Best for foodies and the good life

The oldest city in the Netherlands, Maastricht (on a narrow tongue of land that pierces south between Belgium and Germany) is also one of the most beautiful, with huge cafe-filled squares, fine buildings, cobbled alleys to explore, and a wide, slow river meandering through the middle. To the Dutch, Maastricht is the symbol of the southern love of the good life, and, indeed, the food here, from market and cafe to high-end restaurant and chocolatier is superb. Along the way, take in the gentle Romanesque arches of Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek (the Basilica of Our Dear Lady), medieval carvings and modern art at the Bonnefantenmuseum, and 10th-century glitz in the treasury of the vast St Servaas Basiliek.

How to do it: Fly to Schiphol Airport (served by British Airways, KLM, easyJet and Ryanair, from various UK locations) or take the Eurostar to Amsterdam. Trains from Amsterdam to Maastricht take 2 hours 20 minutes.

Hotel Au Quartier offers cosy charm in an 18th-century city centre townhouse.

Utrecht