Tag Archives: readers

Renaissance beauty, Zamość The relative remoteness of Zamość, a south-eastern town (only a few buses and trains each day from Lublin), makes the surprise of emerging onto its extraordinary Rynek square even more delightful. Set on an important trading route, with ornate Armenian merchant houses painted yellow, red and blue, …

Kingsand, Cornwall Rame peninsula. Tiny beach, endless sea. There’s a seafront pub right there in Kingsand, the Devonport, just up the steps, serving delicious food – or you can just sit outside and look at the sunset. We went to Kingsand for our very first holiday together, my then-lover and …

Fly with an angel, Basilicata Visiting Castelmezzano, a town perched against the backdrop of the Dolomiti Lucane, was an accident during my recent southern Italy road trip. This stunning place is worth the detour from the main road cutting through Basilicata, and it comes paired with another beauty on the …

Seclusion and stargazing, Carmarthenshire Secluded, serene and unspoilt, Dark Skies Camping, near Llandovery, offers camping without the crowds. With just 10 pitches (from £40 a night for two) set within 12 hectares of meadows, which run alongside a mountain stream, this is the perfect spot to unwind and get back …

Winning tip: Ideal island retreat, Gulf of Corinth Trizonia, in the Gulf of Corinth is a small island visited mainly by Greek families and “yachties”. We spent time there while sailing round the Med, from our home on the Isle of Skye. Filled with olive groves and wildflowers, Trizonia is …

Winning tip: Hill-top highs, Andalucía The main challenge faced in Vejer de la Frontera, south of Cádiz, is reaching your accommodation. It’s at the summit of an imperious hill, and the winding streets designed for horse and cart require pedestrians to press themselves against whitewashed houses when the occasional car …

Winning tip: sax and the city, Dinant, Belgium Dinant is defined by cliffs, hills and the mighty Meuse River. You could take a lazy funicular trip to the fortress, gawp at the stunning citadel or check out the kitsch saxophone paraphernalia at Maison de Monsieur Sax – the town was …

Winning tip: sculpture, scrap and stories in Glasgow The Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre, actually a gallery, is a wonderful stroll through beautiful madness. Just minutes from Buchanan Street in Glasgow, this storyland is filled with mechanical figures made from wood and metal and all sorts of scrap, arranged in two different …

Ancient woodlands in west Kent Deep in the ancient woodlands at Hever Castle and Gardens, you smell the wild garlic before you see the pretty white flowers grouped beneath trees with fresh lime-coloured fringes signalling their new spring growth. Rare telamonius plenus daffodils (from the 17th century) surprise you as …

Sleeper proved an eye-opener, Amsterdam to Vienna I recently took the sleeper train between Amsterdam and Vienna. On the way, I had a compartment to myself until the early hours when I was woken by a couple with a 10-month-old baby, who wanted to know if I would rooms so …