Vache Bleue Galleries St Albans

The Vache Bleue Galleries sit right in the heart of St Albans, a small contemporary art space that punches above its weight. Walk in and you'll find rotating exhibitions - mostly paintings, sculpture and mixed media from established and emerging artists. It's the sort of place where you can actually have a conversation with gallery staff who know the work inside out, rather than being herded through crowds.

This appeals most to serious art types and anyone after an afternoon's cultural hit without the exhaustion factor of a major museum. You won't spend three hours here - forty minutes to an hour is realistic - but that's rather the point. Quality over marathon viewing. Free to wander in most days, though I'd check ahead as hours can be a bit loose on the quieter weekdays.

Perfect as a half-day add-on if you're based at any of the nearby parks like Frogmore Park Homes or Cherry Green Trees. St Albans itself is worth a proper mooch around - the cathedral is genuinely impressive and the high street has proper independent shops, which beats the usual retail park fare. If you're parked up for a week, drop by the galleries on a day when the weather's ordinary. On brilliant days, you'd rather be outside.