Raise A Glass To Slow Travel: 4 Destinations To Savor Local Culture One Drink At A Time
The Napa Valley Railroad dates back over 160 years. However, Napa Valley Wine Train is also celebrating its 36th anniversary, debuting a new clean-energy locomotive, designed to cut emissions by 95% without sacrificing its vintage charm.
Guests can choose from curated experiences, lasting between 2.5 to 6 hours and ranging from gourmet meals and afternoon tea to grape stomping. But to mark this anniversary, it also hosted a special 'Earth Day' tasting event on April 22 in partnership with Grgich Hills Estate, a winery focusing on organic and regenerative winemaking.
This milestone offers more than just a toast to history, it is a reminder that slow travel has been and will be compelling. For those who enjoy sipping their way through a destination at a relaxed pace, here are four additional slow travel experiences where the journey is just as flavorful as the destination.
Cape Winelands District Municipality is one of South Africa's most celebrated wine regions, known for its world-class vineyards, fine dining and French Huguenot heritage. It is over 3,167 square miles, stretching from the outskirts of Cape Town all the way to Tankwa Karoo National Park.
Franschhoek lies within the Cape Winelands region, calling itself the 'Valley of Dreams.' It is home to over 40 wineries and vineyards, as well as several immersive experiences to discover fine dining, award-winning wines, art galleries andsculpture gardens.
Aerial view of Babylonstoren in Franschhoek.
If you do not want to drive around, hop on the Franschhoek wine tram that takes you through scenic vineyards with stops at world-class wineries. But choose your line carefully. There are five color-coded routes, each offering a unique mix of wine estates and tasting experiences.
If you want to stay in one place to experience award-winning wines, South Africa's rich history and slow travel, head to Babylonstoren.
Wine here is only the beginning. It is a modern working farm, luxury hotel, spa, farm-to-fork restaurants and state-of-the-art winery. Whether for a day visit or an overnight stay, Babylonstoren makes slow travel luxurious while connecting you with South African traditions in a meaningful, immersive way.
The garden of Babylonstoren from above.
It has over 230 acres of vineyard to grow 13 different grape varieties and over 12 acres of garden filled with seasonal vegetables, edible flowers, fruit trees, beehives, climbing roses, a prickly pear maze and rare indigenous plants of botanical importance.
In its Story of Wine Museum, visitors can try hands-on wine blending and taste the full range of its award-winning wines: four whites, a rosé, four elegant reds and the beloved Sprankel Cap Classique.
A meal with a display of Babylonstoren wines.
Visitors can cycle through the vineyards, enjoy bass fishing or canoeing, learn to bake mosbolletjie, a South African sweet bread, unwind with stretching classes, visit the herd of water buffalo, or join a guided drive up the slopes of Simonsberg to In the Clouds.
Soetmelksvlei is Bablyonstoren's unique art and living history project to bring 19th-century farm life to life. Bablyonstoren restored and immaculately recreated the interiors of a farmhouse, a cottage, a cellar, a distillery, a mill and a workshop, where visitors can also try traditional craftsmanship.
Fowl House at Soetmelksvlei
Northumberland is the northernmost county of England, spreading from Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all the way to the Scottish border. The region has a distinct identity shaped by centuries of history, from the Iron Age and Roman rule to Anglo-Saxon and Viking influences.
Thanks to its strategic location, Northumberland has over 70 ruined or inhabited castles, the most compared to any other county in England. It offers endless opportunities for slow travel from England's largest dark sky park, Northumberland National Park, to walking on trails, passing Roman forts, rolling hills and remote moorlands.
Sunset at Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, England
Active England Tours, a British adventure and luxury tour operator, launched a new tour for 2025 to explore Northumberland at a leisurely pace. Its 'Bike Hadrian's Wall & Northumberland' tour is a 4-day coast-to-coast cycling adventure through Northern England's rugged landscapes, including the famous Hadrian's Wall, local pubs and historic ruins.
Stop at Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery if you love a good whisky. In the distillery, the first (legal) Northumbrian English Single Malt Whisky in over 200 years is currently maturing, with the first limited release set to be available in 2026.
Ad Gefrin visitors centre and whisky distillery
Until then, try Ad Gefrin's signature spirits: Tácnbora Whisky Blend, a blend of grain and malt whiskies from Ireland and Scotland, Flyté, a whisky cream liqueur and Thirlings Dry Gin, flavored with Sea Buckthorn and Irish moss from the coast, dill and elderberry from the hedgerow, and heather and pine from the hills.
One of Ad Gefrin's signature spirit the Tácnbora Whisky Blend.
Visitors can take a 90-minute guided distillery tour, explore The Great Hall and Museum—including artifacts on loan from the British Museum—and sample spirits in a multi-sensory tasting room set to Northumbrian pipe music. It is at least a half-day experience, blending storytelling, craftsmanship and regional pride.
