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Corsica's name is derived from a Phoenician word meaning cloaked in forests. More recent descriptions refer to it as a mountain in the sea, Corsica's best known claim to fame is as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. However contemporary Corsica rewards the curious visitor with much more than epithets and legends, for this is an island unspoiled, unhurried and uncrowded.
Corsica's 3,400 sparsely inhabited square miles are home to the 200ft laricio pines; prized for centuries as ships masts, and to parched acres of maquis scrubland, where every breeze carries a cuisine ... [more] |
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Croatian hillsides cloaked in forestry run right to the waters edge. Water-taxis take the scenic route from town to town. Summer concerts draw the crowds to ancient amphitheatres. Along a thousand miles of shore, a thousand tiny islands are sprinkled in a sapphire sea. In such a setting, relaxation is carried on the breeze.
Introduction
Washed by the clean, clear waters of the Adriatic, Croatia has more than a little of the southern Mediterranean character. Like Italy and Spain, the vast majority of Croatias population is Roman Catholic, regular church-goers are ... [more] |
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Luxury holidays in Cyprus
The true essence of the Mediterranean can be found in Cyprus 'Europe's eastern edge' amid the profound beauty of its landscape and culture.
This is a place seemingly untouched by time, with slumbering villages, awe-inspiring, classical amphitheatres and temples, haunting monasteries clinging to craggy clifftops and scattered Byzantine churches full of precious icons and frescoes. Its treasures are waiting to be discovered by the visitor with a thirst for romance, history and adventure.
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To visit Prague is to be transported into the late Middle Ages. The views are unforgettable: the golden roofs, the floodlit castle from Charles Bridge, the National Museum at Wenceslas Square and the fairy-tale gothic spires of the old town.
There are great beers, surprisingly good food and a rich and varied cultural life with some wonderful opera houses offering tickets at absurdly low prices. [more] |
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The countries flocking to form the new Europe have traditions, cultures and customs long quarantined by politics or conflict, with remarkable medieval cities,
charming and unspoilt people and a fresh appeal. Russia’s Tsarist treasures and cultural wealth reflect its long superpower status, Turkey’s past as a powerful
empire-building civilisation live on through Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman remains and Austria is rich with the palaces and castles of the Hapsburgs. Other
aspiring European states have more modest claims to fame, but often have even more captivating attracti ... [more] |
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Luxury holidays in France
A country of inimitable style and sophistication, France’s seductive powers and savoir-faire are legendary.
Pleasure is a serious business here, evident in the sprawling pavement cafés, leisurely games of boules in town squares, and lively markets where locals meet to gossip and select the freshest produce.
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A magical place where 13th-century castles overlook tranquil lakes, peat fires scent the air and the days still revolve around traditional country pursuits.
Although Ireland’s scenic beauty and warm hospitality are the stuff of legends, the world-class standards of its hotels tend to take many of us by surprise.
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Luxury holidays in Italy
Perhaps no other country offers such a mix of rich pleasures as Italy.
Whether admiring the beauty of its landscapes, wondering at the magnificence of its cultural centres or enjoying outdoor pursuits in the countryside and the coastal resorts, the great Italian traditions of fine food and relaxed hospitality will be your constant companion.
Relics of Italy's mighty past abound and combine so well with the seductive allure of the landscape.
Rome and Venice
Vestiges of Rome's 4000-year-old history proudly live on in the heart of the mo ... [more] |
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Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered by Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Norway has a very elongated shape: The country's extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean is home to its famous fjords.
The Kingdom of Norway also includes the Arctic island territories of Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Norwegian sovereignty of Svalbard is based upon the Svalbard Treaty, but this does not apply to Jan Mayen. Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic Ocean and claims for Pete ... [more] |
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Portugal is a well-kept secret: a country of rugged landscapes, sophisticated cities, rural backwaters and sharply contrasting traditions.
The landscapes are diverse - the grandiose vineyards of the Douro Valley; coastal fishing villages; the dramatic cliffs of Madeira; the rolling Alentejo plain; the Algarve's glorious beaches and traditional old villages. Its ten million people speak their own language, follow their own unique cultural traditions and are fiercely independent from Spain.
Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal's capital is a maze of narrow streets in the ... [more] |
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Description
Rich in variety and drama, Spain has a lively and cosmopolitan mix of cultures.
Whether you come to marvel at Gaudi's extravagant follies in Barcelona, to revel in the temperate year-round climate of the Canary Islands, or to relax in the balmy waters of the Costa del Sol, you can expect late nights and long siestas in a nation that insists, with a flirtatious flick of the fan, on enjoying life to the full.
Madrid
Cosmopolitan Madrid sits on a lofty plateau, befitting its position as Spain's capital. Alongside excellent restaurants are ... [more] |
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Luxury holidays in Turkey
A country with a stunning variety of landscapes, thousands of miles of beautiful coastline and a plethora of historical sites would usually be awash with mass tourism, but not Turkey.
Here is a land where you can happen upon a majestic roman amphitheatre, untouched in its perfect isolation, during a casual country walk.
From beautiful beaches, coastal villages, unspoilt coves and bays, clear turquoise waters and mountains that appear to rise out of the sea, to cities that throb with life and villages fashioned out of volcanic rock, the hos ... [more] |
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