Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Ajaccio

Ajaccio straddles a gorgeous bay and is very much a Riviera town with its spacious squares and elegant, upmarket marina. The towns are beautiful and tasteful with some fantastic restaurants and cafes. The 15th century Genoese citadel is a great place to wander and the muse Fesch is home to an incredible collection of renaissance paintings by Botticelli, Titian and Poussin. Of course the town’s beaches are a firm favourite with travellers and the Plage Trottel is the better of the two.

Le Golfe de Porto

Le Golfe de Porto region contains Corsica’s most beautiful landscapes and the blue bay and red cliffs make the area dramatic to say the least. The rock formations of Calanches de Piana are well worth visiting and the surrounding mountains and vast pine forests are a fantastic place to hike and enjoy yourself. Diving is also incredible here if you are feeling adventurous.

Calvi

Calvi is perhaps the most impressive town of Corsica and it certainly has the most impressive history and architecture. The 6km sandy beach is the biggest draw for many but beyond that the town is incredibly impressive. The imposing citadel of Calvi against the mountainous backdrop is an incredible sight to behold. The town itself plays home to the Haute Ville full of twisting cobbled lanes and stairways and the medieval architecture and beautiful street cafes are a fantastic place to stroll and relax. Villas line the outer reaches of town as you head to some of the most beautiful countryside and the mountains.

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Corte

Corte lies at the base of a mountain range with stunning views and is one of the most idyllic locations of Corsica. The citadel and museum of Corsica make a great day trip and you can stroll the castle’s ramparts and enjoy a fantastic view. The town’s main street is a fantastic shopping and street café area with plenty of pokey boutiques and places to rest.

Bonifacio

Bonifacio’s location is what makes it so incredible. Its perched along an isolated peninsula at the most southerly point of the island. The town has a unique identity and the huge citadel is a great place to explore before walking along to the marina. The beaches along the coast are incredible and well worth exploring.

Where to stay
There are plenty of accommodation options on the island from camping to all-inclusive resorts. The main towns have an abundance of hotels with some particularly good ones to be found in Calvi. Along the coast there are few large resorts but villas in Corsica along small bays and in small villages are fantastic. Camping lets you get into the heart of Corsican countryside and is a great option for hiking and walking.

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One of the most popular places to go camping in the EU is France. The whole country is set up to welcome campers, whether they are in cars and caravans, campervans or simply with a tent in the boot of the car or attached to their backpack.

Pretty every much commune will have a campsite somewhere and these will often be a ‘camping municipal’ meaning that they are owned and maintained by the local commune (or council). Although this kind of campsite doesn’t have a big swimming pool and entertainment programme, they are always scrupulously clean and well maintained. It is such a vast contrast to many campsites in the UK.

The commercial campsites in France also make a great choice – especially if you have children who are confident enough to go and join in with the entertainment provided. Once you set up your site and introduce the children to the ‘animateurs’ who run the entertainment programmes, you might not see them except for mealtimes and bedtime!

Where to go
Camping near to the Dune du Pyla is a great place to spend a summer week. You have easy access to the beach, and most of the campsites are set in the shady pine forests that are just behind the beaches and dunes. This way you have the best of both worlds – beautiful sunny beaches, yet a shaded place to camp, so that at the end of the day you don’t have to go into a baking hot tent or mobile home.

If you’re a single traveller or a couple, then the most economic option is to take the car and throw your sleeping bags and tent in the boot, so that you can go where you want, but only need to pay the site fees for a tent rather than a caravan or the cost of hiring one of the fixed mobile homes that campsites hire out. Of course, the other option is to hire one of the fixed tents that the campsites also have on offer – far superior to anything that will fit in the back of a car! It really depends on how long you want to stay in one particular place or whether you prefer a holiday on the road.

About the author of this article:
Steve is a camping enthusiast who enjoys taking off for the weekend with his mates and their fully loaded rucksacks.

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Luxury villas in Tuscany
If you would like to enjoy your staying in this great region to the maximum, try Luxury villas in Tuscany. Stay at traditional stone farmhouse in the Chianti region and the Tuscan countryside, furnished in rustic Tuscan style or in comfortable apartments in villas with private pools offering unforgettable views over the surrounding landscape.

www.holidayhomestuscany.com

Discover Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), Michelangelo’s statue of David, the Gothic church of Santa Croce or gallery Uffuzzi with the largest collection of Italian Renaissance Art in Florence. Pisa city is world-famous thanks to its Square of Miracles (Campo dei Miracoli) and its 4 buildings – Leaning tower, the Cathedral, Baptistery and Camposanto. Versilia and its surroundings is located in the northwestern part of Tuscany in the region of Lucca, between Alpi Apuane mountains and Tyrrhenian Sea. The historical part of “vera Versilia” includes resorts like Pietrasanta, Forte dei Marmi, Seravezza and Stazzema. Resorts Camaiore, Viareggio and Massarosa are peripheral centers.

Viareggio is a renowned seaside resort, known as the “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea”. It is located in the territory between two pine forests and a beautiful lake Massaciuccoli. Among the most famous events is undoubtedly “Puccini Opera Festival”, which is held in Torre del Lago, where Giacomo Puccini lived and composed much of his known works.

The climate of Tuscany is pleasant and mild also during the hot summer since it is influenced by the nearby mountains, and mild in winters influenced by the nearby sea.

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Koli National Park consists of forested hills and siliceous rocks which created beautiful picturesque lookouts. From those you can see long sandy islands – known as eskers, which connect the mainland in the area of the lakes.

