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LIFE&STYLE
CITYAM.COM
MONDAY 30 JANUARY 2017
TRAVEL
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The peak of luxury
ATHENS, GREECE
WHERE TO STAY
The hip and artsy New Hotel is ideally situated for flying visits to this ancient capital. It’s a ten-minute stroll from the Parthenon and only three kilometres from the National Archaeological Museum. yeshotels.gr/hotel/new-hotel
Angelina Villa-Clarke visits the Italian province of South Tyrol, home to some of the most remote museums in the world
F WHERE TO GO
Discover a rainbow cave of booze at Brettos, the oldest distillery in Athens. Now over a century old (it first opened its doors in 1909), it's the best place to get ouzo'd up to the eyeballs. Visit brettosplaka.com
WHERE TO DRINK
Get acquainted with Greek wine (and reacquainted with their fairly well known cheeses) at Hetroclito. Try to nab yourself a table outside, and ask for a glass of crisp Melissokipos, a velvety red from Crete. Visit heteroclito.gr
WHERE TO EAT
Get a taste of modern Greek comfort food at Manimani. Sit in the restored neo-classical house and feast on yellow split peas with onion chutney and simmered chicken with fennel. Visit manimani.com.gr
or a unique insight into a destination, just ask a mountaineer. I learned this in South Tyrol, a little enclave of northern Italy in the heart of the Dolomites, and home to the world’s most famous climber, Reinhold Messner. He has a lot to say about his birthplace; so much so, in fact, that he has spent the past decade curating six high-altitude museums, all architectural masterpieces in their own right, to showcase his viewpoint on the region and the world in general. Born in South Tyrol in 1944, Messner, now regarded as the greatest mountaineer of all time, scaled his first mountain at the tender age of five and eventually became the first climber to ascend all of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 metres. He was the first to get to the top of Everest alone and the first to do it without oxygen. Now aged 72, with 3,500 summits under his belt, he no longer climbs professionally and has become a philosopher and writer, penning some 50 books. “After a life spent in the vertical rock faces of the Dolomites and on the world’s highest peaks, I want to tell what happens to us when we abandon ourselves to the mountains…” he says, somewhat mystically. Not for the faint-hearted, his ‘extreme’ museums are found in remote and precarious locations across the South Tyrol region, seemingly to test the stamina of each visitor. The newest, opened in 2015, is the Zaha Hadid-designed MMM Corones (the MMM stands for Messner Mountain Museum), found on the summit plateau of Kronplatz mountain, 2,275m above sea level. The avant-garde building – a curvy, fluid structure made of concrete and glass – is reachable only by cable car or, for the adventurous few, after a five-hour hike. The largest museum, MMM Firmian, meanwhile, close to the provincial capital of Bolzano, may not be so difficult to get to but it still manages to put visitors through their paces. Carved out of a 10th century castle, it is packed with mountaineering equipment, photography, art and an eclectic collection of Eastern artefacts picked up during Messner’s years conquering the Himalayas. It’s an exhilarating experience. Hair-raising elevated paths, steep stairs and vertigo-inducing towers will test your head for heights.
After coming face to face with Messner’s lofty vision of the world, you may well need a good sit down. Luckily South Tyrol is also something of a foodie treasure trove, so you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to pit-stops. This may be down to the region’s cultural mash-up: while it sits in the northernmost part of Italy, South Tyrol has a discernable Teutonic feel to it and is actually an autonomous region. Most locals speak German as their first language and Italian as the second, with a few still clinging on to the mountain dialect Ladin, a derivative of Latin. Food, therefore, is a mish-mash of cuisines, with schnitzel and spaghetti sitting harmoniously together on many menus. For something special, head to one of the area’s stand-out restaurants. South Tyrol boasts the highest concentration of Michelin-starred eateries in the whole of Italy (23 across 19 restaurants). Sissi in Merano, for instance, is a charming, art nouveau style dining room with just 11 tables. But don’t be fooled by the homely décor, chef Andrea Fenoglio has earned his Michelin star due to his inventive take on classic Italian dishes, such as his signature liquid pizza, spaghetti Omega 3 and green asparagus with ‘egg in egg’ (an arty, vegetarian take on carbonara only served when asparagus is in season). With the area boasting 5,000 hectares of vineyards, wine lovers will also be in their element with tons of wineries to visit and wine trails to follow as well as the annual Merano Wine Festival in November. Stock up on bottles of Gewurztraminer, an aromatic white wine which works perfectly as
NEED TO KNOW For more information on South Tyrol visit suedtirol.info For more information on the Messner Mountain Museums, visit: messnermountainmuseum.it Chalets at San Luis start from €250 per night for full board (excluding drinks) per person. Call +39 0473 279570 or visit sanluishotel.com For more info on Sissi visit sissi.andrea fenoglio.com and Becherhaus visit becherhaus.com
MMM Corones on the summit plateau of Kronplatz at 2,275m.
