Inaugurated on 1926, having been commissioned by King William I of the Netherlands, to commemorate the location on the battlefield of Waterloo where a musket ball hit the shoulder of his elder son, the then Prince of Orange, the Lion’s Mound is a cone-shaped hill, 46-metres in height, scaled by 226 steps and topped by a statue of a Medici-style lion, with its paw upon a ball.

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It has become a symbol for the end of the Napoleonic Wars, when the French Imperial Army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two allied forces of the Seventh Coalition, one of which was led by the British Duke of Wellington. Visible from the road, the Mound is uncontroversial and is driven past by thousands of cars a day, but at the time of its creation, it was criticised by Victor Hugo, who said the man-made hill meant the “real relief” of the landscape “had been taken away, and history, disconcerted, no longer finds her bearings there. It has been disfigured for the sake of glorifying it.”

Two hundred years and five months of renovation work later, costing the Belgian federal government €650,000, with funding contributed by the National Lottery, the restored lion was unveiled on Friday 22 May at a ceremony attended by Federal Minister responsible for State Property Management Vanessa Matz, responsible for State Property Management, Vanessa Matz, and Walloon minister for Heritage, Valérie Lescresnier.

The works involved repairs to the long staircase to the top, including its steps, balustrade, and handrail. Stone and cast-iron elements were refurbished, as well as the statue of the lion itself.

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Comprising nine parts, the 4.45-metre-high lion received work to improve its assembly and stability after drone and borescope inspections showed failings. The lion also received a “time capsule,” containing technical documents describing the work undertaken, a tool, a lottery ball, and a newspaper, as well as an admission ticket for the historic visitor attraction.

Various events are lined up to mark the battle’s 200^th anniversary throughout the year. These will include a free “Iconic Lion” exhibition of photos, which is set to run until 31 December and features artistic interpretations and historic imagery tracing the 40-meter-high monument’s evolution. In addition, a weekend of celebrations with concerts will take place on 15 and 16 August, and a show themed “200 years of history” is programmed for 12 September.

L’article Lion of Waterloo now renovated for 200th battle anniversary est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

According to a ruling in the year 325 AD by the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity (Constantine the Great), all Christians should celebrate Easter together at the same time.

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But back in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced his Gregorian calendar, jumping the world that followed his orders forward by 13 days. This was because of an 11-minute inaccuracy in the number of days in Julius Caesar’s previous calendar. The fault meant the world had gradually drifted out of alignment with the solar year since the lag had added up over centuries, making the spring equinox 10 days early and Easter fall on the “wrong” date. For farmers, too, being increasingly out of whack with the natural seasons was a concern.

When Gregory’s calendar came into force, on 4 October 1582, the next day was suddenly 15 October. When Easter was celebrated the following year, as per the usual rules placing it on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon, Orthodox Christians, who still used the Julian calendar, no longer automatically celebrated Easter at the same time as other believers because the spring equinox was now different for them.

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Orthodox Christian churches around the world, including in Bulgaria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine, still follow the Julian year, meaning their celebrations, including eggs, chocolate, family meals, and church services, are yet to come on 12 April 2026. For travellers, this means an immersive, week-long cultural experience with church processions, midnight candlelit services, and lively Sunday feasts. It is also a peak travel period for locals, meaning it is important to book hotels early and carefully plan holidays.

In most years, the celebrations happen on different dates, with the two Easters coinciding (known as common Pascha) only every three to four years on average—a time held up as a period of special unity.

During the 21^st century, they will match 31 times, with the last occurrence in 2025 and the next due in 2028. The Orthodox faith also dictates that Easter must fall after Jewish Passover, pushing the date further away from the non-Orthodox occasion. In fact, the gap between the two Easters is becoming wider, and after the year 2700, the celebrations will never occur on the same date again.

L’article Why Orthodox Easter falls on a different date and how it affects spring travel est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

French auction house Artcurial will sell a section of the monument’s original spiral staircase on 21 May, with estimates suggesting it could fetch between €40,000 and €50,000. The iron structure, dating back to 1889, was designed under the supervision of engineer Gustave Eiffel and once connected the tower’s second and third floors. 

