As we all eagerly await the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort in Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023, we feel it’s the perfect time to celebrate the royal’s fascinating history with a walking or cycling holiday in the UK and Europe. Visiting iconic castles and cities linked to the royals is a great way of not only celebrating the upcoming coronation but also allows you to delve into the fascinating history, longstanding traditions and pageantry of our nation. We’ve collected 4 trips that are closely tied to the history of the monarchy which might inspire your next holiday.
On our five-night Highlights of Norfolk Cycling trip, you’ll ride past the fortifications of Castle Rising, explore the Palladian Mansions Holkham Hall and its national nature reserve and visit little Walsingham, a place of religious pilgrimage for the Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham. But one of the most notable sites on the trip is arguably the private country retreat of the British Royal Family – Sandringham Estate.
Linked to the British Monarchy since 1862, the estate is now the retreat of His Majesty King Charles III and The Queen Consort. Built by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, the house itself has a Jacobean-style exterior and is home to a collection of treasures available for public viewing, with antiquities ranging from the Victorian era to the present day. You can also spend time exploring its gardens and surrounding parkland. They have two waymarked nature trails, alongside many additional woodland paths, which makes for the perfect afternoon cycle.
If you want to experience British charm at its best, there’s nowhere more enchanting than the fairy-tale-like, honey-coloured houses of the Cotswolds. For those looking to escape the ‘Big Smoke’ to the countryside after the Coronation weekend, why not consider our Best of the Cotswolds Cycling trip because what’s more idyllic than exploring Britain’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) on two wheels? Visiting the historic villages of Broadway, Chipping Campden and Bourton-on-the-water you’ll ride passed lavender farms, ancient abbeys and beautiful thatched cottages. But one of the stand-out landmarks you’ll see on this six-night trip is undoubtedly Sudeley Castle.
With its history spanning over 1,000 years, the Tudor Sudeley Castle is a fascinating pit stop on your tour of the Cotswolds. Royals including King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Elizabeth I and Richard III all became intertwined in Sudeley Castle’s long and captivating history, but the castle is most well-known as being the only private castle in England to have a queen buried in the grounds – Queen Catherine Parr, the last wife of King Henry VIII. On your visit, you can see the ’20 Treasures of Sudeley’ collection in the castle itself, which includes Katherine Parr’s love letters, Marie Antionette’s bed hangings and even Charles’ I personal beer jugs. You should also spend time exploring the castle’s surrounding 10 award-winning gardens. The Queens’ Garden located on an original Tudor parterre boasts over 70 varieties of roses and beautiful yew trees that were allegedly planted 150 years ago by Victorian chatelaine, Emma Dent.
Back in 2017, King Charles was named “Renaissance Man of the Year” by the Palazzo Stozzi Foundation at a gala dinner in the sumptuous Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. This prestigious award is bestowed on a man or woman who has demonstrated the values of Renaissance humanism and made significant progress through philanthropy and social action. During his speech, King Charles mentioned his great ties with the beautiful city of Florence, “It is one of those extraordinary coincidences in life that both my wife and I had grandmothers whose grandmother, or mother, had a villa in Florence which they used to visit as children. My great, great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria, of course, used to stay at the Villa Palmieri, so perhaps it is hardly surprising that like so many before us, we have both been in love with Florence ever since we first came here.”
So, why not discover the romantic city of Florence for yourself? On our Cycling in Tuscany Pisa to Florence trip, you’ll ride from the leaning tower of Pisa to Ponte Vecchio in Florence. While you’re here, we’d recommend that you visit some of the city’s astounding Renaissance masterpieces including the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (the Dumo), the Uffizi Gallery and Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise.
Another country with strong ties to the monarchy is Malta. This archipelago situated between Sicily and the North African coast is widely known to be where Queen Elizabeth II spent “happy days” with Prince Philip, staying at Lord Mountbatten’s Villa Guardamangia for months at a time between 1949-1951 as a naval wife before she took to the throne in 1953. “Visiting Malta is always very special for me,” the queen said in Malta back in 2015, at a Commonwealth meeting. From watching the Duke play polo at Marsa Sports Complex to lunching with Archbishop Michael Gonzi, a close personal friend of the Royal couple, the former princess found solace away from the British media where she could relax, enjoy married life and have endless days of picnics and water skiing.
On our Walking on Gozo – Calypso’s Isle trip, you can get a small glimpse into what life was like for Queen Elizabeth II, and head further out to explore the spectacular island of Gozo – the second largest of the Maltese islands. During this 7-night trip, you’ll visit key monuments including the 18th century Fort Chambray built by the Knights of St John, the neo-Romanesque basilica Ta’ Pinu and the Ggantija Tombs, a massive freestanding temple of 6 metre high monoliths. Walking along ancient roads and old farm tracks enroute, you’ll also enjoy soaking in the island’s dramatic cliff sides, views of Gozo’s famous salt pans and wandering through the tiny backstreets of the island’s lively capital, Victoria.
If this has inspired you to book a trip to any one of these spectacular destinations, please get in touch with a member of our team today.
