switzerland

The study considered six key factors: life expectancy, income per person, income equality, recreational and cultural amenities, internet speed, and housing costs

A picturesque European city has been crowned the “most liveable destination” on the planet by the Global Cities Index, thanks largely to its walkability. The research examined six crucial elements: life expectancy, income per person, income equality, recreational and cultural amenities, internet speed, and housing costs.

While European cities command the rankings, an Australian city also secured a place on the list

10. Nantes

Nantes, a lively city in western France, is celebrated for its rich history, cultural attractions, and bustling urban life. The Château des Ducs de Bretagne, once home to the Dukes of Brittany, now hosts the Nantes History Museum.

It provides a window into the city’s medieval past with its well-preserved architecture and exhibitions, reports the Express.

9. Ghent

Ghent, a charming city in Belgium, is famed for its medieval allure, vibrant cultural scene, and stunning architecture. It’s also the country’s most pedestrian-friendly destination. The town’s scenic canal-side streets are ideal for a leisurely wander. The historical buildings along the canals create beautiful reflections in the water, offering iconic views of the city’s historic architecture.

8. Zurich

Switzerland’s largest city is famous for its high quality of life, stunning surroundings, and rich cultural scene. Residents can enjoy strolls along Lake Zurich’s shores, embark on a boat tour, or unwind in one of the lakeside parks.

7. Reykjavik

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is consistently ranked as one of the world’s best places to live. The city centre is home to Tjörnin, a picturesque pond surrounded by charming buildings, offering a tranquil spot for leisurely strolls and bird-watching.

6. Luxembourg

Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg, boasts low crime rates and impeccably clean streets, contributing to a strong sense of safety and well-being among its inhabitants. The city’s public transport network is highly efficient and extensive, with the recent introduction of free public transport further enhancing accessibility and convenience for residents.

5. Basel

Basel, a Swiss city, is lauded for its high standard of living, combining a vibrant cultural scene with practical, top-quality living conditions. The city is home to world-class healthcare facilities such as the University Hospital Basel, renowned for its high standards and innovative treatments.

4. Bergen

Bergen, located in Norway, is famed for its stunning natural landscapes, including fjords, mountains, and coastal vistas. The city offers a plethora of outdoor activities, from hiking in nearby mountains like Mount Fløyen and Mount Ulriken to sailing and kayaking in the fjords.

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3. Bern

Switzerland’s capital city, Bern, is renowned for its well-preserved medieval old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its charming cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and landmarks such as the Zytglogge clock tower and the Bear Park add to its unique charm.

2. Canberra

Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is recognised for its high liveability due to its unique blend of natural beauty, modern amenities, and well-planned urban design. Known for its high standard of living, Canberra boasts clean and safe environments, well-maintained public spaces, and efficient public services. The city’s low crime rate and high levels of personal security significantly contribute to its liveability.

1. Grenoble

Nestled in the French Alps, Grenoble is a gem that combines natural beauty, a vibrant cultural life, and a high quality of life. It’s also a hub for scientific research and technological innovation, particularly in the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology.

Grenoble is particularly known for its bike-friendly initiatives, including extensive bike lanes and rental services.

LOOKING for a holiday where your cash goes further? These destinations have been revealed as the best value for money.

Skyscanner recently unveiled its list of top spots across the world where the price of flights has dropped the most – and in some cases, hotels too.

At the very top of the Skyscanner list is the city of Bilbao which has seen a 66 per cent drop in flight prices from last year.

It’s a great choice for Brits too as it’s the closest Spanish city to the UK taking less than two hours to get there.

One-way flights to Bilbao can be as little as £20 with with the cost of hotels down by 63 per cent from last year, rooms start from £29 on Booking.com.

If you fancy booking a whole trip, with loveholidays the cost of a seven-night break to Bilbao in April 2027 starts from £42pppn.

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As Bilbao is that it doesn’t get as many tourists as lots of other Spanish cities, it’s a lot quieter than its neighbours.

