in Berlin, where the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdammerplatz and Checkpoint Charlie are all landmarks along the notorious Berlin Wall put up overnight in 1961, and torn down in 1989.From Berlin it is less than two hours’ flight northeast to Riga, Latvia’s elegant capital on the Baltic Sea. Occupation by Germany in the Second World War and by the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1990 has not diminished the beauty of the Art Nouveau architecture. For an angel’s eye view of the city take the lift up the 120-metre tower of St Peter’s Church, meticulously rebuilt after being reduced to rubble in 1941.
Prague & Vienna
Two jewels of the former Austrian Empire, have a shared love of Mozart, but he was much more popular in Prague than in his adopted home city of Vienna during his lifetime. The musical genius made five visits to the capital of Bohemia and held the premier of Don Giovanni there in 1871.Stroll across cobbled Charles Bridge taking time to look up at the baroque statues of saints all along the walls to the Mirror Chapel tucked away in Prague’s Old Town. This intimate and ornately decorated chapel, with an organ played on by Mozart himself, is a wonderful place to hear a chamber concert.
A bit over four hours away by train, in Vienna, you can see the handsome white Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School and their riders perform balletic routines to music in the Hofburg Imperial Palace and hear the pure-voiced Vienna Boys Choir (when they are not on tour). Don’t leave before seeing masterpieces by Austrian artists Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka in the Upper Belvedere Palace, which lives up to its name with three levels of formal gardens and fabulous city views.
Moscow & St Petersburg
The vast country that was the centre of the Russia Empire then the Soviet Union has had two capitals over the centuries, Moscow now, and St Petersburg from its foundation in 1703 to the Revolution of 1917. So it makes sense to visit both on one twin-centre holiday, travelling between the two great cities by train in a little over four hours.Stand in Moscow’s Red Square to be surrounded by emblems of Russia’s history. The exotic onion-domed St Basil’s cathedral, the massive Kremlin, Lenin’s mausoleum and galleried GUM department store, famous for its sparsely stocked shelves in the Soviet era, now a shopping mall filled with luxury goods.
In St Petersburg you will find much to keep you in the Hermitage, the complex of buildings that includes the Winter Palace, former home of the Romanov family and the famous art museum. It would take six years to see every one of the Hermitage’s three million treasures, but must-sees include priceless works by Titian, Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci.
Rome & Venice
The Eternal City and La Serenissima, two legendary Italian cities just three and a half hours apart by train, on a journey that will take you through the Tuscan countryside via Florence.Walk through 3,000 years of history in Rome, from the Colosseum where gladiators fought to the death, through the Forum to the House of the Vestal Virgins. Throw a coin over your shoulder into the extravagant Baroque Trevi Fountain to ensure you return and see Michelangelo’s High Renaissance ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Venice gets so crowded with visitors, one might wonder why it is called La Serenissima (‘the most serene one’), but in a few minutes’ walk from St Mark’s Square or Rialto Bridge you’ll find tranquil squares and quiet churches. When you’ve seen the gorgeous, interior of St Mark’s full of gold mosaics, climb the bell tower for sweeping views of Venice from the mountains to the Lido. A gondola ride is a magical way to see the palazzos from a different angle, and a waterbus ride will take you to the charming islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello, each special in its own way.
Lisbon & Porto
Portugal’s capital is built on hills, with steep streets and flights of steps. There is even a lift between two districts, separated by the great earthquake of 1755. A great way to see the city is from a quaint, yellow heritage tram, twisting and turning on route 28 through the Medieval Alfama neighbourhood, past St George’s Castle to Baixia, the smart business district and Barrio Alta filled with cafes, restaurants and bars where you can hear fado, haunting songs to the sound of the mandolin and guitar.Less than three hours north by train, is Porto (also known as Oporto), at the mouth of the River Douro. The country’s delightful second city became rich from seafaring discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries. Later wine trade with Britain established port houses with familiar names such as Cockburn’s, Sandeman’s, Taylor’s and Graham’s. Make sure to cross one of the beautiful bridges - Maria Pia designed by Gustav Eiffel is one of the finest – to Vila Nova de Gaia for port wine tasting at one of the famous wine lodges.
