Looking for a short break where you can immerse yourself in the local history and culture? This week we’re bringing you Lonely Planet Magazine’s choice of five great destinations where you can do just that.
WWII casts a long shadow over the Channel Islands as it was the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by German forces.
In 2008, Annie Barrows and the late Mary Ann Shaffer wrote a best-selling novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, based on wartime experiences of the inhabitants of the second largest of the islands. Local tour operator Channel Islands Direct is offering a tour of the places depicted in the book until the end of April 2011.
Another literary connection is the home of Les Misérables author Victor Hugo; he lived in Guernsey after being exiled from France.
How to:
A variety of UK airports offer flights to Guernsey with Aurigny Air Services or Flybe, flights cost from £80. Channel Islands Direct offer two nights at the four-star Old Government House Hotel in St Peter Port.
This article is reproduced from Lonely Planet Magazine, on sale now across the UK priced £3.60. Make sure you never miss an issue with a monthly subscription (available only to UK residents).
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Previous history and culture weekends:
- Monday’s weekend break was D-Day beaches in Normandy
- Tuesday's weekend break was music in Manchester
- Wednesday's weekend break was Sintra, a Royal favourite
