Landscapes in Europe

The hills, forests and lakes at Tystrup-Bavelse are a gem in the otherwise flat farm landscape of mid Zealand. The valley and lakes were shaped by the moving icecap under the last ice age about 15,000 years ago. At the north end of Tystrup Lake is Suserup Forest, which hasn’t been touched for centuries, leaving it full of old and crooked trees. The artificial sandy beach at Frederikskilde on the shore of Tystrup Lake is obviously popular, particularly during summer. Twisting Suså, the longest river in Zealand, runs through both Tystrup Lake and Bavelse Lake, and is perfect for kayaking and canoeing. History buffs might find the Bronze Age burial mounds interesting. Though there are several parking lots around Tystrup Lake, the largest is at Kongskilde Nature Centre, where there also is a map of the hiking trails.

The northern coast of Estonia is gorgeous - if ignoring the bleak Soviet leftovers. Farmlands give way to forests, all fringed by a dramatic coastline. The most famous cliff on the northwest stretch is probably Türisalu Cliff, which was previously semi-known as 'Suicide Cliff' since those with a death wish drove straight off the edge. Today, a low fence around the parking lot prevents this, but you are still welcome to walk right up to the unfenced edge and peek over.

True, Keila Waterfall might seem small. But in the spring time, with all the melting water, it really shows off. 60-70 metres wide with a drop of a modest 6 metres, but in a flat country like Estonia that is impressive.

On an island far, far away, stunning Gásadalur village used to be completely isolated from the rest of the Faroes. Situated in a valley, with tall mountains to the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean raging 79 meters below the cliffs to the south and west, Gásadalur was hopelessly alone on its dramatic location. That was until a 1.500 m tunnel was drilled through the mountains, connecting the settlement with the rest of the country in 2006. At that point, only 14 people still lived here. Everybody can now marvel at this astonishing location thanks to that lifesaving tunnel, which have completely revived Gásadalur. As if the site wasn't already sublime enough does the village have fantastic enough are there also wonderful views to the rugged splendour of Mykines – the country's least populated island, with just ten inhabitants left.

Right at the northern tip of Kalsoy Island stands this small unmanned lighthouse. You can only reach it by hiking a hour from Trøllanes through sloping grass land with grassing sheep (of course). The views along the way, and particularly at the top at the lighthouse, are stunning. Far below crashes the sea against the rocks, while the vertical cliff walls are home to bird colonies. There is a outcrop even further out with even more fantastic panoramic views, but be careful for the trail is narrow with steep slopes on both sides.

Faroe Islands are spectacular in general, but there are places which are extremely spectacular, Saksun is one of them. Just the road leading to Saksun is well worth the journey. It's a rolling one-lane road (with on-coming traffic) down a valley with grassing sheep and smaller waterfalls. At the end of the road lies the tiny settlement of Saksun high above a cove with more waterfalls tumbling down the steep mountain walls. On a outcrop stands a picture-perfect old church with turf roof from where there are panoramic views over the cove. On the opposite side of the church, a trail leads down to the shore of the cove and further out to the Atlantic Sea. The walk takes about an hour return and is best done during low tide.

In the middle of nowhere, on the top of a Mount Sornfelli, is a defunct NATO radar station. The station is a leftover of the NATO early warning system from the Cold War. Just 20 km from Tórshavn, a road has been paved all the way to the radar station due to its former importance, securing radar communication between Europe and North America. The road has been open to the public since the station closed down, makes Sornfelli one of the most assessable peaks on the Faroe Islands, offering brilliant views of Streymoy’s rugged landscape and many the other Faroese Islands.

The trek up to glacier Chalati is the other fine day trek you can do from Mestia (the other is up to the cross at the view point). First, you need to cross the bridge behind the town square and follow the river, such that it will be on your left hand side, to the airport. This leg is the least interesting part of the trek, as it follows the road and can be quite dusty. Keep following the river and you will soon enter the green Mestiachala valley. Here, you will need to cross the raging river on a hanging bridge and follow the trail through the forest. There will be coloured marks on rocks to follow. The last section is over the rocky base right at the foot of the glacier (1815 m) where all the melting water is gushing out. The trek takes about eight hours round trip.

There are few images more iconic of the region than the Tsminda Sameba Church silhouetted against the snow covered Caucasus Mountains. The site alone is worth the trip to Kazbegi (aka Stepantsminda). But this tiny mountain village has much more to offer. Firstly, accommodation choices are largely limited to home-stays. For a few dollars, locals take travellers into their homes, feeding them, sheltering them and making them part of the family for a couple of days. Beyond that, the area around Kazbegi has numerous excellent hiking experiences from simple day hikes to hard-core mountain climbing. While it can be visited as a day trip from Tbilisi, Kazbegi is without question much better for those who give it the time it deserves.

Svaneti is a picture-perfect mountainous region. Here you can find traditional villages with strange soaring defensive towers set in lush valleys on a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. The alpine scenery here can easily compete with the crowded Alps. The main town in Svaneti is Mestia which can be reached by a winding mountain road or a often-cancelled flight. From here there are plenty of good trekking opportunities (pick any direction), either just day treks or, for those with the right gear, multi-days treks to, for example, the base of some of the highest peaks in Caucasus. You can also continue further to the UNESCO World Heritage enlisted town of Ushguli at the foot of Mt Shkhara (5068 m), the highest mountain in Georgia.

Svaneti is slowly but surely turning into a hot travel destination for nature lovers, trekkers and backpackers, and Mestia is already gearing up for the boom. It got a new (tiny) airport, ancient Svaneti towers are getting restored, homestays and even hotels are shooting up and the town square is getting totally rebuilt. So come to Svaneti, the sooner the better.