The Most Charming European Towns to Visit With Culture Trip

Buy a random train ticket anywhere in Central Europe and it won’t take long for your carriage to pull into a gorgeous medieval town. That’s not far off the idea behind our Central Europe by Train trip, albeit our version is a lot more organised. Our itinerary focuses on five of the region’s most scenic capital cities – Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest – but the hidden discovery of this trip is without a doubt Krems. It’s official name is Krems an der Donau, which translates to Krems on the Danube, which also goes some way to explain why this place is so beautiful. It’s set right in the heart of the spectacular Wachau Valley, an Austrian region that traces the river with rolling hills, vineyards, valleys and medieval fortresses. We’ll take a detour from Vienna to visit Krems, where we’ll embark on a magical bike ride along the banks of the Danube, followed by a thoroughly deserved (optional) wine tasting and lunch amid truly gorgeous surrounds.

In all honesty, we could make a pretty impressive list of pretty little towns from just our 10-day exploration of Italy’s southern coasts. You’ll discover Amalfi and Positano on the west coast, before heading inland to the surreal hilltop cave town of Matera – made famous by James Bond – and the gorgeous beach resort of Polignano a Mare. If we had to pick just one place in southern Italy to really make you fall in love, however, it surely has to be the quirky town of Alberobello. It’s only home to around 10,000 people, but this place is famous for its adorable trulli huts, a Unesco-listed style of building unique to this part of the world. There’s something almost cartoonishly cute about the conical stone roofs and whitewashed walls, almost as if they should home smurfs or oompa loompas. You’ll get a guided tour of the town on day five of our Seductive Southern Italy trip.

Most people hear the word Ness and think of either the loch, or the mythical beast within it, but trace the river Ness all the way to Scotland’s northeastern coast and you’ll discover the glorious little city of Inverness. The architecture is gorgeous, the summertime greenery luscious and, on a clear sunny day, views across the river are absolutely sumptuous. It’s also the capital of the Highlands, making it the perfect spot to explore the extraordinary natural beauty of rugged rural Scotland. On our week-long Rail Trip to Edinburgh and the Highlands you’ll get a guided tour of the city and its brilliant Museum and Art Gallery, before having some free time to visit the castle and stroll along the Ness, later retiring at our beautiful riverfront hotel.