- The Italia expedition -

A short flight east

Summary

airship Italia heading east from Kings Bay

Date of event: Friday, 11 May 1928 / By hidden europe

Airship Italia heading east from Kings Bay

Although the North Pole was Nobile’s main goal, he and his team were also keen to make a foray eastward from Spitsbergen across what was, at the time, still largely uncharted territory. On 11 May, the Italia took off from Kings Bay, heading east towards Nordaustlandet and Franz-Josef Land. But just three hours out from Kings Bay, the airship ran into bad weather, and Nobile decided to play safe and return to Kings Bay.

hidden europe 20: Hidden histories (1)

Polar quest: the 1928 Nobile expedition

by Nicky Gardner

In Design

It was eighty years ago this spring that Umberto Nobile embarked on the airship Italia. His destination? The North Pole! Read about an expedition that was to prompt the biggest rescue effort in the history of polar exploration.full article available in pdf format

Read now →

Blog post: 25 May 2025 (1)

At the harbour wall: port cities and the ties that bind

In Design

Port cities often have a very special feel. Hamburg, Genoa, Liverpool and Bergen have much in common by virtue of their connection to the sea. Berlin writer Paul Scraton explores the quaysides of the Norwegian port of Bergen and reflects on the cultural, economic and social ties which enliven port cities across Europe.

Read now →

hidden europe 35: Europe beyond Europe (1)

Viking voyages: Eirik Raudes Land

by Nicky Gardner

In Design

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 now →