Lucy Mallows

Watery isolation under threat – The Lipovanis at Letea

2011-06-21T17:22:00.003+02:00

The isolated Danube Delta region of southeast Romania
Words and photographs by Lucy Mallows ©LRM2008

The mighty Danube River, Europe’s second longest after the Volga, runs like a watery thread for 2,860 kilometres from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. The sometimes blue - but more often greenish brown - waterway flows through ten countries linking disparate communities, though vastly differing cultures, economies, tongues and lifestyles.
The Danube flows through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and the Ukraine. The entire length is lined with very different cultures, people, religious beliefs and traditions.
Nowhere is the vital linking force of the Danube better illustrated than at its terminus, right at the Delta where the river, in an attempt to force its way through to the sea, separates and divides into dozens of waterways, each straining through the tall reed beds to reach the mouth and finally release pent-up energy into the Black Sea.
Shortly after entering the Delta at Tulcea, 320km northeast of Bucharest, the Danube splits into three main channels (braţul): the Chilia, the Sfântu Gheorghe (St George) and the Sulina, the main shipping channel.
The 5,640-square-kilometre, untamed wilderness of the Delta is home to almost one third of Romania’s plant species, including most of its medicinal plants. More than 5,400 species of flora and fauna are found at Europe’s largest wetland and the most enthusiastic inhabitants are water birds. Herons, pygmy cormorants, red-breasted geese, white-tailed eagles, Dalmatian and Great White pelicans feed on the wealth of fish in the river and finding safe breeding places in the world’s largest unbroken expanse of reed. The most important habitats for wildlife are the reed beds, the floating islands or plău, moved by the wind, blowing the tight-knit vegetation about the lagoons.
The Delta is also home to mink, foxes, otters, turtles and water snakes. Seen from the perfect vantage point of a tiny motorboat, the delta is a watery network, cobwebbed by creeks, backwaters, marshes, swamps, lakes and lagoons. On land, two unique ancient forests, Letea and Caraorman, are populated with oak, orchids and liana.
The Delta was designated a Unesco biosphere in 1990 to highlight the natural and cultural heritage. The biodiversity is matched by the ethno-diversity.

The human element of the Delta is equally unique and varied: a hotbed of cultures living peacefully along side one another, crafting a living from the Danube. In the early 20th century, 20,000 people lived at Sulina, at the mouth of the Delta, speaking 20-25 languages. Nowadays, it is estimated that the figure has dwindled to 5,000 inhabitants speaking a dozen different languages.
The most populous group are the Romanians, the Lipovanis from Russia and the Haholians from the Ukraine. However, there are also Aromanians, Greeks, Turks, Italians, Macedonians and even Tatars, originally from Mongolia, in Babadag.
Over the centuries, locals have survived by the Danube in extreme conditions of temperature as well as political climate. Many villages are totally isolated and accessible only by boat, creating a unique, preserved way of life and cultural traditions, as well as forging close links between man and nature.
However, the relationship is now under threat and the ancient way of life has reached crisis point.
Many young people have left the region to seek better career opportunities elsewhere, in Bucharest and more prosperous Transylvanian cities such as Braşov and Sibiu. In the current economic climate, it is virtually impossible to live from fishing and agriculture alone.
Other elements threaten the traditional way of life. An increase in environmental pollution and the relentless interference in the natural environment pose an increasing threat to the delicate ecological balance.
Local travel company bosses claim to work for the environment yet urge the construction of more water channels so that tourists can do a round trip rather than go along the Sulina channel and then back again along the same route.
More cohesive legislation about high-speed boats and jet skiing is needed as tourists discover the possibilities for exploiting unspoilt sporting venues.
At present, it is only possible to visit the Danube Delta with a tourist or fishing permit, however these are very inexpensive and the region is too vast to patrol adequately. “There are wardens, but the poverty of the region makes local workers susceptible to corruption,” says Tirgu Mures biologist Márton Kelemen.
The delta took an ecological hammering under Nicolae Ceauşescu’s tyrannical reign. “He planned to drain it for agricultural use and turn it into a huge cornfield,” explains Kelemen, whose relatives were brought here in the 1960-70s as political prisoners to work on digging and drying out the channels.
Ceauşescu also had a hair-brained scheme to make Bucharest a port, by digging a canal from the Black Sea to the Danube then linking up with Bucharest via another huge canal. He wanted to build the world’s third largest channel after Panama and Suez. The canal was partially completed, from Agigea, just south of Constanţa, the Canalul Dunăre-Marea Neagră flows northwest to Cernavodă on the Danube.
“In 800 years, it will finally make a profit,” notes Kelemen bitterly.
A highway is planned from Tulcea to Sulina threatening both the unique environment and the wildlife on the Delta. Sulina is the easternmost city in the European Union, however it is still little more than a village, accessible only by water.
The highway to Sulina is for tourist development but the road will kill off most of the natural assets with noise and water pollution, creating stress for the fish and the birds.

Mass tourism - the only form of tourism in Eastern Europe - can also have a devastating effect. “The EU gave money to sink a concrete channel into the Braţul Sulina to make it into a convenient cargo channel to develop the infrastructure and the economy, however this is terrible for the natural environment,” explains Tiberiu Tioc, a tour guide and wildlife enthusiast. He warns that a West European company is already present in Sulina, planning the construction of the concrete river channel.
Many Lipovani and Romanian fishermen and boatmen live in Crişan, a village of around 600 inhabitants situated between water and reed on the Sulina channel.
They exist peacefully together. However, the Lipovani and the Haholians have had serious conflicts and still loathe the sight of each other after entire villages were exterminated 100 years ago. Lipovanis speak a mixture of Ukrainian, Russian and some Old Russian. The Haholians speak very clear Ukrainian. The two communities keep the ‘enemy’ at a safe distance.
The Delta is not only a safe haven for wildlife, it is also home and sanctuary to many ethnic minorities who fled persecution in other countries.
Lipovanis are the Old Believers, who in 1666–1667 separated from the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon (1605—81). When he made changes to worship in 1652, some of the believers insisted on worshipping in the ‘old way’. They continued to speak Old Russian, to cross themselves with two fingers instead of three and to keep their beards. The Lipovanis fled religious persecution in Russia around 1770. Preserving their culture, traditions and even gene pool through watery isolation, the Lipovanis stand out from the dark-skinned, brown-eyed Romanians with their striking blue eyes, blonde hair and beards.
At one time, the Lipovanis lived all over the Delta but are now found only at the villages of Crişan, Letea, Mila 23, Mahmudia and Peripava.
Adapting to their environment, the Lipovani became skilled fishermen, gardeners and animal tenders. The Lipovanis differ greatly from Romanians in their fundamentalist abhorrence of tobacco, which they call the ‘Devil’s weed’. However, their consumption of vodka is the stuff of legends.
Crişan villagers have lived for generations from the Danube, fishing, hunting, reed processing and keeping livestock. Economic pressures have also forced many locals to use tourism as a source of income and they supplement their minimal wages by ferrying wildlife enthusiasts through the waterways on small motorboats.
The working day starts before sunrise. At 3am, fishermen pilot their boats through the darkness to the lake where they empty the fish traps. From there, they take their daily catch to the collection point. In the evening, the traps are placed in the water in a time-consuming chore, which many fishermen perform in a solitary routine.
Life on the Delta has changed within the time-span of one generation. Previously, fishermen would row out to the richest fishing areas, set up their reed huts and stay in the reed beds for weeks on end. The Delta area covers 4,500km2 and has the largest expanse of reed beds in the world.

