Raft houses, known as ‘splavs’, became synonymous with the hedonistic nightclub scene in Serbia’s capital. Now they are being cleared from the river to make way for luxury flats, bars and shops For 20 years, the raft bar Zappa Barka sat on a bend of the River Danube in central Belgrade. Revellers walked a gangplank…
Share details of accommodation near a main railway station in Europe including the UK – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break When you’re exploring Europe (including the UK) by train, finding a lovely place to stay near the station in the cities on route can really enhance your trip. We’d love to…
Reliable, accessible, great value and packed with activities – Sam Haddad shares why she keeps returning to the French Alps year after year with her husband and sons The questions usually start towards the end of summer. “Can we go skiing again next year? Please?” And before I have a chance to answer: “Which resort…
With long and reliable snow seasons, loads of space, stunning scenery and plenty of family-friendly activities, Norway and Sweden are seriously underrated ski destinations – but here are seven reasons to put them top of the list for your next snow holiday When you’re planning your next ski adventure, look north to Norway and Sweden….
Do you live to zoom down black runs, or is it the thought of wine and fondue at the end of a day on the slopes that sets your heart racing? Take the quiz and find the ski destination of your dreams With summer now behind us, it’s time to look forward to your next…
From picture-perfect sunrises, to skiing under the stars, Norway is blessed with some of the world’s best snow and most scenic winter landscapes Continue reading…
The Urdaibai Bird Center, near Bilbao, is a haven for migrating ospreys and herons, but the city’s famous museum is ruffling its feathers The Urdaibai Bird Center has been cutely styled like an international airport terminal, with multilingual boards marked Arrivals and Departures, and a raised observation platform resembling an air traffic control tower. Through…
Food, fertiliser, fuel … seaweed has been a life force for centuries. On a coastal foraging trip in Pembrokeshire, we discover it’s now behind a new green initiative, too I am lying in a hot bath filled with seaweed. After a week learning about the stuff, collecting it, drying it, eating it, feeling it slippery…
Second cities can be more welcoming and fun than capitals, perhaps nowhere more so than Porto, with its less manicured charm If you walk along the south banks of the Douro River in Vila Nova de Gaia, opposite Porto city, towards the sea, the scene will be classic Portugal for a while: a lot of…
The author of the Istanbul-set Inspector Ikmen novels takes a trip into the Old City’s thrilling and turbulent past It is a cold, autumnal wee hour of the morning in Istanbul and I am sipping a sweet, orchid-root-flavoured drink called sahlep and smoking a water pipe. I’m lurking outside a nargile (hookah pipe) joint on…
