Other activities in Europe
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Richmond Boat Hire
The stretch of the Thames from Twickenham Bridge to Petersham and Ham is one of the prettiest in London. The action is mostly around Richmond Bridge, built in 1777 and London’s oldest surviving crossing, only widened for traffic in 1937. The lovely walk to Petersham can be crowded in nice weather; best to cut across Petersham Meadows and continue to Richmond Park for peace and quiet. There are several companies near Richmond Bridge, including Richmond Boat Hire, that offer skiff hire (adult/child £5/2.50 per hour, £15/7.50 per day).
reviewed
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Hjejlen
The Hjejlen, the world’s oldest operating paddle steamer, has been faithfully plying the waters of the Lake District since it was first launched in 1861. These days the boat shuttles tourists from Silkeborg to the foot of Himmelbjerget during the summer season (10am and 2pm daily, July to mid-August). The operators have other boats regularly plying the same route during this period, and from May to September. The route (adult one way/return 75/105kr, 1¼ hours) takes in a wealth of river and lake scenery and is one of the most popular outings in the Lake District.
reviewed
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Planica
The ski-jumping centre at Planica, 6km to the west and across the motorway from Rateče, has six jumps with lengths of 25m, 120m and 180m. The short lift near the Dom Planica hut reaches an altitude of 900m. There are also some good possibilities at Planica for tobogganing and for cross-country skiing in the Tamar Valley.
The Ski Jumping World Championships are held here every year in March. The 100m mark was reached here by Austrian Josef Bradl in 1934 and the 200m one by the Finn Toni Nieminen in 1994. Another Finn, Janne Ahonen, set a new world record here in 2005 by jumping 240m.
reviewed
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Il Burchiello
Il Burchiello is a modern version of the luxury barges that once plied the river Brenta, so you can see the Veneto countryside from the perspective of a Venetian courtier. Watch as 50 villas drift past from cushy velvet couches with a glass of prosecco from the on-board bar. Day cruises stop at La Malcontenta, Widmann and Pisani villas; half-day tours (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) cover two villas. Full-day cruises leave from Venice (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) or Padua (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), with bus transfers to train stations.
reviewed
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Ô Chateau
Ô Chateau is a young fun-charged company run by bilingual sommelier Olivier Magny that offers the full range of tastings and experiences in a 17th-century vaulted stone cellar near the Louvre: wine-tasting over dinner (€130) or a cheese lunch (€75), with chocolate (€65), grands crus master classes (€95) and so on. It also organises day trips to Champagne to taste you know what (€150), Champagne-fuelled river cruises (€45) and, by night, Champagne bus parties (€60) with music which include, hmm, learning how to open a bottle of champers with a sword in front of the Eiffel Tower.
reviewed
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Djurs Sommerland
If you’re travelling with hyperactive kids, let them drag you to one of Djursland’s biggest drawcards, Djurs Sommerland. It’s a much-hyped amusement park with arguably the best outdoor rides in Jutland (more than 60) and a waterpark, with pools and waterslides for all ages. Your wallet may feel the sting, however, when you realise that everyone over the age of three pays the same entrance fee; once this is paid, though, you’re free to play to your heart’s content. Closing hours vary (from 5pm to 9pm in July and August).
reviewed
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Harnn & Thann
This relaxing ‘natural home spa’ in a secret courtyard is a heady one for the senses. Masseuses soothe muscles with traditional Thai massage techniques and an aromatic mix of herbs and essential oils. Particularly inventive are its Wednesday Les Petit Duos (€50) – a 30-minute massage for one worn-out mum or dad plus kid (aged six to 12 years) – and its after-work bien-être (well-being; €250) deal for couples, which includes a foot bath, massage en duo and dinner at a neighbouring Thai restaurant. A 20-minute lounge in the peacock-blue hammam costs €20.
reviewed
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Therme Vals
Using 60,000 slabs of local quartzite and playing on light to amplify the feeling of space, Zumthor created one of the country’s most enchanting thermal spas, Therme Vals. Aside from heated indoor and outdoor pools, this grey-stone labyrinth hides all sorts of watery nooks and crannies, cleverly lit and full of cavernous atmosphere. Try the deep-heat Feuerbad (42°C), the perfumed Blütenbad or the escapist Grottenbad. Have a hum in the latter and enjoy the other-worldly acoustics! Sweat out all those impurities in the steam rooms.
