California lawmakers have voted to shift a state forest system away from commercial logging and pave the way for tribal co-management, delivering a win to a movement rooted in the historic timber wars.
Managed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, the state’s 14 demonstration forests are currently required to produce and sell timber to show — or “demonstrate” — sustainable practices, while considering factors like recreation and wildlife.
AB 2494 eliminates what’s often cast as a logging mandate, instead prioritizing values such as carbon storage, wildfire resilience and biodiversity conservation. There could still be logging, but it would need to support those principles.
It also directs state officials to seek agreements with Native American tribes to integrate their traditional knowledge into managing the land. The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
“We don’t need more demonstrations of what clear cutting does to a forest — we have plenty of those,” said Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa), who authored the bill. If the forests are being used to show how to boost commercial logging gains, “then that is not how we want to use our public assets.”
At the center of the discussion is Jackson Demonstration State Forest, spanning nearly 50,000 acres in Mendocino County. For decades, loggers and environmentalists have clashed over the fate of its stately redwoods.
About five years ago, tensions reignited when community members caught wind of plans to cut towering trees near the coastal town of Caspar.
Tribes whose historic homelands fall within the forest became leading voices in the effort to halt logging, with the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ Priscilla Hunter emerging as a major force. She has since passed away but her legacy looms large in the movement.
While running for his assembly seat representing the North Coast, Rogers heard from constituents and local politicians who wanted to see the forest run differently. The bill grew in part out of those discussions.
Polly Girvin, Hunter’s former partner and a retired lawyer focused on Native American issues, called AB 2494’s passage by the Legislature “nearly miraculous.”
“We’re at a time right now where scientists are going to have to reach across the table to the Indian voice,” she said. “They feel they have a sacred obligation to manage their forest, not for commercial logging per se. So I think it’s really a meeting of science and the sacred.”
Some backers say the bill offers a new economic path forward for communities behind the so-called redwood curtain. With the decline of logging and cannabis as livelihoods, they see income from tourists attracted by ultramarathons, mushroom foraging and other outdoor activities as a financial savior.
But the push to reshape forest management is fiercely opposed by loggers and mill owners, who say their work is sustainable and provides blue-collar jobs in a region where they’ve dwindled. Already California imports most of its wood from Oregon, Washington and Canada.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has supported the bill, but it’s opposed by the Rural County Representatives of California, an advocacy group representing 40 counties.
Staci Heaton, senior policy advocate for the organization, said they’re concerned that the new management goals are so vague they would expose forest projects — including wildfire research — to costly lawsuits.
“We’ve experienced the majority of the largest wildfires across the state over the last decade, and it is paramount that research and forest management knowledge be fostered in these demonstration state forests so that it can be used statewide,” Heaton said.
Currently, money from logging — roughly $8.5 million a year — pays for management of the demonstration forests. Under the latest iteration of AB 2494, it will remain one source of funding but not the only one, Rogers said.
Cal Fire’s Kevin Conway believes that if the bill becomes law, it will, in practice, limit funding. So they’d likely look to bring in money by charging day-use and other new recreation fees.
Conway, who is the agency’s chief for resource protection and improvement, added that some aspects of their mission wouldn’t change; the land would remain “actively managed.” For instance, he called wood products “a big part of our climate strategy in the built environment” and suggested it would still be prudent to understand how they’re produced in California.
“We don’t think that just locking up your forest and making a tree museum longterm will deliver biodiversity, carbon, recreation — all these things,” he said. Cal Fire has not taken a position on the legislation.
Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.
