Local Lexicon

A Mallorcan country estate on rural land that combines guest rooms with some farming activity.

A cold soup of almonds, garlic, bread and olive oil, closely associated with Málaga.

Norway’s right to roam, allowing access to uncultivated land on foot, with rules on respect and distance.

The Swedish right of public access to walk, swim and pick berries on uncultivated land.

The Portuguese registration for holiday lets; its number should appear in every listing.

A former arm of the Danube in Vienna, now a calm lake used for swimming and boating.

The one fixed plan for a half day, such as a museum or market, around which everything else is arranged.

The Roman name for Bath, meaning the waters of Sulis, a local goddess linked with Minerva.

A group of islands; Stockholm’s stretches far out into the Baltic Sea.

A German sauna infusion ritual: water is poured on the stones and the heat is fanned with a towel.

An automatic email response telling senders when you will be back and who to contact meanwhile.

A painted, glazed ceramic tile, used across Portugal on façades, church walls and staircases.

The Swedish word for sauna.

German for treetop walk, a raised wooden walkway through the crowns of the forest.

Lisbon’s word for a short black espresso, usually drunk at the counter.

A public scheme of rental bikes, booked through an app and returned at stations or in marked zones.

A UNESCO designated region where nature conservation and everyday life, farming and forestry are combined.

Heavy curtains or blinds that keep out daylight and street light.

The boys’ choir of the Lluc sanctuary, founded in 1531 and named after its blue cassocks.

Portuguese pavement of small limestone and basalt cubes, laid by hand in patterns.

Spain’s suburban rail network; in Málaga, line C1 links the airport with the city centre.

A one-off charge added to many holiday flat bookings, whatever the number of nights.

A covered walkway lined with columns; in Czech spa towns, colonnades shelter the springs and the daily stroll.

A night train compartment with simple bunks, usually shared by four or six travellers.

A room facing an inner courtyard rather than the street, usually the quieter choice.

A period of time spent deliberately without smartphones, computers and other screens.

An area where phones, tablets and laptops are put away.

The total travel time from your home to your accommodation, including all transfers and waiting.

Strong coffee served in a glass under a thick layer of whipped cream, named after a one-horse carriage.

Mallorca’s light, coiled pastry dusted with icing sugar, eaten for breakfast or with afternoon coffee.

Traditional boathouses at the water’s edge where Mallorcan fishermen keep their boats.

Sardines threaded onto canes and grilled over embers, traditionally in old fishing boats filled with sand on Málaga’s beaches.

Lisbon’s traditional song, often melancholy and accompanied by guitars, recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

A Swedish coffee break with something sweet, shared with others at work or at home. The word is both a noun and a verb.

A rural estate or farmhouse in Spain, in Mallorca often built of stone around a courtyard.

The lighter sleep many people notice on their first night in an unfamiliar place.

A bread roll filled with herring, mackerel or other fish, the classic Hamburg snack.

A flat, buttery cinnamon pastry and a favourite in Hamburg’s bakeries.

Norwegian for open-air living, the idea of spending free time outdoors in nature.

Stockholm’s old town, on its own island beside the Royal Palace, with medieval lanes and the square Stortorget.

A field blend of several grape varieties grown, harvested and pressed together, typical of Vienna.

The guest card logo in the Bavarian Forest region that lets overnight guests use local buses and trains.

Hamburg’s harbour birthday, a large festival on the Elbe held each year in early May.

A broad family of slower, posture based yoga styles, often the gentle basis of retreat classes.

The long, straight chestnut avenue through Vienna’s Prater park.

A Viennese wine tavern where winemakers serve their own wine with simple food from a buffet.

Japanese cypress, a fragrant conifer that forms the tall stands of the Akasawa forest.

Hamburg’s public transport network, covering U-Bahn, S-Bahn, buses and harbour ferries with one ticket system.

A Danish word for a cosy, contented mood, often with candles, warm drinks and good company.

Norwegian cabin in the mountains, the forest or by the sea, used in summer and winter.

Swedish for cold bathing, often enjoyed between sauna rounds.

The Swedish cinnamon bun, usually topped with pearl sugar and celebrated each year on 4 October.

The core zone of a national park, where nature is left to develop with as little human influence as possible.

A small coded safe by the door that holds the keys for self check-in.

German for a monastery stay for a limited period, sharing the community’s rhythm of prayer, work and quiet.

Water traditions named after the 19th century priest Sebastian Kneipp, such as wading through cool water in a shallow basin.

The traditional Central European spa stay, built around springs, rest, walks and a regular daily rhythm.

The grand central building of a spa town, with halls for concerts, balls and gatherings.

A town officially recognised as a spa or climatic resort, typically with a spa park and promenades.

A small local visitor’s tax paid by overnight guests, usually in exchange for a guest card.

“The one armed lady”, the nickname of Málaga cathedral, whose south tower was never completed.

The historic landing stages in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district, where many harbour ferries and boat trips depart.

A service for storing bags for a few hours, offered at many stations and by many hotels.

The Finnish word for the steam that rises when water is thrown onto the hot sauna stones.

A service that moves your bags from one place to stay to the next while you walk.

Small pots of basil given as tokens of affection during Lisbon’s June festivities.

Mallorcan word for the farming terraces held up by dry stone walls across the Tramuntana.

A half portion of a dish, between a small tapa and a full ración for sharing.

