OFF-THE-BEATEN-TRACK: EUROPEAN LUXURY
Off-the-beaten-track: European Luxury - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Off-the-beaten-track: European Luxury | |||||
| By: Neda Vanovac - Issue 44, Spring 2010 | |||||
| (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, United Kingdom) | |||||
| SEEING EUROPE BY LUXURY RAIL TRAVEL HAS ITS ADVANTAGES. NEDA VANOVAC LISTS FIVE OFF-THE-BEATEN TRACK EUROPEAN MUST-STOPS. | |||||
| Trains have long been heavily used by Europe’s business travellers for the speed and efficiency with which they connect Europe’s major cities, but luxury leisure travellers are these days increasingly well looked after too. | |||||
| Eurostar’s Business Premier class, for example,offers passengers a fast-tracked check-in, exclusive lounges and a chauffeur drop-off and pick-up service. | |||||
| These sorts of luxuries and conveniences are really just the icing on the cake,because an ultimate luxury for any traveller is to be able to avoid long transit hours spent sitting or queuing at airports. | |||||
| The trains of Europe will take you to the heart of town… and don’t forget that in an age of increased environmental concerns, rail travel emits a fraction, only one tenth, of the carbon dioxide of flying. | |||||
| There are European rail specialists who can help you plan a luxury Europe-by-rail holiday and you’ll no doubt want to include some glamorous big city stops, but here are five charming European towns, accessible by rail as a detour from the capitals,that we think you shouldn’t miss. | |||||
| We’ve chosen luxury accommodation within walking distance of train stations and major sights – because the beauty of small cities in Europe lies in the ability to discover their charm on foot. | |||||
| NETHERLANDS– MAASTRICHT | |||||
| One of The Netherlands’ oldest cities, Maastricht is the birthplace of the European Union.Its large foreign student population ensures the city’s reputation as one of the most multicultural in Europe. The city is compact, lively and historic,small enough to walk around but with enough to keep you busy for several visits. Maastricht’s rich history owes a debt to the Romans who founded it, leaving not only a legacy of beautiful Romanesque churches but also a vibrant street life that is perhaps lacking from some other Dutch cities. The cobbled streets are full of residents taking the air, and the restaurants and cafes have a vibe that is simply buzzing. | |||||
| WHERE TO STAY | |||||
| For a taste of stately Old Europe, stay at the gorgeous Kruisheren hotel. A restored15th-century monastery and gothic church and with just 60 rooms, intimacy is guaranteed. The rooms feature original frescoes and stained-glass windows with furniture by Le Corbusier and Philippe Starck. (www.chateauhotels.nl, standard deluxe double room from A$450) | |||||
| WHAT TO SEE | |||||
| Maastricht is full of fortifications and tunnels that belie its history as a strategic military post, and one can easily spend an afternoon wandering around them or viewing them from a boat on the river Maas. | |||||
| Helpoort, or Hell’s Gate, was part of the original city wall, built after Henry I, Dukeof Brabant, gave permission for its construction in April 1229. Nearby, theBastion Waldeck is where the famous French musketeer d’Artagnan (whoseadventures were so richly imagined by Alexandre Dumas) was killed in the 1673 siege. | |||||
| Elegant boutiques line the Stokstraat in the oldest part of the city, and the Bonnefanten museum contains an intriguing mix of Old Masters and contemporary art, an easy 15-minute walk from the city centre. (www.bonnefanten.nl) No visit to Maastricht is complete without a visit to the famous cobbled and tree-lined Vrijthof Square, the perfect place to enjoy a Dutch brew or a slice of Limburgse Vlaai (fruit pie). On the square sits the thousand-year-old St Janchurch and St Servatius Basilica, known to the locals as “Hell and Heaven” and separated by aHet Vagevuur road, (Purgatory) – perhaps the perfect place to confess your sins. The lush Dutch countryside is only minutes away, and the amazing Chateau Neercanne is the place for a terrace lunch after wandering the woodland and vineyard trails outside of the city. | |||||
| Paris to Brussels (Eurostar) to Maastricht (with Rail Europe): from A$193 | |||||
| BELGIUM – GHENT | |||||
| Only three hours from London and just 30 minutes from Brussels, the medieval port city of Ghent has the advantage of being included in the price of your train ticket to the Belgian capital, so there’s no reason not to visit this charming 1400-year-old grand dame of Europe.After a period of post-industrial decay, this modest metropolis is enjoying a renaissance. Ranked the third most authentic city by National Geographic Magazine in recent years, Ghent’s mix of historic and contemporary makes it a wonderful city to which to detour. | |||||
