Episodes

30 minutes ago
Amsterdam Episode 05 The Golden Age
30 minutes ago
30 minutes ago
This episode takes you to Amsterdam's Golden Age, the era when, as the Encyclopaedia Britannica puts it, ‘the little nation on the North Sea was one of the most powerful countries in the world, dominating the seas and flourishing in trade, science and – especially – the arts.' First there's a little history to explain how this phenomenon came about and what it meant for Amsterdammers and for the rest of the world, then we visit three different places in the city where you can find out more.
Reading Suggestions
The Embarrassment of Riches The Dutch Golden Age by Simon Schama
Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak
Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
Links for this post
Rembrandt House
Amsterdam Museum
Rijksmuseum
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be a big help!

Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Amsterdam Episode 04 The Churches of Amsterdam
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
The churches of Amsterdam are not always what they seem. One is more of a national memorial, another is an art gallery and concert venue. A third is a museum where you can learn the story of the hidden churches which opened in the 17th century and where worshippers gathered for over 200 years. They key factor is a date – 1578 – when an event occurred which changed everything: the Alteration. This episode explains what happened and then tours half a dozen of the city’s churches and explains what you can expect to find if you visit them today.
Reading Suggestions
Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak
Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
The Invention of Amsterdam A History of the World’s Greatest City in 10 Walks by Ben Coates
Links for this post
The Begijnhof
The Oude Kerk
The Nieuwe Kerk
The Westerkerk
The Noorderkerk
St Nicholas
Our Lord in the Attic

Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Amsterdam Episode 03 The Canals of Amsterdam
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
The canals ARE Amsterdam and Amsterdam IS its canals. This episode is all about them, covering both the engineering genius which gave them their UNESCO World Heritage Site status and their beauty, charmingly different in each season. We bring you a little history, a little atmosphere and 4 suggestions for places to visit to find out more.
READING SUGGESTIONS
Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak
Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
The Invention of Amsterdam A History of the World’s Greatest City in 10 Walks by Ben Coates
LINKS FOR THIS POST
The Canal Museum
The Van Loon Museum
The Willet-Holthuysen Museum
The Houseboat Museum
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be a big help!

Wednesday Mar 12, 2025
Amsterdam Episode 02 5 Walks Around Amsterdam
Wednesday Mar 12, 2025
Wednesday Mar 12, 2025
Here are 5 suggestions for walks around Amsterdam. They include possible stopping places and between them they offer a way to see something of all of the main parts of the city. We give enough detail to follow the route if you take a map with you and a little info on the main places you’ll be passing, although we’ll be coming back to most of them in later episodes. None will take longer than an hour if you don’t stop anywhere. .
Links for this post
Grand Café Restaurant 1e Klas
Anne Frank House
Royal Palace
Nieuw Kerk
The Houseboat Museum
Albert Cuyp Market
The Reijksmuseum
The Van Gogh Museum
The Stedelik Museum
MOCO
Hop on Hop off bus tours
Boat trips
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be a big help!

Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
Amsterdam Episode 01 Introduction
Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
Welkom in Amsterdam! This introduction to our Amsterdam series brings you the basic facts - geographical, historical, cultural - which underpin everything. To capture the spirit of Amsterdam, here’s Russell Shorto’s description of the view from his Amsterdam window: ‘the little boats moored by the quay, the row of tilting, gabled buildings on the opposite bank and, on any given day, a couple of bicycles chained to the railing of a hump-backed bridge.’ So, let's go, or as the Dutch say ‘laten we gaan’.
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!

Wednesday Feb 12, 2025
Valletta Episode 08 Stories from Malta
Wednesday Feb 12, 2025
Wednesday Feb 12, 2025
This last episode on the Valletta series brings you lots of different stories from Malta. We start with a little descriptive writing, factual and fictional, followed by mini-biographies of 4 people who’ve featured in previous episodes but not really had the time they deserve: St Paul, St Publius, Caravaggio and Daphne Caruana Galizia, the high-profile journalist murdered for her stand against corruption in Malta. And to finish, some literary extracts, namely a mystery story set in Malta and 2 World War II love stories. In short, a whole range of new perspectives on Valletta and its surroundings.
Reading Suggestions
The Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas Monserrat
Ladies of Lascaris by Paul McDonald
Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench
A Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Ryan Murdock
Links for this Post
Short Lets Malta blog
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!

Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Valletta Episode 07 Easy Days out from Valletta
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Here are our ideas for easy days out from Valletta if you want to explore some of the rest of Malta. We start with the two most popular day trips, to the 3 Cities and to Mdina and Rabat, both very easy to do on public transport. Then we have a look at hop-on, hop-off bus tours and boat trips. You could spend a week in Valletta, you could just as easily spend a week doing day trips with Valletta as a base! Most likely, you’ll do a little of each and this episode will help you plan your excursions to other parts of the island.
The Inquisitor’s Palace
Malta at War Museum
St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina
Carmelite Priory, Mdina
The Roman House, Rabat
St Paul’s Grotto, Rabat
St Paul’s Catacombs, Rabat
Hop-on Hop-off bus tours
Malta Boat Tours
Luzzu Cruises
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!

Wednesday Jan 15, 2025
Valletta Episode 06 Food and Festivities
Wednesday Jan 15, 2025
Wednesday Jan 15, 2025
This episode is dedicated to two topics which are very important in Malta - food and festivities. Malta has more public holidays – 14 – than most other European countries, plus a whole range of other feasts and festivals. Of course, food is key to most of them and so this episode introduces you to both. We cover the varied culinary offerings, influenced by so many centuries of foreign cultures coming to the island and then look at the equally expansive range of celebration days, religious, national and cultural. In short, plenty of fun!
Reading Suggestion
Taste of Malta by Anton B Dougall
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!

Wednesday Jan 01, 2025
Valletta Episode 05 Art, Architecture and Archaeology
Wednesday Jan 01, 2025
Wednesday Jan 01, 2025
This is a pot-pourri episode, beginning with a look at Valletta’s art scene: the National Art Gallery, 3 artists linked to the island and the oratory where the 2 most famous paintings are hidden away. Next, some pointers on the city’s architecture: typical design features and the three main periods, all of which are represented by buildings to look out for in Valletta today. Lastly, a trip to the National Museum of Archaeology, where you can learn lots about the island’s very distant past and pick up some tips to inform visits to the rest of the island.
Reading Suggestion
Seven Temples on Malta by Betsy Ross-Edison
Links for this post
The National Art Museum
The Grand Master’s Palace
St John’s Cathedral
The National Museum of Archaeology

Wednesday Dec 18, 2024
Valletta Episode 04 Finding World War II in Valletta
Wednesday Dec 18, 2024
Wednesday Dec 18, 2024
There are traces of World War II everywhere in Valletta. This episode begins with a little history from the period and explains why the island of Malta was awarded the prestigious George Cross. Then we look at 3 museums which all take a different approach, covering the military action here on ‘Fortress Malta’ and also explaining what the war did to the daily lives of its people. We end with a look at some of Valletta’s memorials to this turbulent period, which are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other at the Floriana end of the city.
Reading Suggestions
Fortress Island Malta by Peter Jacobs
Ladies of Lascaris by Paul McDonald
Churchill and Malta’s War by Douglas Austin
Links for this post
National War Museum
Malta at War Museum
Lascaris War Rooms
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!