Oh, it’s just an island covered in ice some people will tell you. Do not – we repeat, do not – believe them. Its national park alone, the largest in the world, is the nearly as big as France and Spain combined. It covers 18,000 kilometres of coastline, parts of the ice cap and the world’s northernmost area of land. Inuit cultures have lived here for thousands of years (and they’re the only people who now have regular access to the park) and polar bears, seals and other Arctic animals still do.
Head to the north of the country to experience the land of the midnight sun. Here, it’s possible to go dog sledding and explore giant icebergs calved from one of the world’s fastest flowing glaciers.
Nuuk might be Greenland’s capital but it still has the vibe of a far smaller destination (it’s home to only 17,000 people or so). It’s the kind of place where you can go whale watching, explore street art and try out backcountry skiing during the day, but chill out with the northern lights and taste Nordic flavours at restaurants like Sarfalik in the evening.
But for an adventure that looks hard to beat, experienced scuba divers can swim the frigid depths exploring shipwrecks and icebergs and meeting the strange creatures that call these very cold waters home.
There are the images of whitewashed houses and blue shutters overlooking emerald seas. Then there are the stories of masses of sunburned vacationers on package holidays looking for cheap lagers at night and a full English in the morning. Luckily, the former can be found in abundance and the latter mostly avoided.
While it may be prudent to avoid the peak (aka chokers) summer season from July to August, it is still possible to find idyllic enclaves replete with taverns serving fresh-from-the-ocean seafood and enough ouzo or retsina to leave you stumbling home. After all, there are 3500 islands dotting the Aegean Sea. Try Folegandros or Syros if you want to avoid the vast majority of summer holidaymakers. Out of season, head to Santorini and make sure you take in the iconic view of the sun setting over the caldera at Oia. Yes, everyone does it, but there’s a reason for that.
Don’t let the islands distract all of your attention, though: olive orchards, wineries, rural villages and mountainous terrain shouldn’t be neglected. Nor should the country’s history: head north to Thessaloniki, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, or gawp at the gravity-defying monasteries perched on natural sandstone pillars at Meteora. Then, of course, there’s Athens, with 4000 years of history. No doubt, its museums and sights like the magnificent Acropolis are top notch, but there’s also fun to be had in the city’s lively districts, like Gazi, with its street art, cool cafes, cinemas and music venues.
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.
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