Five Luxury Sicilian Bolt-Holes

Saturday, 7 June 2008

Cycle south Austria

Sunday, 1 June 2008

A family holiday in Austria? It does sound like a sick joke in these darkened times. Austria is not one of Europe's more shouty destinations; a middling country in Mitteleuropa, it is a relatively undefined space on the holiday map between the newly trendy cities of the east and the well-trodden paths of tourist Italy. So when a shocker like the Amstetten story breaks, it all but obliterates our view of the country. But then, on a much brighter note, it is also the joint host of the Euro 2008 football tournament starting next Saturday, and the thousands of international visitors will go some way to rehabilitating it.

Hotel of the week: Chill out in this grown-up clubbers' haven

Sunday, 1 June 2008

Superclub Space opens its doors today in Ibiza, marking the start of the island's party season. And the chicest place to crash in peace is Los Jardines de Palerm. It's run by design-savvy couple Christophe Brihet and Cristina Schafer, who, over the past five years, have taken a run-down property and lovingly modernised the original 11 rooms and suites, and re-landscaped the grounds.

Complete Guide to Port Country

Saturday, 31 May 2008

Port Country: where is it?

Lucerne: Mountains of charm

Saturday, 31 May 2008

Zap: I hit the trigger, and a burst of red light sprayed out at the bar code. The display on the reader came to life, and told me the story of yet another item stored in what is certainly the most interesting warehouse you will ever see. As I read about the history of the strange-yet-familiar instrument on display (a mid-20th-century telephone), I concluded that Lucerne is the cultural hub of Europe.

Water music: The Lucerne Festival

Saturday, 31 May 2008

This year, Jean Nouvel, the man who designed Lucerne's stunning lakeside concert hall, won architecture's top award, the Pritzker Prize. Go to a concert at the Lucerne Festival, and you can see how this remarkable, and almost mischievous, architect has helped make concert-going in Lucerne such a special experience. Not only are the acoustics exemplary, but the lake actually flows into the foyer. Indeed, this is the only music venue in the world where a room is set aside for changes of clothing for over-enthusiastic sponsors who fall in at an after-show party.

24-Hour Room Service: Palace Luzern, Lucerne, Switzerland

Saturday, 31 May 2008

Breakfast at the Palace, the management believes, should be something to write home about: the floor and columns are marble, the chandeliers crystal and the service impeccable. But the interior is outshone by the view of the lake and its backdrop of mountains – still dusted with snow, even at this time of year – in this loveliest of Alpine cities.

Does Cyprus know where to draw the line?

Sunday, 25 May 2008

Since travel restrictions were eased in 2003, it has been possible to travel across the Green Line that slices Cyprus in two. A hop across this notorious border now involves no more than a stamp on a piece of paper, an act unimaginable for an entire generation of Cypriots who have lived in this divided society since 1974, when Turkey invaded the north in response to a Greek-backed military coup.

Hotel Of The Week: Le Couvent d'Hérépian, Hérépian

Sunday, 25 May 2008

Step through the doors of Le Couvent d'Hérépian and you'll find a bijou bolt-hole you can make your own in the leafy surroundings of the High Languedoc.

Zurich: Design central

Saturday, 24 May 2008

It all fell into place when the amuse-bouche arrived at the Dolder Grand Restaurant: a tiny scoop of foie gras ice-cream. Here in Zurich, old-world luxury cohabits effortlessly with cutting-edge thinking. And the newly reopened grande dame of Zurich hotels, the Dolder Grand, was demonstrating this with finesse.