The Journey: spring 23

Many of our hostels still bear green plaques outlining YHA's charitable objectives. They include the following words: “The buildings are diverse in character, but they have a common purpose: To help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater...

Brighton is one of Britain’s most thrilling cities. In May, the city is host to the Brighton Festival, a world-renowned arts festival, this year curated by musician and broadcaster Nabihah Iqbal. There’s a vibrant music scene (The Great Escape Festival is also in...

Daniel Neilson enjoys a walk around Borrowdale learning about its most interesting ex-resident, the cave-dwelling Millican Dalton. In September 1913, Millican Dalton, an ‘expert mountaineer and camper’, advertised a taste of ‘real adventures and experiences’ in a...

YHA’s Festival of Walking is back for another year this autumn, with guided walks for all abilities across the country. But you don’t need to wait until September to join in. YHA has made public a collection of more than 100 self-guided walks, complete with...

Mya-Rose Craig, otherwise known as Birdgirl, is a British-Bangladeshi birder, environmentalist and diversity activist. She is the founder of Black2Nature, a charity dedicated to introducing young children to the natural world, and is currently studying at Cambridge...

Whether you’re here for the music, the museums, the nightlife or the sport, Manchester is always on the go. Here we look at some of its newest cultural offerings. Manchester has an inordinate number of things to shout about. Two titanic football teams; a music...

The Stone Age began almost three million years ago and finished around 4,000 years ago. In that time, all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures roamed the planet, including the three beasts here.Woolly mammothWith its shaggy coat, huge head and twisty tusks, the...

The weather is warmer, the nights are lighter, the trees are blooming— what’s not to love about spring? In honour of this season’s arrival, here are six blooming facts about spring… Spring officially begins in the middle of March. We call the first day the spring...

Some animals are experts at concealing themselves. Prey animals use their camouflage to stay hidden, while predators use camouflage to sneak around unseen. Here are three creatures that use camouflage from around the natural world...Sea turtle This sea turtle might...

If the BBC’s stunning recent series Wild Isles showed us anything — other than the fact Sir David Attenborough remains a monumental force for good — it was that we don’t have to travel far to find wildlife thrills. Even within our towns and cities, we’re rarely far...

Whether it’s overlooking the sea, the fells of the Lake District, the rolling South Downs or an ancient monument, many of the hostels in our network are blessed with beautiful views. We’ve picked out nine hostels that will get you reaching for your camera-phone or...

Gravel biking is one of the newest and fastest-growing two-wheeled activities. Here’s all you need to know about getting into the sport and finding the routes for you. Admittedly, the term ‘gravel biking’ doesn’t have the allure of ‘mountain biking’. Why would you...

At the risk of stating the obvious, a midlayer sits on top of a base layer and, yes, under a waterproof or insulated jacket. Midlayers are designed to be versatile, by letting in some ventialtion when used as an outer layer, but trapping air and keeping you...