In 2025, just 1.6 million visited Bilbao last year compared to 16 million in Barcelona.

There’s lots to see too like the neighbourhood of Iralabarri which has been compared to Notting Hill thanks to its colourful town houses.

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey who visited earlier this year suggested heading its top attraction, the Guggenheim Bilbao museum which is filled with modern and contemporary art.

When it comes to food, Kara attempted the art of txikiteo which is where you hop between tapas bars for snacks and drinks.

Kara added: “My number one spot was Cafe Bar Bilbao for its tasty pork sliders, as well as Taberna Ona for freshly sliced Iberian ham. 

“The most famous Bilbao drink is txakoli, a Basque white wine which you can find pretty much anywhere.

“Squeeze into the family-run Taberna Basaras, a tiny bar with barrels for tables and bottles from floor to ceiling, for a hearty glass. You might also spot the locals ordering a mariano, a vermouth “daytime” cocktail that’s lighter than a negroni.”

The second city on the list is Wrocław in Poland which has had a flight price drop of 47 per cent.

One writer who recently visited called it one of Europe’s ‘best-kept city-break secrets‘.

The Polish city has colourful market squares with cobbled streets and tall pastel townhouses.

It’s known as a city of festivals with lots going on throughout the year from films and jazz to classical music.

If you fancy visiting during the festive period, Wroclaw’s Christmas market is one of the largest in Poland.

One-way flights to Wroclaw start from £27.

With loveholidays, a three-night break in the city starts from £149pp or £50pppn.

Another place not far from the UK that has seen a drop in price is Bordeaux in France where air fares have decreased by 34 per cent.

The port city in southwestern France is known for its 18th-century architecture and wine culture.

Make sure to pop into Bassins des Lumières – a former World War Two submarine base which has been transformed into a digital art installation.

If you’re planning a summer holiday next year, a trip to Rhodes in Greece shouldn’t put a dent in your wallet.

The beautiful island is the largest of the Dodecanese and is known for having pretty beach resorts, ancient ruins and it has highs of over 30C in the summertime.

It’s seen a drop in flight prices by 22 per cent and on Skyscanner, one-way tickets are as cheap as £28.

Pula, which is considered the ‘Rome of Croatia‘ came in seventh spot.

The city on the tip of the Istrian Peninsula got its nickname from its ruins – the amphitheatre is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world.

The spot on the Adriatic coast has lots of history and it’s under three hours from the UK too with flights having dropped in price by 20 per cent.

Fez in Morocco came in eighth on the list with a drop of 19 per cent when it comes to flights, which are as cheap as £15.

The city in northern Morocco is known for its vibrant markets and attractions, including its ancient medina.

It’s a popular winter sun city with highs of 20C in November.

For more on Fez, Travel Reporter Jenna Stevens recently visited the city to try out cooking classes and pottery.

For more travel inspiration, Skyscanner has also revealed the 10 holiday destinations that are set to be huge next year.

This includes far-flung Kyrgyzstan to Hurghada in Egypt and pretty Greek islands.

Top 10 destinations where airfares have fallen the most…

1. Bilbao, Spain (-66%)
2. Wrocław, Poland (-47%)
3. Bordeaux, France (-34%)
4. Zürich, Switzerland (-33%)
5. Ancona, Italy (-31%)
6. Rhodes, Greece (-22%)
7. Pula, Croatia (-20%)
8. Carcassonne, France (-20%)
9. Fez, Morocco (-19%)
10. Krabi, Thailand (-15%)

What in the name of common sense is a 16-year-old who lives in Venice dreaming about competing in the Olympic Games as a snowboarder instead of a skateboarder or surfer?

“I really liked skateboarding but needed something more exhilarating flying into the air,” said Tristam Henkels, who’s been spending this month training in Switzerland and Austria as a member of the U.S. snowboard rookie team for halfpipe.

