Our tipsters recall their adventures while exploring 10 of Europe’s finest cities

A museum store – but not as you know it... The minute you spot the enormous mirrored ark that is Rotterdam ’s Depot , you know you’re in for something extraordinary. Open to the public, its Escher-like staircases are designed to encourage visitors to get lost; to discover objects from below, from above, to look at the backs of pictures. Tours (you get to wear a white coat for this bit) give visitors insight into the storage of objects and the complex process of a museum loan. And when you are full of wonder, you can fill up on delicious teas and food at the rooftop restaurant, enjoying city views from the roof garden. Tickets are €20.
Lydia Thornley

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Boats, trains and buses lead to a hauntingly beautiful side of the Lake District, bursting with wildlife, culture and relics of the past. While dark-sky canoeing makes for a magical night

The ripples are deep gold in the sunset light as we paddle across Coniston Water towards Wild Cat Island. Officially known as Peel Island, this is where the children camp in Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons. The canoe glides between rocks into the hidden harbour with its pebbly beach, and we climb, excited as kids, up through bronze-leaved oaks and tall pines to explore the clifftop clearings.

This morning, I took several trains and a bus, each journey more lovely than the one before, to reach Coniston in the Lake District. Tomorrow I’ll catch a boat to visit Brantwood , once home to the Victorian writer and artist John Ruskin. A champion of art and nature and an early observer of the damage that human activities were doing to the environment, Ruskin might not have approved of all my transport choices. He loved boats, but saw railways as part of industrialisation’s “frenzy of avarice” and complained, with characteristic paternalism, about the “stupid herds of modern tourists” who “let themselves be emptied, like coals from a sack, at Windermere …” Ruskin, writing before cars swarmed across the landscape, recommends hiring “a chaise and pony for a day”.

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What’s better than a winter pub lunch? Staying the night afterwards. Our pick includes coaching inns, a 12th-century abbey and a Game of Thrones hotspot

Fireside lunches in cheerful pubs are one of the great pleasures of the UK winter, and this score of snug venues all come with somewhere to stay as well as cobweb-clearing walks from the door.

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From watching grey seals and migratory birds to fossil hunting and cliff jumping, our tipsters share their coolest experiences

Experience the unique beauty of the New Forest national park on a winter cycling adventure. With fewer crowds, you can enjoy peaceful rides through ancient woodlands and across heathlands. Remember to dress in warm layers, check your bike for winter readiness, and bring some hot tea or coffee in a Thermos to savour in the midst of your journey. Wildlife, serene landscapes and crisp winter air make this a fantastic outdoor activity in the UK.
Magsy Griffin

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