The piece measures around 8.5 feet (about 2.75 metres) in height and includes 14 steps made of riveted steel, forming part of the staircase that originally allowed visitors to climb to the top of the tower before elevators were introduced.

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The staircase was dismantled in 1983 during modernisation works and divided into 24 sections. Some of these segments remain in Paris, including pieces presented at the Musée d’Orsay, La Villette, Iron Museum in Jarville-la-Malgrange, while others have been dispersed globally, ending up in Japan and the United States.

The section now heading to auction has been in private hands for more than four decades. According to Artcurial specialist Sabrina Dolla, the anonymous owner is selling because “he’s enjoyed it long enough” and “now his circumstances are taking him elsewhere.” 

Despite its relatively modest estimate, previous sales of similar staircase fragments have achieved significantly higher prices. Over the years, Artcurial has sold several, including an 11.5-foot segment for €212,458 in 2013, a record-setting €523,800 sale in 2016, a 14-foot section for €162,500 in 2018, and another 8.5-foot piece for €253,500 in 2020.

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The current piece has also been restored to its original brown colour by the workshops responsible for maintaining the Eiffel Tower, enhancing its authenticity. 

Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower was initially intended to stand for only a limited period, but has since become a global symbol of France and one of the most visited monuments in the world. 

L’article Historic Eiffel Tower staircase section to be auctioned in Paris est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The apartments, located at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, will be accessible to visitors for a limited period in 2026. The initiative is being organised by the Royal Collection Trust, which manages public access to royal residences. 

The opening forms part of a special exhibition running for 100 days, during which small guided groups will be taken through the late Queen’s private apartments. The rooms include her Dressing Room, Sitting Room, where the Queen would carry out her official duties, and a Royal Breakfast Room, where she dined privately with Prince Philip. 

Unlike the grand State Apartments typically shown to visitors, these spaces have been described as more personal and informal. According to the Royal Collection Trust, the rooms reveal “a rare glimpse into the personal ‘lived-in’ spaces used during private moments.” 

Emma Stead, the palace’s curator, said: “Queen Elizabeth II’s well-known love for Scotland will be given fresh context through this unique and special access to the private apartments, where visitors will enjoy a new perspective into both the formal and more informal use of Edinburgh’s royal palace.”

The interiors, dating back to the 17^th century, overlook the gardens and Holyrood Park and remain furnished with items from the Royal Collection, alongside personal belongings that reflect the couple’s life in Scotland. 

In the Royal Breakfast Room, where the Queen and Prince Philip dined privately, visitors will be able to view Flemish tapestries woven around 1650, displayed there since the 1920s at the request of King George V and Queen Mary. Across the apartments, the exhibition will also feature pieces from Prince Philip’s private art collection, including works by 20^th-century Scottish artists gathered over four decades, reflecting what the Royal Collection describes as his “deep appreciation of Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife.”

A selection of the late Queen’s clothing will also be featured, giving visitors a closer look at her attire for official occasions. Displayed in the Dressing Room, where Queen Elizabeth II would get ready for official engagements, is an ensemble worn to the opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July, 1999. Designed by Sandra Murray, the outfit includes a purple silk-wool coat worn over a green silk-crepe and lace dress, accompanied by a tartan shawl in purple and green from the Isle of Skye, along with a matching hat, created by milliner Philip Somerville. 

Tickets for the tours are now available through the Royal Collection Trust website. Guided tours are scheduled to run from 21 May to 10 September, with prices varying depending on booking time. Adult tickets cost £71 in advance or £75 on the day, while young people aged 18 to 24 can visit for £63 in advance or £66 on the day. Tickets for children aged 5 to 17 are priced at £60 in advance and £62 on the day, with the same pricing applied to disabled visitors.

The opening represents a continuation of a broader effort to make royal residences more accessible to the public. In recent years, parts of other royal properties, including Balmoral Castle, have also been opened for limited tours, reflecting growing public interest in the private lives of the monarchy.

