Other activities in Europe
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Massif des Bauges Regional Nature Park
Outdoor enthusiasts can delve into 800 sq km of hiking and biking opportunities in the little-known Massif des Bauges Regional Nature Park with its endless pastures and plateaux. Several marked trails kick off from the Maison Faune-Flore (adult/child €2.50/1.50; 10am-12.30pm & 1.30-6.30pm Tue-Sun) in École, where you can learn how to spot some of the 600-odd chamois and plethora of mouflons inhabiting the park.
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Santapark
This Christmas-theme amusement park is built inside a cavern in the mountain and features an army of elves baking gingerbread, a magic sleigh ride, a Christmas carousel, an ice-bar, a theatre, a restaurant and, of course, Santa Claus himself. The most intriguing section is the gallery of ice sculpture, though it costs an extra €10 per person. It’s great fun for kids in winter but lacks a bit of atmosphere in the summer season.
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Royal Malta Golf Club
The Royal Malta Golf Club is a private members’ club established in 1888, located at the Marsa Sports Club at Marsa, southwest of Valetta. Visitors are welcome to play the 18-hole, par-68 course, but reservations are essential (it’s best to avoid Thursday and Saturday morning, as these days are reserved for members’ competitions). Club facilities include a pro shop, bar, restaurant and driving range.
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Fahrräder Bucsis
Located at the train station in Neusiedl am See. The bike path begins at the door.
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Wiener Porzellanmanufaktur Augarten
Vienna’s Porcelain Factory is the second-oldest porcelain manufacturer in Europe. It produces exquisite pieces featuring plenty of fanciful flourishes, which you can buy in the shop. One-hour tours of the premises are available daily at 10am, when you can learn about the process of turning white kaolin, feldspar and quartz into delicate creations through the process of moulding, casting, luting, glazing and painting.
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Argonauta
Outdoor pursuits are big here and there’s excellent diving, snorkelling, mountain biking and hiking. Argonauta offers a range of water-based activities, including snorkelling tours (€25), dives (from €35) and canyoning excursions (€40). For climbing information contact Prima Sardegna, which also rents out mountain bikes (per day €24), kayaks (per day €30), scooters (per day €48) and cars (from €75).
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Mig-25.Com
For flights in MiGs (starting at US$11,300), an L-39 Albatros (US$2650) or a Su-27 Flanker (US$14,550) out of Zhukovsky Airbase, an hour’s drive southeast of Moscow, contact the US-based firm MiG-25.com at least 16 days in advance of your ideal flight date so they can sort out security clearance. Flights on L-29, Yak-52, Yak-18T and TL-2000 aircraft out of St Petersburg can be arranged at much shorter notice.
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3 Veterans
3 Veterans offers tours around the city in their small fleet of Praga Piccolos and early Škodas, all from the early 1930s. Pick-up points in Staré Město are on Rytířská, in Malé náměstí, and at the junction of Pařížská and Staroměstské náměstí; and on Malostranské náměstí in Malá Strana.
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Vienna City Bike
Vienna City Bike has blue and yellow bike racks across the city. International MasterCard or Visa credit cards can be used, but unfortunately only an Austrian bank Maestro card; buying a city bike card is easiest. This is available from some hotels and pensions, or from Royal Tours for €2 per day. But make sure you don’t lose the bike, or €600 will be deducted from your card.
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Petřín Funicular Railway
First opened in 1891, Prague’s little funicular railway now uses modern coaches that trundle back and forth on 510m of track, saving visitors a climb up Petřín hill. It runs every 10 minutes (every 15 minutes November to March) from Újezd to the Petřín Lookout Tower, with a stop at Nebozízek. Ordinary 26Kč transfer tickets, valid on tram and metro, are valid on the funicular, too.
reviewed
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Perrier’s Bottling Plant
Ever wondered how they get the bubbles into a bottle of Perrier water? Or why it’s that stubby shape? Take the one-hour tour in French of Perrier’s bottling plant. In Vergèze, on the RN113, 13km southwest of Nîmes, it fills around 400 million bottles of mineral water each year. We trust their tongue is firmly in their cheek when they advertise dégustation gratuité (free tasting) ! Call to reserve.
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Battelli di Roma
- Rome, Italy
- Activities › Other
Runs hour-long hop-on hop-off cruises along the Tiber between Ponte Sant’Angelo and Ponte Nenni. Trips depart at 10am from Ponte Sant’Angelo, 10.10pm from Isola Tiberina, and then hourly until 6.30pm.There are also dinner cruises (€58, 2¼ hours), wine-bar cruises (€39, 2¼ hours) and a bus–boat combination tour (adult/reduced €32/19). Tickets are available online or at the embarkation points on Molo Sant’Angelo and Isola Tiberina.
