SHORT HAUL: Bright spots
SHORTY. get
FIND OUT WHAT IS NEW AND HAPPENING IN. . . EUROPE
Forget about jet lag and pricey air taxes – Europe is on our doorstep! What’s not to like about the minarets of the east, the café culture of Europe and beaches to rival the Caribbean, asks Laura Gelder Southern Europe
PORTUGAL will host three exciting sporting events in 2013 – Rally de Portugal will take place in April; the Portugal Masters will see the world’s golfi ng elite descend on the Algarve in October; whilst the Rip Curl Pro Portugal surfi ng competition will cement Atlantic Portugal’s ‘surf dude’ reputation when it hits the fi shing village of Peniche. COSTA NAVARINO on Greece’s Peloponnese is carving a reputation for its fi ve-star accommodation, golf courses, beaches and cultural attractions linked to its 4,500 year-old history. easyJet starts twice-weekly fl ights from Gatwick to Kalamata – 45 minutes from Costa Vaarino – in July.
Also relatively undiscovered is the island of LEMNOS, where Mark Warner has recently launched packages at the four- star Lemnos Beach Resort. Set on a sheltered sandy bay, the village- style resort offers a spa, family suites and numerous watersports – available on an all-inclusive programme. Seven nights’ full- board costs from £814pp. The iconic fi ve-star, circa 1525 Gritti Palace hotel in VENICE opens this month (February) after a meticulous restoration. It was home to Italian nobles before it became a hotel, frequented by celebrities including Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway.
Northern Europe
Now really is the time to persuade clients to book a last-minute trip to ICELAND. Until April, the land of ice and fi re is set for the best Northern Lights show for many years while February and
March sees REYKJAVIK host music, food and culture festivals. Luxury hotel ION opened in January on the edge of the Thingvellir National Park, an hour from Reykjavik. It includes a luxury heated outdoor spa pool and a bar area with fl oor-to-ceiling windows – perfect for Aurora Borealis-spotting! 2013 marks many historic anniversaries for AMSTERDAM, including 400 years of the city’s canals. In April, the 125-year-old Rijksmuseum will open after 10 years of renovations. The Van Gogh Museum also re-opens in April after a refurbishment, just in time to mark Vincent’s 160th birthday and celebrate holding the world’s largest collection of his paintings. New for 2013, Kirker now includes either complimentary entrance to either museum with its short breaks. The new Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht is the fi rst Hyatt hotel in the NETHERLANDS, set on Prince’s Canal. The vision of a local architect, it refl ects Dutch history and culture through its arty décor and cuisine. BERLIN will welcome the new 232-room Waldorf Astoria Berlin this February, which will form part of a retail complex with boutique shops, a cinema and a rooftop terrace bar. Kirker includes a 72-hour ‘Museuminsel’ card with its short breaks to Berlin (giving entrance
to the fi ve museums on the city’s famous Museum Island).
Eastern Europe SLOVAKIA celebrates its 20th birthday this year and
is encouraging visitors to venture beyond its medieval capital, Bratislava. Beyond, the Tatras mountains and wild forests are becoming popular for skiing and hiking, whilst colourful folk culture and rustic architecture awaits. One of the world’s youngest countries, KOSOVO (pictured), is a land of dramatic mountains, lakes and wine country. Explore’s new Undiscovered Balkans tour covers its rustic villages and the trendy capital, Pristina, as well as Albania and Macedonia. A two-week tour costs from £1,296pp with fl ights, B&B accommodation and a guide.
www.sellinglonghaul.com • February 2013 65
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