Situated close to the seafront in the heart of Falmouth, one of Cornwall’s most historic towns is Gyllyngdune Gardens. Now restored to its former glory as part of a £2.4m project with the aim of recreating the way it looked to visitors in Victorian and Edwardian times.

Set out by the Rev Coope and his family in 1838 the gardens were created in a quarry from which stone had been taken to build the Coope’s family estate. It was a Victorian fashion of the day to add the quirky features that the gardens are now known for; the Monolitic arch that site incongruously perched on a rise, the quarry tunnel used to enter the garden from the sea front, the shell seats and shell encrusted grotto. It’s believed that the daughters of Rev Coope decorated the shell features themselves.

The ownership of the land and gardens changed hands until the town council in Falmouth bought it in 1903 to preserve the now popular attraction. In 1911 what is know known as the Princess Pavilion was built and opened by Princess Alexandra of Teck.

With a concert hall, a covered veranda and a bandstand in the gardens it became the ideal for promenading and enjoying outdoor entertainment. Indeed, today throughout the summer events are regularly held and make a visit to the Gyllyngdune Gardens to enjoy art, music, learn or just to relax.

The process of restoration is all but complete and the restocking of the flower beds with plants and shrubs means that the 2012 will see a completely rejuvenated attraction and something that you must see on a visit to this part of Cornwall.

UrlaubCornwall visited a perfect holiday hotel that is a hidden gem located in Marazion close to Penzance on the south west tip of Cornwall. A unique atmosphere greets you as you enter, with the faint scent of incense that hints at the blend of Eastern culture and Western comfort that characterises what the Mount Haven offers.

The theme of East meets West continues with décor, modern and chic, which makes use of exotic treasures; tapestries from Jaipur, caskets from Bhutan and figurines from Nepal, Bali and India are displayed throughout the public areas. Care and attention to detail has created a haven from the bustle of modern living; a contemporary feel, but informal and relaxing.

Overlooking St Michaels Mount, one of Cornwall most famous landmarks; this spectacular view is shared by most of the bedrooms, the lounge and terrace a perfect backdrop to a holiday in Cornwall. The Mount Haven is conveniently located to explore Cornwall many attractions: its famous gardens, beaches and popular tourist sites with the Minack Theatre and Land’s End only a short distance away.

Bedrooms are all beautifully furnished with sumptuous fabrics, exotic art, luxury mattresses, en-suite bathrooms with complimentary hand-made organic toiletries, flat-screen TVs and fresh flowers.

The hotel restaurant showcases the best local produce, using only seafood landed on the nearby harbour of Newlyn and meat from a farm in St Just on the Peninsula. Enjoy an aperitif on the terrace watching the sun set over St Michaels Mount before your meal in the beautifully appointed dining room. A perfect Cornish Wild Bass with caramelised fennel, asparagus and Noilly Prat beurre blanc is one of the many options on a seasonally changing menu.

Discover why the Mount Haven was recently voted of the top 9 secret hotels in the world.

Finding the best accommodation for your holiday in Cornwall takes some planning, whether you’re looking for a hotel, self catering house/flat or bed and breakfast UrlaubCornwall can help you find the best and most suitable. We offer the largest selection of top quality properties in Cornwall with 700 houses, cottages and flats throughout Cornwall and South West England and more than 250 have sea views. For couples or larger groups of family and friends we have properties to meet your needs.

Our hotels from around Cornwall are carefully select to offer the perfect choice for all budgets. Perfect for family holidays we have hotels with large family rooms and suites that offer flexibility and comfort; many close to Cornwall famous beaches with spectacular views.

UrlaubCornwall gives the information and advice that only comes from living and working in this beautiful part of Southern England. On our blog we share the inside knowledge and tips on where to stay in Cornwall with exclusive insights, interviews with local chefs and detailed profiles of the best as well as the best value for money places to stay and things to do.

Beckham, Ballack and some of the world’s most famous footballers decided to come on holiday to Cornwall to experience the world’s smallest football league on the Isles of Scilly.

The Cornish islands came to a standstill as these international stars came to help train the island’s handful of players.

The Isles of Scilly only have enough players for 2 teams, but that doesn’t stop them from playing a full season against each other.

The Garrison Gunners and The Woolpack Wanderers play every week on the islands’ only football pitch.

During their visit, Michael Ballack and Patrick Vieira took the younger players onto the Scillies’ beaches to teach them some of their skills.

Their trip was filmed by Adidas as part of their ‘Dream Big’ series.  Adidas were travelling around the world to give their big names the chance to help the smallest football communities.

