Ireland's coasts

Summary

We are quietly in awe of how the editors and publishers ever managed to bring The Coastal Atlas of Ireland to print. This is a magnificent volume, one that draws on geography, geology and cultural studies to present an encyclopaedic account of Ireland’s coastline.

hidden europe 69 / Snippet / By hidden europe

It’s not like us to miss a trick when it comes to new books on islands. We somehow overlooked the publication in late 2021 of The Coastal Atlas of Ireland . That omission was happily remedied when we received this magnificent book as a gift last Christmas. In the foreword to the multi-authored volume, it is noted that “Ireland is the quintessential island.” That certainly made us pause for thought, because we often forget that Ireland is an island. Walk through the centre of Dublin and you find all the creative energy of a great European mainland city.

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Editorial hidden europe 69
Editorial

By hidden europe

In this 69th issue of hidden europe we look, possibly more than in any preceding issue, to our coastlines and inshore waters for inspiration. We visit islands off Croatian and Scottish coasts, take boat trips through Greek and Norwegian waters, stand at the point where the Skagerrak meets the Kattegat and explore Germany's Wadden Sea.

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At the water's edge: Germany's Wadden Sea
Feature

By Paul Scraton

Within just a few centuries, the geography of the Frisian region has been reshaped by storms and tides. Paul Scraton is a regular writer for hidden europe; here he explores Germany’s Wadden Sea coastline. It’s a tale that shows the power of the sea.

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Return to Eriskay: A Hebridean community
Feature

By Nicky Gardner

Living on a small island demands a willingness to make compromises. Yet islands still have a special appeal. We make time for one of our favourite islands. Nothing much ever happens on Eriskay, and to be honest there’s not really much to see. But this outpost in the Outer Hebrides has a very special magic.

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An invitation to adventure: 150 years of Cook's Continental
Feature

By Nicky Gardner

Successive editions of the European Rail Timetable, first published by Thomas Cook & Son in March 1873, document a changing Europe. We review the illustrious history of a book that still deserves a place in the traveller’s armamentarium.

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Bulgarian riverlands: Politics and history on the Danube
Feature

By Darmon Richter

The Danube irrigates Bulgarian crops and provides Bulgarian fishermen their catch. Guest contributor Darmon Richter takes time out in the riverside town of Silistra to reflect on Bulgaria’s complex relationship with the Danube.

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Greek island hopping: Taking the slow boat from Rhodes to Piraeus
Routes

By Nicky Gardner

The island of Rhodes is our starting point for a circuitous boat journey that ends 32 hours later at the port of Piraeus near Athens. This classic ‘slow travel’ adventure loops south via Crete. Hop aboard and relax on the Prevelis car ferry.

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Ugljan Island: A Dalmatian outpost
Message in a bottle

By Rudolf Abraham

The island of Ugljan plays second home to many residents of Zadar on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. Guest contributor Rudolf Abraham explores an island that was once famed for its exquisitely pungent olive oil.

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Out-of-town connections: The very end of the line
Edgelands

By Nicky Gardner

Go one step further. Stay on the train for an extra station. Or why not stay on the train to the very end of the line? You should, because often the place at the end of the line is very interesting, as we discovered when we visited Provins, the final station for the commuter trains that run east from Paris.

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To the point: A Danish extremity
Landscape

By Nicky Gardner

How did the great spit at Skagen come to claim so prominent a space in the Danish imagination? We navigate sand dunes and heathlands to visit the point where waters of the Skagerrak meet the Kattegat.

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Making waves: Havila style in Norwegian waters
Offshore

By Nicky Gardner

Havila Voyages is a Norwegian shipping operator which is now bringing its own style to Norway’s coastal voyage – a very special slow travel adventure which until now has been run exclusively by Hurtigruten. With two Havila ships already in use, and two more making their debut on the coastal voyage in 2023, Havila Voyages is upping its challenge to the incumbent operator.

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The Serbian city of Niš: On the road to Constantinople
Special spaces

By Laurence Mitchell

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From slow boats to slow trains
Snippet

By hidden europe

If you have some time to spare, don’t take the fast train when there’s a slower option. The latter will almost certainly be more interesting. We share some of our favourite slow journeys, citing examples from Calabria, Danish Jutland, Spain and Germany.

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Ireland's coasts
Snippet

By hidden europe

We are quietly in awe of how the editors and publishers ever managed to bring The Coastal Atlas of Ireland to print. This is a magnificent volume, one that draws on geography, geology and cultural studies to present an encyclopaedic account of Ireland’s coastline.

Read on
Bulgaria: cross-border links with Romania
Snippet

By hidden europe

The Danube marks the shared border between Romania and Bulgaria. But, with just two bridges crossing the Danube to link the two countries, the Danube also separates Bulgaria and Romania. New ferries are however forging new connections.

Read on
Preview hidden europe 70
Preview

By hidden europe

A look ahead at hidden europe 70 which will be published on 20 July 2023.

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hidden europe 69

Ireland's coasts

Summary

Editorial

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Routes

Message in a bottle

Edgelands

Landscape

Offshore

Special spaces

Snippet

Snippet

Snippet

Preview

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