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.

Attractions in Villa Hotspot–Sorrento

Sorrento will host its annual ‘Summer of Music’ festival again from this July until the following September. The festival will take place within the venerated halls of the local Monastery of Saint Francis. The festival is led by its honorary President, the famous cellist Uto Ughi. The Summer of Music Festival gives classical music fans a real treat and even plays a part in raising the local real estate value; both rented and fixed. Each year the festival gives emerging musicians the opportunity to play with established and even world-renowned musicians. The effect, for classical music fans, is like a a two month long Woodstock, albeit admittedly much more reserved–and Woodstock didn’t have the backdrop that the Summer of Music does.

Sorrento is well known for its beautiful buildings and picturesque harbor. There are plenty of open-air cafés, local trattorias, nightclubs and concerts held in villa gardens and let’s not forget the Amalfi Coast. Stretching languidly from the peninsula of Sorrent to Salerno, this gold and azure coastline is reputed as retaining more of its natural beauty than any other in area in Campania. The villas and hotels blend seamlessly into the fabric of the seaside towns which perfectly bridge the space between the sea and the Lattari mountains. The entire coast is beautiful and completely navigable by a winding mountainside road that affords a view unlike any other on earth.

The view of Sorrento from the sea might be as impressive as the view of the sea from Sorrento. There are several noteworthy and majestic monuments in the old town. The Basilica De San Antonio was built around the 10th century in honor of Saint Anthony, patron saint of navigators, and in c.1300 it became the home of the “Confraternita dei Battenti”, an heretical confraternity from Naples. It was splendidly restored in the by the Theatine Fathers in the 17th century. The crypt is believed to hold the tomb of Saint Anthony, where thousands of votive offerings have been lit by sailors and fishermen throughout the ages. The Basilica welcomes pilgrims, holds special masses and houses a museum with a limited, but impressive, collection of artifacts.

Another attractive museum is the very well appointed Correale di Terranova. This museum’s 18th century paintings, inlaid furniture, Capodimonte majolica and porcelain ware and lacework are certain to fascinate. It’s almost impossible to find a comparable exhibition outside of a medieval Italian villa. The museum palazzo is a work of art unto itself, its bleached stone and wood structure surrounded by lush wood overlooking the Gulf of Naples.

Undoubtedly there is little I need to inform any travel interested party about the glorious setting of Campania. It is an area seemingly crafted out of romantic possibility, mixed out of sand and emerald on a painter’s palette and brushed onto the nearly tropical south western coast of Italy. Sheltered from fierce weather by Sicily to the south and Corsica and Sardinia to the west, Campania’s rare villas are a vacation renter’s paradise and are snatched up pretty quickly.

Refinement and Excitement from your Lorraine Villa

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever considered eating quiche that the French region of Lorraine is as well known for its cuisine as it is for its excellent villas and homes. What sets food from Lorraine apart is the key ingredients, among which smoked bacon and the mirabelle plum are chief.

While French restaurants in America can approximate the puffed and flaky pastries that the Lorraine region is celebrated for, an approximation is all those faux auberges can truly produce. While it’s a stretch to consider traveling to Europe just for desert, once in Lorraine a visitor may very well wonder why they didn’t do just that sooner.

Within Lorraine, the department of Vosges is one of the oldest. An original post-revolution department, Vosges has a rich history and long traditions easily overlooked by the casual observer. Just looking out from a vacation villa at the densely wooded countryside from Saint-Julien, a visitor would be too impressed with the natural splendor to contemplate the hard work that has kept it that way.

Hidden within those rolling hills are hydropathic springs reputed as having restorative powers. Whether it’s the water itself or just the tranquil setting of a bubbling spring bathed in slanting jade sunlight, the regenerative reputation of those springs is well deserved. Dramatic waterfalls, placid mountain lakes and a host of protected flora and fauna–including wild boar–are all accessible by hiking, climbing or biking. Contact the local tourist board for motor tours.

