Outdoors

Europe’s handsome cities and towns are liberally scattered with parks and gardens where you can reconnect with nature. Book a hotel near the lakes and manicured rose beds of Parque del Retiro in Madrid for a constitutional morning stroll, or base yourself close to Ljubljana’s Tivoli Park and recharge your batteries among the art installations on Jakopič Promenade. Stay in Galicia hotels to walk sections of the revered and deeply spiritual Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through northern Spain, or if you’re fit and have the time to spare, take a deep dive into untamed mountain landscapes by following the challenging GR20 hiking trail down the length of Corsica.

It’s all too easy to reconnect with nature when you’re staying in hotels near the UK’s 15 stunning national parks. The Yorkshire Dales National Park alone covers over 2,000 sqkm of undulating hills and valleys, and is a gateway to hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing adventures, as well as relaxing at riverside picnic spots. If you’re travelling in Europe, book a Dolomites stay for year-round outdoor adventures, from skiing or boarding in winter to challenging alpine climbing over summer. Even when you’re in a city, it’s effortless to access nature; little beats a stroll accompanied by birdsong through Paris’s majestic Jardin des Tuileries or tree-shaded, elegant Parco Sempione in Milan.

You’d be missing out on unforgettable experiences by limiting your outdoor adventures to sunny destinations. For starters, there would be no skiing in the snow-capped Alps, with your days ending by the fire in a cosy hotel, and no trips to Trondheim in Norway to see the life-enhancing Northern Lights dance across the night sky. Elsewhere, you can wrap up warmly and embrace the cold temperatures to trawl the festive markets of Strasbourg, Cologne and Brussels for unique Christmas presents, or visit Amsterdam during its captivating annual Light Festival, transforming the city’s canals and streets into a glittering wonderland over the winter months.

There are endless ways to enjoy being outside without putting on a pair of walking boots. Organise a family picnic in a city park, practise yoga in your hotel garden or take up photography to capture scenic rural landscapes. Go island-hopping amid turquoise waters, kayaking to explore secluded coves or cycling along coastal trails. Or how about a rural getaway? Book a hotel stay in the Cotswolds and you can tour historic gardens at Blenheim Palace and Sudeley Castle, and spot graceful swans paddling on the lake at Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Alternatively, book hotels near the seven prestigious courses at St Andrews Links and play a round of golf in the bracing North Sea air.