German Translation

Cornwall has always been famous for its coastline and is England’s favourite holiday destination, but today it is becoming equally well known for it restaurants and food. It’s no surprise that Jamie Oliver chose it to locate one of his world famous Fifteen restaurants in Cornwall, in a stunning location over looking the spectacular Watergate Bay. It offers great Italian food while making use of the seasonal produce found locally.

The chef that many associate with Cornwall is Rick Stein who started his Seafood Restaurant in Padstow in the 1980’s and now has expanded to a number of others in the town and recently opened a new restaurant in Falmouth (you can read our exclusive interview with it’s Head Chef Paul Ripley here ….link). Rick Stein TV series are very popular as he travels to other countries to explore their cuisine, then featuring those recipes he finds in his restaurant menus.

But now we have a new wave of chefs building great reputations in Cornwall, they are well known in Cornwall, throughout Britain and internationally. Nathan Outlaw, at the St Enodoc Hotel on the North Coast of Cornwall, has two Michelin stars which makes it one of the most highly rated restaurants in Great Britain.

Chefs that are being talked about as the next stars of Cornish cuisine include Paul Ainsworth of Number 6 also in Padstow and Jude Kereama from Kota in Porthleven offering some of the most imaginative food being offered in the South West.

German Translation

Cornwall has all that you could wish for in for a holiday in Great Britain, whether a family holiday on the beach, a walking holiday on the stunning south west coast path or a couple on a romantic getaway.

Bed and breakfast or Cornwall B&B accommodation offers a great alternative to a full service hotel with a number of advantages. Cornwall has the highest proportion of 4 and 5 star B&Bs in any county in Southern England, places offering top quality rooms and service with that extra personal touch that you will only find in a family run business. You’ll be welcomed to their house, often with a cup of tea and biscuits or even some home made cakes.

Friendly advice on the best that the local area has to offer will be invaluable in getting the most from your holiday in Cornwall or Urlaub in Cornwall as the many German visitors to Cornwall would say. You’ll hear about the best local pubs or maybe the new restaurant that doesn’t feature in the guide books. Also other activities like walks or little known beaches that you would otherwise not get to see.

In recent years bed and breakfasts have become a real alternative to hotels as new owners come to the business bringing new ideas and higher standards. Living and working in Cornwall is seen as a lifestyle choice by new B&B owners who want to challenge what has been offered before. You can still find traditional places, but you can now choose from contemporary, modern and even luxury boutique accommodation.

UrlaubCornwall has carefully selected only the best bed and breakfasts in the locations that you have to visit on you holiday or tour of Cornwall. Find the perfect B&B on our interactive map of Cornwall

What is the most popular destination for Germans travelling to the UK? You may be surprised to know that Cornwall is their holiday of choice or as the Germans say Urlaub in Cornwall.

Some of the reasons are obvious Germany as doesn’t have a lot of coastline relative to its size and population. Cornwall has some of Britain’s most beautiful beaches and coves and a history and mythology that fascinates. The Atlantic rollers make it the surfing capital of Europe, with Fistral Beach at Newquay being among the most famous.

One of the less well known reasons is the German obsession with a relatively minor authors called Rosamunde Pilcher whose novels including her most famous The Shell Seekers. Her books have been serialised for TV and are screened constantly on a Sunday evening. They have a major following and there Cornish locations create a huge demand to visit the towns, gardens, country house and beaches that feature so prominently.

Germans take the tour of Cornwall or Reisen as they would say visiting all the sites from the Lost Gardens of Heligan, to the historic port of Falmouth, Lizard Point, Lands End and along the North Coast to Newquay and Padstow.

They love to stay in bed and breakfast accommodation as they appreciate the homely qualities and family run nature of these businesses.

This German love affair is set to continue as more of her books are filmed this year.

UrlaubCornwall have nearly 200 holiday house or apartments with sea views across Cornwall or Ferienhäuser und Ferienwohnungen in Cornwall as the German say, Great Britain’s most popular holiday destination for 2012

We can offer the most extensive collection of holiday houses or apartments in all the locations you could want in Cornwall. Bojowan at Praa Sands on Cornwall’s south coast is a fantastic holiday house for a family of up to 10 people and 2 cots. With breathtakingly beautiful panoramic views across Praa Sands and Mount’s Bay, Bojowan is a stunning contemporary home with almost every room overlooking the sea.

It overlooks the sea, is beautifully decorated and fully equipped for a memorable family holiday by the Cornish Coast. Close to Penzance and the fishing village of Newlyn meaning there are many restaurants specialising in local seafood nearby.

The fabulous glass-fronted sitting-room has a wood-burner and an enormous wall-mounted television, and in the striking kitchen/dining-room the table by the window makes the most of the glorious scenery.