It’s not easy to get to Rifugio Val di Togno, at 1,317 meters (4,320ft). The dirt road from the nearest town winds for 4 miles through 27 hairpins and is best done in a four-wheel drive, or it’s a solid two-hour hike from the tiny hamlet of Carnale. But as managers Luna Lybeer and Wout Allegaert say: “We offer guests nothing so they can get away from everything.” Although you can hardly describe this beautifully renovated mountain hideout as “nothing”. Every room looks down the valley, whether through a porthole-like round window or huge floor-to-ceiling sliding doors. Breakfast, lunch (or a picnic to take on a hike), afternoon snack, aperitivo and a two-course dinner are included too – delicious vegetarian meals made using produce from the couple’s garden, or foraged nearby, along with homemade kombucha, sourdough and gnocchi. Doubles from £298 all-inclusive (three-night minimum), rifugiovalditogno.com
An Austrian train station turned B&B
Built in 1910, the old station at Lermoos in Austria’s Tirol had stood empty for years before Johann Ehmann and his wife Cleo Weber bought it in 2019. “We were fascinated by it and contacted Austrian Railways regularly for more than five years asking if it was for sale,” says Ehmann. Now the couple have converted the classic Alpine building at the foot of Zugspitze (Germany’s highest peak) into Lermooser, a design B&B. The eight rooms range from a cosy bunk bed “cabin” to the “team XL” with three single beds and a double in a row. There’s a communal kitchen and a kiosk downstairs for coffee, pastries and homemade soups. The train still stops right outside, and hikes up to the Tuftl Alm viewpoint, and to Seebensee and Drachensee, start right from the door. Doubles from £106 B&B, lermooser.com
A historic wilderness hotel in Norway
‘Røisheim, a time capsule of a turf-roofed hotel.’
In summer, the sun doesn’t set until 11pm at Røisheim, which sits on the fringes of Jotunheimen national park in southern Norway. That means all the more time to go on blue ice glacier walks and swim in mountain lakes, cycle over the Sognefjellet pass or tackle Galdhøpiggen, Norway’s tallest mountain at 2,469 metres (8,100ft). The first recorded ascent of Galdhøpiggen in 1850 started from Røisheim and the trail still leads from the courtyard of the hotel, although most hikers now choose quicker routes starting from nearby Spiterstulen. Røisheim, a time capsule of a turf-roofed hotel, has been welcoming mountain-lovers since 1858 and many of the rooms are faithfully preserved with timber-clad walls, carved wooden beds and barrel-like tubs. Doubles from £243 B&B, roisheim.no
Alpine apartments in Bavaria
An apartment at Karls Mittenwald. Photograph: Jessica Lerchenmüller
“We didn’t choose Mittenwald because we wanted to open a hotel, we chose it because we wanted to live somewhere that summer still feels like summer,” says Anne-Sophie Trinkgeld, who recently opened Karls Mittenwald in this pretty small town near the Austrian border with her husband Dario. Mittenwald came out top in their search for the best combination of climate, outdoor activities and accessibility in the Alps – it’s surrounded by mountains but just 40 minutes from Innsbruck. The couple turned the former bakery into 11 thoughtfully designed one- and two-bedroom apartments with a cafe downstairs serving breakfast spreads and homemade cakes. Just the fuel for days spent swimming in the clear waters of Lautersee, cycling to the source of the Isar River through the Karwendel nature park or hiking to Germany’s highest brewery, Karwendelbräu. Apartments from £145 a night, karls-mittenwald.de
An eco-campsite in the Austrian Tirol
Gerhardhof on the Mieming Sun Plateau
Nearly 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) above sea level, the wide Mieming Sun Plateau is known for its mild microclimate and looping hikes through pine forests and Alpine meadows. Josef Volgger grew up on a farm here, Gerhardhof, which his parents also ran as a small guesthouse. Now Volgger, along with two business partners, has transformed Gerhardhof into a sustainability-minded campsite with grey water recycling, wood-chip heating and solar energy, as well as a naturally filtered swimming pond. You’ll still see Josef’s mother Edith in the bakery, turning out apple strudel, and there is a restaurant for dinners of wiener schnitzel and Käsespätzle (an Alpine mac and cheese). Pitches from £38 a night, gerhardhof.com
A 500-year-old inn in the Italian Dolomites
