10 of the best novels set in Germany – that will take you there

The ‘ignominy of division and joy of reunification’ are only part of the journey when exploring Germany through its fiction• More in this series: Russia | Greece | France | SpainGermany, land of Dichter und Denker (poets and thinkers), has produced some of the world’s finest literature, though its literary scene didn’t really get going until the 18th...

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Video of drunken Brits maskless in Magaluf appals Spaniards

Tourists flouting rules on face coverings and social distancing prompt fears of second wave Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSpaniards fear that the sacrifices made during the coronavirus lockdown will be in vain after tourists from overseas flouted regulations about wearing masks and social distancing.As footage of drunken...

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Send a tip on outdoor theatres and cinemas in Europe to win a £200 holiday voucher

Outdoors is probably the best – perhaps the only – way to watch a play or film this summer. Share your favourite for the chance to win a great prize from Canopy & StarsWith the arts struggling to adapt to the post-lockdown world more than many other sectors, a great way to get a culture fix this summer is at an outdoor cinema or theatre.So this...

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10 of the UK's best nature reserves on reclaimed land

A former coal mine, railway and salt works are among the sites reclaimed by nature and now flourishing with wildlifeThis is a wetland nature reserve on the site of a former salt works in the Tees valley, where the skyline is still dominated by heavy industry. Usually, 65,000 people visit the reserve each year, hoping to spot otters, harvest mice and...

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10 of the UK's best rural summer holidays for families

From pop-up campsites and bunkhouses with plenty of activities to stylish houses in the woods, we round up great places to stay that still have summer availabilityArchitecturally striking but homely, these two modern lodges sit side-by-side in a peaceful private woodland valley close to the market town of Richmond. Each sleeps up to four people (from...

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A Big Fat Sky – around the east coast of the UK – photo essay

Photographer Max Miechowski explores the scenes and details of the communities of the British east coastA Big Fat Sky is a body of work exploring the shifting landscapes and unsung communities of the British east coast. Through contrasting images of beach scenes, resort details and industrial silhouettes, the work documents the subtle complexities of...

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Croatia this summer: three areas to visit without the crowds

The country will be quieter this summer, particularly the beautiful south. We pick areas for lovers of seaside, mountains and wildlifeEarly on in the pandemic, Croatia imposed a tough lockdown and closed its borders. The country reopened to visitors in May, but even now numbers are barely a third of what they would normally be at this time of year....

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‘With Edinburgh empty, we’re seeing our city through tourists’ eyes’

Novelist Ian Rankin and other locals walk Edinburgh’s locked-down, tourist-free streets, and discover parts of the city they never knew existedEdinburgh, of all British cities, is the most theatrical: the Cowgate arch; the march of crow-step gables up the Grassmarket; the great rake of the Royal Mile. All the city’s a stage, and all the men and women...

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'I want to dance with joy': a beach cabin escape on Kent's Isle of Sheppey

The newly minted pleasure of a getaway in a cosy cabin on a deserted beach is just the tonic after lockdownPlus six more remote English cabinsJet skis are fizzing under the Sheppey Crossing as I drive through the two arches that mark the entrance to the island. It is not the most obvious place to bring my mum for our first post-lockdown break. The Isle...

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England's lidos can open on Saturday – but swimmers can't dive in just yet

Many outdoor pools won’t be ready this weekend and some may not open at all this summer, despite the change in government advice Culture secretary Oliver Dowden’s announcement on 9 July that lidos can reopen from Saturday 11 July had outdoor swimmers across the UK digging out their towels and togs at the prospect of being able to return to the water....

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