Looking for somewhere different that is neither quite Europe nor Asia? Georgia in the Caucasus is a lot more than mountain tribes with wool hats – though you can find these as well among the 5000m-high Caucasus peaks.
It might come as a surprise to some, but the capital, Tbilisi, is a friendly, safe, relaxed tree-lined city with Soviet, Czarist, 21st century and ancient Georgian church architecture all seeming a bit confused in each others company. Add some of the most hospitable people on earth (do accept any invitation to attend a traditional Georgian feast that lasts long into the night), and you have a great off the beaten track destination with the advantage of the first guidebooks to assist you.
The Georgia Bradt Guide gives superb cultural and historic background with real practical what, where and how of even remote corners of the country. Lonely Planet fans will be glad to hear that Georgia is now also in their coverage with a combined Lonely Planet guide for Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The best map is the ITMB country map of Georgia (1:610 000 scale) with a Tbilisi town plan insert.
- Browse our collection of maps and guides:
- > Georgia travel guides
- > Goergia road maps and atlases
Author: Gerhard Buttner
Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, is a hidden gem. A very pleasant city with an extensive Old Town to explore, parks, castles and a few surprises, like the Frank Zappa Memorial (and why not?) and the run-down artists’ quarter of Uzupio. You might even be lucky and arrive at the right time, as on certain weekends Lithuanians like to dress up in traditional costume and gather in parks and town squares to sing and dance, asserting their national identity.
IGN is France’s national survey agency, the equivalent of Great Britain’s Ordnance Survey. As the Ordnance Survey was, and as many national Géographical institutes still are, it was originally a department of the army. It became a public institution just before the Armistice of Vichy in 1941.
The largest of the three Aran Islands, Inishmore, can be reached by ferry from Rossaveel (or Galway) on the Connemara coast. You can see most of the island in a day trip, though I wished I’d taken more time to absorb the grandeur and isolation of the place. There is only one road running down the island’s length, and there are minivans, bicycles or horse drawn carriages to hire in the harbour at Kilronan.