Telgte, a small town in the flat and fertile German province of Westphalia, is visited by 150,000 people every year. This is 15 times the number of people who live there, a ratio of tourists per inhabitant similar to that of Amsterdam and Barcelona. But don’t be surprised if you have never heard of Telgte….
The French Riviera has been copied and imitated a lot over the years. Nowadays, nearly every coastal country in the world appears to have a “Riviera” of its own – including Albania, for crying out loud. But there is one ingredient in the recipe for the French Riviera’s lasting appeal which is particularly difficult to…
The Alps and the artistic avant-garde do not mix well. Alpine towns tend to be inward-looking and conservative – which is why free and creative spirits avoid or, if born there, flee them to escape to the next larger city as soon as they can. There are also free-spirited and open-minded Alpine towns, of course,…
There is no point beating about the bush: Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is not the most interesting of European city destinations. It is not even the most interesting city destination in Croatia (that honour goes to Dubrovnik). It is, however, a convenient entry point into the country (with good travel connections by land and…
I am not a great fan of books that list 100 Places To Visit Before You Die or some such. The whole concept is built on the false assumption that the urge to travel is driven by the same needs and motives in all of us. If you don’t believe me, just visit any holiday…
When Germany was rebuilt from the ruins of WWII, the city fathers of every German town made sure that at least a few streets would be restored to their pre-war appearance. This, I believe, was meant to reassure the citizens that not all ancient traditions, beliefs and cultural foundations would be swept away with the…
After the downfall of the Third Reich, Germany was rebuilt from the ruins of war in a hurry, and, more often than not, it shows. Throughout the 1950s, as Germany was clearing up the WWII rubble and slowly finding its feet again, the priority for politicians and urban planners was to build what was urgently…
Gathering tourism experiences has been the Easy Hikers’ primary occupation for these past 10 or 15 years, so you may trust me when I say that popular destinations generally have more in common than we would ideally wish them to. Seaside walks and beach promenades resemble each other to the point where they seem virtually…
Israel is a small country, smaller than the state of New Jersey and roughly half the size of the Netherlands. Due to its long and narrow shape, however, the distances from one place to another can be surprisingly long. There is, for example, room enough in Israel for a 1-hour domestic flight from Tel Aviv…
Milan is the economic powerhouse of Italy but also the country’s least charming city. Fortunately for visitors, however, Milan is also surrounded by places which – all within an hour or so by rail – represent the best that Italy can offer. For scenic beauty, few parts of the country can rival Lake Como and…
