At night, the windows let in no light, heavy curtains setting a barrier to what otherwise would be, a very boring view. All lighting is intentional, setting the mood suitable to the dark green walls and Baroque-era colour palette artwork. There are only eleven tables and eight chef’s counter seats in this moderately intimate establishment. The dinner service unfolds like a performance, with the chef’s team set behind a wide kitchen top at the front of a large open fire – the stage.

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Cover photo by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.

Images by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.

The experience

The promise is, well, not really simple, but easy enough to grasp: “farm-to-table craftsmanship and unreasonable hospitality,” the website states. The service approach is inspired by Will Guidara’s book Unreasonable Hospitality (there’s also a TED Talk, if you’re short on time). For the team at Revé, that means that every “ingredient and every gesture is guided by passion”. 

Seated at the chef’s counter, my eyes travel to the menu card, my party’s name is at the top. “Imagined by Chef Adriano Cappuzzello, hosted by Nicole Pisarenko, Anna Kruusi and Kevin Gillingham,” a small note in the bottom corner reads. The ten-course menu, detailed on the card, includes the name of the dish and core ingredients, accompanied by the selected wine pairing, if you choose to go that route. I did. A thoughtful wine pairing adds exciting layers of complexity to each dish and the wine itself.

Nicole briefly explains the experience: a narrative menu will be served as a communal experience, bringing people together through food and stories. This particular menu is illustrative of Chef Adriano’s culinary journey and the moments that shaped it. With each carefully placed dish, he tells a story or offers a visual accompaniment. Each dish is intricately plated on mostly odd-shaped plates, chosen to accent the story behind it.

The menu changes seasonally and depending on product availability. Tonight’s menu travels from beef cheek to scallops, broccoli, venison, spaghetti, sweetbreads, sablefish, and beef bouvette. The sweet courses include Chef’s take on a Pavlova and creme caramel. The stories offer context to the unusual flavour combinations, textures, and all-around plating that often results in a visible surprise on first bite. Not everything is what it seems, but it is pleasantly delicious and occasionally new to the palate.

Images by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.

The team 

The restaurant concept is the work of two couples, Chef Adriano Cappuzzello and Nicole Pisarenko, and Anna Kruusi and Kevin Gillingham. The foursome met fifteen years ago working in the industry and eventually decided to come together, thinking that maybe “four brains are better than two,”  Anna shared. “The first time Adriano and Nicole made us a meal, it was by an open fire, so when we saw this place, it felt serendipitous,” she reflected, and so the ‘live fire’ concept came to the forefront. The shared ideas, and funds, came together into one restaurant, and this August, Revé celebrated its one-year anniversary. 

Chef Adriano Cappuzzello, born in Ragusa, Sicily, began his career in a 1-Michelin-star restaurant at the age of fourteen. “I started this job because it allows you to travel, and that’s what I always wanted to do,” he admitted. Since that first position, Chef Adriano worked in notable kitchens in Spain, Malta, Germany, and the UK, picking up tricks of the trade for his arsenal. Today, the menu ideas come from these past experiences, drawn from memory and developed in collaboration with the kitchen team. 

Left: Chef Adriano Cappuzzello by Jose Jacob. Right: Kevin Gillinghamby, Anna Kruusi, Nicole Pisarenko, and Chef Adriano Cappuzzello by Courtney Peters. Images courtesy of Revé Restaurant.

The provisions 

The majority of the produce used in the restaurant comes from a farm near Niagara Falls, a three-acre farm managed by Chef Adriano. “I’ve just left the farm,” he explained, joining the call from his car. The remote location, far away from any neighbours or wineries, allows the team to maintain organic practices and regenerative farming. Wildflowers planted throughout the farm create a friendly environment for wild pollinators and bees residing in the farm apiary. “It’s a whole ecosystem,” he added. Aside from supplying the restaurant, this farm also stocks a nearby retail shop. 

Chef Adriano has an inherent respect for the place and its terroir, so seasonality of ingredients is the driving force for the menu. Beef and lamb are sourced from small, nearby family-owned farms, like Heatherbrae Farms. “The cows are just let free, and they eat the fresh grass,” he added. “I care a lot about the animals, they need to be treated properly, and that’s what Daniel does.” To minimise waste, Chef Adriano will also purchase the bits of animals others won’t, to use in stocks, broth, base preparation, and sauces. 

* * *

“What is your collective goal for the restaurant?” I asked. “Michelin stars are every chef’s dream. Anyone who tells you differently is not truthful,” Chef Adriano replied. “If we get there, that’s amazing. But really, we just want our restaurant to be busy every day … everything else will come later,” he concluded.

Image by Courtney Peters, courtesy of Revé Restaurant.

If you go

Revé offers two dining options (reservation strongly recommended): 

• A 4-course tasting: A focused introduction to the season’s best. Built around what the region’s farms are producing right now, served at your own table in the main dining room.
• A 10-course tasting: A blind progression through the season. Ten courses guided by Chef Adriano and the team over the course of an evening, with beverage pairings available.

Find a hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake

The post Revé restaurant: Where every dish tells a chef’s life story appeared first on Paths to Travel.

At the time, Maggie was the Director was the of the Michelin Guide and pregnant, and Constance Jablonski was a model. “We were both navigating periods in our lives where we either couldn’t or chose not to drink alcohol,” Maggie shared, but “we found ourselves constantly attending dinners, celebrations, and social events where the non-alcoholic options felt like an afterthought”.

The goal was to be the first to create a complex, terroir-driven sparkling wine that was also natural. Trial and error pushed them to take a cognac approach, starting with bigger wines which, when de-alcoholised, can maintain their integrity. Today, French Bloom has a Mason in France where they grow the grapes and go through every step of wine production regular wines do, plus one: de-alcoholising. The first vintage was released in 2022. Today, there are four 0.0% ABV vintages available in their shop: Le Blanc, Le Rosé, Extra-Brut, and La Cuvée Vintage 2023. 

Following the Canadian launch of French Bloom, we followed up with Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger to learn more about the story behind the company and the complex work that goes into producing alcohol-free sparkling wine. 

Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, co-founder of French Bloom. Image courtesy of French Bloom.

Kateryna Topol: You spotted a rather unique opportunity within the non-alcoholic category, tell us about the early days

Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger: We wanted to create a sparkling wine that would allow people to participate fully in life’s most memorable moments without compromise. Not a substitute for wine, but a truly premium alcohol-free experience in its own right. That vision led us on a multi-year journey of research and development, working alongside experts in French winemaking to create something that combined the elegance of French savoir-faire with innovation. From the very beginning, our goal was to reinvent the art of celebrating and create a product that brought people together, regardless of what was in their glass.

KT: You received several awards last year as well, congratulations! What was your reaction when you found out?

MFT: Receiving industry recognition was incredibly meaningful because it validated something we believed from the very beginning: alcohol-free wines deserve the same level of craftsmanship and respect as traditional wines. To be elected the World’s Best Alcohol-Free Sparkling wine, for three years at the prestigious World Sparkling Awards proved that our hard work pays off. 

Our first reaction was gratitude. Building a new category comes with challenges, and these awards were a reminder that the industry and consumers were embracing the vision. 

KT: Your goal was to create a complex, terroir-driven sparkling wine experience without alcohol, what kind of research and development went into finding the “perfect” bottle?

MFT: A tremendous amount. We worked closely with my husband, Rodolphle, who has expertise in the Champagne and Cognac industry, to understand how to craft complex and sophisticated alcohol-free wines. We tested countless blends, grape varieties, and production methods. The challenge wasn’t simply removing alcohol. It was maintaining texture, aromatics, balance, and length on the palate. Every adjustment was evaluated through extensive tastings until we felt we had created something that could truly stand on its own.

KT: Were there any interesting or funny stories that came out of the trial-and-error period during development?

MFT: At the very beginning, we thought our wines would mainly be aimed at pregnant women and religious markets, but we were wrong! We estimate today that nearly 80% of our customers do drink wine and champagne; they are just looking to moderate. And maintain quality when they do. 

We realised right from the start of this journey that consumer demand was much higher, while there was virtually no supply. Constance and I were convinced that people didn’t want to replace a glass of wine with something less healthy. We knew we didn’t want to compromise on quality or health, which is why our wines are made with organic ingredients and are certified vegan, pregnancy-friendly, and free of added sugar, sulfites, or preservatives.

KT: Your vineyards are located in France. Can you share where they are situated?

MFT: French Bloom is crafted in Limoux, a historic winemaking region in the south of France, renowned for its rich winemaking heritage, exceptional sunshine, and ideal conditions for producing sparkling wines. We work with organic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines, carefully selected for their freshness, concentration, and aromatic complexity. 

In 2025, French Bloom took an exciting step forward by acquiring its own estate in Limoux, becoming the first Maison dedicated exclusively to alcohol-free sparkling wine production. This marks an important milestone in our journey and allows us to further deepen our connection to the region and its terroir. 