Now, the fisherman use boats equipped with outboard motors and can commute between their villages and the lakes on a daily basis. However, the catch is now much less, as fish stocks in the Danube channels have declined sharply.
Previously, a good catch could amount to 300 kilos a day. Today, it is usually between 15 and 30 kilos, and only the very fortunate can bring home a 100-kilo catch, a quantity not even enough to cover the cost of the fuel.
There is conflict between the local population and the fish eating birds, especially the pelicans, which gobble up the most fish. However, the fish stocks are threatened not by birds but by humans as increasing numbers of tourists visit and locals turn to tourism to make a living.
The temptation to resort to poaching is strong.
Five species of lake sturgeon are found in Romania. Four of these sturgeon species produce black roe, which is made into caviar, a delicacy throughout the world.
Black market caviar sells for 200 euros a kilo and a large sturgeon can produce 60 kilos.
For very poor fisher-families eking out a living on the Danube, 12,000 euros represents more than they can earn in an entire lifetime. There is huge financial pressure to poach sturgeon. However, the penalties are severe with potential fines of 25,000 euros or ten years in prison.
The CITES Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered Species set out the permitted quotas for sturgeon fishing and in 2005, Romania introduced a 10-year ban on sturgeon fishing which was a good initiative.
On our five-day journey on a floating hotel boat, the only way to visit this isolated region, we ate a lunch of boiled carp and catfish followed by fisherman’s borshch soup, simmered in Danube water with tarragon, rosemary and wild mint and served with mushdai, a potent wild garlic sauce.
Further along the Braţul Sulina (Sulina Channel), heading towards the Black Sea, we turned off the main channel and travelled for two hours on the narrow channel, Canalul Magearu in tiny motorboats, passing two-metre-tall reed bed islands, rotting tree trunks poking from the brackish water and pretty water lily lakes to reach the isolated village of Letea, almost on the Romanian-Ukrainian border.

Amusingly - but logically, considering these channels are the only thoroughfares in the region - these channels have ‘street’ signs; rusting metal signs poking up from thick undergrowth by the turning points.
Letea is an amalgamation of three small villages with a total population of 1,200 people. The settlement is accessible only by water and so completely isolated and cut off from the rest of Romania at during floods or stormy weather. Letea has one tiny stone post office and a little grocer’s shop but there is no priest resident in the oversized church. In Letea, the Lipovanis live in traditional houses with thatched roofs made from reeds, which are designed to last for 35 years.
The houses are built in the traditional Lipovani style with wood and clay walls.
These houses are the perfect ecological solution for the region: the clay walls can breathe and keep the homes cool in summer when temperatures can soar beyond 40ºC and preserve heat in the bitter minus 30ºC chill of winter.
“The temperature difference is 70 degrees which is incredible,” says Kelemen.
The buildings have a traditional unity and the wooden facades are carved in patterns, the only ornamentation. The Delta people tried to modernise their housing styles but discovered that it wasn’t suitable for the region.
Tiled roofing is too hot in summer, the reed roofs are like thatch and are much better.
In the UK, the insurance for thatched roofed houses is very high because of fires or lightning damage.
“Here nobody has house insurance anyway, so it’s not an issue,” says Tioc, “the houses are painted white and blue in traditional colours and also the mosquitoes don’t like the blue colour.”
The three colour schemes for houses reflect the respect the locals feel for the powers of nature. White and blue represents the sky and the water, green and blue are the reeds and the water while white and green are the sky and the reeds.
“The locals believe that when a storm is coming, the houses are camouflaged in the colours of nature and so the storm cannot find their houses,” explains Tioc.
In Letea, few venture out into the street in the stifling heat of an August afternoon. A few ancient grandmothers shuffle through the dust of the main street, little more than a dirt track. Their huge kitchen gardens are lush with grape arbours keeping the yards cool, while desiccated corn cobs and stalks are dotted about the fields, piled up in mountainous ricks. A child potters along shyly behind her father’s legs, peering out nervously at a stray dog refusing to be shooed away. A farmer clip clops along in his horse and cart, bringing the hay for the animals in the stable. It’s an idyllic scene but a hard life as the young have all left to seek easier lifestyles in Bucharest. It’s left to the elderly and infirm to preserve a historic but threatened way of life.

GETTING THERE
The only way to visit the Delta is on an organised tour by canoe or motorboat. These are organised almost exclusively for wildlife enthusiasts, as –obviously- the region has none of the usual tourist ‘attractions’. Trips must be escorted by local guides and permits to visit, camp or fish are compulsory.

STAYING THERE
Tioc Nature and Study Tours, Contact Tiberiu Tioc, Aleea Genistilor 25, Sc.C. Ap 61, Sibiu, Romania; tel/fax: +40 269 233 625; mobile: +40 743 025 154; email: contact@tioc-reisen.ro; www.tioc-reisen.ro. Expert-led trips by motorboat or canoe, staying on a floating hotel along the channels of the Danube Delta.

BBC Radio 4 'Excess Baggage'

2011-02-05T15:24:00.005+01:00

I appeared on BBC Radio 4 'Excess Baggage' programme (Saturday 5 February 2011), hosted by John McCarthy.

John McCarthy explores Romania with William Blacker who lived there for some years and Lucy Mallows who wrote the first travel guide to Transylvania. He also meets Sarah Outen, who rowed 4,000 miles single handed across the Indian Ocean.
Producer: Chris Wilson.

Here is a link to the podcast of the Excess Baggage archive.
The programme on Romania and Transylvania was broadcast on Saturday 5 February 2011.

