Copenhagen, Denmark

A spectacular floating community centre in the Nordhavn area is among the recent additions to Copenhagen’s landmark buildings. Throughout 2023, the city will be the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture. A lively year-long programme will include eye-catching new pavilions on the harbour front – including one by Denmark’s famed Bjarke Ingels Group, and a major new exhibition on Danish building from the Vikings to the present day at the Danish Architecture Center (not forgetting LEGO). Generally speaking, the city’s once industrial harbour area has been gradually transforming into a more leisure-oriented destination, welcoming ever more visitors and adding new public spaces. Meanwhile, the long-awaited Danish Cold War Museum, REGAN Vest, opens in February and is a sensory (deprivation) experience in a restored 1980s nuclear bunker.

Reward Flights from London Heathrow to Copenhagen start from £1 plus 18,500 Avios per person return.

Image: Dansk Arkitektur Center (Kontraframe)

Brussels, Belgium

The Belgian capital has designated 2023 as ‘The Year of Art Nouveau in Brussels’, with a varied, year-long event programme highlighting, celebrating and restoring the distinctive artistic and architectural style of the city. One shining example is the work of architect Victor Horta, whose buildings here include Hôtel Tassel, a townhouse and distinctive façade – completed 130 years ago – that’s considered a founding moment for the style. Also not to miss is the annual Bright Brussels light installations in February and a summer transformation of the Grand-Place into a flower carpet (much more jaw-dropping than it sounds).

Reward Flights from London Heathrow to Brussels start from £1 plus 18,500 Avios per person return.

Marseille, France

Marseille’s forthcoming role as génial host for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with games in September and October, will be a chance for new visitors to discover the appeal of this high-energy Mediterranean port city just west of the French Riviera. A decade on from Marseille’s 2013 turn as the European Capital of Culture, museums that were newly opened or restored at this time have grown into themselves and won accolades, including the acclaimed national museum MuCEM. The city’s historic Vieux Port sits alongside a buzzy centre and, as this is the south of France, you can also relax and sun worship on the delightful beaches of the Calanques, the picturesque cliffs between Marseille and Cassis.

Reward Flights from London Heathrow to Marseille start from £1 plus 18,500 Avios per person return.

Image: Marseille’s MuCEM (Alamy)

Vienna, Austria

In 2023, the well-heeled Austrian capital is going all out to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, with major exhibitions across the city’s site of museums and new openings channelling the ambitious, optimistic spirit of the original event. In spring 2023, this will include the unveiling of Panorama Vienna: a new attraction within the legendary Prater park, which will show artworks as 360° panoramic images, some 32m high. Whether you’re a museum-goer or not, dip into the city for a weekend and enjoy a slice of the famously high quality of life and pleasingly designed public green space that locals experience every day. 

Reward Flights from London Heathrow to Vienna start from £1 plus 23,500 Avios per person return.

Krakow, Poland

From the underground nightlife scene of its celebrated cellar bars to romantic landmarks such as the Gothic St Mary’s Basilica, there are plenty of evergreen ways to while away time here. The new year ahead will also see the city at the heart of a summer of sport, hosting much of the European Games 2023. On the cultural front, from 16 June the final wing of the city’s Princes Czartoryski Museum will finally reopen to visitors after restorations, so you can take in treasures such as Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Lady with an Ermine. Don’t miss Krakow’s annual cultural regulars such as the 16th edition of the well-regarded Krakow Film Festival in May, and the 12th edition of the Comic Book Festival, increasingly beloved of cos play fans (keep your eyes peeled for dates).

Reward Flights from London Heathrow to Krakow start from £1 plus 23,500 Avios per person return.

Image: The Princes Czartoryski Museum (Tomasz Markowski)