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Ekaterinburg Guide Centre
An enthusiastic group that organises English-language tours of the city and trips into the countryside, including all destinations described in the Around Yekaterinburg section and the difficult-to-reach village of Verkhoturye (where Grigory Rasputin started his spiritual journey), as well as hiking and rafting expeditions. Day trips cost anything between R1900 and R5000, depending on the number of people in the group.
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Corpo Guide Alagna
From Alagna, the Corpo Guide Alagna organises a smorgasbord of winter and summer activities. A highlight is its summer two-day trip up to the highest rifugio in Europe, the Capanna Regina Margherita perched atop Punta Gnifetti on the Swiss–Italian border at an astounding 4554m. Guided ascents cost from €180 per person depending on group size (including a night in the refuge).
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Kurt Scheller’s Cooking Academy
The most famous cookery school in the land (partly because he has appeared on his own TV programme) is Kurt Scheller’s Cooking Academy in Warsaw. It has day, weekend and holiday courses available of many flavours and descriptions. A course in ‘Traditional Polish Cuisine’ lasts about four hours and costs 170zł. An extended weekend course on the same subject is 420zł.
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Valli Cupe
You can take fantastic trekking trips with Valli Cupe – on foot or via donkey or jeep – in the area around Sersale (in the southeast), where there are myriad waterfalls and the dramatic Canyon Valli Cupe. Trips cost only €7 per person per day. Specialising in botany, the guides (who speak Italian and French) also visit remote monasteries and churches. Stay in their rustic accommodation in the town.
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Friends of Venice Club
Get to know Venice from the inside out, with a range of English-language courses including seasonal Italian cookery, chamber music and choral performances in a local palazzo (palace or mansion), rowing standing up Venetian-style across the Giudecca Canal, and plein-air drawing and painting all around town. Instructors are patient and genuinely enthusiastic about showing you the Venice they know and love.
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Prague International Marathon
The Prague International Marathon, established in 1989, is held annually in mid- to late May. It’s considered to be one of the world’s top 10 city marathons, and attracted 4517 entrants in 2008. There’s also a half-marathon, held in late March. If you’d like to compete, you can register online or obtain entry forms from the website. The registration fee is €60.
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Alpine Coaster
The Alpine Coaster is billed as the world’s longest Alpine roller coaster and offers a thrilling ride down the mountains. A gondola shuttles passengers uphill to the starting point, where they board self-controlled bobs to catapult 3.5km downhill, negotiating tricky bumps and hairpin bends. If ever there was an incentive to get the little ’uns to walk, surely this must be it!
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Alpen Therme
This mammoth spa is split into six different worlds, where experiences stretch from relaxing in radon-rich thermal baths to racing down white-knuckle flumes. The sauna village comprises brine grottos, loft saunas, red-hot Finnish saunas and an ice-cold plunge pool. For some pampering, pop over to the beauty centre offering treatments such as goat’s milk wraps and silky smooth hot-chocolate massages.
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Old Timer History Trip
An Old Timer History Trip vintage-car tour will let you rattle along the city’s cobblestone streets in a 1928 Praga Piccolo or a larger 1929 Praga Alfa. Pick-up points in Staré Město are in Malé náměstí, on Karlova and on Malostranská náměstí in Malá Strana. There’s also a two-hour night-time tour (from 1890Kč).
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Arigna Mining Experience
Ireland’s first and last coal mine (1600s to 1990) is remembered at the Arigna Mining Experience, set in the hills above Lough Allen. The highlight is the 40-minute underground tour, which takes you 400m down to the coal face. Tours are led by ex-miners who really bring home the gruelling working conditions and dangers of their job. Wear sturdy shoes as it can be wet and muddy underfoot.
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Magdalen Bridge Boathouse
A great way to soak up Oxford’s atmosphere is to take to the Isis (the name of the Thames in these parts) in a punt. These can be hired from the Magdalen Bridge Boathouse just below the northeast end of Magdalen Bridge, and Salters Boat Hire next to the Head of the River pub on Folly Bridge. Salters also offer a 40-minute river steamer cruise (adult/child £6.50/3.50).
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Newman's Cruises
Offers boat trips around Falmouth Bay and the Fal Estuary as far as Trelissick and Tolverne.
Cruises include an onboard commentary detailing local wildlife and points of interest such as Pill Creek (setting of the film Treasure Island), Tregothnan (the Seat of Lord Falmouth and the site of Cornwall's only tea plantation), and embarkation points for US troops during the D-Day invasions.
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Albert Levasseur
You’re assured a warm – and English-speaking – welcome and a fascinating cellar tour at Albert Levasseur, run by a friendly Franco-Irish couple, which turns grapes grown on 4.2 hectares into 35,000 to 40,000 bottles of Champagne each year. Try to phone or email ahead if possible – but if not just drop by and knock. Situated in the hamlet of Cuchery (population 390), 20km northwest of Épernay on D24.
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