National Geographic Traveller (UK) March 2023

Doug Loynes The fall and rise of Matera, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements, is a great Italian renaissance story. But although the past lives on via its frescoed, rock-cut churches and cave dwellings, this city is looking to the future. MATERA P.44 Neil Davey Herefordshire feels like the UK’s best-kept secret. The scenery is beautiful, the history often fascinating and the culinary scene local, seasonal and wonderfully collaborative — exactly the kind of thing to which we should all aspire. HEREFORDSHIRE P.50 Monisha Rajesh As Indian Railways marks its 170th anniversary, I decided to return to India, 10 years after my first book, Around India in 80 Trains, was published. I was keen to rediscover the charm, energy and magic of travelling along the country’s classic routes.…

ISSUE 110, MARCH 2023 Big countries offer epic train journeys. From Australia to Canada, South Africa to the US, traversing a nation by rail can offer insight into a destination rarely achieved by any other means of transport. But with one of the largest rail networks in the world, India is perhaps where this unique perspective really comes into its own. With 40,000 miles of track, 25 million passengers a day and more than 13,000 trains, this vast country is best explored from the seat of a carriage. The first Indian passenger train departed Bombay on 16 April 1853. Our cover story this issue, nearly 170 years later, shines a light on what’s gone on to become one of the world’s most celebrated networks, taking in mountains, cities, jungles, rivers,…

I met Felipe, a South American gaucho horseman, and his wife Laura on a tour of Argentinean Patagonia. The couple live in extreme isolation near Lake Traful, on a private reserve bordering Nahuel Huapi, the oldest national park in the country, and Lanín National Park, with its snow-covered stratovolcano. Their family estancia (cattle ranch) has been converted into sleeping quarters where I spent the night after a day on the saddle. At dinner, Felipe and Laura cooked roast lamb and kept my glass topped up with Malbec. I had a great evening reflecting on my day, spent wondering around emerald lakes, knife-edge mountain passes and grassy pampa plains. DAVID DE VLEESCHAUWER • PHOTOGRAPHER @remoteexperiences…

We woke up before dawn to drive down to the west bank of the Nile in Luxor. It was calm at this hour, setting up on the shores of this magnificent river. Another ride followed, during which we tried to catch glimpses of sugarcane fields, date palms and hot air balloons rising into the sky through our minivan’s tiny windows. Finally, we reached this sprawling launchpad, where dozens of massive hot air balloons were starting to take shape. Minutes after I took this shot, we were gliding over Luxor and the stunning Valley of the Kings, where New Kingdom pharaohs lay resting in their tombs. YULIA DENISYUK • PHOTOGRAPHER yulia-denisyuk.com @insearchofperfect…

There’s much to celebrate on Flying Scotsman’s 100th birthday. Built in 1923, the world-famous steam train has broken all kinds of records in its history, becoming the first locomotive to officially hit 100mph and circumnavigate the globe. In 1989, it also ran the longest nonstop service by a steam locomotive, clocking 422 miles while touring Australia — arecord that still stands today. Following an overhaul, it’s now ready to embark on a celebratory programme of events up and down the country. Festivities kick off with a pair of exhibitions at its current home, York’s National Railway Museum. From 10 February, Flying Scotsman: 100 Years, 100 Voices will explore the train’s significance with stories from its makers, staff and passengers, while the original watercolour sketches from the new children’s book Flying…

Celebratory exhibitions First up, the MO Museum is paying tribute to Ričardas Gavelis’ Vilnius Poker, widely seen as one of the most important works of Lithuanian literature. Published towards the end of the Soviet era in 1989, it’s become a symbol of creative freedom, and a namesake exhibition opens in April. Meanwhile, May will see the inauguration of Vilnius 200 Years Ago at the Lithuanian National Museum’s New Arsenal. It will depict a model of the city as it was in the 19th century, with visual projections and augmented reality portraying how it’s changed over time. The space will pitch camp at the foot of the 157ft Mount Gediminas; before leaving, head up the hill for some of the best views over the UNESCO-listed Old Town. mo.lt/en lnm.lt/en Turning the…