L’article Queen Elizabeth II’s private rooms at Palace of Holyroodhouse open to the public for the first time est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The 400-year-old oak, located in the village of Rukai, secured first place in the 15^th edition of the competition, which celebrates trees with deep cultural and environmental significance rather than purely aesthetic appeal. Slovakia’s Old Wild Apple Tree was ranked second, while Poland’s Crooked Elm of Szyslowiec took third place.

This year’s contest introduced a new “Tree Points” system, replacing traditional voting. In total, 32,902 points were awarded, cast by more than 200,000 unique participants across Europe, reflecting strong public engagement with environmental heritage.

For centuries, the Oak of Laukiai stood quietly on the outskirts of Rukai, largely overlooked by the local population. Over the past year, residents restored the surrounding area and organised a celebration in its honour. The initiative transformed the oak into a focal point for community life, with organisers noting that the sixth generation of local families is now growing up alongside the tree.

The runners-up each carry their own stories of endurance. The Old Wild Apple Tree in Slovakia has survived more than 150 years of harsh weather conditions at an altitude of 860 metres, overlooking the village from a place known as Diel. 

Poland’s Crooked Elm of Szyslowiec stands out for its distinctive leaning shape, a result of its position on an island near a former castle moat, where it has gradually adapted to its unusual surroundings, growing toward the water.

“The competition was extremely close – the ranking remained uncertain until the very last moment. This year’s magnificent trees attracted huge attention across Europe. During the voting period, the website recorded around 1.5 million visits, with more than 200,000 unique voters – people who care about nature and the environment,” said Petr Skrivanek, coordinator of the contest. 

This year’s European Tree of the Year contest featured 12 remarkable trees, each with a unique story and strong community ties. Highlights include the Czech Oak of Prince Ulrich, Portugal’s Cedar of Runa, the Japanese Sophora from Ukrainian Chronomorsk, Latvia’s Linden of Sacrifice, the Netherlands’ Ledeboerpark Giant Sequoia, Croatia’s Kostrena Oak, Hungary’s Tree of Memories, the UK’s Argyle Street Ash, and the Ancient Ginkgo of St-Hilaire in France.

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The award ceremony took place on 24 March at the European Parliament in Brussels, bringing together Members of the European Parliament and viewers across Europe via a live stream. The event, underlining the cultural and environmental importance of Europe’s trees, was backed by the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund, the Czech Ministry of the Environment, and the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic.

MEP Michal Wiezik from Renew Europe emphasised the symbolic importance of such trees, stating: “Old, magnificent trees are like silent pillars of our time. They stand firm where the world around them changes in a fast and unpredictable gallop. In their rings lies the memory of the landscape and of society, reminding us all that true stability does not arise from haste, but from patient and quiet growth.”

“Strong public engagement in the European Tree of the Year contest voting indicates that trees are not only an integral part of the landscape, but are also perceived as bearers of stories, local identity, continuity, and people’s connection to nature,” said Petr Valdman, the Director of the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic.

Organisers say the strong turnout shows that trees are increasingly seen not just as environmental assets, but as symbols of local identity and shared history. “The contest is not looking for the most beautiful tree, but for a tree with a story, rooted in the lives and work of the people and community around it,” they note in the press release.

L’article Lithuania’s Oak of Laukiai wins 2026 European Tree of the Year est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

1. Amelia Earhart (born in 1897)

Amelia Earhart, like many of the figures here, rebelled against expected gender roles from childhood, playing sports, learning how to repair cars, and going to college. During the First World War, she worked with the Red Cross and observed pilots training nearby. After the war, a renowned pilot took her for a flight and she never looked back, learning how to pilot herself in 1921 with a female instructor Neta Snook (see below). In a move that seems incredible today, she earnt money as a clerk to save for her own plane, a used Kinner Airster, she baptised ‘the Canary’.

