Western Europe

Victoria Park is a fine green space next to the University of Leicester campus. The centrepiece of the park is the magnificent memorial arch, built to commemorate the dead of the First World War. The arch was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, as were the beautiful wrought iron gates at the parks Peace Walk and London Road entrances. The area served as the city's racecourse until 1883; upon the racing find a new home at Leicester Racecourse in Oadby, the area was transformed and is now a peaceful retreat from the buzz of the city. The park has areas of formal flowerbeds as well as winding pathways shaded by avenues of trees– perfect for finding some shade and enjoying a picnic or a good book on a summer’s day. For more active visitors, the park is home to a bowling green, croquet area, 4 tennis courts, football and rugby pitches, a floodlit Astro pitch and an outdoor gym. https://www.visitleicester.info/see-and-do/victoria-park-p708151

At the heart of the Parc des Bastions, the main protagonists of the Reformation, John Calvin, William Farel, Theodore Beza and John Knox, are depicted in giant statues and bas-reliefs. Geneva's 'Post Tenebras Lux' motto is engraved in the wall. As you leave the park, explore the splendid Place de Neuve and its various artistic haunts. https://www.geneve.com/en/attractions/the-reformation-wall-a-monumental-homage/

The Memorial Gardens were commissioned in 1948 as Gardens of Remembrance which incorporate the impressive Cenotaph designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, designer of the Cenotaph in London. The gardens provide an oasis of calm in the midst of a busy urban landscape. Facilities include memorial benches, a play area and sensory gardens. https://www.visitmanchester.com/things-to-see-and-do/rochdale-memorial-gardens-green-flag-award-p421331

Discover the life and work of William Booth – Nottingham’s most famous preacher and social reformer and founder of The Salvation Army – at The William Booth Birthplace Museum. Travel back in time to William’s home as it would have appeared in 1829 and explore how William turned his vision into reality. https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/things-to-do/william-booth-birthplace-museum-p640711

The Glass Museum, at the Bois du Cazier in Marcinelle, retraces five thousand years of art, history and technology. The collections are presented from an innovative angle: a backwards chronology invites the visitor on a completely new voyage, from the present day to the origins of glass. Also available Glass-blowing demonstrations with a blowtorch in the workshop. Guided tours can be arranged in Dutch, English, French or Italian. Booking required. https://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/content/glass-museum-bois-du-cazier

This imposing memorial, standing at the end of a vast cemetery, pays tribute to the Australian soldiers who perished during the Great War. It was in Villers-Bretonneux that they finally halted the German offensive in April 1918. Anzac Day is commemorated there every year in April. http://www.visit-amiens.com/tourinsoft/details/en_patrimoineculturel/PCUPIC0800011124/PCU

Kazerne Dossin is a very special place of remembrance for Belgium. As 'SS Sammellager Mecheln', the Dossin barracks was a waitingroom for death for more than 25,000 Jews and gypsies from Belgium and Northern France during the Second World War. A brand-new museum has been built to record the historical significance of this place for present and future generations and to illustrate themes like racism, exclusion and human rights. The combination of the human rights theme and the historical story of the Holocaust in Belgium makes Kazerne Dossin a project of European interest. The new museum was designed by leading architect and former Flemish Government Architect bOb Van Reeth. https://toerisme.mechelen.be/en/kazerne-dossin

The Mayflower Steps are close to the site in the Barbican area of Plymouth, south-west England, from which the Pilgrims are believed to have finally left England aboard the Mayflower, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to settle in North America on 6 September 1620. The traditional site of their disembarkation in North America is Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower Steps are flanked by the British and American flags and mark the final English departure point of 102 passengers who set sail on the Mayflower in 1620. The actual steps the pilgrims left from no longer exist. A granite block bearing the ship’s name marks the approximate site, while a tablet commemorating the voyage was erected alongside in 1891. The 'Steps' today consist of a commemorative portico with Doric columns of Portland stone that was built in 1934 and a small platform over the water with a brushed steel rail and a shelf with some nautical bronze artwork and historical information. It is on a small pier that was built about a century ago when some very old houses that were blocking construction of a road around the seaward side of the Citadel leading to the Hoe were cleared together with the significant Watch House. https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/the-mayflower-steps-p1398993