group of mature travellers conversing at a European market stall

Our Top 10 Gastronomic Experiences

Europe
Erin Bunn headshot

Erin Bunn

Originally from country Western Australia, Erin has a passion for all things travel. An advocate for taking the back-roads, exploring hidden treasures and igniting your curiosity, Erin's favourite question is "where to next?"

9th August 2019

Our Top 10 Gastronomic Experiences

Stories waiting to be unravelled. Secrets waiting to be revealed. Delicious flavours that tantalise your every taste bud. It’s time to embark on a voyage of gastronomic discovery with our one-of-a-kind culinary experiences. Here, we’ve selected some of our European favourites to share with you. Are you ready to discover your Europe?

#1 Truffle and risotto tasting experience in Tuscany

Italian Indulgence - 12 DAY

An intoxicating mix of imagination-firing landscapes, world-shaping cities and tantalising flavours, Italy is a land where unforgettable experiences lie around every corner. On our Italian Indulgence tour from Rome to Venice, we’ll join gastrotourists from around the world flocking to Italy’s beautiful Piedmont region – an area famous for its rich red wines, luxurious cuisine and the earthy delight of tartufi bianchi, or white truffles. Join us as we head out into the rolling hills of Alba to join a truffle hunt with a local farmer and his dog. And once our adventuring is over, we’ll savour our treasures atop a delicious risotto lunch. Buon apetito!

scoop of mushroom risotto with truffles

#2 Learn to cook Polish dumplings in Kraków

Explore Eastern Europe - 9 DAY

A land of ancient cities, time honoured culinary customs and ever-changing landscapes, Eastern Europe rewards those ready to explore. Visit historic Kraków aboard our 9 day Explore Eastern Europe journey and uncover the secrets of Polish cuisine in an interactive cooking class. The dish of the day is pierogi, Polish dumplings made from noodle flour dough and stuffed with a variety of sweet and savoury flavours. An understated comfort food, the pierogi has been savoured by Poles since the early 13th century. Depending on your preference, you can pick from meat and vegetables or sweet fruit to fill your creations. Later, we’ll savour the fruits of our labor at dinner and toast to a culinary masterclass to remember.

baker rolling out dough for polish dumplings

#3 Dine on fresh Atlantic oysters in Arcachon Bay

Jewels of South West France - 10 DAY

Take time to savour the finer things in life with a Back-Roads Touring trip through enchanting South West France. A region famous for its fresh oysters, exquisite wines and diverse scenery – your cultural and gastronomic curiosity will be ignited as you journey through this beautiful country. Soon after meeting our group in Bordeaux on day one, we’ll get our first taste of coastal cuisine in Atlantic Ocean-fringed Arcachon Bay. We’ll pay homage to Arcachon’s long-time oyster-harvesting history with a sample some of the local produce – paired with a glass of local wine from one of the port’s traditional cabins. French cuisine tastes better in France after all!

plate of freshly shucked oysters with lemon slices

#4 Discover Quinta Nova Port and Wine in the Douro Valley

Discover Portugal - 9 DAY

Relish a taste of the real Portugal on a tour through charming medieval villages, cobbled streets and dramatic valleys. On day six of our Discover Portugal journey, we’ll travel through the scenic, vineyard dotted landscapes to Pinhão – where we’ll take to the water for a leisurely ride in a rabelo boat before indulging in a wine tasting session steeped in history. We’ll sample some of the region’s finest wines at the luxurious Quinta Nova estate, overlooking 120 hectares of the tranquil Douro Valley. Here you’ll have the opportunity to compare the distinctive flavours of Douro and Port wines while unravelling a culturally-rich story over 250 years old.

