5 Places to take your breathe away
There are few natural wonders as striking — or as accessible — as looking up to see the skies decked with thousands of stars. From time immemorial, humankind has used them to do everything from navigate to worship, but with urban light pollution and increasingly crowded cities, seeing starry skies in all their glory is getting tougher.
These five spots around the globe, from the Swiss Alps to New Zealand, all let you gaze upwards in true wonder and channel your inner astronomer as we remind ourselves of our planet's place in the truly awe-inspiring universe.
Linthwaite House, Cumbria, UK
The English Lake District sits in the county of Cumbria in the country's northwest, an enchanting mix of valleys, mountains, lakes, and national parks that has inspired writers, artists, and other visitors for centuries. Overlooking Lake Windermere, England's largest lake, is Linthwaite House, a country house hotel set in 14 acres of gardens and grounds.
Exceptional views over the storied landscape are impressive enough during the day and at sunset, but it’s worth staying up — and possibly wrapping up — to catch the starry skies at night. The crisp air and some of the darkest skies in the country make for jaw-dropping viewing. You can even combine your evening with stars of another sort — the Michelin kind — at the hotel’s renowned restaurant Henrock, led by Simon Rogan.
COMO Castello Del Nero, Tuscany, Italy
Another European location renowned for its stunning landscapes and verdant beauty is Tuscany, Italy’s famed home of Chianti wines, rolling hills, olive groves, and vineyards. A combination of low population density and
distance from cities makes for ideal stargazing conditions.
Around 30 minutes’ drive from both Florence and Siena sits COMO Castello Del Nero, Tuscany, a 740-acre estate around a castle dating from the 12th century. The magnificent and romantic surroundings come into their own in the evening, with 360-degree views to the horizon truly letting you immerse yourself in the stars. Their numerous rooftop vantage points and terraces are ideal, though another option nearby is the Chianti Observatory, which plays host to special stargazing nights through the summer with English-speaking astronomers.
Dark Sky Reserve, New Zealand
Ask people to name a word associated with New Zealand and chances are that “pure” or “nature” will feature. It’s no surprise, then, that the Antipodean nation boasts not only some of the finest stargazing spots on the planet, but also a vast area dedicated as a Dark Sky Reserve. Back in 2012, 1,660 square miles of the South Island’s Mackenzie Region were declared the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, one of only eight such designations around the world — and the only one in the southern hemisphere.
Strictly controlled light pollution mean that breathtaking sights include the Southern Cross, the Magellanic Clouds and the Milky Way. At the heart of the reserve sits the country's astronomical research center, the Mount John Observatory. You can also find other options to discover the skies, such as stargazing tours.
Burgenstock Resort, Switzerland
Since 1873, one of Switzerland's most storied luxury properties has welcomed guests to a mountain ridge some 1,500 feet above Lake Lucerne. Burgenstock Resort features no fewer than four hotels, all of which boast views over the lake and Swiss Alps that truly stop visitors in their tracks.
Multiple viewpoint options include from the expansive terrace of the Palace Hotel, or the terrace outside their Spices Kitchen restaurant, but the grand scale of the resort means that there are countless spots to look up in wonder. By far the coolest way to reach the resort is via the Hammetschwand Lift, the highest outdoor elevator in Europe. Once you get there, the Milky Way, planets in our solar system, and a stunning patchwork of stars are all laid out above you.
Soneva Jani, Maldives
It’s not hugely surprising that an atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean makes for ideal conditions for stargazing into the immensity of the heavens above. But what often surprises stargazers is the scope of what can be seen, thanks both to The Maldives’ position near the equator and the sustainable luxury resort Soneva Jani’s state-of-the-art telescope that rises through the floor of the resort’s observatory deck.
Maavin Faure, the young and knowledgeable resident astronomer, is on hand to take guests on a journey around the galaxy, pointing out the intricacies and wonders of the night sky. As he says, “The Maldives is a remarkable place for stargazers because of minimum light pollution and being able to see both the northern and southern hemispheres of the heavens.” Then, when guests are back in their villas, they can watch the stars once again from bed, thanks to retractable roofs in the expansive villas.
