City Breaks
Episodes
St Petersburg Episode 12 Music and Theatre
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about some of St Petersburg's many musical connections, with potted biographies of composers from Glinka, often known as the father of Russian mu...
St Petersburg Episode 11 The Siege of Leningrad
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
St Petersburg's haunting Memorial to the Defenders of Leningrad recalls the dreadful 900 day long blockade of the city by German troops during the Sec...
St Petersburg Episode 10 The Soviet Era
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What happened in St Petersburg after the 1917 Revolution and where can you find traces of the Soviet era in the city today? After a little history, ...
St Petersburg Episode 09 Revolutions
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, some ideas on the increasing demands for reform which played out through the 18th and 19th centuries in St Petersburg, including the Decembrist...
St Petersburg Episode 08 Faberge and Rasputin
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The two city-centre palaces featured in this episode both tell us more about the end of the Romanov dynasty, albeit in very different ways. The Shuval...
St Petersburg Episode 07 Alexander Palace and the last Romanovs
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Alexander Palace was the family home of choice for a number of Tsars, even if they hosted big public events in the swankier Catherine Palace acros...
St Petersburg Episode 06 The Palace Embankment
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode tours the many waterways of St Petersburg, looking first at some of the canals and bridges and then taking a stroll along the Neva, up th...
St Petersburg Episode 05 Nevsky Prospekt
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nevsky Prospekt 'is Petersburg' according to Gogol, writing in the 1830s, and this long road is still today the backbone of the city. We explore it, s...
St Petersburg Episode 04 The Catherine Palace
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Just as splendid as Peterhof, the Catherine Palace is St Petersburg's other dazzling summer residence, built as a surprise for Peter the Great by his ...
St Petersburg Episode 03 The Peter and Paul Fortress, Peterhof
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Peter the Great's legacy is, of course, the whole of the city of St Petersburg. But this episode focuses on some of the buildings most closely associa...
St Petersburg Episode 02 Peter the Great
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
St Petersburg Episode 02 Peter the Great The building of the beautiful city of St Petersburg at the dawn of the 18th century was all down to the willp...
St Petersburg Episode 01 Introduction
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
St Petersburg Episode 01 Introduction Dobro pozhalovat! Welcome to episode 1 of City Breaks St Petersburg. This opening podcast will give you an ove...
Munich Episode 14 World Capital of Beer
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 14 World Capital of Beer First, a brief history of brewing in Munich, from its beginnings in medieval monasteries, through royal patron...
Munich Episode 13 Enjoying the food in Munich
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 13 Enjoying the food in Munich This episode is devoted to all things culinary in Munich, including Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) ...
Munich Episode 12 Sport
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 12 Sport First, a brief history of Munich's two great football clubs, Bayern Munich and TSV 1860, and the grand Allianz Arena, home to ...
Munich Episode 11 Music and Literature
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 11 Music and Literature First, hear what Wagner, Mahler and Richard Strauss did in Munich and where you can still find traces of them t...
Munich Episode 10 Art
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 10 Art A brief history of art in Munich and information on its main art galleries and what to look out for there. Find out about works ...
Munich Episode 09 Standing up to Hitler
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 09 Standing up to Hitler Hear about some of the Munich citizens who spoke out against Hitler, often with fatal consequences: the journa...
Munich Episode 08 Munich and World War 2
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 08 Munich and World War 2 Episode 8 focuses first on places in Munich with connections to World War 2, such as the Stadtmuseum,the Doku...
Munich Episode 07 Munich and the rise of Hitler
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 07 Munich and the rise of Hitler Episode 7 tells the story of Munich's connection with Hitler, from his arrival in the city in 1913 unt...
Munich Episode 06 The Town Centre
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 06 The Town Centre Starting in Marienplatz, hear about the two – yes, two – Town Halls and the quaint daily marionette shows: why d...
Munich Episode 05 Ludwig's Dream Castles
26 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 05 Ludwig's Dream Castles We're going on a virtual tour of some of the fairy-tale castles built by Ludwig II in the Bavarian countrysid...
