Landlocked countries shown in Green. Double landlocked are shown in Purple
Category: Europe (Page 3 of 6)
Did you know that under certain conditions Canadians and nationals from other countries can stay in Denmark and other Nordic countries beyond the 90-day Schengen Area limit?
Check the info on the Denmark page.
E69 is the world’s northernmost highway and one of Norway’s marvels of engineering.
From the BBC:
Running 129km north from Olderfjord to Nordkapp on a finger of land at the top of Arctic Norway, the E69 is the world’s most northerly highway, a marvel of engineering along the coast of Western Europe’s northernmost peninsula. First proposed as early as 1908 by Landslaget for Reiselivet i Norge (the country’s fledgling national tourist association), yet only completed in 1999, the road is a brilliant contradiction, connecting a handful of remote and fragile fishing communities that have long proven they are capable of living without the outside world. For many, wooden boats continue to satisfy their needs.
To drive the road today is to glimpse Norway’s wilderness at its rawest. Obsidian-black bluffs rise up over narrow sea inlets; mountains lurch into the windshield before giving way to vast plateaus pockmarked by dwarf birch; and violent storms frequently roll in from the intimidating Barents Sea. Come winter, the last stretch to Nordkapp and the abrupt cliffs of Knivskjellodden, Europe’s fabled northernmost point, becomes nearly impassable, only open for convoy driving. Without the highway, it’s easy for a first-time visitor to think that the villages along the route would be on the verge of disappearing.
The creation of the E69 came about in the 1930s to counter a downturn in the fishing industry, which brooded on the horizon after Nordkapp fishermen lost control of exclusive concession rights. New sources of income for the fishermen had to be found and a mass meeting was held in 1934 in Honningsvåg, Nordkapp’s most populous village, with harbour bosses demanding the municipal council prioritise a national highway to solve the problem.
Dream Trip Norway | Salomon TV
Katie Adams, Emelie Forsberg, and Ida Nilsson on a dream running trip in Norway.
Chinese authorities have recognized that tourism is a key pillar of their economy, and they continue to invest heavily to improve infrastructure and standards, in addition to opening up the country with increasingly tourism-friendly policies and initiatives.
At the World Travel Market in London, Euromonitor International’s Head of Travel Caroline Bremner said: “Destinations like China are poised for a successful performance in inbound tourism, with China set to overtake France as the leading destination worldwide by 2030.”
The report estimates there will be 127 million arrivals in China each year by the end of the next decade, compared to 126 million in France and 116 million in the US.
And as household incomes and standards of living continue to rise, more Chinese are predicted to be travelling overseas in the coming decade than any other nationality.
Read more at World Economic Forum
Hovering on a cliff encircled by Italy, the tiny landlocked country of San Marino holds the title of the least visited country in Europe, just a dot on the map of only 23.6 square miles. Here’s why travelers of all types should visit the under the radar microstate.
- History
- Epic Landscapes
- Food
- Tax Free Shopping
- Easy Access
Seeing the funny side of the German language | DW English
The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without first obtaining a visa.
Henley & Partners released this press release today:
Japan has overtaken Singapore to claim the top spot on the 2018 Henley Passport Index, having gained visa-free access to Myanmar this month. Japan now enjoys visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations, compared to Singapore’s total of 189. The countries have been neck and neck since they both climbed to 1st place in February, pushing Germany down to 2nd place for the first time since 2014.
Germany has now fallen further to 3rd place, which it shares with South Korea and France. Their nationals enjoy visa-free access to 188 countries. France moved up a place last Friday when it gained visa-free access to Uzbekistan. Iraq and Afghanistan continues to sit at the bottom (106th) of the Henley Passport Index — based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association(IATA).
The US and the UK, both with 186 destinations, have slid down yet another spot — from 4th to 5th place — with neither having gained access to any new jurisdictions since the start of 2018. With stagnant outbound visa activity compared to Asian high-performers, it seems unlikely they will regain the number 1 spot they jointly held in 2015 any time soon.
In general, the UAE has made the most remarkable ascent on the Henley Passport Index, from 62nd place in 2006 to 21st place worldwide currently, and looking ahead, the most dramatic climb might come from Kosovo, which officially met all the criteria for visa-liberalization with the EU in July and is now in discussions with the European Council.
