Tom Downey goes in search of the French capital’s landmarks – as patrolled by Georges Simenon’s French detective ‘Maigret’s process meant poking around. He’d stroll the canals with a lit pipe in hand’ … the gentrified area around Paris’s Canal Saint-Martin. Photograph: Alamy By rights Le Bar du Caveau, on the Ile de la Cité’s Place Dauphine, one of the …
If your idea of hell is being locked in a room, give this enthralling escape game a miss: your team has just one hour to crack the clues and get out of there Clued up … a composite image of objects in HintHunt’s 1940s detective room In a nutshell Escape games are popping up all over the UK, but HintHunt …
William the Conqueror’s medieval fortress triumphs over its theme park trappings, though the new Horrible Histories maze needs time to bed in Warwick Castle, on the banks of the river Avon Photograph: PR Company Handout In a nutshell This castle, built by William the Conqueror, is now in the hands of Merlin Entertainments (owner of mega attractions such as Legoland, …
An enchanted, mystical wood makes for contented kids and adults on a trip where smart technology meets traditional fun Forest fun … children on a bridge at Puzzlewood In a nutshell A maze of mysterious pathways, cut between moss-covered rocks (known as scowles), occupying an enchanted wood, in the middle of the Forest of Dean. Gandalf eat your heart out. …
Slovenia’s – and now Europe’s – green capital is a laid-back charmer of a city. Easily walkable, it boasts striking architecture and a vibrant outdoor eating and drinking culture Jože’s special one … Ljubljana’s Triple bridge was completed by celebrated architect Jože Plečnik. Photograph: Alamy As capital of one of Europe’s most forested countries, it’s perhaps fitting that Ljubljana is …
Activities, both adventurous and relaxing, abound in the Highlands and with these hotel suggestions from a new book, Scotland the Best, great food, hospitality and a good rest are also easy to find Loch and roll … the Glenfinnan House Hotel on the edge at Loch Shiel Glenfinnan House Hotel A Victorian mansion with lawns down to Loch Shiel and …
The revered climber on how his mountain home shaped his life and still surprises him with its ever-changing views Messner Mountain Museum, Kronplatz, Italy. Photograph: George Mirecourt/Corbis All climbers come to the Dolomites – just as they go to Yosemite – at least once in their life. They come here to express themselves, and to follow their predecessors on the …
Forget big names such as Kew and Versailles, these almost-secret gardens around the world are worth tracking down, for lovers of horticulture, sculpture – and the bizarre More than capable … the Capability Brown-designed Gatton Park, in Surrey. Photograph: Alamy Gatton Park, England This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of English landscape gardener Lancelot “Capability” Brown, who …
A’DAM Toren, a new multi-venue tower, is the latest addition to Amsterdam’s creative hub, where a former shipyard and warehouses have been transformed into the city’s coolest waterfront district Tower time …The 22-storey A’dam Toren, former home of Shell, now houses clubs, bars and a restaurant. A’DAM Toren The landmark tower, Toren Overhoeks, will reopen in early May as A’DAM …
Argentina’s capital has an honourable cocktail tradition, and today’s bartenders are tapping into the past to revive local drinks, albeit with a new twist Happy hour … Los Galgos, an historic Buenos Aires cafe, is now a cocktail bar, too. Photograph: Ciuffo You get an interesting reaction if you tell people in Buenos Aires that you’re going for a cocktail …