reviewed
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Children’s Railway
Board the narrow-gauge Children’s Railway on Hegyhát út. The railway (with eight stops) was built in 1951 by Pioneers (socialist Scouts) and is now staffed entirely by schoolchildren aged 10 to 14 – the engineer excepted. The little train chugs along for 12km, terminating at Hűvösvölgy. Departure times vary widely depending on the day of the week and the season – consult the website – but count on one every hour or so between 9am or 10am and 5pm or 6pm. The line is closed on Monday from September to April.
reviewed
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Spitsbergen Travel
One of the giants of the Svalbard travel scene, Spitsbergen Travel runs three-day guided cruises between mid-June and mid-September aboard the former Hurtigruten coastal steamer Nordstjernena, putting ashore at both Barentsburg and Ny Ålesund. Prices, not including airfare, start at Nkr7930/12,875 per person without/with private shower. It also offers seven-day cruises with the smaller Polar Star, which penetrates more deeply into Svalbard’s so lightly travelled areas. Prices begin at Nkr32,600 per double cabin.
reviewed
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Alpkäserei Gerschnialp
If it is a Cleopatra-like complexion you desire, take a beautifying dip in Molke (whey) at Alpkäserei Gerschnialp cheese dairy, nestled at the foot of Mt Titlis. Here you can soak and dream in an open-air tub, surrounded by flower-strewn meadows and serenaded by cowbells. Full of B-complex vitamins and minerals, the natural cheese by-product is said to leave the skin silky smooth. If you don’t want to bathe on your lonesome for Sfr40, you can bring a friend for Sfr60, or your entire family for Sfr80. Call ahead to book.
reviewed
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Stockholmsightseeing
Operates frequent cruises from early April to mid-December around the central bridges and canals from Strömkajen (near the Grand Hôtel; Map pp52-3, G6) and Nybroplan; tickets are available from departure points. Some of the one-hour tours are free for Stockholm Card holders, but the two-hour tour, Under the Bridges of Stockholm (tickets Skr190), is the most enlightening option. The 75-minute Winter Tour (mid-December to early April; tickets Skr180 to Skr240) takes in the city and archipelago islands of Fjäderholmarna on an ice-breaking boat.
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Brussa
Aspiring sea captains with nerves of steel can take on Venetian water traffic in a rented boat from Brussa. You can hire a 7m boat (including fuel) that can carry up to six people for an hour (€22) or a day (€140), or make arrangements for longer periods. You don’t need a licence, but you will be taken on a test run to see if you can manoeuvre and park; be sure to ask them to point out the four boat petrol stations around Venice on a map. If you’d rather enjoy cocktails on board and leave the sailing to the experts, look into lagoon tours.
reviewed
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Kulikov Travel Department
Kulikov Travel Department is based at the Tula Antiquities Exhibition Centre. Tours cost R495 per person, including transport, guide and museum tickets, and usually require a minimum of 10 people, so you’ll be grouped with others. Note that some trips depart from Moscow, with the option of stopping off in Tula. If no group is available, the travel department may be able to arrange a car – but if you’re serious about making a trip here you’d be wise to contact the travel department ahead of time.
reviewed
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Holland Rent-a-Bike
Many visitors rent a bike towards the end of their stay and wish they had done so sooner. We can’t recommend it highly enough. Rental companies can be found all over town; all require ID plus a cash deposit or credit-card imprint. Most have a variety of bicycles, starting with single-speed models with coaster brakes; handbrakes and gears cost a little more. Handy to Centraal Station is Holland Rent-a-Bike in the Beurs van Berlage. Bike City puts no advertising on its bikes, so you can pretend you’re a local.
reviewed
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Pila
The 1800m-high resort of Pila, accessible by the Aosta–Pila cable car from Aosta or an 18km drive south, is quick and easy to reach from the town. Its 70km of runs, served by 13 lifts, form one of the valley’s largest ski areas. Its highest slope, in the shadow of Gran Paradiso, reaches 2700m and sports an ace snow park with a half-pipe, jump and slide and freestyle area for boarders and freestyle skiers. The ski station is a village of sorts, but services such as the tourist office, police and medical services are handled from Aosta.
