logo
Europe cities, five for 2025

Europe cities, five for 2025

West Australian03-05-2025
Amsterdam. Paris. Brussels. Just some of the storied destinations you can reach on the Eurostar from London. But from July there will be another tempting train to ride, a new luxury sleeper service by Belmond, the company behind the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
Departing from London Victoria, the Britannic Explorer will offer upscale multi-night rail journeys to some of the most picturesque pockets of England and Wales. Three and six-day itineraries will showcase gorgeous slices of coast and countryside in Cornwall, the Lake District, Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia.
The window scenery will be complemented by lots of swanky features and flavours on board. Each of the train's 18 elegantly-furnished cabins have ensuite bathrooms — and you'll get a butler if you book a grand suite. In the dining cars, there's afternoon tea and modern British menus curated by Simon Rogan, chef-patron at L'Enclume, a three Michelin star restaurant in Cumbria, with Sven-Hanson Britt, formerly of The Ritz in London, now the Britannic Explorer's executive head chef.
There's one catch for this train. Fares are not exactly inexpensive. Bank on paying from around $13,000 per passenger. It's expected that services will run annually on dates between March and November.
belmond.com
Distinctly less taxing on the wallet, but requiring a bit more intestinal fortitude, is the prospect of swimming in the Seine. Inspired perhaps by watching the triathletes crawling through the river in last year's Olympics, ordinary folk will be able to test out their strokes in Paris' famous waterway this northern summer following the completion of a $2.4 billion clean-up project to enhance the water quality.
There are three new quayside sites where members of the public can swim freely from, including Bras Marie, which is in the heart of Paris, within strolling distance of the rejuvenated Notre-Dame Cathedral. The Seine swims will add an extra layer to the Paris-Plages project, which has tried to bring a touch of the Cote d'Azur to the French capital's river and canals since 2002, with pop-up beaches and activities from July to early September. If you're still wary about ducking beneath the surface of the Seine — this will be the first public swimming allowed in the river since it was previously banned in 1923 — you could go kayaking or canoeing instead.
parisjetaime.com
Krakow may hog the tourists, but those who make the effort to visit Warsaw are usually impressed by Poland's phoenix-like capital. In ruins after World War II, and under communist rule until 1989, the city has rebounded in recent decades and is now spoken about in glowing terms, similar to when it was dubbed the 'Paris of the East' before all the 20th century turmoil.
From the buzzy cafe terraces in the meticulously-restored old town (Stare Miasto) to the promenades and natural beaches hugging the Vistula River, to the sprinkling of Michelin-starred restaurants and slick galleries, Warsaw is also the setting for one of Europe's most keenly-anticipated cultural openings in 2025.
After being shifted around from temporary home to temporary home for two decades, the city's Museum of Modern Art finally has a permanent base: a purpose-built, light-filled space facing the Palace of Culture and Science, a towering landmark from the Soviet era. Designed by New York-based architect Thomas Phifer, the museum exhibits pieces by late Polish icons Magdalena Abakanowicz and Alina Szapocznikow (who was a Holocaust survivor), as well as from overseas talents like Sandra Mujinga, a Congo-born Norwegian abstract artist who's making waves with her inventive audio-visual installations.
go2warsaw.pl
Birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, backdropped by snow-dusted alps, stirring tunes enlivening its postcard-pretty streets and gardens, Salzburg is rarely anything other than a delight. This year it's upping the ante further with a medley of themed events, exhibitions and experiences to mark the 60th anniversary of The Sound Of Music, a much-loved movie shot in and around the Austrian city.
Whether you're attending a live performance of the musical in one of Salzburg's endearing theatres — such as the Salzburger Marionettentheater, with puppeteers pulling the characters' strings — or admiring the nostalgia-inducing filming locations with charismatic guides (or on new self-guided audio tours), don't be surprised to find yourself grinning and humming along to classic tunes like Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss and My Favourite Things.
salzburg.info
Malta is a perennial favourite on the Mediterranean cruise ship circuit, both a port of call and a hub for embarking and disembarking, But the dreamy UNESCO sites, cinematic coastline and quaint fishing villages of this sun-baked archipelago makes it worth sticking around for several days at least.
You could easily spend a week here, hopping between the three main islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. From mid-2025, you'll be able to base yourself at the Romegas Hotel, a snazzy 23-room boutique number in a converted 500-year-old aristocratic palazzo in the honey-hued streets of Valletta, Malta's compact yet vibrant capital.
Many of the building's original features have been preserved, including the traditional enclosed Maltese balconies, while there will be a contemporary fizz to the hotel's bar, restaurant and rooftop pool, which looks out towards the sparkling Med. Step out the front door and you're just a five-minute amble from St John's Co-Cathedral, built in the 16th century for the Order of the Knights of St John and renowned for its breathtaking baroque interior and paintings by Caravaggio.
visitmalta.com
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How tennis' world No.16 became an Aussie – and will soon call Melbourne home
How tennis' world No.16 became an Aussie – and will soon call Melbourne home

