‘Avignon warmed our bones and fed our souls’: readers’ favourite early spring trips to southern Europe The best places to seek respite from the wintry UK weather in France, Italy and Germany • Tell us about a family adventure in Europe – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher Saint-Jorioz in Haute-Savoie will provide […]

Forget the Algarve – Portugal’s best winter escape is in the mountains A century ago, the Serra da Estrela mountains were Portugal’s answer to the Swiss health resorts of St Moritz and Davos. Now, a historic sanatorium has been given a 21st-century makeover and is drawing people back to the hills Navigating the high slopes […]

Provence in bloom – exploring its flower festivals and the ‘perfume capital of the world’ Mimosas and violets are already out in the south of France, making it the perfect time for a pre-spring road trip As I take my seat in Galimard’s Studio des Fragrances, in the Provençal town of Grasse, I limber up my nostrils for […]

‘The most quietly romantic town we have ever visited’ – the enduring charm of Chiavenna, Italy Writers from George Eliot to Goethe put this Lombardy town on the map, then it fell out of fashion. Today it makes a picture-perfect alternative to the Italian lakes The ancient settlement of Chiavenna, in Lombardy, near Italy’s border […]

Say no to fake snow: the Austrian ski resort that likes to keep it real Like many Alpine areas faced with declining snowfall, Villach had to make a difficult choice: bring in the snow cannons or reinvent itself Walking up a winding trail in the Dobratsch nature park in Carinthia, surrounded by picturesque snowy slopes […]

Cool design and wild art on a city break in Metz, north-east France The small city in the Lorraine region has been put on the map with the aid of two Parisian heavyweights – a loan from the Pompidou Centre and designer Philippe Starck’s quirky new hotel As I stand and look at a six-metre skeleton […]

Why western Sicily is Italy’s emerging arts hub Art is helping to revitalise Sicily’s ghost towns and deserted urban spaces, with the earthquake-hit town of Gibellina becoming Italy’s first Capital of Contemporary Art From the ostentatious baroque square of Quattro Canti all the way up to the Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s Via Maqueda is thick with tourists. […]

‘It’s dedicated exclusively to female artists, from Frida Kahlo to Tracey Emin’: readers’ favourite unsung museums in Europe From ancient Greek bronzes to an unusual take on Donald Trump, readers recommend galleries and collections they’ve discovered on their travels• Tell us about a sunny break in Europe – the best tip wins a £200 holiday […]

A local’s guide to Milan: the city’s best restaurants, culture and green spaces In celebration of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, which starts this week, paralympic swimming champion Simone Barlaam shares his favourite places in his hometown Born in Milan in 2000, Paralympic swimmer Simone Barlaam is a 23-time world champion who won three golds […]