Getting the flavour of…
A fairy-tale beach break
With its enormous Baltic seascapes and lightly populated hinterland, the German state of Mecklenburg-vorpommern is like a more exotic Norfolk, says John Gimlette in The Daily Telegraph – a great place for a family holiday. Pretty resorts such as Boltenhagen and Binz have popular, sandy beaches, while on Rügen island there are little-visited coves backed by wild woodlands. The medieval ports of Wismar and Stralsund are entrancing for children – like towns for “elves and shoemakers”, with their crow-stepped gables, brightly coloured façades and clustering spires. There are “brilliant” museums, including the PHANTECHNIKUM (full of “curiosities and gadgets”), and the Ozeaneum, a huge, dazzling aquarium. And it’s worth driving inland, too, for wild forests, swimmable lakes and romantic old castle hotels (try Ulrichshusen or Gutshaus Ludorf). Fred Holidays (01473-242609, www. fredholidays.co.uk) has a seven-night trip from £789pp, including flights and car hire.
Swimming in the Ionian Sea Wild swimming is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK. If you want to try it but don’t fancy doing so in cold northern waters, head to the Greek island of Lefkada for one of The Big Blue’s week-long guided trips, says Joanna Lodewyke in The Guardian. Run by a British woman and her Greek partner, this holiday firm accommodates guests at the Ilios Club Hotel and Villas in the fishing village of Yemi, and takes them out in a motor yacht for twice-daily swims around and between nearby islands. Groups range widely in age, ability and approach – so you can compete or just potter along at your own pace, soaking up the “gorgeous” views. A one-week trip costs £760pp (0113216 9434, www.thebigblueswim.com).
England’s new lakes and dales The boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks have just been extended to take in much of the beautiful countryside that once lay between them, says Christopher Somerville in The Daily Telegraph. Two parcels of land have been added to each, amounting to 188 square miles in total. The largest of these blocks is the “wonderful” stretch of grassy uplands and limestone fells that now forms the northwest corner of the Dales – wild and extremely tranquil walking country around the lively market town of Kirkby Stephen, peppered with “handsome” stone-built villages. Among its treasures are the wildflower sanctuary of Waitby Greenriggs, and the steep valley of Smardale Gill, one of only two places in England where the Scotch argus butterfly is found. See www.yorkshiredales.org.uk and www.lakedistrict.gov.uk.