the times Saturday May 28 2022
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built descents are for novices. A couple
of its 17 natural lines are rated “easy”
too, and there are plenty of pump tracks,
e-bike routes and up-and-down rides as
well (bikerepublic.soelden.com). When
your pedal power is spent, the
adrenaline-soaked water slides at Area
47, Austria’s largest adventure park,
await (area47.at). The four-star Hotel
Sunny is a canny base, next to one of
the pump tracks and away from the
main valley road.
Details Half-board doubles from £160
(sunny-soelden.com). Fly to Innsbruck
Alpine flowers
in the Jungfrau
Colin Crosbie, the former head
gardener to the Queen Mother, leads this
weeklong search for Switzerland’s
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prettiest mountain flowers. With a
constant backdrop of sky-scraping
peaks, you’ll be hunting the little blue
stars of Campanula cenisia, as well as
trumpeting Gentiana acaulis and a host of
aquilegias, anemones and pulsatillas.
Daily walks vary between two and five
miles, with a little help from the
Jungfrau’s mountain railways. Meanwhile,
back at base in Wengen, picturesque hay
barns and belle époque hotels add to the
sense of otherworldliness.
Details Seven nights’ half-board from
£2,495pp, including flights, departing on
June 30 (brightwaterholidays.com)Summer skiing
in Les Deux Alpes
It’s a deliciously disorientating
experience. Each morning you’re upitself to gentle, family-friendly
attractions. At the Hornpark high-
ropes centre there are eight trails, with
a separate route for little ones aged
three and up. Nearby, the Schnackler
Adventure Trail mixes a forest walk
with mazes and climbing frames, while
Ellmi’s Zauberwelt is an adventure
playground perfect for anyone south
of seven or eight. Elsewhere, open-air
pools beckon when it’s hot, and a big
indoor soft-play centre when it’s not.
The Kaiserfels hotel has a kids’ club
and indoor pool.
Details Seven nights’ half-board from
£717pp, including flights (tui.co.uk)Red wine and
the Italian Alps
You’ll certainly work up an appetite on
this gastronomic walking tour, which
cleverly links the vineyards around Alba
with the cheese and honey-producing
farms of the Alps. En route you’ll taste
the Metodo Classico sparkling wines of
Canelli, as well as Barolo’s spicy reds,
signature of the Piedmont region. Next,
plunge into the Val Maira — a place
remote and secluded enough to have
preserved the Occitan language. None
of the walks is more than six miles long,
though they do get more strenuous
once you’re in the Val Maira.
Details Six nights’ full board
from £2,155pp, including flights
(wildfrontierstravel.com). Fly to TurinThe Dolomites by bike
The “pale mountains” of northern Italy
are the last place you’d expect to find
a leisurely cycling route. But that’s e how
this self-guided Valleys of the Dolomites
holiday is rated. First, that’s because
you’ll be cycling beneath the region’s
towering cliffs, rather than over them.
Second, it’s down to a clever itinerary
that follows converted railway lines and
purpose-built trails for almost the entire
route. Having your luggage transported
ahead of you also helps. The result?
Cycling serenity amid some of the most
stupendous scenery in Europe.
Details Seven nights’ half-board
from £2,080pp, including flights and
bike hire (cycling-for-softies.co.uk)Going on a bear hunt
Most European bear hunts involve
hunkering down in a hide and waiting
for the animals to come to you. But on
this Walking with Bears itinerary in the
Slovakian Tatras you’ll be the ones on
the hoof. Even if you don’t spot one,
following bear tracks and identifying
their feeding areas will build a much
richer picture of their habitat and way of
life. You’ll also see red deer, golden
eagles, chamois — maybe even wolves
— plus magical beams of sunlight,
breaking into a forest glade.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from
£1,250pp, including flights, transfers
and some extra meals, departing
on September 16 and 30
(walksworldwide.com)Family fun
in Montenegro
It’s the mix of mountains, sea and
sunshine that makes Montenegro so
memorable. This guided coast and
national park adventure for families
indulges in all three, combiningon the glacier, bombing about on freshly
groomed snow with — ideally — a ski
instructor on hand to make your turns
more exhilarating (six three-hour group
lessons £178; ski-school-les2alpes.co.uk).
Then you ride the lift back down and
suddenly it’s summer, with meadows
strewn with flowers and brimming with
activities — take your pick from tennis,
biking, trampolining, archery or
climbing, to name but a few. Bunk
down in an Ours Blanc apartment on
a self-drive trip and you’ll keep a lid
on spending too.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for
four from £234pp, including Eurotunnel
crossing (peakretreats.co.uk)The Ladin of Alta Badia
Squirrelled away in the Italian
Dolomites, Alta Badia is one of the last
bastions of the Ladin people — and for
a taste of their ancient language you can
now meet some of them on selected
dates in a programme run by the local
tourist board (£17-25, altabadia. com).
The wood sculptor Matthias, dairy
farmer Marisa and members of Le Val’s
volunteer fire brigade are among the
many participants. They’re sure to add
a vivid dash of local colour to your trip,
whether your main purpose is to bike,
hike or taste the region’s Michelin-
starred gastronomy. Pension Angelo is a
secluded base above Corvara.
Details Seven nights’ half-board
from £848pp, including flights
(inghams.co.uk)Kids’ clubs and
sunbathing in the Alps
If Mum and Dad need some we-time
this summer, consider France’s Club
Med La Rosière. Set on a warm, south-
facing slope, looking out at the twin
Alpine peaks of Aiguille Rouge and
Mont Pourri, this new mega-hotel
takes care of virtually everything.
Childcare, gastronomic buffets, drinks at
the bar, guided hikes and bike rides, the
odd chocolate fountain — they’re all
included in the price, so you can waft
from mountain path to sunlounger while
your kids are in their clubs. Bourg-St
Maurice is the nearest train station.
Details Seven nights’ all-inclusive
from £1,178pp for a family of four,
not including travel (clubmed.co.uk)High ropes and open-air
pools in St Johann
In the verdant Sound of Music
landscapes of St Johann, in the Tyrol
region of Austria, the terrain lendsGILLES TRILLARD; DANIEL ZANGERL; ALAMYCycling in the Italian resort of Alta BadiaHotel Arlmont near St AntonVineyards in the Piedmont region of ItalyBeyond the Alps