Mainau Island is a captivating green island carpeted with flowers emerging from the blue waters of Lake Constance, just an hour and a half away from Stuttgart. Standout features include a 45-hectare Mediterranean-style garden commissioned by Count Lennart Bernadotte who was related to the Swedish royal family. This gardening artwork is now managed by his children.

Mainau Children’s Land

Mainau Island (also known as the Island of Flowers) has some admirable features and not only those in its lush botanical gardens, with plants from all over the world. Mainau-Kinderland (Mainau Children’s Land) and Germany’s largest Butterfly House draw families from across the globe. Over two million people a year are estimated to visit here. The best thing about this huge children’s park is that it is suitable for children from the age of two years on, and it opens from spring to autumn.

But, what most rivets the little ones’ attention – and grown ups, too, we have to admit – is the Dwarf Village. This attraction is aimed at children between the ages of two and four. It has cave-shaped huts, a wooden train and an area for water games, which operates permanently. The Village is located between the Farm and the Lake and also features a stable for pony riding. There are also dwarf donkeys and dogs – loads of dogs, as virtually all the breeds are represented here. The Farm, which also has a garden, is full of rabbits running about, while cows and goats graze to their heart’s content. And, needless to say, there has to be a chicken run, too, with both roosters and hens crowing away. What child doesn’t like a farm?

One of the major attractions is the Zoo, where children are allowed to pet lots of animals. Perhaps the best part, though, is the Butterfly House, which is open all year around. Stretching across an area of 1,000 m², it is landscaped to resemble a tropical paradise. Strolling among the gurgling waterfalls, pond-straddling bridges and a grotto, visitors can luxuriate in the sight of hundreds of colours and rare butterflies from about 80 species flying freely and feeding, carrying out their mating dances and laying eggs. If you keep still for a while, you might be lucky enough to have one settle on you. Another highlight is the new Insect Garden where you can glean interesting facts about wild bees, honey bees and apiculture in general.

Caution! A Water World

The area which has been most successful of late is the Wasserwelt (Water World). It is an ideal precinct for children to play to their heart’s content in a safe environment. It is actually a game-show-like circuit with a set of small, attached or interconnected houses and towers where children are challenged to overcome hurdles and move from one house to the next without touching the ground. To this end, they avail themselves of ropes and climbing walkways. This water world also has large areas with sand built in the form of mud pools. Here, children can play unfettered – they can build, bake, discover and investigate. Alongside this area is a pathway where you can walk barefoot, made of materials which are pleasant to the touch, purposely devised for adults who are loathe to get splashed while accompanying their kids.

Lake Constance

Lake Constance, nicknamed the Schwäbische Meer (Swabian Sea), is the third largest lake in Europe and straddles three countries – Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Be sure to take advantage of your trip to Mainau Kinderland to tour this marvellous landscape. Formed by the Rhine glacier during the last Ice Age and currently fed by the river itself, this enormous lake is 63 km long by 14 km wide and has a maximum depth of 250 metres. The region is characterised by meadows and vineyards, market gardens and dams, beaches and Alpine foothills. A motley region which blossoms into its full beauty in summer, just when the tourists flock here. Some of the most popular activities here are swimming in the lake and camping on some of its shores. In spring it is carpeted with flowers and in autumn there is new wine, fewer people and magnificent visibility when the warm Föhn blows.

Don’t pass up the chance to treat your children to this cultural extravaganza. The area also features countless Baroque churches, Benedictine abbeys, Stone Age dwellings, Roman forts, medieval castles and even zeppelins. You just can’t get bored. Come on – prepare your children for the grand surprise. Check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Germany Travel

It is a little known fact that Wales has the largest number of castles of any country in Europe. Indeed, the landscape of this small country situated west of England has been peppered with countless fortresses throughout its history, from the Iron Age to Roman times and, subsequently, the majestic castles of the Welsh princes and English monarchs.

In all, over 600 castles are still standing in Wales, so you are very likely to come across some of them when you travel there. There are castles of all types to be seen, so we have curated a selection of those that impressed us most during our trip there.

Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle and the walls of the town of Conwy are among the best preserved examples of medieval architecture in the United Kingdom, which accounts for it being a World Heritage Site. However, it is hard to believe that it took only four years to build – from 1283 to 1287. It is quite an experience to climb up the towers and wander through the various quarters. Our guide challenged us to go up the main tower and, after viewing the splendid surroundings from there, hazard a guess as to how the Welsh could have seized the castle from the English in the 15th century. Would you be up to the challenge?

Denbigh Castle

Built between 1282 and 1295, the best way to approach a tour of this castle is to start in the new visitor centre inside the site. The great gatehouse entrance to Denbigh Castle is really impressive as it is triple-towered, the standout feature of this castle, although it is not as well preserved as other Welsh strongholds. Even so, it is a unique defence work which managed to withstand the assault of the parliamentary troops, who set out to raze it to the ground during the English Civil War in 1660. One of the most exciting moments was when we slipped through the postern gate – a mysterious back entrance through which the castle’s dwellers could get in and out without being seen. The fortress was clearly designed with a marked aesthetic sense – the towers follow a pattern in which circular-based towers alternate with square-based ones.