KT: Can people visit your winery? 

MFT: While we do not currently have a public visitor centre, we are actively working on creating an immersive French Bloom destination and hope to welcome guests by next year. We look forward to opening our doors and sharing the craftsmanship, philosophy, and unique terroir of Limoux that are at the heart of every bottle of French Bloom.

Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, co-founder of French Bloom. Image courtesy of French Bloom.

KT: That’s very exciting. Back to the wine, who is your winemaker? 

MFT: French Bloom was co-founded alongside my husband, Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger, who leads the winemaking vision behind the Maison. Rodolphe comes from a family deeply rooted in the world of Champagne and Cognac, giving him a lifelong connection to some of France’s most celebrated winemaking traditions. 

From the beginning, he was instrumental in helping us achieve our ambition of creating an alcohol-free sparkling wine that could deliver the same complexity, structure, and sense of occasion as a fine wine. Developing French Bloom was far from a traditional winemaking project. What makes French Bloom so special is that it combines centuries of French winemaking savoir-faire with modern innovation. Rodolphe and the team approached the challenge with the same attention to detail and commitment to quality that you would expect from the world’s great wine houses, resulting in sparkling wines that are elegant, complex, and completely alcohol-free.

KT: French Bloom is dealcoholized. Can you speak to the complexities of that winemaking process, end to end?

MFT: One of the biggest misconceptions about alcohol-free wine is that you simply remove the alcohol and the work is done. In reality, creating a premium alcohol-free sparkling wine requires an incredible amount of precision at every stage of the process. That is how we developed our 0.0% Wine Revelation Process: we craft our base wines specifically for 0.0%, always keeping in mind that they will be dealcoholized. Every decision – from early-harvest grapes to acidity, structure, aromatics and tension – is made to ensure that once the alcohol is removed, the wine still expresses length, texture and balance. It requires an entirely new approach to winemaking – neither traditional nor imitative, but innovative and intentional.  

Everything begins in our organically farmed vineyards in Limoux, in the south of France. We harvest our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes earlier than is typical for traditional winemaking, which helps preserve the natural acidity and freshness that are essential to the structure of the final wine. From there, we vinify the grapes just as we would a traditional wine. 

The wine is fermented and then aged for several months in a combination of stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, depending on the cuvées. This stage is incredibly important because it allows us to develop the complexity, texture, and aromatic profile that form the foundation of French Bloom. Only once the wine has reached the desired level of maturity do we begin the dealcoholization process. We use a gentle vacuum distillation method, which operates at very low temperatures. By lowering the atmospheric pressure, alcohol can be removed without exposing the wine to excessive heat, helping us preserve many of the delicate aromas and flavour compounds that make the wine unique. The entire process is a balance between traditional French winemaking and modern innovation.

KT: How long are your wines aged?

MFT: Our wines are aged only for our Prestige Collection, L’Extra Brut and La Cuvée Vintage. Six months in oak barrels for the first one, eight months for the latter. Oak barrels help build additional structure and complexity, creating remarkable depth and elegance.  We often say that great alcohol-free wine starts with great wine. The ageing process is a critical part of that philosophy, helping us build the complexity and character that consumers might not expect from a 0.0% sparkling wine.

KT: Can you please talk a bit about your approach to sustainability?

MFT: Sustainability has been part of French Bloom’s vision from the very beginning. We work exclusively with certified organic grapes and craft wines that are vegan, sulphite-free, and produced with a thoughtful, low-intervention approach. More recently, the acquisition of the estate in Limoux has been an important milestone, giving us greater oversight of both vineyard and winemaking practices as we continue building the future of premium alcohol-free wine. For us, sustainability goes hand in hand with innovation and long-term stewardship, ensuring we can create exceptional wines while respecting the land they come from.

KT: Finally, other than opening an immersive French Bloom destination,  what’s next for French Bloom?

MFT: There is so much that excites us about the future. While we’re continuing to expand French Bloom globally and introduce more consumers to the category, we’re equally focused on elevating what alcohol-free wine can be. 

One of the most exciting milestones is our new estate in Limoux, which will become fully operational later next year. This gives us an incredible opportunity to deepen our connection to the terroir and continue pushing the boundaries of premium alcohol-free winemaking. 

More broadly, our ambition is to continue leading innovation in the space while remaining true to our founding mission: creating exceptional wines that bring people together and allow everyone to participate in life’s most meaningful celebrations. 

We truly believe we’re only at the beginning of what this category can become, and that’s incredibly exciting.

The post French Bloom’s Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger on building alcohol-free wine in France appeared first on Paths to Travel.

Founded by the Romans two and a half thousand years ago and made rich by the silk industry, Lyon has more than its share of stories to tell. But, of course, the main story is the food. Cuisine is to Lyon what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Lyon’s location in one of the most fertile regions in France has made it the country’s undisputed culinary capital.

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Cover image: Dusk view over Saone, image by Krom Galerie courtesy of Lyon Tourism & Conventions.

Although Lyon owes a lot of its culinary fame to star chefs such as Paul Bocuse and Daniel Bouloud, historically, in Lyon, gastronomy was a woman’s job. You’ll notice a lot of restaurants with Mère in the name. Les Mères Lyonnaises (the Lyonnais Mothers) refers to the long history of women who made Lyonnais cooking famous. Many started as cooks for wealthy families. Others cooked for the silk workers. Eventually, some set up their own restaurants and became legends. Among them is La Mère Brazier, the first person to get six Michelin stars. Paul Bocuse himself studied under her. Other notable Mères in history were La Mère Guy, La Mère Bizolon, and La Mère Fillioux, who was Mère Brazier’s mentor. 

The true spirit of  Lyonnais cuisine can be found in Bouchons. These are casual, unpretentious, and moderately priced restaurants unique to Lyon. While you can and should try, if time and budget allow, a fancy restaurant in Lyon, a bouchon should not be skipped.

What to try: Les spécialités Lyonnaise

Quenelle Lyonnaise: The Lyonnais dish par excellence: sausage-shaped dough is filled with minced fish (usually pike) and creme, often cooked au gratin and covered with a shrimp sauce (the famous Nantua sauce) or sometimes béchamel, less often tomato sauce.  

Cervelle de canut (Silkworker’s Brains): This iconic dish contains neither silk nor brains. It refers to a dish the silk workers would eat after a long night toiling in the factories. It’s a spread made from creamy farmhouse cheese mixed with shallots, herbs and oil and spread on bread or eaten as a dip.  While the uppercrust dined on delicacies like lamb’s brains, Cervelle de Canut was the silk workers’ meatless answer.

Salade Lyonnaise: An elegant and filling salad that consists of frisée lettuce,  lardons, a poached egg, and croutons pan-fried in lardon fat until golden brown. It’s a vibrant salad with a beautiful taste and texture.

Rosette de Lyon: A classic dried spiced pork sausage that finds its way onto any self- respecting charcuterie board and picnic basket. (With its charming river banks and parks, and food, there’s no better place to picnic than Lyon)

Poulet demi-deuil (Chicken in Half-Mourning): Poulet demi-deuil is another Lyonnais classic said to be invented by La Mère Fillioux. It’s made by placing shaved black truffles under the skin of a chicken, resembling the veil of a woman in mourning. Because  you can see some of the bird’s white meat through the skin, though, it’s only “half-mourning.”

Tarte à la Praline Rose (Pink Praline Tarte): You’ll see this fuchsia-coloured tarte in almost every boulangerie in town. The butter crust tart topped with pink pralines pieces and cream is one of Lyon’s best-known patisseries. It’s perfect for an afternoon treat with coffee, or to end a meal. Other pink pralines-forward treats include a Praluline  brioche for a breakfast treat

La Buvette Lyonnaise, image by Delphine Castel, images by Delphine Castel, courtesy of Lyon Tourism & Conventions.

Where to eat in Lyon

Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse: The sprawling central indoor market named after the legendary chef is a temple to gastronomy, and a great first stop to get an overview of the wonderful produce, fish, meat, cheese and seafood (you haven’t lived until you’ve had a plate of oysters and a glass of wine for breakfast) – that Lyon has to offer. The market gets crowded, and it’s best to go early in the morning.  Les Halles was recently voted the third-best market in the world by the Food & Wine Global Tastemakers Awards for 2026. 

Les Bouchons Lyonnais: Bouchons are the places to try perfectly executed classics like quenelles, salade lyonnaise and other specialities like andouillette sausages and duck pâté. Pride in the produce and a warm welcome are standards of Lyonnais Bouchons. These eateries emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries. Unlike the more upmarket fine dining establishments, the bouchons emphasise simplicity, community, and tradition.  Think red checkered tablecloths and hanging copper pots. 

