WINTER is coming – and it’s bringing a whole host of scenic travel destinations with it.
France’s Strasbourg is top of holidaymakers’ hotlists, according to the latest Tripadvisor Travel Index, while Tromsø in Norway is creeping up the popularity scale.
There’s more to winter fun than just skiingCredit: GettyFancy spotting the aurora borealis painted across the night sky – from your bed?Credit: Alamy
The travel report revealed the most up-and-coming holiday spots for this season, based on search data for breaks between November 1 this year and February 28, 2027.
Here Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of the most popular holiday packages this winter.
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STRASBOURG, FRANCE
Strasbourg boasts a stunning cathedral, one of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets and hearty Franco-German cuisine, making it a festive winter escapeCredit: Getty
SO much for Paris — the Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg is just as glorious.
It was named among the top experiences in France in the 2026 Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards.
Known as the Gateway to the Arctic, this winter destination offers dog sledding, whale watching, snowmobiling and spectacular views of the Northern LightsCredit: Getty
THIS area, AKA the Gateway to the Arctic, was crowned second most popular spot for this winter.
While its location means that during winter, the sun never rises above the horizon, that doesn’t mean you need to hunker down inside — far from it.
Among popular activities to try are dog or reindeer sledding, whale watching, snowmobiling, ski touring and fishing in the icy fjords.
It’s also one of the best spots in the world to catch the Northern Lights in all their colourful glory.
GO: Five nights’ room-only at the 4* Moxy Tromsø is from £909pp including flights from Gatwick on January 17.
Ghent offers a quieter winter escape than nearby Bruges and Brussels, with illuminated medieval streets and a magical festive market featuring an ice rink and Ferris wheelCredit: Getty
THE nearby hotspots of Bruges and Brussels typically steal the limelight when it comes to winter getaways.
And that’s just why Ghent should be top of your list.
The fact it is less crowded means you can explore its Gothic and medieval architecture at leisure, although it’s best to do so at night when the intricate alleyways and twisted spires are illuminated by spotlights, giving the spires an even more dramatic appearance against the night sky.
Ghent’s winter festival, which operates throughout December and into early January, is magical, with a mini ice rink, ferris wheel and rows of stalls that lead from the canal to the central square.
GO: Seven nights’ room-only at the 3* Hotel Gravensteen is from £489pp including flights from Heathrow on November 26.
Saariselkä in Finnish Lapland offers glass igloos with views of the Northern Lights, Europe’s longest toboggan run and traditional saunas to warm up after a day in the snowCredit: Getty
IF Tromsø’s coastal location doesn’t tickle your fancy, then Saariselka, where earthy pine woodlands are buried in deep powdery snow, just might.
Make sure to stay in a glass igloo — after all, this is the place where they were popularised. And what a spot for them.
From your bed, you have high chances of spotting the aurora borealis painted across the night sky.
Make sure to test out the longest toboggan track in Europe, which stretches 1.8km from the summit of Kaunispaa mountain.
Then warm up those chilled bones in a traditional Finnish sauna.
GO: Three nights’ B&B at the 3* Holiday Club Saariselka is from £914pp including flights from Gatwick on November 29.
Chamonix combines traditional French alpine charm with world-class skiing, a spectacular glass skywalk, ice caves and delicious cheesy racletteCredit: Getty
A COSY and typically French resort town, Chamonix has maintained its traditional charm, despite having sparked the big ski boom.
And unlike the purpose-built ski resorts, this town is vast and sprawling, with lots of wooden chalets dotted around.
While it is a destination that is known for its skiing, there is still plenty else to do in winter.
Le Pas Dans Le Vide is an awesome glass skywalk, suspended at an altitude of metres, at the summit of Aiguille du Midi.
It gives visitors the thrilling sensation of floating above the spectacular Bossons Glacier.
There are also ice caves and ice sculptures and you can dig in to some of the best cheesy raclette in the country.
GO: Seven nights’ self-catering at the 3* Residence Pierre & Vacances La Riviere is from £551pp, including flights from Gatwick on January 2, plus 20kg luggage per person.
FROM big cities to waterfront towns in the Lake District – these destinations are the top places to visit this winter.
