Nice Old Town is a characterful district in the south of the city. It forms a triangle, hemmed in by the port to the east and Castle Hill to the west, where the Promenade des Anglais runs out. The glittering water of the Mediterranean lines its southern edge. To the north is the Promenade du Paillon. Once, this was a river, but a series of floods led successive city governments to order that it should be covered up. Today, it’s a beautiful park.
Tightly packed tenements line the narrow streets. Their ground floors are full of shops, restaurants, bars, museums and galleries. Above are residential apartments adorned with wrought iron balconies and brightly painted wooden shutters. You could argue that those living in the Vieille Ville, as it’s known, boast the best address in Nice. With neighbourhoods as charming as this, it certainly isn’t hard to see why many refer to the city as Nice La Belle (Nissa La Bella according to the local Niçois) – ‘Nice the Beautiful’.
The Baroque gardens of the Belvedere rank among the most beautiful in the world. The main garden is situated between the Lower and the Upper Belvedere and extends over three large terraces.
Video timeline: 0:00 Belvedere Gardens 5:10 Upper Belvedere 11:35 Prinz Eugen Straße 14:05 Upper Belvedere 17:40 Belvedere Gardens 35:30 Privy Garden 36:30 Lower Belvedere 41:45 Rennweg 43:05 Lower Belvedere
The design, by Dominique Girard, garden architect of the Elector of Bavaria, showcases all the essential elements of Baroque garden architecture: symmetrical flower parterres, water basins, tiers and steps, trimmed hedges, and more. On the south side of the Upper Belvedere, the reflection pond offers a sophisticated visual: the mirroring effect creates a visible duplication of the monumental palace façade.
Cannes, a resort town on the French Riviera, is famed for its international film festival. Its Boulevard de la Croisette, curving along the coast, is lined with sandy beaches, upmarket boutiques and palatial hotels. It’s also home to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, a modern building complete with red carpet and Allée des Étoiles – Cannes’ walk of fame.
Carinthia is a southern Austrian region in the eastern Alps that encompasses Austria’s highest mountain, Grossglockner. It’s characterized by alpine lakes and mountains, as well as medieval buildings such as Hochosterwitz Castle. The region’s capital of Klagenfurt sits on the shores of huge Lake Wörthersee, surrounded by vineyards. Its central Alter Platz (Old Square) has many Renaissance buildings.
Bruges, the capital of West Flanders in northwest Belgium, is distinguished by its canals, cobbled streets and medieval buildings. Its port, Zeebrugge, is an important center for fishing and European trade. In the city center’s Burg square, the 14th-century Stadhuis (City Hall) has an ornate carved ceiling. Nearby, Markt square features a 13th-century belfry with a 47-bell carillon and 83m tower with panoramic views.
The canals have for centuries been the veins of the city, winding through Bruges and treating you to another magnificent view around every bend. Take a stroll or a boat trip and discover secret gardens, romantic bridges and medieval facades reflected in the water. Veiled in mist, a family of swans floating past: time stands still on the canals.
Bavaria is the German state most popular among tourists. No wonder. Here you can find fairytale castles like Neuschwanstein, huge mountains, clear lakes, baroque churches, and timber-framed villages. Plus… fantastic beer! We will show you what you shouldn’t miss in Bavaria: the three most popular regions and the three most visited Bavarian cities and their highlights. Spoiler alert! Munich is one of them. But what are the other two cities in the ranking?
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is one of the hottest places on Earth, along with deserts in the Middle East and the Sahara.
Keen runners seeking more inspirational landscapes can join a new tour by CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures to discover the wild beauty of the Bugaboos in the heart of the Canadian wilderness. Soar over verdant forest trails, rugged mountain tops and granite spires in a helicopter before being dropped on a summit. Runners will revel in the sunny skies, breathtaking panoramas and plenty of breaks, often in crystal-clear glaciated lakes. The day ends back at base camp, a spacious fly-in backcountry luxury lodge where guests can relax with a massage, sauna or a soak in a hot tub.
Where to stay: CMH Bugaboos log-hewn lodge at the base of Bugaboo Glacier offers gourmet dining, swimming and a rooftop hot tub. From $3,025 (£1,926) for three nights/four days including meals, helicopter flights, guide, equipment and local transfers.
2. Heli-biking in New Zealand
Cycle far from the crowds in the Wanaka region past glaciers and lakes on gentle high-country trails and tricky single tracks that combine easy free-wheeling with adrenaline pumping fun. For seasoned cyclists, the four-hour Mount Burke trail is the holy grail of mountain bike trips with riders ferried to the top by chopper to avoid the uphill grind. Soak up the scenery at 4,593ft before braving the epic downhill descent through scenic valleys and farmland to the glassy waters of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea for a gourmet picnic.
Where to stay: Minaret Station, an off-grid lavish four-chalet lodge accessible by only helicopter or boat, located at 7,000ft with a valley to one side and Lake Wanaka to the other. Five nights from £5,250pp, including four nights’ full-board at Minaret Station with return helicopter transfers, excluding international flights, with Black Tomato.
Preparing to go heli-biking in New Zealand.
PHOTOGRAPH BY FREDRIK LARSSON
3. Glacier hiking in France
Head to Saint Martin de Belleville to traverse the Glacier de Chavière and conquer not one, but three cols, or mountain paths, at altitudes of around 10,000ft. Set off at dawn, after learning how to use an ice axe and crampons, to begin an energetic climb attached by a rope to an expert guide. Enjoy incredible views of snow-covered ridges, steep couloirs and rock towers, but take care where you place your feet as some narrow paths come dangerously close to crevices with sheer drops. After reaching the three cols — Col de Thorens, Col Pierre Lory and Col du Bouchet — return to Val Thorens in the early afternoon for a leisurely lunch.
Where to stay: The renovated four-star Hotel Lodji at the base of Saint Martin with cosy bar, restaurant, sunny terrace and spa. Rooms from €150 (£129) a night.
Lake Annecy (French: Lac d’Annecy) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy’s outflow river.
It is the third-largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget and Lac de Grand-Lieu, if the French part of Lake Geneva, which is shared between Switzerland and France, is excluded. It is known as “Europe’s cleanest lake” because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s. It is a popular tourist destination known for its swimming and water sports.
The lake was formed about 18,000 years ago, at the time the large alpine glaciers melted. It is fed by many small rivers from the surrounding mountains (Ire, Eau morte, Laudon, Bornette and Biolon) and a powerful underwater source, the Boubioz, at a 82-metre depth (269 ft).
Trosa, a small town by the Baltic sea that sleeps through the winter. During summer the whole town suddenly wakes up and becomes a bustling meeting point. People arrive in masses; city dwellers come looking for some peace and quiet in their summer cabins in the area, and foreigners visiting the town on their vacation to Sweden.
With the nickname “Världens ände”, translated from Swedish to mean the world’s end, this charming coastal town attracts visitors of the more unknown kind as well as the cultural elite. Don’t be surprised if you run into the Swedish prince Carl Philip or one of the guys from ABBA in the queue at the grocery store. Word has it that they are all very sympathetic people.
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