Unfortunately, quite a few tourist trap “bouchons” exist that don’t live up to their name. Most of these are clustered around the souvenir shops of Vieux Lyon. That said, there are a few authentic and highly recommended bouchons to be found in that neighbourhood, so it does get confusing. Luckily, an association was created that certifies bouchons as “authentic” so you can enjoy the genuine bouchon experience you came for. Look for signs in windows or on restaurant websites that have the  “Bouchon Lyonnais” quality label. No matter which you choose, reserve in advance.

A few tried & True Bouchons:

Daniel & Denis: There are a couple of branches around town, but the one in the Old Town is the one we recommend for bouchon classics: Try the saucisson forestier and pâté en croûte for which the chef was crowned world champion.

Café Comptoir Abel: The Lyonnais’ favourite bouchon,  especially when it comes to their pike quenelle gratin, and chicken with morels in cream sauce. 

Brasserie Georges: It’s the oldest brasserie in the city. And yes, it is a bit touristy, but it’s still very good. Located in a cavernous former train station main hall with beautiful Art Deco decor.

Café des Fédérations: first opened its doors in 1872  and has been serving Lyonnais classics ever since. It’s well priced, and portions are generous.

Beyond the Bouchons: Some fine dining options

Söma: Sarah Hamza continues the tradition of influential women cooks at this Michelin-recognised, stylish modern bistro offering French cuisine with North African inflexions.

Le Canut et les Gones: a lovely bistrot in the Croix Rousse district that offers French classics.

La Mère Brazier: a temple of fine dining where you can try the traditional poularde demi-deuil.

A note on local wine

Lyon is located in the middle of two of France’s most important wine regions: Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, and the Beaujolais region is not far. Local wines, unsurprisingly, figure prominently on restaurant menus. A day trip out to a winery or two to sample some amazing Côte-Rôtie or fruity Beaujolais or Burgundies (either on your own or with a tour) completes the Lyonnais gastronomic experience.

Getting around Lyon

Like Paris, Lyon is divided into arrondissements, or districts, each with its own distinct character. The city is compact, if gently sloping, and the large majority of what you want to see is accessible on foot, though there are also metros, buses and trams. There’s also a funiculaire which you should take from the Old City up to the top of the Fourviere hill to see the beautiful eponymous Basilica and Roman arena. Old Lyon (Vieux Lyon) is the historic part of the city located along the Saône River. Presqu’île is a peninsula between the two rivers that’s pedestrian-friendly and full of lively cafes and bars.  

Around town must see attractions include the Musee des Beaux Arts once one of the richest abbeys in France, now the city’s premiere art museum; The fantastic Silk Museum; The Cinema Museum (Lyon is the birthplace of the brothers Lumiere; and don’t miss a tour through Lyon’s Traboules, a network of secret passageways and courtyards once used by the silk workers (later by the Resistance) that go across buildings and connect streets. They are fascinating and full of intrigue.

Best time to visit

May and  June or September and October are prime times to visit Lyon. In spring and early summer, the weather is lovely. In late summer,  markets are bursting with local bounty, and it’s still warm enough to sit outside. If you’re focusing on wine, then September-November are the months to visit.

Find a hotel in Lyon

The post Eating in Lyon: A food lover’s guide to France’s culinary capital appeared first on Paths to Travel.

“UNSALTED” reads the sweatshirt worn by a sunkissed teen standing in line with her friends for ice cream on a warm summer night in Elk Rapids, Michigan. “Unsalted,” in this case, refers to Lake Michigan, the freshwater Great Lake that feels as big as an ocean and looks as brilliantly blue as the Mediterranean. Its vastness gives Michigan the bragging rights of having the most freshwater shoreline in the US.

The lake may be unsalted, but this region of the Midwest is anything but bland. Among Northern Michigan’s breadth of experiences, you can explore quaint towns with vibrant farmers’ markets and great vintage shopping; See rolling farmland, cherry orchards, and nature preserves; Spend the day at an expansive golden sand beach right in town; Hike through dramatic forests; Bike along lakefront trails, and other outdoor activities galore. Toss in its impressive drinks and dining scene, and thoughtful new hotels inspired by local craftsmanship, and, well, you could say Northern Michigan is “having a moment.”  But it’s not making a lot of noise about it. That would be counter to what the place is all about. 

Northern Michigan’s nostalgia-tinged, American summers dare you to believe that easy living, undivided communities and countries, and courtesy still exist. What sets it apart even more is how under the radar it feels and how laid back. The pace and the attitude feel different. There’s none of the kind of status anxiety that you find in places like the Hamptons, Muskoka, or Prince Edward County, the kind that makes a vacation as stressful as real life. Dress codes in Northern Michigan are basically: clothes.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 
This hotel stay was hosted by Dexter Hotel, which did not review or approve this story.

Traverse City Horse Show

This vibe carries over even to events that are stereotypically elitist. Traverse City, the biggest town in the region, is home to the Traverse City Horse Show,  a world-class event that runs throughout the summer and fall. For 13 weeks, Olympic and world champion riders descend on Traverse City to compete in classes for multi-million dollar purses. But, in true unpretentious Northern Michigan style, they are taking the stuffiness and intimidation out of that traditionally snooty sport. “We want it to be the fun horse show,” organisers will tell you. For the public, there are free ticketing days that include prime viewing in Adirondack chairs right up against the course, and courses designed for little kids to jump over. The grounds, set against dramatic wooded bluffs, are a great place to come for a drink: Included with your glass of rosé is a chance to see world champions such as top 10 equestrian Kent Farrington or  Canadian  Olympian Erynn  Ballard. 

For the athletes, the location is certainly a draw. And they take advantage of all that is at their fingertips when they are not riding. It’s only a very short drive to Old Mission’s and Leelanau Peninsula’s vineyards, crafted spirits at Ethanology distillery, and charming wine and cheese tastings at places like Bos, a day by the water at spectacular Torch Lake, or to quaint towns like Glen Arbor, Elk Rapids, Charlevoix, Harbors Springs, and Northport. There’s the summertime Interlochen Arts Festival, which draws performers like Gladys Knight and Elvis Costello.

Midwest modern cuisine scene

“If you can get a table”  seems to be the opening line to every conversation about dining out in this corner of Northern Michigan, these days. The region’s exciting Midwest modern cuisine scene comprises organic farm-to-table restaurants, cheesemakers,  breweries and wineries. Modern Bird and its Michelin-restaurant trained chefs-owners Andy Elliott and Emily Stewart, Farm Club, which comprises a restaurant, brewery, bakery, and working farm, The Little Fleet, a lively outdoor space built around local food trucks, and music,  or the hyper-local menu at  The Cooks’ House all in  Traverse City, The Mill Cafe in Glen Arbor, or Masala Magic in Elk Rapids are among those on foodie radars.  

Thoughtful hospitality & Unique hotels

A new generation of thoughtful hospitality projects are also helping shape Northern Michigan summers. Michelin Guide-recommended Otis Hotel in Harbor Springs was a derelict roadside motel that’s been given new life as a striking contemporary design destination, filled with curated vintage furniture, art, and collectable design pieces. It looks like the kind of place you travel to Palm Springs to stay at. The mid-century modern-inspired Dexter in Elk Rapids brings city-level quality in design, comfort and food and beverage to a beautiful outdoorsy setting. Both these properties are run by the creative directors of the luxury Detroit lifestyle brand Shinola, and both celebrate Michigan makers and the state’s legacy of design and craftsmanship.

The Dexter’s interior features vintage furnishings sourced from Pernette’s in Northport, lighting from Traverse City-based Britten, and cabinetry, including the hotel’s statement bar, is by Wolf Wood out of Grand Rapids. Under executive chef John Korycki, Noble’s about-to-launch menu will be based on seasonally driven shared plates- Mediterranean-inspired in their use of bright, fresh flavours. Both locals and guests use the lounge area as a common space to enjoy creative cocktails and views over the lake.

In the morning, guests head out into the sunshine for the day’s adventures full of enthusiasm and excitement but not without first joining the queue at Michigander Bakery for an array of artisanal doughnuts and coffee.

Noble Bar, Dexter Hotel, images courtesy of the property.

Among activities not to miss is a trip to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and its enormous dunes and bluffs that tower above the lake. Good Morning America once named it the most beautiful place in America.  Take note of the sign at the top of the bluffs:  “Down is Optional”. This is a 450-foot, 45-degree angle sandhill and even hardened hikers find the two steps forward,  one step back hike back up in the sand challenging. Enough people have had to resort to helicopter rescues that the operation now charges $3000 for an airlift. Most people settle for the breathtaking view from the top. Those that have ventured down and into the lake for a swim look like tiny little ducks from above. 

The region has a lot of stories to tell. But it never shouts to be heard. Its unhurried, unpretentious vibe feels like just what we need right now.