Russia received a boost in September when Taiwan announced a visa-waiver, but the country has nonetheless fallen from 46th to 47th place due to movements higher up the ranking. The same is true of China: Chinese nationals obtained access to two new jurisdictions (St. Lucia and Myanmar), but the Chinese passport fell two places, to 71st overall.
Dr. Christian H. Kälin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, says countries with citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs all fall within the top 50 of the Henley Passport Index. Newcomer Moldova, which is due to launch its CBI program in November, has climbed 20 places since 2008. “The travel freedom that comes with a second passport is significant, while the economic and societal value that CBI programs generate for host countries can be transformative,” says Dr. Kälin.
The top countries are:
1. Japan (190 countries)
2. Singapore (189 countries)
3. Germany (188 countries)
4. (Tied) France, South Korea, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Spain (187 countries)
5. (Tied) Norway, United Kingdom, Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, USA (186 countries)
6. (Tied) Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Ireland (185 countries)
7. (Tied) Australia, Greece, Malta (183 countries)
8. (Tied) New Zealand, Czech Republic (182 countries)
9. Iceland (181 countries)
10. (Tied) Hungary, Slovenia, Malaysia (180 countries)
The Michelin Guide has announced the new winners for 2019. 21 new restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland received their first Michelin star and three more received a second. None reached a third.
The first ever Michelin Guide was produced for French motorists 118 years ago, in 1900. One star meant a restaurant was good and worthy of a stop; two that it mérite un détour (justified a detour); and three that it was so exceptional that it warranted a special journey.
Restaurants to received two Michelin stars:
1. Clare Smyth’s Core in Notting Hill, London
2. James Knappett’s Bubbledogs Kitchen Table in Fitzrovia, London
3. Mark Birchall’s Moor Hall in Lancashire
Restaurants to receive their first Michelin star:
1. Tomos Parry’s Brat in Hackney, London
2. Jeremy Chan’s Ikoyi in Westminster, London
3. Nieves Barragán Mohacho and José Etura’s Sabor in Westminster, London
4. Ollie Dabbous’ Hide in Mayfair, London
5. Sam Kamienko, Ed Thaw and Jack Lewens’ Leroy in Hackney, London
6. Simon Rogan’s Roganic in Westminster, London
7. Simon Rogan’s Rogan & Co, Cartmel, Cumbria
8. Chris Simpson’s Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon
9. Steve Drake’s Sorrel, Dorking, Surrey
10. Tim Allen’s Flitch of Bacon, Dunmow, Essex
11. Chris Cleghorn’s Olive Tree, Bath, Somerset
12. Colin McGurran’s Winteringham Fields, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
13. Paul Foster’s Salt, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
14. Paul Welburn’s Oxford Kitchen, Oxford, Oxfordshire
15. Daniel Smith’s Fordwich Arms, Canterbury, Kent
16. Tom Parker’s White Swan, Fence, Lancashire
17. Dom Robinson’s Blackbird, Bagnor Berkshire
18. George Livesey’s Bulrush, Bristol
19. Ahmet Dede’s Mews, Baltimore, County Cork
20. Takashi Miyazaki’s Ichigo Ichie, Cork
21. Rob Krawczyk’s Chestnut, Ballydehob, County Cork
There are now a total of 155 one-Michelin-star establishments, 20 two-star and five three-star in the UK and Ireland.
If chasing the most remote Michelin star restaurant is what you are after, then check out Koks, the worlds most remote foodie destination. (The New Yorker)
The Michelin Guide
More at Conde Nast Traveller
There are others. These were suggested by readers of The Guardian.
- Passau, Germany, to Vienna, Austria.
- The pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome.
- The River Loire, France.
- The Romantic Road, southern Germany.
- From Rotterdam, take the Eurovelo 2cycle trail, also called the Capitals Route, across the Netherlands and Germany to Berlin, then on to Moscow if you wish.
- Gospić to Karlobag, along the Croatian seaside.
- The Amalfi coast, in Italy.
- Milan to Sanremo, 200 km leg of the The Giro d’Italia.
- From Dieppe to Paris in the French countryside.
- Baie de Somme, Picardie, France.
More at The Guardian