After quickly passing her license, she began flying in exhibitions and bagged a name for herself as well as a number of records: first woman to fly solo above 4267 meters (14,000 feet), first woman and second person ever to fly solo across the Atlantic; first woman to fly direct and solo flight across the USA; first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the US mainland.

Earhart championed other women, forming and leading women’s flying organisations, as well as capturing the world’s imagination, in which she lives on due to her mysterious disappearance in 1937, during her second attempt to fly around the world. Rumours are that she was captured and killed as a spy, assumed a new identity or that she crashed on a Pacific island and was eaten by crabs.

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2. Neta Snook (1896 – 1991)

Mary Anita Snook spent her childhood in Illinois getting interested in machinery and making toy cars and boats. She studied mechanical drawing, combustion engineering and farm maintenance in Iowa, and began researching aircraft and government flying work. When she first applied to aviation school, she was rejected because she was a woman, but she persevered and was accepted, twice, only to be prevented from completing due to the First World War.

She tested engines and aircraft parts for the war effort and afterwards bought her own Canuck plane and spent two years fixing it up. Finally accepted into the Aero Club of America and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, she did commercial tourist and advertising flights, stunts, and eventually instruction, training Amelia Earhart. So, without Snook, the legend of Earhart may never have taken flight.

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3. Nellie Bly (1864 – 1922)

Elizabeth Cochran Seaman, or ‘Nellie Bly’, started as a US journalist in 1885, arguing against the idea women were nothing more than walking wombs and housekeepers. She wrote about working women, did an astonishing piece of investigative journalism by faking madness to secretly embed herself in a mental asylum, and went on in 1889 to become the first woman to travel around the world in just 72 days.

Her achievements were groundbreaking at a time when women did not have the right to vote and women in some parts her country were still not even considered legal entities in their own right and had no right to property. By making a name for herself and travelling around the world (in competition with another female reporter, Elizabeth Bisland) she helped pave the way for others who wished to live and travel independently.

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4. Gertrude Bell (1868 – 1926)

A contemporary of Nellie Bly, Gertrude Bell possessed both a strong spirit and a privileged background as the daughter of a Baronet, so her parents educated her in London and Oxford, even though women did not have the right to earn academic degrees at the time.

She used that privilege to become an archaeologist, civil servant, diplomat, explorer, mapper, linguist, mountaineer and photographer who travelled extensively in Iran and other places where few ‘westerners’ ever went, let alone women. She certainly helped to change views about what women could achieve and though journalists tried to coin the name ‘The Uncrowned Queen of Mesopotamia’ for her, she did not seek notoriety.

Her political legacy in Iraq has been discredited but her archaeology and library work is still well thought of and she was widely admired by her contemporaries. Her printed works and photography are still referenced by scholars.

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5. Aloha Wanderwell Baker (1906 – 1996)

This Canadian became known as the ‘World’s Most Travelled Girl’ after accepting a job aged just 16 with Captain ‘Cap’ Wanderwell. Cap is described by the Bowers Museum as ‘an explorer extraordinaire, showman and ex-spy who travelled the world in purchased military fatigues and captured footage of local cultures.’ 

Born in Manitoba, she moved to Europe with her family and went to convent school in France. She was nicknamed Aloha and had always wanted to explore the world. Her ability to speak French (and eventually 10 other languages) won her the position Cap advertised as “Brains, Beauty & Breeches – World Tour Offer For Lucky Young Woman…”.

Both the advert and what happened next would raise eyebrows today: she became the face of the Wanderwell Project and, journeying to 80 different countries, she translated; drove, pushed and repaired the Model T car; worked in front of and behind camera; collected artefacts; married Cap in 1925; and journalled and lectured about her experiences – continuing after Cap’s death and her marriage to someone else. Though we can now see that some of the material she was involved in was both inauthentic and voyeuristic, she was a well-known heroine in her day who inspired many young people to see the world.

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6. Margaret of Beverley (c.1150-1215)

Though the infamous Christian Crusades saw many European women abandoned or widowed and forced to join alms-house communities, some were never left behind in the first place.

