Beyond the Guidebook: Depth & Discovery

Belmond Barges

Immersion over Momentum: slow travel through France’s waterways

Belmond is a master of slow, luxury travel, from iconic European sleeper trains to the fabulous Andean Explorer, connecting Cusco to Lake Titicaca, but Belmond’s French barges are slightly more under the radar. There are faster ways than a barge to travel through France, of course, but few feel quite as connected to the country as navigating quiet canals, as countryside tableaux pass by. Travelling by Belmond Barge is naturally slow: trading TGV trains and busy city streets with idyllic towpaths, winding canals, and impulsive stops along vineyard-stitched banks and fairytale châteaux.

Life onboard Les Bateaux Belmond Marguerite

The newest addition to the fleet is Les Bateaux Belmond Marguerite. Marguerite feels inherently private, with chic interiors drawing on classic French design: fine fabrics, polished wood and curated antiques, paired with generous outdoor decks — including a pool — designed for leisurely lunches and relaxed evenings on the water. The onboard team are your connection to the destination, able to make reservations at top restaurants and help with on-land itineraries as you travel. There are four cabins with a capacity of up to eight passengers, and itineraries are available on routes such as Pontailler and St Léger, and Lyon and Auxonne.

Lanserhof Sylt

Longevity and preventative health set against the Wadden Sea

A beautiful location between the dunes and windswept beaches of Sylt’s western coast, Lanserhof Sylt is a striking contemporary interpretation of traditional Frisian architecture, with glass, wood and open space allowing the structure to coexist with, rather than dominate the landscape. The 68 rooms at Lanserhof Sylt are intentionally reduced with an uncluttered, minimalist aesthetic designed to promote rest and recovery: all sharp lines, angled timber roofs, geometric glass, and private balconies framing Wadden panoramas. The physical environment supports the resort’s wider focus on wellbeing too, with materials carefully selected and rigorously tested to meet strict ecological and health standards.

The Health Journey at Lanserhof Sylt

Lanserhof Sylt’s medical-led approach to longevity begins with in-depth diagnostics forming the basis of a tailored programme that may include fasting protocols, movement therapy, detox treatments and targeted medical consultations for everything from men’s and women’s health to neurological sleep resets. Days typically move between treatments and rest: infrared therapies, cryotherapy and bespoke facials, alongside time in the saltwater pools and invigorating hikes along the windswept coastline. And nutrition is central, with meals designed around the medically supervised Lanserhof fasting cure.

Orient Express La Dolce Vita

A grand tour of Italy by train

Train travel, when done well, is arguably the finest way to experience classic luxury travel. As landscapes undulate and blur through the window, the countryside evolves: mountains to the Mediterranean, village to town, coast to city. There are several routes, but 360’s Travel Designers recommend the Grand Tour: a five-day round-trip from Rome via the emerald-hued canals of Venice, the ancient carved caves of Matera, the mountain-framed coast of Taormina, and Palermo, the Sicilian capital with its captivating blend of Byzantine and Baroque architecture.

Aboard the Orient Express La Dolce Vita Luxury Train

La Dolce Vita reimagines the elegance of the Orient Express through a La Dolce Vita lens. Indeed, this train is unmistakably Italian, its design incorporating mid-century Italian glamour (La Dolce Vita’s defining era) with ornate compartments ornamented by metallics and gleaming woods. The bar car is chic in jewel tones, as excellent a venue for a glass of Italian wine accompanied by the passing scenery as it is for sharing stories with fellow travellers, while the restaurant car serves dishes by three-Michelin-starred Heinz Beck. As for cabins, there are beamed ceilings, custom cabinets and ottoman coffee tables, and the suites are finished in brass and terracotta, with wide view-framing windows.