Next weekend — April 6-8Rzeszow, Poland: 77.87 pounds round tripFly Ryanair from London Stansted to Rzeszow Jasionka.
Exploration of Rzeszow should start at the trapezoid-shaped market square and at the grand neo-Gothic town hall. Lining the market square are burghers’ houses built between the 15th and 20th century.
Visit house No. 12 to enter the Underground Tourist Route, 34 cellars and dungeons at different depths below the square. According to the city Web site, www.go-rzeszow.com, the underground corridors probably extended beyond Rzeszow when they were built. The Museum of the History of Rzeszow offers more information on the underground route.
Another site of interest is the District Museum, which, according to its Web site, muzeum.rzeszow.pl, is the oldest in the city. Exhibits include European paintings from the 16th to the 20th century in the Galeria Dambskich, 18th- through 20th-century Polish paintings, and a southeastern Poland prehistory collection of bronze and iron. Also, visit the Franciszek Kotula Ethnographic Museum, which has more than 10,000 exhibits, including folk sculpture, paintings, and a collection of costumes and embroideries.
According to Stay Poland, almost a third of Rzeszow’s population is students, which lends to plenty of nightlife. Visit one of the many local bars on the market square and surrounding streets to have a shot or two of the local vodka. For those wanting to dance until morning, visit the larger clubs on ul. Cicha or the smaller, intimate jazz clubs on ul. 3 Maja.
Next month — May 4-6Groningen, Netherlands: 126.60 pounds round tripFly VLM from London City to Groningen.
Start a visit of Groningen at the 16th-century moated manor house Fraeylemaborg, with an interior richly decorated with charms and trinkets from the 18th and 19th centuries and a collection of Asian porcelain. Travel to the Menkemaborg, a double-moated 14th-century manor house estate complete with a rose garden and labyrinth to explore. Also on the estate is the 1939-1945 Museum, housing a collection of armaments, military vehicles and displays depicting World War II life.
The Northern Maritime and Niemeyer Tobacco Museum provides a look at the Groningen shipping industry through collections of charts, instruments, paintings and more. According to www.groningen.nl, the city’s Web site, the tobacco museum charts Holland’s history with the tobacco industry and includes exhibitions of pipes and other tobacco paraphernalia of the past.
The newest museum, according to the Groningen Web site, is the Dutch Comic Strip Museum with collections of old and new comic strips. The museum offers plenty for all to enjoy with special areas for children and the occasional opportunity to see a cartoonist at work.
If time allows, be sure to visit St. Martin’s Church across from the central square. The church’s interior boasts 13th-century frescoes depicting the Christmas and Easter stories. A climb up the church’s tower affords a picture-worthy view of the city and surrounding countryside.
Airfare prices include estimated taxes and are courtesy of the Web site www.skyscanner.net. Prices were verified as of Monday afternoon when Stripes UK went to press. Deals are not guaranteed to be available; restrictions may apply.