The Tripadvisor Travel Index has found places on the up based on searches for travel between November 1, 2026 and February 28, 2027.
The top Tripadvisor trending spots in the UK have been revealed – including DurhamCredit: pallikiAt the very top is Cardiff which will open its Christmas market in NovemberCredit: Alamy
At the very top of the list is the city of Cardiff which “transforms into a winter wonderland at Christmas.”
Tripadvisor suggests a walking tour of the city, or if you want to explore further afield, take this day trip by steamtrain.
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The capital of Wales has plenty to explore from its historic castles to museums and shopping arcades.
Cardiff Market, which is housed under a Victorian glass ceiling is a market that spans across two floors with lots of food stalls underneath.
Another popular spot is Caroline Street which is known locally as Chip Alley as it’s where you’ll find the majority of fish and chip shops and fast food takeaways.
For those wanting to visit in time for the Christmas market, the Cardiff Christmas Market runs from November 12 until December 23.
In second place is Pitlochry in Scotland which has deep ties with the royal family.
It dates back to the 1840s when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Pitlochry.
Queen Victoria praised the town for having fresh ‘Highland air’ which transformed the quiet village into a thriving Victorian holiday resort.
Newquay is popular in the summer and has lots to offer in the winter tooCredit: Alamy
In third spot is Keswick which was praised for its “stunning scenery” particularly around Derwentwater.
It’s framed by mountains like Skiddaw which is the fourth-highest mountain in the Lake District.
For those who want to get out on the water visitors can book onto a Keswick lake cruise – this has views of Skiddaw and ‘Jaws of Borrowdale’ which is a dramatic and narrow gorge.
Another spot on the list is the seaside town of Newquay which while it’s popular for its beaches in the summer, is proving to be a top winter choice too.
When it’s a little darker, take a stroll around the town which has cosy cafes, pubs and shops.
One of the trending cities includes Durham, the historic city sits on the River Wear and has thousands of years of history including its castle and cathedral.
Other cities on the list include Bristol, Leeds and Norwich.
Keswick in Cumbria has sweeping views across DerwentwaterCredit: Alamy
FROM trendy coastal towns to reformed suburbs, the coolest neighbourhoods in the UK have been revealed – and only one in the UK’s capital.
Time Out has found the country’s most exciting spots, taking into account factors like thriving food scenes, nightlife, theatre, art and shopping.
Govanhill in Glasgow came in first place for coolest UK neighbourhoodCredit: AlamyThe only London spot to make the list was Newington GreenCredit: Alamy
It was praised for its trendy new bars, bookshops and brunch spots.
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Reporter for the Scottish Sun Oliver Norton revealed more about it – he told us: “I’m not surprised that Govanhill has just been voted the fifth coolest neighbourhood in the world.
“There’s always something going on, and the multicultural vibe has totally transformed what some once considered a deprived dump.
“When visiting, I like to swing by Cibo, an Italian kitchen and deli, or one of the trendy cafes before browsing through local book and record shops.
“Later in the day, the area comes alive thanks to some of Glasgow’s best pubs – far away from the stress of the city centre.
“Personal favourites include McNeill’s Bar or Ryan’s Bar where some of the city’s finest DJs and selectors have provided the soundtrack to many a night.”
Only one London neighbourhood made it onto the list and that was Newington Green.
The North London neighbourhood came third on the UK list, and 33rd position in the world’s best.
The publication described Newington Green as “brimming with brilliance.”
St Leonards on Sea was the only coastal destination to make it onto the listCredit: Alamy
Along with plenty of lovely coffee shops and restaurants, the area does have some more gritty spots too.
Time Out said “From newly forged, hipstery gastropub Golden Tooth and small-herd butcher-cum-nightclub Stella’s to legendary Turkish seafood joint Sariyer Balik and the old Mildmay Club, Newington Green successfully combines both new and old London.”
Coming in ninth spot was the only seaside town on the list, Central St Leonards in East Sussex.
It was praised by Time Out for its ‘tip-top coffee shops’, galleries and ‘indie businesses’ like the indoor market called Heist along with its hole-in-the-wall bars and cafes.
The second best neighbourhood on the list was revealed to be the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast – which also came 24th in the ‘best in the world’ list.
