Exploring cultures and communities – the slow way

Molvania, Slaka and more! We recall a tradition of writing guidebooks to non existant places

article summary —

The journey from Slaka across the border into neighbouring Molvania was never going to be easy. The Cosmoplot tourist office in the Slakan capital seemed not to have heard of Molvania. We left early, hoping to take the rapijd train at dawn. It transpired that this service runs only on even dates, so we were forced to board the overcrowded commutken service to the border town of Zplendice. There we queued at the State Bank (Burs'ii Prole'tanii) hoping to change our few remaining vloski into Molvanian strubl. The bank clerk explained disapprovingly that the Molvanian strubl was no match for the reliable Slakan vloska, and that, in any case, no currency exchanges were allowed without a permit. As we had no permit, we retreated, spent our last vloski on a dozen jars of gherkins and a string of fresh garlic and made our way on foot to the border.


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About the authors

hidden europe

and manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers. They delight in discovering the exotic in the everyday.

This article was published in hidden europe 2.