Raglan Castle

Raglan Castle was one of the last medieval castles to be built in England and Wales. Even today it is a stunning sight – bear in mind that it was designed to be comfortable and luxurious, more in line with Renaissance tastes. It was exhilarating to climb up the Great Tower, set on an island surrounded by a moat. We also explored the newly restored underground crypt. We were told that some of Europe’s finest wines were stored there and brought out to impress guests at the head table. The castle still enjoys a well-earned reputation and is the ideal backdrop for staging events relating to theatre, poetry, song and dance.

Kidwelly Castle

Kidwelly is the prototype of the castles shown in medieval films. It is set on a steep slope and ringed by numerous towers, high walls and a huge entrance gatehouse which took no less than a century to complete. Kidwelly is the oldest example of a Norman defence work made of wood and earth. What remains of its ground plan is semi-circular. A rewarding experience is to walk on the remains of the wall. Granted, the gate is the most prominent feature of the castle, but the chapel on the opposite side is also well worth visiting and it affords spectacular views over the river. The interior houses an exhibition hall – the Sculpture Cymru is on display there until September.

Caerphilly Castle

This enormous construction is the largest castle in Wales. Preserved virtually intact, it would make the perfect backdrop for a film of knights and princesses. As expected, it is surrounded by a number of moats set in concentric circles, some with islets included. Be sure to go up to the terrace on top of the entrance tower. From there you can see the defensive rings of stone and water which rendered Caerphilly an impregnable fortress. This elaborate castle also has a secret passageway, known as the Broase Gallery. From here you can spy the south-east tower, reminiscent of the tower of Pisa for obvious reasons. Also on display are some powerful siege engines.

Come on then – get going and check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Fred Selby, vanessajayne, Visit Wales

That Berlin has a daunting variety of cultural resources is a well-known fact. Indeed, it is one of the main reasons for visiting the city. Added to the alternative venues that appear to spring up in the most unlikely spots in town – and not always easy to locate, at that – there are the more official offerings, which include a vast range of museums. Hence, those given to “collecting museums” on their journeys to various cities in the world will face a dilemma when it comes to Berlin – that of having to choose from the huge gamut of museums, housing an overwhelming quality and quantity of works.

The Museum Island

Museum Island (Museumsinsel), as it was re-christened in 1870, takes up the northern half of the island formed by the river Spree on its passage through the city. This is a must-visit destination for any museum buff in Berlin. It contains no fewer than five splendid museums, featuring collections that enable you to travel through art from ancient times to the 19th century. The value of the vast collections here led it to be listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999.

One of the most striking spaces in the complex is the Pergamon Museum, which draws about one million visitors a year. It features a collection of classical antiquities, a museum dedicated to Middle Eastern art, and another devoted to Islamic art. The building was designed to house large-scale artworks, notably its two standout exhibits – the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate.

The highlight of the Altes Museum (Old Museum) is the building itself. Dating from 1830, it is the work of the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and one of the finest examples of German Neoclassicism. Housed in its interior is a splendid collection of exhibits from classical antiquity.

Sited behind the previous museum is the Neues Museum (New Museum), home to the magnificent collection of the Egyptian Museum of Berlin and the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte (Museum of Prehistory and Early History). Its paramount exhibit is the superlative Nefertiti bust, which attracts a large number of visitors each year.

No less important is the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), a magnet for enthusiasts of 19th-century art, and the Bode Museum, with an endowment that includes sculpture ranging from Byzantine to Italian Gothic to Prussian Baroque, as well as one of the largest numismatic collections in the world.

Gemäldegalerie

The Gemäldegalerie lies west of Potsdamer Platz, within the complex of museums and concert halls making up the Kulturforum (Culture Forum). The gallery houses an excellent collection of paintings by European artists active from the 13th to the 18th century, with works by Dürer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Holbein, Jan van Eyck, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer.

Neue Nationalgalerie

Another of the museums making up the Kulturforum is the Neue Nationalgalerie. Located in the Tiergarten, it is housed in an original building with glassed walls and a spectacular metal roof, the work of the architect Mies van der Rohe. Opened in 1968, this museum specialises in international art from the early 20th century to 1960. Standout features of this collection are the work of the German Expressionists and the Bauhaus.

Martin Gropius Building

Located on the Niederkirchnerstraße, between Checkpoint Charlie and Potsdamer Platz, in a building designed by the great uncle of the architect who founded the Bauhaus, Walter Gropius, this interesting exhibition space is celebrated for its excellent temporary exhibitions.

Berlinische Galerie

Inaugurated in 1975, the Berlinische Galerie is the best option for whoever wishes to take the pulse of art production in Berlin, as its collection features artworks produced in the German capital from 1870 until the present time. It is situated in Kreuzberg, one of the trendiest districts in the city where, if you’re good at getting your bearings, you can unearth the best of the alternative scene.

