Getting the flavour of…
Stone Age miracle revealed
With the world’s richest collection of palaeolithic wall art, the Lascaux Cave in the Dordogne has been known as “the Sistine Chapel of prehistory” since its discovery, in 1940. It is too fragile to open to the public, and a replica created in the 1980s was incomplete. But next month, a new, complete reproduction will open in a “vast” centre near the original – and it is a “triumph”, says Anthony Peregrine in The Sunday Times. Displayed in soft, flickering light like that of animal fat lamps, the 1,900-odd paintings – featuring animals including horses, ibex and deer that “surge” across the walls and ceiling – look utterly convincing, and the emotional effect is overwhelming. The centre also includes excellent hi-tech exhibits about the paintings’ relationship to other prehistoric art, and their influence on modern art. Tickets cost £14, with reductions for families and groups (www.projet-lascaux.com).
A private view of Sissinghurst Known for their diverse “rooms” separated by walls and hedges, the gardens that Vita Sackville-west created at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent are widely admired – but the “crush” of visitors can be dispiriting. To experience the “intimate tranquillity” she so valued, book a stay at the Farmhouse, a Victorian b&b within the estate, says Alice Lascelles in the FT. The “engaging” host, Sue Thompson, makes you feel as though you’re staying “at a very stylish friend’s country house”, and the breakfasts and teas are “wonderful”. Best of all, guests are given access to the gardens for an hour or more before opening time. The chance to sit on your own in the shaded pergola of Sackville-west’s beloved White Garden, “surrounded by the scent of fig trees”, is worth the room rate alone. Doubles from £150 b&b (01580-720992, www.sissinghurstcastlefarmhouse.com).
Vienna’s urban vineyards The Viennese have been making wine since the 12th century, and today Vienna has 276 producers and some 1,500 acres of vineyards – more than any other urban area, says Fiona Sims in The Times. The best-known local wine is made from a mixture of white grape varieties and was long regarded as “plonk”, but now producers sell their gemischter satz (“mixed set” in German) to bars in London and New York. For oenophiles, visits to their lively Viennese wine taverns, or heurigen, are a must. Among the best are Edlmoser (also known for its roast goose), Wieninger (credited with putting gemischter satz on the global map), and Mayer am Pfarrplatz (in Heiligenstadt, in the city’s outskirts), which dates from 1683. Hotel Rathaus Wein and Design has “stunning” breakfasts and wine-themed rooms from s130 (+43 1 400 1122, www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at).