Arts-inspired Travel that Goes Beyond the Checklist

Last updated on May 20th, 2026 at 05:21 pm

Are you an independent traveler who chooses museums over tourist traps, personalized experiences over generic tours, and local restaurants over anywhere with laminated menus in four languages?

Then you’re in the right place!

I’m Carol Cram: novelist, passionate lover of the arts, and an enthusiastic traveler who books concert tickets and special exhibitions before hotel rooms.

If you love arts and culture, concerts, great food, the occasional wildlife encounter, and hidden gems that make a trip genuinely memorable rather than just another checklist of sights, then come along with me for the ride!

What’s On My Mind This Week

I’m thinking this week about hidden gems—those places that don’t attract a ton of tourists and yet have so much to offer the curious traveler. Finding and writing about them is one of my goals on Artsy Traveler.

This week, I’m featuring one of my favorite kinds of hidden gems, which is any location with a strong connection to the arts.

Dinant in Belgium with its charming celebration of the saxophone fits the bill perfectly.

In 2014, the stunning little town of Dinant in Belgium permanently installed dozens of large, colorfully-painted saxophones around the town to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone and one of the town’s most famous sons. Each saxophone was claimed by a different country and painted accordingly, with flags to match.

Check out my suggestions for spending an artsy afternoon in Dinant in this week’s featured post:

Dinant, Belgium: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Birthplace of the Saxophone

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Carol Cram in front of the National Gallery of canada

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Khon masked dancer performing traditional Thai classical dance at Penthai Theatre Bangkok

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Guards doing the changing of the guards in Athens

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