He used to spend nine hours a day skateboarding at a park in Santa Monica. He watched snowboarder Chloe Kim compete at the Mammoth Mountain World Cup shortly before her gold-medal performance at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Then his mother, Judy, decided to become his chauffeur when he was 10, taking him to Big Bear to practice snowboarding. She’s still traveling with Tristam, who’s enrolled in an online school but prefers snowboarding over everything else. He previously attended Canyon Elementary School in Santa Monica.

He’s so obsessed with being the best that three broken arms suffered from falls, along with a compression back fracture, hardly deters him to think twice about flying through the air trying to perform tricks. He did admit that hitting ice feels like hitting concrete, so he has learned to be careful and hasn’t had any major injuries in the last three years.

“If you fall and get back up, you’re going to be stronger the next time,” he said of his philosophy during a phone conversation from Switzerland.

There will be lots of competition for a 2030 Olympic team berth in France. Henkels is working his way up in a sport filled with talented athletes who have to maneuver their bodies like a gymnast in pursuit of a perfect score of 100 from the judges.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Alieu Kosiah killed civilians and unarmed soldiers, and ordered lootings and other crimes against humanity.

Switzerland’s supreme court upheld a 20-year jail sentence for former Liberian rebel commander Alieu Kosiah on Friday, but overturned a conviction for crimes against humanity.

In 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court found Kosiah, now 51, guilty of multiple atrocities committed during the first of Liberia’s back-to-back civil wars, in which about 250,000 people died between 1989 and 2003.

In 2023, the court’s appeals chamber upheld his 20-year sentence for war crimes and, for the first time in Swiss history, also made a new ruling that Kosiah was guilty of crimes against humanity.

The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland was asked to review the case, and its verdict, dated September 28, was published on Friday.

The court “rejected the appeal filed by a high-ranking Liberian military official challenging his conviction for violations of the laws of war committed between 1993 and 1995 during the first Liberian civil war”, it said in a statement.

“However, the court has acquitted the individual of the charge of crimes against humanity, based on a strict application of the principle of non-retroactivity.”

Switzerland recognises the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows it to prosecute individuals suspected of international crimes, regardless of where those crimes were committed.

The court said the offence of crimes against humanity – introduced into Swiss law in 2011 – could not be applied to acts committed before then.

Kosiah’s conviction for violating the law of war was upheld, as was the maximum 20-year custodial sentence imposed.

“The decision makes final the first war crimes conviction ever handed down by a Swiss civilian court, and the first conviction anywhere of a Liberian for war crimes committed during the country’s civil wars,” said the Swiss organisation Civitas Maxima, which works to bring perpetrators of international crimes to justice.

Kosiah settled in Switzerland in the late 1990s and was arrested in 2014.

“Today the survivors of Alieu Kosiah’s crimes have final justice,” said Civitas Maxima director Alain Werner, who represents victims in the case.

“We are, however, deeply disappointed by the acquittal on crimes against humanity. What happened in Lofa between 1993 and 1995 is the very definition of a crime against humanity.”

Like war crimes, crimes against humanity refer to atrocities, including murder, torture and rape. However, instead of isolated or sporadic events, the charge is used for incidents carried out in a widespread or systematic way.

In the 2021 verdict, Kosiah was found guilty of a slew of war crimes committed as commander of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy rebel group.

He ordered or participated in the killing of 17 civilians and two unarmed soldiers, as well as rape and the deployment of a child soldier, the court ruled.

He had also ordered looting and repeatedly ordered, or had himself inflicted, cruel and humiliating treatment of civilians and mishandled corpses, according to the verdict.

Switzerland formally reopens diplomatic office in North Korea after its closure in 2020.

Switzerland has formally reopened its diplomatic office in North Korea as Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis held talks in Pyongyang about normalising political relations between the two countries.

On Friday Cassis wrapped up a two-day visit to North Korea – the first by a Swiss government minister in more than two decades – in which he discussed “regularising political relations and reestablishing a political dialogue”, he wrote on X.