vineyard covered hills leading to large river

#5 Traditional Christmas cooking class in Ostheim

A Traditional Alsace Christmas - 5 DAY

When it comes to quaint medieval villages, atmospheric Christmas markets and traditional cuisine, there’s nowhere quite like Alsace. On day two of our Christmas journey, we’ll set our sights on the quaint village of Ostheim – where we’ll roll up our sleeves for a traditional French Christmas cooking class. Using fresh seasonal produce, a local chef will show us how to recreate some delectable dishes – and when we’re done, we’ll have the chance to eat our creations for lunch. What better way to immerse yourself in the abundance of French Christmas cheer?

mature woman looking through a shop window at Christmas lights

#6 Private dinner and whisky pairing at Glengoyne distillery

Treasures of Scotland - 9 DAY

Enchanting lochs, haunting glens and soaring mountains: Scotland is home to many diverse treasures, fascinating stories and long-standing traditions. On day three of our Treasures of Scotland tour through the historic Borders and scenic Central Belt, we’ll spend the evening at postcard-perfect Glengoyne Distillery. Here, you’ll have the chance to tour this unique venue steeped in over 200 years of history, before settling in to a carefully constructed menu by head-chef Justin Maule and the Glengoyne Nosing Panel. Indulge in tantalising flavours paired with some of the best whiskeys ever released as you soak up the atmosphere overlooking the waterfall, loch and glen. Slàinte!

cascading waterfall over grey rocks with rolling hills in the background

#7 Learn to create the perfect Black Forest gâteau

A Journey through Germany - 8 DAY

Another unique culinary experience awaits as we follow the course of true love on a picturesque journey through Germany – where snow-capped Bavarian Alps provide a dramatic backdrop to half-timbered chalets and fairytale castles. On day six of our tour – at a charming cafe in the heart of the Black Forest region of Germany, we’ll discover the history behind on the country’s most famous confections: the Black Forest gâteau. This decadent dessert: Der Schwartzwald in German, is said to have found its origins from the mysterious and romantic German concept of forest-loneliness and, after an expert has shown us how to create one like a true local, we’ll have the chance to taste a sample or two.

cherry topped black forest gateau cake on a set table

#8 Fromagerie visit in the heart of the French Alps

Paris to Nice through Vineyards and Mountains - 9 DAY

Glasses glinting with bubbles and rich red wines; windows that open out onto soaring mountain ranges; charming villages and fields of flowers: journey from Paris to Nice through vineyards and mountains on a unique 9 day tour with Back-Roads Touring. On day six, we’ll check off a tour highlight in the postcard-perfect alpine town of Annecy. Here we’ll visit a historic fromagerie set amidst the spectacular scenery of the French Alps and meet a local cheese ripening expert – who’ll be happy to share the traditional processes behind his art with us. After touring the cheese cellars, we’ll have the chance to taste a sample or two of the creamy, full-bodied and fragrant variations of the region.

rounds of various french cheeses stacked on market stall bench

#9 Limoncello tasting in sleepy Minori

Enchanting Southern Italy - 7 DAY

What better place to sip on Limoncello than in an authentic Italian lemon grove? On day three of Back-Roads Touring's trip through Southern Italy we’ll spend the morning exploring grand local villas before moving on to a lemon grove for an afternoon with a zesty twist! Here, a local expert will reveal the secrets behind the famous tipple as you cast your eyes over your romantic surroundings and stroll past trees that are heavy with fruit. Then: we’ll dive into a tasting spread of limoncello, lemon salad and of course, lemon gelato.

home made lemonchello in small bottles on a store shelf

#10 Experience Rick Stein's Seafood restaurant

Corners of Cornwall - 7 DAY

Internationally renowned for serving the very freshest fish and shellfish, sampling local Cornish seafood doesn’t get much better than at Rick Stein’s flagship restaurant: The Seafood Restaurant. Originating from humble beginnings, The Seafood Restaurant has established a reputation for imaginative cooking, quality ingredients and a passion for food that can be tasted in every mouthful. On day two of Back-Roads Touring's Corners of Cornwall tour, we’ll have the opportunity to sample the classic seaside flavours on an included lunch sitting overlooking the quaint seaside village.

group of mature travellers clinking wine glasses over a table at Rick Stein's restaurant

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