| WHERE TO STAY | |||||
| Ghent’s brand new Marriott brings sleek and stylish new design to the city’s historic heart, overlooking the Lys canal. Just a step away from the city’s best shopping and dining areas, this modernised 16th century merchant’s house is highly recommended. (www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gnemc-ghent-marriott-hotel, standard double room from A$280) | |||||
| WHAT TO SEE | |||||
| St. Bavo’s Cathedral is a sight to be seen, with its black, white and red flamed marble baroque high altar; the oak rococo pulpit; a major work by Rubens, and the celebrate 1492 van Eyck painting of The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. A tower offers unrivalled views of the city… if you’re willing to climb the 444 stairs. The Patershol neighbourhood is one of the most exclusive parts of town, its crooked alleys lined with restaurants. The medieval port of Graslei is the heart of Ghent, with its unique row of historical buildings. Every house here has a recorded history which reflects the city’s prosperity during the Middle Ages. Don’t miss the landmark St Michael’s Bridge. Rent a luxury sloop and see Ghent from the water, drifting down the Leie River past the outlying villages of Afsnee, Sint-Martens-Latem, and Baarle. Don’t miss a visit to the Great Butchers’ Hall, where you can buy Dutch specialities such as pungent Tierenteyn mustard, Ganda ham and, of course, world-famous Belgian chocolates. | |||||
| London to Ghent (via Brussels): from A$117 | |||||
| GERMANY – AACHEN | |||||
| En route to Cologne, Aachen is a worthwhile stop. It straddles the shared borders of Belgium and The Netherlands, creating a border-hopping mentality that brings a cosmopolitan flavour to this Germany city. Founded by the Romans as a spa town, Charlemagne of France came looking for a cure for his rheumatism and found a kingdom that stretched from Hamburg to Barcelona. Heavily bombed during WWII, Aachen is not as picturesque as other European cities, but its history can still be felt in its narrow side streets. | |||||
| WHERE TO STAY | |||||
| Built a century ago at the height of the Second Reich, the Pullman Aachen Quellenhof hotel is a five-star palace still redolent of the Prussian Empire. Its parkside setting makes for a serene city retreat under the high ceilings and elegant interiors. (http://www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-5327-pullman-aachen-quellenhof/index.shtml Standard Classic room from A$181) | |||||
| WHAT TO SEE | |||||
| Make like Charlemagne and head to the hot springs to bathe in two thousand years of history at Bad Aachen. The European nobility kick-started a travel culture with trips to spas a status symbol and made it one of their most popular leisure pursuits. (www.bad-aachen.de) The cathedral - the first German inclusion on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list – is a must-see as Charlemagne’s burial site, along with the gothic City Hall in which 32 German kings celebrated their coronations. Together these two form the heart of Aachen’s old city centre. The adjoining Münsterplatz holds a weekly organic produce market on Saturdays, which adds to the character of this lovely square. A walking tour of the city is advisable, with squares, statues and fountains (17, in fact) on every corner, beautiful, historic and surprising. The Cathedral Treasury is regarded as the most important ecclesiastical treasury north of the Alps. It houses sacral art treasures from the late Antique, Carolingian, and Ottonian periods, among them priceless works such as the Cross of Lothair, the Bust of Charlemagne and the Persephone sarcophagus. Be sure to sample Aachen Printen, the local culinary delight. A hard type of gingerbread, the biscuits are named for the carved wooden moulds used by bakers. Each baker has their own recipe, which accounts for the huge variety available. Brussels to Aachen: from A$62 | |||||
| FRANCE – NANCY | |||||
| A mere 90 minutes from Paris now thanks to the TGV rail link, Nancy is yet another French city that positively oozes charm from every building and street corner. If you like Art Nouveau then Nancy is the city for you. More than just a tranquil French city, it is a gilded gem resting on a bloody history, which makes for a heady mix. Throw in a rich provincial meal and a dessert of macaroons and you’ll find yourself intoxicated – literally – by this French delight. | |||||
| WHERE TO STAY | |||||
