BEACH HOLIDAYS

Switch off on a Greek island

Astypalaia has the same pretty, white-washed houses you see on the famous Greek islands, but it’s far less busy. The main town is beautiful, with buildings leading up a hill to an old castle. We rented a small apartment and spent our days on quiet pebble beaches that we had almost to ourselves. It’s a genuinely peaceful place where you can properly switch off from the noise of modern life.
Roy

A Corsican beach that never gets busy

Our favourite beach in Europe is Plage de Péru on Corsica. It can be reached by a pleasant downhill walk from the village of Cargèse, established by descendants of Greek immigrants from the Mani peninsula in the 18th century. However, we were lucky enough to have direct access from the Hotel Thalassa, a sleepy hotel with balconies and a leafy garden facing the turquoise waters. There may be better beaches on Corsica but this one is perfect for swimming and never seems to get busy. You can spend a day walking from the beach to the local Genoese tower, then return and grab a seat at one of the beach pailottes where you can eat and drink while watching the sunset.
Eleanor

Hot sand and siestas in Catalonia

The train from Barcelona deposits its passengers right on Sant Pol de Mar’s harbour. The sound of gently bobbing rigging and the whiff of seafood drifts from the village, where the promise of a splendid lunch awaits. The Playa el Morer is reached on foot along a curving bay where frazzled city dwellers dig their heels in that hot, amber sand, and take a siesta and the occasional dip. Sant Pol, it seems, exists to mend broken hearts and heal the soul.
Liz

Timeless charm in Akyaka, Turkey

On a road trip through Turkey’s south-west, I stumbled upon Akyaka, a peaceful, pine-fringed village untouched by mass tourism. The Azmak River, so clear it seemed unreal, flowed past riverside cafes where I watched turtles drift by. Locals welcomed me like family and evenings meant fresh seafood and golden sunsets. The architecture – wooden houses with carved balconies – gave the town a timeless charm. Paddleboarding on the calm sea at sunrise was something I’ll never forget.
Debbie

Stay cool on the Danish Riviera

Who needs the scorching Med when you have the Danish Riviera. The water is clean and refreshing (no wetsuits allowed – you’ll be laughed off the beach). Danish summer hols are in July, so you’ll have the beach to yourself in August. Book a summer cottage near Gilleleje, a charming fishing village about an hour from Copenhagen. Denmark is expensive, so self-catering is best. Ice-cream at Hansens; lunch in Gilleleje harbour; culture at Louisiana modern art museum and Hamlet’s Castle in Helsingør.
Christina

A quieter alternative to Capri, Italy

Procida, in the Bay of Naples, is not as famous as nearby Capri and Ischia, but is all the more appealing for it. Not a tourist trap but an island where people actually live, it’s a delightful slice of unhurried Italian life. It’s small enough to explore on foot or by bicycle, and there is a bus service too. There are many pretty little beaches for swimming, sunbathing and picnicking – our favourite was Il Postino, where scenes from the movie of the same name were filmed. As people still fish for a living, there’s no shortage of wonderfully fresh seafood in the restaurants. Villa Caterina B&B’s orchard of lemon and orange trees provides fresh juice and marmalade for breakfast, and the rooms have views of the island and the bay, with Vesuvius looming in the distance and Naples only 45 minutes away by ferry.
Bernie G

Seafood and sunsets in the Vendée, France

We had a wonderful week in Les Sables d’Olonne in the Vendée. The town has plenty of sights – the shell museum was well worth a trip – and there are many seafood restaurants. The main beach (La Grande Plage) is extremely popular and has beignet and glace-sellers and beach volleyball. However, we found ourselves gravitating to the less busy Plage de la Paracou, smaller and more rugged, no tourist trappings and wonderful sunsets. There was also a fantastic small open-air bar just over the dune, which had great live acoustic music a few nights a week.
Dolly

Pebble coves and olive groves on Silba, Croatia

I didn’t know much about Silba before I arrived (on a catamaran from Zadar) – it’s a small, car-free island with no hotels, just family-run guesthouses. You can walk on shaded paths through olive groves, find quiet pebble coves with clear water for swimming and climb the Toreta tower at sunset for great views of the Adriatic. My tip: bring a snorkel, stay at least two nights and be sure to book your return ferry in advance, as schedules are limited.
Elaine