The Cathedral Quarter in Belfast is one of Jenna’s favourite neighbourhoodsCredit: Jenna Stevens The neighbourhood is known for having cobbled lanes and old warehouses house galleriesCredit: Alamy
It was described as having “cobbled lanes and old warehouses housing galleries, gig spaces, restaurants, yoga studios and enduring cultural institutions.”
Travel Reporter Jenna Stevens said: “Whether you’re wanting a pint in a pretty setting, the city’s coolest souvenir shopping or a backdrop for your Instagram pictures, the Cathedral Quarter is the place to be in Belfast.”
“The area is anchored by St Anne’s Cathedral, where cobbled streets branch out to reveal buzzy bars, pubs and independent shops.
“Once an old warehouse district, this trendy quarter is now the city’s creative heart. Victorian warehouses that used to store linen and rope now house art galleries and indie coffee shops.”
When it comes to food, Jenna suggests checking out The Dirty Onion and Yardbird, The Muddlers Club, and the Common Market.
The North of England is where most of the cool neighbourhoods are according to Time Out.
These included the likes of Underbanks and Central Stockport, Crookes in Sheffield and the Georgian Quarter in Liverpool.
Full list of the 11 coolest neighbourhoods in the UK 2026…
ONE coastal road in Wales which is nicknamed Millionaire’s Row has been compared to the Hamptons in New York.
The houses on the rocky headland have epic sea views – but it’s also right next to one of the cheapest seaside towns where you can book a room for less than £20.
Marine Drive on Great Orme is nicknamed ‘Millionaire’s Row’ and the ‘Hamptons of Wales’Credit: AlamyThe road is minutes away from Llandudno which is one of the country’s cheapest coastal spotsCredit: Alamy
Marine Drive on Great Orme, which is a headland on the north coast of Wales, and it’s considered one of the country’s most expensive streets.
Currently, a home called Plas Craig is on sale for £2.5million – perched high up on the cliff the five-bedroom house has incredible views of the coastline.
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The Hamptons is a celebrity hotspot where stars like Beyonce and Jay-Z, and Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick own homes.
While Great Orme isn’t home to any celebrities (that we know of) it was recently visited by Sigourney Weaver and Miles Teller to film a new movie called The Gorge.
In 2021, Unesco designated 11 historic spa towns across Europe as one transnational world heritage site, recognising their “exceptional testimony to the European spa phenomenon, which gained its highest expression from around 1700 until the 1930s”. This was the original wellness tourism, and these grand health resorts include Bath in England and the town of Spa in Belgium, as well as the west Bohemia spa triangle of Karlovy Vary, Františkovy Lázně and Mariánské Lázně.
Of that trio, Karlovy Vary is the most well known and within a day trip of Prague, but Mariánské Lázně is arguably the prettiest. The town offers three natural healing traditions: mineral springs, carbon dioxide springs known as Maria’s Gas, and therapeutic peloids (mud and clay). Czech nationals are still prescribed weeks-long spa stays to recover from surgery, severe illness or chronic conditions, but anyone can check into the Nové Lázně hotel (doubles from €234 B&B, including spa access), a canary yellow neo-renaissance confection built in 1896 that faces the central park.
Its spa is a trip back in time: baths surrounded by marble columns and intricately decorated treatment cabins, including one built for King Edward VII, who visited nine times. Join tourists and locals drinking the waters from special porcelain cups while walking along the colonnades, and don’t forget to pair it with a spa wafer – large, thin, crispy confections with sweet fillings such as hazelnut or chocolate. It’s not all virtuous.
Bad Kissingen, Germany
Bad Kissingen in Bavaria is renowned for its architecture. Photograph: Moskwa/Alamy
Germany is home to about 350 designated spa towns, including three of the Unesco Great Spa Towns of Europe: celebrity favourite Baden-Baden, quiet riverside Bad Ems and elegant Bad Kissingen in Bavaria. The latter’s striking architecture is arguably the most interesting of the three, much of the central spa district having been rebuilt by star German architect Max Littmann in the early 20th century. This includes the grand fountain hall, with its stained-glass roof, where Brunnenfrauen (fountain women) dispense different mineral waters from bronze pipes, and the huge basilica-style Wandelhalle, where the town’s spa philharmonic orchestra performs several times a day.
