Tell us about your favourite secret garden – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakFrom the Renaissance splendour and symmetry of the Boboli gardens in Florence to the trickling fountains and rose gardens of the Alhambra in Spain, Europe has no shortage of “must see” gardens, but a tranquil escape from the tourist crowds they are not. Instead,...

Cologne cathedral, Europe’s biggest collection of pop art and vintage shops are all less than four and a half hours from London by trainIt’s on about our fifth Kölsch that we begin to get the idea of Cologne’s constitution. We are sitting in Päffgen, one of the traditional brewhouses that produce the pale yellow beer unique to the German city. It comes...

From a family farm where you can help yourself to lemons and oranges in the orchard to an old shepherd’s house with views of the seaYou can’t beat an agriturismo. Rural locations, owners whose main job is farming, plus food and drink produced on site all add up to a charmingly informal stay. There is rarely a reception desk and there’ll be dogs and...

Spectacular scenery and rich culture from the Alps to the North Sea are just a train ride away from the main hubs at this summer’s football tournamentOf all the ways to explore southern Germany this summer, the most memorable is not by train, bus or hire car but by boat. Lake Constance, nearly 40 times bigger than Windermere and two hours south-west...

All eyes will be on Germany’s industrial heartland next month as Euro 2024 kicks off. We explore the region’s heritage, renewal and sporting historyIn 1961, future West German chancellor Willy Brandt declared: “The sky above the Ruhr must be blue once more.” His words were greeted with what sounded like applause but was actually his audience falling...

Historic alehouse frequented by a Manic Street Preacher and All Black rugby players reconstructed on edge of Welsh capitalFor more than a century and a half, the Vulcan Hotel served dockers, railway workers, artists, sports stars, gamblers and dreamers and the demolition in 2012 of this beloved, spit-and-sawdust Cardiff pub felt like a bereavement.Twelve...