RAIL JOURNEYS TO REMEMBER

The night train from Belgrade to Lake Skadar

We took a sleeper from Belgrade (after a few days exploring this cool, arty city) and loved the old-school velvety cabins with corridors and big open windows. We woke up to stunning Lake Skadar on the Montenegro-Albania border. After a few days exploring the lake, the ruined hill town of Stari Bar and Montenegro’s beautiful coastline, we headed back up to Belgrade by day – the mountainous scenery on this 11-hour journey is spectacular, and all for €50 round trip. We used the Man at Seat 61 to learn about the route.
Jenny

Interrail to Morocco

We travelled from the UK to Morocco via train and ferry, stopping in Girona and Córdoba, both of which have picturesque old towns. In Córdoba we visited eight stunning courtyard gardens as well as the Palace of Viana and the Mezquita, surely one of the most astonishing buildings in the world. On the return leg we stopped in Málaga and Montpellier, both characterful places. We would have missed out on these wonderful destinations if we had flown directly to Marrakech.
Louise

Anywhere in Belgium for €8.50

Last year, my wife and I explored Belgium by train, staying in an apartment near Antwerp station, a fantastic cathedral to the railways containing several pink granite columns and panels, polished in our home town of Aberdeen. In Belgium over-65s can buy a day return ticket to anywhere in the country for just €8.50. We visited several towns and cities, and discovered the Unesco-listed Flemish Béguinages – medieval communities composed of houses, churches and green spaces for widows or unmarried women, many now beautifully restored.
Jim Fiddes

Glorious north Wales rail circuit

Starting in Shrewsbury, a spectacular multi-day circuit of north Wales is possible: take the Cambrian Coast line through Aberystwyth, Barmouth and Porthmadog, then the gorgeous Ffestiniog Railway to Blaenau, where you can link back to Llandudno on the coast, and return to Shrewsbury (change at Llandudno Junction). There is no shortage of accommodation, allowing you to stop and explore without rigid planning. Out of summer the Cambrian coast and the seaside towns are unexplored jewels.
Dave Thomas

Laid-back vibes on the line to Ljubljana

After days getting blissfully lost in the quiet alleys and forgotten courtyards of Venice, we boarded the train from Santa Lucia station and sped across the shimmering lagoon to Trieste. In a sunlit square, we savoured chocolate gelato, the Mediterranean sparkling nearby. Next was laid-back Ljubljana, where we sipped cocktails by the river, surrounded by art and colour. Finally, a graffiti-covered train carried us to Lake Bled, where we hiked and swam beneath the majestic Julian Alps, ending our journey in a cosy glamping pod under the stars and amid fireflies.
Alex

A perfect triangle in France

My wife and I have travelled around a lot of Europe but our best trip for simplicity is a triangle of France: the Eurostar to Paris, then the TGV to Toulouse for saucisse and architectural and historical delights; next, the slow train to Bayonne, gazing at the Pyrenees as the train trundles past Lourdes, and on to the French Basque coast; then the TGV back up to Paris. City, gastronomy, mountains and beach all in one.
George

Rome to Sicily by train and ferry

Hop on the sleeper in Rome, or perhaps Naples, and wake the next morning in Sicily. There’s no bridge (yet) so the train is loaded on to a ferry for the crossing while you are sound asleep in one of the functional little compartments. You can go direct all the way to Palermo or beautiful Syracuse in the south-east of the island.
Polly

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK ADVENTURES

Cabin life on a Finnish lake

One of the most magical places I’ve been is Lake Saimaa in eastern Finland – a labyrinth of islands and forests where you don’t come across many people. We rented a lakeside cabin and watched the midnight sun shimmer across peaceful waters. Days were spent kayaking between islets or hiking pine-scented trails, with only the call of black-throated divers (or loons) for company. We visited the Linnansaari national park in the middle of the vast lake, where encounters with rare Saimaa ringed seals await. It’s nature’s embrace at its purest – remote, quiet and utterly rejuvenating.
Anthony

Riverside camping in Portugal’s mountains

The sleepy villages of the Serra da Estrela, continental Portugal’s highest mountain range, are a world away from its coastal honeypots. In Vila Cova à Coelheira there is a free campsite on the banks of the River Alva, reached via an old Roman bridge that you can swim under (or jump in from, if you’re feeling brave). Even better, there is a bar at the river beach that serves excellent pica-pau – pork braised in wine with onions and pickles.
David