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Europe is better when there is room to change your mind. Prepare the digital basics that keep the trip moving, then leave space for slower lunches, unexpected neighbourhoods and one more night somewhere you did not expect to love.

Plan the transitions, not every day

Travellers often plan what to do in each city and forget the moments between places. On a route through Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Barcelona, the fragile parts are arrival times, station exits, accommodation access and transport tickets.

Before leaving, ask three questions for each travel day: where do we arrive, how do we get to where we sleep, and what information do we need if mobile signal, Wi-Fi or battery life fails?

That may mean saving an apartment address in the local language, checking station exits, or downloading the transport app for the next city before you arrive. It prevents a tired evening from becoming a long walk with luggage.

Do not rely on wi-fi when it matters

Airport and station Wi-Fi can help, but it is a weak foundation for a multi-country trip. Sometimes it requires a local phone number. Sometimes the login page does not load. Sometimes it drops when you need to message a driver or find a tram stop.

Mobile data matters in short bursts: opening maps outside a station, checking train delays, translating a menu, finding a taxi rank, or sending a host your arrival time. For a route crossing several countries, sorting a travel eSIM for Europe before departure means your phone setup is part of the plan, not another decision in the arrivals hall.

Still, data should not be your only backup. Download offline maps, save hotel confirmations, and screenshot QR codes for trains, museums and ferries. Connectivity should make travel easier, not become the single point of failure.

Keep one offline folder

A loose collection of booking emails is fine for a weekend away. It becomes messy when the trip includes several countries, different accommodation types and multiple transport companies.

Create one offline folder on your phone before you travel. Keep passport copies, insurance details, hotel confirmations, tickets, entry codes, check-in times and key addresses in one place. The app matters less than the system. The information needs to be available when you are tired, offline or moving quickly.

If you are travelling with someone else, share the folder. One dead battery should not stop everyone from finding the next place.

Use maps without letting them run the trip

Maps are useful, but they can make a trip feel mechanical. Use them for the first move of the day, then loosen your grip.

Before bed, mark one useful place for the next morning: a café near the hotel, a metro station, a luggage locker, or the museum entrance you booked. That gives the day a clean start without turning every hour into a route.

This helps after changing countries, when ticket machines, café hours, street layouts and languages change quickly. One saved starting point removes friction without killing spontaneity.

Leave space for local changes

Europe rewards flexible travellers. A rainy afternoon in Prague might be better spent in a small wine bar than walking across town for a viewpoint. A delayed train from Vienna to Budapest may mean dinner near the station. A receptionist’s tip may be better than the place you bookmarked.

Connectivity helps when it supports those changes. You can check opening hours, compare transport routes, message a host, or find somewhere nearby to eat without returning to the hotel for Wi-Fi. The goal is not to stay online all day. It is to have enough access to decide while the trip is happening.

A multi-country Europe trip does not need a minute-by-minute schedule. It needs working maps, accessible bookings, phone data, shared information and flexibility to change plans without losing your bearings.

The post How to stay connected on a multi-country Europe trip without over-planning appeared first on Paths to Travel.

The winemaker 

Winemaking and viticulture was McLean’s second career pursuits after biochemistry. “I’ve never really considered winemaking as a career,” he admitted, but working in restaurants, he developed an interest in wine. After graduating from Brock University’s winemaking program, McLean moved back out west, where he spent eleven years making wine across the Okanagan, British Columbia (including LaStella and Tantalus Vineyards).

A typical winemaker’s journey takes them around the globe, working harvests in different wine regions. This wasn’t McLean’s journey, but Okanagan has a lot of foreign winemakers, which allowed him to work with winemakers from all over the world in a local climate. “The nice thing about having a bunch of different people that you’ve worked with is you can kind of pick and choose what you like from them and carry that with you,” he shared. “In hindsight, it was tough because you’re spending so long training, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I see all the tools and the skills that I picked up from those mentors as really invaluable. I’m really happy that I have gone that way, because it’s given me the confidence to move forward and believe in myself,” he added.

The winery

Black Bank Hill is a family business. The owner, Taylor Emerson, came back to Canada from London, UK, where he worked at the Weather Network, for a hard career pivot to winemaking in 2017. “Aloof” cousins on the mother’s side, Taylor and Jonathan, reconnected over winemaking while Jonathan was working in BC. Having recently lost his father, Jonathan felt a pull back to Ontario, strengthened by the opportunity to work with Taylor. 

“Taylor did a really good job finding a piece of property that can create really beautiful, distinct, and elegant wines,” Jonathan noted. The 20-acre property produces 12 varietals, five red (Pinot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) and seven whites (Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne). For such a small piece of land, the range is very impressive.

2022 was the first year McLean grew the grapes and made the wine. The immense amount of rain made this a challenging harvest, resulting in a much lower yield. But despite the difficulties, those first few bottles performed really well at the National Wine Awards and in the Decanter Awards, with the Cabernet Franc winning platinum two years in a row. 

Tasting at Black Bank Hill winery in Niagara, Ontario, Canada. Photos by Kateryna Topol.

The not-so-secret sauce

Black Bank Hill winery is inherently natural. No enzymes or other additives are used in production. “People are often surprised that I’m able to create these colours and tannin structures without additives,” I was one of these people, he pointed out. There are a few things that he does differently in the cellar, but in McLean’s point of view, it is his winegrowing skills that make the wine:

The advantage of being the winemaker and wine grower is the ability to nurture the grapes throughout the year: “I’m making wine for four months before the grapes even show up,” he points out, “I think the big difference is the relationship I have with my vineyard”. This care and attention enable Jonathan to predict the yield outcomes come harvest, “my yields are always bang on, and that’s a sense of pride for me, at the end of the season, I can say, Taylor, you told me to pick 44 tons, and I picked 44 tons plus 200 kilograms”.

The grapes are hand-harvested and put through a basket press instead of a modern membrane press. This very strategic decision is one of many that look to treat the grape with respect and ensure year-to-year release consistency. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that the grape is the hero of the show,” he shared.

Left: barrel room at Black Bank Hill, Niagara. Photo by Kateryna Topol. Right: Black Bank Hill Cabernet Franc harvest. Photo by Jonathan McLean.

The philosophy 

McLean is currently working on his Master’s in Environmental Sustainability. When asked why he chose sustainability over winemaking, a question he’s been asked more than once, he replies: “For me, what was more important is creating wines more sustainably, particularly in how it relates to my Indigenous heritage.”

“We didn’t know much about our father’s side of the family,” he admitted. But after his father’s passing, McLean’s sister dug into their heritage, learning that they come from the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. “I’m also part of the Bear Clan. My heritage goes back seven generations, all the way to the Mohawk Valley and what is now called New York state,” he shares. “My family has been part of this region for time immemorial, and a part of this is honouring them and honouring my ancestors, particularly my great-grandmother, who had her Indigenous status removed by the Canadian government.”

In the vineyard, he “decided to make a sustainability program based on traditional Indigenous knowledge, and that still is the goal,” but first, he needs to properly understand the traditional knowledge systems and how all of these relations (nature, community, history) can inform his approach to viticulture. “Reconnecting is a really challenging thing, because you feel the feelings,” he admits, “and you can choose to feel the feelings, and if you do, you have good days, and you have bad days,” admiring the strength of Indigenous people and being saddened by their continuous mistreatment.

Black Bank Hill winery production spaces. Photos by Kateryna Topol.

The winemaking future 

“My thesis is all about approaching wine in a different way, changing the colonial paradigms of sustainability and just kind of breaking down colonial structures in this industry,” McLean stated. “We have a lot of places in our industry where power is kind of collected and protected for certain people, and I’d love to see an industry that’s more inclusive. An industry that invites new voices and new faces.” McLean’s theory is that inviting new voices into the industry will inspire innovation that the industry so affected by climate change desperately needs. 

Winemaker’s favourite bottles

Visit blackbankhill.com to learn about the wine club and upcoming events.

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This guide fixes that. If you only have 48 hours, and most first-timers do, the Porto itinerary below covers the essential sights, the best food, and the neighbourhoods worth wandering, while still leaving room to get wonderfully lost. Two days is enough to fall for the city. It is rarely enough to leave it willingly.

Why Porto belongs on your Portugal itinerary

Lisbon gets the lion’s share of the Portugal conversation, but Porto has something its rival is starting to lose: the feeling that you have discovered it yourself. The old town is compact and walkable, the food is arguably better (the francesinha alone wins that argument), and the wine is made twenty minutes upriver in the Douro Valley.

Porto also has the Douro River along its southern edge, which means almost every old-town viewpoint looks out over water, terracotta rooftops, and the Gaia riverbank beyond. It is one of those rare cities where getting deliberately lost produces views instead of frustration, and that alone reshapes how you think about what to do in Porto.

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São Bento station by Jesus Esteban.