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Prague Sightseeing Tours
A whole range of outings is offered by Prague Sightseeing Tours – look for the yellow kiosk near the metro entrance on náměstí Republiky. The two-hour ‘Informative Prague’ bus tour (adult/child 410/280Kč, departing 11am and 1.30pm from April to October) takes in all of Prague’s important historical sites, and the ‘Grand City’ tour (660/330Kč, departing 9.30am and 2pm April to October) combines a bus tour of the main sites with a walk through Prague Castle.
reviewed
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Sonairte
Just outside Laytown on the road to Julianstown is Sonairte, the National Ecology Centre. Dedicated to promoting ecological awareness, it’s a wonderful place to learn about sustainable living and organic horticulture. You can take a guided tour of the organic gardens and 200-year-old orchard, follow the nature trail or river walk, or take a course in anything from beekeeping to foraging for wild food and organic gardening. There’s a shop and organic cafe on site. The centre is five minutes walk from Laytown train station.
reviewed
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Horse Riding Bulgaria
Seeing the open countryside from atop a horse can be a magical experience, and there are several companies around the country offering horse-riding tours in some of the most spectacular areas such as the Balkan range, the Pirin Mountains and the Black Sea coast. One of the most comprehensive companies is Horse Riding Bulgaria, which runs an array of adventures including eight-day treks in the Western Balkan range, based around Koprivshtitsa for €695 per person, and around Strandzha Nature Park for €750.
reviewed
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Hizha Rilski Ezera
From Hizha Malîovitsa, it’s a seven-hour hike to Hizha Sedemte Ezera, an older hut with simple dormitories. Alternatively, a little further north you’ll find Hizha Rilski Ezera, up at 2150m. The Rila Mountains’ best hizha, it offers dorm beds and rooms with a shared/private bathroom from around 30/35 lv per person, including breakfast and dinner, plus a café. Reservations aren’t necessary, except during August’s grand convocation of the mystical White Brotherhood.
reviewed
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Wells Spa
OK, so it’s not technically in Dublin, but this extraordinary spa in a luxurious country house is the favourite chill-out spot for Dublin’s high-flyers. Mud and flotation chambers, Finnish and aroma baths, Hammam massages and a full range of Decleor & Carita treatments make this one of the top spas in the country. Whole-day treatments include a light lunch and full use of all the pool and gym facilities. Your credit card will never have nestled in softer hands. It is 3km west of Rathrum in the village of Macreddin.
reviewed
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Tamina Therme
The perfect cure for a bad case of Heidiness could be spa town Bad Ragaz, a couple of kilometres west of Maienfeld, which opened in 1840 and has attracted the bath-loving likes of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Tamina Therme, a couple of kilometres south of town, was getting a makeover at the time of writing, but should reopen in summer 2009; call ahead or check online for times and prices. Bad Ragaz is on the Chur–Zürich train line. Trains from Chur via Maienfeld run hourly (Sfr8.20, 15 minutes).
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Chateau Euxinograde
Housed in the former royal palace north of Varna on the Black Sea, this winery was established in 1891 by Prince Battenberg; snatched later by the communists, from 1944 to 1989 it catered to high officials of the party. The 90-hectare Euxinograde complex offers no ordinary wine tour; the stately palace features elaborate period furnishings, botanical gardens with rare plants, and the impressive old wine collections of Prince Ferdinand and Tsar Boris III, which includes astonishing treasures such as a Chateau Margaux from 1904.
reviewed
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Lama Trekking Engiadina
Whether you’ve got kids in tow or just fancy a South American–style adventure, Lama Trekking Engiadina has just the solution – doe-eyed, sure-footed llamas to accompany you on walks that take in the glorious forests, mountains and meadows of the Engadine. There’s nothing like a camelid with impeccable eco credentials to motivate little ‘uns to walk and love it. Half-day treks cost Sfr65 for adults and Sfr45 for children, while longer day and multiday treks are also available.
reviewed
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Domaine Boyar
This leading winery emerged soon after the demise of communism, and has become one of Bulgaria’s top exporters to the West. The results of the considerable investments in modern technology and techniques have been numerous awards at international fairs, and a very competitive position among all producers in Eastern and Central Europe. In 2005 it boosted its elite image by becoming the official importer of champagnes drunk in the narrowest of circles – the royal families of Britain, Sweden, Spain and Monaco.
reviewed