Oktoberfest draws millions of visitors to Bavaria each year, but there's much more to this quirky German state.

A battle is raging on Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Denis, a shabby Paris street where hip bars are sprouting like mushrooms, and it's part of a wider war in the city pitching sleep-starved residents against nocturnal revellers.

The new season of Downton Abbey sees the Grantham sisters moving with the times.

While leaf-peeping in the Upper Engadine valley, Kate Simon welcomes the changing of the seasons.

From ballet on the beach to harvesting a hedgerow, a new company shows Kate Simon how to get the most from a UK holiday.

I'm hoping that cycling twice around Lake Bled in Slovenia will in some way offset the effects of eating one of the regional specialties - a custard slice that will absolutely never get a 'pick the tick' logo.

Cave landforms of Postojna, southern Slovenia. Photo / Jill Worrall

Brian Winer checks into the Castel Monastero in the Tuscan countryside near Sienabusy to reintegrate his mind, body and spirit.

Former NZ diplomat Warren Searell called Damascus home until the Arab spring made life far too dangerous. This is his story.

Much smaller than Mallorca and less noisy than Ibiza, low-key Menorca is the Balearic island that can easily slip under the holiday radar.

A two-and-a-half year expedition by the ship on which Sir Peter Blake was murdered continues his work under the oceans.

Gnocchi should be feather-light and smothered in a rich sauce, Peta McCartney discovers during a visit to a Venetian restaurant.

Travelling by train with a young family turns the journey into part of the holiday, as Mark Rowe has discovered.

Sports writer Dan Coyle tells Phil Taylor about his long battle to cut through the PR myths surrounding Lance Armstrong and organised doping in cycling.

Bollard bids farewell to his 'cool job.'

Jill Worrall is schooled in the etiquette of Guinness drinking as she absorbs the unparallelled atmosphere of Ireland's pubs.

French wine and food fuel a luxurious cruise down the Rhone, worked off by ambles through scenic towns, writes Pamela Wade.

This summer, life under the Tuscan sun lost some of its shine. There's nothing romantic for farmers watching the mercury rise up and over 40 degrees daily - for the sixth successive week.

In our second debate on the Electoral Commission's recommendations for MMP, Graeme Edgeler and Muriel Newman put the arguments for and against reducing the threshold. Join the debate and leave your comments at the end.