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G R E A T E S T E X P E R I E N C E S
Scare yourself silly
Hurghada
30
Debuting as a new
sport at the Rio 2016
Olympics, kitesurfing is the
hottest extreme sport of the
moment. Beginners take
heart: the shallow waters,
clear skies and consistent
wind make Hurghada, on
the Red Sea, the best spot to
give it a try.
hurghada.co.uk
Step into a fairy tale
Munich
29
The sprawling gothic
spires of Bavaria’s
Schloss Neuschwanstein,
100
km fromMunich, were
the inspiration for Walt
Disney’s
Cinderella
castle,.
Even the most jaded will be
awed by the carriage ride up
fromHohenschwangau.
Entry€12, neuschwanstein.de
Haggle in the souks
Marrakech
28
OK, so the jostling isn’t
to everyone’s taste, but
bickering with stallholders
over a carpet in the world's
most famous markets is a
definitive rite of passage.
Don’t forget it’s all a game:
aim to knock off at least half
of the original cost, then
wander into Djemaa el Fna,
the city’s colourful market
square, to take in the sights,
smells and (yes, do it) tastes
of the street food. Just give
the sheep’s head a wide
berth.
visitmorocco.com
Join the party
Tenerife
27
Get yourself a
flamboyant fancy-
dress costume, escape to
the sun and join the biggest
carnival outside of Rio in the
streets of Tenerife’s capital
city of Santa Cruz. The party
continues unabated from
8-17
February 2013.
carnavaltenerife.es
Attend
prima notte
at La Scala
Milan
26
It’s not just the incredible acoustics that lure the world's
opera lovers to the opening night of Milan's famous
opera house. The 7 December event is
the
place to see and be
seen. Audiences clad in their formal finest will flock to watch
the curtain go up on Wagner’s
Lohengrin
.
For rich drama on
and off the stage, this is well worth the ticket price.
From €50; teatroallascala.org
Face your fears
Málaga
25
If a YouTube video
makes you shiver,
are you brave enough to
face the reality? That’s the
question facing those who
venture to El Caminito del
Rey, a pathway in southern
Spain regarded as the most
dangerous in the world. Built
in 1905, it twists the full
length of El Chorro gorge,
near Málaga, and in parts
its 1m-width has crumbled
to nothing, plunging 100m
to the valley below. Closed
to visitors, some daredevils
still attempt it (see YouTube),
although those without a
death wish absolutely must
wait until it re-opens in 2014.
rockclimbingspain.com
Get seriously high
Innsbruck
24
Ischgl ski resort is already the best place to party in the
Alps, but twice a season it hosts the winter’s hottest
ticket: a high-altitude gig. Headliners for the next Top of
the Mountain Party (23 November) are still under wraps
but previous acts have included The Killers and Elton John.
Included in lift-pass price;
ischgl.com
Escape the crowds
Venice
23
It’s not the super food or the stunning views over the
Grand Canal that makes dinner on the terrace of the
Centurion hotel so unique. It’s the fact that if you eat here,
you’ll only be sharing the experience with three other tables.
There are few places in Venice where you can ever flee the
hordes, so watching the boats go by in utter tranquillity is
the rarest of pleasures. Booking ahead is, needless to say,
essential.
centurionpalacevenezia.com
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