Book lovers, add these literary stops to your list …
According to research, a whopping 49 per cent of travellers are planning a trip inspired by a book this year. Trending are weekends in Athens where some scenes from Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of Homer’s epic The Odyssey was filmed. The Shila, a 1920s townhouse in cultured Kolonaki, comes recommended.
The new Wuthering Heights film, released on Valentine’s Day, has inspired a resurgence of interest in the Yorkshire Dales where I’d suggest staying in one of the characterful Wesleyan Cottages on the scenic Bolton Abbey estate.
Part book club, part cultural immersion, organised book retreats reflect this growing demand for literary-themed travel. For those who prefer the company of other bibliophiles, check Book Retreats online. Piquing my interest is a women only, three-night reading retreat at the elegant Villa de Nocfond in the Loire Valley in May. Wine tasting, yoga and meditation workshops are included, with plenty of sundappled nooks in which to curl up with a book.
Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These is one of the novels to be discussed during a March retreat at Casa Rosa Hotel in Olhão, Portugal. Guests can sunbathe or explore the island of Armona before coming together to discuss books over dinner.
American-based Page Break takes a different approach. Over a weekend retreat (in locations such as Joshua Tree and the Catskills) participants read one novel, discuss characters, take turns to read extracts aloud, and enjoy opulent suppers inspired by the narratives.
At the University Arms hotel in Cambridge, the extensive library was curated by posh booksellers Heywood Hill. At the “Stay for the Story: A Reading Retreat”, guests stay in suites named after Cambridge alumni, from Virginia Woolf to AA Milne, and receive a curated reading list compiled by the hotel’s Book Butler. Part of the revenue from these stays is donated to The Literacy Trust to support reading for pleasure.
THIS MONTH I’M …
BOOKING: Lunch with a view at Dion in Dublin.
CHECKING OUT: The new thermal suite at Bellinter House & Spa, Co Meath.
READING: Design Stories, Kit Kemp (Rizzoli).
We may earn a commission if you buy through affiliate links on our site.