Over its five centuries in the South Tirolean town of Lana, the building that now houses 1477 Reichhalter has had many incarnations, including a butcher, bakery, sawmill, stable and tavern. Since 2018 it has been a restaurant with eight bedrooms dressed in mid-century furniture. Room number 4, Helmsdorf, has a balcony with views of the Vigiljoch mountain and Braunsberg Castle (you can borrow a bike to explore further), while Schönmüller is another favourite for its raw plaster walls and tiled stube stove. Downstairs, tables spill on to the pedestrianised street from the restaurant, which dishes up a delicious beef tartare and house salad made with homemade pickled vegetables and whatever’s in season from the kitchen garden at sister hotel Villa Arnica. Doubles from £170 B&B, 1477reichhalter.com
A Bauhaus guesthouse in Italy’s South Tirol
For 40 years, Johanna Fink ran her family’s Alpine hotel Briol with simple efficiency: sheets air-drying on the line, guests summoned to dinner by cowbell at precisely 7pm. Recently, her children Victoria and Valentin von Klebelsberg have taken over, but Briol remains charmingly the same. The main house was renovated in 1928 by artist Hubert Lanzinger in modernist Bauhaus style – the bedrooms have no heating (there is a hot-water bottle service), guests share a bathroom and there are no TVs, wifi or pictures on the walls. But with views like this, from a mountain meadow high above Barbiano and the Eisack valley, the lack of distraction is very welcome, and hiking trails fan out from the doorstep. Doubles from £255 half-board, briol.it
By the lake …
A houseboat on a Swedish lake
‘It’s all about the lake’ at Stugbaat and its five houseboats on Lake Lelång. Photograph: Beyond Oceans Media
Stugbaat is a collection of five houseboats that bob around the huge Lake Lelång in Dalsland. Each floats on an aluminium or stainless steel pontoon, and comes with a little motorboat for towing the tiny house to a quiet corner or pootling ashore to explore. On dry land, there are mountains to climb (Egersknatten), berries and chanterelles to forage in the forest, a straw museum in Bengtsfors and a microbrewery in Torrskog. But, really, it’s all about the lake: fish from or dive off the wooden deck that surrounds the cabin or take out the paddleboard included with each booking. You can hire a kayak, check out the floating sauna, or simply drop anchor and do nothing. From £233 a night (two-night minimum), sleeps 4, stugbaat.se
Back-to-nature cabins in Sweden
Life is off-grid at Naturbyn on Lake Eldan.
Thomas Peterson started with just one log cabin, which he handbuilt on a section of pine and spruce forest on the shores of Lake Eldan in Värmland. Then he built another, and one up in the treetops, and one floating on the water. There are now seven at Naturbyn, all off-grid (no wifi or electricity, just wood-burning stoves and paraffin lamps), all with views of the lake and some with grass roofs dotted with tiny wild strawberries. This being Sweden, there’s a sauna on the lakeshore. Beyond that, borrow a canoe, forage in the forest, watch for elk among the trees, catch a pike for supper or count shooting stars across the inky sky. Cabins from £160 a night, sleeps 2, naturbyn.se
A waterfront hotel in Jutland
Ny Hattenæs on the shores of Brassø Lake.
In the heart of the Danish Lake District on the Jutland peninsula, the 19th-century mill town of Silkeborg is known as Denmark’s outdoor capital. Just south of Silkeborg, the waterfront hotel Ny Hattenæs has sat on the forested shore of Brassø Lake since 1896 when it opened as a summer boarding house. It is now open year-round, but summer is still the loveliest time to stay, when days are long, the lake is filled with people swimming, paddleboarding and canoeing, and the terrace at Ny Hattenæs is the perfect place to catch the lingering twilight. Revamped in 2022 by the trio of siblings behind Danish design house Society of Lifestyle, the 14 bedrooms are filled with House Doctor furniture and the bathrooms stocked with Meraki natural products. Room number 7 is the plum pick, with a large balcony overlooking the water. Doubles from £205 B&B, nyhattenaes.com
A new-gen hotel in Bavaria
