Lake District Experience

Arriving in the Lake District you will immediately understand a new meaning of the word “romantic”, a powerful and deep feeling conveyed by lakes, forests and endless stretches of green. It is a feeling that enters into your heart and spreads across your body, as if you felt the breath of this ancient land and you became part of it.

Located in the north west of England, in the Cambria region, the Lake District is composed of 16 lakes and a large national park. Literature has made the Lake District area a very popular cultural destination. This is the region that inspired William Wordsworth and other romantic poets. His poem 1804 “The Daffodils” beginning with “I wandered lonely as a cloud” is the quintessential Lake District poem. Wordsworth lived here for a long time and his Dove Cottage in Grasmere is still perfectly preserved and open to the public.

The Lake District is the land painted by John Constable, who was enchanted by the rugged mountains around him and the way their atmosphere changed in unsettled weather. Even the writer Beatrix Potter lived there for a long time making this the setting for her famous children’s stories. Her works celebrate life and nature in the English countryside through the adventures of anthropomorphized animals as in the “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”.

You can choose to spend your vacation on the Windermere Lake in a cottage built in the typical local “blue stone” and set amidst woods and meadows. Another interesting village to discover is Ambleside. Its Victorian-style houses and the tranquility you can breathe there make it the perfect starting point to explore the region.

Even with the clouds and the wind the lake landscapes are a real balm for heart and soul. The endless nuances of green mirrored on the wavy surface of the water, while at sunset the sky becomes a palette of warm red and pinks colors. The Lake District is place where you can stay sitting for hours admiring its magical scenery and leave your mind to restful wander. A vacation in the Lake District will allow you to take a real break and immerse yourself in a completely different reality than your usual one, and which perfectly matches your needs for relaxation and leisure. After soaking up your romantic experience so intensely here, bring this feeling back with you to brighten your everyday life.

Welsh Castles Experience

Wales is a lush green corner of the UK, about the size of Tuscany, which should be discovered and loved through its culture and nature, but mainly through its castles because of their uniqueness.

Wales has a wonderful network of castles and it is the richest European region in manors. There are about 645, nearly all built during the Middle Ages, some raised on Celtic foundations, others upon Roman ruins. This spectacular system was built to protect the coast from Irish pirates and the Saxons. After the coronation of King Edward I in the 13th century, they were used for imposing the English occupation.

The Welsh castles were beloved for their dark atmosphere and magical colors by the English Romantic painters, most notably William Turner, who portrayed them at the end of the 18th and the early 19th centuries. The majestic Harlech Castle dates back to 1289. It awaits visitors with its two massive turreted gates. Nicknamed the “castle of lost causes” because of it being conquered numerous times, it is often referenced in Welsh poems and songs. Harlech is the southernmost fortress which belong to the so-called “Iron Ring”: the other ones are the Beaumaris Castle, the Castle of Caernarfon and Conwy Castle, all considered UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1986. The small town of Conwy, encircled by 13th century walls that still entirely walkable, is dominated by the castle with its eight towers.

Access to the island of Anglesey is granted via the Beaumaris Castle, one of the best-preserved concentric castles in the UK. Located directly in front of this island, you will find the castle of Caernarfon, home to the coronation of the Prince of Wales and unique in it being the only Edwardian castle not built in the Edwardian Style. Its architecture, towers and walls made of alternating bands of different colored stone are a reconstruction of one of the most well-known Roman Empire monuments, even at that time: the Walls of Constantinople.

Caerphilly Castle is the second largest fortress in the UK after Windsor Castle. Among its towers hovers the specter of the “Green Lady”, a woman killed for love, who today conceals herself from the gaze of visitors by transforming herself into ivy, the plant that wraps the ruined walls of the castle like a cloak.

Wales offers wonderful castles and historic houses to stay for a candlelight vacation. Many old properties have been transformed into boutique hotels. The Ruthin Castle in North Wales offers canopy beds and warm fireplaces for a romantic evening for couples. A true romantic retreat is Gwydir Castle in the area of Conwy, one of the most beautiful Tudor style residences of Wales. In the castle complex of Portmeirion it is even possible to organize your wedding or celebrate a sweet anniversary.

Wandering through the green Welsh landscapes, you cannot resist the lure of the castles. The same turreted fortifications will draw your attention from their walls. Wales is one of the best places to find refuge in nature. You will experience its most intimate aspect, the coziest one, for a true romantic getaway!

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