Music has always been part of the spa experience – the Staatsbad Philharmonie Kissingen holds the world record for the most concerts performed in one year (727!) – and the beautiful art nouveau-style Regentenbau houses one of the best concert halls in Europe.
The modern KissSalis Therme (from €19 for two hours) on the southern edge of town is the main public bathhouse today, with indoor and outdoor thermal pools, mud treatments and various – clothing-free – saunas.
At the more classical end of the spa spectrum, the Grand Hotel Kaiserhof Victoria (doubles from €209 B&B, including spa access) sits next door to the Wandelhalle on the town’s Kurgarten. The water used in the spa here is pumped up directly from the brine spring, while the inhalation room has a wooden graduation tower covered in knobbly salt deposits, which mimics the healing effects of mineral-rich sea air.
Bad Wildbad, Germany
A pool at Palais Thermal in Bad Wildbad. Photograph: Cavan Images/Alamy
Deep in the north of the Black Forest, this spa town offers ways of immersing in nature beyond soaking in waters from the thermal springs. Rising above the town, Sommerberg (meaning “summer mountain”) will get pulses racing. A funicular railway whizzes visitors to the top, the starting point for hiking and biking routes. For more heart-pumping views, the accessible Treetop Walk (€12.50) spirals above the dense pine trees to an observation tower 40 metres up, with a tunnel slide back down the middle for extra thrills, while the Wildline suspension bridge (€9.50) – with its 380-metre walkway – arches over the Enz valley for maximum views.
Back in town, there are two thermal baths to dip into: the modern Vital Therme, where those with joint and back problems are prescribed movement therapy and spa treatments (€14 for three hours); and the historic Palais Thermal, where the pools are surrounded by marble pillars, statues of Venus and Moorish tiles (€21 for three hours). Mokni’s Palais Hotel is connected to the Palais Thermal building, meaning guests can pad over in their bathrobes (doubles from €183 B&B, including access to the spa).
Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, France
Château du Gué aux Biches at Bagnoles de l’Orne
Local legend has it that, after many battles, the medieval lord Seigneur Hugues de Tessé freed his faithful warhorse Rapide in Normandy’s Andaines forest to live out the rest of its days in peace. Much to the nobleman’s surprise, the horse later returned to him stronger and full of life, then led his master to the warm, sulphurous waters of Bagnoles’ spring. Centuries later, a spa resort sprang up so the Parisian bourgeoisie could also tap into this fountain of youth, with belle époque villas laid out on the shores of a lake in the middle of the forest (today, it’s also handily less than an hour and a half from the ferry at Caen for British wellness seekers).
That belle époque quartier was the vision of local politician Albert Christophle, whose former hunting lodge on the edge of the village is now the very lovely five-bedroom Château du Gué aux Biches (doubles from €195 B&B).
This summer, its Danish owners, Klaus Bentin and Soren Rasmussen, added a new restaurant in the old kitchen, serving up smørrebrød (open sandwiches).
The hotel has a partnership with the nearby spa at B’O Resort, meaning Klaus or Soren will line up your treatments, and there are bicycles to borrow so you can pedal a couple of kilometres over for that clay body wrap or hydromassage.
The surrounding forest is crisscrossed with hiking, biking and trail running routes. In autumn, take things more meditatively by going mushroom foraging among the more than 1,700 varieties sprouting from the Andaines forest floor.
Bad Gastein, Austria
Felsentherme thermal spa at Bad Gastein, Salzburg province. Photograph: Alamy
This genteel town in the Hohe Tauern Alps was built on water; indeed, a roaring waterfall cascades right through the middle of it. The healing reputation of its radon-rich waters, which bubble up from the town’s thermal springs, saw grand hotels built in the 19th century to house the emperors and aristocrats, writers and thinkers (Sigmund Freud among them) who came to be cured of their ills.
The fashion for “taking the waters” trickled away, but in recent years there’s been something of a revival, with a clutch of new hotels opening. The Cōmodo (doubles from €188 B&B) is one of them, a slick spot refashioned from a 1960s sanatorium. Bedrooms look out over the valley and mountains, as does the thermal water-filled indoor pool. There are several public fountains where you can still drink water straight from the source (warm, slightly salty and metallic tasting), but perhaps more palatable is to soak at the brutalist Felsentherme public bath complex with its numerous pools (€40 for a day pass).
