Globetrotter
lake garda, italy
#9. unwind with 007
British superspy James Bond went to the most beautiful of the Italian lakes to recover at the end of Casino Royale, and he returns to Lake Garda for some high octane exploits in Quantum of Solace later this year.
Luckily you don’t have to be a secret agent to afford a break in one of the genteel lakeside towns. Sirmione, a spa resort set in the rolling landscape of Lake Garda’s southern side, has been popular since Roman times. Visit the striking moated castle, the Rocca Scaligera, relax in thermal pools or take a boat north across the lake to Riva del Garda to explore steep, wooded slopes and ruined towers.
» Fly Sterling to Milan
Terme di Sirmione spa resort, +39 030 91681, www.termedisirmione.com
oslo
#10. stay in the city’s first design hotel
Lamps made from reindeer antlers, a moss garden embedded in the 8m-long blue glass reception desk, custom-made bedroom furniture, and seasonally themed rooms – just some of the things you can expect from Oslo’s first design hotel, Grims Grenka. Add an organic tea and cocktail bar and an Asian fusion restaurant, and you have the perfect combination of diversity, style and ecological living, all presented with a distinct Nordic twist. This summer they’re due to open an inhouse cinema and roof terrace as well.
» Fly Sterling to Oslo
Room prices start at NOK 2,350 (€296) for a standard double. Grims Grenka Hotel, Kongen’s Gate 5, Oslo, +47 2310 7200, www.firsthotels.com
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