Slow holiday specialist Inntravel continues to seek out the lesser-taken route with a bumper collection of new self-guided European holidays for spring, summer and autumn 2017, whether on foot, on two wheels, or by rail or car.

Introduced this spring to its Walking and more programme are two new adventures in France, a route through Germany's Berchtesgadener Land, and a discovery of the verdant landscapes of Wessex along the Hardy Way. Also introduced, in Italy's remote south-west Piedmont, is what Inntravel considers to be some of the finest Alpine walking they have ever offered.  There are four new journeys within its SlowMotion collection, from an epicurean exploration of Italy's Emilia Romagna region to a rail tour of the country's most splendid cities, and self-drive tours of both colourful Catalonia and the dramatic fjords of Norway. Those who prefer to explore on two wheels are bound to enjoy Inntravel's new Cycling and more holidays, including an effervescent new break cycling through Catalonia's 'Cava Country' and a route between Italy's cultural cities of Mantova and Verona.

Combining relaxed activity and unspoiled landscapes, Inntravel's three programmes, all for individuals rather than groups, offer over 180 tempting holidays across Europe, from the snow-capped Alps to the island-peppered coastlines of Croatia, and from Spain's sleepy sierras to the heather-clad moors and historic market towns of England. The new breaks each bear the familiar hallmarks of an Inntravel holiday: hand-picked hotels and guesthouses, detailed maps, well-crafted route notes, and luggage transfers and bike hire where appropriate.

NEW TO CYCLING AND MORE

Catalonia's 'Cava Country': With its rich red soil, long hours of sunshine and rolling vineyards, Penedès, less than an hour's drive south-west of Barcelona, is one of Europe's most diverse and exciting wine regions. On this week-long two-wheeled adventure guests will visit not only the world-famous wineries such as Condoníu and Freixenet, but also the tiny family-run wineries where bottles are still painstakingly turned by hand. The holiday ends in Sant Sandurní d'Anoia, the 'Capital of Cava', where the very first bottle of Cava was produced using the traditional method 145 years ago.

Price: From £795 including 6 nights' half board accommodation, and bike hire and accessories. Electric bikes also available. Available 1 April to 31 October. Grade 1-2.

Mantova to Verona: Pootle along designated bike paths and country roads between these two great art cities, following the Minicio River Valley, via Lake Garda, on an itinerary unique to Inntravel. Leave the medieval city of Mantova, a Renaissance gem and UNESCO World Heritage site, and arrive by bike six days later in Verona – a city set in a beautiful sweep of the River Adige, with its handsome Piazza Bra and Roman arena. Highlights en route will include Sigurtà, an extensive country park renowned for its extraordinary variety of flowering trees and Peschiera, a bustling town with impressive Venetian fortifications on the shores of Lake Garda.

Price: From £748 including 6 nights' B&B accommodation and bike hire and accessories. Electric bikes also available. Available 8 April to 30 June and 1 September to 31 October. Grade 1-2.

NEW TO WALKING AND MORE

The Hardy Way: Walk along Britain's first literature-themed long-distance path, the backdrop to many of Thomas Hardy's tales and the epitome of rural England. Inntravel has worked with Margaret Marande, author of The Hardy Way – A 19th-century Pilgrimage, to create this holiday by selecting the highlights of her 220-mile curated walk through Hardy's verdant Wessex landscapes. Spend the night at the Inn in Cranborne where Hardy once stayed, follow in Tess of the d'Ubervilles' footsteps to Win Green, and visit Shaftesbury – or Shaston as Hardy called it in Jude the Obscure. Walk between villages with duck ponds and thatched cottages and through idyllic chalk downs landscapes, while staying in charming inns of great character.

Price: from £598 including 6 nights' B&B accommodation, 1 dinner and 2 picnics. Grade 1-2. Available 1 April to 31 October.

Where Eagles Soar: Walk from one hotel to another in Germany's stunning Berchtesgadener Land (almost entirely surrounded by neighbouring Austria) which takes in part of the new 230kms-long SalzAlpenSteig footpath. Historically fascinating, Berchtesgaden is renowned for its salt production (putting the 'salt' into Salzburg) and for the Eagle's Nest – the Alpine headquarters of the Third Reich. Strong Bavarian traditions and towns with historical roots characterise Berchtesgadener Land and, with eight lofty peaks of the Watzmann Mountains within the small area, nature here is spectacular.

Price: from £1,070 including 7 nights' half board accommodation and 1 picnic. Grade 2-3. Available 3 June to 1 October.

Valle Maira: “The best alpine walking of your life, or your money back,” jokes Inntravel's man in the Alps, Eric Kendall. With its pristine mountain scenery and delicious Italian food, this enchanting fold of the Cottian Alps offers a forgotten valley close to the French border in south-west Piedmont – so cut off that the locals still speak Occitan. Stroll highlights of the Percorsi Occitane, a network of ancient paths, across lavender-clad hillsides and past atmospheric relics from World War II, and stay at a former school that has been converted into alpine accommodation. Also, not to be missed is the tiny village of Elva where, from the mid-1800s for a century, they harvested human hair for the wigs of actresses and English lords, leaving a museum dedicated to this unusual way of improving their livelihood.