Just as warming – but with fewer health benefits – is a bowl ofKaspressknödelsuppe (beef broth with cheese-infused dumplings) at the cosy cabin of Schafflinger Alm (soups from €4.50, mains from €17) after a bracing hike through the forest or carving up the Schlossalm-Angertal-Stubnerkogel ski area, where the season kicks off in late November.
Piešťany’s Spa Island, Slovakia
Irma Balneotherapy House in Piestany. Photograph: Piestany tourism board
Just before crossing the Colonnade Bridge to get to Piešťany’s Spa Island, there’s a statue of a man breaking his crutch, symbolic of the healing powers of the town’s thermal waters and sulphurous mud, harnessed on this enclave of wellness in the Váh River. The first simple wooden bathhouses were built on the island in 1778, but the opening of the Thermia Palace hotel and its Irma Balneotherapy House in 1912 turned it into a health resort.
Further hotels and spas are dotted between the trees and become increasingly concrete and functional as you get further from the bridge.
The Thermia Palace is still the fanciest option, with a raft of treatment programmes in the spa, from extensive diagnostics and lab tests to mud packs and pools (doubles from €210 half-board, including spa access). The blue-black goop is applied all over the body at a toasty 45C and left for about 10 minutes before being unceremoniously hosed off.
Outside, the spa park also feels restorative, with lily ponds, fountains and free-roaming peacocks.
In town, Elektrárňa Piešťany is a former power plant turned cultural centre that feels surprisingly vital, with film festivals and rock concerts, while the strikingly brutalist House of Arts hosts chamber orchestras and tango music trios.
Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia
The Grand hotel at Rogaška. Photograph: Andrija Majsen/Alamy
This town in eastern Slovenia is famed for Donat Mg, one of the world’s most magnesium-rich mineral waters, traditionally consumed for its digestive benefits. The company now sells millions of bottles of the stuff each year, but here at the source you can sip it for free from the fountains in the Pivnica Drinking Hall – although its salty, fizzy, metallic flavour is something of an acquired taste.
Like other towns of its ilk, Rogaška attracted the great and the good of Europe in the 19th century, and its confection of architecture is testament to that. A short stroll away from the drinking hall, through immaculately clipped gardens, the butter-yellow Grand Hotel Rogaška is straight out of the town’s golden age (doubles from €198 half-board include spa access). Bedrooms are traditional, but the spa has all the bells and whistles, from carbon dioxide baths and mineral water inhalations to reflexology and magnetotherapy.
Somewhat fittingly for a town famous for its drinking water, Rogaška is also known for its glassware – and visitors can tour the Rogaška crystal factory (€12) to see the glass-blowing in action before buying glasses for their Donat Mg from the on-site shop. The surrounding wooded hills are the place for autumn walks.
Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy
Terme Berzieri in Salsomaggiore, Emilia-Romagna. Photograph: Elena Dallari
In Emilia-Romagna’s so-called “food valley”, not far from Parma, this small spa town will help balance out some of that indulgence. Last year, the Italian thermal brand QC Spa of Wonders reopened the beautiful art deco-style Terme Berzieri, where the gilded interiors – all frescoes, mosaics, majolica and stucco – are as much of a draw as the salty spring waters, rich in iodine and bromide (five-hour spa sessions from €62). There’s the usual thermal attractions, as well as a sauna cinema and infinity rooftop pool, while treatments in wooden barrels nod to the area’s winemaking.
Try some of those wines at the Cantina Il Poggio vineyard in the hills outside Salsomaggiore, which produces a range of styles including the local sparkling Malvasia di Candia Aromatica (tastings from €30). Continue the tastings with a visit to a parmigiano reggiano producer, such as Caseificio Ugolotti (tour and tasting €23), before picking up some ham from Parma’s famous La Prosciutteria. Stop for a roast pork sandwich at legendary panini place Pepèn, before feasting your eyes on the Pilotta Palace complex with the Galleria Nazionale, Palatine Library and Farnese theatre, while the opulent Teatro Regio hosts the annual Verdi festival in October. The organic agriturismoCase Zucchi, about a 10-minute drive from Salsomaggiore, makes a suitably foodie base, with bedrooms named after herbs and the breakfast table piled with fresh bread, eggs, ham, cheese and fruit each morning (doubles from £104 B&B).