Less than an hour’s drive south of Munich, Tegernsee is where city folk flock in the summer to drink in leafy beer gardens, tuck into knödel dumplings in farmhouse restaurants and boat on the lake. Lederhosen and dirndls are still a regular sight in some parts here, but the recently opened hotel Blyb, in the quiet village of Gmund am Tegernsee, is as far from the usual Bavarian cliches as you can get. The villa dates back to 1892, and while it still has original stucco paintings and ornate wooden balconies, they’ve been updated with crisp monochrome decor, a restaurant from the team behind the hip Munich spot Mural, an outdoor yoga deck and events that might include a doner kebab and DJ pop-up or intimate unplugged gigs in the library. Doubles from £112 room-only, blyb.co
Lakeside cabins in a German biosphere reserve
Berlin school friends Julian Trautwein, Johann Ahlers and Christopher Eilers founded Raus in 2021 with the simple idea of getting city-dwellers like themselves out into nature. They started with a handful of sustainably built cabins near German cities and this year have added their 100th. Lodge am See takes the Raus concept and turns it into a little cabin resort, with 17 huts by a lake in the Unesco Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve, between Berlin and Hamburg. The area is known for its quiet cycle paths, but the water is just as attractive, and there are free paddleboards to borrow, canoe hire nearby and sea eagles, storks and cranes to spot above the wetlands. Cabins from £126 a night, sleep 2, raus.life
The Sahanlahti Resort ‘has sleek modern villas that come with wraparound terraces’
Finnish Lakeland is Europe’s largest lake district, a watery labyrinth of thousands of lakes, rivers and channels. Its biggest body of water, Lake Saimaa, is like an inland archipelago of nearly 14,000 forest-covered islands. In summer, Finns flock here to lakeside log cabins (known as a mökki), which are an essential part of Finnish culture. On the site of a historic sawmill on Saimaa’s rippling shoreline, SahanlahtiResortembodies mökki tradition old and new, with timeless red-painted wooden cabins (some with their own saunas) and sleek modern villas that come with wraparound terraces. You may even spot a Saimaa ringed seal, one of the world’s rarest. Cabins from £93 a night, sleep 4, sahanlahtiresort.fi
An adults-only hideout in the Austrian Alps
Just outside the medieval town of Kitzbühel, Schwarzsee is known for its mineral-rich peat waters (its name means black lake), which are some of the warmest in the Alps, reaching 27C in summer. On a hillside above the lake, Seebichlis another black beauty, its darkly painted wooden balconies spilling over with flowers. Brothers Max and Sebastian Witzmann, whose grandfather bought Seebichl in the 1950s, have created an artsy take on a traditional Alpine hotel, with bright orange Eames chairs rather than classic carved-wood Tirolean ones and contemporary art on the walls instead of antlers. And if Schwarzsee or the heated pool in the garden at Seebichl get too balmy, hike up to the nearby Sintersbach Waterfall for a chillier dip. Doubles from £170 B&B, hotel-seebichl.at
In the forest …
A-frame cabins in the Slovenian Alps
‘A peaceful base for exploring the surrounding Savinja valley.’ Photograph: Mamoot/Andrej Lamut
Famed for its emerald green water, the Savinja river runs from the Rinka Falls at the head of the pristine Logar valley in northern Slovenia down through forested gorges in the Slovenian Alps. Along its banks, Forest Camping Mozirje is a peaceful base for exploring the surrounding Savinja valley. Tents and campervans pitch up in meadows among the trees. For those allergic to pegging in a ground sheet, there are bell tents and A-frame-shaped wooden “forest beds” built from local timber. Campers swap hiking tips and debate rafting versus canyoning over dinner at communal tables in the well-stocked covered kitchen. Afterwards, gather around one of the campfires or kick back in a hammock next to the little outdoor library. Pitches from £15 plus £14 per adult. Forest Beds from £84, campingmozirje.com
A design hotel in the Black Forest
Artbau Designhotel and its treetop views. Photograph: Maris Mezulis
Germany’s Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is named for the canopy of conifers so dense it blocks out much of the sunlight. It’s a mysterious place, often linked to the dark fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, although the siblings actually collected and wrote their folktales farther north around the city of Kassel. It is easy to imagine Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood trotting down the trails, although you’re more likely to encounter German families or a hilltop castle. In the Black Forest town of Waldkirch, famous for the production of church and fairground organs, Artbau Designhotel is a sharply modern riposte to all that fairytale tweeness, with concrete walls and steel tables softened by Moroccan textiles and balconies that look out to the treetops. Doubles from £115 room-only, artbau-designhotel.de