UrlaubCornwall can exclusively offer over 550 holiday house and flats throughout Cornwall so what ever you chosen location, accommodation requirements or budget we will have the perfect place to enjoy your dream holiday in Cornwall in 2012.

Hotel accommodation in Cornwall has changed a lot in recent years as hotels try and attract discerning guests who don’t just want to book a room for the night, but want to experience some of the Cornish lifestyle. Rooms are light and airy with a feeling of comfortable luxury. Excellent service from hotel staff that’s relaxed, but attentive. Restaurants and cuisine in Cornwall now have a world wide reputation and our hotels pride themselves in offering the best from the land and sea. The freshest fish and shellfish found around the Cornish coast are used widely on their menus.

So what is Cornish style? Cornwall is famous for it’s relaxed pace of life where people have time to stop and talk, the Cornish have an appreciation of the beautiful landscape and coastline that the Cornish are privileged to enjoy. Many of our selection of hotels try to bring the feeling of relaxed seaside living right in to your hotel room with touches that are reminiscent of the beach and seaside towns around its rugged North Coast or more tranquil South Coast.

Find our why Cornwall is the most popular holiday destination in Southern England and see why visitors come back again and again. Urlaub Cornwall offers advice, tips and recommendations for hotels, restaurants, self catering house and apartments, bed and breakfasts, as well as attractions. We are based in Cornwall so we can give you the information in our blog that doesn’t get in to most guidebooks.

German Translation

An interview by UrlaubCorwall the best guide to holidays in Cornwall or Urlaub In Cornwall as the German say.

Paul Ripley took over Rick Stein’s Seafood Bar in Falmouth last year bringing them back together again after 10 years. Paul was previously head chef in the world famous seafood restaurant in Padstow, leaving in 2000 to run his own restaurant where he became one of only a few chefs to achieve a Michelin star in his first year.

image © davidgriffen.co.uk

UrlaubCornwall: When did you first start working with Rick Stein?

Paul Ripley: In 1988 I was given his (Rick Stein) first book as a Christmas present and I read it from start to finish in about 2 days. I thoroughly enjoyed it and then I saw he had placed an advert in a catering magazine. So I thought I’d apply, and after two interviews I got the job. I came down from London to Cornwall to become Rick’s number two in the kitchen. Obviously as his programmes took off, so he became less and less involved in the kitchen and promoted me to head chef.

UrlaubCornwall: What is special about the new Seafood Bar?

Paul Ripley: The original Champagne and Oyster Bar was expanded adding grills, a fryer and other equipment to enable us to put a number of new dishes in the bar. Not just oysters and shellfish, they are still on the menu but we are doing a few more things up here now. Not even just fish, we’re doing a couple of meat dishes as well now. It’s going really well.

UrlaubCornwall: What style of food do you serve up here?

Paul Ripley: We feature dishes from Rick’s new book about Spain. And the dishes from that have proved really popular. We’ve got a tapas theme going on, where people try a lot of smaller dishes. It’s an intimate atmosphere and sitting at the bar you’re almost in the kitchen watching the food being prepared for you.

UrlaubCornwall: What’s your favourite dish on the current menu?

Paul Ripley: I like the scallop dish, which has become our signature dish. It’s with Guindillo peppers and chillies, tomato and Serrano ham. The scallops are put under the grill with a few breadcrumbs.

image © davidgriffen.co.uk

UrlaubCornwall: How much local produce features in your menus?

Paul Ripley: Rick prides himself on using as much local, sustainable English produce as possible. It’s the best in the country we think. Cornwall’s got some of the best ingredients, best produce and now some of the best restaurant in the country as well.

Cornwall is in the running to be officially named as the top county in England for food. We find out in the next couple weeks if we’ve won it would be great for the chefs down here.

UrlaubCornwall: You must be able to get some of the freshest fish in the country in Falmouth?

Paul Ripley: Yes, we pride ourselves on using the freshest fish. Even the chip shop uses all the freshest stuff. It may be a couple of quid more than ones down the road, but if you could see the fish coming in the morning you’d see that it’s definitely worth paying a little bit more for.

UrlaubCornwall: The chip shop seems very popular, how is it going?

Paul Ripley: Downstairs is ticking over really nicely. Rick’s been pleasantly surprised how it’s been going since we opened in the restaurant in Cornwall Falmouth. Rick just wanted to be part of the up and coming food scene there is in Falmouth, hence why he chose it for his restaurant.

UrlaubCornwall: Thanks for your time Paul and good luck with the Spanish menu.

German Translation