Gillian Gloyer – författare

This new, fully revised seventh edition of Bradt's Albania remains the most authoritative standalone guide to what is still a relatively little known part of Europe. Coverage is comprehensive, starting in the capital, Tirana, then moving through central, northern and southern Albania to provide all the information needed for a successful trip. Included are knowledgeable and rigorously researched historical and archaeological background, detailed notes on popular and less well-known hiking routes and other outdoor activities, and specialist contributions on wildlife, military history and other topics. An unparalleled wealth of practical advice for the independent traveller is also offered.Albania has something to offer almost everyone. Many come for the spectacular, unspoilt mountain scenery and the hiking and cycling opportunities. Others are interested in the country's heritage, such as the Ottoman cities of Gjirokastra and Berati (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites), the many outstanding archaeological sites, and the Byzantine religious art in the medieval churches and in museums in Tirana, Korça and Berati. Beaches such as Dhërmiu and Jala in the south are popular with young backpackers, while in high season the resorts are full of Albanian-speaking Kosovars and Macedonians. Ornithologists have long been attracted to Albania, even during the Communist period when the country was all but closed to most foreign visitors, thanks to its many different habitats and the fact it lies on several migration routes. For city slickers, lively Tirana offers shopping malls, cycle paths, museums, art galleries and historic buildings, yet in the countryside, especially in the mountains, villagers still live much as their grandparents did, tending their goats and sheep, spinning wool and making their own cheese and yogurt. Many villagers have opened up their homes as guest houses, offering a wonderful opportunity to experience local culture first-hand.All of this - and more - is covered in Bradt's Albania, the ideal companion for a perfect trip.

The updated Bradt Svalbard guidebook, now in its seventh edition, remains the only detailed, standalone guidebook from a major publisher to this evocative High Arctic archipelago. Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Jan Mayen collectively constitute Europe's wildest frontier. In this remote destination, perfect for ecotourism and adventure sports, the Global Seed Vault safeguards plants in case of environmental disaster, there are 4,000 snow scooters for a population of just 2,500 and reindeer graze beside icy roads, keeping a wary eye open for polar bears.More than 50 nationalities live together in the tiny capital city of Longyearbyen, where no-one can easily be born in hospital (due to limited medical facilities) nor buried (due to the permafrost). Once populated by trappers, miners and whalers, the Norwegian city is now home to climate scientists. Moreover - as the updated Bradt Svalbard guidebook makes clear - it provides the hub for a thriving tourist destination, where you can:* take expedition cruises in summer (June-August) to explore coastal areas, looking for thrilling wildlife including polar bears, walruses, beluga whales and Arctic foxes;* during the so-called 'light winter' months (March-May), go husky-sledding, skidooing, cross-country skiing, hiking, kayaking, ice climbing and fossil-hunting amid Svalbard's glorious mountains, majestic fjords and sprawling valleys, explore the mining ghost towns of Barentsburg or Pyramiden, or even notch up geographic superlatives (such as the world's most northerly kebab, most northerly souvenir shop); and* during winter (November/December-March), when the sun disappears for four months, enjoy polar 'noctourism', admiring ink-black skies filled with stars and the dance of the aurora borealis (northern lights).Interest in the region has never been higher, partly thanks to travel vlogger Cecilie Blomdahl's New York Times bestseller, Life on Svalbard. The updated Bradt Svalbard guidebook provides all of the practical and background information you'll need to explore this wild place, turning the hostile into the hospitable. Freshly researched and amended, this seventh edition reflects important recent changes in the archipelago, from climate-responsible travel innovations to eco-minded tours, plus a slew of new hotels and restaurants, making it the indispensable guide to this once-in-a-lifetime destination.