Andy's Hidden Europe

I have been travelling across Europe ever since my dad bundled up his young family into a decrepit VW Beetle, crossed the Alps and descended on some overcrowded campground on the Adriatic coast. That was a very long time ago. Switzerland was still stuck in the middle ages and hadn't granted women the right to vote. Cars in Sweden were still driving on the left, and the main purpose of olive oil in Britain was as a remedy against earaches.

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Much has changed since then. We are more prosperous and mobile, but we also seem to spend more and more of our leisure time embarking on a global tourist itinerary which takes in many of Europe’s hotspots that have now become magnets for over-tourism. Barcelona is thinking of banning Air BnB. Venice has introduced entry tickets to the lagoon. Hospitality staff on the Canaries went on strike to protest against low wages and questionable working conditions.

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But tourism is not all bad. For some communities, it provides an essential economic lifeline. When done well, it still broadens our horizons, connects us with people of a different background, and by and large makes us more tolerant and knowledgeable. But you might be hard pressed to live up to those accolades in the company of thousands of fellow visitors parading through the old town of Dubrovnik in search of that captivating Insta image, yet all sharing the same, bland and commercialised experience. There has to be a better way.

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This travel blog does not highlight the usual suspects that one finds on any European bucket list. There are just too many books, articles and posts on the likes of the Eiffel Tower or the Munich Oktoberfest for me to add any value. But please allow me to direct you to some hidden gems, that might not be on everyone’s radar with a celebration of less frequented destinations, and the thrill of immersing yourself in nature and landscapes. Despite the tourist crowds, ours is still also a continent, crammed with fascinating stuff ready to be discovered.