Orange, France

ORANGE was the former seat of the counts of Orange, a title created by Charlemagne in the eighth century and passed to the Dutch crown in the sixteenth century. The family's most famous member was Prince William, who ascended the English throne with his consort Mary in the 1688 "Glorious Revolution". Today the town is best known for its spectacular Roman theatre, which hosts the important summer Chorégies music festival. While the rest of Orange is certainly attractive, there's not a lot to detain you once you've visited the theatre and adjacent museum and taken a quick look at the Roman triumphal arch at the northern approach to the town centre, so a two- or three-day visit should suffice.