Secret Cities

Amsterdam has always been synonymous with an easygoing lifestyle, liberal views on drugs and sex and a welcoming personality. Art experts Janina Ramirez and Alastair Sooke dig into the city’s cultural hotspots and discover how the city has always been outward looking, from the canals on which it’s built to the famous artists that called it home. Where did this tolerance and freedom originate?

Tourists flock to Barcelona each year in their millions. But what draws them to the city? It has an atmosphere and personality that revolves around fun, freedom and radical expression. Art experts Janina Ramirez and Alastair Sooke are determined to unearth the city’s cultural identity that includes the startling architecture of Gaudi and the surreal masterpieces of Miro and Picasso.

Lavish is a word that springs to mind when considering St Petersburg. It was a city built to impress and intimidate, with Tsar Peter the Great constructing opulent palaces and gilded monuments on seemingly every corner. But as Art historians Janina Ramirez and Alastair Sooke discover, with art being used to enhance prestige and impose power, this opulence often came at a devastating price.