Caldas de Monchique, Portugal
The terraced fields of Serra de Monchique near Fóia, the highest mountain in the Algarve. Photograph: Image Broker/Alamy
High in the Serra de Monchique mountains, surrounded by cork oak and eucalyptus forests, the whitewashed hill town of Monchique offers a slower-paced autumn escape than the nearby Algarve coast. Its cobbled streets are lined with craft shops, ceramic workshops and simple taverns serving chouriço (smoked sausage) with a small glass of medronho (fruit brandy). In a wooded valley below town, the spa village of Caldas de Monchique is little more than a handful of 19th-century buildings around a shaded square and park, where you can drink slightly warm spring water from the public fountain.
The spa offers hydro rituals including a Vichy shower, massage and bath, or thermal water circuits around the pools, sauna and Turkish baths, before a dip in the outdoor pool.
Afterwards, the 1692 restaurant, with its stained-glass windows, dishes up bacalhau à Monchique (salt cod stuffed with chouriço and ham). It’s not far from here to Fóia, the highest mountain in the Algarve at 902 metres. It’s worth the walk to the summit for the views, or hike on a further 2½ miles (4km) to the Barbelote waterfall, which cascades over a rocky cliff face in the wetter months.
Chaves, Portugal
Eco cabins at Pedras Salgadas Spa and Nature Park
There’s a little run of spa towns in the north of Portugal near the Spanish border, a curative route through Pedras Salgadas, Carvalhelhos, Vidago, Carlão and Chaves.
In Chaves, the waters are some of the hottest in Europe, coming out of the ground at a scorching 76C. The Romans built a large therapeutic bathing complex here, that was only rediscovered by accident in 2006 when work began on an underground car park. Now, the free Museu Termas Romanas de Chaves allows visitors to explore the pools and soaking baths, perfectly preserved thanks to an earthquake in the 4th century that sealed them for millennia.
To take the waters today, head to the Aquae Salutem Thermal Complex (€30 for 90 minutes), a circuit of outdoor pools, saunas, steam and showers that opened in 2025.
About half an hour down the road, the Pedras Salgadas Spa and Nature Park sits on the fringes of one of the other small spa towns. The owners have built 18 eco-houses and treehouses on stilts (doubles from £171 B&B, spa access additional £17 per room) among the pine trees at the source.
Guests can do a spot of forest bathing before dipping into the spa – redesigned by one of Portugal’s most famous architects, Álvaro Siza – for a thermal water hydro-massage, or wander between the pink spring pavilions in the park. Pedras Salgadas is also a popular, naturally sparkling mineral water brand.
WHEN you picture Dublin, pints of Guinness in the Temple Bar district tend to be the first thing that spring to mind.
But this city is hiding a stunning coastline, with charming seaside towns, craggy castles and beaches so beautiful they’ve earned the stretch the nickname of the Amalfi Coast of Ireland.
The Dublin Coastal Trail stretches from Balbriggan to Killiney, where cliff walks overlook white sandsCredit: AlamyEnjoy the scenic views at Glendalough Valley and upper lake in County WicklowCredit: Getty
Flights cost as little as £21 each way and take just over an hour, so it’s a no-brainer for a budget break combining city and sea.
I ventured along the Dublin Coastal Trail, which stretches from Balbriggan to Killiney, where cliff walks overlook white sands and there are puffin-spotting opportunities aplenty.
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It’s fully accessible by public transport, too. I picked up a Dublin Transport Freedom Ticket from £42, which offers 72 hours worth of travel on buses, trams and the Dart (the coastal train linking these spots).
The first stop on my adventure was Dun Laoghaire, a Victorian seaside town around 15 minutes from Dublin city centre by Dart.
My base was the Royal Marine Hotel, a majestic pink palace that once hosted Frank Sinatra.