Women joined the Crusades in various roles from fighters to washerwomen and were often thrown out of armies for alleged immorality and ‘temptation’ to the ‘good Christian soldiers’. Women’s role was often written out of the records as their participation in fighting was thought to discredit the males.

Many women who joined the Crusades were nobles, whose backgrounds prepared them for battle. They often travelled with their husbands and ended up in arranged marriages of power and convenience in far-flung lands.

One commoner who did fight in the Crusades was Margaret of Beverley, an English woman, born in Jerusalem to pilgrim parents outside of the Crusades. The family returned to England and Margaret grew up to become the carer for her brother when they were orphaned. She appears to have returned to Jerusalem as a devoted pilgrim herself, only to be caught up in its siege. She fought alongside the men, pretending to be one.

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When her side lost the Siege, she paid her own ransom to free herself. Then she set off on another incredible journey towards Syria. She was enslaved for several months, was freed again, worked her way to the Greek city of Antioch, was besieged again, won, tried to go to Tripoli and ended up on various pilgrimages around Europe before becoming a nun.

The Crusades changed the face of travel, by generating demand for supplies and shipbuilding. Despite attempts to write out of history and belittle women like Margaret with details about having a cooking pot for a helmet, the record of her life has been pored over by historians and has changed our perception of how women lived and adventured in the Middle Ages.  

L’article Intrepid women who changed the world of travel forever est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The more than 400-year-old Golestan Palace sits at the heart of Tehran’s historic district, near Arg Square. It is a complex of royal buildings that once served as a shah’s court and became the seat of the Qajars for over a century. The citadel boasts 17 structures, including palaces, museums, and halls that witnessed coronations and major events. Marrying Persian design and aesthetics with European motifs and conventions, it features rich decoration, intricate glass and mirrorwork, and distinctive orsi doors. The palace is also home to three major archives, including photographs and manuscripts. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage in 2013.

Though precious chandeliers and artefacts from other national museums had already been removed to safer sites, Ahmad Alavi, Tehran’s tourism committee chair, has told reporters that windows in the complex have been blown out, and wood and glass damaged, by an air strike shockwave so powerful it lifted tarmac in the surroundings. Local media have published images showing the aftermath, and reported that other historic treasures, such as the city’s Arg Mosque and Grand Bazaar, were harmed too.

Top Iranian officials, among them the cultural heritage, tourism, and handicrafts minister, Reza Salehi-Amiri, went to the citadel to examine the extent of the destruction, which Salehi-Amiri denounced as a breach of international norms and obligations.

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While a report detailing the damage is on its way, both UNESCO and UN head António Guterres have already condemned the escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. UNESCO warned that “cultural property is protected under international law, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.”

Elsewhere in Iran, over 800 museums and 29 other UNESCO World Heritage Sites could be at risk, as well as cultural gems across the wider conflict arena. These include Bronze Age Umm an-Nar treasures at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, and the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra, or the coastal city of Historic Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, where 19^th-century tower houses, coral building traditions, and trade route crafts co-exist side-by-side.

I condemn today’s military escalation in the Middle East. The use of force by the United States & Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace & security.

All Member States must respect their obligations under… pic.twitter.com/TZKS4GuNnZ

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 28, 2026

In addition to monitoring the status of cultural assets across the region with a view to ensuring their protection, UNESCO has sent the warring nations the geographical coordinates of World Heritage and nationally significant sites “to avoid any potential damage.”

L’article Military strikes damage Iranian palace and prompt UNESCO fears for Middle East heritage est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Westhoek region in the west of Belgium is closely linked to the memory of the First World War, as large parts of that area were heavily damaged during the conflict between German and Allied forces. Today, the landscape is defined by cemeteries, monuments and preserved trenches. Many of the cemeteries are recognised by Unesco as part of the World Heritage of the First World War. In 2024, almost 365,000 people visited the region’s museums and battlefields, with around half of them travelling from abroad, mainly from the United Kingdom.