Sitting atop one of these pastoral foothills is Saint-Julien. With only 130 inhabitants, this escape in the countryside defines ‘get-away-from-it-all.’ This 19th century villa, the Domaine de St Julien, is an ideal base to explore any or all of the local natural wonders by foot, car or bike. If you want a real change of pace try floating along on your own personal cloud by trying your hand at paragliding. Moving no faster than a passing cloud with some practice, paragliding will give you a highly enviable point of view and photographs you will be proud to show off.

Travel Planning Tools - Making it Easier on Flyers

There are a number of ways you can enhance your travel experience, whether you’re a frequent traveler or first time flyer. Seatguru.com, for example, is an excellent tool and can help immensely when you’re booking a flight yourself online.

Another option is check with the site your booking your trip, because they may have other useful tools. Onetravelsource.com, for example, offers city and state ‘what to do and see’ guides for most of the major and minor cities in the US. They also have a map tool that allows you to see what places and venues relocated near your vacation spot.

Other tools to look into:
-Web Flyer.com
Flightaware.com

Claudio Loretz Speaks on Villas as Alternative to High Hotel Costs

Last Thursday, the sixteenth of January, Claudio Loretz granted an interview to World Travel Radio. Claudio is the North American Managing Director for Interhome, Inc, and authority on European vacation rentals, villas in particular, and chief contributor to this website. World Travel Radio is an exciting and always entertaining internationally syndicated audio serial available in southern California, Australia and on the world wide web. For Claudio’s interview, click here.

On the program, Claudio speaks about the history and functions of Interhome, the Interhome.us website and the advantages of booking an apartment or villa.

Claudio is gaining more and more recognition as a strong voice in the villa rental market and will be appearing at the New York Times travel show from February 29th until March 2nd.

Adventure Travel in Croatia

ISTRIA CROATIA

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.

Fun in Switzerland? This is Zermatt.

What you can take away from the first thirty seconds of this video is that there are few places in this world where you can wake up, look out your window and see one of the largest and most storied mountains in the world, and impulsively decide it’s time to go rocketing down it. One of those very select resorts is Zermatt.

For me to lecture on the allure of Zermatt is redundant. Everything good you’ve heard about Switzerland comes together in this resort, and most skiers–heck, most people who’ve ever looked at a skiing magazine–already know it. What I’m going to tell you is that if you’re staying in Zermatt, stay in a rented vacation home.

Staying in a vacation home you get much, much more bang for your buck. Or Euro. You get storage space, privacy and enough room to walk around with your skis on without tripping over every other tourist in the country. Most of the better villas, and all the villas offered by Interhome fall into the ‘better’ category, have an amazing view from which to enjoy a beer and a sunset and a door that leads pretty directly to a ski lift or down to the center of the resort. If this video doesn’t convince you just check out some of Zermatt’s press and this villa. See you on the slopes.

Provence–The Perfect Vacation Spot

France is known for its liberal and engaging population, avant-garde arts community, storied history, fine food, aesthetic beauty and superior wines. In Provence, you will find all this and more. When one imagines romantic France, it is usually Provence they picture.

The people of Provence are known for being friendly but reserved, simultaneously warm and elegant. What else could one expect from residents of an area where world-renowned frescoes, universally revered architecture and lush rolling hills soften the spirit and refine the palate? The region is so famously beautiful it would be hard to occupy it with any unsmiling face.

Occupied continuously from at least 27000 BCE, Provence is home to some of the most magnificent and best preserved structures to have survived from the Roman Empire through the reign of Louis XIV and all the periods in between. Standing out is the single best preserved Roman theater in Europe, the Roman Theater In Orange, Vaucluse. Orange is also home to a particularly complex and fine triumphal arch, the Arc de Triomphe D’Orange. The theater would have been the center of the town during Augustus’ reign, but the new center of this lush agricultural community is now the Rue Saint-Martin, a white brick road with picturesque stucco shops and lined with tall conifers.

Vaucluse warrants a few days exploration in and of itself, and the area deserves your undivided attention. To get the total experience one simply must rent a vacation property and take advantage of the local hospitality.