Naples’ Fontanelle cemetery: skulls and silence beneath the busy city streets
In an underground chamber in the Italian city, the skulls of plague victims are stacked high but the traditions surrounding their preservation are ultimately uplifting, telling us a lot about the human capacity for caring
Grace Kelly's Irish library: a collection of classic reads … in Monaco
The film star’s roots prompted her to collect Irish literature, including rare editions of Joyce, Beckett and Shaw. The 9,000 volumes are now housed in a lovely, and free, library in the principality
Wild in the city: Buenos Aires’ Costanera Sur reserve
From waterfront playground to landfill site, this reserve on the bank of the Rio de la Plata has had a chequered life, but is now a place of peace and beauty
A historic courtyard in the city centre was once home to a pious order of women. It is still a wonderfully peaceful spot, though these days anyone is free to enjoy its serenity
Once a church – and a hospital and a museum – it is now a mosque. It is also one of Turkey’s best-preserved late-Byzantine buildings, is free to enter and has much to offer visitors of all faiths or none
From salami to art: how migrants helped turn Rome factory into a gallery
Rome’s Maam gallery exhibits artists from all over the world, who often incorporate the site’s previous use as a slaughterhouse into their work, or are inspired by the lives of its residents
New York subway breakdancing goes above ground – and gets legit
On the subway it’s forbidden but breakdancing has been part of New York life for decades. Now, visitors can see top performers in the streets and parks, for free
No ticket required: see top art for free at Venice’s San Giorgio Maggiore
A short vaporetto ride from the Doge’s Palace, the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is not only a lovely landmark, but a setting for free major art shows, especially during the current Biennale
An oasis of orchids, animals and architecture in Medellín, Colombia
A striking shelter hosting an orchid collection – and the odd wandering iguana – is the centrepiece of a tropical paradise rescued from developers in the 1970s
Steep steps and tall tales: a local’s walking tour of Pollença, Mallorca
The sights and narrow streets of this ancient town hold plenty of stories, which are told – for free – by knowledgeable guides on a weekly three-hour tour
The Istanbul Research Institute … a lot more interesting than it sounds
Right by the city’s retail-heavy İstiklal Caddesi is an elegant space offering tranquillity, free exhibitions and fascinating insights into old Istanbul
Bordeaux’s free holiday cabins: basic but still beautiful
Dotted around Bordeaux, Les Refuges Périurbains are architect-designed shelters that cost nothing to stay in – though don’t expect hot tubs or minibars
Controversy and cutting-edge art in Hong Kong’s artist village
In Kowloon’s former Cattle Depot, artists defy the Beijing crackdown with alternative artworks of all kinds: there’s something provocative to look at, for free, every day