Day 1: Porto’s historic core

Day one is about orientation. You will cover most of the headline Porto attractions on foot, building a mental map of the city as you go.

Morning: São Bento, the Cathedral & the Clérigos Tower

Start at Estação de São Bento, one of Europe’s most beautiful train stations. Arrive early, before the tour groups, and spend fifteen minutes on the 20,000 blue-and-white azulejo tiles that cover the main hall. They are not a decorative background. They are a full pictorial history of Portugal, painted by Jorge Colaço in the early twentieth century.

From São Bento, walk uphill to the Sé do Porto (Porto Cathedral). The exterior is austere Romanesque; the interior opens into Gothic cloisters lined with 18th-century azulejo panels. The cathedral sits on one of the city’s highest points, so the terrace views are free and well worth the climb.

Continue to the Torre dos Clérigos. The tower is 76 metres tall and 240 steps up, and the panorama from the top gives you the clearest possible picture of how Porto is laid out, which makes everything else on this itinerary easier to navigate.

Late morning: Livraria Lello & the Bonfim backstreets

Livraria Lello, the famous bookshop with the scarlet staircase, requires a timed-entry ticket that you should book in advance. The pre-sale system means it is no longer the crushing scrum it once was, and the space is genuinely beautiful. Buy something while you are there, because the stock is actually good.

Afterwards, resist the pull back toward the tourist circuit and walk east into Bonfim. This neighbourhood has excellent coffee shops, independent ceramics studios, and small restaurants where the daily lunch special costs eight euros and beats most things on an expensive menu. The energy here is closer to how Porto residents actually live.

Afternoon: Ribeira & Crossing to Vila Nova de Gaia

Walk down to Cais da Ribeira, Porto’s riverside heart and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The iconic view, with narrow azulejo-faced houses stacked up the hillside above the waterfront, is as good as the photographs suggest. Grab a riverside terrace for a drink, but for lunch itself, walk one block back from the water: the restaurants directly on the Cais charge tourist prices, while the parallel street behind serves the same food for half the cost.

Cross the lower deck of the Ponte Dom Luís I (pedestrians only) into Vila Nova de Gaia, where all of Portugal’s Port wine is aged and bottled. The hillside is lined with lodges such as Sandeman, Graham’s, Taylor’s, and Ramos Pinto, most offering cellar tours and tastings for €15 to €20. If you only do one, Graham’s Six Grapes is consistently excellent.

Before sunset, take the cable car up to Jardim do Morro, a garden perched above Gaia with one of the best elevated views of Porto’s skyline. It sits beside the 17th-century Serra do Pilar Monastery and is free, always open, and never as crowded as it deserves to be.

As we cover in our guide to the walking tour of Porto, the city’s best moments tend to unfold on foot, and the walk back across the upper deck of the Dom Luís I Bridge at dusk, with the whole Ribeira lit below you, is one of the finest things to do in Porto.

Evening: Francesinha, Porto’s legendary sandwich

Do not leave without eating a Francesinha. This city-specific sandwich could have been designed as a dare: layers of ham, linguiça sausage, and steak, blanketed in melted cheese, drowned in a tomato-beer-brandy sauce, with chips on the side. It sounds like a fever dream and tastes remarkable. Café Santiago on Rua Passos Manuel is the most visited; Bufete Fase in Bonfim is the local favourite. Both are worth the queue.

Day 2: The best of slower Porto

With the headline sights behind you, day two is for markets, tiles, and neighbourhoods, the things to do in Porto that turn a first visit into a return trip.

Morning: Mercado do Bolhão

Mercado do Bolhão, fully restored after a decade-long renovation, is one of the best municipal markets in Portugal. Vendors sell fruit, cheese, charcuterie, flowers, and fresh fish across two iron-gallery levels. Go before 10 AM, when the produce is at its best, and the crowds are thin.

Late morning: Porto’s Azulejo Tile Trail

Porto has a serious relationship with decorative tile. The Igreja do Carmo and the Igreja dos Carmelitas share a party wall, and between them sits the city’s narrowest house, built deliberately to keep nuns and friars apart. The Chapel of Souls on Rua de Santa Catarina wears a blue-and-white façade depicting the life of Saint Francis across 15,947 individual tiles. Look out for the smaller neighbourhood churches around Cedofeita too, where the tilework is just as striking and the crowds far thinner.

Left: Igreja do Carmo by Jure Tufekcic. Right: Porto by Robert Bye.

Afternoon: Shopping on Rua das Flores & Rua Miguel Bombarda

Porto’s best shopping is not in malls. Walk Rua das Flores for concept stores, independent jewellers, and quality Portuguese linen and ceramics; it is also where you will find reclaimed azulejo dealers selling individual tiles by the piece. Rua Miguel Bombarda has a cluster of contemporary galleries and design shops, and on the first Saturday of each month several open together for a gallery walk.

For edible souvenirs, Garrafeira do Carmo stocks excellent Douro wines, A Conga sells beautifully packaged tinned fish, and the Bolhão vendors will vacuum-pack cured cheese and charcuterie if you ask.

Evening: Fado & A final glass of Port

Fado do Porto is distinct from Lisbon’s version: rougher, more melancholic, less polished. Small fado houses in Bonfim and the Baixa perform from around 9 PM. Pair it with a final glass of aged Tawny from a Gaia wine bar, and you have done Porto correctly.

More of the Best Things to Do in Porto

Two days fill quickly, but if you have extra hours, or you are stretching this into three, these are the Porto attractions worth adding:

• Palácio da Bolsa, the 19th-century Stock Exchange Palace, whose gilded Arabian Hall is one of the most opulent rooms in the country.
• Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, terraced gardens with peacocks and sweeping Douro views, ideal for a slow morning.
• Foz do Douro, reached on Tram Line 1 along the river to where Porto meets the Atlantic, for seafood and a sea breeze.
• A Douro Valley wine tour, the single best day trip from Porto if you have a third day to spare.
• Serralves, a contemporary art museum, Art Deco villa, and park, a short hop from the centre.

Where to stay in Porto

The best base for a short trip is the historic old town. Staying near São Bento, the Cathedral, Ribeira, and Lello means you can cover most of day one entirely on foot from your room, which is the whole point of a 2-day Porto itinerary.

For somewhere with genuine character, Canto de Luz is a luxury boutique hotel in Porto, occupying a fully restored historic building on Rua do Almada, a quiet street minutes from the main sights. It offers nine rooms and suites, from cosy Maison Suites with city views to the Villa Almada, a two-bedroom villa with a private heated pool. Rooms come with Samsung Art TV, Nespresso, and Rituals amenities.

What sets Canto de Luz apart is the daily organic breakfast, sourced from Porto’s own markets and changing every morning. There is a wine machine pouring Douro Valley wines by the glass, private chef services, and an associated culinary school, Canto Cooking, running market tours, cooking classes, and wine tastings for guests who want to go deeper into Portuguese food culture. The hotel has been featured in Lonely Planet, The Telegraph, El País, and the Michelin Guide. It is neighbourhood-scale, independently run, and genuinely embedded in the city around it.

Canto de Luz is a luxury boutique hotel in Porto, Portugal.

Getting around Porto

The metro covers all the main areas and the airport efficiently. The Andante Card is a rechargeable pass covering metro, bus, and some trams; it saves money over single tickets once you make more than four or five journeys. Tram Line 22 (a circular old-town route) and Tram Line 1 (along the Douro to Foz) are functional services, not tourist novelties. In the historic centre, walking beats any vehicle. The city is compact but vertical, so wear shoes with grip.

Best time to visit Porto

The sweet spot is May to June and September to October: warm, bright, and far less crowded than high summer. Winter is quiet, green, and very affordable; summer is busy and hot. The airport (OPO) connects to the centre via metro Line E in about 40 minutes, the euro is the currency, and cards are accepted almost everywhere. English is widely spoken in tourist areas, though a little Portuguese is always welcome.

Your Porto itinerary, sorted

Two days in Porto gives you the cathedral and the Clérigos panorama, a Gaia Port tasting, a francesinha you will think about for weeks, a morning of tiles and markets, and at least one sunset over the Douro you did not plan for. That is the perfect first-timer’s framework, and Porto has a habit of making people extend the trip anyway. Pack with that in mind.

The post Things to do in Porto, Portugal: The perfect 2-day first-timer’s itinerary appeared first on Paths to Travel.

Palma works beautifully as a short city break. The historic centre is compact and walkable, you rarely need a taxi, and within twenty minutes you can go from a Gothic cathedral to a sandy beach. Here is exactly what to do in Palma, plus the best beaches, day trips, and where to stay.

Is Palma de Mallorca worth visiting?

In a word, yes. Palma is the capital of the Balearic Islands, and around half the island’s population lives here, which gives it a real year-round buzz rather than the seasonal emptiness of a pure resort town. The old town is a maze of honey-coloured stone, shaded squares, and narrow lanes built over Roman and Moorish foundations. Wrapped around it, you will find a working port, a palm-lined seafront, and some genuinely excellent restaurants. It is stylish without being stuffy, and small enough to feel manageable on a first visit.