A forest sauna in Latvia
‘The glass cabin bedrooms … looking out across wildflower meadows by day and up to star-filled skies after dark.’ Photograph: Stikla istaba
Deep in a pine forest near the Gauja national park, Ziedlejas is dedicated to the Latvian tradition of pirts – steamy wood-fired bathhouses heated to about 65C. There are three here: the glass pirts beside the swimming pond, the smoke pirts under the grey fir trees and the wool pirts with walls made from sheep’s wool (which releases skin-soothing lanolin). Sessions last around four hours, guided by a pirts master (pirtnieks), who takes guests through the ritual, which includes “whisking” (tapping and brushing) bodies with bundled sticks, herbal scrubs, massage and alternating hot and cold water. The glass cabin bedrooms are just as restorative, looking out across wildflower meadows by day and up to star-filled skies after dark. Cabins from £110 a night, sleeps 2, ziedlejas.lv
Family-friendly huts and camping in the French Alps
The Huttopia Bozel en Vanois campsite. Photograph: Manu Reyboz
Huttopia has dozens of nature-immersed campsites all over France (and a handful farther afield). There’s a formula – tree-shaded spots often beside lakes and rivers, pre-pitched safari tents if you don’t fancy BYO, a wood-fired pizza restaurant for the evening – and it works, with families returning year after year. Set among pine and fir trees on the banks of the Doron de Bozel river, Huttopia Bozel en Vanoise is at the gateway to the Vanoise national park near the Italian border, which is criss-crossed with hiking trails and home to ibex, marmots and chamois. Closer still is the lake beach – a five-minute walk – or canyoning on the Doron de Bozel; while back at camp kids can join the forest-school-like Petits Trappeurs or hang with new friends at after-dinner magic shows and open-air film screenings. Nature pitch from £20, Trappeur wood and canvas tent from £146 a night, huttopia.com
Tiny houses in a Swedish forest full of wildlife
An off-grid cabin at Inforest
The only alarm clock at the four off-grid cabins that make up Inforest,2½ hours north-east of Gothenburg, is the sound of robins, blackbirds and chaffinches, perhaps joined in their dawn chorus by the odd woodpecker or cuckoo. Each solar-powered tiny house here is a kilometre apart, so your only neighbours will be the roe deer, hares and the odd moose roaming among the hectares of pine, spruce and birch trees. Almost 70% of Sweden is covered in forest and the right of public access, or allemansrätten, means you can walk or bike in every direction. For a little more action, head to the perfectly preserved wooden town of Hjo on the edge of Lake Vättern, just 4 miles away, for a sauna on the harbour or to sail on the steamship Trafik before scurrying back into the woods. Cabins from £155 a night, sleep 2-4, inforest.se
Modernist treehouses on a farm in Sweden
Suites on stilts at Trakt Forest Hotel. Photograph: James Silverman Photography
In the summer of 2022, this family farm in Småland opened five striking suites on stilts among the treetops of the surrounding pine forest. This spring, Trakt Forest Hotel added seven bedrooms in its historic Erik’s House farmstead, the design more rattan headboards, crocheted cushions and views of cows grazing than the angular minimalism and secluded stillness of the treehouses. There is a restaurant, Traktköket, in a nearby log cabin and much of the food is grown on the farm or sourced locally. Outside, there’s a little sauna hut beside the farm pond, with a wood-fired bath squirrelled away deeper in the forest. The team can prepare a fika (coffee break) backpack with coffee, cake and a sandwich to take out on a hike further into the wilderness. Doubles from £184 B&B, traktforesthotel.com
Some of the areas mentioned above have been affected by wildfires this summer. Please check before booking.
Travel expert Simon Calder has named the lush ‘Emerald Island’ a must-visit destination, featuring stunning beaches, ancient ruins, and meals starting from just €10 per person.