The Age

time2 days ago

  • The Age

How tennis' world No.16 became an Aussie – and will soon call Melbourne home

London: Daria Kasatkina was envious. Born in the Russian city of Tolyatti, she perceived from her glimpses of Australia through touring the world as a tennis professional that the lifestyle was idyllic, and people were accepted regardless of their background or sexuality. But Kasatkina had almost given up on becoming an Australian before arriving at Melbourne Park last summer. Her British agent, John Morris, had informally approached Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley two years earlier. It was the first time the top-20 star – one of the few openly gay players on the tour – had broached the possibility of switching allegiances from Russia to Australia. It was a big year for Kasatkina, who had announced in a life-changing 2022 interview that she was gay. She had also condemned her birth country's invasion of Ukraine, ensuring she became an even more divisive figure in Russia. A ruling in Russia's supreme court a year later classified the international LGBTQ movement as an extremist organisation, a move that effectively outlawed LGBTQ activism. What followed was a challenging, and at times scary, few years for Kasatkina. But that first conversation remained a well-guarded secret and the idea of representing Australia gained no serious traction despite Tiley being open to the possibility. Australia was never mentioned in rumours about Kasatkina. She had instead been linked to Spain – where she spends significant time training – and to the homeland of her fiancée, Natalia Zabiiako, who is from Estonia. Behind the scenes, though, Kasatkina's team was determined to explore every avenue to her playing under the Australian flag.

Luxury Brisbane hotel reopens with new owners and a new name
Luxury Brisbane hotel reopens with new owners and a new name

The Age

time2 days ago

  • The Age

Luxury Brisbane hotel reopens with new owners and a new name

The closed-down Hilton Hotel has reopened under new ownership, ahead of major renovations to the CBD site. Now branded InterContinental Brisbane, the hotel opened to guests on Tuesday. The building at 190 Elizabeth Street, which backs on to Queen Street Mall, was designed by architect Harry Seidler and opened in 1987. Across 25 floors, it comprises 319 hotel rooms, 19 meeting rooms, a ballroom, an outdoor lap pool and a gym. The InterContinental website says stays now start at about $320 a night, with the most expensive suites in excess of $550. 'We are incredibly proud to now have a footprint in one of Australia's most dynamic and fast-growing cities,' manager Shaun Parsons said in a statement. 'To be part of Brisbane's transformation ahead of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics is a privilege.' The hotel is earmarked for a complete restoration – expected to take about two years – from 2026 as part of a wider upgrade of the Wintergarden complex, which is overseen by ISPT.

Luxury Brisbane hotel reopens with new owners and a new name
Luxury Brisbane hotel reopens with new owners and a new name

Sydney Morning Herald

time2 days ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Luxury Brisbane hotel reopens with new owners and a new name

The closed-down Hilton Hotel has reopened under new ownership, ahead of major renovations to the CBD site. Now branded InterContinental Brisbane, the hotel opened to guests on Tuesday. The building at 190 Elizabeth Street, which backs on to Queen Street Mall, was designed by architect Harry Seidler and opened in 1987. Across 25 floors, it comprises 319 hotel rooms, 19 meeting rooms, a ballroom, an outdoor lap pool and a gym. The InterContinental website says stays now start at about $320 a night, with the most expensive suites in excess of $550. 'We are incredibly proud to now have a footprint in one of Australia's most dynamic and fast-growing cities,' manager Shaun Parsons said in a statement. 'To be part of Brisbane's transformation ahead of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics is a privilege.' The hotel is earmarked for a complete restoration – expected to take about two years – from 2026 as part of a wider upgrade of the Wintergarden complex, which is overseen by ISPT.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store