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Exploring Palma Old Town: Cathedral, palaces and hidden squares

Palma’s old town is where most first visits begin, and the main sights sit within a ten-minute walk of one another, so this part is best done on foot.

Palma Cathedral (La Seu): The city’s must-see landmark

Start at Palma Cathedral, known locally as La Seu. It rises straight out of the old sea walls and is one of the most striking Gothic cathedrals in Spain, with a vast rose window and an interior partly reimagined by Antoni Gaudí. Go early, before the light gets harsh and the cruise crowds arrive, and walk the seafront promenade in front of it for the postcard view across the reflecting pool.

The Royal Palace of La Almudaina

Directly beside the cathedral stands La Almudaina, a 13th-century royal palace built on the site of a Moorish fortress and still used for official ceremonies. The gardens and the views back over the bay are worth the short visit, and they set up the layers of history you will keep meeting all over the city.

Left: The Royal Palace of La Almudaina by Federico Di Dio. Right: Palma Cathedral by Lucas Derksen.

The Arab Quarter & The Arab Baths

Behind the cathedral lies the old Arab Quarter, a tangle of quiet lanes, courtyards, and small museums. Seek out the Banys Àrabs (Arab Baths), one of the few surviving traces of Moorish Palma, tucked into a peaceful garden. This is the part of the old town where getting deliberately lost pays off most.

Passeig del Born & The best shopping in Palma

When you are ready for life and shade, head to Passeig del Born, the tree-lined boulevard that acts as Palma’s main artery. For shopping in Palma, the streets around the Born and Carrer Jaume III mix Spanish brands, independent boutiques, and design shops, while the smaller side streets hide ceramics, linen, and the island’s famous woven espadrilles. Stop for a coffee and an ensaïmada, the spiral Mallorcan pastry, before moving on.

Bellver Castle: The best views over Palma

Round off the old-town exploring at Bellver Castle, a rare circular fortress on a wooded hill just west of the centre. It is a short taxi or uphill walk, and the reward is the best panorama in the city: the whole of Palma, the cathedral, and the Bay of Palma laid out below. Time it for late afternoon and the golden light does the rest.

Palma’s markets, beaches & Local food scene

Once you have seen the monuments, turn to the markets, food, and seafront, the things to do in Palma that show how the city actually lives.

Mercat de l’Olivar & The best markets in Palma

Start at Mercat de l’Olivar, the city’s main covered market, for fresh produce, Mallorcan cheese, charcuterie, and a stand-up seafood breakfast. It is one of the most enjoyable free things to do in Palma and a great place to assemble a picnic. If it is a Saturday, the Santa Catalina market nearby is just as lively.

The best beaches in Palma de Mallorca

Palma is one of the few cities where you can walk or cycle to the sand. Playa de Palma is the long, lively stretch east of the centre, backed by bars and promenade. For something closer and more local, Can Pere Antoni beach sits a short walk from the old town, and the pretty fishing quarter of Portixol beyond it is perfect for a seafood lunch by the water. These are the easiest Palma beaches to reach without a car.

Where to eat: The best restaurants in Palma

For dinner, cross into Santa Catalina, the old fishermen’s neighbourhood that has become the city’s food capital. It is home to some of the best restaurants in Palma, from its buzzing market food stalls to modern Mallorcan tasting menus and casual tapas bars. Book ahead at weekends, when locals and visitors fill the terraces.

Palma nightlife: Bars, wine & Live music

Palma nightlife is more grown-up than the island’s resort strips. Santa Catalina and the lanes around La Lonja are full of wine bars, cocktail spots, and live music, while the seafront Paseo Marítimo has the latter clubs. A glass of local wine on a quiet plaça is just as valid a way to end the night.

The best beaches in Mallorca beyond Palma

If you have a third day, the best beaches in Mallorca are an easy drive from the city. Highlights include Es Trenc, a long stretch of white sand and shallow turquoise water in the south; the dramatic cove of Cala Llombards; and the calm, family-friendly bays around Alcúdia in the north. Hire a car early, as parking fills fast in summer.

The best day trips from Palma de Mallorca

Mallorca rewards exploring, and the best day trips from Palma are simple to organise:

• Sóller and the vintage train. The historic Sóller train rattles through the mountains from Palma to the pretty town of Sóller, then a tram continues to the harbour. It is the single most scenic half-day trip on the island.
• Valldemossa and Deià. Two of the prettiest villages in the Tramuntana mountains, full of stone houses, art history, and terraced views down to the sea.
• Cap de Formentor. A spectacular drive north to the island’s wild northern tip and its lighthouse.

Where to stay in Palma de Mallorca: Best areas & Hotels

For a short trip, the old town is the obvious base. Staying near the cathedral, Mercat de l’Olivar, and Passeig del Born means you can cover most of this guide entirely on foot, which is the whole point of a Palma city break.

For genuine character, Casa Roca is a boutique hotel in Palma Old Town, a lovingly restored building in the heart of the Casco Histórico that carries 175 years of heritage alongside modern, design-led comfort. The location is hard to beat for a first visit: Plaça Major is around the corner, the Mercat de l’Olivar is five minutes on foot, and Palma Cathedral, the Arab Baths, and the shopping streets of Calle Jaume III are all an easy stroll. The Pere Antoni beach and the pretty port of Portixol are a short walk along the seafront, so you can sightsee, shop, and swim without ever needing a car.

Inside, the style is part Modernist sanctuary, part Art Deco glamour. Accommodation runs from City Suites with deep soaking tubs to Luxury Suites with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the old-town skyline, larger Retreat Suites, one and two-bedroom Residences with super-king en-suites and private terraces, and a three-bedroom Penthouse crowned by a sunny rooftop terrace. There is a spa, a rooftop, and even a secret speakeasy bar tucked inside, and the whole property can be booked for exclusive occupancy for weddings, milestone celebrations, or group retreats. Recent guests give it a perfect five-star rating, repeatedly singling out the design, the attention to detail, and the warmth of the service.

What really sets Casa Roca apart is its focus on Mallorcan food and wine. It is a dedicated wine hotel, with a collection of more than forty local labels you can pour by the glass using a personal Wine Pass and the hotel’s wine machines, perfectly matched with signature tapas. Guests can go deeper through a programme of experiences run from the in-house Tasting Room, including wine tastings led by fifth-generation island winemaker Tomeu Llabrés, an Olivar Market tour and Mallorcan cooking class, small-group gourmet food tours, and vermouth, gin, and coffee tastings. It is independently run, properly embedded in its neighbourhood, and has been featured by IB3, the BBC, and Diario de Mallorca.

When is the best time to visit Palma? A quick weather guide

Palma’s weather is kind for most of the year. May, June, September, and early October are the sweet spot: warm, bright, and far less crowded than peak summer, with sea temperatures still pleasant. July and August are hot and busy, ideal for a beach-first trip but less comfortable for sightseeing. Winters are mild and quiet, and late January brings the Sant Sebastià festival, when the whole city spills outdoors for street parties and bonfires. Whenever you come, pack for the sun and bring comfortable shoes for the old town’s cobbles.

How to get around Palma de Mallorca

Central Palma is best explored on foot, and the historic alleys can only really be seen that way. The EMT bus network is cheap and reliable for the airport, port, and beaches, and bike lanes run throughout the city, so renting a bike or e-bike is a fun way to reach the coast. You will rarely need a taxi within the centre, and a car is more of a hindrance than help in the old town, where parking is genuinely difficult.

For more European city break ideas, browse our destination guides.

Final tips for your first trip to Palma de Mallorca

A short break in Palma gives you a golden cathedral, an old town built for wandering, a market breakfast, a beach you walked to, and a long dinner in Santa Catalina. Add a third day for the Sóller train or a southern beach, and you have one of the most complete city breaks in the Mediterranean. Book restaurants ahead in summer, start your sightseeing early to beat the heat and the cruise crowds, and do not be surprised if you leave already planning a longer return trip.

The post The best things to do in Palma de Mallorca for first-time visitors appeared first on Paths to Travel.

The town is located on the shared, traditional territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and Lil̓wat7úl (Lil’wat) Nation, incorporating various authentic Indigenous experiences throughout. Most people come to Whistler to experience nature, but its many museums, art galleries, and cultural experiences will be a great addition to the trip.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here.
Parts of this trip were hosted by Explore Burnaby and Fairmont Chateau Whistler, who did not review or approve this story.