True remoteness in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides

For an experience of true remoteness, I’d recommend the Hebridean island of Berneray, between North Uist and Harris. Here you can walk across the rare grassland called the machair to the white, three-mile long West beach and marvel at the immense space and colour of the Atlantic. We stayed at Gatliff Hebridean hostel, which consists of two converted crofts where, for about £20 a night for a bunk, you will be staying in one of the most peaceful locations in the world.
Nik Fernee

Quiet beauty in Montenegro

In autumn I visited Durmitor national park in northern Montenegro, a quiet and beautiful place in the Dinaric Alps. The road there passed through thick pine forests and opened on to wide valleys surrounded by tall, rocky mountains. I walked to the Black Lake (Crno Jezero), where the water was so still it perfectly reflected the autumn colours of the trees. In the hills, shepherds looked after their sheep, and small villages sold fresh cheese and honey. I also gazed down into Tara River canyon, one of Europe’s deepest gorges, and right at the bottom, several thousand feet below me, I could see the bright turquoise ribbon of the river.
Lorna Walkden

A Unesco biosphere reserve near Barcelona

Just 40 miles from Barcelona lies a Unesco biosphere reserve, its peaks more than a thousand feet higher than Ben Nevis. The Montseny massif’s thick Mediterranean oak forests rise on all sides as you follow the single road threading its way up the horseshoe-shaped valley. About halfway up is the village of Montseny itself. Stop for a hike on any of the trails, followed by an ice-cream at Can Manel, a small bar with a big terrace and enormous views.
Leo

Croatia’s Mljet island is not for the jet set

It’s only a few miles off the coast of Dubrovnik and its cruise-ship crowds, but Mljet feels like another world. Pine forests dip into turquoise bays, an ancient monastery sits on a tiny islet in the middle of a lake, and there’s hardly a sound beyond cicadas and the wind. I stayed in a simple family-run cottage just outside the national park, where evenings meant grilled fish on the terrace and nights under skies thick with stars. Days were spent kayaking across mirror-still water and walking through pine-scented trails where I rarely met another soul. It felt like stepping into a corner of Europe the 21st century has politely passed by.
Mark Adamson

The Romanian delta ‘on the edge of the world’

The Danube delta marks the eastern frontier of the EU and feels like the edge of the world. Accessible by boat from the port of Tulcea, it is one of Europe’s largest and most vital wetland ecosystems and is full of wildlife. We stayed at the Delta Boutique & Carmen Silva Resort in Crișan, an old working fishing village where tranquil evenings are broken only by the lively chorus of frogs. Guided boat safaris can be arranged via the hotel.
Josh

FAMILY HOLIDAYS

All aboard in the Netherlands

Our favourite family holiday was to the Netherlands: taking turns playing captain and guiding electric hire boats on canals; tilting our ice-cream cones at windmills at Zaanse Schans; cycling to the broad, clean beaches and cabanas; Amsterdam for the colourful Pride parade and counterpointed by a calming visit to De Poezenboot (which teen could resist a cat sanctuary on a canal boat?). And staying in Haarlem in an apartment with speedy wifi kept the teens happy while we indulged in morning strolls through medieval cobbled streets to Grote Markt for coffee and people-watching.
Annette

An Italian castle at hostel prices

When I saw the picture of Ostello il Castello di Santa Severa in the Guardian in 2019, I thought it was too good to be true, but it’s genuine. We have been twice with our teens, and sent friends too!A mile-long beach where teenagers can roam and paddleboard, an easy train journey to explore Rome, lunchtime pizza slices with locals cheering on the footie at L’Angolo delle Crepes. Plus the opportunity to sleep in a castle at hostel prices. Fluffy white towels aplenty, and a gleaming kitchen if you want to cook.Don’t miss the nearby necropolis for an Indiana Jones-style adventure. Fireworks over the castle and a hilarious Italian Beatles cover band were the ciliegina sulla torta!
Margaret

Making a splash in Austria’s lake district

Salzkammergut is the Austrian lake district. Lush meadows, forests and blue-green lakes make for endless days of swimming, biking and lying in the sun. Wolfgangsee has well-marked bike trails and opportunities to swim, alongside cafes serving delicious Kaiserschmarrn (fluffy pancakes) and schnitzel. Nearby Fuschlsee has an incredible water park right by the lake: swimming pools, slides and plenty of quiet water in which to swim. We stayed in the newly renovated Feichtingerbauer, which offers complimentary access to the Fuschlseebad.
Neha