Cassis, who is also Switzerland’s vice president, met Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, a secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party.

“We also exchanged views on security on the Korean Peninsula and broader Eurasian security challenges,” he added on X.

After the formal reopening of the Swiss diplomatic office on Thursday, Cassis posted that he was “pleased” to mark a “new chapter” in his country’s presence in Pyongyang, hailing the office as a “concrete step towards strengthening direct dialogue” with North Korea.

The office, operational since October 19, will not have an ambassador. It reports to the Swiss embassy in Beijing, which handles diplomatic and consular relations with North Korea. The office had closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This office will help to strengthen direct contacts with the authorities of the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] and support political dialogue with them,” the Swiss Foreign Ministry said.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA confirmed Cassis’s arrival in the country on Thursday but gave no details on the purpose of the visit. It had not been known beforehand whether he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and there has been no report of a meeting.

Bern said it intended to maintain its commitment to the region amid heightened tensions and limited international contact with North Korea, having been one of the few Western countries to keep up a dialogue with Pyongyang.

The last Swiss Federal Council member to visit was then-Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, in 2003.

Cassis crossed into South Korea on Friday for the final leg of his regional trip.

According to the Swiss foreign ministry, his talks in Seoul will focus on security on the peninsula, prospects for easing regional tensions and bilateral ties.

Switzerland’s involvement on the Korean Peninsula dates back more than 70 years, including its role on the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.

Also in South Korea, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invoked his country’s reunification during a visit to the inter-Korean border. “Let us hope that Korea, too, will one day have the chance to regain its national unity,” he said.

No injuries were reported at the building, known locally as the Kehlsteinhaus, while police said a ‘suspicious person’ has been taken into custody.

German police have detained a suspect after a fire engulfed the Eagle’s Nest, Adolf Hitler’s notorious Nazi-era mountain retreat in Bavaria, prompting an overnight emergency operation involving about 200 firefighters.

No injuries were reported at the building, known locally as the Kehlsteinhaus. Police said investigators were examining whether a “suspicious person” taken into temporary custody was connected to the blaze.

The fire alarm was triggered by a smoke detector at about 9:50pm (19:50 GMT) on Friday. Emergency crews could see flames rising above the building as they approached and found it “completely ablaze”, according to police.

The retreat’s remote Alpine location, at an altitude of more than 1,800 metres (about 6,000 feet), complicated efforts to extinguish the fire, police spokesperson Lisa Maier said.

While authorities have not announced a cause, German media reported that investigators suspected arson.

The newspaper Bild said emergency responders had encountered a motorcyclist travelling towards them on their way to the scene and that he was subsequently detained. His possible involvement remained under investigation.

Maier said inquiries were continuing, with police planning a news conference later on Saturday.

Built between 1937 and 1938, the stone-and-granite retreat stands on the Kehlstein mountain above Obersalzberg, near Berchtesgaden in southern Germany.

Designed as a monument to Hitler’s rule and a setting for receiving foreign diplomats, it offers sweeping views across the Bavarian Alps. Hitler himself visited the resort.

The site, which remains part of the legacy of Nazi Germany, survived World War II undamaged. It has operated as a restaurant since 1952 and also houses an exhibition examining its Nazi history.

Race walker Koki Ikeda returns to competition immediately; Ethiopia’s marathon runner Ruti Aga given 6-year doping ban.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal by Japanese race walker Koki Ikeda against World Athletics, clearing the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist of an anti-doping rule violation and making him immediately eligible to compete again.

The 28-year-old was provisionally suspended in November 2024 before receiving a four-year sanction from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in February 2025 for allegedly using or attempting to use a banned drug.

Ikeda was not allowed to participate in the Japan Race Walking Championships in February 2025, and all his competitive results between June 20, 2023 and November 1, 2024 were disqualified.

Ikeda challenged the ruling at CAS in March 2025, rejecting the doping allegations brought by World Athletics, which had alleged blood manipulation based on abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport.

