While there are few sights more kitsch than seeing a grown man in lederhosen belt out some tunes, there are few cooler than the hipsters who populate the streets of Berlin.
The madder-than-mad Love Parade may have grown too big for its boots, but electronic music has long had a home in Germany, meaning the country has its share of rocking clubs and pumping festivals.
As an antidote to the debauchery take stock of the many remnants of the past: in Bavaria explore castles, including the country’s most famous, Neuschwanstein, built by Ludwig II as an homage to Wagner; take a harbour tour to get the best outlook on the historic port of Hamburg; and check out one of the most impressive architectural achievements from the Middle Ages, the Cologne Cathedral, set on the Rhine. Along the way, you’ll be tempted to down pilsners and wurst by the bucketload, but don’t worry: there’s the opportunity to detox on a walk through the Black Forest or swishing down the slopes in the Fichtelgebirge.
It appears so often in the movies, is referenced in thousands of fashion mags, is revered on the art scene and its cuisine has become so influential, it’s hard to believe there’s much about France we don’t know about before we go. Au contraire!
Despite the stereotype of the snooty Parisian you want to bash with a baguette, France is a destination steeped in history, beauty, art, architecture, music and design. After all so many famous people have lived, died and drunk in Paris, it must be cool. Then there are the North African influences in areas like Goutte-d’Or that mix it up, making these parts of the city colourful, a different kind of tasty and great-sounding (their drumbeats).
As well as sashaying on the Riviera in the south, cycling through the vineyards and villages of Bordeaux or checking out chateaus in the Loire Valley, don’t neglect the quintessential French experience: hanging out and drinking too much wine and eating too much cheese in any or all of these places.
Are you a metalhead with a taste for the wild? Then pack your Doc Martens and pocketknife, and hop on a boat to Finland. This Nordic country, bordered by Sweden, Norway and Russia, embraces quirky culture and natural living. Eccentric events like the Wife Carrying World Championships and the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships are hugely popular, as are heavy metal music and the computer-gaming scene – the Finns even invented Angry Birds.
But Finland’s most exciting attractions lie outside of Helsinki. In the far north a summer’s day can last two months and it’s when Finns take to the wilderness for a spot of cottage living. So pull together a picnic, jump on a kayak and take your feast and to one of the country’s 70,000 islands before camping out in an abandoned lighthouse.
When winter hits Finland it can last for seven months. Thankfully, the rural Finns can navigate the snow with their husky-drawn sleighs and the bright lights of the aurora borealis. Do as they do and forget your winter blues by plunging naked into a hole in the ice and digging into some moose meatballs.
We could start off with pints, pies, mushy peas and limited sunshine, but there’s far more to England than these age-old stereotypes. That London is often the first port of call for all types of travellers – from straight-out-of-school teens to cashed-up baby boomers and everyone in between – speaks volumes. With a little ingenuity (a wallet full of cash does make it all a lot easier), you can find and do just about anything here, from watching riveting theatre at Shakespeare’s Globe to lining up with the hordes to wander through the overblown decor of Buckingham Palace. Really, though, a couple of days here should be more than enough – those pints are expensive and the Tube is enough to make even the most committed traveller question the meaning of life.
Instead, get out of town. The Scilly Isles in the far southwest captures a way of life most of us thought disappeared many years ago (residents still leave their doors unlocked). The Peak District, with its rolling hills and jagged escarpments, is as beautiful as any mountain scenery. In the Yorkshire Dales, hop from one village to the next and discover these tiny towns are all they’re cracked up to be on the postcards.
Brighton is a notable party town, but opt for the scene in Bristol instead. Revisit the rave in its spiritual home of Manchester, or grab a board and head south. If you’re a master on the waves, head to St Agnes or Praa Sands; beginners might want to try Gwithian or Harlyn Bay.
Summer sees the festival season kick off and, if getting drunk in a paddock sounds like your jam, you can catch the best bands going around as they hop from one spot to the next on a never-ending circuit. Oh, we hear there’s a bit of history and architecture going around, too…
There’s a reason Prague is one of Europe’s most-visited cities. Its cobbled streets lined with centuries of history are just the ticket for hours of unruffled roaming peppered with stops at hidden churches and parks and bars serving local beer (according to some, the world’s best). Not to be missed is the fourteenth-century Charles Bridge – although in the summer it can be overrun with visitors from around the world.
The charming capital shouldn’t be the only destination on an itinerary of the Czech Republic, though. Just beyond Prague is Central Bohemia, with forests, valleys and castles to inspire. Drop by Konopiste Chateau, a player in some significant moments in modern history – it was Franz Ferdinand’s residence before he was assassinated, and the SS headquarters during World War II. Alternatively, wander through the mazes at Loucen Chateau.
