Europe

[ad_1] We are in The Clearing. The trees stop in a uniform oval where nothing grows and where, since official records began, nothing has grown. “Once when I came here,” says Alex, our guide, “I found 60 people from Bucharest trying to open a gate into another dimension.” This is Hoia Baciu, just outside Cluj-Napoca, […]

[ad_1] Our new microguides series is inspired by the slow travel movement, encouraging travellers to relax their pace and take a deep dive into one particular neighbourhood in a well-loved city. Rather than a whirlwind itinerary which aims to hit up every must-see attraction, these compact, close-up guides encourage you to zone in, take your

[ad_1] Already famous for its chocolate-box good looks – and made more so by the 2008 hit film In Bruges – Belgium’s West Flanders capital is absurdly pretty. Cobbled streets? Check. Open, pedestrianised squares framed by handsome medieval buildings? Check. Historic gabled houses, Gothic and Baroque churches and stone bridges crossing glassy canals? Check, check,

[ad_1] Facing the borders of France and Germany, Basel is a Swiss city that refuses to be put in a box. Sure, the pretty, pastel-coloured townhouses lining the banks of the Rhine and fairytale lights of the Christmas market speak of tradition, but the vibe here is altogether more left-field when you scratch beneath the

[ad_1] Inside a snowbound yurt, deep inside a forest 250km north of the Arctic Circle, my six-year-old is giggling as an Elf (yes, an Elf) called Poco holds her upside down and plays her like a guitar. This is not surprising. Thus far on our three hour Searching for Santa adventure at the Northern Lights

[ad_1] It would be an oversimplification to say that Vienna is a city of two halves; but it’s undoubtedly one with two distinct personalities. There’s the more traditional side, with all the reasons my mother would make a beeline for the Austrian capital: genteel, grand buildings painted in shades of pastel elegance and steeped in

[ad_1] Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky called for a global peace summit this winter, in a video message Kyiv hoped would be shown before the World Cup final. Officials in the Ukrainian government urged Fifa to show the clip, which showed Mr Zelensky calling to “unite all nations of the world”. Posting the message on Twitter

[ad_1] Yes, we have Christmas markets in the UK; no they are not the same thing as Europe’s. It’s not that I don’t love rocking up to a collection of wooden stalls by a cathedral (Winchester), under a bridge (London’s Southbank), gathered around a singing moose (Birmingham) or experiencing any of the other homegrown options.

[ad_1] French skiing spot Les Gets is introducing a smoking ban, which will take effect from Saturday 17 December. The resort, in the Haute-Savoie department of France, will be the first European ski resort to make such a move. Visitors will be able to smoke in Les Gets village, with a ban to be enforced

[ad_1] What a difference a few years makes. Bari, on Italy’s “heel”, is speedily moving away from its reputation as a sketchy port city. Previously, its only draw was that it was the gateway to the popular region of Puglia; now it’s morphing into a charming Italian destination in its own right, with a vibrant,