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The campaign looks back to the years 1927 and 1928. During that period, many important memorials in the Westhoek were officially inaugurated. These monuments were built to honour the soldiers who died in the war and to offer families a place to mourn. One of the most well-known examples is the Menin Gate in Ypres, where the names of more than 54,000 missing soldiers are engraved in stone. Every evening, buglers play the Last Post under the gate, a tradition that has continued for almost a century. 

Several key anniversaries will be highlighted during the theme year. These include 100 years of the Tyne Cot Memorial on 19 June 2027 and 100 years of the Menin Gate on 24 July 2027. The 100^th Yser Pilgrimage will take place on 5 July 2027, while the Last Post ceremony will mark its 100^th anniversary on 2 July 2028. Other commemorations include 90 years of the Albert I monument and 100 years of the Trench of Death. The theme year will also pay attention to the 109^th and 110^th years since the Armistice of 11 November 1918, which ended the First World War.

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The programme will run from 16 June 2027 to 11 November 2028. Tourism organisations Westtoer and Visit Flanders are working together to develop exhibitions, events and educational activities. Visitors will be encouraged to reflect on themes such as loss, reconciliation and peace. The aim is to place more than a century of remembrance into a contemporary context. Organisers want to show that the history of the First World War is not only about the past, but also about the challenges of today’s world.

At the same time, the Flemish government and the province of West Flanders are investing eight million euros in remembrance tourism. Four million euros will go to a complete renovation of the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, which will be transformed into a contemporary museum with a new design and updated exhibitions. Another four million euros will be used for renovation and accessibility improvements at other remembrance sites across the Westhoek. A joint call for projects will be launched in spring 2026 to support these upgrades. 

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Flemish Minister of Tourism Melissa Depraetere stressed that the message of memorial museums is particularly relevant in the current international context. “With extremists like Putin and Trump at the helm, you can see the threat coming right at us,” she said. “That’s why we must continue to invest in commemorating that history. To remember that we must always continue to fight for our freedom and security.” According to the minister, continued investment ensures that future generations understand the value of peace and freedom. 

Since the centenary of the First World War between 2014 and 2018, many sites in the Westhoek have already been opened or renovated. Officials say that after more than ten years, it is time to give these places a new impulse so that they remain relevant for peace education and maintain their strong international reputation. The region has built a global profile thanks to its careful preservation of cemeteries, monuments and museums. Through Monuments & Moments, West Flanders continues to link history with present-day reflection while strengthening its position as one of Europe’s leading destinations for commemorative tourism. 

L’article West Flanders Tourism campaign looks at past and present of reflection on war est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

At a press conference, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, said that the entirety of the basilica’s rooftop terrace will now be fully accessible to visitors, compared with only about one-third of it previously. The existing “refreshment area” beneath Michelangelo’s dome will be nearly doubled in size to roughly 100 square meters to accommodate more space for pilgrims to rest and enjoy views of the Vatican. 

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The terrace expansion is part of broader efforts to improve visitor flow and enhance contemplation inside the basilica, which draws about 20 000 people a day. Exhibitions will also be hosted on the terrace, featuring educational displays on the basilica’s construction and history, with some activities designed specifically for children.

Gambetti acknowledged prior controversy over reports of a café at the site, which some critics saw as a commercialisation of sacred space. Officials have stated that providing basic refreshments for weary visitors, many of whom have climbed to the cupola, aligns with the tradition of welcoming pilgrims.

In addition to the terrace work, the Vatican is rolling out technological upgrades designed to make the basilica more accessible to a global audience. A new “liturgies” app and associated QR-code system will allow worshippers attending Mass inside St. Peter’s to follow the liturgy in up to 60 languages in real time on their smartphones. The service uses artificial intelligence developed in partnership with the Rome-based language services company Translated to provide both audio and text translations without requiring users to download a separate app. 

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“In making available a tool that helps many to understand the words of the liturgy, we wish to serve the mission that defines the centre of the Catholic Church, universal by its very vocation,” Cardinal Gambetti said in a statement about the translation platform.