Whistler origins 

Whistler Village opened as a ski area in December 1980, and at the time, it was the largest ski complex in North America. Six years later, the Vancouver World’s Fair caused an influx of tourism to the Coast Mountains, putting Whistler Village on the global map. Soon after, American landscape artist Eldon Beck was recruited to design the village expansion. Beck decided to defy the classic North American grid built and instead wanted to build a “Village in the forest,” emphasising natural sightlines and sunlight paths across the space. The rest, as they say, is history.

What to do & See in Whistler

There are plenty of things to do in Whistler year-round, even for those who don’t come here for the winter sports. From culture and adventure to scenic gondola rides, your Whistler vacation can easily take on the leisurely pace of your choice. Visitors also have access to a collection of free self-guided tours with the Go Whistler app. There are 11 tours total, ranging from cultural and indigenous walks to craft beer and sweet treat tours. 

Explore Whistler Village Centre & Village North

Whistler Village is divided into three parts: Upper Village (the ski-in area), Village Centre, and Village North, the newest corner of town. The curvy pathways of the village cut through forested areas, along waterways and through a scenic wooden bridge. Nature exists seamlessly between the modern alpine ski chalet-style buildings lining the streets. 

Village Centre is packed with bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and over 200 retail shops, selling everything from ski essentials to large-scale souvenirs of Canada. Between the shops are art galleries where local artists display and sell paintings, photography, hand-woven baskets, First Nations designs, pottery and much more. Skis and snowboards are propped up in front of shops and restaurants almost year-round, adding a cheerful touch of colour to the scene. Bright yellow Muskoka chairs and loungers are thoughtfully placed around the village, overlooking ponds, rivers, and public squares. 

Village North is home to the Whistler Olympic Plaza, which prominently features the Olympic sign put in place during the 2010 Winter Olympics. A row of covered picnic pods offers more intimate spaces for an afternoon lunch surrounded by a bright patch of green grass behind the Olympic rings. 

Whistler Village, British Columbia. Images by Kateryna Topol.

Art & Culture 

Whistler Village houses quite a few notable museums and art galleries, in addition to the Whistler Museum. Audain Art Museum, which opened in 2016, has one of the world’s finest collections of First Nations masks, an impressive library of Emily Carr paintings, and works by Canada’s most internationally regarded contemporary artists. 

The building is a work of art in itself. Built to withstand the impact from the Fitzsimmons Creek floodplain and the heavy Whistler snowfalls, the structure seemingly floats above ground. Blending into the surrounding evergreen forest vegetation, the museum sits a full storey above ground and has a steeply sloped roof, making it, from some angles, look like a diamond. The building is connected to the main road by a bridge, which leads to an envelope-shaped entry with the forest shadows cutting through the slatted walls. 

Audain Art Museum 
4350 Blackcomb Wy, Whistler, BC V8E 1N3 | Map link
Tickets: Adults $22, seniors $19, young adults (19-15) $15, youth under 18 are free. 

Above and below: Audain Art Museum, Whistler, BC. Image by Kateryna Topol.

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Líḻwat7ul Cultural Centre (Squamish Lil’wat) is a first-of-its-kind in Canada world-class cultural centre operated by the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations. The museum embodies the spirit of partnership between the two First Nations through exhibitions and experiences that celebrate both cultures.

The museum site consists of multiple interior and exterior areas, including the Great Hall and galleries, a traditional Tl’aktaxen Lam (longhouse), and the İstken (pit house). An hourly guided tour is included in the cost of admission and will bring you into the local culture and history with a knowledgeable local. Ground floor Thunderbird Café serves an Indigenous-inspired menu worthy of a visit on its own.  

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Líḻwat7ul Cultural Centre
4584 Blackcomb Wy, Whistler, BC V8E 0Y3 | Map link
Tickets: Adult $25, teens (618) $12, children under 5 free. 

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Líḻwat7ul Cultural Centre. Images by Kateryna Topol.

Maury Young Arts Centre, located closer to Village North, is a community art gallery, theatre, and youth centre. Visitors can pick up art and souvenirs on the ground floor, view exhibitions on the second, or explore classes and entertainment if the schedule allows. The hub is managed by Arts Whistler. 

Take note of the Timeless Circle Sculpture in front of the Maury Young Arts Centre. The sculpture was created by a renowned Coast Salish artist, Susan Point, who created 86 different faces that reflect the diversity of the people who attended the 2010 Olympic Games.

Maury Young Arts Centre
4335 Blackcomb Wy, Whistler, BC V8E 0X4 | Map link
Tickets: Free entry 

Timeless Circle Sculpture, Whistler, BC, Canada. Images by Kateryna Topol.

Blackcomb Mountain Gondola

One of the main attractions in Whistler is Blackcomb Mountain and its newest Peak 2 Peak Gondola. The gondola opened in 2018 and combines Peak 2 Peak and Whistler Village gondolas in a continuous 13.5 km lift system. The gondola goes from the Upper Village to the top of the mountain, where even in May the peaks will be covered with snow. 

Summer Alpine Experience access includes a labyrinth of snow walls that tower above Pika’s Traverse on Whistler Mountain. This unique experience is available for a very limited time, before the seasonal snow melts for the summer. The visitor’s centre at the top has a spacious cafeteria with an outdoor terrace and a seasonal restaurant, Christine’s. 

Blackcomb Mountain Gondola
4553 Blackcomb Wy, Whistler, BC V8E 0Y1 | Map link
Tickets: Spring to fall day passes start at $85 per adult. Seasonal passes are available. 

May on Blackcomb Mountain Gondola. Images by Kateryna Topol.

Hiking & Adventure

Whistler summer activities include hiking, ziplining, mountain biking, wildlife experiences, and water sports.

Hiking in Whistler 

The natural beauty of the mountains is best experienced through their many trails. Alpine hiking on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains is accessible by gondola. The trails vary from family-friendly to advanced hikes to lakes, glaciers and alpine meadows. Blackcomb Mountain Ascent Trails, for example, take you all the way up to the summit for epic views and giant trees. Mid-summer’s must-do is the wildflower trail hike, which lasts only two to three weeks. 

Many hiking trails don’t require a gondola ticket, though some BC Parks, including Garibaldi Provincial Park and Joffre Lakes Park, require Day-Use passes, which can be purchased on bcparks.ca. Some of the best hikes in Whistler include the Lost Lake and the Rainbow Falls Loop.

Soft adventure in Whistler

There are five lakes around Whistler offering breathtaking views and a range of activities from canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards to sailing. The lake can be reached with pubic transit from Whistler Village, making this adventure car-free if necessary. Find canoe tours and rentals info on whistler.com. For a bird’s-eye view of Whistler, hop aboard a seaplane for a Garibaldi Lake and Black Tusk 30-minute plane ride.

Wildlife watching is another popular activity in the region. The Alpine trail map is marked with wildlife viewing spots where you can spot deer, squirrels, bears, marmots, birds, and other creatures. Black bear viewing tours are commonly done with a 4×4 safari-style vehicle, comfortably roaming through the mountain terrain. Bear tours operate from May to October.

Afternoon/Evening bear viewing tour

Enjoy one of the premier black bear viewing spots in Whistler. Join a local professional nature guide and photographers on your wilderness luxury Land Rover black bear excursion. 2.5 hours. 

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Bear tour with exclusive Olympic Park access

Discover Whistler’s wild side on a guided black bear tour in Olympic Park. Travel in an open 4×4 built for safari-style viewing and observe wild black bears safely with your expert local guide.

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Adventure experiences in Whistler 

In the summer, the mountains transform into a custom-built bike park, perfect for progressive mountain bike rides. Bike park passes are available as one-time visits or seasonal passes. Fans of more extreme activities can head out on the Green River for a whitewater rafting adventure, go rock climbing, or reach the sky with Whistler Via Ferrata. Another fun activity is bungee jumping above the glacial-fed Cheakamus River or ziplining above the forest. 

Where to eat & Drink in Whistler

As expected, there are quite a few restaurants, cafes, and bars across Whistler Village, suitable for different moods and appetites. Provisions is a local favourite for breakfast, most notably for the poached egg breakfast sandwich. For lunch, grab a slice of pizza at Fat Tony’s Pizza or head over to the Thunderbird Café for a delicious chowder and a bannock sandwich.

Find a vibrant atmosphere, good cocktails, and shareable bites at Bar Oso, serving contemporary Spanish cuisine, or Balam, focused on Latin American bites. Araxi Restaurant & Oyster Bar is a great option for a seafood set course, or an Après happy hour, 3 PM to 4:45 PM.

Some of the best dining experiences in Whistler are naturally offered by upscale hotels, like Fairmont Chateau Whistler. The Wildflower dining room faces Blackcomb Mountain, perfectly lighting the space at golden hour through floor-to-ceiling windows. The restaurant serves seasonal dishes prepared with hyper-local ingredients.