a light aperitif, at the Nals Margreid cantina, where you can tour the cellars and arrange a wine tasting. The bucolic setting – snow-capped peaks, Alpine meadows and pine-covered hills – and a micro-climate which gives 300 days of sunshine each year means the area is also ripe for cuisine based on home-grown, organic produce. From the collective of local inns that focus on traditional dishes to the network of 169 mountain-huts serving one or two simple meals (such as hay soup and nettle-stuffed pasta) dining here is synonymous with the landscape. Hikers should try out the highest and most spectacular hut, The Becherhaus, at 3,195m. There you can sample the local Marende, a traditional snack of Tyrolean speck, mountain cheese and dumplings. After a day of inspiring Alpine encounters, head to San Luis, the latest hotel on the scene. Despite the timeless landscape of medieval castles, dense forests and apple orchards, San Tyrol is also an unlikely setting for a clutch of modernist hotels. There’s the glamourous Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano and the off-grid Vigilius Mountain Resort (only accessible via cable car). With each new opening comes a more imaginative design aesthetic. San Luis is no exception. Designed by local architect Hugo Demetz, it describes itself as a private retreat offering ‘primordial encounters with nature’. Found in a 40-acre Alpine park at Avelengo, rooms are either tree-houses hidden in the pine forest or cabins based around a shimmering lake, all built from specially sourced, untreated Mondholz wood. At its heart is a clubhouse, which houses a cinema, restaurant and spa. While its outlook is heavenly, inside it’s dark, moody and dramatic. This is an urban-style retreat, which gives a nod to its Alpine destination. The country-style spa, for instance, mixes black concrete walls and crystal chandeliers, so there’s an indulgent, cocooning feel. Body massages and facials call on the great outdoors by using oils infused with local herbs and plant essences. Afterwards, you can doze by crackling fires or in the summer months take a dip in the inside-outside pool, with the mountain peaks looming above you. The hotel echoes the region’s passion for
CITYAM.COM
MONDAY 30 JANUARY 2017 LIFE&STYLE 27
: @city_am
THE WEEKEND: Nestled among the alleyways of Amsterdam’s chic Nine Streets district, Hotel Pulitzer sits in a prime location between the quaint Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht canals and makes the ideal base for exploring the city’s most attractive quarter. This is a place where the independent fashion boutiques, pancake houses and homemade juiceries thrive, and only a short walk and a world away from the sometimes overbearing bustle of the city centre.
TOP TIP
The best pancakes in Amsterdam are found at Pancakes! on Berenstraat. They’re so good we forgive the punctuation.
PULITZER AMSTERDAM
THE STAY: Comprising 25 unique and interconnected 17th and 18th century canal houses, each of which has its own personality, the newly renovated Hotel Pulitzer revels in irresistible Dutch artistry. A grand piano is suspended above the entrance hall, while sculptures by local artists dot the walls and corners of the foyer. A small library of Pulitzer-winning books are presented in the front window, celebrating the hotel’s connection to the famed literary prize – publishing heir Peter Pulitzer is the hotel’s founder. Each room has a story to tell about the original buildings that make up this eccentric residence. We stayed in one of The Pulitzer’s penthouse apartments, an open plan top-floor studio that thoughtfully combines the building’s original period timber with the clean lines and airy features of the 1960s restoration.
field-to-fork cookery with Michelin-starred chef Artuto Spiocchi’s daily-changing menus inspired by the abundance of produce found in the nearby valleys, fields and mountainsides. This is the sort of place that is magical in winter, with skiing, climbing and markets to explore on your doorstep. Summer, meanwhile, is an unexpected joy. Dips in the lake, mountain walks and evenings spent al-fresco by the twinkling lights of lanterns make for idyllic memories. But South Tyrol has a fifth season, and it’s precisely when you should aim to be there. Törggelen falls at the start of October, a period when the new wines are tasted and typically served throughout the region with local chestnuts, soup and sweet pastries. Even if you don’t climb a summit during your time in South Tyrol, you’ll come away on a high. A natural one.
THE LONG WEEKEND
Sam White discovers a rarely seen side of the infamous party town off-the-street natives and hotel residents, giving the place a more local vibe. Jansz’s food is exceptional no matter where you’re from. Diver scallops kicked off a romantic Saturday night experience, followed up by the main course highlights: a succulent cut of long-roasted lamb perched atop a bed of red lentils and vegetables for me; a perfectly balanced and deliciously rich lobster risotto for my girlfriend. The meat fell apart, the rice and vegetables were perfectly cooked and the white wine pairing – a bottle of Falchini – made for the perfect accompaniment.
THE FOOD: At the Pulitzer’s restaurant, Jansz, we enjoyed pick-me-up breakfasts and those long and indulgent dinners that had us not wanting to leave the table. The restaurant’s patrons are a healthy mix of
AND AFTER THAT? If you’re up for a tram ride, make the trip out to Bar Botanique. Located beyond the older part of town, the bar’s surroundings aren’t quite as beautiful as the canals, but the bar itself – a lush mix of botanical inspirations and modern class – serves up great cocktails and lets you sit and soak up the Dutch atmosphere. NEED TO KNOW: Rooms at Pulitzer Amsterdam start at £235. For more info or to book visit pulitzeramsterdam.com
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ASK ABOUT: Pulitzer’s private waterway tour, an adventure around the city’s best attractions led by a knowledgeable tour guide on the hotel’s private boat, ‘The Tourist’. This vessel from 1909, which transported Winston Churchill around Amsterdam with Dutch royalty back in 1946, has been recently restored to its former glory; polished brass, stained wood and intricate furnishings create an authentic period cruise. As well as seeing Amsterdam’s different districts, you’ll see its more recent architectural achievements in the modern northern quarter and spend a few hours on the idyllic waterways that criss-cross the city’s centre. All with a glass of champagne, of course. Thanks to the Pulitzer’s great Nine Streets location, you’re also just a short walk from Anne Frank’s historic home, while Dam Square is a 10-minute walk back into the city’s centre. Not feeling up to the walk? That’s fine, just hire a bike or walk thirty seconds from The Pulitzer’s entrance to find Westermarkt tram stop, which connects you the city’s furthermost attractions for just a handful of Euros per day.
BY Y K R O UA BO JAN 31
BUSINESS CLASS SALE
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