Top 10s – parsian news

‘The old town is adorned with twinkling lights’: readers’ favourite Christmas breaks in Europe

Our tipsters revel in Christmas markets, seasonal tipples and live choral performances from Bath to the Black ForestSalzburg’s Christmas markets are among the very best, and there are plenty of them too, with at least 10 main ones across the season. Th…

Our tipsters revel in Christmas markets, seasonal tipples and live choral performances from Bath to the Black Forest

Salzburg’s Christmas markets are among the very best, and there are plenty of them too, with at least 10 main ones across the season. The Salzburg Advent festival (1-17 Dec) at the Great Festival Hall, Residenzplatz, is a memorable show and highly recommended. With snow falling most winters, the city has that beautiful wintry romantic atmosphere. And best of all is a horse-drawn carriage ride through the snowy landscape, wrapped in a blanket, with a hot drink in hand. Especially perfect for a couples getaway.
Colin Snoad

‘Crisp air and wildlife – fantastic’: readers’ top tips for UK winter outdoors activities

From watching grey seals and migratory birds to fossil hunting and cliff jumping, our tipsters share their coolest experiencesExperience the unique beauty of the New Forest national park on a winter cycling adventure. With fewer crowds, you can enjoy p…

From watching grey seals and migratory birds to fossil hunting and cliff jumping, our tipsters share their coolest experiences

Experience the unique beauty of the New Forest national park on a winter cycling adventure. With fewer crowds, you can enjoy peaceful rides through ancient woodlands and across heathlands. Remember to dress in warm layers, check your bike for winter readiness, and bring some hot tea or coffee in a Thermos to savour in the midst of your journey. Wildlife, serene landscapes and crisp winter air make this a fantastic outdoor activity in the UK.
Magsy Griffin

‘The best thing about the No 50 is that it goes on a boat’: readers’ favourite UK bus journeys

From the steepest A-road in the UK to a stunning circuit of the Lake District, our tipsters share their best hop-on, hop-off road tripsThe No 50 Purbeck Breezer travels regularly between Swanage and Bournemouth past the beautiful beaches of Studland Ba…

From the steepest A-road in the UK to a stunning circuit of the Lake District, our tipsters share their best hop-on, hop-off road trips

The No 50 Purbeck Breezer travels regularly between Swanage and Bournemouth past the beautiful beaches of Studland Bay. Behind Knoll Beach there’s a heathland nature reserve with a lagoon and a giant natural sand pit. In Poole we visited the Japanese garden at Compton Acres and the historic harbour. From a child’s perspective, the best thing about the No 50 is that it goes on a boat: the chain ferry that plies the harbour mouth between Studland and Sandbanks. The return trip at sunset on the open upper deck made us laugh out loud: it was like being on a rollercoaster.
Jenny Lunnon

‘The best thing about the No 50 is that it goes on a boat’: readers’ favourite UK bus journeys

From the steepest A-road in the UK to a stunning circuit of the Lake District, our tipsters share their best hop-on, hop-off road trips

‘I loved drifting along the canals’: readers’ best unsung city breaks in Europe

From Bergen to Córdoba, our tipsters share brilliant breaks in some of Europe’s less famous citiesTake a little staircase down from an old tollbooth on one of Leiden’s 88 bridges and hop on to one of the electric tour boats. I loved drifting along the …

From Bergen to Córdoba, our tipsters share brilliant breaks in some of Europe’s less famous cities

Take a little staircase down from an old tollbooth on one of Leiden’s 88 bridges and hop on to one of the electric tour boats. I loved drifting along the canals of this stunning old Dutch city past townhouses as fine as any in Amsterdam, the botanical gardens, windmills, university buildings and the 17th-century observatory. Except in summer, ducks, swans and local wild swimmers outnumber tourists. You can scout out the best waterside terrace cafes for lunch, daydream about living on one of the many well-kept houseboats with their flower-filled decks, and plan excursions by water further afield; the city canals link up along the waterways for countryside day cruises to Delft, Haarlem or the coast.
Maartje

10 great European art anniversaries in 2019

From 100 years of Bauhaus to 500 years since Leonardo’s death, a host of landmark art events and exhibitions open around Europe this yearIt is 350 years since the death of Rembrandt van Rijn. There is a year-long programme of events in nine Dutch citie…

From 100 years of Bauhaus to 500 years since Leonardo’s death, a host of landmark art events and exhibitions open around Europe this year

It is 350 years since the death of Rembrandt van Rijn. There is a year-long programme of events in nine Dutch cities, focusing on Rembrandt and the Dutch golden age (listings at holland.com). In Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum (15 Feb-10 June) will display all of its 22 paintings, 60 drawings and 300 engravings – the biggest Rembrandt collection ever seen in a single exhibition. Later in the year it has a Rembrandt and Velazquez show (11 Oct-19 Jan), while the Rembrandt House Museum has three exhibitions and the City Archives tell his personal story (until 7 April). In the Hague, the Mauritshuis (until 15 Sept) is showing 18 paintings attributed to Rembrandt; there’s a display of the painter’s early work at Leiden’s Museum De Lakenhal (3 Nov-9 Feb 2020, lakenhal.nl); and the Fries Museum (to 7 March) has an intimate show devoted to his wife, Saskia . Exhibitions are also taking place in Germany and the UK.
• See codart.nl for details