Icy Cycling

2011-02-05T15:07:00.006+01:00

The author skidding along, totally alone in Central Iceland

Lucy Mallows discovers a great way to appreciate Iceland’s magical capital – from the saddle of a guided bike tour

Published in Atlantica magazine, Jan-Feb 2011

‘Wriggle your toes to keep your feet warm and follow me!’ shouted gentle giant Stefan, as he set off, pedaling along the middle of the road straight towards an oncoming car, which, with Icelandic good manners, slowed down and gave way. Our group of novice cyclists followed in slightly less cavalier fashion, through the streets of Reykjavik, Iceland’s cycle-friendly capital.
In winter months, the dark, cold weather can make even the healthiest person feel lethargic and keen to snuggle up with a hot chocolate in the corner of a cozy café, however getting out and about in the open air and making the most of the brief daylight hours is a real energy booster.
In late November, I fulfilled a life-long ambition, visiting Reykjavik for the first time and on day one, I set out to explore Iceland’s arty, friendly capital in a new style: on a guided bicycle ride.
When the winter streets are slippery, cycling on sturdy rubber tires is, surprisingly, a more assured way of getting about than skidding on the glacial sidewalks.
The tour, led by Stefan Valsson, a native of Reykjavik and trained tour guide, really helps visitors connect with the environment as there are many stops at places of interest, where Stefan provides fascinating, often humorous, anecdotes and brief history lessons.

An icy light

We set off from the Old Harbour and the ride took in some of the classic Reykjavik tourist sights, but often Stefan suddenly stuck out his arm to signal and veered off down a back road or secret alleyway that only locals know.
The bicycles are not uncomfortable, spine-nagging mountain bikes, but more of the ‘sit up and beg’ city bike variety; a good choice for visitors who are maybe not as experienced on two wheels as they think.
We set off, breathing in deeply Reykjavik’s crisp, fresh air. We crossed a main road, cutting in front of motorists, who kindly slowed down for us, and rode up a little hill and into a tiny park, more of a back garden, by Tungata, where we had our first taste of superstitious Reykjavik: an enormous rock where the ‘hidden people’ are said to live.
Hidden People are called huldufólk in Icelandic, which is often mistakenly translated as ‘elves’. These creatures live in rocks all over Iceland and are invisible although they are supposed to look like attractive humans!
Author J. R. R. Tolkien wrote a thesis on Old Icelandic, and the country’s rich folklore with its hidden people, trolls and elves, had a great influence on his ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
Moving or defacing a rock upsets the hidden people who then take revenge. ‘It’s important to respect these rocks,’ said Stefan, ‘there are many examples of a drunken student peeing against rock then two seconds later falling over and twisting his ankle.’
Local resident Stefan knows this people-friendly city inside and out and clearly loves his hometown.
From the rock, we pedaled a short way to Adalstraeti, or Main Street, the oldest street in town with the oldest house at number 10, built in 1762. We stopped to admire the statue of Skúli Magnusson, a tax collector and the ‘Father of Reykjavik’ who is buried nearby on Videy Island.

Seltjarnarnes peninsula, where cyclists can discover a nature reserve, abundant wildlife and this dinky lighthouse

From here, it was another short ride to the see the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson, who named the area Reykjavik or smoky bay. ‘It should have been called ‘steamy bay’ from the geothermic activity, which Arnarson took as a good omen from the gods,’ said Stefan.
On sighting an icy land, Arnarson threw his two ‘high-seat pillars’ into the sea, swearing to the Norse gods that he would settle wherever they came to rest.
He landed at Ingólfshöfdi in southeast Iceland and ordered his two slaves, Vifill and Karli to walk west along the coast of Iceland until they found the pillars. Three years later they found them, washed ashore in a small bay. We came across a stark monument, representing the steaming pillars, after whizzing around the corner.
The dark grey dolerite stone Parliament House (Althingishúsid) adorns one of Reykjavik’s prettiest squares, the Austurvöllur or ‘east field’, located by Kirkjustraeti and Posthusstraeti, streets named after the church and post office respectively. On our late November morning, we were blessed with glorious sunshine, but the square was bare and watched over by a statue of national hero, Jon Siggurdson, created by sculptor Einar Jonsson in 1931. ‘In summer, this is Reykjavik’s greenest square and everyone sits out here enjoying the sunshine with a beer or an ice cream,’ said Stefan.
The dinky Domkirkjan, Iceland’s national church is known locally as the ‘cathedral’, despite its modest size and the famous Hotel Borg can be seen at right angles to the church.
We stopped for our next break at Reykjavik’s famous hot dog stand opposite the Kolaportid (flea market) building and Stefan told the story of how Bill Clinton accompanied his wife Hillary when she visited Reykjavik on diplomatic business. Clinton was at a loose end and wandered along the street to the Baejarins bestu (Town’s Best) hot dog stand and bought one. ‘However, he didn’t order it in the traditional way ‘with everything on it’, but only chose mustard. He couldn’t add raw onions because he had to meet people, and no fried onions, ketchup or remoulade because of his diet,’ said Stefan.
After the snack, we continued to the Radhúsid (City Hall) and went in to warm up. Some of the cyclists from more crime-afflicted cities were shocked that Stefan left the bikes unlocked outside. ‘Crime is almost unknown here and until recently there were no crime novels in all Iceland,’ said Edda, who runs the Eric the Red guesthouse up by the Hallgrimskirkja.
We then cycled along the bank of the Tjörnin lake, which looks so pretty in the evening with the lights twinkling and little children wrapped up warmly in brightly colored jumpers skating over the thick ice.
We whizzed across Reykjavik university campus and noticed that many pedestrians seemed wary of cyclists. There are many well-marked bicycle lanes and it’s legal to cycle on the pavements. Because motorists are so considerate, cyclists don’t have to concentrate on being run over and can look around and admire the view.
We continued to Aegissida, Reykjavik’s south-facing beach, where singer Björk has a house, and stopped to admire the stunning view across the water and also to sip reviving hot chocolate, thoughtfully provided by our host. We gathered by some ancient fishing huts and noticed how our bodies and bikes made long shadows in the midday sun.
After the gentle, seven-kilometer, two and a half hour ride, I felt as if I really had a sense of the city and could explore with confidence on foot at a later date. It was the highlight of my first visit to Reykjavik.

Information:
Reykjavik Bike Tours
Old Harbour (behind Elding Whale Watching)
Aegisgardur 7
Mobile (+354) 694 8956
Email: Bike@IcelandBike.com
Tours include: Classic Reykjavik, Coast at Midnight.
A 15km countryside ride (along part of the Golden Circle route) will start June 2011.

The Belgian coastline

2010-11-10T19:48:00.009+01:00

©LucyMallows2009

Between the lines (published in BSpirit! Brussels Airlines Inflight magazine)

The world’s longest tramline, De Kusttram, runs the length of the surreal Belgian coast. Lucy Mallows jumps onboard

Like waffles and the Manneken Pis, De Kusttram (‘the coast tram’) is a unique Belgian speciality. It follows the entire length of the Belgian Riviera, from the dunes of Knokke near the Dutch border to Plopsaland de Panne theme park on the frontier with France. Belgium is the only country whose entire coastline can be travelled in one 143-minute tram ride.