Slovenia’s raft of adventure activities

We started in Lake Bled. Our teens loved the Dolinka ziplines, the summer toboggan run, hiking in Vintgar gorge and swimming in the lake. You can hire paddleboards and boats. If you have the money, there is rafting and canyoning too. After seeing the incredible Postojna cave, we went up the Vogel cable by Lake Bohinj. Half-board at the Bohinj Eco hotel kept us all amply fed and it also has an aquapark, bowling and plenty of games to boot. We finished the trip off with shopping in Ljubljana and the best ice-cream ever at Romantika.
Sue

Family-friendly camping in Pays de Loire, France

I am a solo parent, and Le Domaine du Clarys on the west coast of France has been our annual retreat since my daughter was three. The static caravans with decking offer a comfortable blend of camping and convenience. The parks, water slides and vibrant kids’ club activities provide endless fun for my daughter while I savour a few precious hours of calm or hire a bike to explore nearby towns such as Saint Jean de Monts. With friendly fellow travellers, it’s the perfect safe escape for a female adventurer.
Paula

Laurie Lee inspired us to walk the Cotswold Way

After a family reading of Laurie Lee’s As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, my husband and I decided our two teens were ready for a walking holiday in the Cotswolds. We set out on the Cotswold Way with backpacks and a tent, starting just outside lively Chipping Campden and ending in Bath. Mobiles were limited to an hour in the evening and we did 10 miles a day – covering the walk in 10 days. We felt part of a community of walkers as fellow hikers greeted us and shared drinks and tips along the way. We returned fitter, more together and happier than when we set out.
Ann

Oompah bands and cable cars in Bavaria

A two-centre holiday to Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria is a must with teenagers as there is so much to see and do. In Munich they loved the atmosphere in the beer halls – eating pretzels and listening to the oompah band and watching the Rathaus-Glockenspiel in the square. A visit to the Olympiapark is also recommended. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen there is a toboggan run, which is great fun, and nearby is the beautiful Zugspitze mountain and cable car, with boating on Eibsee lake.
Richard Watkins

UNDER THE RADAR CITY BREAKS

Olomouc, Czech Republic

Olomouc is an utter delight. Gleaming spires and domes, two old town squares, enchanting cobbled lanes, trams and its own astronomical clock. It also has a Unesco-recognised holy trinity column, which was built to mark the end of a plague in the early 18th century. It’s a two-hour train ride from Prague but markedly less touristy. Two great places to enjoy a beer were Saint Venceslav’s brewery, where there is a beer spa with a sauna scented with hops, and Twinburg, next to the Moravian cycle path, which serves delicious craft ales. I felt that this city had been put on Earth specially for me.
Jack Anderton

City under the volcano, Sicily

A city brimming with life, Catania is a foodie haven and a great base to explore the island from. Home to arancini (deep fried rice balls) and cannoli (fried dough tubes filled with ricotta cheese), the city has incredible food experiences like the gelato from Don Peppinu and sweet treats from Pasticceria Savia. It is also within striking distance of Mount Etna, as well as beautiful coastal destinations such as Taormina and Syracuse.
George

Polar nights in Tromsø, Norway’s ‘Arctic capital’

As a Scot who once sought drawn-out summer nights, I now lean into the opposite with fervour. Winter in Tromsø – the “Arctic capital” – is for travellers who embrace long, dark nights and are keen to meddle with their circadian rhythms. The polar night, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon, starts at the end of November and finishes in mid-January. Experience this unworldly extended twilight – the blue hour – from about 9am to 2pm. The Fjellheisen cable car and silent whale-watching with Brim Explorer are two recommended activities.
Aimee Lawrence

Wrocław, Poland’s buzzy student city

Wrocław has the perfect mix of quirkiness and beauty to make for a cracking, affordable city break. The hefty student population gives the city a real buzz, from the boat and beach bars along the River Oder (try Forma Płynna beach bar), to the delicious Georgian bakeries (stop at Piekarnia Gruzińska PURI for pastries on the way to checking out the painted backyards of the Nadodrze neighbourhood). While tourists concentrate around the huge central square, exploring the edge of the old town reaps rewards, like Pub Drukarnia (delicious Litovel Czech beer) or Stacja Breslau bistro under the rail arches on Wojciecha Bogusławskiego street.
Matt Lunt

