From the John Bunyan trail to Silbury Hill, these short “pilgrimages” offer a chance to soak up myths and legends Start Housesteads Fort Finish Brocolita Roman TempleDistance 4¼ miles (use regular AD122 bus to shorten, if needed)Those who walk the whole 84 miles of Hadrian’s Wall in a week may refer to it as a…
You don’t need to do a multi-day hike to benefit from the healing powers of pilgrimage – this 14-mile route in Cornwall proves just as magical It’s dawn when we step off the train at Lelant, a village tucked into a bay near St Ives. The early morning light is still intensifying as the distinctive, repetitive shrill of…
From a hike under huge Suffolk skies to aspen glades in the Cairngorms, our tipsters lead the way on these spring strolls Two of the great prologues of literature begin on the same seeping bank in the village of Slad. Start the circular Laurie Lee walk from where the infant was dropped from a cart…
The scenery – and delicacies – get better and better for our slow travel expert as she takes a local train through Canton Fribourg to a beautiful medieval village It was a handpainted sign on a wooden barn that piqued my interest in Gruyères. I was travelling from Emmental to Montreux last year, following the…
A book club in a disused petrol station, an electronic music hub in an old bus garage … Yorkshire’s largest city is a hotbed of grassroots creativity ‘Leeds has an independent, thriving arts scene,” says Emma Beverley, the director of programmes at last year’s cultural showcase, Leeds 2023. “A lot of that is grounded in…
A group of seven Moorish villages in southern Spain are the perfect place to recharge – offering mountain air, sparkling springs and any excuse for a party On our first morning in Atalbéitar, I walk into the kitchen to make coffee and wonder if I’m feeling the effects of the previous night’s festivities. Then I…
Tell us about your favourite outdoorsy summer break in Scandinavia. The best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break We’re all familiar with the Scandinavian concept of hygge, which is all about hunkering down and staying cosy in winter. So it will come as no surprise to learn that the Scandis have also got it…
From Monet to Degas, the luminosity of Paris has inspired countless artists. As the city celebrates 150 years of impressionism it’s still shining bright Paris is called the City of Light, possibly because of its early adoption of gas street lighting. But that would not explain why, as I approach Gare du Nord on Eurostar…
A hillside eco-retreat makes a great base for connecting with nature and exploring the coast and mountains around Paphos ‘This whole project started as an experiment,” says Pawel Sidorski, who swapped his life in the European hotel industry to pursue his vision of sustainable luxury, opening Yurts in Cyprus, near Paphos in west Cyprus, in…
After a lifetime exploring the country’s cities, coast and countryside, our France expert chooses her personal highlightsMy favourite places to eat in France When you can gaze on the salt pans of Guérande, near Nantes, cycle through lavender fields in Drôme, in the south-east, and bask in the splendour of the Cirque de Gavarnie in…