Calling all culture vultures! Here are 5 of the Best Cultural Getaways not to be missed.There's nothing like a spot of travel to get the cultural juices flowing; whether it's Europe or further afield, exploring another country's culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of jetting away. We track down five of the best cultural getaways in the world, taking you from the cobbled streets of Paris to the grand avenues of New York. Dig out that camera - you won't want to miss a thing.

As with any country's capital, Madrid is fit-to-bursting with culture. Brimming with museums, art galleries, historical houses, public parks and fiestas, there's never a shortage of things to do for the millions of camera-toting tourists who flock here every year. In fact, the sheer amount of things to see and do can be overwhelming for a first-time visitor, so heed our excellent advice! We recommend starting at the world-famous Prado Museum, which houses some of the world's most important masters such as Goya, Picasso and El Greco. If you can't find art to tickle your fancy here, then we're afraid you cannot possibly call yourself an art buff! The beautiful paintings on display here are enough to make a grown man - or woman - weep. If history is more your thing then head over to the Palacio Royal, or Royal Palace, to see where the most important family in Spain kick back, relax and probably watch TV like the rest of us. Open to the public much like London's very own Buckingham Palace (except when official business is taking place, of course), the palace is set on the site of a former Moorish palace and is surrounded by spectacularly-manicured formal gardens. Be sure to check out the throne room while you're there, but don't come over all power-hungry and plonk yourself down on his majesty's chair - a beheading would be well-deserved, we think. Finally, be sure to take in a bullfight; while it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is as integral with Spain and Madrid as fish and chips are to London Town. Madrid's largest bullrings seats over 32,000 people, so squeeze yourself in and soak it all up.

Recommended Hotel

The undisputed capital of the arts, Paris has over 180 monuments and museums, architecture that is both ancient and contemporary, more fashion than you can shake a high-end stick at and enough art to furnish every wall in the entire world with! Naturally, a carefree jaunt to Paris would include a trip up the 324-metre high Eiffel Tower, where you can literally take your fear of heights to the next level. If you've got nobody to propose to at the top, you could always check out masterchef Jules Verne's rather lovely restaurant for a bite to eat. Other sights to include on your hit-list include the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the grand avenue of Champs Elysee, where you'll be able to splurge in designer shops such as Chanel until you credit card melts. Art-lovers and DaVinci Code fanatics will also love Le Louvre, one of the largest palaces/museums in the world. Famous for housing the Mona Lisa (doesn't she know it's rude to stare?), as well as over 300,000 other important works of art, it really is a breathtaking experience. Be sure to have a snap of the glass-pyramids outside for those all-important Facebook memories before you leave. No trip to Paris would be complete with a sampling of French cuisine, either, so finish off your cultural trip with a taster at one of the thousands of fine-dining restaurants and cafes. May we suggest the Ritz, where you'll be able to indulge in lipsmackingly good French favourites. Snails anyone?

Recommended Hotel

As one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan cities on earth, it's hardly surprising that London crops up in our feature on cultural cities. Dear to our hearts, London Town has it all; museums, art galleries, monuments, palaces, amusements, shops, hotels, bars, restaurants, and, of course, exceedingly good fish and chip shops. Sights worth seeing are Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and the London Eye, most of which can be seen in one foul swoop on an open-top bus tour of the city. Some of the city's best museums include the British Museum, the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, all of which are fascinating testaments to Britain's culture. The best bit about them? They're all absolutely free, perfect for those looking to save cash (let's face it, who isn't?). If you like a bit of humour with your sightseeing, then be sure to check out Madam Tussauds, which houses terrifyingly lifelike wax models of the rich and famous. If you're into art - and shame on you if you aren't! - then you could do worse than to check out the National Gallery, the Tate Modern and White Cube. Architecture is rife in the City, too, with Norman Foster's Gherkin building and the not-so-inconspicious BT Tower making up the iconic London skyline. Aside from its many sights, London really comes into its own with the various events it hosts throughout the year. Fashion Week, Notting Hill Carnival and a seemingly never-ending number of music festivals make London one of the most exciting places in the world to be. The West End is famous for theatre, too, and competes with New York's Broadway when it comes to staging the newest and most prolific musicals and plays.

Recommended Hotel

A relatively recent addition to the cultural map, Prgaue is jam-packed with so many cultural going-ons that you'd think it was the capital of culture for the whole of Eastern Europe. There's plenty to do for every kind of guest here; well-heeled ra-ras can venture to the opera or ballet (which, incidentally, has subtitles in English), more casual visitors can soak up the relaxing cafe culture that spills out onto the city's sidewalks, and club-goers can rave until the early hours in drink-fuelled techno dens. Classical music is at the very heart of the city (thanks, in large part, to Mozart, who wrote Don Giovanni here), as is the Gothic architecture than can be seen at every turn. Such architecture can be seen at Prague Castle, which claims to be the world's largest of its kind. The Jewish Quarter is also a popular tourist hotspot, with its own dedicated museum and cemetery. Don't miss out on the popular Wax Museum but unlike Western wax museums, Prague's interpretation of the much-loved waxworks are less celebrity-focused and contain prominent figures from the Czech Republic's immensely interesting history. A city of relentless creativity, arty types will love all that Prague has to offer.

Recommended Hotel

New York, New York... is there a city more famous than the Big Apple? Simply put, no. It's the pulsing heart of America's melting pot of culture, with more things to do and experience than is possible in a single trip. A stunning metropolis of business, fashion and art, New York has enough sights to keep even the most demanding of tourists content. Listing them is a feat in itself, with the Empire State Building, Times Square and the Statue of Liberty being just three must-see monuments in the city that never sleeps. Dark culture is no more apparent than in the Big Apple, too, wth the former site of the World Trade Center making for a very sombre excursion indeed. Museums and galleries are aplenty, and art fiends can get their fix from places such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the less mainstream galleries around SoHo. The city isn't just an urban jungle, either; Central Park provides a welcome relief from concrete and glass, and is the most-visited city park in the United States. Shopping has become an important part of culture in Amercia, also, and this is evident in every avenue of this grand city; department stores such as Macy's and Saks stand testament to the country's love of retail therapy. With its famous skyline featuring in more TV shows and movies than any other city, it's hardly surprising that set tours also make up a large part of New York's culture; Sex and the City used New York almost as a sixth character, and tours now run that trace the various bars, restaurants and shops shot in the HBO series.

Recommended Hotel

Review sponsored by Gunpowder Magazine