The case was heard by a CAS panel in Lausanne in May. While the panel accepted that several readings in Ikeda’s biological profile were abnormal, it found there was a reasonable non-doping explanation for the findings.

CAS said Ikeda supported his case with substantial medical and expert evidence, providing a broader factual basis than was available during the proceedings before the World Athletics tribunal.

The appeal body overturned the four-year sanction, concluding that the anti-doping charge had not been established and that no ban should apply.

Ikeda placed second in the 20km event at the Tokyo Games as well as at the World Championships in Eugene in 2022. He finished seventh at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ethiopia’s Aga handed six-year doping ban

Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga, winner of the 2019 Tokyo Marathon, was given a six-year ban for the presence or use of the prohibited substance methylprednisolone and tampering with evidence, the AIU said on Thursday.

The AIU said Aga, 32, received a two-year ban after testing positive for methylprednisolone, a prohibited steroid that can reduce pain and fatigue and aid recovery, after winning a half marathon in China in March.

It added four years to the ban after finding she had misled investigators during an interview and submitted a fake prescription to justify her use of the substance.

Aga has been provisionally suspended since September 10, with the ban running from that date.

She has finished second three times and third twice at World Marathon Majors.

The head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) says the body is endorsing Gianni Infantino for another term as FIFA president.

The AFC has 47 member confederations. Even if all the members do not follow Friday’s direction from Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, those that do could be key to guaranteeing another mandate for Infantino, who leads the governing body of world football and is seeking a fourth term.

The FIFA election is in March. The deadline for candidates to file against Infantino is November 18, and so far, none has filed.

Sheikh Salman, speaking at the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday, embraced Infantino with a large hug in front of the membership as he delivered his endorsement.

“We affirm our full commitment to supporting you and your leadership as you seek a new mandate as the FIFA president.” Sheikh Salman said.

“You’ve visited a lot of countries in Asia. I’ve spoken to a lot of members within this continent. I know your feeling, and I think your commitment is clear as well.”

Addressing his remarks to Infantino, Sheikh Salman indicated not every AFC member would go along with the endorsement but most will.

“My feeling is, I’m sure, the feeling of most of my members,” the AFC president said. “And I’ve said that to you.”

A sudden about-face by AFC

This is an abrupt turnaround for Sheikh Salman. Just over two months ago, the AFC joined the football governing bodies of Europe and that of North and Central America in saying Infantino had committed a “fundamental breach of trust”.

Infantino apologised last week in Zurich to FIFA’s 37-member ruling council, which he chairs, for “mistakes” he made in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2bn plan to sell a stake in FIFA events, including the World Cup, to private investors.

Sheikh Salman referenced the differences with Infantino in his speech but glossed over any details.

“Gianni, I want to make it clear: Yes, we had some issues we spoke about in the past,” Sheikh Salman said. “But let’s not relate the two things together. I think the last few days we met in Zurich, you made it clear that there’s a true understanding between us.”

“The past I’m sure is part of our history,” he added, “We’ve all, I’m sure, learned important lessons from it. What matters now is how we move forward together. I think everyone has questions, and I’m sure the answers will be available, whether to us in Asia or the rest of the world. ”

Infantino’s electioneering around the globe

FIFA’s media office has been promoting Infantino’s travels around the world, seeking votes in exchange for millions of more dollars in financial support for small and large football countries.

“Thank you for being here,” Sheikh Salman said to Infantino. “I know you have been everywhere. I don’t know how you can do it. But I’m sure that you set a record for being in almost every country.”

Sheikh Salman then joked that, perhaps, Infantino had a “clone”.

That drew a laugh. But the largest applause came at the end of his brief address when he again repeated his support for Infantino.

“As one Asian family, we are ready to move forward, united in your support, Gianni,” Sheikh Salman added. “I want to make that clear today.”

