Landscapes as green and lovely as everyone says. Literary giants in Dublin; Titanic history in Belfast. A pint and good craic in a traditional pub. The lure of Celtic legends.
21.07.2023 - 07:48 / roughguides.com
In summer 2021 Nottingham Castle reopened to the public and, with its renovated attractions and new galleries paying homage to the history of the city, the castle is now better than ever. Rough Guides writer Phil Lee reveals what visitors to the newly reopened castle can look forward to. Find inspiration for more adventures across England in Rough Guides Make the Most of Your Time in Britain.
Perched on a great hunk of crumbly sandstone, Nottingham Castle is the city’s most distinctive landmark and, in the summer of 2021, it reopened after an expensive and expansive refurbishment. There’s now something for pretty much every type of visitor, from an adventure playground for kids through to a guided tour of the maze of caves directly beneath the castle, plus a delightful gallery displaying the delicately carved alabaster sculptures for which Nottingham was once famous.
Allow at least three hours for a visit, perhaps the whole day if you intend to investigate the temporary exhibitions: at the grand reopening, the castle made an excellent start with a temporary display featuring the fashion designer and local good egg, Paul Smith, whose first shop opened in Nottingham in 1970.
Keen to emphasise their power and strength, the Normans began building Nottingham Castle on the top of Castle Rock in the late eleventh century. By the 1400s, it was a major fortress (one of the strongest in the land) and a popular stopping point for kings and queens as they travelled north from London. Like scores of fortresses across the country, the original stone castle with its towers and bastions was cleared after the Civil War in the 1670s and it was replaced by a splendid ducal palace, built on the orders of – and to a design chosen by – a local bigwig, the 1st Duke of Newcastle.
As Nottingham industrialised in the early 1800s, the dukes became less enamoured of the city and moved out to the country, escaping the industrial slums and leaving their palace a neglected pile – one that rioters set on fire during the Reform Riots of 1831. Gifted to the city a few decades later, it is this handsome ducal palace that visitors see today.
The history of Nottingham Castle, with its fires and feuds, violence and fury, is intriguing in itself, but it’s often overshadowed by myth and legend. There may or may not have been a real Robin Hood, but I am afraid to say he never stormed the Castle and never rescued Maid Marian from the clutches of that baddie of all baddies, the Sheriff of Nottingham (boo-hiss): perhaps disappointingly, there is indeed a Sheriff, but today it’s a civic post with little power – no suit of armour and heavy sword, but merely a gold chain of office.
The Robin Hood Statue near Castle Gate at Nottingham Castle © Phil Lee
U
Landscapes as green and lovely as everyone says. Literary giants in Dublin; Titanic history in Belfast. A pint and good craic in a traditional pub. The lure of Celtic legends.
”Hong Kong is a photographer’s dream,” says Geraint Rowland. “It’s got impressive architecture and the busy streets teem with life, day and night.” The Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year winner was blown away by the territory. As part of their dual-destination photo commission, the four winners of the UK’s biggest travel photography competition were first guided around Hong Kong and its many islands. They soon discovered there were plenty of opportunities to point their lenses, whether the neon skyscrapers, the old neighbourhoods from which the city evolved or one of the 260 outlying islands, whose slower pace of life, unusual wildlife and natural landscapes offer a contrast to that famous urban bustle.
Nestled in the north-west corner of Ireland, the city of Derry-Londonderry (Northern Ireland) and the county of Donegal (Republic of Ireland) sit snugly side by side. Taken together, this pair have every ingredient you could want from a short break: a dollop of history, a splash of culture and immeasurable quantities of nature and adventure. Better yet, it’s a combination that few have yet to put together.
Northern Ireland's second city and Ireland's northern-most county sit rather snug together in the corner of the island of Ireland. But many are yet to discover the two make a fantastic combination for a twin break. Blending thought-provoking history, striking landmarks and an incredible natural world, Derry~Londonderry and County Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula offer everything you could wish for in a short, action-packed getaway.
The first thing that strikes me about Kalma Saun is that there is nowhere to hide. Brilliant white tiles stretch from floor to ceiling and buffed steel faucets reflect the glare from fluorescent lights—as if I am standing in an interrogation room rather than Tallinn’s oldest public sauna.
It’s no longer something to keep hidden.
Early morning on Dartmoor, and as I lie in bed all I can hear is the trill of birdsong, punctuated by a distant cuckoo’s call. I open the campervan door to take in the scene. There’s no one around, no buildings in sight, just fields glittering with dew in the sunlight and sheep grazing nonchalantly on the hillside.
With its white-sand beaches and sparkling turquoise seas framed by palm trees, lush greenery and soaring mountains, there could hardly be a more romantic destination than the Caribbean. Whether you want to snorkel with spectacular sea life, indulge in a moonlit dinner á deux, have your cares massaged away or lounge together in a private cabana, the Caribbean offers the ultimate idyllic couples’ escape.
It’s travel strike season in France once again. Travelers visiting or traveling through France over the next several weeks should prepare for the possibility of significant air and rail travel disruptions due to a series of planned travel strikes that have cut 30 percent of flights at major airports, and could cancel train departures for months.
Getting old has few benefits, but the occasional senior travel discount is one of them. Senior travelers can enjoy a wide range of discounts, but both availability and value vary substantially among different travel sectors and in different parts of the globe.
Traveling to Europe is often as easy as simply booking a plane ticket but starting next year, a fee and a visa will be required to visit.
There are few tourism destinations out there that have avoided the scourge of high-rise condos, Quarter Pounders, and traffic lights. And if that destination happens to be our planet at its most beautiful? Forget about it.