Skip Paris and slow down in France's Champagne region. It is in northeastern France, bordering Belgium. The region is the birthplace of 'champagne,' the only sparkling wine legally allowed to bear the name.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of The Champagne Hillsides, Houses, and Cellars becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site. The region spans 320 villages and includes nearly 280,000 vineyard plots cultivated by over 16,000 growers, upholding a winemaking tradition that dates back centuries.
Wineyards in Marne, Champagne-Ardennes, France.
Visitors can leisurely explore wine trails around Reims or Épernay, drive through vineyard-draped hills, stop in villages to visit cellars, explore open-air vine museums or picnic with scenic views.
For travelers who prefer slow travel over road-tripping, Belmond's Conquelicot offers an elegant alternative, a floating celebration of France's art de vivre.
Conquelicot is a luxury canal barge navigating Canal de la Marne au Rhin, an almost 200-mile-long canal connecting the Marne River at Vitry-le-François to the Rhine River at Strasbourg.
Deck of Coquelicot luxury barge of Belmond Bateaux.
Six guests in three en-suite cabins can enjoy all the luxurious facilities: elegant lounge, expansive outdoor deck and scenic view of the Marne Valley.
From fresh French breakfast pastries to alfresco dining, curated by three-Michelin-star Chef Dominique Crenn, all meals will be prepared using seasonal and local ingredients.
Private tastings and vineyard tours at esteemed champagne houses, including Ruinart, the world's oldest champagne house, Leclerc Briant, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon await its guests.
Wine tasting at Coquelicot luxury barge of Belmond Bateaux.
While it may not be on most tourist's radar, Gifu quietly champions the values of authenticity, heritage and slow travel. It is where centuries-old craftsmanship meets striking natural beauty and well-preserved historical towns.
The region is mostly renowned for the UNESCO-listed thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go. However, the meticulous art of Washi paper-making, the time-honored production of Gifu lanterns and umbrellas and the 1,300-year-old traditional cormorant fishing on the Nagara River are all part of this region's living history.
Shirakawa is a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Watanabe Sake Brewery is a family-owned business in operation for 150 years in Hida Furukawa, Gifu Prefecture. Their brewers use traditional sake-making techniques that were added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.
Wabunka, a Japanese travel company specializing in exclusive experiences that showcase traditional craft and art industries, offers private sake tastings and guided tours at the historic Watanabe Sake Brewery.
The tour begins with an introduction to the traditional sake-brewing process and concludes with a tasting in a beautifully renovated, 100-year-old building that's typically closed to the public. If you time your visit between September and June, you will be able to see the brewing happening live.
Cold sake with rice and ear of rice on the table
What else to do in Gifu Prefecture? A representative of Wabunka recommended in an email interview to visit and unwind in the waters of Gero Onsen or Yunoshimakan, stroll through Takayama's Edo-era Old Town, try kaiseki cuisine rooted in regional tradition and walk through Hida no Sato, an open-air museum preserving Japan's rural heritage.
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Pomp, pageantry, politesse greet Macron in display of British royals' soft power
LONDON -- The French Tricolor and Britain's Union flag hang from the standards near Windsor Castle. The carriages are primed, the tiaras polished. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in Britain on Tuesday at the start of a state visit as the two countries highlight their long friendship with conspicuous displays of military pomp, golden carriages and royal toasts. The backdrop for day one is Windsor Castle, a royal fortress for over 900 years that remains a working palace today. Prince William and the Princess of Wales greeted the Macron's at RAF Northolt outside London. King Charles III later formally welcomed the couple later at Windsor Castle, where they rode in a horse-drawn carriage and reviewed a military guard of honor. The first day will end with a state banquet at the castle. Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to France in September 2023 in a visit that highlighted the historic ties between Britain and its closest European neighbor. That royal trip came after years of sometimes prickly relations strained by Britain's exit from the European Union and disagreements over the growing number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats. President Macron's arrival in Britain marks the first state visit by a French head of state since President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to London in 2008. State visits are ceremonial meetings between heads of state that are used to honor friendly nations and sometimes smooth relations between rivals. While the king formally issues the invitation for a state visit, he does so on the advice of the elected government. State visits to Britain are particularly prized by heads of state because they come with a full complement of royal pomp and circumstance, including military reviews, carriage rides and a glittering state banquet hosted by the monarch. The events normally take place in and around Buckingham Palace in central London. But the Macrons will stay at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital. Buckingham Palace is undergoing extensive remodeling. This is just the fifth state visit since King Charles ascended the throne in September 2022. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had the honor of receiving the first invitation for a state visit during the new king's reign and spent three days in Britain in November 2022. The leaders of Qatar, Japan and South Korea have also received the full royal treatment. More controversially, Charles has invited U.S. President Donald Trump to make an unprecedented second state visit to Britain, which is expected to take place in the autumn. While Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to bolster relations with the U.S., some U.K. lawmakers have questioned whether Trump should be awarded such an honor after he torpedoed long-standing norms for global trade, refused to condemn Russian aggression in Ukraine and proposed moving Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip. 