The Tudor effect: the English historic houses profiting from Wolf Hall

An increasing interest in Henry VIII and the new BBC drama about his reign have boosted visitor numbers for castles and palaces used as filming locations and connected to the king

‘This is perfect’ – my ideal winter cottage, in north Wales

This cosy homestead offers all the simple pleasures for a winter escape: great scenery, log burners, no wifi and a pile of paperbacks

‘It felt wild and mystical’: readers’ favourite remote spots in Europe

Our tipsters have found solitude in glorious mountains, islands and coastlines from the Highlands to the Aegean

Snowshoes and saunas: why Italy’s Bormio is perfect for winter sports and pampering

The medieval Lombardy town in the Valtellina Alps will host the skiing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, but for now it’s full of under-the-radar charm

Where tourists seldom tread, part 13: three more British places with tales to tell

We visit Wakefield’s rhubarb triangle Britannia’s westernmost amphitheatre in Carmarthen, and Colne - home of Monty Python’s favourite cobblestones

Is the party over for Belgrade’s club scene on the Danube?

Raft houses, known as ‘splavs’, became synonymous with the hedonistic nightclub scene in Serbia’s capital. Now they are being cleared from the river to make way for luxury flats, bars and shops

Tell us about a great place to stay near a city station – you could win a holiday voucher

Share details of accommodation near a main railway station in Europe – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

The Basque Country nature reserve at risk from Guggenheim expansion plans

The Urdaibai Bird Center, near Bilbao, is a haven for migrating ospreys and herons, but the city’s famous museum is ruffling its feathers

Tide’s out, dinner’s up: why Wales is at the forefront of a seaweed revolution

Food, fertiliser, fuel … seaweed has been a life force for centuries. On a coastal foraging trip in Pembrokeshire, we discover it’s now behind a new green initiative, too

Second to none: why Porto is my number one for a city break in Portugal

Second cities can be more welcoming and fun than capitals, perhaps nowhere more so than Porto, with its less manicured charm

‘I’m here for the ghosts’: an after-dark walk through Istanbul in search of its soul

The author of the Istanbul-set Inspector Ikmen novels takes a trip into the Old City’s thrilling and turbulent past

‘Joyce and Hemingway loved lingering here. I can see why’: readers’ favourite small cities in Europe

Art nouveau cafes, Ottoman architecture and beer halls make these modest cities a big draw away from the crowds

Why encouraging cruise ships to dock at Amorgos would be a Greek tragedy

A policy of restricting huge liners visiting popular Cyclades islands could have the unintended consequence of diverting mass tourism towards quieter islands

We took our dog on a winter campervan trip in the Alps: are we barking?

Two novices, a large van and a lively Irish setter make for an eventful road trip through the French mountains

Have a stately Christmas: 10 historic houses and gardens to get the festive party started

Scrooge, Santa, polar bears, gingerbread and light shows are among this year’s seasonal family delights at castles, palaces and Palladian piles throughout the UK