Simon Calder has shared a European spot that is a hidden gem.(Image: Balate Dorin via Getty Images)
Travel expert Simon Calder has shared his top recommendation for a stunning European getaway that won’t break the bank. Simon highlighted a lesser-known Greek island as his personal “choice” for a budget-friendly holiday.
The beautiful Greek island of Thassos, frequently dubbed the ‘Emerald Island’, is distinguished by its lush landscape, setting it apart from many of Greece’s more arid islands. The moniker describes Thassos’ dense pine woodland, olive groves and other greenery, with forests stretching almost all the way to the coast.
What’s more, the island’s beaches are surrounded by remarkably clear, shallow waters that shimmer in shades of turquoise and emerald, particularly under the Mediterranean sun.
On the island, there is a striking contrast of green and blue. Thassos is noticeably greener and more lush, creating a beautiful contrast between its forested hills and bright blue coastline.
Thassos history
Thassos has a rich history dating back thousands of years. Ancient Greeks from Paros settled on the island, which later grew prosperous thanks to its marble, gold mines, olive oil, wine and thriving trade.
Traces of its ancient past can still be found around Thassos Town, including the remains of an ancient theatre, agora and sanctuary.
Food
Thassos offers a classic Mediterranean style of cooking, combining fresh local produce with seafood and hearty dishes from the island’s mountain villages.
The island is also known for its honey, locally produced olive oil, olives and wine.
Some of the traditional foods visitors can try include:
Goat and lamb – Mountain villages are known for cooking goat and lamb slow-cooked or roasted over a spit.
Fresh seafood – This includes sardines, anchovies, prawns, sea bream, mullet, squid and octopus. These are often simply grilled or fried and served with olive oil and lemon.
Gouna – One of Thassos’ more distinctive specialities, gouna is traditionally made with mackerel that is salted and dried before being grilled.
Tatarka – A seasonal vegetable dish made with fresh vegetables, herbs and leafy greens, traditionally enjoyed during spring and early summer.
Stuffed courgette flowers – Courgette flowers may be filled with ingredients such as cheese and egg before being fried.
Local cheeses – including feta, kasseri, myzithra and anthotyro.
Prices in Thassos
Food and drink in Thassos remain relatively affordable compared with some of Greece’s more expensive islands, such as Mykonos and Santorini.
Although prices can be higher at beachfront restaurants and popular tourist spots.
Visitors can expect to pay around €12 to €25 (£10.26 to £21.38) per person for a typical taverna meal, while a gyros, souvlaki or casual lunch can cost around €5 to €10 (£4.28 to £8.55).
Meanwhile, fresh seafood tends to be more expensive, particularly at waterfront restaurants, while beers typically cost around €3 to €6 (£2.57 to £5.13). Those looking for a cocktail at a beach bar can expect to pay roughly €8 to €12 (£6.84 to £10.26), while local wine can offer good value compared with more premium bottles.
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning about Thassos in 2024, Simon said: “Absolutely lovely. It’s in the North. It’s really different from all the other ones.
“It’s got great features. It’s got this wonderful mountain in the middle. You have to get a little ferry across to there from Kavala, but once you do, it’s just absolute heaven.
“Loads going on. It’s got proper Greek stuff, ancient remains and things like that. And of course all those lovely tavernas you just want to sit in.”
Getting to Thassos
Simon warned holidaymakers that a ferry crossing to the island is unavoidable, as there are no direct flights operating from the UK.
That said, getting there from the UK is fairly straightforward. Travellers can fly to Kavala International Airport (KVA) on the northern Greek mainland, then head to Keramoti, where ferries run regularly to Thassos.
The crossing itself takes around 35 to 40 minutes.
Another option is to fly from the UK to Thessaloniki Airport, which offers a wider range of flights, then continue by road to the coast and take a ferry to Thassos.
While the journey is longer than travelling via Kavala, it can be a convenient alternative depending on flight availability and fares. During the summer months, some UK travel companies also offer package holidays and seasonal flights, making the island easier to reach.
Flight times
London to Kavala: around 3 hours 25 minutes on a direct flight from Stansted.
London to Thessaloniki: around 3 hours 10–25 minutes on a direct flight, depending on the London airport.
