Remember George Dubya? Here in Europe he is still revered as a remarkable pioneer in “alphabetical tourism.” After all, during his first-ever visit to Europe in June 2001, the presidential itinerary featured Spain, Sweden and Slovenia – or perhaps it was Slovakia. Even Dubya himself was a shade uncertain, but he did a grand job in » Read more

Andorra La Vella, the capital of Andorra, may be Western Europe’s most maligned capital. A huge duty-free shopping hub, it tends to be written off as an outdoor mall only good for short shopping adventures. Its commercial bluster may indeed shock those emerging from a weeklong mountain journey through the Pyrenees. And in fact, some » Read more

“A guide to hidden corners, little-known places and unusual objects,” says the blurb, nicely summarizing the emphasis of a series of guidebooks which we have recently discovered. Only in Budapest was published in 2006, with author Duncan JD Smith adeptly reviewing 84 offbeat and eclectic curiosities around the Hungarian capital. Now Smith has followed his » Read more

Europe has its fair share of those little tiddler states – you know the ones, territories like San Marino, Monaco and Liechtenstein which, if you cut a decent pace, you can walk across in a day. Vatican City is the tiniest of the bunch. You can stride from one end of this theocratic state to » Read more

If you’re like us, the accidental Swiss invasion of Liechtenstein last week reminded you yet again of that single afternoon you spent exploring Vaduz, eyes wide open. The tiny Alpine microstate occupies just a sliver between Switzerland and Austria. In addition to being a very small country, the principality has a striking tourism site, outfitted » Read more