Busy places and unexpected events used to send me into meltdown on holiday. An autism diagnosis helped me to adapt my plans and rediscover the joy of travelling Wandering hand-in-hand through the medieval streets of Bologna, my boyfriend and I were in awe of the sweeping porticoes and distinctive rust-red brickwork of the city. It was our first holiday together. We’d wanted to find somewhere beyond the obvious that would marry our respective interests in architecture and history. Bologna was the perfect fit. We admired the Church of Santa Maria della Vita, with its imposing baroque interior, l ..read more

A thriving artisan quarter and inventive restaurants have injected new life into this genteel seaside town famed for its fossils and literary haunts Lyme Regis’s charms have always been resolutely genteel and old-fashioned, from its sedate regency seafront to its fondness for fossil shops and all things antique and literary. It is a seaside town that has never felt the need to play to the hipster crowd, thanks partly to such distinguished and familiar history: home to 19th-century palaeontologist Mary Anning; John Fowles lived here, immortalising the Cobb breakwater in The French Lieutenant’s ..read more

Offering exquisite scenery, rare wildlife and spectacular trails, these under-the-radar national parks are worth tracking down There is a wild and wonderful water world in the north-eastern corner of Spain. The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici national park, in the central Pyrenees north of Lleida, is characterised by more than 200 lakes fed by melting snow and ice, plus rivers and streams, gorges, waterfalls and marshes. (Aigüestortes means “winding waters” in Catalan, and Sant Maurici is the biggest lake ..read more

Its peaks are a big draw for adrenaline junkies, but this natural park’s newer attractions offer more inclusive family activities The pool was empty – perhaps because at about 22C, the water was too cold for Italians. It was also about to close. Whatever the reason, we had the glorious Biolago di Pinzolo, a spring-fed, plant-filtered swimming lake, to ourselves. As my son and I swam, we could just make out the tiny red-roofed hermitage of San Martino on the forested slope above, where, according to legend, a hermit survived on bread provided by a tame bear. We’d come to the mountains of northe ..read more

From camping beside glacial lakes in Montenegro to birdwatching in Poland, the continent has no shortage of inspiring wilderness adventures One of the most incredible bird scenes in Europe took place as I hiked through the Bielawa nature reserve in northern Poland, about 40 miles north of Gdansk. I had left the village of Sławoszyno via a dirt track and was heading towards Kłanino, the open countryside and fields disappearing from my sight as the hedgerows grew taller either side of me. As I stepped forward, a gap appeared in the hedge and in front of my eyes a flock of nearly 100 cranes, whic ..read more

With nights spent in ancient churches and wayfarers’ meals at farms and pubs, this spiritual four-day walk is all about the journey – and rural England at its finest I’m lying on my back. Directly above me is “a vault of heaven” with great wooden beams. I’ve never woken before under such a high ceiling – but then I’ve never gone to sleep in a church before. We have arranged pew cushions on the stone slabs for increased comfort and, while this may sound austere, my fellow pilgrims and I agree we have slept remarkably well – helped by pies and cider from the Bridge Innnearby. Just as in Chaucer ..read more

A fishing village stay on one of the country’s less-visited large islands reveals a quiet Adriatic gem boasting green lakes, holm oak forests, and unspoilt beaches The first thing that struck me about Luka was the silence. My wife, Caroline, and I had driven our rental car from Split north along the Croatian coast to Zadar and taken an hour-and-a-half ferry ride to the island of Dugi Otok. Then we had driven the island’s length southwards, through pine forest and scrub, to arrive at this tiny fishing village, where we would spend the next week. Both of us were slightly wired from driving on fo ..read more

Weekend Runner Australia author Emma Kemp runs us through some of the country’s best long-distance races, taking in city footpaths, tropical islands, red dirt and windswept coastlines Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Running season is here, and that means running festivals. Whether you’re a beginner hoping to enter your first short-and-sharp fun run or a seasoned racer seeking a longer, stiffer challenge, Australia’s calendar of events has something for everyone. From tropical islands and the red dirt of the outback to the best on offer in the big cities, we have selected some of ..read more

After 20 years working as a resort and hotel porter in Australia, the UK and Canada, Raymond Thew has seen all kinds of bags Luggage. During my time as a porter, I’ve seen all kinds. Big, small. Heavy, light. Wheels, no wheels. Bright, bland. Which is best? The most durable? The most practical? The answers depend on where you’re going, for how long you’ll be travelling, where you’ll be staying and whether you trust others to look after your bag. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads ..read more

Thailand’s capital gave me the adventure I craved. But I couldn’t shake the feeling I was missing out on my friends’ lives back in Sydney In 2016, I scored my dream job at a travel magazine based in Bangkok. I moved there from Sydney with my partner, Leigh, who worked as a photographer and often accompanied me shooting my work assignments. Leigh and I loved to travel and we were craving adventure. Our Sydney life had become routine and we wanted a change of scenery – an escape from office jobs, to eat our way through Asia and tell stories along the way. Through work, my “offices” ranged from m ..read more