30 best cultural holidays in Europe | Travel

Museums and galleries

1. Vitruvian Man in Venice
It’s worth braving Venice’s summer crowds because its Accademia gallery is showing Leonardo da Vinci’s rarely displayed Vitruvian Man drawing (until July 14, gallerieaccademia.it). Usually kept in a vault, it depicts the human body’s proportions in a blend of mathematics and art. From there, tour the annual Art Biennale, with Britain’s entry — Cathy Wilkes’s sculptural installations and paintings — on show at the Giardini (until November 24, venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org). There’s also a new, 11-gallery art district on Giudecca island (giudecca-art-district.com).
Where to stay The JW Marriott Venice Resort Spa has a dedicated culture concierge. BB doubles cost from €395 (00 39 041 852 1300, jwvenice.com)

2. Sunflowers in Amsterdam
Vincent van Gogh’s sunflower paintings are the focus…