Programmes that combine spa comforts with consultations by doctors or other qualified professionals.

A Viennese coffee with steamed milk and a cap of milk foam, often called the city’s signature coffee.

A weekday lunchtime set menu with a starter, main course and dessert or coffee, usually with bread and a drink.

A late afternoon snack, often around six, that bridges the gap between lunch and a late dinner.

The weeks around midsummer when the sun stays above the horizon around the clock.

Sweden’s great summer celebration, held on the Friday between 19 and 25 June.

The shortest booking a property accepts, often longer at weekends and in high season.

A public viewpoint, often a terrace or small garden with benches, overlooking the city and the river.

Finnish summer cottage, usually by a lake and almost always with its own sauna.

Affectionate name for the small dark statue of the Virgin venerated at the sanctuary of Lluc.

The last Muslim dynasty of al-Andalus, which ruled from Granada until 1492.

“Let nature be nature”, the guiding motto of the Bavarian Forest National Park.

A group of sights close enough together to explore on foot within one half day.

A retreat practice of refraining from conversation, sometimes also from reading and writing.

Maps downloaded in advance to a device so they work without a mobile connection.

Hamburg’s larger Alster lake, circled by a flat path for walking and running.

Bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil, the island’s everyday lunch.

A state-run Spanish hotel, often in a castle, monastery or palace; the first opened in 1928.

The early evening stroll, a social ritual in Spanish cities, in Palma often along the seafront or the Passeig del Born.

The custard tarts made at the historic bakery in Belém since 1837; elsewhere the pastry is known as pastel de nata.

Andalusian fried fish: small pieces of fish lightly floured and fried, eaten at tapas bars and beach restaurants.

A choice of pillows offered by a hotel, varying in filling, height and firmness.

A Portuguese hotel in the same spirit as the parador, often in a historic building; the first opened in 1942.

A German walking trail certified by the German Hiking Institute for the quality of the walking experience.

A mountain hostel on the GR 221 with dormitory beds and meals, run by the island council.

The bay of Lake Mälaren between Gamla Stan, Södermalm and Kungsholmen, seen from Monteliusvägen.

The grand boulevard around Vienna’s old town, built where the city walls once stood.

Mallorca’s “cloth of tongues”, an ikat fabric whose yarn is dyed before weaving to create flame-like patterns.

A Lofoten fisherman’s cabin built partly on stilts above the water; the plural is rorbuer.

Fishermen’s cabins in Lofoten built partly on stilts above the water, now often rented to visitors.

Catalan name of the GR 221, the Dry Stone Route across the Serra de Tramuntana.

Swedish for market hall, a covered building where traders sell fresh food from permanent stalls.

A discounted ticket available in limited numbers, usually tied to a specific train or flight.

A wind blowing from the sea towards land, usually building in the afternoon as the land warms.

A walking holiday without a guide, with route notes and rooms booked in advance.

Japanese for forest bathing, a bath in the atmosphere of the forest; the term dates from 1982.

The months between high and low season, usually spring and autumn, with mild weather and fewer visitors.

The early afternoon break when many shops in smaller Spanish towns close.

The Swedish word for archipelago, used above all for the islands east of Stockholm.

A small, low rocky island, typical of the outer archipelago facing the open Baltic.

Arctic cod that migrate from the Barents Sea to the waters around Lofoten to spawn in late winter.

Travel planned mainly around rest and good nights rather than sightseeing.

A night train compartment with proper beds and bedding, for one to three travellers.

A soft cured pork sausage from Mallorca, coloured with paprika and spread on bread.

The unhurried time spent talking at the table after a meal, over coffee or a small drink.

The area south of Folkungagatan on Södermalm, known for small design shops, vintage stores and cafés.

Hamburg’s historic warehouse district, built between 1885 and 1927 on islands in the Elbe.

One section of a long distance trail, usually walkable in a day and ending somewhere you can sleep.

Unsalted cod dried in the open air on wooden racks, a Lofoten speciality.

Swedish word for a cottage or cabin, often a red-painted summer house in the countryside.

A prehistoric stone tower typical of Mallorca and Menorca, which gives its name to the talaiotic culture.

A bathing or sauna area where swimwear is not worn, common in German-speaking countries.

Water that rises naturally warm from underground springs.

An entry ticket valid for a specific time slot, common at popular museums and palaces.

A gorge in Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains that meets the sea at the cove of Sa Calobra.

The sum of all uphill sections on a route, measured in metres.

A charge per person per night that many cities and regions collect on top of the room price.

The north wind in Catalan, which gives its name to Mallorca’s northwestern mountain range.

The stair quarter of Blankenese, a hillside of narrow lanes with close to 5,000 steps.

A pump room or drinking hall where spring water was traditionally served to spa guests.

The large, ornate processional floats carried through the streets by bearers during Semana Santa in Málaga.

A bundle of fresh birch twigs used in the Finnish sauna, called vasta in eastern Finland.

A flowing yoga style in which movements are linked with the breath in continuous sequences.

The German word for forest bathing, widely used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Literally “forest railway”, the regional train network serving the Bavarian Forest.

Water treading: walking slowly through cool water in a shallow basin, a classic Kneipp ritual.

The company that runs the main public boat services across the Stockholm archipelago.

The long road along the Wien River in Vienna, beside which the Naschmarkt stretches.