A short walk brings you to the Forty Foot, a rocky bathing pool featured in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses and, more recently, on Apple TV’s Bad Sisters.
Locals brave the chilly water year-round, even on Christmas Day, so with the sun shining, I had no excuse.
Plus, visitors can soon warm up at the harbour’s new Helios floating sauna (£21.50pp) where a magnificent floor-to-ceiling window frames paddle-boarders and moored yachts.
Dublin’s is answer to Beverly Hills with medieval streets and cliffside mansions favoured by celebsCredit: AlamyJenna with a spaniel pup at coastal Irish pub The Bloody Stream in HowthCredit: Supplied
Tick off a steak dinner from Casper & Giumbini’s and a delicious treat from Teddy’s ice cream parlour and you’ve done Dun Laoghaire right.
My next stop along the coast was Dalkey, Dublin’s answer to Beverly Hills.
With winding medieval streets and cliffside mansions, it’s an A-list enclave where you might glimpse residents Bono or Enya.
But I wasn’t here for celeb-spotting. It was the seal-spotting I cared about.
A kayak tour (£77) with local guide Jenny took us past seals posing on rocks in curved banana shapes — a sign they feel totally chillaxed, Jenny explained.
We then paddled past bioluminescent moon jellyfish weaving around bladderwrack seaweed, before looping back to Dun Laoghaire, ready for dinner.
This time I gave Hartley’s restaurant a go, where baked salmon followed by a peanut butter brownie rewarded my slightly aching limbs. And if peanut butter brownies sound up your street, you’ll love Blackrock, just over five minutes away by Dart.
This suburb is a bustling hub of artisan bakeries and home to a vintage weekend market you could easily lose hours in.
Armed with a flat white and an iced cinnamon roll from trendy cafe Hatch, I hit the market to sift through a bohemian treasure trove of retro records, vintage dresses and jingling chimes.
This gem of a spot could only be topped by Howth, which might just be my favourite Irish suburb.
Here I met Mark, a local whose Coastal Hike With Pints & Puppies tour (GetYourGuide, £40pp) ticked off a dream combination of activities.
We headed for the Howth Cliff Path on a two-hour loop which offers hands-down Dublin’s most spectacular coastal views.
As we passed turquoise waters shimmering beneath moss-topped cliffs, we came to a lighthouse on a strip of land jutting out over the sea, otherwise known as the Nose of Howth.
In the distance was the small island of Ireland’s Eye, where playful puffins nest.
At local pub The Bloody Stream, Mark’s spaniel puppies (who are likely closer to adulthood by now) mingle with the group.
Mark told me he’s the happiest man in the world to show off the beauty of his town for a living, and I believe him.
If you’re wanting to venture further than Dublin, you can hop on a day’s coach trip with Wild Rover Tours.
The Kilkenny, Wicklow & Glendalough Day Tour (£37) gives you a fast-pass to the neighbouring counties’ best scenery.
Our tour began in Kilkenny, a maze-like medieval city packed with witchy history.
Kilkenny saw Ireland’s first witch trial — that of Alice Kyteler in 1324 — and today you can dine in Kyteler’s Inn, her rumoured former home, marked by the swinging sign of a black cat.
From there we rolled into Glendalough, a glacial valley famous for its glittering twin lakes. After an easy circular loop, we rounded out the afternoon at Cullens Sheep Farm, where farmer Richie led an impressive sheepdog-herding demonstration.
The best part, however, was getting to snuggle up with an adorable fluffy lamb.
You don’t get that at Temple Bar.
GO: DUBLIN COASTAL TRAIL
GETTING THERE: British Airways has return flights from London to Dublin from £42. See ba.com.
STAYING THERE: The Royal Marine Hotel has rooms from £111 per night on a room-only basis. See royalmarine.ie.
Few pubs boast a more idyllic setting. As I emerge from the woods after a 15-mile hike, The Bridges, on the banks of the Onny River, in the rolling south Shropshire hills, glistens in the late afternoon sun. Inside it’s all wooden beams, with light streaming through stained glass and huge bunches of homegrown flowers adding splashes of colour. There’s time for a pint before general manager Sam Thompson shows me to my room in the recently converted stables.