The tram route is divided into 15 zones and stops at 70 places with names ranging from the outlandish – Plopsaland, Krokodiel and Manitoba – to the prosaic – Station, Casino and Park. Occasionally, the track meanders away from the sea, but the view is never dull, as the tram sneaks past Knokke’s manicured back gardens, skirts Ostend’s and Blankenberge’s busy ports, glides through sand dunes, rattles along backstreets and sails majestically through an enchanted forest.

As soon as the sun appears, canny Belgians leave their cars behind and take the train to Knokke or De Panne at either end, or Ostend in the middle. “I always recommend visitors get the train to Knokke, then continue by tram to whichever resort they feel in the mood for,” says Lieve Van Diest, 48, a secretary from Ghent. “They remember this when sitting in a three-hour jam on the motorway back to Brussels!”

Knokke is separated from the Netherlands by the Het Zwin nature reserve. The town itself is home to designer stores and galleries, which lure Belgium’s beautiful people to shop, dine or play golf. The Titanic Tearoom (14 Van Bunnenplein, tel. (0)50 623767) serves delicious moules and fish dishes, while those appropriately clothed can visit the Casino (509 Zeedijk-Alberstrand) to see frescoes by Keith Haring, Paul Delvaux and René Magritte. Every three years, the coast’s artistic heritage is celebrated with the Beaufort03 Festival (beaufort03. be). Until October this year, amazing displays of installation art can be found at communities all along the coast.

Just 20 minutes along the line is Blankenberge, where cafés line the promenade, including the Buddha bar, where hip young things lounge on giant black cushions, sipping mojitos. There are ‘strands’ (private beaches), old-fashioned seaside attractions and a wood-slatted velodrome.

De Haan, 15 minutes further west, has a quite different ambience. It’s a step back in time to a more elegant age before high-rise blocks obliterated the sea views of belle époque buildings by the beaches. American lawyer David Fink, 39, based in Brussels, loves to escape here. “My wife and I travel by train and tram,” he says. “We can reach De Haan in less than two hours. It’s my favourite resort, with its half-timbered houses and a wooden boardwalk.”

Ostend is a bustling port with miles of sandy beaches and a vast range of events, particularly in the summer when the constant breeze draws windsurfers and kite-flyers. The harbour is ringed by fritkots (chip shops) and dried fish stalls, and the daily fish market has a wonderful atmosphere. Bistro Beethoven (Sint-Petrus en Paulusplein, tel. (0)59 514676) is popular with the locals and has a menu of fish specialities.

The first section of De Kusttram was opened between Ostend and Nieuwpoort in 1885 and is one of the few inter-urban tramways in the world to remain in operation. Nieuwpoort is home to the largest marina in northern Europe, with 2,000 mooring spaces. Brussels accountant Susanna Gérard, 37, says: “Recently, I bought a boat and keep it here. The tram is a great way to get here if I don’t feel like driving.”

Ten minutes beyond Nieuwpoort, Oostduinkerke is the only place in the world where, in September, men still fish on horseback for shrimp, pulling heavy dragnets through the surf.

Nearing the end of the line, De Panne is blessed with the widest beach on the Belgian coast and is popular with sand-yacht enthusiasts. It has a significant place in Belgian history, as it was here that Leopold I of Belgium first set foot in his kingdom on 17 July 1831. A great way to finish your trip is with a meal at Imperial (9 Leopold I Esplanade, tel. (0)58 414228), where you can forage your way through lobster, asparagus, strawberries and all manner of treats before heading to the final stop on the tram line, Plopsaland.

Hidden from urban De Panne by an enchanted forest, Plopsaland (plopsaland.be), is a bizarre theme park where Kabouter Plop (Plop the gnome) lives in a giant toadstool. Children love the fairground rides and gentle teasing from Plop and his gnome cohorts.

Way to go
De Kusttram links up with the Belgian national railway network at Knokke, De Panne, Ostend and Blankenberge.

Services to these destinations run hourly from Brussels Midi, Central and Nord stations and take 80-110 minutes.

A weekend return ticket costs €15,40 (Brussels to Ostend) or €18,50 (Brussels to De Panne), the same price as a normal single ticket.

See b-rail.be for details.

On the tram

De Kusttram tickets can be bought from the driver or at a discount from the Lijnwinkel (line shop). A short ride (one to two zones) costs €1,20 at the Lijnwinkel/€1,60 onboard. A long ride (three or more zones, or the entire length) costs €2/€2,70.

A day pass giving unlimited travel (hop on, hop off) costs €5/€6. Trams run every 10 minutes in summer and every 20 minutes in winter, from 5.02am to 00.41am.

See dekusttram. be for details.

Stop and sleep

While you can travel the length of the tramline in one day, why not make a weekend of it by spending a night or two in the coast’s key resorts. Here are some recommended places to stay.

Knokke Hotel Adagio (12 Van Bunnenlaan, tel. (0)50 624844, hoteladagio.be, double rooms from €130 in high season) offers three-star comfort and convenience in the heart of the resort.

Ostend Hotel Royal Astrid (1 Wellingtonstraat, tel. (0)59 339696, royalastrid.com, double rooms from €60,10 per person) is a friendly three-star establishment just 50m from the beach.

De Panne Hotel Donny (17 Donnylaan, tel. (0)58 421000, hoteldonny.com, double rooms from €100 in the high season) is a comfortable bed and breakfast.

Bratislava book review by Bob Dent

2009-06-29T15:13:00.006+02:00

Bratislava Partizans statue, Namestie SNP © LucyMallowsOct2008

Lots of info packed in for weekend getaway
Written by Bob Dent
The Budapest Times
Sunday, 07 June 2009

Bratislava is perhaps not the first destination people in Budapest might think of for a weekend break, but according to Lucy Mallows now is the time to go. In the spring and summer, she says, the city can be “really gorgeous” and from the end of April “out come all the terrace tables and chairs outside the pubs, restaurants and cafés, turning the Old Town into one big open-air café.”

As with her other guides to Transylvania and Slovakia, of which Bratislava is the capital, it is enthusiasm which shines through this work. Slowly but surely you are drawn in by the author’s subtle appreciation of the city, which is barely two hours away from Budapest. Sometimes it is not so subtle. Beer lovers will themselves appreciate her frequent positive comments about the beverage, as well as her useful listing of over a dozen local varieties.

Mallows says that Bratislava packs a vast selection of cultural and leisure attractions into one pocket-sized capital, “with a huge choice of museums, galleries, churches and historic monuments”. It is rather surprising, therefore, that this guide devotes only just over ten per cent of its volume to such attractions. Perhaps more would have been needed, particularly in view of the fact that a fair amount of text covers history, albeit mainly the history of Slovakia and the Slovaks rather than of Bratislava itself.