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Some 950 service members from all branches of the U.K. military will take part in the ceremonies, including 380 on street-lining duties and 180 in the Guard of Honor at Windsor Castle. Six military bands will perform a selection of both British and French music. The display is seen by the British government as a nod to close defense and diplomatic ties but also hints at the ambition for the visit, which may see new defense and security commitments. But one horse will get special attention. The Macrons will visit Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse given by the French leader to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, when the nation celebrated the Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 years on the throne. Count on the French language to be used both in private and in public. King Charles made a point of speaking French when he addressed lawmakers in the Senate chamber in Paris on the second day of his visit to France in 2023. During that speech, the king said the alliance between Britain and France was more important than ever as he recalled how the two nations had worked together to defeat the Nazi regime. Charles was a frequent visitor to France before becoming king, making 35 official visits to the country as heir to the throne.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Pomp, pageantry and politesse greet French PM Macron in display of British royals' soft power
LONDON (AP) — The French Tricolor and Britain's Union flag hang from the standards near Windsor Castle. The carriages are primed, the tiaras polished. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in Britain on Tuesday at the start of a state visit as the two countries highlight their long friendship with conspicuous displays of military pomp, golden carriages and royal toasts. The backdrop for day one is Windsor Castle, a royal fortress for over 900 years that remains a working palace today. Prince William and the Princess of Wales greeted the Macron's at RAF Northolt outside London. King Charles III later formally welcomed the couple later at Windsor Castle, where they rode in a horse-drawn carriage and reviewed a military guard of honor. The first day will end with a state banquet at the castle. Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to France in September 2023 in a visit that highlighted the historic ties between Britain and its closest European neighbor. That royal trip came after years of sometimes prickly relations strained by Britain's exit from the European Union and disagreements over the growing number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats. President Macron's arrival in Britain marks the first state visit by a French head of state since President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to London in 2008. What's happening State visits are ceremonial meetings between heads of state that are used to honor friendly nations and sometimes smooth relations between rivals. While the king formally issues the invitation for a state visit, he does so on the advice of the elected government. State visits to Britain are particularly prized by heads of state because they come with a full complement of royal pomp and circumstance, including military reviews, carriage rides and a glittering state banquet hosted by the monarch. The events normally take place in and around Buckingham Palace in central London. But the Macrons will stay at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital. Buckingham Palace is undergoing extensive remodeling. 'Cherry on the top' This is just the fifth state visit since King Charles ascended the throne in September 2022. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had the honor of receiving the first invitation for a state visit during the new king's reign and spent three days in Britain in November 2022. The leaders of Qatar, Japan and South Korea have also received the full royal treatment. More controversially, Charles has invited U.S. President Donald Trump to make an unprecedented second state visit to Britain, which is expected to take place in the autumn. While Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to bolster relations with the U.S., some U.K. lawmakers have questioned whether Trump should be awarded such an honor after he torpedoed long-standing norms for global trade, refused to condemn Russian aggression in Ukraine and proposed moving Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip. 'An invitation for a state visit is highly prized amongst world leaders,'' said Craig Prescott, a constitutional law expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, who focuses on the political role of the monarchy. 'Now, it won't necessarily turn an enemy into an ally, but it can be part of that broader diplomatic move to maybe get the best out of someone. "It's that cherry on the top, but at times it could be a very valuable cherry.' Queen Elizabeth II, Charles' mother, hosted 112 state visits during her seven decades on the throne. Pomp and ceremony State visits are nothing if not a showcase for the British military, which has a global reputation for putting on displays of spit-and-polish precision by soldiers wearing their iconic scarlet tunics and bearskin hats. Active duty troops who rotate from operational assignments to ceremonial duties put in thousands of hours of training to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Some 950 service members from all branches of the U.K. military will take part in the ceremonies, including 380 on street-lining duties and 180 in the Guard of Honor at Windsor Castle. Six military bands will perform a selection of both British and French music. The display is seen by the British government as a nod to close defense and diplomatic ties but also hints at the ambition for the visit, which may see new defense and security commitments. But one horse will get special attention. The Macrons will visit Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse given by the French leader to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, when the nation celebrated the Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 years on the throne. Lingua franca Count on the French language to be used both in private and in public. King Charles made a point of speaking French when he addressed lawmakers in the Senate chamber in Paris on the second day of his visit to France in 2023. During that speech, the king said the alliance between Britain and France was more important than ever as he recalled how the two nations had worked together to defeat the Nazi regime. Charles was a frequent visitor to France before becoming king, making 35 official visits to the country as heir to the throne.
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Best low-cost airlines in Africa in 2025
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