Readers revel in extraordinary landscapes from black sand deserts in Iceland to haunting forests in Poland, spotting wolves, bears and honey buzzards along the way
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The Julian Alps are mostly in Slovenia, but I have gone on many trips to the little known Italian portion of this mountain range to visit old friends in the ski town Sella Nevea. The scenery is awesome: pointed white, limestone peaks above deep and mysterious pine-forested valleys. The books of mountaineer Julius Kugy romantically describe this large wilderness, the obscurity of which amazes me. Nature is abundant with various large mammals, bird life and flora. If you love alpine adventure but don’t like tourists then seek it out, there’s nobody there!
Paul
Stora Karlsö, off the west coast of Gotland, is one of the oldest nature reserves in the world and is a few hours’ journey by train and ferry from Stockholm. It’s a tiny, rugged limestone island, mostly just a high cliff with an alvar (grassy heath) plateau. There were lots of orchids and plenty of sea birds. Once sheltered from the wind, I found the fragrant air was incredible. I spent the night in a simple cabin and enjoyed a decent meal, but civilisation in the regular fashion was far away, and there was hardly any cell reception.
