Journalist Benjamin Norris is known for his ambivalence regarding Greek islands. However, Syros feels like a ‘best kept secret’ — an island guarded by elegantly holidaying Greeks, seeking good times away from the crowds on its more famous neighbours. Might this be the one that steals his heart

For aficionados and newcomers alike, there’s truly no substitute for a genuine Nordic sauna experience… and believe me, there are some truly extraordinary saunas out there for you to tick off your bucket list. Here are six of the best, each awaiting discovery and promising the utmost in relaxation and reinvigoration. 

An incredible curation of the best alpine wines? A gathering of over 20 award-laden chefs? The purest of powder and air so crisp, so sweet and invigorating it makes you wonder why you'd ever even imagine returning to the slate-grey streets of the city? Count me in and hoist me up the glacier.

With a history dating back 6500 years, winemaking has had something of a renaissance on Zakynthos, with newer boutique wineries joining the industry in the past couple of decades. So, after some very taxing research, I share some of my favourite finds.

Some cities you come away from with a spring in your step and a singular thought in your mind: “Yes, I could see myself living here”.  Tallinn, the ancient and venerable capital Estonia, is a perfect example.

Madonna di Campiglio is a pitch-perfect spot from which to explore Brenta Dolomites. The region exhibits a pastoral summery appeal - one which is hard to believe not central to its pulling power. 

The bay of Patmos is almost absurdly beautiful. A few millennia of volcanic activity and the rumblings of Poseidon ensured that a natural sweeping bay formed around the island, protecting ships from the notorious high winds of this part of the Mediterranean.

Austria’s alpine capital is no stranger to drawing crowds - a brief saunter down its higgledy-piggledy medieval streets are a deeply satisfying reminder that this urban centre, sitting prettily along a picture-perfect mountain valley and strategically at the crossing point of the river Inn, has been doing its thing for a thousand years.