101 East investigates how the Philippines’ ambitious regreening programme is failing the nation’s forests.
In 2011, the Philippines’ government promised to deliver one of the world’s most ambitious regreening projects.
The idea was simple: pay locals to restore forests and cultivate barren land by planting and tending millions of trees.
But 15 years on, a joint investigation by 101 East and Lighthouse Reports reveals how the National Greening Program has failed to meet most of its targets.
Satellite imagery shows that instead of being protected, some forests are being destroyed, while some Indigenous communities fear losing the land their livelihoods depend on.
101 East investigates how the Philippines is failing its forests.
HAVE you ever wanted to be in a real-life storybook? Well, these destinations might be the answer.
From castles fit for a princess to enchanting forests and Disney-like villages – these are the top fairytale destinations in Europe.
Eltz Castle in Germany has been named one of the best ‘fairytale’ destinationsCredit: Alamy
Eltz Castle, Germany
At the very top of the list created by European Best Destinations is the magical Eltz Castle which is nestled in the hills and forest above the Moselle River.
With its eight soaring towers, and dramatic valley setting, it very much looks like a storybook castle.
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Eltz Castle is one of the few castles in Europe that has never been destroyed and has belonged to the same family for over 800 years.
One-way flights to Frankfurt from the UK are as little as £17 in August.
The abbey at Mont Saint-Michel inspired Disney’s TangledCredit: Alamy
Mont-Saint-Michel has been called a ‘real fairytale destination’ and was said to have inspired a Disney movie.
It’s a small tidal island off the coast of Normandy with museums, shops, restaurants and hotels.
The stand-out spot though is the abbey which is said to have been the inspiration for the castle from Tangled.
The quickest way to get there from the UK is on the ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo – from there it’s an hour’s drive.
Tossa de Mar, Spain
Tossa de Mar is a Spanish town on the Costa BravaCredit: Alamy
Tossa de Mar along Spain‘s Costa Brava coastline is famous for its beautiful picturesque Old Town.
Inside is a huge 12th-century fortress which is surrounded by stone walls and sits right on the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.
European Best Destinations described it has having a “forest very near the sea and its medieval walls are a magical setting for a perfect fairytale holiday in Europe.”
From the UK, fly into Barcelona Airport and then head an hour north along the coast to reach the town.
Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
The Dark Hedges has featured in the hit TV series ‘Game of Thrones’Credit: Alamy
Dark Hedges is more of a natural fairytale destination created by an avenue of beech trees planted in the 18th century.
Dark Hedges became very popular after the series “Game of Thrones” was filmed there – for fans of the show it depicted the Kingsroad.
It’s also one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.
The closest airport to Dark Hedges is Derry – but it’s also possible to get there from Dublin and Belfast.
Riga, Latvia
Riga Old Town has colourful buildings and cobbled streets in the Old TownCredit: Alamy
European Best Destinations described Riga as having a “beautifully preserved Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with colourful facades, cobbled streets, hidden courtyards.
“With centuries-old churches it seems to emerge directly from the pages of a storybook.”
It sits on the banks of the Daugava River which only adds to its fairytale-look.
From the UK, you can fly to Riga in just two and a half hours – and it’s just a 20-minute drive into the Old Town.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle gets one million visitors every yearCredit: Alamy
Another beautiful castle in Germany is Neuschwanstein which is described as a jewel of Bavaria.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria built Neuschwanstein Castle as a private residence to get away from political life.
It’s been open to the public since 1886 and over one million visitors visit the beautiful site every year.
Brits can fly into Munich Airport in under two hours and then drive south for two hours to see the incredible castle.
Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria is considered one of the prettiest villages in GermanyCredit: Alamy
This small village in Bavaria is considered one of the most beautiful in the country.
From the 14th century, the village has half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and looks postcard-perfect.
The village is part of Bavaria’s Romantic Road which links beautiful medieval towns, villages and castles.
The nearest airport is Nuremburg which can be as little as £20 with Ryanair – from there it’s an hour’s drive to Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber.
