Most people travel to get away from life’s responsibilities. With limited time and finances, many choose to head for the beach. It’s a solid plan that involves a familiar itinerary: sun, sand, repeat.

Ready for the ultimate bucket list of the world’s oldest locations? Keep reading for destinations related to the arts, entertainment, architecture, and education that are still open to visitors today.

Oldest in Entertainment



Casino di Venezia, 1638 (Venice, Italy)

The Casino di Venezia isn’t just the oldest running casino in the world but is also one of the city’s best-preserved palazzos. When the location was established in 1638, it was part of an aristocratic family’s estate or ‘palazzo’. The modern casino has since moved to a new location, but local groups have worked hard to preserve the architecture and design of the original.

Teatro Olimpico, 1585 (Vicenza, Italy)

Though there are remnants of theatres around the world (with the earliest found in Indian caves dating back to around 200BC), the oldest theatre on record is located in Vicenza, Italy. During the start of the Renaissance, the local Vicenza Olympic Academy sponsored the theatre’s stunning design. In 1585, the theatre put on Oedipus the King.

Oldest in the Arts

Capitoline Museums, 1734 (Rome, Italy)

As an early centre for European culture, Italy isn’t short on historical feats. The Capitoline Museums are a series of exhibits that date back to the late 1400s. The museums were used to store bronze statues before opening the halls to the public. Older than the Capitoline Museums is the hillside they’re situated on top, which has been consistently occupied since Etruscan settlers arrived around 500 BC.

Honke Owariya, 1465 (Kyoto, Japan)

Travellers to Kyoto won’t have any trouble locating this famous staple. The Honke Owariya Sobu Shop has been open for half a millennium and has fed emperors and shoguns alike. As a supplier to the Imperial Household, Honke Owariya noodles aren’t just delicious—they’re fit for royalty.

Oldest in Architecture

Persepolis, 550-330 BC (Shiraz, Iran)

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, this vast ruin is often forgotten alongside the Egyptian Pyramids and sites like Petra in Jordan. Persepolis is a remnant of the powerful Achaemenid Empire and its architectural style, which is defined by grand entrances, massive walls, and towering columns. Alexander the Great even paid a visit in 330 BC.

Göbekli Tepe, 10,000-7,500 BC (Urfa, Turkey)

From the outside, this modest archaeological site might now look like much. However, it’s the world’s oldest standing piece of architecture. Today, scholars believe the early structure was used as a temple.

Oldest in Education

Al-Qarawiyyin Library & University, 859 AD (Fez, Morocco)

Today, Al-Qarawiyyin is part of Morocco’s modern state university system. However, it was founded as a religious learning institution over 1,000 years ago. Some still debate whether Al-Qarawiyyin counts as the oldest university in the world, as its original purpose was as a madrasa rather than a college. However, it’s undisputed that its library is the longest-running in the world. Even more interesting, the establishment was founded by a woman. Today, Al-Qarawiyyin are still taught in traditional methods, such as learning while seated in a half-circle.

 It isn't always easy to decide what to wear on vacation, but packing for your feet is just as important. As you're exploring the new sights and sounds of your destination, you'll be on your feet a lot, so it's important that they're comfortable.

Depending on where you're going for your holiday, your footwear can make or break your trip. If you wear the wrong shoe, you can find yourself dealing with blisters, aching ankles and other issues. In choosing the right shoes for travel, there are a few factors to consider:

Boots

Bringing boots on your holiday can be a really good idea, especially if you visit an area with snow or sand. Boots are easy to pack, and they provide additional protection to your feet when you are travelling because they protect the toes and soles of your feet from getting wet or cold. If you are doing a lot of walking, packing proper walking boots can be a good idea as they can offer ankle support too. 

We have been lucky with the weather in the UK over the summer. It's been lovely and warm and it's been great weather to eat outside. However having to get up early to take my son to the train station, I've realised it is getting colder when I get up and before long the night's will be drawing in and Winter will be here and it will be time to get the blankets out. 

I don't know about you but I love to relax in the evening, snuggled up on the sofa with a blanket wrapped around me. So when My Picture got in touch to ask me to review a personalised blanket I thought that would be handy for the winter months. This is an advertorial with My Picture but all words and opinions are my own.

Who Are My Picture?

My Picture started their company due to a passion for art and photography. They sell a range of photography from simple reprints to canvas wall prints, puzzles, rugs, mugs and tote bags (ideal for your business promotion), calendars and photo books. They also have over 12,000 reviews on Trusted Shops, where they score 4.67 out of 5. That's a pretty impressive score don't you think?

Ordering the blanket

The blanket was easy to order. You upload the photo and then you can drag the photo to fit the print area. If you want you can also add text. The blanket I ordered is 200 cm by 150 cm in size but you can order a smaller size too.

I'm always looking for companies that respect the environment and My Picture says they follow a strict eco-friendly manufacturing policy, from the production of the blanket to the printing process itself, so you can be sure that the ordering is not at the expense of the environment. That's great to know.

What I thought

The personalised blanket is large, big enough to cover a double bed. The photo is bright and colourful and the colour tones are true to life. I must admit, seeing my husband and I enlarged on the blanket to at least double size made me laugh! You never quite know how things like this will turn out and I was really pleased. Top tip - spend some time in a photo editing package first to make your teeth whiter and iron out any wrinkles first otherwise you may get a shock.

The quality of the blanket could not be better. The stitching had no loose seams and the blanket is really well-finished. The side with the photo on is low pile but very soft, and the reverse is polar fleece grey and super cosy. . The company say the blanket is odourless and I liked that it didn't have any strange smell to it when it arrived. Machine washable at 30 degrees it's straightforward to keep clean too.

I can't wait to snuggle up under the blanket on a cold winter's day.

I feel if you are after any personalised photo products, then it's well worth giving My Picture a go. My readers can also get 20% off on already discounted products (except custom face masks and MIXPIX® photo tiles) by using the code below.

EXTRA20OFF on My-Picture.co.uk

Minimal basket value 40 GBP, the offer doesn't apply to custom face masks and MIXPIX® photo tiles.

Would I order again?