Munich Episode 04 Ludwig II
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 04 Ludwig II Ludwig II, the flamboyant and ultimately tragic King of Bavaria who reigned from 1864 to 1886, is remembered for his physi...
Munich Episode 03 Schloss Nymphenburg
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 03 Schloss Nymphenburg Find out which baby Wittelsbach had the Nymphenburg Palace built in his honour and which family member built a h...
Munich Episode 02 The Residenz
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 02 The Residenz A brief history of Munich's most visited tourist attraction, the Residenz, is followed by tips on what is most worth se...
Munich Episode 01 Introduction
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Munich Episode 01 Introduction to City Breaks Munich http://citybreakspodcast.co.uk
Florence Episode 19 Literary Florence
25 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 19 Literary Florence The final episode on Florence focuses on a selection of the many literary writings connected to the city, beginn...
Florence Episode 18 History and Travel Writing
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 18 History and Travel Writing First a brief look at some history books which have much to tell about Florence, and then glimpses into...
Florence Episode 17 The Uffizi
18 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 17 The Uffizi This episode is devoted to the Uffizi, Florence's world-famous art gallery, offering a short history of the gallery and...
Florence Episode 16 Michelangelo
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 16 Michelangelo Of course, Michelangelo deserves an episode to himself and this is it. First, hear about the museums which display hi...
Florence Episode 15 San Marco
11 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 15 San Marco Perhaps one of Florence's lesser-known pleasures, San Marco's tranquil atmosphere and beautiful frescos are a delight. H...
Florence Episode 14 Galileo
07 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 14 Galileo Amid all the art and culture in Florence, it’s important to remember that the city also has a special place in the histo...
Florence Episode 13 The Palazzo Pitti
04 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 13 The Palazzo Pitti Hear how the Medicis lorded it over the Pittis by buying up the grand palace which the latter could no longer af...
Florence Episode 12 Machiavelli
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 12 Machiavelli This episode takes time out from visiting the sights of Florence in order to get to know more about one of the city's ...
Florence Episode 11 The Palazzo Vecchio
28 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 11 The Palazzo Vecchio Find out why Duke Cosimo di Medici moved his family into the Palazzo Vecchio, the building which was originall...
Florence Episode 10 Piazza della Signoria
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 10 Piazza della Signoria First, find out about some of the historical events which took place in the Piazza della Signoria across the...
Florence Episode 09 Around San Lorenzo
21 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 09 Around San Lorenzo Staying near San Lorenzo church, first a visit to the Laurentian Library, with its Michelangelo staircase and r...
Florence Episode 08 San Lorenzo
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 08 San Lorenzo A description of the San Lorenzo district in medieval times, plus a visit to the Medici family church, famous for its ...
Florence Episode 07 Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
14 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 07 Palazzo Medici-Riccardi The first Palazzo the Medici built themselves is plain outside, but fabulous inside - find out why and hea...
Florence Episode 06 Santa Maria Novella
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 06 Santa Maria Novella A brief history of Santa Maria Novella - including the exotic visitors who came to the Council of Florence and...
Florence Episode 05 Santa Croce
07 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A tour of Santa Croce involves visiting some of Italy's most famous tombs (think Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo ...), remembering the devasting fl...
Florence Episode 04 Dante
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 04 Dante. The story of Dante's life in Florence, plus some of his writing and tips on where to look for him in the city today.
Florence Episode 03 Around the duomo
30 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 03 Around the duomo. A brief history of three buildings closely connected to the duomo, namely the baptistery, Giotto's bell...
Florence Episode 02 Inside the duomo
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Episode 02 Inside the duomo Stories from inside Florence's cathedral: all about the painting 'Dante's Divine Comedy', how Brunelleschi design...
Florence Episode 01 Introduction
22 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Introduction to Florence
Introduction: what City Breaks is ..... and isn't.
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Introduction: what City Breaks is ..... and isn't.