Explore Jaén’s castles and cathedral

The city and the province of Jaén in Andalucía, Spain, can be overlooked by those heading to nearby Granada or Córdoba. That’s a shame, given that they are filled with Renaissance architecture, including a magnificent cathedral, and are renowned as a home of olive oil. Historically it held immense strategic importance due to its position between Christian Castilla and Muslim Granada, and it is surrounded by castles. I recommend staying at the Parador de Jaén, which sits at the top of the hill of Santa Catalina next to the castle. The views from its rooms towards the Sierra Morena mountains are unparalleled.
Felix

Leiden, a mini-Amsterdam with a buzz

Leiden – between the Hook of Holland and Amsterdam – is a fantastic destination easily reached by ferry from the UK. It offers everything Amsterdam does but on a smaller scale and has great places to stay, eat and enjoy. The mainly pedestrianised and historic town centre is beautiful, with a fantastic Saturday market along the canals. The large student population helps keep the city lively all year round.
Ruud Jansen Venneboer

WONDERS WORTH TRAVELLING FOR

Ghosts of Knidos in south-west Turkey

We’ve only ever reached the ancient Greek city of Knidos by sea, dropping anchor by the silted harbour that once sheltered a fleet of triremes (ancient war galleys). At night, when the few tourists who come here have gone, the toga-wrapped ghosts return. From our boat, we could feel them, roaming the mile upon mile of steep, ruined streets and collapsed temples; rising up out of the sea 30 miles west of modern Datça, to haunt the vast, crumbling metropolis which grew rich on sea trade before earthquakes and war returned it to dust and the crickets. Magnificent.
Kay Jones

Gaelic island gem in County Kerry, Ireland

The sixth-century monastery and its tiny garden on top of Skellig Michael is an extraordinary place. The wind can howl up the sides of this mountain island, but climb the rocky stairs to the collection of ancient stone domed huts in the small depression on top and it is out of this world.
Chris

Well worth its salt, Kraków

The Wieliczka salt mine just outside Kraków is an architectural masterpiece and a Unesco world heritage site steeped in the history of the feudal salt trade. The shafts reach to more than 320 metres underground (the tourist route takes you to about 135 metres). Here you will find a cathedral etched into the salt and stone. With underground lakes, narrow corridors and guides who aren’t afraid to let you know how deep beneath the Earth’s surface you are, this amazing place isn’t for the fainthearted.
Joe

Images from prehistory in Morocco

Along a bumpy road, behind the little village of Aït Ouazik, near Tazzarine, more than 300 prehistoric petroglyphs of elephants, rhino, giraffe, ostrich and more are carved into rocks atop a cliff-ringed hilltop. The exquisite depictions are impressive enough, and although the intent of the artists must be left to your imagination, you will leave with a sense of connection to the past and a people who gathered here 5,000 years ago, exchanging stories and recording the wonders they had encountered.
George Joy

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, ‘the river that runs in the sky’

Thomas Telford’s Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the centrepiece of a world heritage site that crosses three counties and two countries. There is a magic to standing halfway across “the river that runs in the sky”, looking down on the tumbling River Dee and Horseshoe Falls reservoir, the water Telford drew for his impossible canal project. Rather than a chain of locks cut across the valley, his iron trough spans it, joints sealed with red Welsh flannel dipped in boiling sugar. Opened in 1805, it is the highest, longest aqueduct in Britain.
Fiona Collins

Pitch amid the pines of Parnassus, Greece

Arrive at Delphi Camping at night and pitch your tent under a sky the colour of dark wine among the pines of Mount Parnassus, haunt of the gods. The Kanatas family serve pine-scented retsina wine and slabs of creamy goat’s cheese, generously doused in oil harvested from their ancient olive groves. Awake at dawn and wander a dusty mountainside path to the archaeological sites, catching a glimpse of the temples through the trees. Return for an early dip in the campsite pool, perched above the Gulf of Corinth, 300 metres below.
Emma

Uzbekistan’s magical minaret

Standing proud in the heart of the silk roads city of Bukhara, the Kalyan Minaret exudes power and mystery in equal measure. Its beauty lies in the ornate brickwork arches and intricate geometric patterns that adorn its gently tapering body. So striking was this minaret that it was the only structure left unmolested by the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan, who reportedly could not bear to see it destroyed with the rest of the city. At night it is lit up and acts as a beacon, drawing locals and travellers alike to bask in its presence.
Carl Sucharyna Thomas

