Travel News

Hailed by many as the best nightclub in Paris, Batofar's unique selling point is that it floats.

The club is famous for its status as a dance venue based on a bright red boat on the Seine, but revellers also love the venue for its great music, fantastic atmosphere and the dedicated, attentive crowd that it attracts.

It's recommended to arrive earliesh at the club on weekends, as queues tend to build up.

Massive multi-cultural crowds gyrate to a mix of house, garage, techno and live jazz.

Hailing from all over the world, the 20 and 30-somethings delight in the music as well as the fairly reasonably priced drinks.

Open from Tuesday to Saturday from six pm to three or four in the morning, Batofar is also known for its fantastic Christmas and New Year's Eve parties.

The French capital is home to hundreds of bars and clubs, many of them open until the wee hours of the morning, for those really looking for a big night out.

The Imperial War Museum is a fantastic way for young and old to learn about the experiences of the first and second world wars, as well as conflicts since 1945.

Cleverly combining galleries and hands-on experiences, the London museum is a favourite with school children, taking visitors on a chronological journey through the wars which dominated the first half of the 20th century.

Little boys will be especially transfixed by the large exhibits gallery, which is home to a massive range of weapons and vehicles from wars gone by.

A highlight for many is the Blitz Experience, a reconstruction of an air raid shelter, which visitors can sit in as it shakes through the alarm, then exit into a replica 1940 blitzed street.

The museum also houses a Holocaust exhibition, which sensitively displays numerous artefacts and pieces of information about the concentration camps.

And an informative gallery contains information about wars since 1945, taking visits through more recent conflicts such as those in the Falklands and Bosnia.

There are two more branches of the Imperial War Museum in the UK - the Imperial War Museum North which opened in Manchester in 2002 and the Imperial War Museum Duxford, which displays aircraft from battles.

The magnificent Kadriorg Palace and its surrounding gardens is an Estonian gem.

Nearly 300 years after it was built, it remains one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Northern Europe.

Designed by Italian architect Niccolo Michetti for the Russian Tsar Peter I, the beautiful, intricately designed palace was created by the best craftsmen brought in especially from all over Europe.

Its own little world, the spectacular surrounding park evokes beauty and tranquility, with manicured gardens and impressive fountains, statues and ponds.

Within the park are a number of 19th and 20th-century villas and Kadriorg is home to the some of the best art museums in Estonia.

The palace itself is now the Foreign Art Museum, which opened in 2000 and hosts exhibitions, theatre performances and lectures.

Nearby is the Estonian Presidential Palace, built up the hill from the Kadriorg in 1938. As the official residence of the president, it's closed to visitors, but you may catch a glimpse of the honour guards marching outside.

The name of Russia's 'Victory Day' belies its true purpose, which is to commemorate the millions that died in the Red Army's defeat during the second world war.

A sombre affair, the public holiday includes an official commemoration held in Victory Park.

But the day is also to remember Moscow's VE Day. The war was officially declared over at midnight on May 8th, so Russians mark this day on May 9th as the first day of peace.

Russia hosts a number of parades and feasts on this day and huge crowds cram into Victory Park to honour the dead and remember the past, including veterans dressed in uniform and medals.

The president of Russia sends letters to all surviving veterans on Victory Day, congratulating them and throughout the country survivors of the war recount stories.

It is estimated that over 20 million Russians died during the country's participation in World War II. Of these, 8.5 million were soldiers and more than 12 million were Soviet citizens who died from starvation, deportation and mistreatment.

Although most famous for its glamorous summer film festival, Cannes is a tourist hotspot throughout the year, and it's easy to see why.

With glorious beaches stretching along the Cote d'Azur, fantastic shopping and a dazzling nightlife, it's a great holiday destination for all ages.

Although it does live up to its glamorous reputation with its fair share of expensive shops and private beaches, there are also plenty of places for the less well-heeled tourist to visit.

Tourists can sunbathe on the public beach, or stroll along la Croisette to grab a bite to eat or witness some French 'ladies who lunch'.

Or they can head out to the dozens of local picturesque villages offering stunning views and charming atmospheres.

While in Cannes, it is a must to visit the famous Palais des Festivals which hosts the world's biggest film festival and is also home to a mini-Hollywood boulevard, with celebrity hand and foot prints moulded into the pathway.

The film festival this year is being held between May 14th and 28th and visitors at this time can see some of the selected film screenings that are open to the public.