If you’re planning a trip to Venice for a couple of days or more, it’s worthwhile exploring a few of the lagoon islands. Our last visit to this beautiful city saw us take in the likes of Murano, Torcello and the wonderfully picturesque Burano.
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If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination in Europe, Cantabria is a great fit. We’ve had three road trips in Northern Spain now and it largely remains beautifully unspoiled with spectacular scenery and lots on offer especially for adventurous families like us. We stayed in a 200-year-old cottage in the Liébana area with mountain views and not far from the medieval town of Potes. This provided us with access to the Fuente Dé cable car which is in the heart of the Picos de Europa.
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We had the best long weekend in Prague earlier this year. Even though the weather had other ideas, the wet certainly didn’t dampen our spirits or stop us exploring this great city.
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Once regarded as the “shame of Italy”, Matera is not a destination we’re going to forget in a hurry. Situated in the Basilicata region in southern Italy, the labyrinth of cave-dwelling communes (the Sassi), breathtaking ravine and rock churches make it a truly memorable place to visit. Remarkably, the honeycomb of caves was inhabited by hundreds of families right up to the 1950’s when the inhabitants were moved by law into modern buildings on the plateau above. Today, Matera is no longer seen as the shame of Italy but a fascinating reminder of times gone by. Hardly surprising it was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 for being the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was also filmed in Matera.
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One of the highlights from my recent trip to Lake Maggiore with Bookings For You was the mountain hike. Organised by the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort, our route took us from Campagnano up towards Lago Delio. We might have made the distance had we not been distracted by the magnificent scenery and the sensational local produce. You’ll get a taste of it from this post which features the routes we took and that delicious feast, with perhaps a few too many photos.
Campagnano itself is easily recognisable thanks to the San Rocco Church. We stopped here for a time to take in the spectacular views across Lake Maggiore towards Cannobio. Having travelled to Lake Maggiore with some of my fellow travel bloggers, half of us trekked for cheese with the remainder taking a ferry to Cannobio. Do have a look at Sarah from Extraordinary Chaos’ photo tour of Cannobio, it looks and sounds stunning!
The latter part of the journey took us along a road for a few minutes before we veered off and took a different path. You could go either way but ours was probably prettier and provided the perfect opportunity for some of the group to sing “the hills are alive” as everyone should when in that situation. Luckily the theatrical singer of the group drowned out my dulcet tones!
Where we stopped to try out the local produce was even more stunning than I imagined it would be. Tall trees, blue skies and sunshine with 80’s classics coming from the cabin. When we walked in the smell was unreal and the cold water on arrival was warmly welcomed – for the first time ever, I forgot to take water on a trek and I was so thirsty! Having checked out the large cheeses and meats, we took time out to cool down and catch our breath while taking in this truly beautiful spot. While doing so taking in the glorious empty B&B opposite which was rumoured to be for sale.
Having enjoyed the most superb feast, we headed back down this time taking a different route. We took some seriously impressive stone steps downward, passing a derelict house (no roof this time) along the way and more of those views. The latter part of this route was pretty steep but only short and led us to a very special village.
The cobbled village of Musignano is one of those places that captures your heart from the moment you arrive. It was charming on its own but what made it unforgettable were all the wooden people dotted around. The attention to detail was something else! If you want to read more about the village and see more of the wooden people, do check out this post by Like Love Do.
We had the best time exploring the mountains, savouring the delicious local produce and discovering the unique village of Musignano. The Lake Maggiore region has so much to offer it really does. Have a read of this post to get a feel for what else you can do there with or without the kids.
Additional inspiration is below:
10 Things To Do Near Lake Maggiore With Kids
15 Things To Do In Lake Maggiore With Kids
Things To Do In Lake Maggiore For Outdoor Loving Families
Things To Do In Lake Maggiore with Kids Of All Ages From Tots To Teens
The cable cars in Laveno Mombello – Funivie del Lago Maggiore
Last year saw me take trips to Tuscany, Verona, Sardinia, Venice (including the islands of Burano, Murano, Torcello) and Puglia. Just when I thought I couldn’t love Italy any more, it turns out I can! I’ve recently returned from a press trip with Bookings For You and some of my favourite family travel bloggers to discover what Lake Maggiore has to offer. Situated in Northern Italy, to the west of Lake Garda and Lake Como, and bordering Switzerland, Lake Maggiore is one of those destinations you know you’re just going to love even before you’ve explored it. What’s more, there’s heaps for families with kids of all ages to do. Read about some of the reasons to visit Lake Maggiore and in this post, where you can stay and what’s available locally.
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Situated in Northern Italy, to the west of Lake Garda and Lake Como, is the beautiful Lake Maggiore – the second largest of the Italian Lakes. Bordering Switzerland, the magnificent scenery that surrounds it and the spectacular views from the mountains really are something else. But as we recently discovered, there’s plenty to satisfy all tastes (we’re even not talking food here) whether you’re travelling with young children, tweens or teens. Here are just some of the reasons Lake Maggiore has to be on your must-visit travel list.
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Pas-de-Calais is not somewhere you’d automatically think of heading to for a weekend break or holiday. But the Côte d’Opale is just 15-minutes drive away when you emerge from Eurotunnel onto the continent. With beautiful beaches, delightful towns and rich heritage, there’s plenty to explore off the D940 coastal road. Here are some of our favourite towns and villages.
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We’ve visited Venice on several occasions as a couple but Venice with kids, some thought we were crazy to take POD with us. But why not, she loves to travel just as much as we do – and is mostly happy walking (always handy for exploring Venice!). As it was her first time visiting this beautiful Italian city, we pre-booked a couple of activities including a gondola ride and boat trip, to make the most of our trip.
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Puglia is famed for its spectacular coastline which stretches nearly 500 miles, picturesque towns and of course mouthwatering cuisine. Situated in the heart of the Mediterranean, this region of southern Italy is surrounded by the Adriatic with the Ionian Sea at the heel. Sometimes referred to as ‘the breadbasket of Italy’, historically Puglia made much of the country’s
