The Week UK - 03.08.2019

LEISURE 41

Amountain city near Sarandë on
Albania’s south coast, Gjirokastër is not
the obvious place to spend “precious
annual leave”, said Holly Baxter in
The Independent. Admittedly, it’s only
ahop onaferry from Corfu, across the
sparkling Ionian Sea, but surely that’s
“too much ofafuss”. You then have to
catchalocal bus from Sarandë, passing
through “incredible landscapes”, before
alighting at the bottom ofasteep hill.
Gjirokastër’s Old Town might be a
Unesco World Heritage Site of fairy-tale
“cobbled streets and perfectly preserved
Ottoman architecture, but it’sakiller on
the thighs”. And, though the hotels are
delightful–serving up multiple-course
breakfasts that “someone’s grandmother
made you from scratch”–and very good value, hardly any of the
kind and friendly staff speak English. You’ll soon be longing for
the bland uniformity ofaHilton.
At the top of the town isamagnificent castle whereaUSair
force plane, captured when it madeaforced landing in the 1950s,

gleams “silver in the sunlight”. You can

climb right inside–its nose looks over

sweeping views of the city. But it can

get hot in there: it’s “a health and

safety nightmare waiting to happen”.

And the place is deserted–“what

if you wanted an ice lolly”? In the

evening, people gravitate to the veranda

at Hotel Kodra to see the Sun setting

over the mountains. It’s quiteasight,

if you like that sort of thing. But there’s

not evena“mixologist” behind the bar.

“Definitely don’t go.”

About an hour’s drive out of

town there’sa“strange and beautiful

natural phenomenon”: the Blue Eye is

aspring-fed pool deep within an oak

and sycamore forest. The water is so

brightly coloured it doesn’t “look real”; you’ll have “never seen

anything like it”, and no one knows where it comes from or how

deep it goes. But it’s “freezing cold”, so you wouldn’t want to

swim in it. Honestly, you’d be far “better off staying at home”,

leaving glorious Gjirokastër to remain Albania’s best-kept secret.

3August 2019 THE WEEK

Travel

This week’s dream: Albania’s best-kept secret

Getting the flavour of...

Turkish resort town
Stay at the lovely Idas Park
Hotel, in the centre of Içmeler,
for 4nights on an all-inclusive
basis. From £315pp, including
flights from Birmingham.
0871-943 1344, holidaygems.
co.uk. Depart3September.

Croatia’s Dalmatian coast

Spend seven nights at the

Amadria Park Hotel Ivan, close

to Aquapark Dalmatia, from

£734pp b&b, including

Glasgow flights. 01733-

224808, thomascook.com.

Depart 18 September.

Cuban multi-centre trip

Three nights (b&b) in Havana,

with acity tour, and7nights

(all-inclusive) in Varadero cost

from £1,199pp, including

London flights. 020-7612

7237, affordableluxurytravel.

co.uk. Depart6September.

Five nights in Taipei

Stay at the CU Hotel Taipei,

situated next to the famous

Ningxia Night Market, from

£1,130pp b&b, including

Manchester flights. 020-8974

7200, travelrepublic.co.uk.

Depart8September.

Orchid-spotting near Port Talbot

It’s acurious thing that “one of our most

valuable patches of conservation land”

should beastone’s throw from “the

industrial heart of south Wales”, said Kevin

Rushby in The Guardian. From the 1,300-

acre Kenfig sand dune reserve you can see

the stark outline of Port Talbot’s steel plant

in the distance. It isastrikingly incongruous

sight, but it’s not the reason to visit this wild

and beautiful place, which is chiefly known

for its orchids. There are so many colourful

flowers on the dunes, it’s not always easy

to pick them out. But between April and

September you might see up to 15 species,

including the tiny fen orchid, which is found

only here. Kenfig attracts botanists from

around the world, yet where once there

were five wardens working here, now it’s

maintained by volunteers. “A bit like the

British steel industry” itself, the future of this

“fragile wilderness” hangs in the balance.

Awalk around Gdansk

Some of Eastern Europe’s most elegant cities

have been rather ruined by British tourists on

stag and hen parties. But Poland’s northern

port of Gdansk still attracts relatively few

tourists, says Marianna Hunt in The Daily

Telegraph. In this perfect city for walking,

you can follow the medieval Royal Route

past a“rainbow array of Hanseatic

merchant houses”, now “buzzing with beer

terraces” and shops selling amber, then

head on to St Mary’s Basilica. One of the

largest brick churches in the world, it has

a405-step tower to climb for “sunset views

over the city and out to sea”. Dating back

750 years, St Dominic’s Fair is an annual

highlight, when more than 1,000 artists

and traders descend on the city’s “colourful

squares and serpentine back streets”. It’s

atreasure hunter’s dream, so “throw

yourself into the melée and get haggling”.

St Dominic’s Fair, until 18 August. Visit

jarmarkdominika.pl/en.

Summer byalake in Småland

The Swedes “all but invented summering at

the lake”, says Mike MacEacheran in Lonely

Planet, and Småland, in the south, is one of

the best places to sample the experience.

On the “bewitching” Lake Klockesjön,

there’satiny, centuries-old cabin, sitting

on atiny islet, “that might have been a

blueprint for J.R.R. Tolkien’s hobbit huts”.

You’re escorted there by canoe, from the

main activity centre, then left to your own

devices. The cabin is spartan, with justabed,

blanket, candles and lantern, and the only

sound is the “suck and draw” of the water

as night falls. By the misty light of the Moon,

you could almost imagine spotting one of the

shaggy-haired trolls that are suchapart of

the region’s traditional folklore.Visit ramoa.

se for more information.

The Standard

Kings Cross, London

This hotel–the US chain’s first in

London–occupiesaformer

council building opposite Kings

Cross station. It dates back to 1974,

atime when this area was far from

adream location, says Jenny Coad

in The Sunday Times–but “what

aspot” it is now, with its views

of St Pancras, the Shard and the

London Eye. Inside, you could

be in “anAustin Powersmovie”:

there are vibrant “retro touches

everywhere”. Rooms have huge

beds and windows that block out

the traffic noise.Atenth-floor bar

and restaurant opens in

September. “If it’s as sexy as the

Top of the Standard” in New York,

then “we’re in foratreat”.

Doubles from £199;

standardhotels.com.

Hotel of the week

Gjirokastër: “incredible landscapes”

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