Infantino accepts AFC’s support

Infantino took the podium after Sheikh Salman and kept his remarks light. But he did acknowledge some errors.

“When you do many things, you do – hopefully, as we did, many good things – you do some mistakes as well,” Infantino said. “The important, however, is, as you said, to learn, to learn always from the experience, from the mistakes, to apologise, to move ahead, to come together, to unite, to build for our future, for your future.”

The largest applause came as he mentioned how, under his leadership, millions more are flowing to FIFA’s patronage network.

“Before I started as FIFA president, each of you – some of you are still [here] and still remember that time – each of you was receiving $1m every four years” Infantino said. “As of the first of January of next year, it will be $25m.”

Caracas, October 19, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has lifted “precautionary asset freezes” against Marleny Contreras, wife of Venezuelan Interior, Justice, and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello, and United Socialist Party (PSUV) lawmaker Jorge Arreaza.

The country’s authorities stated that their inclusion on a list of sanctioned Venezuelan officials was “a mistake” after determining that neither holds assets in Swiss territory nor faces corruption accusations.

The asset freeze was imposed on January 5, two days after US forces bombed Caracas and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Bern claimed the measure was intended to prevent potentially illicit assets from leaving Switzerland amid eventual legal investigations.

The legal measure remains in force until 2030 and includes a formal commitment to return to the Venezuelan people any resources proven to have been illicitly acquired. Over 40 current and former Venezuelan officials, as well as direct relatives and alleged associates, remain on the list.

Alongside the removal of Contreras and Arreaza, the Swiss government added six individuals to the register. New additions include former Venezuelan government envoy and Industry Minister Álex Saab and his business associate Álvaro Pulido. 

Pulido appeared before a Miami court on October 13 after being handed over by Venezuelan authorities to face money laundering charges. Saab was likewise surrendered to US agencies and pleaded guilty to money laundering accusations, pledging to “cooperate” with other US legal investigations.

Saab and Pulido were joined in the Swiss blacklist by José Vicente Amparan Croquer, a lawyer whom US authorities have accused of laundering money from an alleged US $1.2 billion embezzlement scheme at Venezuelan state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), and Mario Enrique Bonilla Vallera, a businessman identified as an alleged front man for Nicolás Maduro’s stepsons.

The list also includes the wife and former wife of two former deputy electricity ministers who were already on the blacklisteed: Milagros Coromoto Torres Morán, wife and business partner of Nervis Villalobos, and María Consuelo Pardi Celis, former wife of Javier Alvarado Ochoa.

The Swiss decision came two days after the US Treasury Department removed Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, chief negotiator in a US-backed dialogue process with an opposition faction, and brother of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, from its own sanctions list. Delcy Rodríguez herself was removed from the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list last April.

Jorge Rodríguez was first targeted on September 25, 2018, during Trump’s first term in office. Individual sanctions block any assets the person may have on US soil and bar US individuals and companies from engaging in any transactions. The measures lead to issues of overcompliance.

Spanish daily ABC’s White House correspondent David Alandete argued that the parliamentary leader’s removal from the SDN list was a reward for his “cooperation” in a “new phase of relations between Caracas and the White House.”

The move was announced on the same day that Delcy Rodríguez’s acting government and the opposition delegation led by former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera began a third round of US-endorsed talks in Caracas. The discussions are intended to address the continuation of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) renewal process, as well as political rights and guarantees.

Nevertheless, 254 individuals and entities remain on the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list. The Trump administration also maintains wide-reaching coercive measures against key Venezuelan economic sectors, including oil, mining, and banking.

Since January, Washington has issued sanctions waivers to allow select Western corporations to secure access to Venezuelan oil and mineral resources under favorable conditions. The White House has also greenlit select US companies to export and import products to and from the Caribbean nation. However, revenues from Venezuelan exports are deposited in a US Treasury account, with US officials deciding when and how much to disburse to Caracas.