ACTIVE BREAKS
Local flavour on a trek in the Italian Alps

We completed three weeks of the Grande Traversata delle Alpi, a 500-mile trek in the Italian Alps. It was conceived as an economic regeneration project in the 1970s to join up and provide tourism to tiny villages with ageing populations and declining industry. In each location, one or more providers elects to supply accommodation and food to hikers; as a result the variety in our stays was immense. It cost €60-70pp pn half-board, sometimes less in dormitories. It’s a very quiet trail compared with many in the Alps, and we often had it to ourselves. Villagers are friendly and we enjoyed delicious local food, always at least three courses, with vegetarians fully catered for.
Samantha McGrady

Sailing on the Norfolk Broads

Hunter’s Yard in Ludham looks after a fleet of 1930s cabin yachts and day boats, some now with electric motors. Beautifully maintained and easy to sail, they provide a restful, beautiful holiday. Away from the popular spots, the Norfolk Broads remain wild and full of birds and animals. Go to your bunk early, with the sound of water, ducks and rigging. Get up early and sail past the sleeping gin palaces. Moor up early near a pub for your evening drinks. Hunter’s Yard staff are friendly and happy to advise; I’ll never forget the smell of wood and varnish in their workshops.
Rupert

Scaling the heights in a hidden Asturias valley

The Meicín hostel in Asturias, on the border with the ancient kingdom of León, is surrounded by jagged mountains, wild ponies and, if you’re lucky, bears. Climb Picos del Fontán (2,414 metres) and you’ll be unlikely to encounter any other hikers as you walk through a hidden valley and year-round snowfields. Peña Ubiña, after which the national park is named, has views south to the Castilian plains, and north to the far busier Picos de Europa. The hostel offers full board in dorms, and you can hike or taxi to it from the high-speed station, Pola de Lena, which connects with Gijón on the Asturian coast.
Robert Graham

Horse riding in the Welsh borders

We return to Freerein Riding Holidays in Clyro (Cleirwy), Powys, every year. It’s a fantastic way to view the Welsh countryside; you can self-guide with the maps and instructions provided or go with an experienced guide. Everything is included, including your meals and stays in beautiful country inns or guesthouses.
Vanessa Jones

An idyllic campsite in Provence

Camping du Montdenier is an idyllic, isolated spot in the mountains just above the Gorges du Verdon. You can spend days relaxing in the surrounding hills and lavender fields, or take advantage of the mountain biking, horse riding and paragliding on offer near the site. When you fancy a bit more life, take a trip down to one of the restaurants in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, a beautiful village that sits beneath limestone cliffs and is famous for its pottery. For the more adventurous, Verdon is the birthplace of sport climbing, or you can stay closer to the ground on a day trip canoeing down the gorge.
Lucy

Hiking and hospitality in Albania

My partner and I had a magical time in the northern Albanian mountains. From Shkodër, we made our way to the Valbona valley national park via a two-night stay on (and boat across) Lake Koman. Once in Valbona, we embarked on a series of spectacular hikes, including a three-day circular to Çerem. The first two days we saw no one apart from shepherds – and a few vipers. The views were breathtaking, the hospitality welcoming, and the experience incomparable.
Alex

Running wild in Argyll and Bute

We had an unforgettable experience at regenerative Auchgoyle Farm on Scotland’s west coast. The running trails were adventurous and exciting, leading us through ancient woodland, across beaches and over hills.The wildlife and landscape were further brought to life by hosts Katharine and David’s infectious passion for – and knowledge of – their local environment. Between runs, we were rejuvenated with delicious home-cooked meals in the stunning farmhouse, and activities including yoga, wild swimming, a wood-fired sauna, art class and coffee tasting. We left feeling inspired, recharged and nourished by nature.
Kate

Twinkling lights in Poland’s Tatra mountains

Zakopane is a great base for skiers and anyone who enjoys winter mountain activities. It’s affordable (my chalet was just €400 for the week) and has lovely traditional wooden and stone houses, cafes and cheap restaurants serving tasty Polish stews and pierogis (filled dumplings), which kept us warm throughout. We hired snow shoes to explore the foothills by day, and at dusk the twinkling lights of the mountain villages came on, adding to the wonderful scene of lakes, mountains and forests. We also enjoyed sleigh rides and husky-driven carriages through the silent forests to magical Snowlandia ice maze (open mid-January to mid-March).
Yasmin

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