Getaways

Fasten your seatbelts, forget the winter weather and let the new season of Getaways transport you to some great holiday destinations. Holly Hamilton and JJ Chalmers join the Getaways team and kick off the series in Menorca. JJ is a former Royal Marines commando and Invictus Games medallist, while Holly is a sports reporter who appears regularly on BBC Breakfast’s red sofa. They begin with those all-important beaches. They splash out at a waterpark, take in the views from an extraordinary cliff-face bar, check out the capital, Mahon, go lobster fishing, visit the white-washed village of Binibeca, see the famous Menorcan horses in action, admire the architecture of Ciutadella, and there is even time for kayaking and snorkelling.

Joe Lindsay and Jennifer Reoch explore Philadelphia in the USA, where they recreate Rocky's famous run up the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the boxing movie, visit the Liberty Bell, one of the most important symbols of American independence, and the Magic Gardens, where rubbish is turned into art. Joe also spends time at the jail that once held mobster Al Capone. In the short break, actor Atta Yaqub explores the best of Perthshire, including Scone Palace, the original home of the Stone of Destiny.

Holly Hamilton and JJ Chalmers test out a dual-centre city break in the Czech Republic. They kick off in the capital, Prague, before heading to Brno, the country’s second city. Following viewer recommendations, they visit many of Prague’s tourist favourites, including the Astronomical Clock with its hourly procession of Apostles, the historic Powder Tower and the iconic Charles Bridge. They take a river tour to get a different perspective on the city, before heading to the Castle to take in the changing of the guard. In the Castle complex they admire one of Prague’s most impressive buildings, St Vitus Cathedral, where kings and queens were crowned and where Saint Wenceslas is buried. In a city full of impressive architecture, the Dancing House, reminiscent of Fred and Ginger, has become a modern classic and inspires some nifty moves from JJ and Holly. They then jump in a classic car, to take a vintage red taxi tour of the city. JJ pays homage to The Beatles at the Lennon Wall, Holly visits a TV tower that was voted one of the world’s ugliest buildings, and finds an art gallery with its very own airship. In the smaller and quieter city of Brno, three hours from Prague, JJ discovers Europe’s second largest ossuary, where 50,000 skeletons are stored in a medieval charnel. Holly calls in at the Villa Tugendhat, created by the legendary Mies Van Der Rohe in the 1920s and still inspiring architects and designers today. JJ accesses a once highly classified nuclear bunker that is prepared for chemical and nuclear attack, but in the meantime functions as a hostel. And in this week’s short getaway, actor Kristian Nairn, Game of Thrones' Hodor, takes giant footsteps around a royal residence, Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland’s County Down.

Jennifer Reoch and Joe Lindsay head to the Kvarner Gulf in northern Croatia. First stop is the country’s original holiday resort, Opatija, famous for its villas, spas and gardens. A fashionable destination in the 19th century, it has been called 'the grande dame' of Croatian tourism, and it once attracted royalty, aristocrats and celebrities. Jennifer visits the beautiful Villa Angiolina which sparked Opatija’s popularity and attracted the A-list crowd of the day, including Austrian queen Maria Anna, wife of emperor Ferdinand I. The Hotel Kvarner was Opatija’s first hotel and catered for the influx of wealthy European visitors, including playwright Anton Chekhov and dancer Isadora Duncan. The town developed a reputation as a wellness holiday centre and that health tourism tradition continues today, prompting Jennifer to try a treatment at one of the town’s spas. A half-hour drive from Opatija is Rijeka, designated as the 2020 European Capital of Culture. Here, Jennifer and Joe’s discoveries include a secret military tunnel under the town, a torpedo factory, a Titanic connection, a yacht that once belonged to Tito, and a museum that specialises in old-school style computing. Joe takes in the impressive views of the town from Trsat Castle, while Jennifer admires the town’s magical theatre with ceiling paintings by Gustav Klimt. They take a day trip to the nearby island of Krk where they come across a sparkling wine with an unusual provenance – it is placed in chests, lowered 30 meters into the sea, and left to ferment underwater for months. And in this week’s Short Getaway, Kirsty Wark introduces her holiday favourite, the Isle of Arran on Scotland’s west coast, where Brodick Castle is the first call on her itinerary.

Holly Hamilton and JJ Chalmers report from the Greek island of Crete, known for its beaches and ancient history. And Diona Doherty visits Center Parcs in Longford, Ireland.

Jennifer Reoch and Joe Lindsay report from the southern Spanish city of Seville. Jennifer first visits the Real Alcazar, one of the city’s most impressive buildings, where she discovers a collection of palaces and gardens in exquisite Moorish and Renaissance styles. Joe and Jennifer visit the cathedral, another architectural masterpiece in the city centre, and also the burial place of Christopher Columbus, as well as being home to a stuffed crocodile! Next is a cyclo tour around the Maria Luisa Park, where the main attraction is the striking Plaza de Espana, built to show off the city’s many talents in building, design and craftsmanship. And they take in more palatial wonders at the Casa de Pilatos, another Andalucian palace, which has around 150 different styles of azulejo (Spanish glazed tiles) - one of the largest collections in the world. Jennifer views the city from on high from the Metropol Parasol, also known as Las Setas, or 'the mushrooms', because of its resemblance to giant fungi. It is claimed to be the largest wooden structure in the world. They then visit Triana, a neighbourhood famous for flamenco, and call into the Christena Heeren Foundation flamenco academy. Here, traditional dance, song and guitar playing are studied by aficionados who come from around the world to master the art. They see a performance that brings all these skills together in true Andalusian style. Next up is a river tour on the Guadalquiver River, followed by a visit to the Macarena neighbourhood with its original city walls, tapas with some locals and an Arab bath, before ending up in a huge bathtub filled with red wine! And in this week’s Short Getaway, Jean Johansson explores the fishing villages of East Fife.