hidden europe 1

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.

Editorial hidden europe 1

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.

Streetwise in the middle of Europe

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.

Sea fever

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.