Istria, Croatia–Genuine Adventure Without Genuine Pain

Adventure travel is getting harder and harder to find without abandoning all conceptions of modern conveniences. Adventure is one thing, but not everyone wants to give up having a toilet for weeks on end to be able to say they’ve been to the wild. On the other end of the spectrum is what’s driving modern day Lewis and Clarks to such lengths in search of the real foreign experience.

What is driving modern adventure travelers into jungle and mountain with no hope of comfort to be found? The difficulty in finding genuine, unsterilized experiences. Any popular destination these days is likely to be festooned with American products, English neon signs and T-shirts of popular western bands. Why go to another country to stay home? Croatia is one of the few destinations gaining popularity that is not succumbing to this trend and still offers rustic adventure alongside modern hospitality.

Istria, on its own, gives adventure travel a good name. Unspoiled lakes, thick forest and beautiful vistas that require some foot work to find are the rule and not the exception, and can be reached from vacation rental homes which also are in reach of great restaurants that will not compromise their local customs for tourists. For a genuine experience, try Croatia.

Zillertal–Rural, yet comfortable

Zillertall is a lovely resort set between majestic and picturesque mountains deep in rural Tyrol. For a long time, the main industry of Zillertal was coal mining, lending to the pastoral quality of this sylvan land. The natural beauty of Zillertal remains unspoiled, but the main factor in the area is now tourism. Tourists that hear of the unprecedented winter sport opportunities and welcoming atmosphere of Zillertal in particular and Tyrol in general often find their new favorite vacation spot.

One of the villages in the Zillertal valley is Fügen. Fügen is about as unspoiled as Austria gets, and yet as accommodating as you could want. Within the resort, a visitor can find a heated swimming pool, tennis, summer skiing in nearby Hintertux, a summer toboggan run and, in the winter, the valley has 154 ski lifts to different slopes. There is little for an active traveler to desire.

Of course the real reason to come and stay in such a beautiful area is to see the place itself. Zillertal has miles and miles of deep valleys and winding mountain paths to intrigue hikers and bikers. There are mountain and street bicycles for rent and enough trail to keep you occupied for the entirety of your stay, no matter how long.

Engelberg–Slow Travel’s Swiss Resort

Engelberg is not the name that pops into every American’s mind when we think “Swiss resort.” More glamorous and well known are Davos, St. Moritz and Zermatt, and they are all very worthy of their claims to fame, but it is precisely this notoriety that can turn off some vacationers.

For a renter looking for a more subdued, traditional atmosphere, Engelberg Switzerland is perfect. Centrally located in the canton of Obwalden, Engelberg is perfectly suited for the traveler who wants to take in the famous sites. It’s no problem at all to get to Lucerne, the Bernese Oberland or Zurich. With all the famous events and attractions in and around the area, Engelberg is perfect for slow travel–the growing trend of taking it easy and really getting to know an area instead of racing through it.

Engelberg’s immediate location is as enchanting as a steamship excursion over Lake Lucerne (and that’s saying a lot!). Tucked away in a valley like something out of a fantasy novel, Engelberg is watched over by rolling, verdant hills and imposing peaks. Obviously the winter makes Engelberg a skiing resort but when the summer reveals the green, Engelberg’s 18 hole golf course and scores of family activities provide more distractions for the visitors to this storybook village.

There’s no way to become a part of the place without getting the residential experience, and no better homes than the ones Interhome has to offer. Interhome knows Switzerland, and they want to know you; check out their properties and talk with a personal representative before booking.

$1000 Travel Contest

ITCInterhome.com is pleased to announce its first travel contest! In the next few weeks we will be posting the rules and conditions for this contest. The prize will be $1,000 towards a vacation rental in one of the thousands of great European Interhome properties. This will be a writing contest and the theme we are currently leaning towards is slow travel or villa stays.Get your stories together, this is not an opportunity a traveler will want to miss!

Travel insights

Our staff is constantly thinking of creative ways of helping you have a better travel experience.

We’re constantly using our insider access to the biggest names in the travel industry to bring to you, our readers, interesting and useful information from around the corner to around the globe. From directing you to the best deals in alternate accommodations to telling you how to get the most of them, ITCInterhome is on your side every step of the way.

Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late September and early October. It is one of the most famous events in the city and the world’s largest fair, with some six million people attending every year, and is an important part of Bavarian culture. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event.

The Munich Oktoberfest traditionally takes place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October. In 1990, the schedule was modified in response to German reunification so that if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or 2nd, then the festival will go on until October 3rd (German Unity Day). Thus, the festival is now 17 days when the 1st Sunday is October 2nd and 18 days when it is October 1st. The festival is held on an area named the Theresienwiese (field, or meadow, of Therese), often called d’ Wiesn for short.

