A skyline of medieval spires pierces the grey northern sky above Gent, where the rivers Leie and Schelde converge in a tangle of canals. The Castle of the Counts stands guard over a city that once ranked among the wealthiest in northern Europe. Cobblestone lanes wind past guild halls draped in Flemish grandeur, while street […]
Thayatal National Park is one of Austria’s most beautiful but least-known protected areas, a dramatic 13-kilometre-long valley on the Czech border where the Thaya River has carved a deep, meandering canyon through ancient metamorphic rock, creating a richly forested landscape that is home to wildcats, black storks, and over 40 species of orchid. Together with […]