In the Koli National Park there are mixed and pine forests growing. The highest point of the park is the hill Ukko-Koli (347 m), where is a beautiful view down on the lake Pielinen. Throughout the Koli National Park there is a number of marked hiking trails and camps. The park has large number of bears, therefore it is necessary to take some food with you.

Koli National Park also has two ski resorts – Loma-Koli is suitable for families with children and Ukko-Koli is good for advanced skiers.

Koli National Park is one of the most famous national nature reserves in Finland. Although it is small, it contains so many places of interest as a treasure chest, for example: rare geological features, versatile range of animal species and many plant species. Area around the park was also a center of cultural heritage and culture.

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Oulanka National Park lies near the Russian border and the Arctic Circle, in the regions of Kuusamo and Salla on the boundary of North Karelia and southern Lapland. In Russian Karelia it continues as the Paanajärvi National Park. The name Oulanka comes from old Laponian language and it is also a name of a river that flows through the area. So the National Park is formed by the Oulanka River, which flows into Lake Paanajärvi and then continues into the White Sea. Its tributaries are the rivers of Kitka, Savina, Aventa and Maaninka that are cutting into the rocks, and creating a canyon valley. At some places you can see massive rapids and waterfalls, such as Kiutaköngas, Taivalköngas or Jyrävä.

Nature in Oulanka National Park is absolutely unique, geographically it can be assigned to the southern Lapland. The vegetation is very diverse and varied, includes more than 500 plant species. The northern part of the park is rich of extensive marshes and peat bogs, and is not easily accessible, there are just a few routes. Tourists can get here only if the soil is frozen. However, you have to use snowmobiles or skis.

Oulanka National Park has been left in pristine conditions for more than 100 years. The result is a forest, where you cannot see any human action and nature has to solve all of the problems alone. Many species of plants and animals occur only in certain places, as they would have set their boundaries. Richer soils are covered with spruce or pine forests. High pine and mixed forests are mainly on the rocks. During a walk through the park you can collect strawberries, blackberries, blueberries or cloudberries.

Oulanka National Park is also very rich in animal species. You can find here over 30 species of mammals, such as wolf, lynx, numerous mustelidae as a polecat, weasel and ermine, as well as badgers, foxes and even Wolverine or brown bear. The traces of these large predators can come across quite often, but you have to be lucky to see some of them. Mostly because they are hidden deep in the woods outside of marked trails. There are also deer, elk and Siberian wild reindeer. The park has many rare species of nesting birds such as swallows, cuckoos, larks, kingfishers, Whooper Swan, robin, Siberian skylark, and many others. In the sky you can see large predators such as golden eagle and eagle owl. Rivers are full of salmon which expanded here by migration from the White Sea.

Hiking lovers should try the path Karhunkierros. Karhunkierros or “Bear’s Ring” is one of the oldest and best hiking trails in Finland, measuring an impressive 80 km. The trail leads to a large remote areas, hence you have to be properly prepared for this. The best time to visit Oulanka National Park is autumn when the surrounding countryside is playing with all colors. There is such a beautiful scenery!

Along the way you can see some natural huts that serve as a shelter for single overnight. All of them look almost the same and during the high season can be overcrowded. It is a good idea to bring your own tent with you. All routes are well-marked, therefore it is not necessary to have your map, sufficient is also the simple schedule that you can get at the information center. Much more important part of your outfit is insect repellent.

If walking is your real hobby, you can extend the trip by 22 km long stretch leading from Hautajärvi. From the town of Juuma you have the opportunity to go to “Little Bear’s ring” that is 12km long and leads to cascades Myllykoski and Jyrävänjäri. It is possible to make this circuit within five to six hours.

In the middle of the park it is established the Research base of the University of Oulu and the major information center for visitors.

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Kuršių Nerija National Park, Lithuania by fintlandia

Kuršių Nerija National Park has now become a popular tourist site and holiday resort, which is also one of the largest deposits of amber in the world.

Kuršių Nerija National Park contains of a range of pine forests and sand dunes, through which is sometimes referred to as the Baltic Sahara. The unique character of the landscape brought Curonian Spit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The larger part of the Curonian Spit in Lithuania is a part of Kuršių Nerija National Park covering an area of 265 km2 (98km2 are covered by land, and 167km2 by water). The park has been established in 1991 but the first steps to protect this area were undertaken already in 1960, when Curonian Spit became a Nature Reserve.

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In the valley there are three monasteries. The most formidable of them is San Esteve – thanks to its size, style and history. It is accessible only by car or walking. San Esteve monastery was founded in the 6th century, and the oldest parts are the Romanesque cloister and church. Two other monasteries are from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The most beautiful views of the Cañon del Sil are on 14 km trail leading from Loureiro to the village of Parada do Sil. At the very edge of the canyon, 5km north of Parada do Sil, there is Santa Cristina monastery from 12th and 13th century.

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Veľká Fatra National Park is also an important reservoir of fresh water thanks to high rainfalls and low evaporation in the area. The core of the range is built of granite which reaches the surface only in places, more common are various slates creating gently modelled ridges and summits of the so called Hôlna Fatra and limestone and dolomite rocks creating a rough and picturesque terrain of the so called Bralná Fatra. There are also many caves, but the only one open to the public is Harmanec Cave.

Various rocks and therefore various soils, diverse type of terrain with gentle upland meadows and pastures, sharp cliffs and deep valleys provide for extremely rich flora and fauna. All species of big Central European carnivores live abundantly there: brown bear, gray wolf and Eurasian lynx.

The area is popular for hikers and trekkers. The UNESCO World Heritage village of folk architecture reserve Vlkolínec lies nearby. The best starting points for hiking are the towns Martin, Ružomberok, Turčianske Teplice, ski resorts Donovaly, Malinné and Vlkolínec.

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