Welcome to hidden europe! Join us on a journey that in this issue will lead from rural Russia to the Scottish Hebrides, from Poland to Piedmont, and from Lithuania to Albania. hidden europe evokes the spirit of Europe's diverse landscapes, conjures up a sense of place and probes the curiosities of our continent's diverse cultures.
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In this issue of hidden europe travel magazine, we visit Sicily and Albanian speaking villages, steeltowns in Europe, Europe's small states, long distance ferry services and the German border.
Picture above:
The hills of western Sicily (photo © hidden europe)
Summary
In this issue of hidden europe travel magazine, we visit Sicily and Albanian speaking villages, steeltowns in Europe, Europe's small states, long distance ferry services and the German border.
So where does hidden europe actually come from? From a garret in Reykjavík perhaps? Or a basement in Kiev? No, hidden europe is produced in the very middle of Europe just a stone's throw from the erstwhile border between West Berlin and the former German Democratic Republic (the DDR). We are more or less at the junction of two of Europe's truly great highways, the E30 and the E55. Well, not actually right at the junction but merely a few kilometres away.
we chase the scent of the Mafia in the hills of western Siciliy and visit Albanian speaking villages in the same region
When one time English poet laureate John Masefield extolled the lure of the ocean ("I must down to the seas again..."), he clearly didn't have Cunard's luxury Queen Elizabeth II ship or the same company's new super liner Queen Mary in mind.
The erstwhile steeltowns of Russia and eastern Europe may not seem obvious tourist destinations, but hidden europe takes a look at four such cities.
some curious business on the Polish-German border, and the tale of how Berlin's dirty washing gets laundered in a foreign land
territorial tiddlers: a look at the small nations that dot the map of Europe
hidden europe explores a little moment in cinematic history that led to a Hebridean island getting its first proper road
festival time in the Lithuanian capital: arts, music, fire sculptures and more
It is hard to tire of Prague, but there is more to Bohemia than the Czech capital; we map out four excursions beyond Prague's city limits
evoking the flavour of a hot summer afternoon in the Bohemian hills, hidden europe takes the slow train from Liberec to Decín
bed & breakfast with a difference in the Romanian city of Brasov
hidden europe argues that the European Union needs the Balkans just as much as the Balkans need the EU
EU expansion has presaged the enormous growth of budget air travel in Eastern Europe; we give an overview of key trends and identify some of the up and coming carriers that now serve this region
speciality beers and boutique cheeses: Poland's entrée into the Slow Food movement
a navigational dilemma in the Albanian capital Tirana
rail links to Kaliningrad
a travelling Orthodox church in Russia: religion on rails
cruising on an icebreaker to Franz Josef Land and the North Pole
mapping the special appeal that remote island communities have held for filmmakers: Whisky Galore!, Stromboli and more
great rail rip-off: how US travel agents make a tidy profit in selling European rail tickets
hidden europe tracks down some curious cases of European border crossings which are not open to all