Red Star Sofia

Summary

Whatever happened to the massive five-pointed red star that for many years topped the communist party headquarters in Sofia? For years, it was hidden away in a cellar, but now it greets visitors to a new museum of socialist art in the Bulgarian capital.

hidden europe 35 / Snippet / By hidden europe

A new museum of socialist art is among the top tourist attractions in Sofia this autumn. The National Art Gallery is an established Bulgarian institution. Indeed, it occupies very grand premises in the former royal palace in the centre of Sofia. But in late September the gallery opened an annexe devoted to art of the period when Bulgaria was under communist rule: 1944 to 1989.

As member with online access, you can sign in to read the rest of this article online.

Editorial hidden europe 35
Editorial

By hidden europe

Welcome to hidden europe 35, an issue full of slow travel moments and northern flavours.

Read on
Ukraine's Bukovina region
Feature

By Laurence Mitchell

The Carpathian region of south-west Ukraine has fabulous beechwoods and rural lifestyles that tell of another world – one far removed from much of modern Europe. Laurence Mitchell introduces us to Chernivtsi and to villages in the hinterland of the town – places where echoes of the verse of poet Paul Celan still touch life today.

Read on
Steaming through the Harz Mountains
Feature

By Nicky Gardner

The Harz Mountains lie astride the erstwhile border between East Germany and West Germany. The forested hills of the Harz preside over the North European Plain. The eastern portion of the Harz benefits from a legacy of East Germany: a wonderful narrow-gauge railway system. This is slow travel at its best, as we explore the Harz Mountains in autumn.

Read on
Celebrating British buses
Feature

By Nicky Gardner

Buses are experiencing a happy renaissance in Britain. The advent of concessionary bus passes to senior citizens has tempted many diehard motorists onto the top deck. In a special two-part feature for hidden europe, we look at a new book that showcases fifty great bus journeys from across Britain.

Read on
In the days of prosperity
Feature

By Nicky Gardner

The River Narva marks one of Europe's more conspicuous frontiers: that between the European Union (and the Schengen area) to the west and the Russian Federation to the east. But cultures do not always respect borders and in a visit to Narva, on the Estonian bank of the river, we encounter a city that is very Russian in demeanour.

Read on
Shaping socialist history: Tampere
Heritage

By Nicky Gardner

Lenin's promise that Finland would be granted her independence after the Bolshevik Revolution was first made in Tampere. This Finnish city has a fine industrial and political heritage, as we discover when we visit a museum devoted to the life and work of Lenin.

Read on
Unforgiving stone
Landmarks

By Paul Hadfield

The poetry of Paul Hadfield has featured before in hidden europe. When he sent us a poem on the Whaligoe Steps in north-east Scotland, it set us thinking about some of the iconic stairways that we have encountered on our travels around Europe.

Read on
An Indian summer of passenger shipping
Ferryscan

By Nicky Gardner

We have been taking a look at some ferry timetables of yesteryear. Forty years ago, there were still regular ferry services from the Scottish port of Leith to Iceland. This, and many similar routes in north European waters, was a slow travel experience par excellence. We cast back to the days when ferries still ran to Svalbard and flit boats were still in use at many ports.

Read on
Botany in Paradise
Special spaces

By Iain Bamforth

Iain Bamforth, a first-time contributor to hidden europe, wanders through the fruit markets of his home town of Strasbourg and reflects on apples and apricots, persimmons and pomegranates. Join us on a botanical tourof Paradise.

Read on
Timing matters
Politics

By Nicky Gardner

Russia's decision this year to abandon seasonal changes of clocks has prompted much media comment. Belarus has followed Russia's example. Ukraine, after much prevarication, has opted to stick with alternating winter and summer time. In this short piece for hidden europe, we take a look at the politics and time.

Read on
Viking voyages: Eirik Raudes Land
Europe beyond Europe

By Nicky Gardner

For a brief period in the early 1930s, the Norwegian flag fluttered over two remote settlements in eastern Greenland: Myggbukta and Antarctichavn. This is the story of Eirik Raudes Land (Erik the Red Land), an upstart territory named in honour of one of the Viking World's most celebrated mediaeval scoundrels.

Read on
Red Star Sofia
Snippet

By hidden europe

Whatever happened to the massive five-pointed red star that for many years topped the communist party headquarters in Sofia? For years, it was hidden away in a cellar, but now it greets visitors to a new museum of socialist art in the Bulgarian capital.

Read on
Libyan links
Snippet

By hidden europe

We explore the prospects for new ferry services in the Mediterranean linking Europe with Libya.

Read on
Better prospects
Snippet

By hidden europe

During the 1960s and 70s, trains full of guest workers (or Gastarbeiter as the migrant workers were called in Germany) were a common site arriving in German cities. This autumn marks the fiftieth anniversary of the accord between Turkey and Germany that prompted on of the largest migrations of workers in recent European history.

Read on
The lunch that never was
Snippet

By hidden europe

We revisit a surreal moment at a tiny café tucked away in the forests of eastern Estonia.

Read on
Preview hidden europe 36
Preview

By hidden europe

A look ahead at hidden europe 36 which will be published on the Ides of March.

Read on

hidden europe 35

Red Star Sofia

Summary

Editorial

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Heritage

Landmarks

Ferryscan

Special spaces

Politics

Europe beyond Europe

Snippet

Snippet

Snippet

Snippet

Preview

More than just Calvin: the Geneva story

Between the Steppe and the Sea

Admiralty Handbooks: Baedekers with a Twist