sunken

THE world is full of amazing places to go for a dip, but one spot really is a ‘hidden’ gem – as you can swim underneath a castle.

The Château d’Urspelt, in the heart of the Éislek region of Luxembourg, is a luxurious hotel within a former castle.

But below it is the ultimate surprise – a pool designed in the shape of a sunken grotto.

Guests can step into the pools, with different rock-style formations across the walls and ceilings, as well as plants draping down.

And the indulgent experience doesn’t stop there as the spa also has six treatment rooms, a relaxation room, two hammams, two saunas, a whirlpool and a fitness room.

After enjoying the different spa areas, guests can put their feet up and relax with a cup of tea in the tea room.

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Access to the wellness area costs €60 (£52.36) per person, or it is free when you book a massage or treatment.

As for the castle-turned hotel, which opened back in 2008, the rooms are equally as decadent as the spa experience.

There are a variety of different room types to choose from, with 57 rooms and suites.

Continuing with the theme of grandeur, in the castle’s historic cellars – which were dug out by hand from the original basement – is the U Lounge Bar.

When workers were digging out the basement, they also discovered a well, which has since been exposed.

The bar serves a range of drinks including spirits, wines and cocktails.

Alternatively, guests can head to The Library for a cosy and inviting atmosphere.

In the morning, guests are invited to head behind the reception desk to reach a sprawling buffet breakfast, with homemade jams, freshly baked cakes and honey produced by bees on site.

The outdoor pool, which overlooks the entire estate, even has its own bar, serving up refreshing drinks and light snacks.

In the warmer weather, guests can enjoy the indoor-outdoor Patio or for a more refined experience, The Dining Room.

Otherwise the château is also home to an orchard, three running and walking routes and even electric scooters for hire.

Rooms at the hotel cost from around £147 per night and the hotel is located around an hour from Luxembourg Airport.

Travellers looking to explore the surrounding area won’t be short of options either, as the château is close to many charming towns.

For example, 30km away from the château is Vianden Castle, which was built between the 11th and 14th centuries.

In fact, it was named as one of the 20 most beautiful castles in the world, by CNN Travel.

And each year the castle hosts a medieval festival in August, with duelling knights and jugglers.

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There’s also a UK castle that costs less than a hotel stay in London with an indoor swimming pool, tropical gardens and a private beach.

Plus, you can stay at a fairytale English castle once home to famous king – with tower suites and the UK’s largest four-poster bed.

CAPTAIN COOK’S ship, HMS Endeavour, which the adventurer used to explore Australia, has been identified after a 250 year long mystery.

The vessel was the first European ship to reach Eastern Australia, in 1770, and went on to circumnavigate the main islands of New Zealand.

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It was then sold, renamed the Lord Sandwich and was last seen in the US in 1778, during the American War of Independence.

During the war, the ship was scuttled (intentionally sunk) to create a blockade to prevent French ships from entering the harbour and supporting the American forces. 

And it has now been confirmed that a shipwreck off Newport Harbour, Rhode Island, USA, called RI 2394, is in fact the HMS Endeavour.

In a new report the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) announced the verdict, after 25 years of studying the wreck.

“This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel”, said museum director Daryl Karp.

“It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe.”

“This final report marks our definitive statement on the project.”

The ship was hard to identify because anything that would have been of value, such as a bell, would have been stripped from the boat before it was intentionally sunk.

However, experts were able to determine that the shipwreck is the lost ship by comparing it with plans for the Endeavour.

For example, they discovered timbers which matched with the placement of the main and fore masts of the ship.

Additionally, measurements from the wreck corresponded to those taken during a 1768 survey of the ship.

Analysis of the ship’s wood also revealed that it had come from Europe, which is consistent with records show that the Endeavour was repaired there in 1776.

ANMM archaeologist, Kieran Hosty, said: “We’ll never find anything on this site that screams Endeavour. You’ll never find a sign saying ‘Cook was here’. 

“We will never see a ship’s bell with Endeavour crossed out and Lord Sandwich inscribed on it.

“We’ve got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being HMB Endeavour. 

“The timbers are British timbers. 

“The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I’m talking within millimetres – not inches, but millimetres. 

“The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical. 

“This stem scarf is also a very unique feature – we’ve gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ships plans, and we can’t find anything else like it.”

However, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project previously said the identification is “premature” and has not yet ruled out that the Endeavour could be another shipwreck .

Only 15 percent of the ship remains and researchers are now focused on what to do to preserve it.

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