Germany

After spending last summer interrailing around Europe, one journalist and ‘travel addict’ has named his favourite place – and it’s so close to the UK.

If you’re planning a holiday for this year, the choice of destinations can sometimes feel overwhelming. There are so many amazing places to choose from, many of which are just a few short hours’ flight away in Europe.

But one journalist and ‘travel addict’ who has visited 27 countries in total recently went interrailing around Europe and discovered his new favourite place.

It had ‘endless experiences’ to offer, from a rich history to amazing landscapes and underrated food too. Brian Dillon from The Express said: “Jumping from hostel to hostel between seven cities in these five countries, Germany blew me away. I had been to Germany in the past, and every time I go there, I have a completely different experience.”

He had previously visited Berlin but spent time in Munich and Stuttgart in the summer – and they all offered a unique experience.

But the highlight of his visit had to be Munich, as he explained: “This city simply blew me away. First arriving in the Bavarian city on a train from Vienna, I was impressed by the architecture. It seemed like at every turn, there was another stunning building to gawk at.

“The historic Old Town was superbly charming, and you really feel like you have been transported back in time to a centuries-old Germany. However, one aspect of Munich that I fell in love with was its local parks.

“Every major city has some nice parks to explore. But Munich does it differently. Not only are the green spaces here stunning, but they all have lovely beer gardens where you truly feel like you are living like a local when you sit there, sipping a local beer and taking in the unique surroundings. “

Stuttgart was quieter, but Brian was happy to spend the day exploring before moving on to his next destination.

And Berlin is a ‘thrilling city’ too – partly due to tourist attractions like the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall but also thanks to the unique bars, markets and ‘otherworldly’ nightclubs.

But it’s not just the cities that impressed Brian. The natural landscapes are beautiful too, as Brian wrote: “When I travelled on a sleeper train between Brussels and Prague, much of my journey was spent speeding through the stunning German countryside. The sweeping green fields, the old-timy villages and the staggering mountains were a sight to behold. Waking up in a train cabin and seeing all of this first thing in the morning is an experience I will never forget.”

So if you’re in need of some inspiration on where to book your next holiday, Germany is a fantastic option. Brian added: “If you were to tell me that for my next holiday, I had to go back to a country I had been to before, I would book a flight to Germany. Although I have been to three different cities and through stunning countryside, I suspect that this country has a lot more for me to experience.

“The port city of Hamburg, the historic Cologne, the Christmas markets in Dresden, and the classic architecture of Nuremberg are definitely on my bucket list.”

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev over five hours but the latter is upset by officiating of injury.

Alexander Zverev condemned officials for allowing Carlos Alcaraz a medical timeout for a leg problem after ‍falling in an epic five-setter ‍to the Spaniard in the Australian Open’s longest semifinal.

World number one Alcaraz was struggling to move at 4-4 in the third set on Friday and was allowed treatment on his right thigh at the change of ends, leaving the German incensed.

While Alcaraz said post-match that he worried he may have ⁠strained an adductor muscle, Zverev was adamant the Spaniard’s problem was cramp, which is out of bounds for medical timeouts.

Alcaraz dropped ​the next two sets but was back running at full pelt in the fifth to close ‍out an epic 6-4 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-7(4) 7-5 win in five hours and 27 minutes.

“Yeah, I mean, he was cramping, so normally you can’t take a medical timeout for cramping,” third seed Zverev said at his post-match news conference.

“What can I do? It’s not my ‍decision. I didn’t ⁠like it, but it’s not my decision.”

On court, Zverev lashed out at a match supervisor in profanity-laden German as Alcaraz underwent treatment.

“I just said it was b******t, basically,” he said later of the exchange, noting that Alcaraz finished full of running.

“He took like an hour and a half off where he wasn’t moving almost at all.

“So again, maybe I should have used that better in a way. Maybe I should have won the games and won the sets a bit quicker. Then moving into the fifth, maybe he ​wouldn’t have had so much time to recover. But the fifth set, the way ‌he was moving, was incredible again.”

Alcaraz admits his body could be better ahead of Australian Open final

When asked whether he was injured, Alcaraz equivocated.

“Well, obviously I feel tired. You know, obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that’s normal after five hours and a half.”

Runner-up to Jannik Sinner last ‌year, Zverev was serving for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set of Friday’s semifinal but Alcaraz won the next three games to leave the German with ‌another near-miss at the Grand Slams.

Still chasing an elusive first major title, ⁠Zverev said he had more regrets about dropping the second set than his surrender in the fifth.

“I was hanging on for dear life, to be honest. I was exhausted,” he said, rating the match as probably the toughest physically of his career.

“I think we both went to our absolute ‌limits, so somewhat I’m also proud of myself, the way I was hanging on and came back from two sets to love.

“Of course it’s disappointing but this is the start of the year, so if I continue playing that ‍way, if I continue training the way I train, if I continue working on the things that I’ve been working in the offseason, I do believe it’s going to be a good year for me.”