What do you get when you combine skis with kitesurfing get-up? One hell of an extreme snow sport that’s not for the faint-hearted. Snowkiting is a Nordic craze popular with surf junkies and serious snow bunnies who mix disciplines for awesome airborne adventures. Get yourself to Finland, grab a pair of skis or a snowboard, strap yourself into your kite harness and let the wind take you where it will. Okay, so there’s a little technique involved, particularly if you don’t want to find yourself hurtling towards the North Pole.
Norway is beautiful come snow or sunshine, but to witness this Scandinavian beauty at its most magical you need to pay attention to the light. Or more precisely, the lack thereof, as is the case in northern Norway from November to February. A cruise along Norway’s coast has been recognised as one of the globe’s most beautiful sea journeys, but with dramatic differences in weather year round, when is the best time to do it? The calendar’s two extremes – winter’s long Polar nights and summer’s ethereal midnight sun – are the undeniable highlights.
Winter is of course the perfect time to see the northern lights. And with Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights Promise you are guaranteed to see these fleeting light shows from onboard one of their ships. What’s more, rather than just holing up inside for the winter, Norwegians love to party. So there are many festivals in the winter like the Northern Lights Festival in Tromsø; the Tromsø International Film Festival; and for the really active, the Polar Night Half Marathon (spiked shoes essential!).
There’s also an abundance of snow adventures on offer with Hurtigruten, including shore excursions such as dog sledding safaris, snow scooter trips, snow-shoeing, sleigh rides, and more. Plus if you arrive in November prepare to get festive at one of the many Christmas markets.
Between May and August, under the soft midnight sun, the incredible scenery of Norway’s fjords are on full display from the panorama decks on board. Spring and Summer are also wonderful times to see wildlife. From polar bears in Svalbard, to puffins at the Vesterålen archipelago, all visible even from the ship’s deck. Or get onshore and take a midnight hike across a glacier and you can even take a dip in the ocean! Admire wildflowers blossoming as the tundra comes alive – get out among nature on a trekking excursion and marvel at the beautiful colours of summer blooms. No matter what time of year it is, a cruise up the Norwegian coast is probably going to be a little bit magnificent.
Swish resorts don’t usually tug at our heartstrings, but sometimes a property comes along that breaks all our rules. Located in the Fermanagh Lakelands on a private 250-hectare peninsula, Lough Erne blends heritage and modern extravagance. Lodges and turrets, featuring decadent trimmings and spectacular views, line the glassy waters of Castle Hume Lough. For golfers there are two championship courses. If swinging isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty to do. Sail across Lough Erne to little isles for a picnic among historic ruins then treat yourself to a massage at the resort’s Thai-inspired spa before an evening of farm-to-table fine dining at Catalina Restaurant.
Get your motor running in one of the themed rooms at this ode to the engine, V8 Hotel. Located in the heart of Motorworld, where there’s a museum, flight simulator, indoor theme park, restaurants, a brewery and outlet shopping mall, this former airport hotel has smart suites with artwork bearing an automotive scene. It’s the beds set up between car wash brushes or kitted out like a roadside camp on Route 66, however, that really rev the beating of our hearts. Top of the line is the Mercedes Suite with a car bonnet at the end of the bed and a sundeck overlooking the countryside.
We’re all up for a bit of urban redevelopment and this is one of the best examples happening anywhere in the world at the moment. The 22 storeys of the Toren Overhoeks are undergoing a complete overhaul with a musical edge to become A’DAM Tower. Here, you’ll find music schools, nightclubs and a number of restaurants, including Moon, which revolves to offer 360-degree views of the city. Be close to all this action at Sir Adam, which opened in late 2016. Not surprisingly, there’s a music theme to its low-key luxe rooms, with Crosley turntables, vinyl records, original artwork and mirrors etched with lyrics. The huge windows are also decked out with benches so you can look out over the city while listening to some fresh beats.
Ever fancied sleeping in an ice cave? Sweden’s Icehotel has to be one of the globe’s most wildly dreamy buildings, constructed from scratch every year entirely out of ice and snow deep in the Arctic Circle. Each year artists from all over the world come together in the village of Jukkasjärvi, next to the Torne River, to take part in creating designs out of snow, ice and the magical light. You’ll tuck in for the night atop a bed frame expertly carved from ice and under a snug reindeer hide, naturally.
Not only can you stay in this beautiful sub-zero structure, but you can also learn the art of ice sculpting too. If that all sounds a little too much like hard work then perhaps retire to the Icebar instead for a cocktail served up in a chiselled ice glass.
And if you can’t visit during Europe’s winter, then fear not – you can still have the Icehotel experience. As of December last year the new Icehotel 365 opened earning the property the grand claim to fame of world’s first permanent ice and snow hotel.
When we first went to Italy’s capital as teenage backpackers, we stayed in spare rooms in a nun’s quarters. Not exactly party central. You canunderstand, then, our excitement arriving at this treasure. Around the corner from Piazza Navona and with five-star features, G-Rough is anything but. Within the raw concrete walls of each of its 10 suites, set in a building from the 1600s, are pieces of furniture by famed Italian designers including Giò Ponti. The wine bar is a much more luxe space, but its best-kept secret is the tiny roof terrace. Wait until the sun is dropping from the sky and head up here with an Aperol spritz to watch the sky, with its horizon of tiled roofs and cathedral domes, turn golden.
It’s time to add ‘stay the night on a crane’ to your bucket list, just so you can tick it off here. Perched beside the Wadden Sea, the crane, which was built in 1967 and unloaded timber until 1996, offers 360-degree views of historic Harlingen from its retreat for two in the machine room. Head up a set of stairs and you’re in the cabin. Here, you can tentatively swing from left to right like you’ve always seen but never done. If you can pull yourself away from your real-life Tonka truck, head down the lift to the ground and explore the beautiful ports and Harlingen lighthouse.
You already know Berlin is one of the coolest cities in Europe – if not the world. With its creative culture, gritty bars and high-octane nightlife, the place has urban style sorted. The new 58-room Hotel Provocateur – a Design Hotel – has been shaking things up since its opening in February 2017. Forget the industrial look that’s swept through the design scene lately and enter a world of burlesque that channels the glamour of 1920s Paris. Once your eyes adjust to the light you’ll spot glimmering chandeliers, shadowy corners perfect for whispering sweet nothings, blood red, onyx and gold furnishings, and fabrics begging for your touch. Don’t forget to visit the restaurant run by star chef Duc Ngo, because playing temptress is ravenous work.
Dating back to 1198, the Brazen Head is reputed to be Dublin’s oldest pub and one of the best for live tunes. Kick back next to a flaming open fire, with a pint of Guinness and tuck into one of the hearty meals in any of the pub’s three rooms.
During the warmer months you can soak it all up in the cobbled-stoned beer garden, or you can always huddle up under a gas heater and muse over the locals who used to haunt here. Rumour has it that this is where the Irish rebel Robert Emmet planned his uprising.
The Brazen Head has an extensive collection of Irish whiskies, Guinness, gins and vodkas from around the world, as well as a selection of wines, and a fully stocked bar. There’s traditional Irish music to warm the cockles of your heart and a fine selection of trad Irish food on offer. Try the Irish stew, bangers and mash or if you really want authentic Irish fare go for the Clonakilty Black Pudding Salad.
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