Belle Epoque travel tips

The aristocracy of Switzerland began acquiring a taste for the Swiss Alps as early as the 1760s. Lucerne—a small fishing village at the foothills of the Alps, with its temperate climate and easy access by road and rail—made the perfect launching pad for hiking and mountaineering. By 1835, the first hotel opened in Lucerne and the city soon grew into one of the largest tourist destinations in the country. In 1903, Swiss entrepreneur Franz Josef Bucher purchased a plot of land on the north shore of Lake Lucerne for $900,000 Swiss francs. After a three-year construction, Palace Hotel Luzern opened its doors, setting a new standard of luxury for hospitality, not just in Switzerland, but in Europe at large.

Italy’s Riviera di Ponente, or Western Riviera, has long attracted travelers—in the late 19th century new rail connections made it easier for well-heeled and titled English and Russians to escape their dreary winters, but before and after WWII, destinations on the Côte d'Azur and Riviera di Levante (the Eastern Riviera), like Rapallo, Portofino, and later, Cinque Terre, stepped into the spotlight, drawing celebrity names and eventually flocks of tourists.

Tucked away on a quiet street in the heart of Paris’ fashionable Le Marais neighborhood, Maison Proust has become one of the city’s most spectacular gems. Opened at the start of the year, the 23-key boutique hotel pays homage to one of France’s literary legends while simultaneously celebrating La Belle Époque. And once you pass through its discreet doors, it’ll feel as though you’ve been transported back to the late 19th century, in all of its brilliance and intimacy, but without any pomp and circumstance.

After a foodie pilgrimage along the northern Spanish coast, Ros Walford shares some of her edible highlights of the Camino del Norte.

Just outside Buenos Aires, Argentina is one of South America ’s most unexpected landscapes – the Paraná Delta. Part of the continent’s second largest river system, it is accessed via a Victorian-style toy train and the town of Tigre, an idiosyncratic cross between England’s Henley-on-Thames and Italy’s Venice.

Cruising glassy-calm Lac du Bourget, there’s a certain irony that the water’s journey from the stormy tops of the Savoie Alps has ended in one of the most serene places in France. This is Aix-les-Bains’ immediate appeal. It’s a town focused on lakeside living with beach clubs, marinas, promenades and a Belle Epoque-era casino. The effect is an Alpine riviera of sorts, where water sports and unfiltered fun are key to the local way of life.

As well as its annual film festival, the city of Cannes on the south east coast of France is best known for its beaches, casinos and sailing scene. Newcomers, get your bearings by strolling La Croisette, a 2km boulevard that borders the shore from Casino Barrière Le Croisette near the Old Port in the west to Verdun Square near Port Pierre Canto in the east. The thoroughfare is lined with boutiques and restaurants – but beneath the suncream, poker chips and Moët, there’s more to discover. Here are five reasons to visit…