Price: from £995 including 8 nights' half board accommodation and 6 picnics. Grade 3. Available 20 May to 8 October.

Contrasts of Corsica: This new walking holiday discovers three very different sides of the island, from the villages of Cap Corse with their slate houses to the vibrant coastal towns of Saint-Florent and Calvi, and the unspoilt mountain hamlet of Olmi Cappalla. Take a boat to one of the island's most beautiful and remote beaches on the edge of the Agriates Desert which, at 40kms, is the longest protected stretch of wilderness coastline in Europe, and enjoy escorted scenic private transfers between hotels, stopping at vineyards for wine tasting en route. Accommodation ranges from smart beachside hotels with Michelin-starred restaurants to authentic guesthouses showcasing rural mountain life.

Price: from £1,395 including 7 nights' B&B accommodation, 3 dinners and 3 picnics. Grade 1-2. Available 1 May to 15 July and 20 August to 31 October.

Along the Côte d'Azur: Irresistibly seductive, the French Riviera is a byword for glitz and glamour. But look beyond the gloss and there is a quality of light and understated beauty that feels like stepping straight into an Impressionist painting. Along the quiet side of the Riviera, this is one of Inntravel's easiest hotel-to-hotel walking routes which combines coastal strolls, town trails and cultural visits, with two 4-star sea-front hotels. Amble from Menton, the jewel of the Riviera, past Villa Rothschild, with its elegant gardens and fine art collection, to pretty Villefranche-sur-Mer. Explore Monaco and Cap Ferrat and opt to walk on to Italianate Nice.

Price: from £698 including 6 nights' B&B accommodation. Grade 1. Available 1 March to 15 July and 1 September to 12 November.

NEW SLOWMOTION JOURNEYS

An Italian Food Adventure: Discover the heart and soul of gastronomic Italy on this self-drive discovery of Emilia Romagna – one of the country's lesser-known pockets, at least to visitors, but home to some of its finest foods. The three splendid cities of Bologna, Parma and Modena alone could deliver enough top-quality eating experiences to last a lifetime, whether prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan cheese or balsamic vinegar. Along the way visitors: can test drive a Ferrari in the hills around Maranello; stay at a sumptuous rural wine estate in extensive vineyards among the Forli Hills; walk along ancient mule trails to the incredible 'table rock' of Pietra di Bismantova; and call in at the Tricolore Museum in Reggio Emilia, the birthplace of the Italian flag.

Price: from £965 including 9 nights' B&B accommodation, 3 dinners and car hire. Available 1 April to 6 August and 26 August to 31 October.

A Grand Tour of Italy: Put yourself in the shoes of a 'Grand Tourist' from the 18th-century and journey to Italian cities of intrigue and splendour. Made by fast and efficient rail, this two-week tour takes in Italy's most splendid cities, with exposure to the astonishing cultural legacy that only cities such as Turin, Verona, Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome can provide. The detailed notes included by Inntravel in their self-guided walking tours are the 'bear-leader' – the equivalent of the tutor or scholarly guide from the grand tours of yesteryear – and allow the cities' untold riches to slowly reveal themselves.

Price: from £1,895 including 14 nights' B&B accommodation, rail travel between cities and walking tours. Available 1 April to 31 October.

Homage to Catalonia: This cultural self-drive discovery showcases the stunning landscapes, coastal towns and exquisite hill-top medieval villages of eastern Catalonia, alongside its art, wine and top gastronomy. Visit the three museums of the 'Dalí Triangle' (the Dalí Castle in Pubol, the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres and Dalí's former house at Port Lligat), spend a day with a local expert in Penedès, known as 'Cava Country', learning about the subtleties of Cava production and discover the unique volcanic cuisine of the Garrotxa region.

Price: from £1,290 including 12 nights' B&B accommodation, 5 dinners and car hire. Available 1 April to 31 October.

Norway: Best of the Fjords: The ultimate Norwegian road trip through humbling scenery offers up beauty on a grand scale: magnificent fjords, wild moorland and remote mountains. Highlights include: walking on the largest icecap in mainland Europe, Jostedal Glacier; a stay in Norway's oldest hotel, the fjord-side Walaker Hotel, which has been in the same family for nine generations (dating back to 1690); and a ferry journey to Ålesund, a colourful town bursting with Art Nouveau, set in an unbelievable coastal location.

Price: from £2,595 including 14 nights' B&B accommodation, 9 dinners and car hire. Available 1 June to 23 September. 

Across the Roof of Europe: There is no shortage of astonishing views on this rail journey from the north face of the Eiger to the Swiss-Italian border, be they of sparkling lakes, implausibly tall waterfalls, or villages beneath glacier-encrusted peaks. The best is saved for last: the vistas of the Matterhorn's unmistakable crooked peak.  En route enjoy the awe-inspiring journeys up the Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat railways.

Price: from £2,170 including 14 nights' half board at 5 hotels and rail travel. Available 11 June to 8 October.

Prices are per person based on two sharing and include detailed route maps and notes, and luggage transfers between hotels where appropriate.  Flights are extra.

More information from Inntravel (inntravel.co.uk, 01653 617000)

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