Madrid

The Spanish capital is a safe bet for lovers of the arts, and this summer there’s an extra reason to draw circles around Madrid. The famous Museo del Prado will host the largest ever exhibition devoted to Hieronymus Bosch, a Dutch painter renowned for his works depicting sin and human moral failings.

Patrick Millar, Kirker’s marketing manager, says: “Madrid is one of my favourite European capitals – not only is it home to several of the world’s greatest art galleries such as the Prado, but it is also a lively, vibrant city where locals enjoying tapas after work by far outnumber tourists. One of the gems at the heart of the Prado Museum’s collection is Hieronymus Bosch’s ghoulish masterpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights. To mark 500 years since the artist’s death this summer, it will be brought together with more than 60 of the artist’s works in the largest ever exhibition dedicated to Bosch – one of the most fascinating artists in history.”

Rome

They say all roads lead to Rome, and this year the roads will be busier than usual, packed with papal worshippers taking part in an Extraordinary Jubilee. The Holy Year of Mercy runs until November 20 and will involve a range of “grand events” held around The Vatican. It is a Roman Catholic period of prayer and a period of remission of sins and universal pardon. Usually this takes place every 25 years (last time was in 2000) but this year is an Extraordinary Jubilee, only the third of these events in 700 years. Jubilee events are free, but you do need to register for a ticket via the official website.

Chris Hagan, head of overseas product for SuperBreak, says: “We are seeing a significant increase in demand for short breaks to Rome this year, with many customers choosing to visit over key events to celebrate the Extraordinary Jubilee.

“We offer a wide range of hotels close to the Vatican City. New for this year, clients can attend the Pope’s weekly address before touring the Vatican museums, from £82.50 per adult. In addition, new flights from Gatwick with Iberia and Norwegian have made getting to the city easier than ever.”

Stockholm

All eyes will be on Stockholm when the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in the Swedish capital on May 14. Admittedly, viewers may be a little distracted by the outrageous outfits and cheesy performances, but in between the numbers there’ll be plenty of panoramic shots of Stockholm at its gleaming best.

Shing Lin Yoong, product manager at Taber Holidays, says: “With this year’s Eurovision Song Contest set to take place in Stockholm, we expect bookings to the Swedish capital to rise this summer. Not only will the competition help to highlight the beauty of the city, but it will hopefully bring it to the forefront of anyone considering a Scandinavian city break. Those spending a few days in Stockholm might even like to pay a visit to the fantastic Abba Museum, a highlight for many Eurovision fans.”

Brussels

If your clients have never seen the Brussels Flower Carpet, they’re in for a treat. Once every two years, 800,000 fresh flowers are woven into a carpet covering the cobbles of Brussels’ magnificent Grand Place.

The magical tapestry measures 77m x 24m and is composed by 120 volunteers. In 2016, the 20th Flower Carpet will be celebrating Japan on account of the 150 years of diplomatic relations and friendship between Belgium and Japan. It’s an amazing sight that can be seen for only three days.

Construction will begin on Friday August 12 and the carpet will be on view until Monday August 15.

Sonja Okpu, product manager, Newmarket Holidays, says: “A beautiful sight to behold this summer is the Brussels Flower Carpet, only on show every two years. The best place to take in the full display is from our VIP viewpoint from the Hotel de Ville balcony, overlooking the entire Grand Palace square.”

Washington DC

There’s plenty going on in DC this year, with the grand opening of the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Washington National Opera celebrating its 60th anniversary season, and a panda cub at the National Zoo. Bei Bei was born in August last year, but he’s only been on public view since the beginning of this year, alongside his parents Tian Tian and Mei Xiang. It’s also the centennial of the National Park Service – don’t assume that urban DC has nothing to offer in this respect. DC is a birdwatchers’ paradise with a rich mixture of woodlands, parkland, marshes, and aquatic environments providing essential habitat for a great number of year-round bird residents and for migrants travelling along the Atlantic Flyway.

Jade Andrews, product executive for Funway Holidays, adds: “The hotel landscape has high-end openings on the horizon from The Trump International Hotel, Washington DC, The Watergate Hotel and two new Kimpton properties, Mason Rock and Glover Park Hotel.”

Reykjavik

From June 17-19, Reykjavik will play host to the Secret Solstice Festival, a multi-genre music extravaganza featuring electronic, indie, urban and folk artists from all over the world. It’s also daylight for 72 hours, meaning that revellers can party in the midnight sun.

The jewel of Iceland’s Capital Region certainly has a lot to offer in terms of wow factor. From natural wonders such as the Esja volcanic mountain range, located six miles to the north of the city, to the wealth of cultural activity in the form of museums, markets and the renowned sculpting of Asmundur Sveinsson’s outdoor figures, Reykjavik should make any canny traveller shiver in anticipation.

Lawrence Fraser, senior city breaks specialist at Osprey Holidays, says: “Reykjavik is host to over 40 individual festivals each year. And this year brings the third year of the Secret Solstice Festival, which has been named as one of the must-see festivals by Time magazine, with its attendance numbers growing year on year. It brings in over 150 acts that perform during the summer solstice (the brightest time of the year), June 17-19, 2016. This year they have Jamie Jones, Radiohead and Deftones, to name a few.”