I’m here exploring part of the 185-mile (297km) Shropshire Way, on a two-day Heart of the Hills hike – one of the county tourist board’s new Rail-Ready Short Breaks. Designed for people who don’t have time to tackle the whole route, the itineraries focus on loops that are easy to access by train, with illustrated PDF downloads, GPX files, accommodation suggestions and highlights of what to do along the way. My route will take me from Shrewsbury to Bishop’s Castle via Ratlinghope – about 27 miles, perfect for a weekend.
The Bridges pub in Ratlinghope.
Shrewsbury itself is worth lingering in – the historic market town is crammed with independent shops and restaurants (I loved Csons for its creative small plates) and impressive Tudor architecture. But I’m most intrigued to learn that beavers have been reintroduced here by the council and the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The first kit in the county in 400 years was born late last year and the Trust’s Tom Freeland shows me around the site, the Old River Bed nature reserve, just two miles north of the town centre. A boardwalk crossing wetlands allows an up-close view of the rewilding project. Although we don’t spy the elusive creatures (we see heron and plenty of moorhen), there’s still lots to learn. “It’s been a great success in inspiring the community to find out more about our local wildlife,” says Tom. Nature talks and guided tours of the beaver enclosure are in the pipeline, too.
Back at my base, the 16th-century Lion + Pheasant townhouse hotel, I dine on pan-roasted trout in the beamed restaurant (there’s a popular wine and tapas bar on site too) and the next morning set off to walk the first leg to Ratlinghope. Crossing the River Severn, the city soon peters out and quiet country lanes lead to Lyth Hill Country Park where expansive views open up across Shropshire.
It’s a steady climb to Wilderley Hill, past fields of rape, bright patches of yellow in a sea of green, and I stop under an oak tree to picnic. There’s no one around, just the songs of wren and chaffinch filling the air. The landscape changes on the approach to Ratlinghope as the route traces a brook, crosses wooden bridges and winds through pretty woodland. Just off the path lies the 12th-century St Margaret’s Church, the burial place of 19th-century farmer Richard Munslow, the last known “sin-eater”, whose job it was to eat bread and drink ale over corpses to absorb their sins.
I enjoy a drink instead in the pretty beer garden at The Bridges. The seven immaculate, minimalist rooms are round an adjacent courtyard – and guests have access to a lounge above the pub, too. The food in the bar includes Guinness rarebit and duck terrine, while the light-filled restaurant focuses on organic fare from the owners’ regenerative farm on the Linley Estate and the Welsh Marches. I feast on huge radishes with anchoïade, and hake with fennel, capers and crispy polenta. Breakfast the next morning – homemade granola and poached rhubarb – is equally delicious. It’s such a lively, friendly place I’m tempted to move nearby for the pub alone. They’ll even drive locals home if they’ve had one too many, Sam tells me.
Blue skies and gentle sunshine greet me for day two of the hike, a 12-mile yomp across rugged moorland and pastures to Bishop’s Castle. The pub lies on the edge of the Long Mynd, a heath and moorland plateau, but I’m heading north to the Stiperstones, a national nature reserve with a wild, dramatic ridge of quartzite rock formations that pierce the ground. I climb higher, passing Devil’s Chair tor, watching skylarks and buzzards soar overhead.
The Devil’s Chair on the Stiperstones Ridge, Shropshire. Photograph: Vincent Lowe/Alamy
It’s a beautiful walk. After several hours, a magnificent avenue of Linley Beeches line the descent into Bishop’s Castle, a pretty town of half-timbered houses. Bank House B&B, a Georgian renovation with an oak-panelled drawing room and five antique-filled rooms, is my home for the night. I pop into the Poetry Pharmacy where prescriptions are poems chosen to spark specific emotions, to be “taken” when required (I leave with a bottle of Joy). Although little remains of the medieval castle that once stood here and gives the town its name, the grand Castle Hotel, with its pretty gardens and welcoming restaurant, is worth a visit.
With more time, I could, of course, carry on and add another loop of the trail. But the train back home beckons – Craven Arms station is a short bus or taxi ride away – and I leave feeling pleased to have dipped my toe into a small segment of the Shropshire Way. As far as rambling weekends go, it’s ticked all the right boxes, and whetted my appetite to discover more.