The Vatican is also introducing a real-time booking system to help regulate crowds and shorten long entry queues that form on busy days. Behind the scenes, a new digital “Beyond the Visible” project has created a detailed 3D model of the entire basilica complex to support monitoring and maintenance work. 

Officials said the anniversary initiatives aim to balance reverence for the basilica’s sacred function, as the site of St. Peter’s tomb and a focal point of global Catholicism, with practical adjustments that reflect the needs of millions who visit each year.

L’article St Peter’s Basilica marks 400th anniversary with terrace cafe and AI-translated mass in 60 languages est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

During WWI, these Belgian refugees in Oxford contributed to local industries such as toy making and the university press. The famous Belgian fictional detective Hercule Poirot was created by Agatha Christie, partly inspired by the wave of Belgian refugees in Britain during the Great War.

Victorian era figures, such as artist and poet William Morris, felt strong ties to Flanders, incorporating Flemish influences into their work.

These, and other equally off-the-radar links between the two places, make a visit here all the more enticing and fascinating for visitors from Belgium.

It is also a fact that the British, including many from the Oxford area, have long-standing historical links through the defence of Belgian neutrality, famously marked by the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and the Commonwealth war graves in Belgium.

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Christ Church and the heart of Oxford University

Any visit to Oxford is not really complete without seeing the wonderful cathedral at Christ Church, one of over 30 colleges that comprise the world-famous Oxford University.

Christ Church is located on St Aldates, an easy walk of no more than a few minutes from Oxford city centre. Said to be the most beautiful college in the city, the college quadrangle is the size of a football field, and the 12^th-century cathedral is one of the most beautiful in the world. It owes its grandeur to the king of six wives, Henry VIII.

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Although Christ Church attracts many thousands of visitors each year, it remains a working institution with a twofold purpose: the pursuit of learning and cathedral worship. For almost 900 years, this church has stood here as a place of worship and prayer. The cathedral is a working building, with a dual role as the cathedral for the diocese of Oxford and the college’s chapel.

Public tours are available to see this wonderful chapel as well as other on-site places such as the Great Hall, where students and senior members of the college dine, plus Tom Quad, the largest in Oxford, and Great Tom, which is to Christ Church what Big Ben is to London.

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Belgian wartime traces inside the cathedral

But it is, arguably, the cathedral itself, not least its magnificent stained glass, including the first to be installed here for 130 years, that is the most memorable. It is here you will come across yet another direct link to Belgium: the banners and flags that, even while the war raged, were brought back to Oxford by two local regiments serving in WWI near Ypres in Flanders.

The names of local men reported missing or dead in the war are also remembered in the chapel of remembrance.

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A Flemish mystery at Oxford Castle and Prison

Bountiful history can also be found on a tour of the nearby Oxford Castle and Prison, where possibly the most surprising story belongs to a Belgian.

It was on 6 July 1577 that one Roland Jencks, a Flemish bookbinder, was convicted for holding radical religious views. As a supporter of the Pope, he had also insulted the Protestant Queen. After spending three weeks with just rats for company in a cell, he was found guilty. Jencks erupted in anger and shouted a curse at the jury. The next day, the 300 witnesses at his trial all dropped dead, and Jencks was suspected of witchcraft. He escaped and returned to Flanders.

The Jencks curse turned out to be no legend. In 2004, archaeologists uncovered a mass grave from that period. According to scientists, Jencks was a typhoid carrier and had fatally infected the entire courtroom.

From historic streets to modern flavours

After exploring the wonders of this fine city, you may well have worked up an appetite, and there is no better place to sate any hunger locally than Dishoom Permit Room, just a short walk from Christ Church.

The permit rooms are a slightly smaller, cosier take on Dishoom, a highly successful chain of excellent Indian restaurants in the UK, which first opened in 2010 and is now scattered around the country. The permit rooms have a slightly smaller food menu but a larger cocktail card.

The concept is the brainchild of Dishoom’s Indian born owner, who was fascinated by the culture and history of Mumbai’s Iranian-style cafés.