| The Grand Hotel de la Reine (housed in an 18th-century mansion) was built concurrently with Place Stanislas, and is Nancy’s most impressive lodgings. Part of the Concorde chain, which operates the world-class Hotel de Crillon in Paris, the luxurious guest rooms channel Louis XV with Venetian-style chandeliers, gilt-framed mirrors to match the square outside, and comfortable beds upon which to rest your weary bones. (www.hoteldelareine.com, standard double room from A$176) | |||||
| WHAT TO SEE | |||||
| Place Stanislas is a huge and imposing pedestrianised square. The architectural ensemble comprising the trio of Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d’Alliance, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1983, and features the Hôtel de Ville, the Musée de Beaux-Arts, and the Opéra-Theâtre. Gilded wrought iron gates and lanterns are a major feature and add to the square’s opulent air. The “École de Nancy”, a group of artists and architects, worked in the Art Nouveau, and it was principally their work which made Nancy a centre of art and architecture to rival Paris; the city was nicknamed Capital of the East. Nancy still possesses many Art Nouveau buildings, and furniture, glassware, and other pieces of decorative art are conserved at the Musee D L’Ecole de Nancy, located in the 1909 villa of Eugène Corbin, a Nancy businessman and supporter of Art Nouveau. For a truly French culinary experience, you can’t go past the Maison des Soeurs Macarons. Those deliciously indulgent almond biscuits were allegedly invented by Benedictine nuns in Nancy – the good sisters survived the Revolution by selling macaroons. For something more substantial, head to Brasserie Excelsior, standing since 1911, where the décor is as lavish as the food. Chandeliers and stained-glass windows offset a specialty menu of osso bucco of breaded roast monkfish, and risotto with Reggiano parmesan cheese, as a mere example. | |||||
| Paris to Nancy: First class from A$159 | |||||
| UNITED KINGDOM – CARDIFF | |||||
| London might be the UK’s principal business centre but Cardiff is a perfect step off the beaten track, two and a half hours to the east. Situated on the Bristol Channel, the small Welsh capital offers a host of things to see and do, all wrapped up in a delicious package of Welsh language and unique culture. | |||||
| WHERE TO STAY | |||||
| St David’s Hotel and Spa overlooking Cardiff Bay is a haven of luxury in the city, with Deluxe Master Suites overlooking the city, Italian-furnished rooms, a Marine Spa rated one of the UK’s best by Conde Nast Traveller, and traditional afternoon tea on offer at the modern Tempus Restaurant. (www.thestdavidshotel.com, classic double room from A$220) | |||||
| WHAT TO SEE | |||||
| 2000-year-old Cardiff Castle has in its time been a Roman Garrison, a Norman stronghold and a gothic Victorian fairytale fantasy. Stroll around it and the adjacent Bute Park to soak up some of Wales’ turbulent history. Cardiff’s National Museum takes you on a journey from the Big Bang to the present, including one of Europe’s best collections of Impressionist works. Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Renoir’s iconic paintings await you here. Just a mile outside of the city centre, a stroll around recently redeveloped Cardiff Bay is not to be missed. Home to sailors and immigrants from 45 different countries, the area was a multicultural hotspot that shipped coal worldwide, powering the industrial age and Cardiff’s growth. Today it makes a lovely spot for various watersports or tranquil gull-watching. The Brewery Quarter, Mill Lane, St Mary Street and Eastside all offer a range of cuisines, from Jamie Oliver’s first Welsh restaurant, to Anthony Carluccio’s, specializing in authentic Italian cuisine. Bangladeshi, Spanish, Thai and Portuguese food are right around the corner. At Cardiff Bay, the Mimosa Kitchen & Bar offers locally sourced Welsh dishes such as Glamorgan sausages and Welsh lamb cawl. (www.mimosakitchen.co.uk) | |||||
| Cardiff to Lille, via London: from A$155 | |||||
| DETAILS | |||||
| Rail Europe offers a comprehensive selection of destinations across a number of networks for your convenience. Eurostar’s highest class of travel, Business Premier, offers travellers fully-flexible tickets, check-in which closes ten minutes before departure to eradicate waiting time, and an optional chauffeur service which takes you to and collects you from the station. Dedicated lounges offer complimentary snacks and refreshments, a wide selection of newspapers and magazines, Wi-Fi and live news updates to keep you in the loop. Drinks and meals suited to your time of travel are served at your seat. Eurostar: www.eurostar.com TGV offers First Class and Business First Class carriages with similar facilities, as does Thalys, with its Comfort 1 class. TGV: www.sncf.com | |||||
| Thalys: www.thalys.com | |||||
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