There are vast tracts of central Europe where the only city architecture you see is post-war. Torun is one of the few cities in Poland where you can see medieval architecture so good it is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town that bears the UNESCO status was a trading town, giving a remarkable town hall to the area. There’s also the ruins of a 13th-century … [Read more...]
Christmas has come early for the city of Cairo after snow fell on Egypt's capital for the first time in over a century. The Middle East has been hit with a fierce weather system which has seen the normally tropical countries such as Egypt, Israel and Syria covered in a light blanket of snow. The white flurry started settling in Cairo's suburbs on Friday to the … [Read more...]
Despite the best efforts of property developers all over the country, weatherboarded New England-style properties just don’t quite look right in the damp old UK. Well, we think we’ve found the exception that proves the rule: The Tide House in St Ives. It was once St Ives’ oldest hotel, dating from 1540, but has now been updated to a cute little romantic getaway spot. We’re … [Read more...]
To an outsider, the troubles in the Balkans are rapidly approaching that 20-year mark that makes serious historical events feel like they’re vanishing in the rear view window of history. Give yourself a reminder of what happened by visiting the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum, constructed in a house over the top of the tunnel. During the siege of Sarajevo in 1993, Bosnians who held … [Read more...]
Atmospheric phenomenons don’t sound dramatic, so we’re tempted to rename Catatumbo’s lightning as a screensaver phenomenon. They happen over Lake Maracaibo, near Venezuela’s border with Colombia, at alarming regularity: almost 200 days of the year, 10 hours a day, and up to 280 times an hour. The pink, white, blue and purple colours are, incredibly, silent - the lightning is … [Read more...]
While Britain has spectacularly failed to shift up the season gear from autumn to winter, the massive forests of Thuringia in central eastern Germany provide a beautiful way to get into the wintry spirit (or toilet cleaner label spirit, depending on your disposition). The pine and beech trees are vast and dense, and the 1200-year-old Wartburg castle helps to complete the … [Read more...]
Walking holidays and Japan aren’t the most obvious of bedfellows, until you consider Kiso Valley. A 70km trade route, the Kisoji, ran the valley on the western side of the Japanese Alps - part of a longer 500km route developed in 1600, if you have particularly itchy feet. You won’t be the first to walk the route: shogun rules mean that there are post towns all along the … [Read more...]
We’ve already rounded up five of the best UK places to stay at treehouse/yurt/tent AirBnB-alike Canopy and Stars, but they also have loads of sites across Portugal, Spain and France. We’ve picked out five of the most interesting ones we’ve not been to – but hope to get to soon… Enter a castle treehouse near Bergerac Not one but three different treehouses that look ready … [Read more...]
Independent travellers looking to make the most of a visit Bhutan have been given a boost after Rickshaw Travel launched new range of trips to the Himalayan country. The new range or trips available cover the vertigo-defying Taktsang monastery, the Punaka Dzong, and a two-day trip to the Haa Valley, which is accessed only via a 4,000m pass. Rickshaw Travel has designed … [Read more...]
Comet Ison may have hit the headlines with its close encounter with the sun but it isn't the only heavenly body you can spot this winter. With auroras, meteor showers, planets and galaxies whirring overhead, Tim Clark headed to the Galloway Astronomy Centre to delve into deep space... The knock on the door is so muted it seems almost embarrassed to break the silence. Being … [Read more...]