Healing waters: 10 of the best spa towns in Europe for a restorative autumn break
From Alpine valleys to belle époque towns, dip your toes in the therapeutic waters and steaming mineral pools at spa hotels offering centuries-old healing treatmentsIn 2021, Unesco designated 11 historic spa towns across Europe as one transnational world…
My search for the perfect Italian aperitivo in Verona
The classic pre-dinner drink and snack combo varies depending where you are in Italy. In this fair city, it’s an institution that can even be enjoyed first thingI arrived in Verona, I admit, without a particularly clear idea of what aperitivo meant. In…
‘The champagne of pale ales’: my search for the perfect kölsch beer in Cologne
‘Kölsch is not a drink, it is a religion’ in Cologne, and it’s only brewed in and around the German city. But which of the many beautiful, storied beer halls serves up the best?There’s a saying in Cologne, repeated with the mild smugness of people who…