Down to details

On the other hand, the strength of this work lies in its nature as a practical guide, brimming with information about accommodation possibilities, eating and drinking places, entertainment and shopping, as well as details about public transport, banks, health and safety matters, red tape, local customs and much more. This is the second, revised edition of the work and as it was published earlier this year, we can justifiably assume that the plethora of practical information - opening hours, telephone numbers, websites, etc. - is up to date. There is a wealth of detail here, plus tips and recommendations. A number of clear, colourful maps and a plan of the city’s tram routes are also very useful.

Throughout it is the Old Town’s lively atmosphere which repeatedly comes to the fore in this guide, not so much the historic nature of the place but the “wall-to-wall, eat-out city with cafés, bars, cocktail venues, restaurants, self-service canteens and stand-up buffet stalls” … so many in fact that “you’re totally spoilt”. That’s assuming you can avoid the stag party groups. In recent years Bratislava has become a noted destination for Western European, particularly British, revellers. The feeling this guide gives is that you can avoid them if you want, but should you happen to end up in a hotel with a noisy group, Mallows has a tip for that too - before you go don’t forget to pack some ear-plugs!

Buy the book

Bratislava: City Guide
by Lucy Mallows,
250 pages, illustrated, paperback,
Bradt Travel Guides, 2009

Back to Brat!!

2009-06-12T13:28:00.007+02:00

Bratislava Hlavne namestie at night © LucyMallowsOct2008

My blog CV was 'deleted' by Blogger for about a month....just when I needed it the most.
I am now back in the blog/cyber world again - yipee - but wondering (in paranoid magyar fashion) whether some nasty person had reported my blog as 'spam'...that would be very unkind, but there are some weird people out there in cyberland.

However, I'm back again.

The Budapest Times recently (Monday 08 June 2009) published a review of my Bradt City Guide to Bratislava, edition 2.
It was written by the great Budapest author Bob Dent, a man famous for his erudite dissections of Magyar history, culture, statues and more.

The link to the Budapest Times is HERE and I hope it opens.
Sometimes, I get a message to say the page won't load because it contains malicious Malware.
Another unpleasant element of the internet universe, but - hey ho - here goes.

The Complete Guide to Transylvania

2009-01-29T13:07:00.007+01:00

Brasov town hall © LucyMallows2007

Here is an article published in The Independent on Saturday travel supplement (10 January 2009), The Independent Traveller

To see the original, click on:
www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/the-complete-guide-to-transylvania-1264495.html

The Complete Guide To: Transylvania
There's much more to Dracula's homeland than creepy castles and blood-soaked myths. Lucy Mallows uncovers a region so charming that even Prince Charles has a house there
The Independent, Saturday, 10 January 2009

Transylvania: a real place?
Some people assume Transylvania is an invention of Bram Stoker, ripened by bloodthirsty Hollywood directors. However the "land beyond the forest" – as the Latin name translates – is genuine enough. This region, three times the size of Wales, is located right in the heart of one of the EU's newest members. While the Romans called it Trans-Sylvania, the name is Ardeal in Romanian, Erdely in Hungarian and Siebenburgen in German. The latter translates as "seven fortress towns", and hints at the significance of Saxons shipped in during the 12th century from Flanders and the Moselle Valley to defend the sparsely populated region from repeated invasions.
Those seven towns (Bistrita, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Medias, Sebes, Sibiu and Sighisoara) are great survivors. They emerged relatively unscathed following the brutal years of Ceausescu's communist tyranny from 1965 to 1989 and have since been restored to their former imposing elegance. Any of the seven makes a good base for exploring Transylvania, though Sibiu, Brasov and Cluj-Napoca offer the chance to dine like nobility and sleep in regal surroundings for bargain prices.
Film fans might imagine that Transylvania is a dark, foreboding region filled with mountains, creepy castles on crags, pale-faced nobles with sharp teeth, and a menacing menagerie of wolves, bears and flapping bats. The real Transylvania is more of a daylight fantasy: flower-filled meadows, lost-in-time villages, sun-drenched plains dotted with Saxon churches and castle ruins, and family-friendly ski slopes. This complex and exciting region makes a superb holiday destination.

So no vampires?
Transylvania still pushes the Dracula link, as the tourism bosses seek to get their teeth into the European market. Bran Castle, close to the city of Brasov, is always advertised as "Dracula's Castle", though Vlad the Impaler, the man behind the myth, stayed here only for a few nights. Bran Castle museum (00 40 268 238333; brancastlemuseum.com) opens 9am-4pm daily except Monday in winter, and 9am-6pm daily (Mondays from noon) in summer; admission 12 lei (£3). The castle is ringed with stalls offering Dracula mugs, T-shirts and tea cloths.
There are plenty of other creepy castles where you might imagine the old count flapping his cape and laughing in sinister fashion. The Saxon fortress town of Sighisoara is an essential stop on any tour of Transylvania, Dracula-hunting or otherwise. Sighisoara has a Dracula café, Casa Dracula (00 40 265 771596; Str Cositorarilor 5) within the citadel walls. This has a much-photographed plaque referring to the father of Vlad the Impaler, which reads enticingly "Vlad Dracul". Endless shops proffer vampire tat. For a full-blooded experience, stay at the Dracula Country Club (00 40 265 772211; dracul.ro) located just out of town on the road to Medias. A double will cost you 130 lei (£32), including breakfast.
Another entertaining hotel, the Dracula Castle (00 40 264 316850; huntercastle.ro), is found in the fragrantly named town of Turda. It has bathrooms created from stone grottoes and an over-the-top medieval banqueting hall with gory murals, skeletons and skulls. Doubles cost 204 lei (£51), including breakfast. The castle makes an ideal base for visiting the beautiful Turda gorge and the excellent salt mine (00 40 264 311690) open 9am-3.30pm daily; admission 8 lei (£2).

Favourite fortresses?
Transylvania's beautiful, unspoilt landscape is dotted with imposing medieval castles, elegant palaces, Saxon fortress-churches and crumbling ruins. Visit the magnificent Corvin Castle at Hunedoara (00 40 254 711423) to see an icon of Transylvania. Patrick Leigh Fermor, who travelled through the region on his long walk from France to Turkey, called the castle "fantastic and theatrical". It is next to a communist-era steel factory, but transcends the dour location. It opens 9am-3pm (until 6pm in summer) daily except Monday, admission 6 lei (£1.50).
The chunky Fagaras fortress recalls the 17th-century battles of Transylvanian prince Gabor Bethlen, though in the 1950s the Communists turned it into a prison for dissidents. The restored castle (00 40 268 211862) is now used as a museum and library, opening 8am-4pm daily except Monday from October to April, to 6pm in summer.
In the Prahova Valley, renowed for both wine and skiing (though not at the same time), the sumptuous Peles and Pelisor Palaces were homes to the English-born Queen Marie (1865-1938), who preferred their elegant rooms to the draughty Bran Castle.
Peles Palace (00 40 244 310918; peles.ro) has 170 rooms. It was the first castle in Europe to feature electric lighting, an electric lift and central heating. Peles opens 9am-5pm daily except Monday (Tuesday from 11am), admission 9 lei (£2.25).