These typically serve small, tapas-style dishes and are so popular and relatively affordable in India that they can be found on many street corners in the bigger cities.

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The origins of the permit room tradition

Permit rooms in India originated in the 1970s following the relaxation of strict prohibition laws, specifically in Bombay, now Mumbai. These spaces allowed individuals with authorised, medical-based permits to legally consume alcohol, evolving from the clandestine Aunty Bars of the 1949 to 1960 prohibition era. They became iconic, informal, and accessible drinking holes and a staple of social life, particularly in Mumbai.

Today, while some traditional, dimly lit permit rooms still exist, the term has been modernised by contemporary restaurants such as those by Dishoom to evoke the nostalgia, culture, and cuisine of 1970s Bombay.

The first permit room opened in Brighton in 2024, followed by Cambridge and then Oxford. There is also one in London, with a fifth due to open this month in Liverpool.

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A thriving Oxford venue with a Mumbai soul

The manager at the Oxford venue is the very friendly and welcoming Richard Fernandes, who was raised in Mumbai and moved to the UK in 2009. He explained that Dishooms normally gravitate towards thriving cities, and that is exactly what Oxford is.

He told this site, “The history of permit rooms is particularly interesting, and it was this that appealed to the Dishoom owner.”

The Oxford branch is wonderfully evocative of the café culture the Dishoom owner seemingly had in mind. The food really is great, but that is not all. Every Thursday, there is live music with a DJ, and if wall art is your thing, you will be intrigued by the lovely local and South Asian art adorning the walls.

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Standout dishes and flavours of Mumbai

The menu is full of wonderful offerings, such as chicken ruby, tender chicken in a rich and silky makhani sauce, and lamb Chettinad, a fall-apart lamb in a seductive South Indian coco sauce, spiced with pepper, chilli, and curry leaf.

If, as with this writer, biryani is your thing, then try the chicken berry Britannia version here, comprising chicken, ginger, garlic, mint, and rice cooked in the kacchi style.

Another equally tasty dish is the prawn Moilee, a curry of coco milk, turmeric, curry leaves, and spices.

The Permit Room special here is a half or whole chicken tandoori, priced depending on the size, which is not red, for a change, and grilled and served with fresh kachumber and tangy green chutney.

All are delightful, as are the many other dishes on the card, including chaats and salads, sides and savouries. There is also a great wine list and drinks, including selections from India.

From Portuguese pau to Parsi specialities, the savoury richness of Mughlai dishes to coco sweet Goan curries, all are ingredients that make up the food of Mumbai, and at Dishoom too.

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Good value, good causes and a strong conscience

The prices, considering the very high quality of the food here, are remarkably reasonable at this 126-seat all-day bar café and will not break the bank, a serious consideration for many in these economically tight times. With the weather set to improve, there are a few tables available for outside dining.

Do not forget that they start early here, so you might also like to consider popping by for a brilliant breakfast consisting, among much else, of steaming chai and drippy egg-filled naans.

The homepage says, “Damn good, all day”, and that is an apt description.

Very commendably, the owners have a policy whereby for every meal purchased, they donate a meal to a child who might otherwise go hungry. Two charities Dishoom works with, Magic Breakfast in the UK and the Akshaya Patra Foundation in India, provide nourishing free meals to children. To date, more than 20 million such meals have been provided.

“Dishoom breaks down barriers, just as the old Irani cafés of Bombay did,” said a company spokesman.

It also goes to some lengths to reduce its carbon footprint, support nature-based activities, and is a certified B Corp.

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A city of brilliance, old and new

Oxford has produced no fewer than 26 UK prime ministers, including Margaret Thatcher, and 46 Nobel Prize winners. Astronomers Stephen Hawking and Edmond Halley also attended school here, as did Rupert Murdoch and Oscar Wilde.

Unlike the castle and its university, Dishoom may be relatively new to Oxford, but this excellent restaurant is just one more reason to pay a visit to what is a fine university city.

L’article How Belgian history and Indian flavours intersect in the heart of Oxford est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.