Europe

[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, […]

[ad_1] It’s 8.30am and -110°C and I’m stomping around to “Pump Up the Jam”, wearing a bikini, trainers and a woolly hat and gloves – like someone who expected beach and got ski. I love a sharp hit of cold, but cryotherapy tips it into the extreme. The endorphins are flowing but there’s the niggling

[ad_1] Europeans and Europe visitors are spoilt for ski terrain. With hundreds of beautiful slopes spread across nearly 4,000 resorts, the options can be as dizzying as the peaks. But if you want something special, there are destination hotels in every major ski country on the Continent – be they home to a standout restaurant,

[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] Annecy is a city for people who hate cities ‒ one wrapped in countryside, where days in the office can be punctuated with stand-up paddleboarding, paragliding and mountain hiking. The cobbled streets, tight-packed medieval houses and traditional festivals like Le Retour des Alpages (celebrating the cows returning from the mountains) may make Savoie’s former

[ad_1] People often ask ‘which is the best ski resort?’ – but there are as many answers to that question as there are types of skier and snowboarder. Beginners will want to be on different pistes to speed demons, while young families might not like the haunts favoured by party animals. Here’s our selection of

[ad_1] A city break hits different in winter. Parks packed with sweat-drenched tourists are swapped for ethereal, fairy light-strewn streets; frosty cocktails for warming, mulled drinks. Outside the peak Christmas market period – in itself a magical time to see plenty of European destinations – those who visit cities in the colder months often benefit

[ad_1] Travel Essentials Why go now? Between now and Easter, this stylish city at the foot of the Alps is welcoming, uncrowded and accessible, thanks to the frequent ski flights. Turin is much more than a gateway to the mountains: it is one of Italy’s great cities, offering visitors a spectrum of indulgence from high

[ad_1] Temperatures are dropping, the snow is falling, and ski resorts are opening for the winter. If the lure of fresh turns on corduroy pistes is tempting you, it could be time to book your ski holiday now. With fewer flights and chalets post-pandemic, don’t expect any basement bargains if you hold off to the

[ad_1] It’s no secret that Finnish Lapland is Santa Central, a territory in which the White-Bearded One sits in permanent residence, extending the festive season beyond its allotted schedule. The Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle at Rovaniemi, the provincial capital, comes charmingly alive with festive glitter at and around Christmas itself, with elves