Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam at the British Museum

An early depiction of the sacred

The British Museum’s latest exhibition: Hajj Journey to the Heart of Islam tells the tale of the pilgrimage that is central to the Muslim Faith and represents one of the Seven Pillars of Islam.

Using an impressive array of objects it assesses how the journey has changed over the years and the artistic creations it has inspired.

Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, says: ‘We wanted visitors to the exhibition to get some sense of what the experience of the Hajj means. At one level it is a theological and religious experience. At another it is arguably the greatest logistical challenge on the planet.

War Horse walks in Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor National Park is organising guided walks taking visitors to many of the locations that form the backdrop for the film War Horse.

The movie, which opens nationally in the UK on 13 January, tells the story of a Devon farm boy who braves the trenches of World War I in search of his horse, Joey – taken by the army to the Western Front.

Director Steven Spielberg said of Dartmoor: ‘There’s no place like it in the world – it’s pretty extraordinary country. I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse here.’

Germany: what to do in Frankfurt

But it's more than just banks and bankers

The German city of Frankfurt am Main may be famous for its banks and high rises, but it is also a place with plenty of cultural highlights.

A logical place to start a tour of Frankfurt is the Römerberg, adjacent to the Römer U-Bahn station, and at the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town).

This was once the city’s main market square and the place where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned. Today, it provides a pleasant stroll amid street performers and café tables.

Belgium: Napoleonic re-enactors and the Battle of Waterloo

And here come the French

Every year thousands of Napoleonic re-enactors travel to Belgium to recreate the Battle of Waterloo.

This annual re-staging of the 1815 battle that saw Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army defeated by a confederation of other European nations led by Great Britain and Prussia and commanded by the Duke of Wellington, attracts well over one thousand re-enactors dressed in brightly coloured and authentic-looking uniforms of the period.

Many of the combatants, however, are not necessarily what they seem. There are Poles taking the role of Frenchmen, Dutch playing Scots, Germans dressed as English...

A London ghost walk: Smithfield and Farringdon

Watch out for padding monks

This London ghost walk brings together medieval monks, a headless duke and a phantom dog, among others.

It begins at Faringdon Underground station. At the entrance, turn left and follow Cowcross Street uphill. Soon you reach the junction with St John Street, the buildings of Smithfield market to the right.

Cross into Charterhouse Street, passing the ornate façade of the Fox and Anchor pub, with its two grinning leopards.