As we bid farewell to this year, and get ready to welcome 2019, now is the perfect time to look ahead and think about ways to make next year memorable. This time next year, what will you be reminiscing about as your highlight? Could it be one of our holidays below? We’ve hand-picked some of our favourite holidays for 2019, our top recommendations for the year ahead.
Cross-Country Skiing Venabu
Headwater’s most loved winter escape melts our client’s hearts year after year. The warmth of the welcome at the Venabu Fjellhotel takes the chill out of the stunning snow-covered landscapes all around, where the crisp freshness of the air and tranquil surroundings of the Rondane National Park will reinvigorate you each day. Ski straight from the doorstep with 140km of marked trails to choose from. Cross-country skiing is a way of life here, and horse and sleigh trips, dogsledding, northern lights excursions and ski safaris for the more experienced skiers are all on offer. This is a landscape that feeds the soul; embrace the very best of winter season.
Cross-Country Skiing at Venabu
Hiking near Kanderstag, Swiss Alps
For charming chocolate-box villages and soaring alpine peaks, look no further than our Classic Swiss Alps Walk. You’ll stay in a picture-perfect alpine chalet overlooking pretty Kanderstag, mere minutes from the centre of the village where a host of cable cars and local buses await to whisk you off to the mountains, lakes and forests that abound nearby. Your included travel pass helps you make the most of cable cars and local buses to enjoy high-level walks without the effort of a monotonous uphill slog. However you attain them, the panoramic views of the Alps are simply majestic.
Langhe, Piedemont, Italy
Lonely Planet’s esteemed Best in Travel list named Piedmont in Italy as their best recommendation for travel in 2019. Headwater has been hiking here for years, and we’re pleased that the region is receiving deserved recognition for its wines and gastronomic excellence. Our walk focusses on Barolo, with a relaxed pace designed to give you plenty of time to absorb the atmosphere and enjoy the views over Savoy castles, tiny frescoed chapels and picturesque villages. We’ve found a wonderful family run vineyard in Piedmont. They’re a small outfit with such down-to-earth passion and their vineyard tour is very affordable – €20 for cheese, pasta, meats and five of their superb wines!
Overlooking Alba, Piemont, Italy
The same region, a different way to explore: our relaxed self-guided cycling holiday takes you through the best of this gastronomic paradise. Piedmont is heaven for culinary enthusiasts and home to the Slow Food Movement. We’ve hunted out the best of the region: wine tasting at the enoteca in Asti, home of spumante, a break for local cheese tasting during your cycle, and two evening meals at the Michelin-starred restaurant in Benevello. These are flavours rooted in Piedmont’s identity; they’re literally home grown.
Tre Cime, Dolomites
The sheer magnificence of the Italian Dolomites is hard to overstate. These dramatic limestone mountains and verdant green valleys are beloved by walkers the world over, and you’re blessed with walks straight from the door on this holiday. You’ll stay in the same family run 4-star hotel in the pretty village of Dobbiaco; with no need to unpack and repack every day you’re able to make the most of this alpine village, the delicious included evening meals, and the wellness centre and spa for a little extra luxury at the end of your walk. There are endless possibilities for walking, with routes along high ridges overlooking neighbouring Austria and of course the iconic Tre Cime hike.
Walks in the Italian Dolomites
Lake Bled, Slovenia
It’s low effort and huge rewards the whole way from the shores of alpine Lake Bled to the shores of the Adriatic Coast on this beautiful biking journey. Pass from mountainous vistas of the Slovene Alps, where pretty hamlets are surrounded by aces upon acres of striated vineyards, passing Austria’s picture-perfect scenery and into Italy, where honeycomb-coloured piazzas and traditional osterias await. This is a region for the renaissance artist in you, before the grand finale at Grado, a stunning coastal town where you have a day to unwind and reflect.
Our carefully planned walking and cycling holidays in locations all around the world let you explore at your own pace, with time to take in the local culture, history and nature along your route. Hand-picked family-run accommodation provides welcoming comfort at the end of each day, with every hotel and guest-house being chosen for its friendly atmosphere, delicious food featuring regional specialities, and unique character.
