Advice

From watching millennial silk weavers at work on 19th-century Jacquard looms in hilltop Croix-Rousse to admiring Renaissance art and architecture at the city’s Musée des Beaux-Arts, tasting Côtes du Rhône vintages with a sommelier or learning how to craft some of the city’s finest culinary dishes, exploring Lyon is all about living your very best,

With predictions suggesting a dire lack of sun this summer comes the perennial problem of what to do with the children when the weather turns bad. If the forecast does forfeit adventures in the great outdoors, it’s worth checking out some of the best indoor attractions around the country. From discovering the tricks of the

All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating. Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review. Golfers looking for a break this summer will

All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating. Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review. In Porto they work, in Braga they pray,

Lyon is a born-and-bred gourmand and deciding where to dine in the city that has been lorded as France’s gastronomic capital for decades can be challenging. Be it earthy street market or food truck, on-trend millennial neo-bistro or Michelin-starred haute-cuisine restaurant, the choice is rich. All budgets are well catered for too – most restaurants

While drinking in this gourmet city remains firmly rooted in the surrounding Rhône Valley’s ancient wine-growing heritage, new-gen addresses have embraced world cocktail culture in style, using Lyon’s long-envied gastronomic know-how and rich bounty of local seasonal produce to create some sensational new drinks and food pairings as only the French can. Come the warmer

You might not have Salzburg down as an all-night raver – and you’d be right – but there’s still plenty happening when the sun dips behind those mountains. Evenings move to a chilled beat in summer: spent with cold brews quaffed in chestnut tree-shaded Biergarten, or gazing out across the Altstadt’s domes and spires from

If you had to dream up the perfect city, Salzburg might well be it, with its stately baroque centre, pop-up medieval fortress and insanely beautiful Alpine backdrop. Legends? You bet. This is where Mozart was born and rose to fame as a violin-playing prodigy, and where the prince-archbishops gave flight to lavish fantasies in palaces

Mozart on one corner, Maria on the next – Salzburg’s two biggest exports have made a massive mark on this city, whether you’re into high culture or Hollywood. And Salzburg offers plenty of high notes in terms of sights and setting, with baroque finery, a fortress of your wildest childhood dreams, fountain-splashed parks and a

While you’ll find schnitzel with noodles and crisp apple strudel on many a traditional tavern menu, there’s more to this city’s increasingly exciting food scene than that. Salzburg is now making impressive strides on the culinary front, with chefs championing regional sourcing and serving season-driven dishes with finesse. Now you can breeze with ease from

Matera, Italy Fifty years ago, Matera was one of the poorest towns in western Europe, with some 20,000 people crammed into the sassi, a honeycomb of ancient and cave dwellings hidden in the ravine below the town. They were cleared in the Sixties and until recently had remained derelict. Now, some 2,000 people have returned,

All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating. Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review. Mauritius is heaven for active families. This pocket-sized

Croatia offers more than 1,100 miles of meandering mainland coast backed by rugged limestone mountains, along with hundreds of scattered islands and islets, of which 47 are inhabited. It is also dotted with historic and beautifully preserved harbour towns, relics of the four centuries between 1420 and 1797 when it was occupied by the Venetians. This

Southwold Erected in 1900, Southwold Pier was originally 810 feet long, but by the Eighties – after being battered by fierce storms and Second World War sea mines – a mere 60 feet remained. Rebuilding work took place between 1999 and 2001, extending it to a more impressive 623 feet, and thanks to its forward-thinking owners,

My first eye-opening insight into this enthralling region was as a teenager, when I hopped on a ferry from Corfu to Sarandë – on Albania’s Riviera – set on the dazzling Ionian Sea. I was captivated by its beaches, which could easily rival Greece or the Bahamas. Backed by magnificent mountains and gently lapped by

All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating. Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review. The Cotswolds is arcadian England. Centuries of interplay

Our selection of favourites includes where to find the best handicrafts, antiques and local produce. For further inspiration for the perfect break in the Cotswolds, see our guide to the region’s best hotels, restaurants, pubs, afternoon teas, and things to do. Find places to shop by area North Cotswolds Mid Cotswolds South Cotswolds North Cotswolds On the northern Cotswold fringes, Chipping Campden

Having it all is most definitely a good thing but it can also be a somewhat overwhelming – where to start? London has so much to offer, for all tastes, budgets and cultural persuasions. There is proper (grisly) history, statement buildings old and new, and world-class museums housed in jaw-dropping architecture. There are wonderful parks

The UK can be as wondrous a destination as anywhere else – and if you are thinking of keeping it British in the coming months, you will find plentiful options to ease your wanderlust. In fact, you don’t even have to abandon the continental holiday you were dreaming of in dreary January. Sort of. With

Barcelona is an architectural and cultural hub studded with brooding cathedrals, myriad museums, stadiums and magnificent Gaudí creations. Below our expert shares her recommendations on the best things to do, from marvelling at Modernista buildings to exploring the Hansel and Gretel-inspired Park Güell. For further Barcelona inspiration, see our in-depth guides to the city’s best hotels,