And outdoors?
Nature lovers will feel they have stepped into an unspoilt medieval landscape of rolling hills, lush meadows, oak forests and fence-free fields dotted with haystacks. Traditional, wildlife-friendly agriculture makes Transylvania one of the best places for fauna in Europe.
The region has four national parks, two biosphere reserves and three of Romania's five natural parks. Retezat National Park (retezat.ro) protects more than 300 species of flora and 50 species of mammal including brown bear, wolves, lynx, foxes, deer and chamois. The rare monk eagle has been spotted.
Dan Marin, an award-winning guide, leads tours around the gorgeous Piatra Craiulai National Park. "There is a very healthy population of red and roe deer and wild boar," he says. "The variety of habitats – flood plains, river margins, hay meadows, forest hills and high mountains – is home to an impressive number of butterflies, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians." Dan and his wife, Luminita, created a lovely guesthouse, the Transylvanian Wolf House (00 40 744 319708; transylvanianwolf.ro), in the village of Zarnesti. A double room costs €45 per person per night with all meals included, €25 for B&B accommodation. The day walks cost €70 per group, with transport paid separately at a rate of €0.30 per kilometre.
Dan takes visitors bear-tracking, birdwatching and on visits to the local Roma community, while Luminita prepares Romanian and Roma dishes. Some two million Roma (the official name for Gypsies) live in Romania, though the similarity in the names is coincidental. Many Roma communities are based in Transylvania on the outskirts of larger towns.
Transylvania is watered by many rivers, and large lakes provide the venues for sports, fishing and relaxing holidays. The spooky St Anna Lake is the only intact volcanic lake in Europe; nearby are rare peat bogs and sulphur caves. In summer, a tent city grows at the waterside as locals come to swim, go boating and have barbecues on old-fashioned family breaks.

Wintry temptations?
Mountains surround Transylvania. The borders of the region are defined by the swooping crescent-shaped loop of the Carpathians enclosing all but a small stretch in the northwest. Transylvanians love winter sports, and with the arrival of the first snowfall they head for Poiana Brasov, the best-equipped resort in Romania. The slopes suit beginners and intermediates and there are excellent nursery slopes.
Iglu Ski (020-8542 6658; igluski.com) offers seven-night, all-inclusive packages departing London or Manchester from £465. The gigantic Hotel Piatra Mare (00 40 268 262064; piatramare.ro) has every luxury under the sun, while the Vila Zorile (00 40 268 262286; vila-zorile.ro) provided a comfortable base for Nicole Kidman and Jude Law when they were filming Cold Mountain nearby.
South of Brasov, en route to Bucharest, the Prahova Valley holds a clutch of ski resorts. Sinaia, the "Pearl of the Carpathians", boasts a collection of cable cars that sway up to the towering peaks at 2,000m. Busteni is a health resort and gateway to the dramatic Bucegi (bucegipark.ro) mountains and Natural Park, and is filled with houses that wouldn't look out of place in The Addams Family. Meanwhile, Predeal (predeal.ro) is the highest town in Romania, at an elevation of 1,033m.

Some living history?
Head for Saxon villages such as Biertan and Viscri to see a way of life that hasn't changed in centuries. Many Saxons left for Germany in the 1980s under a "cash for countrymen" deal paid for by the Federal Republic. Some, though, such as the Fernolend family, remain in Viscri. Caroline Fernolend now works as director for the Mihai Eminescu Trust (mihaieminescutruest.org.uk) arranging accommodation for visitors in traditional houses in villages such as Viscri, Biertan, Crit and Malancrav. In Malancrav, remaining Saxons hold a "Kronenfest" every July with suitable bacchanalia.

Other places to stay?
How about an heir's house? Prince Charles liked Transylvania so much he bought a property in Viscri, and he is a frequent visitor. The house was sensitively restored by another noble, Count Tibor Kalnoky, and you can book HRH's property through the count's company (00 40 742 202586; transylvaniancastle.com).
At his family seat of Miclosoara, Count Tibor Kalnoky has created a wonderful holiday complex of rooms restored in the tradition of Szekely (Transylvanian Hungarians). Guests spend the day birdwatching or visiting caves, waterfalls, fortress churches and historic cities, then taste delicious Hungarian cuisine under an arbour in the garden. In winter, the 17th-century wine cellar is at guests' disposal by a roaring fire.
For yet more noble nights, aim for Zabola. Countess Mikes returned here after decades in exile. Her sons Gregor and Alexander work on rebuilding the estate and its many buildings. Gregor's wife, Zsolna, converted the interior of the Machine House into an elegant boutique hotel (00 40 267 375547; zabola.com) in traditional surroundings.
Brasov, Targu-Mures, Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu offer urban comforts and sophisticated hotels. But to get a taste of Transylvania it is better to stay in a village and watch the evening cow parade or the regular traffic of oxen-pulled carts, wandering wild horses and trailers piled high with hay.
At Rosia Montana, in Transylvania's gold-mining country, a Belgian woman named Françoise Heidebroek has restored a farmhouse, Ursita Inn (00 40 723 230790; ursita.ro), where visitors can bathe in mountain streams and mingle with the ethnic Moti shepherds in the village.

Transylvania survival kit
Getting there
The only direct flights from the UK to Transylvania are on Wizz Air (00 48 22 351 9499; wizzair.com), between Luton and Cluj-Napoca. Otherwise, the best route is to Bucharest's Otopeni airport from Heathrow on British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) or Tarom (020-7224 3693; tarom.ro). Budapest is another possible gateway, with a fine train ride into the heart of Transylvania.

Getting around
Rail services are the cheapest in Europe, and reasonably efficient if not exactly express; see infofer.ro for times and fares. Buses and minibuses ("maxi-taxis") cover the region; schedules are patchy.
A hire car is a tempting option, though road surfaces and local driving skills are erratic. A home-grown Dacia Logan (sometimes advertised as a "Renault Logan") understands the potholed roads like a local horse. Cars4Rent (00 40 72 334 7192; cars4rent.ro) delivers to the airports and all over Transylvania.

Eating
Transylvanian cuisine is hearty peasant fare, ideal after a day's hike. Pork is king. Sarmale are cabbage or vine leaves stuffed with spiced meat; mici are grilled meatballs. The substantial national dish, mamaliga, is cornmeal mixed with tangy sheep's cheese. For vegetarians there is zacusca (a ratatouille-esque spread on home-made bread) and salata de vinete, a fabulous aubergine paste.