Bled, Slovenia
Bled is a small town in Slovenia that sits on a glacial lakeCredit: Alamy
Bled is a small town that sits in the Julian Alps, on a glacial lake and has a medieval clifftop castle – so it’s no surprise it has made the list.
Visitors like to explore the area on a wooden boat called ‘pletna’, or a rowboat, which only adds to its magical feel.
Another activity is to climb the 99 steps to ring the famous wishing bell in the church.
The quickest way to get there is to fly into Ljubljana Airport, then drive 40-minutes north to Bled.
Riquewihr, France
Riquewihr is an Alsatian village with small pottery shops and cafesCredit: Alamy
Riquewihr is an Alsatian village with colourful timber houses and a huge clock tower that looks like something from Beauty and the Beast.
Scattered around the village are quaint restaurants, cafes, and shops selling traditional Alsatian pottery, linens, and souvenirs.
One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “Picturesque would be an understatement. It’s a fairy tale village that doesn’t seem real.”
Brits can travel to either Strasbourg or Basel Airports which are the closest to Riquewihr.
Craiova, Romania
Craiova in Romania lights up every year for ChristmasCredit: Alamy
Craiova in Romania is found in the southwest and is known for having towering Neoclassical buildings
It also has one of the largest urban natural parks in Europe.
The Romanian city transforms multiple times through the year to celebrate Easter and Christmas which the publication said “creates a joyful storybook atmosphere.”
From the UK, Brits can fly directly to Craiova in around three hours.
Here’s the full list of the ‘best fairytale destinations in Europe’…
Here, Sophie Swietochowski looks at seven great days out . . .
WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM
One of the UK’s largest and most glorious arboretums, Westonbirt, in Gloucestershire, is much more than just a forest.
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More than 2,500 species are thriving here and some of the trees in this 240-hectare space are so ancient, they’ve weathered almost 2,000 years of change.
Why not grab a sandwich from the cafe and take a pew next to the arboretum’s oldest tree — a small-leaved lime in the Silk Wood area.
Devon’s beaches are likely to be packed in the coming weeks, but this fabulous park is a great alternative.
There are plenty of shaded areas, plus kids can be kept entertained along the Room on the Broom activity trail.
Pack a coolbox of goodies and take advantage of the many picnic spots.
BEDGEBURY NATIONAL PINETUM & FOREST
This haven in Kent is the largest pinetum in the entire world, and its collection of conifers is renowned globally.
Now is the best time to visit, as the team have mowed grassy paths to help visitors explore, while also sheltering beneath the giant trees.
HAMSTERLEY FOREST
Kids can slip off their shoes and go for a paddle after tiring themselves out at the outdoor Viking Wildplay, which is pretty well shadedHamsterley Forest in County Durham has a river running through its centreCredit: Alamy
If you would prefer to cool off by water, this forest in County Durham has a river running through its centre.
Kids can slip off their shoes and go for a paddle after tiring themselves out at the outdoor Viking Wildplay, which is pretty well shaded.
If you do want to stroll the trails, they are mostly wheelchair-accessible and pram-friendly.
ALICE HOLT FOREST
Worried about how you’re going to amuse the kids over the summer months?
It’s an adventurer’s paradise with nature and play trails galore and even a Go Ape course, sheltered by the surrounding trees.
Make sure to check the events page ahead of your visit to find out what’s happening that week.
DELAMERE FOREST
This gorgeous spot in Cheshire is a wonderful spot for nature enthusiasts.
Major work has gone into restoring the hidden pools within the forest to encourage the return of the White-Faced Darter dragonfly — one of the rarest in the UK.
This forest is likely to be one of the coolest of the bunch, too, thanks to the many peat bogs and moss carpets that keep the forest floor damp.
FINESHADE WOOD
Both the kids and Fido will love this gloriously sheltered spot in Northamptonshire.
You’ll be sharing the 516 hectares with deer, dragonflies and butterflies, and keep an eye out through the tree canopy for the buzzards soaring overhead.
When the heat gets too much, the on-site Grounds Cafe is loaded with ice cream — and there’s even some doggy-friendly scoops, so no one misses out.
For more details on any of the sites featured on this page, head online to forestryengland.uk.