Beer plays a central role in the fair, with every festival beginning with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares O’zapft is! (Bavarian for “It’s tapped!”). A special Oktoberfest beer is brewed for the occasion, which is slightly darker and stronger, in both taste and alcohol. It is served in a one-liter-tankard called Maß. The first mass is served to the Bavarian Prime Minister. Only local Munich breweries are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt, a beer tent which is large enough for thousands.

Visitors also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and sauerkraut, along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails and Äpfelpfannenkuchen or apple pancakes.

Sardinia–Cookout, Island Style

Eating in Sardinia, Italy can give you the impression you weren’t on an island off the coast of that most succulent of countries but at a luau in Hawai’i. Typical dishes are what you’d expect from an untamed area where the natives are fiercely proud of their traditions and tend to feature uncomplicated dishes using similarly simple techniques. What makes the cuisine of Sardinia uncommon are the ingredients unique to the island and the combination of meat and seafood together.

Rock lobster, scampi, sardines–which get their name from the island–figure prominently to no one’s surprise, but this was not always the case. It is only recently that seafood began to be so important to the natives of the island who avoided the coasts, once popular with pirates and warring governments. For a real Sardinian experience you’ll feel right at home–it’s cookout time!

When was the last time you got a chance to enjoy spit roasted wild boar? I’m sorry but most of us simply can’t get a whole wild boar, and if we could I doubt many would have the resources to slow roast it, suspended over a pit of flame by a stake. This glorious and often liquor enhanced spectacle is only exalted by the native spices and herbs alternately steamed over the coals and rubbed over the meat until you’re presented with a meat so flavorful and intense you’ll never forget it just recently had tusks worthy of an eclectic millionaire’s trophy wall.

Spanish Cuisine–Explore with your Tongue

Looking for an excuse to stay in Spain a while? Do you really need one? If the traditional lifestyle, warm local hospitality and gorgeous countryside weren’t reason enough, I’ll offer you another: local food you can take home with you. Following the principles of the slow travel movement invites you to become part of Spain.

No, I’m not suggesting that you fly to Spain, collect suitcases full of paella and pescaito frito to smell up the plane home. Forget trying to explain the rice and olive oil seeping out of your carry-on to the customs official. I’m suggesting slow food. I am suggesting taking a shopping cart to the carniceria for meat, the panaderia for for bread, bringing the ingredients back to your rented villa for a cooking class. You can find a private instructor in the closest city or make friends with a local–not hard to do!–who can show you what you need to know.

Slow food is cooking with fresh ingredients, making everything yourself and enjoying the fruits of your labors. Besides the obvious advantages of experimenting with flavor learning a new art, slow food means knowing exactly what goes into your food. Every ingredient passes your scrutiny. But the real advantage of slow food, of making your microwave jealous and cutting out fast food fat is being part of your life process. You are there for the cooking, the serving and the eating. You are freed from being reliant on others to determine your menu and feel connected to every bite that you can take pride in having created.

Take time to enjoy and learn the different regional cuisine of Spain. Each region offers a different theme as well as variations on country-wide favorites. From the Jabugo ham and fish specialties of Andalusia, to the indescribable olla podrida of Extremadura, Spain is the perfect place to begin your slow food journey.

Wine Tasting In Paris

Sampling the wines of the various regions of France is no new idea for a vacation, but a well kept secret is that you don’t have to go to each of those regions to experience their wines. Paris has wine from each region available all in one city and often all under one roof.

Wines from every region can often be tasted during a tasting organized by a company or restaurant. The great benefit of one of these samplings is their impartial nature: an experienced sommelier will provide an overview of each wine and guide the experience, then elucidate on what to search for in each glass. There are offers of all sizes to match any expertise, budget and personality. No one should miss out on wine tasting when they visit Paris.

One novel idea is to invite a sommelier to your own apartment. If you’re traveling with friends, renting a residence in Paris is actually less expensive than booking a hotel and it’s definitely much more liberating and intimate. For the serious and dedicated oenophiles, the ultimate experience is having an expert sommelier bring his pick-of-the-litter of fine French wines to your private rental. Besides having the experience all to yourselves, already being home will minimize how far you have to stumble, should you allow yourself to become over served.

Cannes Film Festival

If celebrities are stars, Cannes, during its world famous film festival, is a galaxy. You have heard of it dozens if not scores, scores if not hundreds of times. The Cannes Film Festival, where unknown film creators are signed to multimillion dollar production deals, and the who’s who of the rich and famous in the film business walk shoulder to shoulder with aspiring talent and anyone who obtains a ticket. There is a reason Cannes is the place for this event.

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