Drinking
The beefy red wines from the Prahova Valley complement the hearty dishes. The best beer comes from Miercurea-Ciuc and is known in Hungarian as a Csiki sor (pronounced 'cheeky sure').

More information?
The Romanian Tourist Office in London (020-7224 3692; visitromania.com) is a good source of information for potential visitors, as is Lucy Mallows's Transylvania: the Bradt Guide (£14.99)

Sink your teeth into the real Dracula
The Irish author Bram Stoker never actually set foot in Transylvania, and he claimed that Dracula, published in 1897 was "born of a nightmare following a supper of dressed crab". However, the man he used for inspiration, Vlad III Tepes (pictured left), was a real 15th-century villain whose deeds were even more dastardly than those of the vampire count.
Vlad III Tepes was born in Sighisoara, the Transylvanian town, but spent much of his life in the region of Wallachia to the south, where he was a voivode (prince). Tepes helped to keep the Ottoman army at bay but he was ruthless with his own people. He earned the nickname Tepes ("Impaler") through his preferred method of dispatching his enemies. He liked to bind victims spread-eagled then hammer a stake through the poor soul's rectum as far as the shoulder.
The prince was killed in 1476 in battle against the Ottomans near Bucharest. Legend tells how his decapitated head was preserved in honey and taken to Constantinople as proof of death for the sultan. Vlad's headless body was reportedly buried at a monastery on Snagov Island, in the middle of a lake 36km north of Bucharest, although many doubt he lies there.

ATTILA'S DESCENDANTS
Separated from their mother country by vast swathes of deserted countryside, the 700,000 Hungarian-speaking Szekely people live mostly in Transylvania's eastern counties: Covasna, Harghita and Mures. They claim to be descended from Attila's Huns. In Stoker's Dracula, the Count is a Szekely and tells Jonathan Harker "Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things".
Szekely villages can often be identified by the beautiful carved gates guarding each yard and occasionally on the road leading into a village. The picturesque road between Odorheiu Secuiesc (Szekelyudvarhely in Hungarian) and Miercurea-Ciuc (Csikszereda) has some good examples. A slight detour to the pottery-crazy village of Corund will satisfy all ceramic cravings.
The Kalotaszeg region near Cluj-Napoca comprises 40 villages inhabited almost exclusively by Hungarians. Old people wear traditional costumes on Sundays and travel by horse and cart as life continues barely touched by the trappings of the 20th century.
The Hungarian composers Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály drew inspiration from the rich tradition of folk melodies found here. In Sancraiu (Kalotaszentkiraly), visitors can stay in the guesthouse (00 40 264 257580; davincze.ro) belonging to local Istvan Vincze-Kecskes.
Many people nominate Rimetea (Torocko) as the most beautiful Hungarian village in all Romania. The collection of white houses set in rows nestles in the shadow of the mystical Szekely Stone, a looming 1,129m-high outcrop.

A selection of my photos, looking best on black

2008-11-14T18:53:00.001+01:00

Transylvania press release

2008-09-22T10:38:00.004+02:00

St Catherine's Gate, Brasov ©LucyMallows2007

Press release from www.travel-media.co.uk

Transylvania
FIRST EDITION

Too fast the year has turned a corner, aquaplaning on puddles of a British summer’s liquid sunshine – Halloween is almost upon us. In Chalfont St Peter the crepuscular rays of dwindling daylight search deep into the Bradt offices. A nearby murder of crows is disturbed, breaking the evening’s tranquillity in raucous flight. In the furthest recesses of a basement storeroom something ancient is awakened - Transylvania lives...

Transylvania has paid an economically expedient homage to Bram Stoker’s Dracula for many years. Rocky Horror’s Dr Frank N Furter, the ‘sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania’ added a later twist, though not one known to have had local origins. Tourists by the busload, lured by macabre gothic tales, have fallen on the stories of Vlad III Ţepeş ‘The Impaler,’ ensuring the legend’s immortality. However, Bradt’s Transylvania sheds a withering light on vampiric myth – Vlad’s penchant for puncturing was it seems indulged elsewhere. Much more shockingly, the book discovers a far darker secret – the disturbing phenomena of those twin Transylvanian songstresses, The Cheeky Girls…
The reality of Transylvania is a vast area, almost 58,000 square kilometres, occupying the heart of post Ceauşescu Romania. Here, vast swathes of countryside unafflicted by the brutal homogeneity of agribusiness, where horse-drawn carts are very often the only transport, preserve traditional lifestyles and indigenous wildlife lost to more intensively cultivated regions. As author Lucy Mallows reports, ‘Transylvania is the perfect escape from the hectic, stressed-out Western world. It’s impossible to rush. The region is very affordable and getting easier to navigate. Local cuisine is delicious, hearty peasant fare, fruit and vegetables often organic and locally produced.’ Mallows expands to cover eco-tourism, bear, wolf and lynx tracking together with birdwatching, hiking and other outdoor pursuits. Elsewhere, she describes a landscape strewn with medieval cities, hidden Saxon villages, romantic palaces, rocky ruins and imposing fortresses. Transylvania offers a window onto a Europe that’s long been exorcised out of existence further west, and your name doesn’t have to be Professor Van Helsing or Buffy the Vampire Slayer to brave a visit.

Lucy Mallows is an expert on central European culture, architecture, politics and history. Her links with Transylvania date from the late 1980s when she worked as a volunteer with Operation Romanian Villages, a campaign to save settlements from demolition during the Ceauşescu regime. She is also author of Bradt’s Slovakia and Bratislava.

For review copies contact Travel Media – 01830 540 440 or info@travel-media.co.uk
Title: Transylvania Author: Lucy Mallows
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides Publication: September 2008
Price: £14.99 ISBN: 978 1 84162 230 9

Bradt Travel Guides
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info@bradtguides.com
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Bratislava City Guide - second edition

2008-09-04T14:31:00.005+02:00

The Bradt City Guide to Bratislava
By Lucy Mallows
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 2Rev Ed edition (15 Dec 2008)
Language English
ISBN-10: 184162229X
ISBN-13: 978-1841622293

Coming home, Richis, Transylvania

2008-06-06T13:50:00.002+02:00

Richis, Transylvania, Romania ©LucyMallows2007.

