A spa is reborn in Transylvania: a ‘healing hotel’ amid Romania’s forests and mountains
A castle in the Carpathian mountains with a turbulent history has been restored by the original family owners
‘Skiing, hiking and ice-fishing from the door’: readers’ favourite Nordic winter trips
Our tipsters wrap up warm and head to northern Europe, finding glacier lakes, frozen seas, snowy forests, reindeer herds and – happily – saunas and hot tubs
Perfect waves at the touch of a button: catching a break at Scotland’s first inland surf resort
Lost Shore Surf Resort near Edinburgh is Europe’s largest wave pool and there are few better places to learn this exhilarating sport
‘A shelter from the growling Atlantic’: our stay in lighthouse keeper’s cottage on Ireland’s west coast
County Clare’s dramatic shoreline is the backdrop to Loop Head Lighthouse and its two holiday cottages. Binoculars for sea viewing included – but not wifi
A stunning eco-cabin with scenery to match: a winter stay in remote Scotland
On the shores of Loch Fyne, the swish Kabn is inspired by Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian contemporary design – and the perfect place to do nothing
‘Kindle a fire and enjoy complete solitude’; a magical winter cottage in Cornwall
Tucked away near Helford River, 19th-century Frenchman’s Creek is rented by the Landmark Trust and offers serenity and cobweb-blasting walks
Share a tip on Paris
Tell us about your favourite places to go and stay in the French capital – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
‘A log cabin straight out of a children’s book’: a remote woodland stay near the Lake District
With no television or phone signal, we had no option but to disconnect from everyday life and appreciate the woods, rivers and fells
‘It’s overpriced tat’: Christmas markets divide opinion across the UK
Residents and businesses complain about busy crowds, loss of trade, repetitive stalls and extortionate prices
Great Dane: a tour of Denmark’s culture, countryside and coast
Lakes, saunas, art, food – and Hamlet’s castle. A whistlestop tour of the best that Denmark has to offer
The Tudor effect: the English historic houses profiting from Wolf Hall
An increasing interest in Henry VIII and the new BBC drama about his reign have boosted visitor numbers for castles and palaces used as filming locations and connected to the king
‘This is perfect’ – my ideal winter cottage, in north Wales
This cosy homestead offers all the simple pleasures for a winter escape: great scenery, log burners, no wifi and a pile of paperbacks
‘It felt wild and mystical’: readers’ favourite remote spots in Europe
Our tipsters have found solitude in glorious mountains, islands and coastlines from the Highlands to the Aegean
Snowshoes and saunas: why Italy’s Bormio is perfect for winter sports and pampering
The medieval Lombardy town in the Valtellina Alps will host the skiing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, but for now it’s full of under-the-radar charm
Where tourists seldom tread, part 13: three more British places with tales to tell
We visit Wakefield’s rhubarb triangle Britannia’s westernmost amphitheatre in Carmarthen, and Colne - home of Monty Python’s favourite cobblestones