In Britain, wilderness has largely been abolished. The abolition began millennia ago. Between 7,000 and 5,000 years ago, around 75% of the UK was covered in forest. Then large-scale forest clearance started around 3100 BC when Neolithic agriculture was introduced. Now, the UK has around 13% forest cover, making it one of Europe’s least densely forested countries. The post Britain’s last remaining wild places appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
"Welcome to Hotel Radomirë Korab,” Agron greets me with an enormous smile as I arrive at my lodgings. It's the end of my second day on the High Scardus Trail and I am in dire need of a drink. “Can I get you a beer?” he adds, clearly reading my mind. The post High Scardus Trail in Albania: everything you need to know appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Nancy Black is the stage name of Austrian rapper Gilda-Nancy Horvath, who is striking back against racism against her Roma people. The post Austrian Rapper Nancy Black Strikes Back At Racism Against The Roma People Via Rap Verses appeared first on Hip-Hop Wired.
From mountains to libraries, we take a look at some of the most extraordinary international borders to be found across the globe. Over the last few years, we’ve seen an impressive collection of new websites, blogs and social media accounts dedicated to ‘travel porn’. They’re filled with big, sweeping images of fairytale lands and precarious precipices. The post 10 remarkable international borders appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
For many visitors, Málaga is simply a gateway to the crowded seaside resorts of the Costa del Sol. Relatively few will venture far from the beach. If they do, chances are they’ll head into the city which, after decades of being ignored by the masses, has undergone something of a reinvention. The post 5 thrilling hiking trails in Málaga, Spain appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
In 2017, during a long trip through Asia, I asked Peter a question: if you could see only five countries before you die, what would they be? My rule was that he couldn’t choose countries he had already visited, nor stateless territories (e.g. Antarctica). Fast forward seven years and he has seen four out of five countries on his original list, so I asked him to come up with a new one. Given that he has been to 100 countries and all seven continents, it wasn’t easy – but he managed it. The post The countries we most want to see appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
It’s easy to see why Cornwall is one of the UK's most popular holiday destinations. The historic county has over 300 miles of jaw-dropping coastline boasting rugged cliffs and golden beaches, quaint fishing villages and bustling ports while inland, dramatic moors and ancient forests are waiting to be roamed. The post Best views in Cornwall: 12 Instagrammable spots appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Our selection of the best hikes in Dartmoor National Park showcase the finest of England’s wildest landscape. I’ve always had a fondness for Dartmoor. I first visited as a child on a family holiday and I’ve been returning regularly ever since. Famous for its wild, open moorland and craggy granite tors (free-standing rocky outcrops that rises abruptly from their surroundings), it is one of the few genuinely wild places left in England. Tucked away in England’s southwest, with 368 wild square miles to explore, Dartmoor National Park is home to some of the finest hiking in England. With an excellent array of trails criss-crossing the wide expansive vistas there are a number of different routes available to suit all ages and abilities. The post 10 best hikes in Dartmoor National Park appeared...
As Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken made history as the first astronauts to launch to orbit on a privately-owned spaceship, the world took pause to watch. Given the turmoil of our times, one observer quipped, 'Congratulations to the Astronauts that left Earth today. Good choice.' The post The most stunning natural phenomena on Earth appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
It was five years ago that I first came across a big wall climber. A tiny speck on the side of a gigantic granite wall, the climber was bivvying in Yosemite National Park, the Holy Land of big wall climbing. I couldn't comprehend how someone could sleep tacked onto the side of a wall, suspended thousands of feet above the ground, sometimes in treacherously windy conditions. I was reminded of this special breed of people by the recent film Meru which follows three world-class climbers on their efforts to scale the mountain's imposing Shark's Fin. The high-altitude and Alpine climbing on display is impressive of course but it's the big wall climbing on the near-featureless Shark's Fin that is really mind blowing. The post 20 most stunning big wall climbs from around the world appeared fir...
The Lake District is home to England's most dramatic landscape. In a country known more for its tame countryside and sedate farmland, Cumbria's exhilarating terrain of craggy peaks, deep gorges and immense lakes reveals a refreshingly wilder side of the nation. As such, nowhere else was ever really in the running to host the inaugural Highlander UK trek, one of the latest additions to the Highlander Adventure collection. The post Trekking the Highlander Lake District in England appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Iceland is once again the safest country in the world followed by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand and Austria. However, the world is a less peaceful place as the average level of global peacefulness has deteriorated for the ninth year in a row, with 84 countries recording an improvement and 79 a decline, according to the latest Global Peace Index (GPI). The post Ranked: safest countries in the world 2023 appeared first on Atlas & Boots.