easy hiking trails in Europe
If you are familiar with the landscapes of north-western Italy, you will know that many towns along the Riviera coast are “twinned“ with an older village in the mountains. The reason for this is that coastal settlements were deemed unsafe during the long period between antiquity and the restoration of order under effective governments sometime…
This week, we are bringing you more lush Mediterranean Dreams from the French Riviera Garden Festival: having visited the western section of the Festival des Jardins de la Cote d’Azur last week, today we present the remaining six gardens in Nice and Menton as well as all the other news from the festival. Flamboyant theatrical…
Two years ago, the French Riviera Garden Festival premiered to considerable national and international acclaim. Over five weeks in the spring, 500,000 visitors attended the 5 exhibition sites, and a press corps of 150 journalists from more than 30 countries generated content (nearly 250 articles and radio / TV programmes) with an “advertising value of…
Germany’s northwesterly region between Bielefeld and Gütersloh is one of the country’s economic powerhouses. The names of the region’s towns and cities may mean little to you, but you are probably familiar with some of the brands and products that come from here. The kitchens and white goods of Miele, frozen pizzas and baking goods…
Street art works best as a visual counterpoint. It needs something it can aggressively challenge, an urban environment that provides some bite into which it can sink its sharp teeth. This is why street art looks best either in organically grown streets of historic buildings or in an architectural setting of geometrically austere glass-and-steel constructions….
Walks that prominently feature the attractions of a town or city fall into one of two categories. Either they are walks that are great in their own right but perhaps a trifle short (“while you are there, you might as well have a look at the town”). And there are walks that help you to…
Six weeks ago, we finished our walk down the most celebrated stretch of the French Riviera in the place where the Promenade des Anglais, while continuing down the Bay of Nice, becomes the Quai des Etats Unis. “To the casual observer,” I finished the post, “this is a mere change of name: a barely perceptible…
If you are travelling to hike in the Calanques National Park, there is a good chance that you will sooner or later pass through Marseille. Marseille is France’s oldest and second largest city, with a history that includes the Holy Grail and Jesus Christ’s love child (according to the “Da Vinci Code”, at least), La…
If you have the time to spend an entire weekend exploring the Calanques National Park near the southern French port city of Marseilles, we recommend you take the Three Calanques Hike that we described last week. This is without a doubt one of the most glorious and rewarding walks anywhere on the coast of the…
A few months ago, I was mulling over a Guide-Michelin-type of system for hikes and the criteria that such a system might apply to distinguish between one-star, two-star and three-star trails. At the time, I was exploring the idea of finding beauty and joy in (relatively) routine experiences. But the truth of the matter is…