The menu has a balanced representation of land and sea, and being so close to the source, fresh seafood (Ocean Wise certified) comes highly recommended. From West Coast Oysters served with mint mignonette to Tofino Albacore Crudo and locally caught fish, choosing seafood is easy. Short rib, Fraser Valley duck, chicken and Alberta AAA steaks perfectly balance out the seafood on the menu. 

The Wildflower restaurant at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. West Coast Oysters served over ice with mint mignonette, Hokkaido Scallops perfectly cooked with pork belly and a crispy chicharron, and Dungeness Crab Tagliatelle, decadently flavoured with saffron and chilli butter. Images by Kateryna Topol.

For unique dining experiences, Audain Art Museum hosts seasonal dining events like Art of Wine and Art of the Cocktail. Both Araxi Restaurant and Wild Blue host long table dinners in the summer, and Blackcomb Mountain offers a Mountain Top Summer Feast, among other dining experiences. 

Wellness in Whistler 

There are quite a few wellness facilities in Whistler. The Spa at Whistler, for example, is a spacious public facility with a liquor-licensed area. Whistler Day Spa, The Spa At Nita Lake Lodge, and Vida Spa at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler all come highly recommended.  

Scandinave Spa Whistler, however, is the main spa destination in Whistler. Set among the tall alpine trees, a wooden pathway leads you to the spa from the open parking lot, hash signs preparing you for what’s to come. This is a 25,000-square-foot outdoor sanctuary with four pools, two saunas, two eucalyptus steam rooms, and five distinct relaxation areas. A village in itself, Scandinave Spa Whistler, is ideal for a relaxing afternoon spent coming in and out of sleep between healing rituals. 

Scandinave Spa Whistler
8010 Mons Rd, Whistler, BC V8E 1K7 | Map link
Rates: Starting at $118 per person, robes and towels included 

Scandinave Spa Whistler, images courtesy of the spa.

Where to stay in Whistler

Fairmont Chateau Whistler, situated at the foot of Blackcomb Mountain, is a two-Michelin-key property. It is a ski-in ski-out castle with a spa, fitness centre, multiple pools, five restaurants, and three bars. Rooms range from standard king and queens to luxury suites with balconies and sitting rooms.

Four Seasons Resort Whistler is another two-Michelin-key property in Whistler. The hotel is located a short walk from the main village and offers complimentary car service to all guests. Amenities include a spa, wellness centre, outdoor pool, three restaurants, a cafe, and a pool bar. Rooms range from mountain-view balcony king rooms to spacious resort rooms and speciality suites, some of which have a private jacuzzi.

Nita Lake Lodge is a great boutique hotel alternative to the large resorts with one Michelin key. The lodge, located near the Whistler Golf Club, has a spa, fitness centre, kayak rentals, a garden, two restaurants, and a cafe. Rooms range from balcony one bedrooms to six-person suites with a living room. 

Fairmont Chateau Whistler
4599 Chateau Blvd, Whistler, BC V8E 0Z5
Rooms starting at $450 CAD for a king
Book directly on fairmont.com or compare with your favourite booking site: Expedia | Booking.com | Hotels.com | TripAdvisor

Four Seasons Resort Whistler
4591 Blackcomb Wy, Whistler, BC V8E 0Y4
Rooms starting at $463 CAD for two queens
Book directly on fourseasons.com or compare with your favourite booking site: Expedia | Booking.com | TripAdvisor

Nita Lake Lodge
2131 Lake Placid Rd, Whistler, BC V8E 0B2
Rooms starting at $239 CAD for a king
Book directly on nitalakelodge.com or compare with your favourite booking site: Expedia | Booking.com | TripAdvisor

Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Four Seasons Resort Whistler balcony, images by Kateryna Topol.

More hotels & Accomodations in Whistler

Whistler Olympic Plaza. Image by Kateryna Topol.

Getting to & Around Whistler

Whistler is located around two hours from Vancouver International Airport (YVR). You can rent a car at the airport or opt for one of the available shuttles. There are multiple options for the Whistler shuttle from the Vancouver airport, departing at different times of day. A few to consider are:

• Whistler Shuttle, with multiple pick-up and drop-off locations
• Epic Rides with non-stop service from Vancouver to Whistler 
• Bus transfer with Skylinx
• Canadian Craft Charters, which offers private Whistler transfer with an option to add scenic stops 
• Vanlimo Limousine Service, private transfer 
• Private transfer with sightseeing stops in Vancouver and Whistler 

Whistler is very walkable, and if you don’t intend to do any day trips, you can easily navigate without a car. Ridesharing is not available in Whistler, but there is a small taxi company, Whistler Taxis. The company has an app that allows you to track the driver online. You can always call +1 (604) 932-3333 to request a ride; the hold time will be spent listening to music, like 50 Cent’s “In da Club”. 

The post Whistler beyond aprés: three-day summer Whistler Village itinerary appeared first on Paths to Travel.

If you’re wondering where to stay in Lyon, France, you’re in luck because the city punches well above its weight for boutique and design hotels. Here are five of the most distinctive properties, from a 14th-century Radisson in Vieux Lyon to a waterfront eco-hotel at the confluence of the Saône and Rhône. For more Lyon travel ideas, visit our Lyon city guide.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 
Cover image: Fourvière Hôtel, Lyon, France. All images courtesy of the hotels.

Cour des Loges

A Radisson Collection Hotel, Cour des Loges, welcomes you with a stunning courtyard that works as a lobby. With only 60 rooms, this property has a lot of unique, antique character, including a 14th-century staircase. Each suite is a unique, loft-style room furnished with period pieces and new age classics. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and spa, a fitness centre, on-site dining options, including Les Loges (Michelin star restaurant), and an EV charging station. It is a Michelin Guide property.

6 rue du Bœuf, Lyon, France | Map link
Rooms starting at $346 CAD
Book directly on radissonhotels.com to access special offers or your preferred booking site: Expedia | Booking.com | TripAdvisor | Trivago

Hôtel de L’Abbaye and L’Artichaut restaurant, Lyon, France.

Hôtel de L’Abbaye

Set next door to the Basilica of St Martin d’Ainay, Hôtel de L’Abbaye is a luxury historic boutique hotel. There are only 21 rooms, each beautifully decorated with vintage and modernist classical pieces. The exterior is historically commanding, while the interior has been carefully renovated, preserving its old-world character. On site is L’Artichaut, a bistronomic Michelin restaurant. Located on the ground floor, this restaurant is a destination on its own, serving an original, creative menu and seasonal wine pairings.

20 rue de l’Abbaye d’Ainay, Lyon, France | Map link
Rooms starting at $433 CAD
Book directly on hotelabbayelyon.com to access special offers or your preferred booking site: Expedia | Trivago | Booking.com | TripAdvisor | Hotels.com

MiHotel La Tour Rose

The beautifully decorated rooms with colourful furnishings and tropical wallpaper are perhaps the main draw to MiHotel La Tour Rose. But then, there are also the bathtubs, the fireplaces, and living plants under handmade lampshades. This Michelin-recognised hotel consists of high-end suites across six 18th-century apartments, a place you can truly make your own. All suites are unique and come with daily breakfast service, ie., freshly baked pain au chocolat.

22 rue du Bœuf, Lyon, France | Map link
Rooms starting at $202 CAD
Book directly on mihotel.fr to access special offers or your preferred booking site: Expedia | Booking.com | Hotels.com

MOB HOTEL Lyon Confluence

An eco-hotel with a stunning outdoor terrace, MOB Lyon Confluence is located in the waterfront district where the Saône and Rhône rivers come together. This noticeably contemporary structure, which resembles large-scale art from a distance, is also Michelin-recognised. The rooms are beautifully decorated with a minimalistic but fun and colourful touch. Hotel patrons have access to yoga classes, live music, pop-up shops, and other one-off events hosted throughout the year. In many ways, MOB Lyon Confluence is a part of the city’s cultural tapestry.

55 quai Rambaud, Lyon, France | Map link
Rooms starting at $318 CAD
Book directly on mobhotel.com to access special offers or your preferred booking site: Expedia | Booking.com | TripAdvisor

Fourvière Hôtel, Lyon, France.

Fourvière Hôtel

Another Michelin Guide property, Fourvière Hôtel, is located in an upscale neighbourhood on a hilltop to the west of Lyon’s old town. It is a 19th-century convent turned 21st-century hotel, built around a large courtyard. Despite its rich history, the rooms are minimally decorated, leaning into the modern styles with black-and-white portraits of local historical figures hung on the walls. Guests have access to a 25-meter heated lap pool, a spa and gardens, and two restaurants, upscale Les Téléphones and the Le Bouchon bistro.

23, rue Roger Radisson, Lyon, France | Map link
Rooms starting at $255
Book directly on fourviere-hotel.com to access special offers or your preferred booking site: Expedia | Booking.com | TripAdvisor

More hotels & Stays in Lyon

The post Where to stay in Lyon, France: Five unique hotels appeared first on Paths to Travel.