For anyone looking to maximise their time on the slopes this winter, short queues at passport control and quick transfer times are key.
Cue Italian boutique airline SkyAlps, which has increased its London Gatwick to Bolzano route to three times a week. The airport, just outside the South Tyrolean capital, which is known as the gateway to the Dolomites, is less than an hour’s drive from some of the region’s top ski resorts (it has a short runway, making it impossible for regular-sized jets to land).
Bolzano also features in Audley Travel’s expanded lesser-visited Dolomites offering, which includes a 10-day tailormade self-drive around the Sella Massif, with visits to craft breweries and a cheese workshop, and stays in Val Gardena and Alta Badia.
The latter is home to the much-loved, family-run Rosa Alpina, which will reopen after refurbishment as an Aman property this summer.
Further south, in Val Rendena’s Madonna di Campiglio, Casa Cook is launching its first Alpine escape in June, with earthy interiors and a restaurant menu curated by three-time Michelin-star chef winner Jacob Jan Boerma.
-
This elegant Greek villa offers would-be buyers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in the shadow of the AcropolisAthenian Legacy consists of two houses in walking —and almost touching — distance of one of the world’s most famous and precious landmarks.
-
Go Dutch: Understanding the Duke of Wellington’s passion for Dutch art and how to view his collectionArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington was a terrible Prime Minister, but made up for it by being a sophisticated collector.
-
Art, architecture and plastic bricks at Lego House: 'It's as if the National Gallery set up easels and paints next to the masterpieces and invited you try your hand at creating a Van Gogh'The rural Danish town where Lego was created is dominated by the iconic toy — and at Lego House, it has a fittingly joyful site of pilgrimage. Toby Keel paid a visit.
-
How to cruise in the wake of Mark Twain on the great Mississippi River of the American South'You cannot understand Twain without understanding the great river that winds its way as twistingly through his work as it winds through the middle of America.'
-
From party island to arty island, Princess Margaret's private Mustique haunt announces burgeoning arts programmeArt Basil is the new Art Basel.
-
‘It is as real and lasting as any other relationship I know of’: Everything you need to know about Venice in time for the 2025 Biennale ArchitetturaYour ultimate guide to Venice, Italy — for the Biennale and beyond.
-
Dawn Chorus: Heathrow gives its VIP terminal a facelift and King Charles’s Land Rover Defender comes up for saleA Land Rover Defender 90 ‘supplied new in 2010 for the sole use of King Charles’ — with ‘minor wear to the driver’s seat’ — is due to be auctioned off towards the end of the month.
-
Falcon Farmhouse: A dreamy hilltop retreat with fun on tapOverlooking a beautiful Staffordshire valley, Falcon Farmhouse is a country retreat that mixes relaxation and fun in equal measure. Toby Keel paid a visit.
-
On the far side of the HimalayasOne writer goes in search of superfood apricots, fairy meadows and some of Nature's most dramatic landscapes in Pakistan's far north.
-
Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