At Olomouc, in the country’s east, paddle along the Morava River for some superb views. Take a riding lesson at Kladruby Stud Farm, near Pardubice, the oldest breeding farm in the world. When the weather gets colder, strap on some skates in Lipno and take on the longest skating track on earth. The ski resort here has downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as snow park for the boarders.
If time isn’t on your side, there’s one other must-do spot nearby: Cesky Krumlov. This enchanting city, with a spectacular castle overseeing all that happens within it, feels a bit like Prague in miniature. Again, it’s best avoided in high summer when visitors come not only from other parts of Europe and around the world, but also from Prague, although a visit during warmer weather ensures you’ll be able to partake in the time-honoured traveller tradition of floating down the Vltava River. Some people do it in canoes or on rafts, others borrow an inner tube. Just make sure you get it done.
Now well recovered from its wars of independence, Croatia is Europe’s très chic holidaying hotspot and has been for a while now. Its mix of medieval villages, coastal and island getaways, and rugged mountainous interior is matched by cheap prices, great beer and decent nosh.
Sail along the coastline from island to island (all 1185 of them), beach to beach (countless, but most not that sandy), or trek high into the Dinaric ranges where views back over the Adriatic are astounding. There are plenty of traditional celebrations going on with costumes, dancing and music from the archives of the nation’s tumultuous but proud history. But you’ll also be surprised at the sophistication of the Croatian urbanites; their bars and nightlife are some of Europe’s best and the cafe life alive with intelligentsia deep in debate over their espressos.
It seems pointless forking out a fortune for a night on a motionless ship. Not so with the Noorderlicht. From spring to autumn this 100-year-old Norwegian schooner sails the world, but in winter she returns to the fjords of Svalbard, north of the Arctic Circle, and the embrace of enclosing ice.
With Temple Mountain as a backdrop, the Ship in the Ice offers travellers a taste of life as a polar pioneer, without forgoing modern comforts like electricity, hot water and a bar. You will need them after your epic adventure to get here. From Longyearbyen, the northernmost town in the world, it’s a 60-kilometre slog on a snowmobile or dogsled through a wonderland of fjords and mountains in –30°C, plus wind chill. When you arrive, the Dutch couple living on board will welcome you into one of 10 cosy cabins, fill your belly with a three-course meal and bring you up to date on sightings of the King of the Arctic, the famed polar bear.
It looks like a discarded piece of space junk marooned beneath the face of Grandes Jorasses in the Italian Alps, but this funky fibreglass capsule overhanging the Mont Blanc mountain range is possibly the world’s coolest climbers’ shelter. A night at the futuristic Bivacco Gervasutti costs just 10 euros, but promises million-euro views of the Freboudze glacier. Trust us, if you make it here you’ve earned them.
The 30-square-metre pod replaced an old wooden hut in 2011 and was built in the Italian town of Torino before being choppered into place at 2835 metres. Just as impressive as the location are the capsule’s high-tech specs; a CO2 censor and extractor, bio-toilet, computer and wi-fi facilities fit snuggly inside, along with lights and hot plates charged by a solar panel.
You’ve heard of ice hotels, frozen bars and frosted restaurants, but Finland’s Arctic Snow Hotel says a little prayer to the winter gods with its very own ice chapel. Before hitting the hay – a frozen slab covered in furs – unwind in the hot tub then take a turn in the snow sauna. The melting walls fill the room with soothing steam, but overstay the 15-minute limit and you’ll defrost a puddle of trouble.
Turn on the aurora alarm when you get to your room and sleep soundly knowing you won’t miss any night-sky action. If an evening on ice isn’t your jam, book one of the hotel’s new Arctic Glass Igloos and watch the northern lights snake through the sky from the comfort of your bed.
Way up in the mountains the words Aqua Dome must mean relaxation with a view, because that’s exactly what’s on offer here, near Oberlängengeld in the Austrian state of Tirol. This wellness hotel and thermal spa is brimming with saunas (there’s one with hay, and another in a loft), hot pools, a steam cathedral, saltwater grotto, herbal bath and indulgent pampering possibilities back at the spa, making it more than just a spot to catch some Zs after a long day on the slopes.
Take a dip under the cascading indoor waterfall before venturing through the canals leading to the bowl-shaped pools outside. Teetering on stilts up to 12 metres high, the pools appear suspended in the air, like a spaceship levitating through the Alps. Who would have thought floating in futuristic bowls could be so relaxing?
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