Fabulously festive
From the Alps to vineyards, there’s plenty of holiday cheer, enthuses NICK DALTON
THE FROST sparkles in the winter air. Salzburg’s hilltop Hohensalzburg Fortress stands brightly against the blue sky and the cathedral dome rises above the rooftops. The Austrian city is one of the most beautiful baubles on Europe’s Christmas tree, alive with festive markets and other delights.
A Christmas or New Year getaway is a treat, yet while the Alps are the classic destination, there are many more options.
Travelsphere offers 19 seasonal holidays and escorted tours, all led by a tour manager or local guide and including excursions.
Take Salzburg. It features on the 11-day Lake Garda and the Austrian Tyrol for Christmas and New Year tour. Christmas Day (with traditional lunch) is during a four-night stop on placid Lake Garda with visits to Bolzano and Verona. It includes Christmas markets, a carol concert, New Year’s Eve dinner and fireworks in the glitzy resort of Kitzbühel.
The trip, half-board, departing December 23, starts at £1,799pp, including flights.
Here are five more seasonal treats…
HISTORY
The five-day Festive Hampshire and the New Forest break delves into tradition, with a stay at the waterfront Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton. Christmas Eve is spent in the forest with a visit to Beaulieu House, while there is a Christmas Day lunch and buffet dinner at the hotel and a Boxing Day steam train ride on the Mid Hants Railway. December 23, half-board, from £599pp.
CULTURE
See one of the year’s magical experiences as Pope Francis addresses the crowds from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. The six-day Christmas in Rome holiday is based at the Grand Hotel Palatino, close to attractions such as the Colosseum – and all those shops.
Festivities include Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch (both with wine). Departs December 22, from £1,169pp, half-board, including flights.
LUXURY
Explore France’s finest wine regions on a five-day river cruise (after a train journey from London). All-inclusive MS Princesse d’Aquitaine sails the Garonne and Gironde rivers. Christmas Eve is spent in Médoc with wine-tasting, followed by dinner on board.
Christmas Day features a gala dinner hosted by the captain while Boxing Day takes in Bordeaux and St Emilion. A Christmas Cruise Through the Winelands of France, December 23, from £1,349pp.
CUISINE
New Year in Enchanting Transylvania – a tour amid the picturesque hills and forests while visiting sites associated with the area’s most famous names, Dracula (Bran Castle) and Vlad the Impaler (his birthplace, the medieval citadel of Sighisoara – where you will taste local brandies in the wine cellar).
New Year’s Eve dinner comes with a live band, a folklore performance and a New Year’s Day dinner of traditional specialities in Bucharest. Departs December 27, from £1,399pp, half-board.
ADVENTURE
Five-day Deluxe Swiss New Year including a cable car up the 9,700ft Schilthorn near Mürren. The peak’s revolving Piz Gloria restaurant was Blofeld’s HQ in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
A New Year’s Eve dinner includes music, dancing and champagne in your hotel in Interlaken. New Year’s Day involves a ride on the luxurious GoldenPass to Gstaad for a sleigh ride. Departs December 30, from £1,499, half-board, with flights and train from Zurich. INFORMATION: Travelsphere (travelsphere.co.uk/01858 415402) is offering a Christmas gift of six bottles of wine from Virgin Wines on all festive bookings made by November 9.