Berggruen Museum

Lastly, we have also chosen the Berggruen Museum, located opposite Charlottenburg Palace, as it houses exhibits donated by the art collector and dealer Heinz Berggruen. It is a collection of modern art classics with works by Picasso, Matisse, Klee and Giacometti as its major offerings.

Book your Vueling to Berlin and get ready to discover its magnificent museums.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Lestat, Manfred Brückels, Christoph Rehbach. Rae Allen, Pedelecs, Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

“It turns out that in 1917, Einstein, Lenin and Joyce coincided in Zürich.There, Einstein lectured at the ETH, Lenin busied himself preparing the Russian revolution, while Joyce wrote Ulysses. The city is growing on me every day.”

These lines were posted in the Facebook profile of a Spanish friend living in Switzerland’s largest city. She also writes, and is somewhat revolutionary. She doesn’t lecture, that we know of, but it’s early days still. What is such a Mediterranean girl doing in a place like that? The moment we arrived there we had our answer. You can enjoy the vibrant cultural scene, its restaurants, its lake, the river Limmat, its parks, the silence and its modest size as cities go, meaning you can cross it by tram, or be tempted to cycle or walk around it.

Did you know that what the Swiss miss most when they travel is bread? That the owner of the legendary Café Odeon was able to build it thanks to the money he won on the Spanish lottery? That muesli was invented by the physician, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, from Zürich University, and that the historic Opfelchammer restaurant, a favourite of the local novelist, Gottfried Keller, allow you to carve your name on the beams if you drink enough wine? You imagine there is a luxurious city awaiting you, having forgotten that the Protestant Reformation started precisely here 500 years ago and that all ostentation was banned. Like filled chocolates, Zürich holds out surprises. You never know what you’re likely to come across.

Zürichis not an economical destination, but there are ways of reining in your expenditure. Before setting out to discover the city, buy a ZürichCARD. It permits you to catch the train from the airport to the city, where you can take all the tram lines and gain free (or discounted) entry to over 90 establishments.

If you fancy dining at a traditional – yet modern – spot, make sure you head for Haus Hiltl, Europe’s longest surviving vegetarian restaurant, dating from 1898. It offers a buffet with a choice of over 100 specialities – you pay according to how much you fill your plate – in addition to a bookshop, store, culinary studio and bar lounge.

If you’re into the eclectic, you should drop in on Les Halles, an erstwhile warehouse which doubles as a restaurant and market and is famous for its moules frites (mussels with fries). There, you can also buy and eat sausage, cheeses, wines and other delicacies from the old Europe.

If you prefer to dine in a formal atmosphere, make your way to La Salle. They serve a fine steak tartare, various fresh pasta dishes and a classic, homemade meat pie with red wine and mashed potato sauce which you really must try.

You can while your way into the night at numerous bars and clubs, such as the Nietturm Bar, located on the top floor above La Salle. This stylish locale serves the Hugo cocktail (prosecco, elderflower syrup, sparkling water, mint, lime and ice), or you could order a glass of local Zürich wine while taking in the breathtaking views over the city.

If the weather turns nasty or you’re numbed by the cold, go on a cruise around Lake Zurich. And, while you’re at it, enjoy a Swiss brunch – with cheese, bread, salmon, jam, fruit and pastries – while vineyards and fairytale houses parade before your eyes as you drift soothingly along. The brunch-cruise only operates on Sundays and you must book beforehand through Zürichsee Schifffahrt.

If, on the contrary, what you fancy is hoofing it as much as you can, go for their street food. You can wolf down the sausages at Sternen Grill, a hot soup at La Zoupa and marroni (roast chestnuts) at the street stalls. If your stay takes in more than just the weekend, make sure you try their looped pretzels and the other bäckerei (bakery) specialities in season at Vohdin (Oberdorfstrasse, 12), a shop front that has been open since 1626.

If you can afford it, take up lodgings on the 10th floor of the Sheraton Zürich Hotel, located in Zürich–West, the in district. The rooms are spacious, bright and comfortable; wifi is free-of-charge and there are two culinary options – the Route Twenty-Six restaurant (from the 26 Swiss cantons), featuring sumptuous breakfast buffets, and the Café & Bar Nuovo,ideal for afternoon coffee or a nighttime Qüollfrisch naturtrüb beer.

If you fancy bringing back a genuine souvenir in your suitcase, head for a local supermarket and get yourself a mini fondue of Gerber cheese and a bag of Frey chocolates, two historic brands that will sit sweet on the palate. Although – be warned – it will never be the same as having a fondue at Adler’s Swiss Chuchi or hot chocolate at Péclard.

Make haste and savour the Swiss delights of Zürich! Check out our flights here.

Text by Carme Gasull (Gastronomistas)
Photos by Mireia Aranda and Zurich Tourism