Washington DC

Unless you're enthralled with US government, Washington DC will probably not top your holiday wishlist. But short breaks to Washington DC (or "DC") can be surprisingly jammed full of sights and attractions.

Almost all of the major historical landmarks and cultural institutions are gracefully laid out along and around The Mall, a stretch of greenery linking the Lincoln Memorial to the west and the steel-domed Capitol to the east.

Among the Mall's many treasures, the Smithsonian Institution's peerless collection of galleries and museums is absolutely essential viewing - although the volume of material on show is immense, and short breaks to Washington DC probably won't allow enough time to wade through it all.

At the centre of The Mall, the Washington Monument rises needle-like to a height of 166m, offering sweeping cityscapes. To its west is perhaps the most compelling sight on city breaks to Washington DC: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and its "Wall" - engraved with over 50,000 names of American soldiers who died or went missing in the war. Another of the city's testaments to historical turmoil is the remarkable US Holocaust Museum.

Whatever their political allegiances, just about everyone on city breaks to Washington DC will also be unable to resist taking at least a peek at the White House, home to US presidents since 1800.

Washington's nightlife, though not historically a draw in itself, has been heating up for some time now, and there are plenty of bars, pubs, restaurants and clubs around to cap off a long day of sightseeing.

Multicultural Adams-Morgan is one of the most popular after-dark areas, alongside trendy Dupont Circle, the student haunts of Georgetown, and the hedonistic district known as the U Street Corridor. Downtown, not long ago a place to avoid at night, now buzzes with sports games, concerts, shows and restaurants. Who'd have thought short breaks to Washington DC could prove such an action-packed escape?