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If you are looking for a catered chalet or self catered apartment in Morzine then we recommend staying with Darren at The Great Escape in Morzine. Quality accommodation, great staff, fantastic food plus the added bonus of superb snow. We will return again and again.
www.thegreatescapemorzine.com
Tel: 00 33 450 722374
The Hotel Bolgenschanze is a no-frills snowboarders' hostel with very friendly staff. It doubles as a bar and nightclub with DJs or live bands most nights until late - it also usually offers bunches of tipsy snowboarders moshing energetically to an eclectic mix of hip-hop, indie music and krautrock.
Instead of pool tables, there's a tree trunk, a box full of nails and a hammer - all that you need to play nageln. The purpose of the game is to hammer four nails into the trunk with the fewest blows - the loser buys a round of shots. I ended up buying a lot of shots. Other bars, slightly quieter but with similar clientele are the small and cosy Rotliechtli and the Bolgenplaza where you can drink and watch the crazier snowboarders trying to kill themselves on the floodlit halfpipe.
The Bolgenschanze is situated at the base of the Jakobshorn ski area which is the most popular with boarders as it's all chairlifts (apart from one, long drag that is worth the pain for the off-piste it opens up). With a little bit of hiking, it also has one of the best off-piste rides - an awesome, steep off-piste descent from the top of the Jatzhorn down to Teufi where you can get a bus back into Davos.
It's a small cockle stall selling, yep you guessed it, cockles. But they also do the MOST amazing hot chocolate with bits of Mars Bars floating in it and topped with marshmallows. V indulgent and naughty but a great winter warmer.
The Hard, Portsmouth. Between Portsmouth Harbour train station and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard's entrance.
The Christmas market in Krakow is wonderful and a great tonic for those suffering from the winter blues back home. I’m lucky enough to have been living in Krakow for nine months and in my opinion the old town has never looked as beautiful as it does right now.
After a week or so of preparation the market is now in full swing. Stalls selling spicy mulled wine, roasted meats and grilled mountain cheese served with cranberry sauce help keep the cold at bay long enough to get some good Christmas shopping done.
Those looking for something a bit different for the loved ones back home have plenty to choose from the huts selling festive ornaments, wooden toys, woollen clothing from the highlands and delicious soft gingerbread from Torun. The old cloth hall (Sukiennice) on the market square also has a plethora of stalls hoping to tempt you to part with your cash. Here you will find items such as amber jewellery from the Baltic coast, hand-stitched embroidery and other bits and pieces such as wooden chess sets and even swords!
Shopping aside, it is the magic and the old town and surrounding cobbled streets that make Krakow so special this time of year. I can’t recommend it enough.
Forget the one-day trip to Finnish Lapland, with the promise of a sight of Santa and his elves. Instead take the option of a short break adventure holiday to the winter wonderland of Lapland.
A 2 1/2 hour flight to Stockholm from London and then 1 1/2 hours internal flight to Kiruna. Where daylight is at a minimum and snow at a premium.
At Christmas this was a perfect way to dream the dream - white snow, huskies, reindeer, snow mobiling and the chance to stay in the Hotel at the Edge of the world - the world famous Ice Hotel.
From harnessing the huskys and travelling through beautiful countryside, to snow mobiling across a frozen lake there is so much more to do given the time - ice sculpting, fishing (drilling through the ice to find some tasty morsel), snow shoeing, cross country skiing, fine dining or literally just chilling out.
I stayed here last season and loved it. The chalet is surrounded by beautiful pine forests and the Grands Montets, Chamonix's best resort, is located really close to the chalet. You can't go wrong.
Chamonix is a one-hour transfer from Geneva. Marmotte Mountain Retreat is located at the base of the world-renowned resort of Argentiere.
www.marmottemountain.com
Flights and accommodation will be cheaper (we got a good offer making the Elite Hotel **** cheaper than a B&B in Brighton). The city will hopefully be covered in a blanket of snow. Not only does this add an extra aspect to this beautiful city but makes nipping in and out of cafes for mulled wine or hot chocolate an excellent pastime. The park is also an excellent place to go sledging (cheap sledges can be bought from Tescos in the city centre). Just wrap up warm and go steady in any slippy spots.
Try the bobsled track at Canada Olympic Park if you fancy an adrenalin rush at over 90 kph. Pricey at 45 dollars but worth every hair-raising, pants-wetting second.
Most accessible by car as it is located on the outskirts, along the highway to the Rockies.
88 Canada Olympic Park Road
Calgary, AB
Tel 247 5452
Web: www.canadaolympicpark.ca
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