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Explore the beautiful Alps

Regions around the world don’t come much more scenic and serene than the Alps, Europe’s extensive mountain range system stretching around 1,200km across the alpine countries of France, Monaco, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. A journey to the Alps could last days, weeks or months, so build an itinerary that suits your members and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

Highlights of the Alps include staying in the castletopped old town of Annecy in France and riding Europe’s highest open-air railway to the rocky ridge of the Gornergrat where you’ll gaze in wonder at the Matterhorn in Switzerland. While in the Austrian Alps, take a cable car to the summit of Nordkette or channel the life of Mozart in Salzburg. Elsewhere, take any opportunity or vantage point to admire Mont Blanc, the region’s highest peak located along the French-Italian border and reaching into Switzerland.

1. The yellow scallop is an iconic symbol of the Camino de Santiago

2. The city of Salzburg, in Austria, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born

3. Tulips bloom as crowds gather by the windmill in Keukenhof Garden

4. The Gornergrat Bahn is a cogwheel railway that takes you to 3,100m above sea level in Switzerland

Club members can spend the rest of their time exploring tunnels surrounded by natural glaciers, dining on delectable Alpine food like hearty Bavarian bratwurst with potatoes, and shopping (or window shopping) for Swiss chocolate, authentic nutcrackers, traditional lederhosen and more.

Walk the Camino de Santiago, Spain

It’s time to follow in the footsteps of millions of pilgrims. Europe’s greatest cultural trail awaits your Club on the Camino de Santiago, an inspirational pilgrimage to the historical and spiritual city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, north-west Spain. Travelling by foot across the varied yet not overly challenging terrain of rural Spain – surrounded by gorgeous countryside and scattered with rustic villages – this memorable journey will immerse you in the region’s grand history, fill you with fine Spanish food including tapas, and surprise you with an unmatched spirit of camaraderie.

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The best known Camino de Santiago route, the French Way, spans almost 800km. It can take over 40 days to walk the full Camino, but don’t worry, your group doesn’t have to make such an epic commitment to reap the personal rewards of your very own pilgrimage. An eightday tour starting in Sarria, for example, lets you complete the final 100k of the Way of St James, and you will each still receive your ‘Compostela’ – the official certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims. On a longer selfguided tour you can walk the best sections of the Camino while hopping on trains to visit other cities as you go (caminodesantiago.gal).

Go to the Keukenhof flower festival, Amsterdam

Every autumn in Amsterdam, the fascinating capital of the Netherlands, 500 or more flower growers and bulb purveyors plant over seven million flower bulbs by hand. The bulbs then flower in spring for an amazing annual festival called Keukenhof, drawing crowds from all over Europe and beyond. During the special eight-week period between March and May, Flower Gardens: Keukenhof Park becomes the world’s most beautiful spring garden and a unique attraction your tour will not want to miss.

Wander the paths exploring 32 hectares of colourful flowerbeds in full bloom – some showcasing simple elegance, others crafted into creative and dramatic designs. Admire the outstanding selection of spring flowers including the Dutch national flower, the tulip – introduced to Dutch merchants at the beginning of the 17th century – alongside hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses, freesias, gerberas and many more. Some wonderful displays and spectacular flower shows can also be found in the indoor pavilions.

Spring also happens to be one of the best times to experience Amsterdam as the whole city awakens and the parks and canals begin to burst with greenery. In early April, more than 500,000 tulips can be seen in the gardens of museums, private homes and city landmarks for the Tulip Festival (tulipfestivalamsterdam.com/keukenhof). ■

AT A GLANCE

The Alps

→ Annecy, France → Gornergrat Railway,

Switzerland → Nordkette, Austria → Salzburg, Austria → Mont Blanc

Camino de Santiago, Spain

caminodesantiago.gal

Keukenhof Flower Festival, Amsterdam

tulipfestival amsterdam.com/ keukenhof