Europe and Middle East

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Europe and Middle East. independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

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Cary Arms Hotel. Devon

That clever Peter de Savary brought us Bovey Castle in Devon, and now his wife Lana has scored a coup in the county of cream, cider and sailing villages – The Cary Arms Hotel in Babbacombe Beach. She identified a rundown pub with the most beautiful location in Britain and decided to endow it with […]

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Weekend in Vienna

Vienna’s attractions are legendary. The architecture, the elegance, the history and of course the music. But there is a new trend that is being enjoyed by both Viennese and visitors alike – culinary and culture weekends. Now you can enjoy the magnificent art and culture scene and indulge in spectacular gastronomy at the same time.

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Cotswolds88 Hotel. Cotswolds goes hip.

Step into Cotswolds88 hotel, set in the beautiful village of Painswick and you’d be excused for thinking you’d just stepped off the London Overground into East London’s hippest new joint. From outside the hotel, the design is very much in keeping with the local area, complete with traditional cream Cotswold stone.

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Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Tom Watson once said of Royal Dornoch that it was ‘the most fun I’ve ever had on a golf course’. well, it might be Ok for Tom to go there and ‘have fun’, but for me it was quite simply a religious experience.

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Cortina d’Ampezzo. Walking on summer sunshine

Guido Pompanin knows a thing or two about The Dolomites. Not surprising really when you consider his father Ugo and few friends built their very own cable car service to ferry passengers 2,700 metres up from Cortina d’Ampezzo to the summit of Mount Lagazuoi in 1965.

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WW1 Trenches of the Dolomites

High up on the Lagazuoi slopes of The Dolomites, some 2,500 meters above Cortina d’Ampezzo, a fierce struggle took place in atrocious conditions from 1915 to 1917 between Italy and the forces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

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