Take me there: Wondercool Copenhagen
Home to a hit TV drama (Borgen), the world's most popular restaurant (Noma), cutting-edge architecture and coveted design, Copenhagen is the coolest city on the planet right now. A month-long celebration of Danish art, food, music and design kicks off this week with the launch of the Wondercool festival. The event, which runs to 28 February, includes gigs in off-beat venues, such as the Zoological Museum, walking tours of neighbourhoods, like the futuristic Orestad and gastronomic boat trips, plus free tours (in English) of Arken Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Denmark. wondercoolcopenhagen.com
It's a good time to... see snowdrops
Blankets of snow will be replaced by carpets of snowdrops at many gardens and stately homes this week, a welcome harbinger of spring after the recent cold snap.
The National Trust publishes a list of its top spots, many of which run special openings and guided walks during snowdrop season (nationaltrust.org.uk). At Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, for example, you can see 240 varieties of snowdrop and enjoy a stroll through the renowned winter gardens, while Attingham Park in Shropshire will run a candlelight tour of the parkland at dusk, so guests can experience the snowdrops glowing in the half-light (22–24 February, 5–8pm). Dunham Massey in Cheshire, which boasts the UK's largest winter garden, will be rolling out the white carpet with a display of 100,000 snowdrops and 20,000 narcissi.
Scotland will be highlighting its spring displays as part of the annual Scottish Snowdrop Festival (nts.org.uk). One of the most popular events on the calendar will be Snowdrops by Starlight at the Cambo Estate in Fife (13–17 February, snowdropsbystarlight.com), which sees the 70 acres of snowdrops brought magically to life with sound and light.
Give me a break: The week's best deals
Cut-price cottages Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire has reduced prices on several properties for February half-term. Ty Lucy, a traditional stone cottage near St Davids, now costs £389 for seven nights, a reduction of £64, while a week at Rhodiad Mill, a converted watermill near Whitesands Bay is £580, reduced from £645 (coastalcottages.co.uk)
Last-minute Valentine Woo your loved one by treating them to a romantic mini-break at the Corral Del Rey in Seville and save 30% (maybe don't tell them that bit). A two-night stay at the intimate riad-style hotel, which has 13 decadent rooms and a rooftop terrace, costs from £165pp this month (i-escape.com/corral-del-rey/overview)