Last week, the Trump administration issued General License 60A. The license authorizes humanitarian assistance transactions focused on addressing damage caused by Venezuela’s June 24 double earthquake until April 21, 2027.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

This beautiful seaside town has gorgeous coastal walks and plenty to see

As the summer throngs start to thin out, late August and September offer an ideal opportunity to discover Devon’s coastline, with less crowded beaches, gentler temperatures and beautiful walks just waiting to be enjoyed. A delightful seaside town nestled between steep hills and the Bristol Channel has been crowned Devon’s finest seaside destination by Which?, placing it squarely on the map for an idyllic West Country escape.

Lynmouth is the sort of spot that appears almost impossibly picturesque, with its lovely riverside location, striking coastline and classic village appeal. Perched on the fringes of Exmoor National Park, it’s encircled by breathtaking scenery and is frequently dubbed “Little Switzerland”.

The region is a paradise for ramblers, with the South West Coast Path and Tarka Trail winding through the village and providing numerous routes to discover. Tourists can trace the River Lyn upstream to Watersmeet, a striking wooded gorge looked after by the National Trust, complete with riverside paths and a tea garden.

Among Lynmouth’s standout features is the renowned Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, which has linked the twin villages since 1890. The 260-metre railway holds the title of the world’s highest and steepest water-powered railway, with travellers enjoying panoramic coastal vistas as they journey between the two settlements.

Those looking to transform their visit into a romantic getaway, River View is a second-floor flat positioned directly alongside the river in Lynmouth. The property boasts a furnished balcony with views over the bay, and on a clear day, guests might even glimpse the Welsh coastline in the distance.

Within, the flat provides a cosy open-plan lounge and kitchen space kitted out with everything required for an uncomplicated self-catering break. A king-size master bedroom with an en-suite shower room delivers a peaceful retreat in which to relax after a day discovering the coastline.

The balcony proves a particularly beautiful location for a morning cuppa or an evening tipple, with vistas across the river and the neighbouring village. There’s also no need to fret about preparing every meal, with numerous cafes and eateries nearby for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

For a different setting, Ilfracombe sits less than 20 miles away, celebrated for its selection of restaurants and historic harbour. Guests can also catch sight of Damien Hirst’s eye-catching ‘Verity’ statue positioned at the harbour entrance before returning to the tranquil environment of Lynmouth.

For even more striking scenery, holidaymakers can make the 1.5-mile trip to the Valley of Rocks, where soaring cliffs and distinctive rock formations form one of Exmoor’s most spectacular landscapes. The area is also home to intrepid goats and some of the highest sea cliffs in Britain, making it a memorable spot for a coastal walk.

If a large group gathering is in the pipeline, the area is additionally home to Lynhurst, a spacious, impressive property just a brief stroll from the historic village of Lynton. Nestled within stunning gardens and natural woodland, it boasts a games room with a slate pool table and dart board, alongside an outdoor table tennis table for abundant entertainment.

Visitors who have previously enjoyed a stay at River View have posted glowing reviews online. One guest said: “Lovely apartment. Perfectly situated with everything we needed. A real ‘home from home’. We love Lynmouth and will be back.”

Another added: “A wonderful location for walkers as several spectacular river and coastal walks from the door. Great for visitors with dogs, close to the promenade for walks and meeting lots of other dogs.”

A more in-depth review explained: “A small but well-equipped and comfortable flat with beautiful views over the river to the sea. Good location to explore the area. Luckily found a temporary parking spot initially on Riverside Road in order to unpack, as the flat entrance is on a pedestrianised street.

“Parking permit was £25 for the week at the nearby Upper Lyndale car park. Tesco delivered groceries without difficulty. Walks locally and some National Trust properties made it a very enjoyable week in a lovely location.”

One guest pointed out, however, that “the two flights of steep stairs would need to be taken into consideration by anybody perhaps not a 100% fit”, while another revelled in the scenery, commenting: “We had the door open all the time and could listen to the water and the wildlife, which we really enjoyed.”