Now well recovered from its wars of independence, Croatia is Europe’s très chic holidaying hotspot and has been for a while now. Its mix of medieval villages, coastal and island getaways, and rugged mountainous interior is matched by cheap prices, great beer and decent nosh.
Sail along the coastline from island to island (all 1185 of them), beach to beach (countless, but most not that sandy), or trek high into the Dinaric ranges where views back over the Adriatic are astounding. There are plenty of traditional celebrations going on with costumes, dancing and music from the archives of the nation’s tumultuous but proud history. But you’ll also be surprised at the sophistication of the Croatian urbanites; their bars and nightlife are some of Europe’s best and the cafe life alive with intelligentsia deep in debate over their espressos.
It seems pointless forking out a fortune for a night on a motionless ship. Not so with the Noorderlicht. From spring to autumn this 100-year-old Norwegian schooner sails the world, but in winter she returns to the fjords of Svalbard, north of the Arctic Circle, and the embrace of enclosing ice.
With Temple Mountain as a backdrop, the Ship in the Ice offers travellers a taste of life as a polar pioneer, without forgoing modern comforts like electricity, hot water and a bar. You will need them after your epic adventure to get here. From Longyearbyen, the northernmost town in the world, it’s a 60-kilometre slog on a snowmobile or dogsled through a wonderland of fjords and mountains in –30°C, plus wind chill. When you arrive, the Dutch couple living on board will welcome you into one of 10 cosy cabins, fill your belly with a three-course meal and bring you up to date on sightings of the King of the Arctic, the famed polar bear.
It looks like a discarded piece of space junk marooned beneath the face of Grandes Jorasses in the Italian Alps, but this funky fibreglass capsule overhanging the Mont Blanc mountain range is possibly the world’s coolest climbers’ shelter. A night at the futuristic Bivacco Gervasutti costs just 10 euros, but promises million-euro views of the Freboudze glacier. Trust us, if you make it here you’ve earned them.
The 30-square-metre pod replaced an old wooden hut in 2011 and was built in the Italian town of Torino before being choppered into place at 2835 metres. Just as impressive as the location are the capsule’s high-tech specs; a CO2 censor and extractor, bio-toilet, computer and wi-fi facilities fit snuggly inside, along with lights and hot plates charged by a solar panel.
You’ve heard of ice hotels, frozen bars and frosted restaurants, but Finland’s Arctic Snow Hotel says a little prayer to the winter gods with its very own ice chapel. Before hitting the hay – a frozen slab covered in furs – unwind in the hot tub then take a turn in the snow sauna. The melting walls fill the room with soothing steam, but overstay the 15-minute limit and you’ll defrost a puddle of trouble.
Turn on the aurora alarm when you get to your room and sleep soundly knowing you won’t miss any night-sky action. If an evening on ice isn’t your jam, book one of the hotel’s new Arctic Glass Igloos and watch the northern lights snake through the sky from the comfort of your bed.
Way up in the mountains the words Aqua Dome must mean relaxation with a view, because that’s exactly what’s on offer here, near Oberlängengeld in the Austrian state of Tirol. This wellness hotel and thermal spa is brimming with saunas (there’s one with hay, and another in a loft), hot pools, a steam cathedral, saltwater grotto, herbal bath and indulgent pampering possibilities back at the spa, making it more than just a spot to catch some Zs after a long day on the slopes.
Take a dip under the cascading indoor waterfall before venturing through the canals leading to the bowl-shaped pools outside. Teetering on stilts up to 12 metres high, the pools appear suspended in the air, like a spaceship levitating through the Alps. Who would have thought floating in futuristic bowls could be so relaxing?
Explore the two jewels in Russia’s imperial crown, and everything in between, as you ply the waterways of the tsars between Moscow and St Petersburg over nearly two weeks. Start in the capital by taking in Red Square and the former royal citadel, the Kremlin, which is now home to the president. Once you’ve seen the Moscow sights, pack your bags – you’re about to set sail along Europe’s longest river, the Volga, immersing yourself in Russia’s rich history along the way.
Admire the ancient architecture of the ‘Golden Ring of Cities’ – Uglich and Yaroslavl – and enjoy the journey’s grand finale with an evening at the ballet in St Petersburg.
Strap into a Soviet spacesuit, see how a g-force simulator operates and watch as astronauts test out zero gravity at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. You can even see a full-size, water-submerged copy of the MIR space station. Explore the training centre with a tour guide and watch as astronauts jog around – heck, you could maybe even join them. Once a highly restricted zone, the heart of the Russian space program is now open for tourists.
Travel to Norway’s northernmost archipelago, Svalbard, and sail on
the century-old German tall ship, the Noorderlicht. The Noorderlicht offers a 12-day voyage sailing in the high Arctic around North Spitsbergen, where polar bears outnumber humans. Marvel at spectacular fjords, ice-covered seas and Arctic glaciers, and enjoy an abundance of wildlife-spotting opportunities. See walruses beached on ice floes, reindeer, arctic foxes and, of course, polar bears.
Unwind from the slopes in a spa separated from the snow by a 15-metre sheet of glass. Tucked away in the forest near Norway’s fjords, glaciers and mountains, Juvet Landscape Hotel immerses guests in the beauty of Scandinavian nature with its eco-conscious design.
The hotel has a cabin, mill house and hillside huts, but best of all are the seven wooden retreats perched on stilts over the forest floor. Muted walls and furnishings give full attention to the pièce de résistance – a sweeping glass wall looking out over birch and pine growing by the Valldola River. In winter, enjoy cross-country skiing just outside your door and moonlit snowshoe treks through the surrounding forest. In spring snow still covers the mountains and you can ski in the sunshine wearing just a T-shirt and shorts.
It’s a winter wonderland year-round at Saas Fee. Squeezed between the glaciers of the Pennine Alps, this Swiss village is a guaranteed snowfest day in, day out. If you think you’re too cool for school, think again; there are several ski schools on the mountain teaching basic skills through to advanced moves. There’s even a freestyle skiing eld to pick up some new tricks.
Embark on a mountain trek, sail into the sky on the cableway for jaw-dropping 360-degree mountain views or take the world’s highest funicular railway to explore a glacier inside the planet’s largest ice grotto. Whatever you choose to do, remember the village is a car-free zone, so try to conserve some energy for your post-adventure stroll back to your hotel.
(
