Travel in city Ljubljana, Slovenia

Train lovers and travelers concerned about their carbon footprint have a lot to choose from this year — especially in Europe. While some European governments are mulling short-haul flight bans, many passengers are already opting for rail, where new connections are numerous.

The brand new Lufthansa City Airlines will take its first flight on 26 June, bringing new short- and medium-haul connections to Germany.

The World Travel Awards are some of the travel industry’s most prestigious accolades, and the winners in the European categories have been crowned at the thirty-first edition of the ceremony in Berlin. Leaders in tourism, airline, hotel and hospitality sectors are all included in the programme, but it’s the destinations themselves that we’re most excited about. And claiming the award for Europe’s next emerging destination, a title won by Batumi in Georgia for the last five years, it was Braga, a city not too far from the coast nestled in north-western Portugal.

In 2023, travel came back with a vengeance, with travel bookings climbing to near pre-COVID-19 numbers, according to a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey. But many destinations struggled to manage the heightened influx of tourists, and some governments actively took measures to limit the quantity of visitors. Among the changes: new or increased tourist taxes, campaigns aimed at discouraging problematic visitors, and attendance caps at popular attractions.

In collaboration with the European Travel Commission, the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Slovenian Tourist Board are continuing their joint promotional campaign, "Naturally Yours - Taste, Feel, Love."

We loved Ljubljana in Slovenia during autumn, but less than an hour’s drive away is the beautiful Lake Bled. It has a rustic and tranquil vibe, its focal point being the Assumption of Mary church on its island. The lake is surrounded by mountains and forests, and it is these that bring the place alive. The leaves turn a stunning array of orange, yellow, red and purple, creating an unforgettable scene. Colin Snoad

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by Slovenia's recent popularity — it's one of Europe's most fought-over countries, after all. The country was once part of the Roman Empire, then the German Holy Roman Empire, then under the rule of the Habsburgs of Austria, and even Napoleon for a brief period. It became part of Yugoslavia in the 1920s, until 1991, when it finally achieved independence. Although Lake Bled currently ranks as the country's most popular spot for tourists, growing numbers of visitors are taking time to explore Slovenia's beautiful capital, so we've put together a guide to Ljubljana so you can make the most of this enthralling city.