Transylvania - new guide book out soon

2008-04-14T15:17:00.007+02:00

Transylvania: The Bradt Travel Guide
by Lucy Mallows
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides (14 Aug 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841622303
ISBN-13: 978-1841622309

Transylvania is a wild, wooded, intensely romantic region, filled with mountains, gorges and valleys, myths and legends, dragons, bears, wolves and vampires.
This guide covers a whole range of attractions and gives full details of all practicalities such as accommodation, eating out and transport around this little-known region.
Discover old Saxon merchants' towns such as Brasov, Sibiu, Cluj, Medias and Sebes.
Gaze in awe at the impressive citadels of Sigisoara, Brasov, Hunedoara, Deva, Rasnov and Bran.
Learn the truth behind Bram Stoker's Dracula myth and where to find Dracula-inspiring locations.
Find out more about Vlad III Tepes (the 'Impaler') a prince of Wallachia, who liked to skewer his victims on a stake...
The villages of the historic Szekely region have been untouched for centuries, and there are many Dacian and Roman ruins to explore.
Sports enthusiasts will find many gorgeous locations in which to ski, hike, ride horses, ramble, kayak and canoe.
Nature lovers can go bear tracking, follow wolf prints, watch birds and discover many endangered species of flora and fauna in the last surviving example of a genuine, unspoilt Medieval landscape.

Disappearing Budapest

2007-11-06T12:30:00.002+01:00

Széchenyi lánchíd lion (tongue-less or not?)
©LucyMallows.digitalpix.2007

I have a new blog, collecting all the timeless articles I wrote about Disappearing Budapest; all the hidden aspects of this fascinating city that I researched over a 12-year period of living in Pest and Buda.
While writing, reporting and editing for Budapest Week, The Budapest Sun, The Budapest Times and as editor-in-chief of Where Budapest, a glossy travel magazine, I amassed a vast collection of material about thei history, architecture, culture and society of Budapest and I want to share this intimate knowledge with readers and those interested in the Hungarian capital.
Unfortunately, Budapest wants to shake off its past and join the bland, mall-packed European muddle of homogenous metropoli, knocking down dusty coffee houses and ancient menzas, replacing them with burger bars and garish coffee chains. The swirly neon shop signs are disappearing fast, along with the department stores lurking behind blankets in the doorways.
Come with me to the secret cemeteries, those coffee bars still clinging on, the hidden market halls, the back streets filled with master craftsmen: watch makers, zip repairers, goldsmiths and those talented individuals who can sew up the ladders on stockings. Explore the hidden gems of Disappearing Budapest with me - while we still can.

Romanian travels

2007-07-12T18:32:00.001+02:00

I was in Romania last week, researching details for my forthcoming guide book.
Biertan is an amazing village near Sighisoara with one of the best preserved and most impressive fortress churches in the former Saxon region.
©LucyMallows pix

Bratislava travel guide - edition 2

2007-03-18T14:35:00.000+01:00

I was recently in Bratislava, updating the second edition to The Bradt CityGuide to Bratislava.

Details:

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; revised edition No. 2 (15 September 2007)
Price: £7.99
Paperback: 272 pages

Language English
ISBN-10: 184162229X
ISBN-13: 978-1841622293

Slovakia new cover

2007-03-16T13:11:00.000+01:00

This is the revised cover for Slovakia.

It shows the magical Bojnice Castle in the Trenčín region in Central Slovakia.

The guide book will be published by Bradt in April 2007 in the UK and in July 2007 in the USA.

See previous entry for more details.

Slovakia: The Bradt Travel Guide

2006-12-27T13:37:00.000+01:00

Slovakia: The Bradt Travel Guide
By Lucy Mallows

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 1st edition (April 15, 2007)
Price: £14.99 €27
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841621889
ISBN-13: 978-1841621883

Published in the US by Globe Pequot (July 1, 2007)
Price: $24.99 (available for pre-order)

Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Borders & Books etc., Ottakar's, Stanfords, Waterstone's and all good bookshops...

Also available from bookshops in Budapest, Bratislava and major cities throughout Slovakia

In Bruxelles, available from Anticyclone des Açores (Rue Fossé aux Loups 34) and Sterling Books next door.

Also at Waterstone's Bruxelles (Boulevard Adolphe Max 71-75) although you'll have trouble finding any travel guides as they employ staff with no knowledge of geography who have previously placed 'Bratislava' in Brazil, the Czech Republic and - best of all - Rwanda....words fail me.

Krahule - the centre of Europe

2006-11-29T14:28:00.000+01:00

The tiny St John's church in Krahule, near Kremnica in Slovakia is allegedly the geographical centre of Europe. There's a plaque on a rock just behind the church in the heart of the most gorgeous, unspoilt countryside.
Digital photo by ©Lucy Mallows

The Bradt City Guide to Bratislava

2006-08-30T22:29:00.000+02:00

In-depth. insider details about this undiscovered and underrated city.
The first guide published in the UK that is devoted exclusively to the Slovak capital, rather than just dumping it in a few pages at the back of the 'Czech & Slovak Republics' guide.

Published in the US by Globe Pequot.
Price: £6.99
ISBN-10: 1 84162 142 0
Available from Amazon, Borders & Books etc., Ottakar's, Stanfords, Waterstones and all good bookshops...
Also available from bookshops in Bratislava, Budapest and major cities throughout Slovakia.

Terchová, Slovakia

2006-07-28T18:09:00.000+02:00

Statue of Juraj Jánošík, the Slovak Robin Hood at Terchová in the Malá Fatra mountains.
Jánošík (1688-1713) took part in the uprising against the Habsburgs but is best known for his life as a bandit. He came to a gruesome end when he was arrested and strung up by a hook pushed through his ribcage.
Digital photo by © Lucy Mallows

Bruxelles & Medzilaborce

2006-07-22T10:56:00.000+02:00

Photos from the top are:
1. Parc Duden, Bruxelles
2. Andy Warhol, Medzilaborce, Slovakia
3. Chaussée D'Alsemberg, Bruxelles

All digital photos by © Lucy Mallows

Bratislava and the UFO café

2006-07-06T10:58:00.000+02:00

Bratislava's Blue Church

2006-06-30T22:55:00.000+02:00

The Blue Church (Modrý kostolík) of sv. Alžbeta (St Elizabeth) is Bratislava's landmark at the updated Mini-Europe museum in Brussels. Ironically it was created by the "father of Hungarian architecture" Ödön Lechner in 1913.
One of the most fabulous churches in the world, its blue colour with curls and flourishes in a lighter blue icing give it the appearance of a bizarre wedding cake. The mosaics and majolica, also in shades of blue, feature Lechner's favourite motifs from nature.
The roses are a reference to the legend of St. Elizabeth and the roses. Elizabeth was the daughter of King András and was born in Bratislava Castle.
Digital photo by © Lucy Mallows

Budapest's New York Palace

2006-06-28T16:33:00.000+02:00

The New York Palace at night

Bruxelles, Porte de Hal

2006-06-22T20:02:00.000+02:00

Bratislava - the first travel guide published in the UK

2006-06-19T14:26:00.000+02:00